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    Six Counts Against Trump and Several Codefendants Tossed In Georgia

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1
    Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

    On Wednesday, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee tossed out six counts against former President Donald Trump and several of his codefendants in DA Fani Willis’s election interference indictment

    Politico’s Kyle Cheney flagged the ruling and noted that McAfee “says the allegations that the defendants tried to get GA officials to violate their oaths were not detailed enough.”

    The Hill has more:

    Each of the tossed charges related to alleged efforts by Trump and some of his co-defendants, including former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, to solicit Georgia officials to violate their oaths of office. 

    The judge ruled that while the charges do contain the “essential” elements of each crime, they fail to provide enough detail for the defendants to mount their defenses. Under the current charges, McAfee said, the defendants could have violated the law in “dozens, if not hundreds, of distinct ways.” 

    “The Court’s concern is less that the State has failed to allege sufficient conduct of the Defendants – in fact it has alleged an abundance,” McAfee wrote. “However, the lack of detail concerning an essential legal element is, in the undersigned’s opinion, fatal.” 

    McAfee made clear that his ruling “does not mean the entire indictment is dismissed,” and said the Fulton County district attorney’s office could seek reindictment after supplementing the charges he deemed insufficient. 

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

    Secret Service Increases Security Protocols For Trump Rallies

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    3
    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    It’s about time…

    According to a federal official, Donald Trump’s future outdoor rallies will have increased security measures.

    Former President Trump will have bulletproof glass surrounding his podium for outdoor events going forward, a federal law enforcement source briefed on the planning told Fox News. 

    Indoor events, meanwhile, will not involve the same level of protection, the source confirmed. 

    The additional level of protection comes after an assassination attempt on the former president during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania last month. 

    The president was addressing the open-air crowd, just minutes into his speech, when a gunman fired at him from the rooftop of a nearby building. 

    Trump managed to just barely turn his head and duck beneath the podium. A Secret Service member killed the gunman just seconds after he opened fire. 

    Trump was struck in the ear but avoided serious injury. One spectator in the audience was killed and two others were injured. 

    The security failure has brought heavy scrutiny on the Secret Service, which had been responsible for coordinating with local law enforcement. 

    Trump Assassination Suspect Enters ‘Not Guilty’ Plea

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    2

    On Monday, the Florida man accused of attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty in court.

    Ryan Routh, 58, appeared in federal court Monday to enter five not guilty pleas to counts including attempted assassination of a major political candidate and assault of a federal officer, after he allegedly poked a rifle through the perimeter of Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course, prompting a Secret Service agent to fire.  

    Routh also pleaded not guilty to charges he possessed a firearm with an obliterated serial number despite being a convicted felon, in furtherance of a crime of violence. 

    Prosecutors say Routh planned to kill Trump as he golfed on Sept. 15, staking out the perimeter of the course near its sixth hole for roughly 12 hours until he was noticed and fled. They revealed last week that Routh allegedly wrote a letter months before the assassination attempt detailing his plans.  

    “Dear world, this was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I am so sorry I failed you,” Routh wrote, according to the letter filed by prosecutors. “I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster.” 

    Routh has been in custody since the incident and faces up to life in prison.  

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

    Hunter Biden Seeks To Subpoena Trump In Criminal Case

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    3
    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 Biden is requesting to subpoena former President Donald Trump and three other senior Justice Department officials claiming the investigation against him is politically motivated.

    According to The Hill, Biden, who faces three federal gun charges, is demanding Trump and former Attorney General Bill Barr turn over communications and documents concerning the president’s son or his criminal investigation.

    The demands for documents, which must be approved by a judge, also extend to former Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue and former acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen.

    “Mr. Biden seeks specific information from three former DOJ officials and the former President that goes to the heart of his defense that this is, possibly, a vindictive or selective prosecution arising from an unrelenting pressure campaign beginning in the last administration, in violation of Mr. Biden’s Fifth Amendment rights under the Constitution,” Biden’s attorneys wrote in court filings.

    Prosecutors indicted the President’s son on gun charges earlier this year after a sweetheart plea deal fell through.

    Biden is accused of unlawfully possessing a firearm while addicted to a controlled substance and failing to disclose drug use when seeking to buy a weapon. Biden pleaded not guilty.

    Last week, House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) and House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.) subpoenaed Hunter along with other members of the Biden family as part of its corruption probe.

