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    Trump Files Motion To Halt Hush Money Case Sentencing

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    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.

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

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    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.”

    Obama Caught Red-Handed! — This is the political scandal of the century and the liberal media is ignoring it! It’s time to hold the Deep State responsible.

    Appeals Court Rejects Trump Request To Stay Criminal Sentencing

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    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.

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

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    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.

    Trump Announces Pardon For Democrat Congressman

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    President Donald Trump signs Executive Orders, Monday, February 10, 2025, in the Oval Office. (Official White House photo by Abe McNatt)

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    A shocking announcement…

    President Donald Trump announced a “full and unconditional pardon” on Wednesday for Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife, Imelda.

    “For years, the Biden Administration weaponized the Justice System against their Political Opponents, and anyone who disagreed with them. One of the clearest examples of this was when Crooked Joe used the FBI and DOJ to ‘take out’ a member of his own Party after Highly Respected Congressman Henry Cuellar bravely spoke out against Open Borders, and the Biden Border ‘Catastrophe,’” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

    “Sleepy Joe went after the Congressman, and even the Congressman’s wonderful wife, Imelda, simply for speaking the TRUTH. It is unAmerican and, as I previously stated, the Radical Left Democrats are a complete and total threat to Democracy! They will attack, rob, lie, cheat, destroy, and decimate anyone who dares to oppose their Far Left Agenda, an Agenda that, if left unchecked, will obliterate our magnificent Country,” Trump continued. “Because of these facts, and others, I am hereby announcing my full and unconditional PARDON of beloved Texas Congressman Henry Cuellar, and Imelda. Henry, I don’t know you, but you can sleep well tonight — Your nightmare is finally over!”

    The Texas Democrat openly criticized the Biden Administration’s open borders policy.

    In 2024, the Department of Justice under the Biden administration then indicted Cuellar and his wife in for allegedly taking roughly $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijan-owned energy company and a Mexican bank, according to a news release at the time.

    “The bribe payments were allegedly laundered, pursuant to sham consulting contracts, through a series of front companies and middlemen into shell companies owned by Imelda Cuellar, who performed little to no legitimate work under the contracts,” the Justice Department said. “In exchange for the bribes paid by the Azerbaijani oil and gas company, Congressman Cuellar allegedly agreed to use his office to influence U.S. foreign policy in favor of Azerbaijan. In exchange for the bribes paid by the Mexican bank, Congressman Cuellar allegedly agreed to influence legislative activity and to advise and pressure high-ranking U.S. Executive Branch officials regarding measures beneficial to the bank.”

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

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    Woman Charged After Allegedly Attacking 72-year-old Trump Supporter

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    4
    Arrest image via Pixabay

    Another disturbing example of political intolerance turned violent this week in Florida, where a 72-year-old man wearing a Make America Great Again (MAGA) hat was allegedly attacked by a woman enraged over his support for President Donald J. Trump.

    According to authorities, Laura Garrett, 33, approached the elderly man at Northeast Park and Paw Place in Largo, Florida, and began interrogating him about his political views and why he supports President Trump. The man has not been publicly identified, but what followed was anything but a civil conversation.

    Police say Garrett became physically aggressive, ultimately pouring the contents of a can over the man’s head and then striking him on the back of his head and shoulders with it. While Garrett later denied striking him, officers noted her conflicting statements and eyewitness evidence in the official arrest affidavit obtained by FOX 13 Tampa Bay.

    After the assault, Garrett jumped a fence and fled the scene, leaving behind a shaken elderly victim whose only “offense” was expressing his support for a former U.S. president.

    Police located Garrett shortly afterward, but her combative behavior didn’t stop there.

    When officers attempted to arrest her, Garrett resisted and escalated the situation. According to the report, she intentionally dropped to the ground to avoid being handcuffed and later wrapped both legs around an officer, causing him to fall and suffer a bruised knee. That altercation resulted in a second battery charge—this time against a law enforcement officer.

    Even after being restrained, Garrett continued to kick and struggle with police, making her arrest anything but routine.

