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Republican Congressman Calls For Swift Investigation Following Disturbing Office Discovery

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Rep. Dave Taylor (R-Ohio) is calling for a full investigation after a disturbing image surfaced showing what appeared to be an altered American flag โ€” twisted into a swastika โ€” displayed behind one of his staffers during a virtual meeting.

The image, first reported by Politico and amplified on social media by an Ohio blogger, quickly drew outrage. But Taylorโ€™s office says it may not be what it appears.

โ€œI am aware of an image that appears to depict a vile and deeply inappropriate symbol near an employee in my office,โ€ Taylor said in a statement. โ€œThe content of that image does not reflect the values or standards of this office, my staff, or myself, and I condemn it in the strongest terms.โ€

Taylor emphasized that he acted immediately, directing Capitol Police to investigate what he described as a potentially malicious act.

โ€œUpon learning of this matter, I immediately directed a thorough investigation alongside Capitol Police, which remains ongoing,โ€ the statement continued.

A spokesperson for the congressman suggested the image might have been the result of โ€œfoul play or vandalism,โ€ not any endorsement of the offensive imagery by his staff. The photo appeared to show Angelo โ€œAJโ€ Elia, a legislative correspondent who joined Taylorโ€™s office in January, sitting at his cubicle with the doctored flag visible behind him.

Elia โ€” who recently earned a masterโ€™s degree in legislative affairs from George Washington University โ€” has not commented publicly. Taylorโ€™s office has not said whether any personnel actions have been taken while the investigation proceeds.

The controversy comes amid renewed scrutiny of conservative youth organizations after Politico reported on leaked Telegram messages allegedly showing racist and anti-Semitic comments from some Young Republican leaders. The timing of the leak, combined with the sudden surfacing of the photo from Taylorโ€™s office, has raised questions among some Republicans about whether politically motivated actors are attempting to smear conservatives ahead of the 2024 election cycle.

The image was first posted on X (formerly Twitter) by Ohio blogger DJ Byrnes, who claimed a friend had a Zoom meeting with Taylorโ€™s office and noticed the symbol. โ€œA friend in DC had a Zoom call with Congressman Dave Taylorโ€™s office today โ€ฆ Taylorโ€™s legislative correspondent, Angelo Elia, had what can only be described as an American swastika flag prominently displayed in his background,โ€ Byrnes wrote Wednesday.

Trump To Reportedly Pardon Hunter Binden-linked Businessman

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President Joe Biden hugs his family during the 59th Presidential Inauguration ceremony in Washington, Jan. 20, 2021. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took the oath of office on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. (DOD Photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Carlos M. Vazquez II)

Hunter Bidenโ€™s formerย business partner Devon Archerย is reportedly set to receive a pardon from President Donald Trump.

Archer met with Trump over the weekend at theย NCAA wrestling championshipsย in Philadelphia, where he said he received some “very encouraging words.”

“I had gotten word from my attorney earlier that the president was discussing this, and he had acknowledged that he was going to do it,” Archer said of the possible pardon Monday in an interview on “Jesse Watters Primetime.”

Trump told the New York Post Sunday that he would give Archer a “full pardon” because he was “screwed by the Bidens.”

“They destroyed him like they tried to destroy a lot of people,” Trump said, according to the outlet.

Archer, who served on the board of Ukrainianย energy company Burismaย with Hunter, told the House Oversight Committee in a closed-door hearing in 2023 about the influence of the Biden family “brand.”

He told investigators Hunter put his father โ€” then Vice President Joe Biden โ€” on speakerphone at business meetings between 10 and 20 times, although he noted “nothing of material was discussed.”

“You didn’t think you’d ever need this [pardon] because Joe Biden said he’d take care of you. Isn’t that what he said?” Watters asked. 

“Absolutely. Well, and so did Hunter. I mean, once a Biden, always a Biden.” Archer responded.

“I didn’t think โ€” first of all, I didn’t think I’d need this because I never did anything. I was a victim of financial fraud in which I invested a lot of money and was taken down [by] a whistleblower [who] was blowing the whistle on Hunter.”

Man Who Falsely Claimed To shoot Charlie Kirk Sentenced To Prison

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Image via Pixabay

In a strikingly bizarre footnote to the tragic assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, a Utah man who falsely claimed responsibility for the fatal shooting has now been sentenced and faces up to 15 years in prison.

