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    Police Arrest Would-Be Assassin Targeting Trump Cabinet Officials

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    11
    Arrest image via Pixabay

    Capitol police have arrested a Massachusetts man who allegedly traveled to Washington, D.C. armed with Molotov cocktails and a knife to kill newly-confirmed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

    Ryan Michael “Reily” English, who turned himself in to U.S. Capitol Police at 3:12 p.m. ET Monday, said he traveled to Washington, D.C., initially planning to kill Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., a police affidavit revealed.

    By Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America – Pete Hegseth, CC BY-SA 2.0

    But English shifted his target to Bessent after stopping at a library in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and reading that the Senate was voting Monday on his nomination as President Donald Trump’s Treasury chief, the document said.

    CNBC reported English contemplated throwing the Molotov cocktails at Bessent’s feet, according to the affidavit, which was filed in Washington, D.C., federal court. And if he were able to get close enough, English said, he would have stabbed Bessent with a knife.

    Bessent’s nomination was confirmed about three hours after English’s arrest. President Trump’s Cabinet nominee received bipartisan backing and was confirmed Tuesday with a 77-22 vote.

    English has been charged with unlawful receipt, possession or transfer of a firearm, as well as carrying a firearm, explosive or incendiary device on Capitol grounds.

    The affidavit said English approached an officer at the south door of the Capitol and said, “I’d like to turn myself in.” English told the officer that he was carrying weapons, including two Molotov cocktails.

    Two officers detained and searched English, finding two devices constructed of 50-milliliter vodka bottles with gray cloth affixed to their tops. They also found a folding knife and a lighter, according to the court documents.

    He said he was at the Capitol to “kill Scott Bessent,” the affidavit said.

    Police said they searched the vehicle and found a 750-milliliter bottle of 100-proof vodka and a gray sweatshirt with cloth cut off the sleeves.

    Ted Eytan from Washington, DC, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    Before transporting English into custody, police said they found a receipt in his pocket with a note written on the back of a receipt:

    “Judith dear god I am so sorry. You must understand I can feel myself dying slowly b/c of my heart. This is terrible but I cant do nothing while nazis kill my sisters,” the note read, according to the affidavit.

    “I love you. This is awful. Im so sorry. I love u. Please stay alive and heal. you can. you are strong enough. [F—] them for pushing us so far. you dont deserve this. Im so sorry for lying and plotting and lying. Please survive [7 hearts],” it read.

    In addition to his initial intention of killing Hegseth or Johnson, English told police he considered burning down the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

    English said that he surveilled the Capitol grounds and figured he would have to kill at least three police officers in order to get to Bessent. English “expressed acceptance and content with the possibility of suicide by cop,” the affidavit said.

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

    Pam Bondi Fires Jeffrey Epstein Prosecutor

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1

    On Wednesday, Attorney General Pam Bondi fired Maurene Comey, a prosecutor with the Southern District of New York who had prosecuted deceased financier and child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

    Comey, a senior trial counsel, is the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, whom Trump fired in 2017.

    “The reason for her firing was not immediately clear. She did not immediately respond to phone calls and an email seeking comment,” Politico said. “Comey, who had worked in the U.S. attorney’s office for nearly a decade, prosecuted both Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.”

    Maurene Comey worked at the SDNY for almost a decade.

    Maurene Comey’s termination at the DOJ comes amid an investigation into her father, who posted an image of seashells on a beach arranged to say  “86 47.” Though “86” is restaurant industry lingo for refusing service to a patron or kicking them out of an establishment, many conservatives insisted Comey was calling for the president’s death. Last week, The New York Times reported that the Secret Service had tracked the former FBI director after the incident.

    The Justice Department last week released a memo concluding there was no evidence suggesting the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender kept a “client list” to blackmail high-profile individuals. The memo also found no evidence to suggest foul play in Epstein’s death, which had previously been ruled a suicide.

    The memo spurred fierce backlash from many Trump supporters, who had long called on the government to release material on Epstein that they argue would expose wrongdoing at the highest level of elite circles.