    She now faces multiple charges, including:

    • Battery on a person over 65 (a more serious offense under Florida law)
    • Battery on a law enforcement officer
    • Resisting arrest without violence

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

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    0

    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.

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    Report: Trump Says He Will ‘Look At’ Pardon For Gretchen Whitmer Kidnapping Conspiracy

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivers remarks during a press briefing at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich., on April 29, 2025.​ The visit marked President Trump’s 100th day in office, during which he announced the basing of F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets at Selfridge—underscoring the installation’s growing strategic role. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by 2nd Lt. Paige Bodine)

    Speaking to reporters Wednesday from the Oval Office, President Donald J. Trump said he is open to reviewing the cases of those convicted in connection with the 2020 plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, calling the prosecutions potentially unjust and saying “a lot of people think they got railroaded.”

    “I’m going to look at it. I will take a look at it. It’s been brought to my attention,” Trump said in response to questions about possible pardons for the men convicted in the case.

    “I did watch the trial. It looked to me like somewhat of a railroad job, I’ll be honest with you. It looked to me like some people said some stupid things—you know, they were drinking—and I think they said stupid things.”

    The comments come as President Trump continues to highlight what he calls the Biden administration’s weaponization of federal law enforcement and the justice system—a message that resonates with many conservatives concerned about double standards in legal prosecutions.

    “A lot of people think they got railroaded,” Trump repeated. “And probably some people don’t. But I’ll take a look at it.”

    The case involved Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr., who were convicted in 2022 for what federal prosecutors described as a plot to kidnap Gov. Whitmer from her Michigan vacation home during the COVID lockdowns. The prosecution’s narrative focused on the pair’s frustration over pandemic mandates, which they said amounted to government overreach.

    Fox was sentenced to 16 years in prison, and Croft to 19 years, on multiple conspiracy charges, including a scheme to use a weapon of mass destruction. Prosecutors claimed they were part of a larger militia movement called the “Wolverine Watchmen.”

    However, even mainstream legal analysts and civil liberties watchdogs raised concerns at the time about the FBI’s heavy involvement in the case, including the use of over a dozen informants and undercover agents who appeared to guide, encourage, and escalate the planning efforts.

    Some defense attorneys went so far as to claim that the plot was manufactured by federal operatives, with one legal team calling it a “federal setup from day one.” In fact, three other men tried later in connection with the plot were acquitted on all charges in 2023, further fueling criticism that the entire case may have been an exercise in political theater during a heated election cycle.

    President Trump’s interest in revisiting the case follows his recent high-profile pardon of former Culpeper County Sheriff Scott Jenkins, a well-known Virginia conservative convicted in a controversial cash-for-badges case. Trump described Jenkins as a victim of a “corrupt and weaponized Biden DOJ,” echoing his belief that the justice system has been used selectively to punish his political allies.

    Report: Comey Skipping First Court Appearance In Trump Threat Case

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    3

    Former FBI Director James Comey will no longer have to make an upcoming court appearance in North Carolina after a federal judge agreed to cancel the hearing tied to charges that he threatened President Donald Trump through a controversial social media post.

    U.S. District Judge Louise Flanagan conditionally approved Comey’s request to waive the appearance after his attorneys argued he had already made an initial court appearance last week in Alexandria, Virginia.

    Comey surrendered to authorities during that appearance, was formally read his rights, and did not enter a plea.

    His legal team argued that federal criminal procedure rules provide “for an initial appearance in the singular,” making another hearing unnecessary. Prosecutors with the Department of Justice reportedly supported the request.

    Judge Flanagan ruled that the North Carolina hearing would be canceled if Comey filed the required waiver by Friday. Otherwise, the hearing would proceed as scheduled.

    The former FBI chief is facing two federal charges tied to a May 2025 Instagram post showing seashells arranged to read “86 47” — a message prosecutors say amounted to a threat against Trump’s life.

    According to prosecutors, the phrase “86” is widely understood as slang for eliminating or getting rid of someone, while “47” refers to Trump, the 47th president.

