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Ghislaine Maxwell Submits Plea To Supreme Court, White House To Intervene In Criminal Case

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Duncan Lock, Dflock, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

On Monday, Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime accomplice of Jeffrey Epstein, called on the Supreme Court to overturn her sex trafficking conviction.

“We are appealing not only to the Supreme Court but to the President himself to recognize how profoundly unjust it is to scapegoat Ghislaine Maxwell for Epstein’s crimes, especially when the government promised she would not be prosecuted,” attorney David Oscar Markus said in a statement. 

Maxwell’s attorney argues her conviction violates a nonprosecution agreement Epstein signed with federal prosecutors. The appeal turns on the scope of the 2007 deal, which let Epstein avoid federal charges for pleading guilty to state-level sex crimes in Florida and serving 18 months in prison. 

The deal was signed by the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida. Lower courts ruled the deal only covers that district and doesn’t apply to federal prosecutors in New York, where Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison for aiding Epstein in abusing underage girls. 

“Rather than grapple with the core principles of plea agreements, the government tries to distract by reciting a lurid and irrelevant account of Jeffrey Epstein’s misconduct,” Markus wrote in the new brief. 

“But this case is about what the government promised, not what Epstein did.” 

Last week, Maxwell sat for a two-day interview with the Justice Department’s No. 2 official, Todd Blanche. (RELATED: Justice Department Seeks Meeting With Ghislaine Maxwell In Epstein Case)

The new statement came as Maxwell made her final plea to the Supreme Court on Monday before the justices decide whether to take up her case. Maxwell filed the appeal in April, and the justices are poised to consider it upon returning from their summer recess.

The Justice Department has so far opposed Maxwell’s Supreme Court appeal.

Markus’s latest comments mark his most direct suggestion yet of Trump intervening. Markus said Friday he hadn’t spoken to the president yet about a pardon and “we’re going to take one day at a time.”

Trump has punted on whether he would pardon Maxwell. Trump said Monday that “I’m allowed to give her” a pardon, but “nobody’s approached me.” 

“I’m allowed to give her a pardon,” Trump insisted, repeating a claim he made on his way to Scotland on Friday. “Nobody has approached me with it or asked me about it. It’s in the news about that, that aspect of it. But right now it would be inappropriate to talk about it.”

Suspect Arrested In Attempted Murder Plot Targeting OMB Director Russell Vought

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A Maryland man has been accused of attempting to murder Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought, according to NewsNation.

Court records from Arlington General District Court show that Colin Demarco was arrested on Jan. 22 and arraigned the following day. Records indicate he faces multiple charges, including first-degree attempted murder, first-degree solicitation to commit murder, wearing a mask in certain places, and carrying a concealed firearm, a misdemeanor.

Demarco is accused of plotting to kill Vought, a law enforcement source briefed on the case told NewsNation.

Police say they were called to a Virginia residence on Aug. 10 after a witness reported that a man wearing a surgical mask and rubber gloves appeared to be standing on Vought’s porch while possibly concealing a firearm under his shirt.

According to authorities, the suspect approached the witness and asked about Vought before leaving the scene.

Investigators later identified Demarco as the man described and executed search warrants that reportedly uncovered evidence tying him to the alleged plot. NewsNation reported that authorities found Demarco had obtained directions to the budget director’s home, had posted online about the victim, and had engaged in online discussions that appeared to solicit others to murder Vought.

Demarco is currently being held without bond. He is scheduled to appear in court again on Feb. 23 for a preliminary hearing. Court records list him as being represented by a public defender.

The case comes amid heightened concern nationwide over threats directed at public officials. In recent years, federal authorities have warned of an increase in violent rhetoric and plots targeting government figures across the political spectrum, including presidents, members of Congress, and senior administration officials.

Earlier this week, Ryan Routh was sentenced to life in prison plus seven years over his attempt to assassinate Donald Trump on a Florida golf course.

Prosecutors argued that Routh, 60, should get a life sentence after a jury last year convicted him on five counts for allegedly plotting “painstakingly to kill President Trump, and [taking] significant steps toward making that happen.” 

