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    Judge Dismisses Trump Lawsuit Against Hillary Clinton

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    9
    Hillary Clinton via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Former president Donald Trump’s lawsuit against Hillary Clinton has been dismissed by a federal judge in Florida.

    Trump filed the lawsuit in March accusing Clinton and more than two dozen others of “a malicious conspiracy to disseminate patently false and injurious information about Donald J. Trump and his campaign, all in the hopes of destroying his life, his political career and rigging the 2016 Presidential Election in favor of Hillary Clinton.” 

    Bloomberg reports:

    The suit was amended in June to include new details from Special Counsel John Durham’s failed prosecution of longtime Democratic lawyer Michael Sussmann, who was accused of lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation while providing a Trump-Russia tip just before the 2016 election.

    “At its core, the problem with plaintiff’s amended complaint is that plaintiff is not attempting to seek redress for any legal harm; instead, he is seeking to flaunt a two-hundred-page political manifesto outlining his grievances against those that have opposed him, and this court is not the appropriate forum,” US District Judge Donald Middlebrooks, appointed to the bench by Bill Clinton, said in a 65-page order dated Thursday. 

    The ruling by Middlebrooks, who in April rejected Trump’s request that he disqualify himself from the case, takes several shots at the lawsuit, noting that the theory of the case was “difficult to summarize in a concise and cohesive manner. It was certainly not presented that way.” He said many of the “characterizations of events are implausible because they lack any specific allegations which might provide factual support for the conclusions reached.” 

    Trump is currently ensnared in multiple legal battles in the Sunshine State. On Thursday, the Department of Justice filed a notice of appeal regarding a Florida judge’s motion to appoint a special master to review materials seized during the FBI’s raid of Mar-a-Lago.

    Judge Responds To Trump Request To Move Hush Money Case To Federal Court

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    4
    Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

    Case closed…

    On Tuesday, a federal judge ruled that former President Trump may not request to move his hush money criminal case to federal court after failing to show “good cause,” meaning the case will remain in New York state court.

    U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein said in a four-page order that the two reasons Trump offered as to why his case should be removed fall short.

    Hellerstein said that district courts do not have jurisdiction to consider alleged bias against Trump in New York state courts, contending that’s an issue for state appellate courts to consider. That means Trump’s second argument, on presidential immunity, is the only one that “deserves attention,” he said.

    On that matter, Hellerstein previously ruled that “hush money paid to an adult film star is not related to a President’s official acts.”

    “Nothing in the Supreme Court’s opinion affects my previous conclusion that the hush money payments were private, unofficial acts, outside the bounds of executive authority,” the judge said Tuesday.

    In a Thursday letter to Juan Merchan, he asked the trial judge to refrain from ruling on outstanding motions, which include his presidential immunity motion and a motion to push back his Sept. 18 sentencing

    Trump was convicted in May on 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with a hush money payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 presidential election.

    Read the full court order below:

    gov.uscourts.nysd.598311.50.0Download

    New York Judge Issues Response To Trump’s SCOTUS Request

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    3
    Duncan Lock, Dflock, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    On Monday, the New York judger presiding over Donald Trump’s hush money trial said the former president is not permitted to attend arguments on presidential immunity at the Supreme Court next week.

    The attempts by Trump to take off certain days of his hush money trial which is expected to last weeks, if not months, came as the first day of trial was officially underway in Manhattan. 

    The decision to not allow Trump to be in Washington, D.C., on April 25, when the Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments on a presidential immunity claim Trump is making in his federal criminal case, came just before the New York trial adjourned Monday.

    The Hill has more:

    “Arguing before the Supreme Court is a big deal, and I can certainly appreciate why your client would want to be there, but a trial in New York Supreme Court … is also a big deal,” Judge Juan Merchan said to Trump lawyer Todd Blanche, rejecting his request to let the former president play hooky.

    “I will see him here next week,” the judge added.

    Under New York state law, Trump is required to attend the entirety of his trial unless he gets special permission from the judge to skip.

    After court adjourned for the day, Trump suggested Merchan believes he is “superior” to the Supreme Court for preventing him from attending the high court’s oral arguments.