    Trump has brushed aside calls to reveal more information about the Epstein case and has shown increasing frustration when asked about it over the past week.

    “You mentioned past supporters when you were talking about the Epstein issue. Does that mean that you’re effectively disowning any supporters who are now calling—” a reporter asked Trump in the Oval Office on Tuesday.

    Trump cut off the question and added, “I’ve lost a lot of faith in certain people, yeah, I’ve lost. Because they got duped by the Democrats.”

    In a lengthy social media post, which included references to the president’s previous claims about the 2017 Russian election interference probe, Trump blamed Democrats for creating what he called a “scam” and “hoax.”

    “Scams and Hoaxes are all the Democrats are good at – It’s all they have – They are no good at governing, no good at policy, and no good at picking winning candidates,” Trump said. He added, “Their new SCAM is what we will forever call the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax, and my PAST supporters have bought into this ‘bullshit,’ hook, line, and sinker. They haven’t learned their lesson, and probably never will, even after being conned by the Lunatic Left for 8 long years.”

    They Mutilated Clementine as a Child—Now She’s Fighting Back Stand with her. Your support will help hold the abusers accountable and stop this from happening to any more children.

    Retired 4-Star Navy Admiral Found Guilty In Bribery Case

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1

    A retired four-star admiral who once served as the Navy’s second-highest ranking officer, was convicted of bribery and other conspiracy charges on Monday. The conviction marks the most senior member of the U.S. military ever convicted of committing a federal crime while on active duty.

    Following a five-day trial, retired four-star Adm. Robert Burke, 62, was found guilty on Monday of a scheme to direct lucrative contracts to the training company Next Jump in exchange for a $500,000-a-year job after leaving the Navy, according to a news release from the Department of Justice. 

    Burke is facing up to 30 years in prison for his role in the scheme to direct contracts potentially worth millions of dollars to a New York City-based company that offered training programs to the Navy.

    Burke, who served aboard attack and ballistic missile submarines, rose through the ranks to eventually become chief of naval personnel in 2016 followed by vice chief of naval operations in June 2019. He then took command of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa and Allied Joint Forces Command in June 2020 before retiring in summer 2022.

    Yongchul “Charlie” Kim and Meghan Messenger, co-CEOs of Next Jump, allegedly participated in the scheme to get a government contract in exchange for offering Burke a position with the company.

    Kim and Messenger were each charged with bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery, according to the case’s unsealed indictment. They face trial in August, which is when Burke will be sentenced. 

    Kim and Messenger, via their company Next Jump, provided a workforce training pilot program to a small component of the Navy from August 2018 through July 2019. However, the deal appeared to go downhill and the Navy terminated a contract with the company in late 2019 and directed it not to contact Burke.

    The Hill reports:

    But in summer 2021, Messenger and Kim met with Burke in Washington, D.C., to reestablish their company’s business relationship with the Navy. While at the meeting, the two “agreed that Burke would use his position as a Navy Admiral to steer a contract” to their firm — as well as influence other Navy officers to award another contract to the company — in exchange for his future employment there, according to the Justice Department. 

    Burke in December 2021 then ordered his staff to award a $355,000 contract to Next Jump to train personnel under Burke’s command in Italy and Spain, which the company performed in January 2022. 

    In October 2022, Burke began working at Next Jump with an annual salary of $500,000 and a grant of $100,000 in stock options. 

    Burke was accused of making several false and misleading statements to the Navy to conceal the scheme, such as implying that his discussions to join Next Jump began months after the contract was awarded.

    “When you abuse your position and betray the public trust to line your own pockets, it undermines the confidence in the government you represent,” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro wrote in a post on X following the conviction. 

    Verdict Reached In Attempted Trump Assassination Trial

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    5

    Just in…

    A jury has reportedly reached a verdict in the trial of Ryan Routh, the man accused of attempting to assassinate then-candidate Trump on his golf course.

    Routh was found guilty on all charges. Routh attempted to stab himself in the neck with a pen after learning the verdict. Multiple court marshals were needed to de-escalate the situation and temporarily removed Routh from the courtroom.