“Routh’s crimes undeniably warrant a life sentence — he took steps over the course of months to assassinate a major presidential candidate, demonstrated the will to kill anybody in the way, and has since expressed neither regret nor remorse to his victims,” prosecutors argued in a court filing. 

During the September trial, a jury quickly found Routh guilty on five felony counts, including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate and assaulting a federal officer. 

Routh allegedly hid in the bushes of the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach and pointed a military-grade SKS rifle towards Trump and a Secret Service agent. 

Report: Minnesota Lawmaker Behind ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ Bill Accused Of Soliciting Teen

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Arrest image via Pixabay

Hours after introducing a bill proposing “Trump derangement syndrome” (TDS) as a form of mental illness police arrested Minnesota state Sen. Justin Eichorn for soliciting a minor.

According to The Hill, Bloomington Police Department detectives had communicated with Eichorn, who was under the assumption he was talking to a 17-year-old female. He arrived Monday to meet the teen in person but was instead met by local officers.

He was later booked at the Bloomington Police Department jail and was expected to be transported to the Hennepin County Adult Detention Center. A felony charge of soliciting a minor to practice prostitution was pending, authorities said in a statement Tuesday.

“As a 40-year-old man, if you come to the Orange Jumpsuit District looking to have sex with someone’s child, you can expect that we are going to lock you up,” Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges said in a statement. “I have always advocated stiffer penalties for these types of offenses…We need our state legislature to take this case and this type of conduct more seriously.”

Eichorn, who is married with four children, represents St. Paul, Minn., according to his legislative profile. 

The bill, sponsored by Republican State Senators Eric Lucero, Steve Drazkowski, Nathan Wesenberg, Justin Eichorn, and Glenn Gruenhagen, seeks to amend the state’s definition of mental illness by adding a specific reference to TDS. According to the text of the bill, mental illness would include “Trump Derangement Syndrome” or an organic disorder of the brain that significantly impairs an individual’s ability to function in daily life. (RELATED: Minnesota Republicans Propose Bill Classifying “Trump Derangement Syndrome” as Mental Illness)

The bill describes TDS as “the acute onset of paranoia in otherwise normal persons that is in reaction to the policies and presidencies of President Donald J. Trump.” According to the proposal, individuals affected by TDS exhibit symptoms of paranoia and an inability to separate legitimate political disagreements from perceived personal or psychological pathology in Trump’s behavior.

In the wake of Eichorn’s arrest, his colleagues have urged him to resign.

“We are shocked by these reports and this alleged conduct demands an immediate resignation,” Minnesota State Republicans wrote in a statement, posted on X. “Justin has a difficult road ahead and he needs to focus on his family.”

Trump To Sign Order To Prepare Guantanamo Bay For 30K Prisoners

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President Donald J. Trump participates in a roundtable discussion on immigration and border security at the U.S. Border Patrol Calexico Station Friday, April 5, 2019, in Calexico, Calif. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he would sign an executive order for the Pentagon to prepare Guantanamo Bay to detain 30,000 “criminal illegal aliens.”

David B. Gleason from Chicago, IL, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

“Today I’m also signing an executive order to instruct the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to begin preparing the 30,000 person migrant facility at Guantanamo Bay,” Trump said. “Most people don’t even know about it.”

He said they need 30,000 beds to house the detainees, adding that putting them there will ensure they do not come back.

“It’s a tough place to get out of,” Trump added.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

Attempted Assassination Of Trump Trial Delayed

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The trial for the man accused of plotting to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course has been delayed.

Federal Judge Aileen Cannon ruled Monday that the trial for 58-year-old Ryan Routh would begin on September 8, 2025, instead of the originally scheduled February 10. Routh is facing multiple charges including the attempted assassination of a presidential candidate. 

Cannon said that Routh’s defense team “had not meaningfully responded” to prosecutors’ requests for evidence, the Washington Examiner reported. Cannon also noted that Routh’s lawyers maintained that “mental health evaluations are ongoing” but hadn’t yet decided if they would be pursuing an insanity defense. 