    Merchan earlier delayed a decision on allowing Trump to attend his son Barron’s high school graduation in May.

    Russia And Ukraine Agree To Black Sea Ceasefire After US-Brokered Talks

    By
    Patrick Houck
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    0
    Kremlin.ru, via Wikimedia Commons

    The United States has announced that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a ceasefire in the Black Sea, aiming to ensure safe navigation and reduce hostilities in the region.

    The agreement includes measures to eliminate the use of force, prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes and ban strikes against energy facilities.

    In exchange, the U.S. will help lift the international sanctions against Russia in agricultural products and fertilizers.

    The New York Times reports:

    The agreements came after three days of intense negotiations in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, during which delegations from Ukraine and Russia met separately with U.S. mediators. Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s defense minister, confirmed the agreements in a message posted on social media. There was no immediate reaction from Russia.

    The White House released two different statements saying it had separately struck deals with Ukraine and Russia on the maritime and energy attacks. The statements added that Washington, Kyiv and Moscow welcomed the involvement of third countries in “supporting the implementation of the energy and maritime agreements.”

    It was not immediately clear how and when the energy and maritime agreement would be implemented. Mr. Umerov, who led his country’s delegation in Riyadh, said “additional technical consultations” would have to be held as soon as possible for “the implementation, monitoring and control of the arrangements.”

    Both Russia and Ukraine rely on the Black Sea for commodity exports. In mid-2022, they brokered a deal allowing Ukraine to ship grain through the sea, but Russia withdrew from the agreement a year later, arguing that Western sanctions were severely limiting its ability to export agricultural products.

    While this development is a positive step toward de-escalation, substantial progress toward ending the broader conflict remains elusive, with continued military actions reported in Ukraine today.

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

    Space Force Commander Fired After Sending Mass Email To Staff About VP Vance

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    3
    David B. Gleason from Chicago, IL, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    She’s out…

    The Pentagon fired the commander at the U.S. Space Force base in Greenland after she broke with Vice President JD Vance who recently traveled to Greenland.

    After the vice president’s visit, Col. Susannah Meyers emailed base personnel on March 31, writing, “I do not presume to understand current politics, but what I do know is the concerns of the U.S. administration discussed by Vice President Vance on Friday are not reflective of Pituffik Space Base.”

    She added that she had “spent the weekend thinking about Friday’s visit — the actions taken, the words spoken, and how it must have affected each of you.” The email was first reported by Military.com.

    The Space Force said in a public statement Meyers had been relieved of command “due to loss of confidence in her ability to lead.” 

    “Commanders are expected to adhere to the highest standards of conduct, especially as it relates to remaining nonpartisan in the performance of their duties,” the statement read. 

    Col. Shawn Lee has now assumed the command, Space Force said. 

    “Actions to undermine the chain of command or to subvert President Trump’s agenda will not be tolerated at the Department of Defense,” Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell posted on X. 

    Meyers became commander of the 821st Space Base Group in July, according to a Facebook post about the change-of-command ceremony. 

    Vance, during his visit to the snow-covered island, criticized Denmark for treating Greenlanders as “second-class citizens.” 

    “Our message to Denmark is very simple,” Vance said. “You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland. You have underinvested in the people of Greenland, and you have underinvested in the security of this incredible, beautiful landmass.”

    Vance was the highest-ranking official to ever travel to the base in Pituffik, the White House said. 

    The Trump administration has made acquiring Greenland a top goal. 

    “We need Greenland for national security and international security,” President Donald Trump said on March 11. 

    Report: Majority of Swing-State Voters in New Poll Wouldn’t Vote for Trump if Convicted

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    5
    Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Bad news for Donald Trump…

    A recent poll found that a majority of swing state voters would not vote for Trump in the upcoming presidential election if he is convicted of a crime.

    The Bloomberg News/Morning Consult survey found that among voters in swing states such as Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, 53 percent of respondents said they were unwilling to vote for the former president if he is convicted in one of his multiple criminal cases.

    Forty-six percent of respondents said they are “very unwilling” to cast their ballot for Trump if he is found guilty, while 7 percent said they are “somewhat unwilling.” Twenty-nine percent of respondents said they were “very willing” to vote for Trump if he is convicted of a crime, and 11 percent said they are “somewhat wiling.”