Seventy-one-year-old George Hodgson Zinn โ€” who dramatically approached law enforcement at Utah Valley University, yelling โ€œI shot him โ€” now shoot meโ€ moments after Kirk was gunned down โ€” has now pleaded no contest to obstruction of justice and guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, according to court records.

While Zinnโ€™s initial false confession drew headlines and confusion during the chaotic aftermath of the shooting โ€” leading some to believe he was the shooter โ€” investigators quickly ruled him out as a suspect in Kirkโ€™s assassination.

During questioning at a hospital after the incident, Zinn shocked authorities by admitting he had child sexual abuse material on his phone. A warrant later uncovered more than 20 images depicting abused minors, and prosecutors charged him accordingly.

In Salt Lake County district court, Zinn was sentenced to zero to five years for obstruction and one to 15 years for each exploitation count, with the judge ordering the terms to run concurrently. The exact amount of time he will serve will be decided by the Utah parole board.


Remembering Charlie Kirk: A Conservative Voice Silenced

The backdrop to this strange prosecution is one of the most shocking episodes of political violence in recent U.S. history. On Sept. 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk โ€” founder and executive director of the conservative youth advocacy group Turning Point USA and a leading voice in the MAGA movement โ€” was assassinated by a sniper while speaking at an outdoor event on the Utah Valley University campus.

Kirk, just 31 years old, had become one of the most recognizable young conservative figures in America. He built Turning Point USA from a student organization into a powerful grassroots force shaping Republican campaigns, energizing young voters, and challenging campus liberal orthodoxy across the country.

Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

His death prompted an outpouring of grief and outrage from Republican leaders and conservative grassroots activists, who saw the attack as not just a crime but part of a broader pattern of hostility toward conservatives. Thousands attended memorial events, and his legacy has become a rallying point in debates over political violence and free speech on college campuses and beyond.

The suspect in the shooting โ€” 22-year-old Tyler James Robinson โ€” was later arrested and charged with aggravated murder. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty, underscoring the gravity of the crime and the national attention still focused on the case.


What This Means Going Forward

Zinnโ€™s sentencing closes one strange chapter in the unfolding story of the Kirk assassination, but it also highlights the turmoil that followed one of the most prominent conservative leaders of his generation. A man who tried โ€” for reasons still unclear โ€” to throw law enforcement off the trail of the real shooter now faces prison time for his own criminal behavior.

House GOP Pressures Attorney General To Prosecute Officials Helping Subvert Deportations

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Multiple House Republicans are demanding the Justice Department prosecute elected officials and left-wing activist groups allegedly attempting to undermine the administrationโ€™s deportation efforts.

GOP Reps. Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma, Andy Harris of Maryland, Eric Burlison of Missouri and Pete Sessions of Texas sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi Tuesday, exclusively obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.ย 

โ€œWe write today to applaud your prosecution of Governor Kathy Hochul and New York Attorney General Letitia James and to respectfully request that you continue prosecuting individuals, organizations and elected officials who aid and abet illegal aliens in evading Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers,โ€ the Republican lawmakers wrote. โ€œAssisting aliens in avoiding deportation is illegal; therefore, we urge you to continue upholding the integrity of the American system.โ€

โ€œFar-left politicians and nongovernmental organizations [NGOs] are flouting the law under the assumption that it will not be enforced. We ask that you demonstrate that such violations will not be tolerated.โ€

Read:

The letter alleges that left-wing organizations such as Code Pink, Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network and the Immigration Defense Project are actively providing resources to illegal migrants to evade detection by ICE.

The GOP congressmen also urged Bondi to prosecute elected officials helping illegal migrants evade detection by ICE.

Democrat New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy appeared to suggest that he was harboring an illegal migrant on his property on Feb. 3, leading border czar Tom Homan vowing to prosecute the elected official for appearing to violate federal law.

โ€œAnd good luck to the feds coming in to try to get her,โ€ the Democrat then added, speaking at an open discussion at Montclair State University.

Murphyย walked backย the shocking claim days later.

Homan warned New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that he is working with the DOJ to determine whether the left-wing firebrand violated federal law by hosting a virtual webinar advising illegal migrants on how to handle encounters with ICE on Jan. 11.