Routh’s team has until February 3 to officially announce “an insanity defense” or “note of expert evidence of a mental condition.” 

Routh is accused of hiding in the bushes with a rifle near Trump’s golf course on September 15 allegedly with the intent of killing the then-presidential candidate. Law enforcement said Routh fled after being confronted by a Secret Service agent who shot at him after he saw a rifle barrel poking out of the bushes. 

He also faces charges of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, assaulting a federal officer, felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

In a separate case, Florida has charged Routh with attempted murder over a car crash that occurred as he was apprehended by law enforcement. 

Justice Department Sues Chicago Over Sanctuary City Laws

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Gage Skidmore Flickr

On Thursday, President Trump’s Justice Department sued the state of Illinois, the city of Chicago, and local officials over laws creating a so-called “sanctuary city.” 

The lawsuit filed in Illinois, against Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and others, claimed that several state and local laws are “designed to and in fact interfere with and discriminate against the Federal Government’s enforcement of federal immigration law in violation of the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution.”

“The challenged provisions of Illinois, Chicago, and Cook County law reflect their intentional effort to obstruct the Federal Government’s enforcement of federal immigration law and to impede consultation and communication between federal, state, and local law enforcement officials that is necessary for federal officials to carry out federal immigration law and keep Americans safe,” the lawsuit states.

The complaint cites Pritzker’s comments on CNN late last month, when he said he’s eager to cooperate with federal immigration officials to “get rid” of criminals but questioned the basis for targeting undocumented migrants that are “law-abiding” and have integrated into communities. 

“In rejecting congressionally authorized means of enforcing federal immigration law, including detainers and administrative warrants, these provisions constitute unlawful direct regulation of the Federal Government,” the lawsuit states. 

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for update

Trump Pardons Ex-MLB Star Darryl Strawberry

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President Donald Trump has officially pardoned former Major League Baseball star Darryl Strawberry, a move celebrated by supporters as another example of Trump’s commitment to second chances, redemption, and faith-driven transformation.

Strawberry, who became one of the most electrifying sluggers of the 1980s and 1990s, played a key role in leading the New York Mets to their 1986 World Series title and later joined the New York Yankees dynasty, winning championships in 1996, 1998, and 1999. Yet, behind the fame and success, Strawberry struggled with addiction and multiple run-ins with the law, leading to three separate suspensions from Major League Baseball.

A White House official confirmed to the Associated Press that the pardon recognizes Strawberry’s “faith in Christianity” and a decade-long commitment to sobriety. Since leaving the game, Strawberry has become a symbol of recovery and spiritual renewal. He now leads a faith-based ministry and a recovery center, helping others overcome the same challenges that nearly derailed his own life.

“President Trump believes in forgiveness and the power of personal transformation,” the official noted. “Darryl Strawberry represents both — a man who fell, got back up, and chose to make his life a testimony of hope.”

A Broader Effort on Clemency and Reform

This latest pardon comes amid a renewed focus by Trump on criminal justice reform and clemency for deserving Americans, particularly those who have demonstrated genuine rehabilitation and contributions to their communities.

In recent months, Trump has issued a series of pardons to figures who, in his view, were either wronged by the system or have since proven their reform. These include non-violent offenders, military veterans, and public figures who have turned their lives around through faith and service.

Strawberry’s Story Resonates Beyond Baseball

Darryl Strawberry’s transformation has become a beacon for those battling addiction and despair. His ministry work reaches into prisons, rehab centers, and churches nationwide, where he often speaks about faith, responsibility, and redemption.

Now, with his record officially cleared by the President, Strawberry’s story stands as a powerful reminder that America remains a nation of second chances — and that faith and perseverance can lead anyone from struggle to triumph.

READ NEXT: Trump Pardons Former Lawmaker Convicted In Corruption Probe

Marjorie Taylor Greene Calls On Trump To Pardon George Santos

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Marjorie Taylor Greene -Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, via Wikimedia Commons

Republican lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) is coming to the defense of disgraced former Congressman George Santos, who is currently serving out his prison sentence.