    “It is clear no measure of charges against Mr. Biden will ever be enough to appease Chairmen Comer and Smith and their MAGA allies,” Biden’s attorneys wrote in their motion.

    “As anyone can readily tell, it is not just pressure from within the Trump-era Executive Branch that is the problem; it is also incessant, unrelenting outside interference from congressional Republicans and their allies in the prosecutorial process, which is supposed to be independent and free from political interference,” the motion continued. “Undoubtedly, the current political climate has jeopardized that longstanding and fundamental American principle.”

    Report: Trump Must Pay Nearly Half-Billion Dollars Before Appealing New York Ruling

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    7
    Image via Pixabay free images

    Before Donald Trump can appeal Judge Arthur Engoron’s ruling he must pay nearly half a billion dollars as a bond to New York State.

    Last week, the judge ordered Trump to pay $354 million in fines, $450 million with interest, after New York Attorney General sued Trump under and obscure New York fraud statute.

    Jonathan Turley points out another astonishing fact at the New York Post: before he can appeal, Trump must pay the whole fine:

    Under New York law, Trump cannot appeal this ruling without depositing the full amount, including interest, in a court account. Even for Trump, $455 million is hard to come by. Likewise, a bond would require a company to guarantee payment for a defendant who has been barred from doing business in New York and is facing the need to liquidate much of his portfolio.

    Nothing succeeds like excess for judges like Engoron. By imposing this astronomical figure, he can make it difficult or impossible for a defendant to appeal, absent declaring bankruptcy or selling off assets at distress prices.

    The excessive fine and its basis raise serious statutory and constitutional questions. Many of us believe it should be substantially reduced or tossed out entirely.

    New York Times Handles Trump Assassination Attempt By Cropping Out American Flag

    By
    Patrick Houck
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    3
    Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    In an attack that shook America to its core on Saturday afternoon, a failed loner attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump. The New York Times’ editorial choices in covering it over the past 24 hours have sparked widespread discussion and criticism.

    NYT’s Editorial Decisions

    One of the most controversial decisions was the alteration of their cover photo, which conspicuously cut out the American flag. This move did not go unnoticed and spurred intense reaction online. Additionally, The New York Times opted not to use the word “assassination” in its front-page story about the shooting.

    Comparison with Other Media Outlets

    The New York Times wasn’t alone in making editorial choices that drew scrutiny. CNN’s Jamie Gangel also faced criticism for her response. Gangel chose to chide Trump’s rhetoric mere seconds after the attack, a decision sorely lacking empathy and perspective.

    However, these responses were somewhat subdued when compared to the reactions from two reporters from a far-left Seattle outlet. These ideologues appeared to cheer the near miss.

    The Post Millennial reports:

    Staff writer at The Stranger Ashley Nerbovig, who covers “policing, incarceration and courts” for the far-left outlet posted on X, “Make America aim again,” in reaction to the news that the former president had survived the shooting at a rally in Pennsylvania on Sunday. Nervobig deleted the post, but screenshots went viral. She then deleted her account.

    Fellow Stranger writer Hannah Krieg criticized Seattle’s Democratic mayor for praising the Secret Service and wishing the best for the former president.

    Following the news of the failed assassination, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrel posted on X, “This act of political violence is disturbing and unacceptable in our country. Thank you to the Secret Service and all the first responders who quickly secured the scene. Our thoughts are with the former president and all the people who attended today’s rally.”

    Krieg shared the post and wrote, “Mayor Bruce Harrel swiftly comes to the defense of Trump, a failed insurrectionist touted by mainstream Democrats as an existential threat to Democracy.” She deleted the post and then locked her account after the blowback.

    For readers and viewers, these examples highlight the importance of critically evaluating news sources and being aware of potential biases. It also underscores the need for media literacy in this country.

    READ NEXT: Horrifying Discovery Made In Trump Gunman’s Car

    𝗠𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗣: 𝗜’𝗩𝗘 𝗕𝗘𝗘𝗡 𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗗, 𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗩𝗜𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗜𝗡 𝗔 𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗟! 𝗗𝗘𝗦𝗣𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗢𝗙 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗢𝗪 𝗔𝗧 𝗠𝗘, 𝗜 𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗡𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗦𝗨𝗥𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥! 𝗖𝗔𝗡 𝗜 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧 𝗢𝗡 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗦𝗨𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗗 𝗦𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗔𝗬? 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗕𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗢𝗡 𝗪𝗘 𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗘 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗥𝗬!