โ€œLetโ€™s hope sheโ€™s not educating the next person who gets out and murders a young college student in Georgia,โ€ Homan said on Fox News on Feb. 16. โ€œThese are bad people weโ€™re looking for. So she can call it education all she wants, but we all know itโ€™s about evading law enforcement. These people have been ordered removed. The people weโ€™re looking for now have final orders. Theyโ€™re criminals. Theyโ€™re in the country illegally.โ€

Bondi filed a lawsuit against Hochul and James on Feb. 12, citing a New York state law allowing immigrants to obtain a driverโ€™s license regardless of legal status. The Trump administration hit Chicago and the state of Illinois with lawsuits on Feb. 6 over the city and stateโ€™s sanctuary laws, which restrict cooperation between local officials and ICE.

โ€œThis is a new DOJ,โ€ Bondi said during a press conference announcing the Justice Departmentโ€™s lawsuit against the state of New York. โ€œWe are taking steps to protect Americans, American citizens and angel moms.โ€

โ€œNew York has chosen to prioritize illegal aliens over American citizens. It stops today,โ€ Bondi added. โ€œWe sued Illinois. New York did not listen. Now youโ€™re next.โ€

DOJ Moves To Toss Charges Against Former Republican Lawmaker

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Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday moved toย toss out chargesย against former Rep.ย Jeff Fortenberryย (R-Neb.), who resigned from Congress in 2022.

The request to dismiss the case with prejudice, meaning the same charges canโ€™t be brought again, comes as President Trumpโ€™s Justice Department has moved to end criminal prosecutions of his political allies, including those who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack and Trumpโ€™s co-defendants in his federal classified documents case.

On his Truth Social platform, Trump celebrated the end of the DOJโ€™s โ€œwitch huntโ€ against Fortenberry and claimed he was the victim of a weaponized justice system.

โ€œThe charges were totally baseless,โ€ Trump said. โ€œThat Scam is now over, so Jeff and his family can go back to having a great life together, and be a part of our Countryโ€™s future as we MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. I am very proud of our Department of Justice, something I have not been able to say for many years!โ€

A jury in Los Angeles previously convicted him in 2022 following a federal investigation, but a federal appeals court overturned the case in late 2023. (RELATED: Appeals Court Overturns Ex-Congressmanโ€™s Conviction For Lying To FBI)

The charges centered on statements Fortenberry gave to authorities as they investigated the $30,200 donation to the former congressmanโ€™s campaign at a 2016 fundraising event in California from Gilbert Chagoury, a Nigerian businessperson.

Federal election law prohibits foreign nationals from making contributions in support of any candidate for a federal elected office in the U.S.

That conviction was overturned by a federal appeals court in 2023, after it determined Fortenberry should have faced trial in Nebraska or Washington, D.C., instead.

Federal prosecutors brought the case again in Washington in May, and Fortenberry was awaiting a new trial when Trump won the presidential race.

Massie Slams DOJ, Trump Administration Over Epstein Files: ‘This Is the Epstein Administration’

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Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) delivered sharp criticism of President Donald Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi during a fiery appearance Sunday on ABCโ€™s This Week, accusing the administration of failing to deliver real transparency on the Jeffrey Epstein files.

Speaking with host Martha Raddatz, Massie โ€” one of the most outspoken Republicans pushing for full disclosure of Epstein-related records โ€” questioned Bondiโ€™s performance during last weekโ€™s high-profile House Judiciary hearing.

โ€œShe came with a book full of insults, one for each congressperson,โ€ Massie said. โ€œShe obviously had one for me. And, you know, Iโ€™ve been there when [former AG] Merrick Garland was there. Obviously, politically, I donโ€™t agree with him, but he performed much better in terms of at least not looking bad. And, unfortunately, we didnโ€™t get the answers we wanted about the Epstein Files Transparency Act from her.โ€

Massie also took aim at Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche over a letter sent Saturday claiming the Department of Justice has now produced โ€œallโ€ Epstein files.

โ€œI know the DOJ wants to say theyโ€™re done with this document production,โ€ Massie said. โ€œThe problem is theyโ€™ve taken down documents before we were able to go over to the DOJ and look at the unredacted versions. They took down some of the most significant documents. Two of them involving Virginia Giuffreโ€™s case and other things, the picture of Epstein at โ€” in a room where itโ€™s got CIA written on the boxes. Thatโ€™s been taken down. We want to be able to look at all these files. They canโ€™t keep those documents down after theyโ€™ve already produced them.โ€

New Report Raises Questions About DOJโ€™s โ€œFull Releaseโ€ Claim

Massieโ€™s concerns come as a new investigation by Channel 4 News is raising fresh doubts about whether the Justice Department has truly released the full Epstein archive.