    The case was heard by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who denied a motion from Routh’s defense team seeking her recusal. A Trump appointee, Cannon was randomly assigned to the case.

    Federal prosecutors alleged Routh camped near Trump’s golf course for 12 hours with a rifle and aimed at a Secret Service agent before being forced to drop the weapon. Investigators later discovered a letter in which Routh expressed regret that he failed to kill Trump, as well as evidence he sought anti-aircraft weapons and surveillance of Trump’s flights weeks before his arrest.

    Routh was found guilty of the attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and multiple gun violations — crimes carrying potential life sentences.

    Routh faces up to life in prison. Routh pleaded not guilty to all charges.

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

    From Erika Kirk: The torch Charlie lit still burns — now it’s in our hands. [STAND WITH US TODAY]

    Bill Bar Calls On Prosecutors To Drop Cases Against Trump

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    3
    The United States Department of Justice, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    Former Trump Attorney General Bill Barr encouraged prosecutors to drop pending charges against President-elect Trump.

    “The American people have rendered their verdict on President Trump, and decisively chosen him to lead the country for the next four years,” Barr said in an interview with Fox News, after the White House race was called for Trump.

    “They did that with full knowledge of the claims against him by prosecutors around the country and I think Attorney General Garland and the state prosecutors should respect the people’s decision and dismiss the cases against President Trump now,” he added.

    Trump was convicted in New York on 34 felony charges related to his hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels and still faces indictments in three other trials. His actions to block the peaceful transfer of power after his 2020 loss sparked federal charges as well as a case in Georgia, while the former president also faced federal counts for retaining classified documents at his Florida estate, before the case was indefinitely postponed by the judge.

    Trump is set to face sentencing in the New York case later this month but has also sought to toss the case after the Supreme Court ruled that former presidents retain broad immunity after leaving office.

    The Justice Department (DOJ) under a second Trump administration, is widely expected to move to drop both federal cases against the president-elect.

    The Florida case was dismissed by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon on technical grounds involving Smith’s appointment.

    The GOP presidential nominee has pledged to fire special counsel Jack Smith, who is overseeing the election interference cases, “within two seconds.”

    “He’ll be one of the first things addressed,” Trump said last month.

    Barr added that Smith and the DOJ should drop the cases before Trump even takes office.

    “Further maneuvering on these cases in the weeks ahead would serve no legitimate purpose and only distract the country and the incoming administration from the task at hand,” he said.

    “The public interest now demands that the country unite and focus on the challenges we face at home and abroad. Attorney General Garland and all the state prosecutors should do the right thing and help the country move forward by dismissing the cases,” the former attorney general added.

    Epstein Files Threaten Tp Upend Trump Legacy

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    2
    By Ralph Alswang, White House photographer - https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/clinton-epstein-maxwell/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=143417695

    Tensions are rising after the Justice Department claimed it had no evidence that notorious sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein had a client list, blackmailed powerful people, or was murdered.

    Democrats in Congress say they will introduce measures this week to press for the disclosure of files reported to Epstein, a wealthy financier and convicted sex offender who was found dead at the age of 66 in his New York City jail cell in 2019 after being arrested on sex trafficking charges involving young girls. 

    Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) is calling on House Republicans to hold a vote demanding the Trump administration release the “FULL Epstein files.”

    “Why are the Epstein files still hidden? Who are the rich & powerful being protected?” Khanna said in a post on the social platform X over the weekend.

    “On Tuesday, I’m introducing an amendment to force a vote demanding the FULL Epstein files be released to the public,” he continued. “The Speaker must call a vote & put every Congress member on record.”

    The Justice Department last week released a memo concluding there was no evidence suggesting the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender kept a “client list” to blackmail high-profile individuals. The memo also found no evidence to suggest foul play in Epstein’s death, which had previously been ruled a suicide.

    The memo spurred fierce backlash from many Trump supporters, who had long called on the government to release material on Epstein that they argue would expose wrongdoing at the highest level of elite circles.