On Monday, Greene called on President Trump to issue a pardon to Santos, who began his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Fairton, New Jersey last month after being sentenced to 87 months in prison for wire fraud and identity theft. (RELATED: Disgraced Former Rep. George Santos Gets Over 7 Years In Prison)

In a letter to President Trump’s U.S. Pardon Attorney Ed Martin, Greene wrote:

I am writing to request that your office urge the President to commute the sentence of former Congressman George Santos. In April 2025, Mr. Santos was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges. I wholeheartedly believe in justice and the rule of the law, and I understand the gravity of such actions. However, I believe a seven-year sentence for such campaign-related matters for an individual with no prior criminal record extends far beyond what is warranted.

As a Member of Congress, I worked with Mr. Santos on many issues and can attest to his willingness and dedication to serve the people of New York who elected him to office. He committed himself to serving his constituents and did whatever it took to represent their interests in Washington, D.C. He is sincerely remorseful and has accepted full responsibility for his actions. Furthermore, my office has spoken with a pastor of his who discussed the regret and remorse of Mr. Santos, agreeing that the sentence imposed is a grave injustice.

While his crimes warrant punishment, many of my colleagues who I serve with have committed far worse offenses than Mr. Santos yet have faced zero criminal charges. I strongly believe in accountability for one’s actions, but I believe the sentencing of Mr. Santos is an abusive overreach by the judicial system.

Commuting his sentence would acknowledge the severity of his actions and simultaneously provide a path forward in allowing him to make amends for his crimes and strive to better serve the people in his community.

In May, Santos teared up on Piers Morgan Uncensored and pleaded with Trump for a pardon, “commutation, clemency, whatever the president is willing to give me,” after being sentenced.

The former congressman also requested protective custody after expressing fear of being “brutalized” in prison.

“I’m not fearful of dying in there, I’m more fearful of being severely brutalized and harmed, if you get my drift,” he said.

Watch:

Last month, during an interview with Tucker Carlson, Santos also expressed concern that his time in prison could be a “death sentence.”

“Tucker, can I be honest with you?” Santos asked Carlson, who called Santos’s prison sentence unfair compared to lesser sentences handed to violent criminals.

“I hope you will,” Carlson responded.

“I don’t know that I survive it. They’re putting me in a violent prison. It’s a medium facility. I’m not a street-wise guy. I don’t know how to fight. I’m a gay man. We– statistics tell you what happens to gay men in prison. I didn’t know I survived this. I, I’m being honest. I mean, I can’t change that,” Santos said, later saying his only hope is prayer and a longshot pardon from President Donald Trump.

When Carlson pressed Santos on whether he was being serious, Santos insisted he is not “exaggerating” his fear, saying he’s lived a “sheltered” life that in no way prepared him for prison.

READ NEXT: The Smart Play: Fines, Pressure, And Patience In The Texas House Showdown

Report: Alleged Trump Bomber Charged

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Political threats are on the rise…

On Monday, A man pleaded not guilty after he allegedly drove past a security checkpoint and claimed to have an explosive device at a rally for former President Donald Trump in Michigan, last week.

Steven William Nauta was arrested after police say he drove around barricades set up for Trump’s rally and told police that he had a C4 explosive, WOOD TV 8 reported. According to a court document, Nauta “held up a bottle to police and stated that it was ‘C4’ explosive and that it was the ‘real deal.’” After being told to stop by officers, Nauta allegedly “sped off” before stopping and throwing bags of fertilizer on the ground.

The Daily Wire reports:

“When (Nauta) finally stopped, he removed bags of fertilizer from his vehicle and threw them on the ground to make it appear that they were explosives while disobeying officers’ commands,” the court document states. The 65-year-old was eventually detained by police, and the man allegedly told officers that he intended to make them believe that he had explosives. Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said there was no active bomb in Nauta’s vehicle.