    The charging document alleges:

    “On or about May 15, 2025, in the Eastern District of North Carolina, the defendant, JAMES BRIEN COMEY JR, did knowingly and willfully make a threat to take the life of, and to inflict bodily harm upon, the President of the United States, in that he publicly posted a photograph on the internet social media site Instagram which depicted seashells arranged in a pattern making out ‘86 47,’ which a reasonable recipient who is familiar with the circumstances would interpret as a serious expression of an intent to do harm to the President of the United States.”

    Comey has fiercely denied the accusations and claimed the prosecution is politically motivated.

    When the image was first posted, Comey later said he believed the shells represented a “political message” and claimed he did not realize the numbers could be interpreted as encouraging violence. He eventually deleted the post.

    The longtime Trump rival responded to the indictment in a video statement, insisting he has done nothing wrong.

    “But nothing has changed with me. I’m still innocent, I’m still not afraid, and I still believe in the independent federal judiciary, so let’s go,” Comey said.

    “But it’s really important that all of us remember that this is not who we are as a country, this is not how the Department of Justice is supposed to be.”

    The charges — threatening the president and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce — each carry a maximum possible prison sentence of five years. Prosecutors would need to prove Comey “knowingly and willfully” threatened to “take the life of” Trump.

    The case marks yet another chapter in the bitter feud between Trump and the former FBI director, whom Trump fired in 2017 during the early stages of the Russia investigation led by former Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

    It is also the second criminal case Comey has faced since Trump returned to the White House.

    Comey was previously charged with false statements and obstruction tied to his 2020 congressional testimony about FBI leaks. That case was ultimately dismissed after a court found the prosecutor’s appointment unlawful, though the Trump administration has appealed the decision.

    Police Officer Chance Bretches was awarded a Lifesaving Medal with Valor for rescuing someone from a burning vehicle…But now radicals are trying to ruin his life just for doing his job. Officer Bretches and his family need your help.[Support Police Officers HERE]

    Iranian Hackers Threaten to Leak 100GB of Stolen Trump Team Emails

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    2

    A stunning escalation…

    An Iran-linked hacker group is claiming to be in possession of a trove of stolen emails from President Donald Trump’s inner circle is threatening to publish the material in what U.S. officials describe as a politically motivated “smear campaign.”

    The group, operating under the alias “Robert,” said it has over 100 gigabytes of emails from key Trump allies, including White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, longtime confidant Roger Stone, Trump attorney Lindsey Halligan, and even adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

    Reuters broke the story Tuesday after direct communication with the hackers, who hinted at potentially selling the material, though the group offered no specifics.

    The threat comes just days after Trump abruptly reversed a tentative effort to ease sanctions on Iran, following Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s downplaying of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. A top Iranian cleric has issued a fatwa against Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling the pair “enemies of God.” (RELATED: Iranian Grand Ayatollah Issues Fatwa Targeting Trump)

    Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, a leading Shiite cleric in Iran with authority to issue legal rulings under Islamic law, has issued a fatwa — an Islamic legal decree — escalating regional tensions and offering religious justification for violence against Western and Israeli leaders.

    As Newsweek rightly notes, the development highlights the Islamic Republic’s ongoing use of religious decrees as political tools — a strategy Iran has long used to project power beyond its borders.

    While a fatwa is not legally enforceable, it can influence judicial decisions in countries with Sharia-based legal systems.

    Khosro K. Isfahani, senior research analyst at the National Union for Democracy in Iran wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that the fatwa issued by Shirazi against Trump was similar to the murder fatwa issued against the author Salman Rushdie for his novel The Satanic Verses which led to a number of assassination attempts.

    “This so-called cyber ‘attack’ is nothing more than digital propaganda,” said Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) spokesperson Marci McCarthy. She described the effort as a “calculated smear campaign” designed to “damage President Trump and discredit honorable public servants.”

    According to Mediaite, the hackers claim the breach was triggered by recent U.S. involvement in the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran, a war Trump claimed credit for ending via a negotiated ceasefire. Despite claiming to have halted new attacks, the group says it resumed operations in response to that military intervention.

    Federal prosecutors have already linked the hacker group to Iran.

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