    Far-right activist Laura Loomer, a staunch ally of President Trump, said Sunday night there should be a special counsel to examine the handling of files related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

    Loomer, who has bashed Attorney General Pam Bondi for her handling of the Epstein documents, told Politico’s Playbook newsletter that a special counsel should be appointed “so that people can feel like this issue is being investigated, and perhaps take it out of [Bondi’s] hands, because I don’t think that she has been transparent or done a good job handling this issue.”

    Much of the frustration from MAGA allies has been directed at Attorney General Pam Bondi, who said earlier this year that files were on her desk but then seemed to suggest they did not exist by releasing the memo last week. Bondi argued she was referring to the case file on Epstein, not a specific “client list.”

    Trump has remained adamant in his position and has fiercely defended Bondi against the onslaught of backlash. 

    “What’s going on with my ‘boys’ and, in some cases, ‘gals?’ They’re all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB! We’re on one Team, MAGA, and I don’t like what’s happening. We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and ‘selfish people’ are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein,” Trump said in the social media post on Saturday.

    Dan Bongino, the Deputy Director of the FBI, reportedly threatened to leave the bureau if Attorney General Pam Bondi remains on the job due to her handling of the Epstein files, a source close to Bongino told The Daily Wire.

    One source close to Bongino predicted to Axios, “He ain’t coming back.” Trump administration officials, however, are saying that Bongino remains on the job.

    President Donald Trump said on Sunday he believes FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino is “in good shape” following a reported clash with Attorney General Pam Bondi.

    “I spoke to him today,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews. “Dan Bongino, very good guy. I’ve known him a long time. I’ve done his show many, many times. And he sounded terrific actually. No, I think he’s in good shape.”

    Watch:

    FBI Director Kash Patel broke his silence on Saturday amid rumors that he might also consider leaving if Bondi stayed, saying in a post to X that the “conspiracy theories” were not true and that he would continue to serve under Trump as long as the president wanted him to be there.

    KEEP FLORIDA RED! Democrats are ready to spend MILLIONS! Byron Donalds needs your help. [DONATE]

    Trump Files Motion To Halt Hush Money Case Sentencing

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1
    Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    Time is running out…

    On Monday, President-elect Donald Trump’s legal team filed a motion urging Judge Juan Merchan to hold off on sentencing him on Jan. 10 in his New York criminal conviction.

    Last week, the New York judge announced sentencing would move forward this Friday despite his imminent return to the White House

    Trump’s attorneys told Merchan they are appealing his recent rulings upholding the jury’s guilty verdict and argued the judge must pause the case in the meantime. 

    “By virtue of President Trump’s filing of appellate proceedings raising his claims of Presidential immunity, all proceedings in this Court are automatically stayed by operation of federal constitutional law,” Trump’s attorneys wrote in the new filing, which was made public Monday. 

    “In the alternative, even if such a stay were discretionary, the Court should grant such a stay. The Court should vacate the sentencing hearing scheduled for January 10, 2025, and suspend all further deadlines in the case until President Trump’s immunity appeals are fully and finally resolved, which should result in a dismissal of this case, which should have never been brought in the first place,” they continued. 

    They asked Merchan to notify the parties by 2 p.m. EST Monday whether he will cancel the sentencing and said they would be filing two appeals Monday in state court. 

    “The Supreme Court’s historic decision on Immunity, the state constitution of New York, and other established legal precedent mandate that this meritless hoax be immediately dismissed,” Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung, who is set to become White House communications director, said in a statement. 

    A New York jury found Trump guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment made to adult film performer Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election so she would keep an alleged affair secret.  

    It is the only one of Trump’s criminal prosecutions to have reached trial.

    Trump’s sentencing in New York comes after the judge rejected two of his attempts to dismiss the case.

    In scheduling Friday’s sentencing, Merchan rejected a proposal to delay the proceeding until after Trump’s White House term, calling it “less desirable” and citing a need for finality in the case.