According to internal emails reviewed by the broadcaster, federal investigators expected to process between 20 and 40 terabytes of data seized from Epsteinโ€™s properties โ€” including his Florida mansion, New York townhouse, and private island. Other early-stage emails referenced totals as high as 50 terabytes.

In one internal email from 2025, officials reportedly said they were โ€œlooking at approximately 14.6 terabytes of archived data.โ€

By contrast, Channel 4 noted that the most recent release of roughly 3.5 million documents amounted to just over 300GB โ€” which the outlet said represents only about 2% of the data investigators were discussing.

โ€œThey claimed that 6 million pages were identified, including duplicates โ€” they released over 3 million,โ€ Channel 4โ€™s U.S. editor Asnushka Asthana said. โ€œBoth those numbers are tiny compared to the amount collected according to todayโ€™s emails.โ€

One investigator described the data dump as chaotic and incomplete:

โ€œImagine if we had seized the papers from approximately 100,000 filing cabinets. Then that all just got dumped in one big pileโ€ฆ And then any of those documents that was larger than 100 pages couldnโ€™t be opened. Thatโ€™s what weโ€™ve got.โ€

Massie Turns Fire on Trump

Raddatz closed the interview by asking Massie directly about President Trump, who has thrown his support behind Massieโ€™s primary challenger, Ed Gallrein, and has repeatedly attacked the Kentucky congressman over his push for transparency.

Massie did not hold back.

โ€œLook, this is about the Epstein class, the people who are funding the attacks against me,โ€ Massie said. โ€œThey may or may not be implicated in these files, but they were certainly rubbing shoulders with the people who are in these files. Theyโ€™re billionaires who are friends with these people. And thatโ€™s what Iโ€™m up against in Washington, D.C. Donald Trump told us that even though, you know, he had dinner with these kinds of people in New York City and West Palm Beach, that he would be transparent. But heโ€™s not. Heโ€™s still in with the Epstein class. This is the Epstein administration, and theyโ€™re attacking me for trying to get these files released.โ€

Watch:

Bondi Stands By DOJ Position

Despite the mounting scrutiny, Bondi has insisted the Justice Department has complied fully with the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

In a February 14 letter to lawmakers, she stated that the department had โ€œreleased all โ€˜records, documents, communications and investigative materialsโ€™โ€ in its possession, along with a list of โ€œall government officials and politically exposed personsโ€ referenced in the released materials.

Trump Secures Key Border Patrol Endorsement At Arizona Rally

Former President Donald Trump received a significant endorsement from the Border Patrol union during a campaign rally in Arizona, a crucial swing state. The endorsement could prove pivotal as immigration remains a top concern for voters.

The rally, held on Sunday, was marked by Trumpโ€™s promise to increase border security. He announced plans to hire 10,000 additional border agents, provide a 10% pay raise and introduce a $10,000 signing and retention bonus. โ€œThey deserve it,โ€ Trump said, highlighting what he described as unfair treatment of agents.

The Washington Times further reports on border security personnel throwing their support behind the only candidate they believe will secure the border:

Paul Perez, president of the union representing 16,000 Border Patrol agents, said the former president has been aย trueย ally.

โ€œAmerica, I have a message for you: If we allow โ€˜Border Czarโ€™ Harris to win this election, every city, every community in this great country is going to go to hell,โ€ Mr. Perez said, lamenting that millions of unvetted migrants who have entered the country illegally under the Biden-Harris administration.

โ€œOnly one man can fix that. That isย Donald J. Trump,โ€ he said.

โ€œHe has always stood with the men and women who protect this border, who put their lives on the line for the country,โ€ he said.

Illegal immigration has consistently ranked as a key issue, with a study in June revealing that half of the jobs created under President Bidenโ€™s economic policies went to undocumented workers rather than American citizens.

Trumpโ€™s endorsement by the Border Patrol union comes as Democrats face increasing pressure over their handling of the border crisis. Matt Corridoni, spokesperson for the Harris campaign, criticized the endorsement, pointing to what he called Trumpโ€™s broken promises. โ€œTrump told us Mexico would pay for his failed border wall. That was a lie,โ€ Corridoni stated, adding that Trump killed a bipartisan border bill that could have strengthened border security.