    Supreme Court Clears Path for Congress to Obtain Trump Tax Records

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    10
    Duncan Lock, Dflock, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    On Tuesday the Supreme Court rejected an emergency appeal from former President Donald Trump that sought to shield his tax records from Congress.

    The order, which had no noted dissents, concludes a multi-year legal battle by Democrats to obtain the records.

    Last month, the former President filed the emergency appeal after a lower court declined to reverse its ruling mandating that he turn over the records to the House Ways and Means Committee. The Committee has argued the records are critical to its probe of how the IRS conducts its presidential audits but Trump and his attorneys have asserted the effort is merely a political stunt meant to jeopardize Trump and his businesses.

    Chief Justice John Roberts had temporarily blocked their release in a Nov. 1 order while the court considered the matter, according to The Hill.

    “The Committee’s purpose in requesting President Trump’s tax returns has nothing to do with funding or staffing issues at the IRS and everything to do with releasing the President’s tax information to the public,” Trump’s attorneys wrote to the court in October.

    Federal law mandates that tax returns are generally confidential unless an exception applies, one of which includes a written request by the House Ways and Means Committee. The issue in Trump’s litigation in large part turns on whether this exception is constitutional.

    “Why would anybody be surprised that the Supreme Court has ruled against me, they always do!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “It is unprecedented to be handing over Tax Returns, & it creates terrible precedent for future Presidents. Has Joe Biden paid taxes on all of the money he made illegally from Hunter & beyond.”

    “The Supreme Court has lost its honor, prestige, and standing, & has become nothing more than a political body, with our Country paying the price,” Trump wrote on Wednesday. “They refused to even look at the Election Hoax of 2020. Shame on them!”

    This story is developing. Stay with Great America News Desk for updates.

    ‘We’ll Take Care of It’: Grassley Reveals Never-Before-Heard Claim From First Trump Assassination Attempt

    By
    Patrick Houck
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    4
    Image via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Iowa’s senior U.S. senator, Chuck Grassley, has disclosed findings from his office’s investigation into the first assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump during a July 13 rally near Butler, Pennsylvania. Revealing the latest to Fox News, Grassley’s office shared concerning security lapses by the Secret Service, which had assured local law enforcement that it would secure the American Glass Research (AGR) building overlooking Trump’s rally – an assurance that was not fulfilled.

    The building in question was later used by Thomas Matthews Crooks, the would-be assassin who fired eight shots at Trump in under 30 seconds. Three rallygoers were hit, one fatally, and Trump himself was grazed by a bullet that came within an inch of his head. Despite these dangers, no law enforcement personnel were stationed on the roof where Crooks had taken his position.

    “Butler County law enforcement officials stated that at separate times during the walkthrough, when they reiterated their concerns to the agents and counter sniper about securing the AGR complex buildings, the agents responded: ‘we will take care of it,’” Grassley’s office revealed in a Tuesday letter to acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe.

    …

    The Iowa senator questioned Rowe whether the Butler County law enforcement officials’ claim is true and, if so, what the Secret Service did to secure the area with the AGR complex buildings.

    Grassley noted that in the weeks following the first assassination attempt, Rowe told senators during a hearing, “what was communicated is that the locals had a plan and that they had been there before,” in regard to the roof of the AGR building where Crooks took his shots from. 

    Crooks’ final location was only discovered when bystanders noticed him army-crawling toward Trump. A local police officer attempted to access the roof, prompting Crooks to rush his first shot.

    Startling video footage, obtained by Fox News more than two weeks after the incident, showed a figure believed to be Crooks moving across the roof of the AGR building three minutes before the attack. FBI officials later revealed that Crooks accessed the roof by climbing HVAC equipment and piping, moving across multiple rooftops to establish his position about 450 feet from Trump.

    The Secret Service was aware of a potential threat 10 minutes before Trump took the stage but allowed the event to proceed. Additionally, a local law enforcement countersniper had flagged the shooter as suspicious over an hour before the attack due to his use of a rangefinder and his possession of a backpack.

    Grassley’s investigation raises serious questions about the security protocols in place during the rally and the Secret Service’s handling of the potential threat.