    Armed Suspect Charged In Alleged Plot To Assassinate Trump At WHCA Dinner

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1
    By The White House - https://www.flickr.com/photos/202101414@N05/54581054338/, Public Domain,

    A 31-year-old man is now facing federal charges after authorities say he attempted to carry out a shocking attack targeting President Donald Trump and top officials during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

    Cole Allen appeared in court Monday following the terrifying incident that forced Trump and other high-ranking figures to be rushed out of the Washington Hilton under heavy security.

    According to investigators, Allen allegedly stormed a security checkpoint Saturday night armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives—triggering panic at the high-profile event packed with journalists and political elites.

    The annual black-tie dinner was immediately shut down.

    A Secret Service agent was shot during the chaos but survived thanks to a bulletproof vest and has since been released from the hospital.

    Chilling “Manifesto” Raises New Questions

    Authorities say Allen left behind a disturbing manifesto outlining what appears to be a calculated plan to target members of the Trump administration.

    In the writings, he described prioritizing officials “from highest-ranking to lowest,” suggesting a methodical approach to the attack.

    He also made clear he was willing to harm others if necessary to reach his intended targets.

    In one particularly unsettling detail, Allen referenced his choice of ammunition—claiming he selected buckshot “to minimize casualties,” even as he prepared for violence.

    Trump Escorted Out As Event Collapses

    President Trump was quickly removed from the venue as the situation unfolded, with law enforcement scrambling to contain the threat.

    The Correspondents’ Dinner—long considered one of Washington’s most high-profile media events—was abruptly canceled as the situation spiraled.

    Facing Life Behind Bars

    Allen is now facing three federal charges tied to what prosecutors describe as an attempt to violently disrupt the event. If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.

    Authorities are continuing to investigate the suspect’s background and motives.

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

    FROM THE DESK OF DONALD TRUMP JR. Democrats tried to rig the census by counting millions of illegal immigrants — giving blue states more power in Congress. Now we’re making sure only American citizens are counted. But first, we need to verify our own records. CONFIRM YOUR VOTER INFORMATION NOW.

    Report: US Army Soldier Charged For Selling Donald Trump’s And Kamala Harris’ Phone Records

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    4

    The disturbing truth…

    Federal authorities have indicted a U.S. Army soldier of illegally obtaining confidential phone records belonging to President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

    Cameron John Wagenius is facing charges for the alleged unlawful transfer of confidential phone records. He is accused of obtaining, sharing, and profiting from private telecommunication data, according to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington at Seattle.

    Townhall reports:

    The indictment states that Wagenius “did, in interstate and foreign commerce, knowingly and intentionally sell and transfer, and attempt to sell and transfer, confidential phone records information of a covered entity, without prior authorization from the customer to whom such confidential phone records information related, and knowing and having reason to know such information was obtained fraudulently.”

    Wagenius is charged with multiple counts related to the unauthorized transfer of sensitive phone records. The indictment describes a pattern of conduct involving the misuse of telecommunications data for personal gain.

    The AT&T call logs for Trump and Harris were allegedly posted online in November.

    The Justice Department in September charged three members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for hacking Trump campaign staffers and then leaking documents to President Joe Biden’s campaign, as well as the media.

    President-elect Donald Trump’s FBI director pick, Kash Patel, was also the target of an Iranian hacking plot.

    Appeals Court Rejects Trump Request To Stay Criminal Sentencing

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    0

    Just in…

    The New York Court of Appeals has denied a motion filed by President-elect Donald Trump to stay the Jan. 10 sentencing in the New York v. Trump case.

    New York Judge Juan Merchan set Trump’s sentencing date in the case earlier this month, ahead of his inauguration as president on Jan. 20. 

    Trump filed a motion to stay the Jan. 10 sentencing with the New York State Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. 

    The New York Court of Appeals denied Trump’s request Thursday morning. The status of his appeal at the U.S. Supreme Court is pending.

    new-york-v.-trumpDownload

    Trump remains set to be sentenced on Friday, Jan. 10, at 9:30 a.m., pending the Supreme Court’s decision. He plans to attend virtually. 

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

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