Corridoni also defended Vice President Kamala Harrisโ€™s record, stating, โ€œThereโ€™s only one candidate focused on tackling issues for the American people, has taken on transnational gangs, and is focused on keeping our communities safeโ€”Vice President Kamala Harris.โ€

Despite these efforts, Democrats have faced challenges in managing immigration. Harris, in her role as “border czar,” has been criticized for the influx of nearly 10 million undocumented migrants during her tenure. The situation worsened when Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas confirmed on Oct. 2 that DHS may not have sufficient funds to provide assistance through the end of the hurricane season, after spending $1 billion on immigration-related costs.

As Election Day rapidly approaches, immigration is likely to remain a central issue, with both parties vying for voters concerned about border security.

READ NEXT: [RED ALERT] Kamala Harris Takes On Major Media Challenge

Former Democrat Candidate Charged With Domestic Battery

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Back in the spotlight…

A former Democrat candidate for the Virginia legislature, whose X-rated movies with her husband were exposed before the election, was charged with domestic violence this week.

Susanna Gibson Payne, 42, was arrested on September 22 for โ€œassault and batteryโ€ against a family member. Payne claimed that her husband, 44-year-oldย John David Gibson, has been harassing her amid their divorce since last year.

โ€œAfter my estranged husband, arrested three times since I filed for divorce, assaulted me during a June 2025 custody exchange while I protected our son, he filed a retaliatory criminal complaint against me,โ€ she said.

Payne said she turned herself in after a misdemeanor warrant was issued.

The Democratโ€™s husband denied ever assaulting his wife. Mediaite reported that Gibson was arrested in December for violating a protection order and using threatening language with his wife. He said the incident stemmed from a tense argument with his wifeโ€™s new boyfriend.

Payneย and Gibson grabbed headlines in 2023 when Payne was running for office, and videos the couple hadย postedย on the porn site Chaturbate were discovered and exposed.

The couple was accused of making the videos for โ€œtips,โ€ though they denied that the videos were for profit. At the time, Payne said she was determined to stay in the race.

โ€œMy political opponents and their Republican allies have proven theyโ€™re willing to commit a sex crime to attack me and my family because thereโ€™s no line they wonโ€™t cross to silence women when they speak up,โ€ she said.

Trump Says DOJ Is Investigating Congresswoman Ilhan Omar

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Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

President Donald Trump announced Monday on social media that the Justice Department is investigating Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), escalating a long-running clash with the progressive โ€œSquadโ€ lawmaker amid ongoing tensions in Minneapolis.

โ€œThe DOJ and Congress are looking at โ€˜Congresswomanโ€™ Illhan [sic] Omar, who left Somalia with NOTHING, and is now reportedly worth more than 44 Million Dollars,โ€ Trump shared. โ€œTime will tell all. Thank you for your attention to this matter!โ€

Trump made the announcement early Monday as Minneapolis remained on edge after a chaotic weekend. Unrest intensified after a federal immigration agent fatally shot an armed anti-ICE protester during demonstrations opposing immigration enforcement efforts. Trump also said he is dispatching border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota.

The Truth Social post also pointed to broader concerns about fraud and misuse of taxpayer-funded programs in the state.

Trump added that a major investigation into the โ€œmassive 20 Billion Dollar, Plus, Welfare Fraud that has taken place in Minnesotaโ€ has been launched, arguing that it is โ€œat least partially responsible for the violent organized protests going on in the streets.โ€

Omar Responds, Calls Trumpโ€™s Claim a โ€œDeflectionโ€

Omar quickly pushed back, accusing Trump of using her as a political distraction.

In response, Omar posted on social media: โ€œSorry, Trump, your support is collapsing and youโ€™re panicking. Right on cue, youโ€™re deflecting from your failures with lies and conspiracy theories about me. Years of โ€˜investigationsโ€™ have found nothing.โ€

She added: โ€œGet your goons out of Minnesota.โ€

Omar has been one of the loudest critics of immigration enforcement under Trump and has accused ICE of carrying out a โ€œterror campaign.โ€ She also claimed a federal agent โ€œmurderedโ€ Renee Good, an anti-ICE activist who was shot and killed by a federal immigration agent after she allegedly drove her car toward him.

DHS Secretary Noem Praises Homan Deployment

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Monday that sending Tom Homan to Minnesota will bring โ€œpeace, safety, and accountabilityโ€ to Minneapolis as federal authorities dig deeper into suspected fraud and expand enforcement operations.