    Read Grassley’s letter to acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe here:

    grassley_to_secret_service_-_follow_upDownload

    READ NEXT: Trump Speaks Out After Surviving New Death Threat

    I Am Donald J. Trump. FEAR NOT! There are those who will do whatever it takes to stop us, but I will never stop fighting for you. I will never surrender! Your support means everything to me. Together, through our UNITY, we will Make America Great Again!

    Trump Media Group Sues Brazilian Supreme Court Justice

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2
    O ex-presidente Jair Bolsonaro (PL) concede entrevista e posa para fotografia ao sair do Senado Federal. O ex-presidente participou de uma reunião no gabinete do seu filho Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ). Foto: Roque de Sá/Agência Senado

    President Trump’s media company sued a Brazilian Supreme Court justice for allegedly censoring conservative voices on social media.

    The unexpected lawsuit came hours after Brazilian Justice Moraes had received an indictment that would force him to decide whether to order the arrest of Jair Bolsonaro, the former Brazilian president and an ally of Trump. The justice is overseeing multiple criminal investigations into Bolsonaro.

    The Trump Media & Technology Group — which is majority owned by Mr. Trump and runs his Truth Social site — sued the Brazilian justice, Alexandre de Moraes, in U.S. federal court in Tampa, Fla., on Wednesday morning.

    The companies accused Justice Moraes of censoring political discourse in the United States and infringing upon the First Amendment by ordering Rumble to remove the accounts of prominent supporters of Bolsonaro.

    The New York Times reports:

    The companies argued that those orders could apply to how those accounts appeared in the United States, breaking American law. Mr. Trump’s company has not been subject to Justice Moraes’s orders, but it argued in the lawsuit that it relied on Rumble’s technology and therefore could be harmed if Rumble’s operations were affected.

    Justice Moraes has argued that his actions are necessary to protect Brazil from the anti-democratic acts of Mr. Bolsonaro and his supporters. His spokeswoman said that Justice Moraes did not have immediate comment.

    In 2023, a mob of Mr. Bolsonaro’s supporters raided Brazil’s Supreme Court.

    Late last year, a Bolsonaro supporter tried to bomb the Supreme Court but instead killed only himself.

    On Tuesday, new details emerged in the indictment of Mr. Bolsonaro showing that, according to Brazilian investigators, the former president and his allies had plotted to assassinate Justice Moraes as part of their bid to hold on to power.

    Bolsonaro has denied that he tried to stage a coup or had any knowledge of a plot to kill Justice Moraes.

    As part of investigations into attacks against Brazil’s democracy, Justice Moraes has ordered arrests of Mr. Bolsonaro’s allies and the confiscation of the former president’s passport, as well as the suspension of hundreds of social media accounts belonging to his supporters. Last year, Justice Moraes faced off against Elon Musk — and won — blocking Mr. Musk’s social network, X, in Brazil until the billionaire backed down in his refusal to comply with the judge’s orders to suspend accounts.

    Federal Court Hands DeSantis a Win Over His ‘Stop Woke Act’

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1
    Ron DeSantis via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    A federal judge in Florida handed Governor Ron DeSantis a substantial win after ruling that the governor’s administration did not violate a court order regarding the state’s “Stop WOKE Act,” which prohibits colleges from teaching Critical Race Theory and other woke concepts. 

    According to Townhall, plaintiffs attempted to argue that Gov. DeSantis failed to comply with a preliminary injunction that prevents the enforcement of some parts of the law, citing a memo sent out by Florida’s chief of the Office of Policy and Budget, Chris Spencer, asking universities to provide a list of all staff, programs and campus activities related to diversity, equity and inclusion, and critical race theory.

    “Although this court would not hesitate to compel compliance with its preliminary injunction, this court finds there has been no violation of the injunction at this time,” U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker wrote in her decision. 

    Judge Walker previously called the law “positively dystopian” while issuing a temporary injunction. 

    In November, Walker wrote, “our professors are critical to a healthy democracy, and the State of Florida’s decision to choose which viewpoints are worthy of illumination and which must remain in the shadows has implications for us all…if our ‘priests of democracy’ are not allowed to shed light on challenging ideas, then democracy will die in darkness.”

    DeSantis’s press secretary Bryan Griffin defended the law, asserting the administration is fulfilling its duty to protect students against overt indoctrination attempts.

    “The governor, as chief executive of the state, has every right to ask how public dollars are being spent by public state entities, like state colleges and universities. In fact, that is good government,” Griffin said. 

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