Nauta’s virtual court appearance from a jail cell was a bizarre scene as the man took his shirt off at one point and made profane hand gestures, according to WOOD TV 8. Nauta was charged with one felony count each of a false report or threat of terrorism, possession of bombs with unlawful intent, third-degree fleeing a police officer, and resulting, resisting or obstructing a police officer.

Kent County, Michigan, District Court Judge Nicholas Christensen set the man’s bond at $1 million, and Nauta replied, “Well, your honor, given my situation, I think I’m better off just staying in here. Very cruel world out there. Probably a lot better off here.”

The judge told Nauta, “It’s not lost on this court here today that your alleged actions were directed to stopping or hindering a fundamental aspect of this country’s democratic process: a political rally.”

The Michigan man’s alleged bomb threat came just two weeks after Secret Service agents apprehended an alleged suspect with a gun near Trump’s golf course. Ryan Routh pleaded not guilty in court on Monday.

The Republican nominee said on Monday that he has requested more Secret Service agents, but alleged that Democrats are “not giving us the proper number of people within Secret Service that are necessary for Security.”

“We need more Secret Service, and we need them NOW,” Trump wrote. “It is ELECTION INTERFERENCE that we have to turn away thousands of people from arenas and venues because it is not being provided to us.”

GOP Congressman Says He Doesn’t Trust Trump’s DOJ

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A Republican Congressman says he does not trust President Trump’s Justice Department…

CNN chief congressional correspondent Manu Raju joined anchor Boris Sanchez on Tuesday to discuss the state of play surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein case on Capitol Hill when they interviewed GOP Rep. Tim Burchett (Tenn.)

“Yeah, this is through a procedural vote, Democrats moving to force this vote to put Republicans on the record. If this were to succeed, it would have required that all documents related to Epstein be on a publicly accessible database within 30 days. That did not happen,” Raju explained, adding:

This came after the Senate and bipartisan Senate vote did succeed last week calling for the release of those Epstein files. But that separate bill has been stalled in the Senate committee. So it’s unclear exactly whether Congress will assert itself and force this issue. But the Republicans are divided about this. Republican leaders want absolutely nothing to do with this matter.

The speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, told me yesterday that he is going to defer to the White House on this. John Thune, the Senate majority leader, has not taken really any position on this at all. But members on the right flank of the House GOP and Senate GOP are the ones in particular who are raising the most concerns, including Congressman Tim Burchett, who just told me moments ago, he does not believe what the Justice Department is saying.

An amendment demanding that President Donald Trump’s administration release all files related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was shot down by Republicans on the House Rules Committee on Monday.

The amendment, which was introduced by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), was rejected by every Republican present during the vote except Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), who voted with Democrats in favor of demanding that the Trump administration release the Epstein files.

Khanna’s amendment would have required U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to “retain, preserve, and compile any records or evidence related to any investigation, prosecution, or incarceration of Jeffrey Epstein,” and to “release and publish any records or evidence” on a “publicly accessible website” within 30 days.

Raju then played a clip of his exchange with Burchett, beginning with him asking, “Should there be investigation or special counsel investigation?”

“I don’t know. I’m not an attorney. Find them guilty and hang them publicly. I mean, that’s not over the top either. I’m ready. I’m over it. It disgusts me. I’m big on clarity and transparency, and that’s a good reason people don’t trust government, either party,” Burchett replied.

“But you don’t believe what the Justice Department is saying?” pressed Raju.

“I don’t know. No, I don’t. I think I don’t. I don’t trust them,” Burchett concluded.

“And that reference to the Justice Department memo that said that Jeffrey Epstein was indeed murdered and that there was no client list here, or that he was not murdered and that there was no client list, as some of those on the folks on the far right have suggested here. But there’s also no indication, Boris, that there will be an investigation into this on Capitol Hill. The Senate, the House Judiciary Committee Chairman, Jim Jordan, told reporters earlier today that he has confidence in President Trump and his handling of this matter,” concluded Raju.

Watch:

On Tuesday, Rep. Tim Burchett just formally called on Oversight Chair James Comer to allow Ghislaine Maxwell to testify in front of Congress on the Epstein situation.