โ€œThis is good news for peace, safety, and accountability in Minneapolis,โ€ Noem wrote on X.

โ€œI have worked closely with Tom over the last year and he has been a major asset to our teamโ€” his experience and insight will help us in our wide-scale fraud investigations, which have robbed Americans, and will help us to remove even more public safety threats and violent criminal illegal aliens off the of [sic] streets of Minneapolis,โ€ she added. โ€œWe continue to call on the leadership in Minnesota to allow for state and local partnership in our public safety mission.โ€

Trump-Omar Feud Reaches New Level Amid Minnesota Immigration Crackdown

Trump and Omar have been feuding for years, but their confrontation has intensified in recent weeks as the Trump administration surged immigration enforcement resources into Minnesota. Trump has sent 3,000 immigration agents to the state, with Minneapolisโ€”represented by Omarโ€”receiving special focus.

The president has also highlighted a series of fraud scandals in Minnesotaโ€™s social service system, with several cases drawing scrutiny for alleged ties to networks operating within Somali American communities.

Last week, Trump again targeted Omar personally, accusing her of benefiting financially during her time in Congress and demanding an investigation into her wealth.

โ€œCongresswoman Ilhan Omar is worth over $30 Million Dollars,โ€ Trump wrote on Truth Social. โ€œThere is no way such wealth could have been accumulated, legally, while being paid the salary of a politician. She should be investigated for Financial and Political Crimes, and that investigation should start, NOW!โ€

Financial Disclosures Raise Questions as Trump Points to Wealth Claims

While Trump claimed Omar is worth more than $44 million, Omarโ€™s official financial disclosures suggest a smallerโ€”but still significantโ€”range that critics argue deserves scrutiny.

In a May 2025 financial disclosure, Omar listed two large assets tied to her husband, whom she married in 2020. One is a winery business valued between $1 million and $5 million, and the other is a venture capital firm valued between $5 million and $25 million. Based on the valuations, Omar and her husband have a net worth between $6 million and $30 million, minus liabilities, such as Omarโ€™s student loan debt of between $15,000 and $50,000 that she disclosed on a 2024 form.

Members of Congress are required to file annual financial disclosures designed to promote transparency and reduce corruption. The disclosures typically report ranges of asset values, rather than exact dollar figuresโ€”meaning a lawmakerโ€™s true net worth can be difficult to pinpoint from public documents alone.

Still, Trump and his supporters argue that Omarโ€™s reported rise in wealth should be investigated, especially given her vocal role in shaping federal policy debates and her influence within the Democratic Partyโ€™s activist wing.

Steve Bannon Pleads Guilty To Defrauding MAGA Donors

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Thor Brรธdreskift / Nordiske Mediedager, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Steve Bannon, the former chief strategist for the Trump White House, pleaded guilty to defrauding donors who thought they were giving money to help build a wall at the United Statesโ€™ southern border on Tuesday.

Bannonย had faced five felony counts and up to fifteen years in prison. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Bannon pled guilty to one count and received a three-year conditional discharge. He will face no jail time so long as he does not re-offend.

The longtime ally of Presidentย Donald Trumpย had previously faced federal charges pertaining to the same scheme. In an indictment unsealed in 2020, Bannon was accused of soliciting millions of dollars to build the wall and the funneling the money to himself and his associates.ย 

Audrey Strauss, the acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York at the time, said in a statement that Bannon and his co-conspirators had โ€œdefrauded hundreds of thousands of donors, capitalizing on their interest in funding a border wall to raise millions of dollars, under the false pretense that all of that money would be spent on construction.โ€

Bannon received a presidential pardon from Trump on Tuesday, January 19, 2021, the final full day of Trumpโ€™s first term in office. In 2022, the Manhattan district attorneyโ€™s office charged him over the same scheme.

Last month, Bannon openly declared war on billionaire businessman Elon Musk ahead of Trump’s second inauguration.

In an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, as highlighted by Mediaite, Bannon sharply criticized Musk, who was tapped by Trump to co-lead the โ€œDepartment of Government Efficiency.โ€

โ€œI will have Elon Musk run out of here by Inauguration Day,โ€ Bannon said. โ€œHe is a truly evil guy, a very bad guy. I made it my personal thing to take this guy down.โ€