    Black and Asian voters were also more likely to say they would not vote for Trump if he is convicted. Three-quarters of respondents who identified as atheist said they would be unwilling to vote for Trump if he is found guilty.

    People who voted for Trump in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections were less likely to say a conviction would change their mind this time around, the survey found.

    The former president is facing four separate indictments and has been charged with more than 90 felony counts, in addition to a civil fraud case.

    Eastman Attorney Rejects Potential Jan. 6 Plea Deal

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    4
    Elvert Barnes, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    A lawyer for John Eastman rejected the prospect of accepting a potential plea deal from the Justice Department special counsel’s investigation into attempts to overturn the 2020 election.

    Eastman’s lawyer, Harvey Silvergate, confirmed to The Hill that his client is one of the unnamed co-conspirators mentioned in Tuesday’s indictment of Trump. (RELATED: Trump Served Third Criminal Indictment)

    In a statement, Silverglate said Eastman has not and will not be engaged in plea bargaining in the case with state or federal prosecutors.

    “With respect to questions as to whether Dr. Eastman is involved in plea bargaining, the answer is no,” the statement read. “But if he were invited to plea bargain with either state or federal prosecutors, he would decline. The fact is, if Dr. Eastman is indicted, he will go to trial. If convicted, he will appeal. The Eastman legal team is confident of its legal position in this matter.”

    The statement also said the recent indictment relies on a “misleading presentation of the record to contrive criminal charges against Presidential candidate Trump and to cast ominous aspersions on his close advisors.” It further states that Pence is on the record casting doubts on the validity of the 2020 election himself.

    “For example, the uninitiated reader of the indictment would have no idea that former Vice President Pence is on record stating that in the 2020 election there were ‘significant allegations of voting irregularities and numerous instances of officials setting aside state election law,’” the statement continues. “This is but one example of the indictment’s false presentation of the record; countless more will be revealed in time.”

    Trump Responds To Biden’s ‘Garbage’ Comments

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    2
    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Donald Trump had a surprising reaction to Biden’s shocking “garbage” comments on Tuesday.

    The Republican nominee called on his supporters to forgive him during a packed rally at the PPL Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

    “Please forgive him for not knowing what he said,” Trump said. “These people are terrible, terrible, terrible to say a thing like that. But he really doesn’t know. He really honestly, he doesn’t. And I’m convinced that he likes me more than he likes Kamala. But that’s a terrible thing.”

    Watch:

    Trump’s call for unity – and forgiveness – came after the president called Trump supporters’ garbage during a get-out-the-vote call for Voto Latino.

    In remarks from the White House, Biden had said earlier to Latino voters:

    And just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.” Well, let me tell you something. I don’t– I– I don’t know the Puerto Rican that– that I know– or a Puerto Rico, where I’m from– in my home state of Delaware, they’re good, decent, honorable people.

    The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters– his– his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American. It’s totally contrary to everything we’ve done, everything we’ve been.

    Biden’s comments came after Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.

    White House spokesperson Andrew Bates told Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich that President Biden “referred to the hateful rhetoric at the Madison Square Garden rally as ‘garbage.’”

    “The president was referencing a joke by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe in which he likened Puerto Rico to an island of floating “garbage” in the middle of the ocean,” Bates said.

    Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity Tuesday that Hinchcliffe was not vetted by the campaign but that he saw the outcry as no “big deal.”

    Hannity asked, “Do you wish [Hinchcliffe] wasn’t there?”

    Trump responded, “Yeah, I don’t know if it’s a big deal or not, but I don’t want anybody making nasty jokes or stupid jokes, and probably he shouldn’t have been there.”

    It’s Time To DRAIN THE SWAMP! Stop Supporting Career Politicians – Elect Dave McCormick! WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT! Help us win back the Senate.

    Report: Giuliani, Former Chief Of Staff Among Top Trump Aides Indicted In Arizona

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    6
    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    An Arizona grand jury charged top 2020 Trump campaign aides and lawyers alongside 11 so-called “fake electors” on Wednesday over their efforts to alter the outcome of the 2020 presidential election in the state.

    The indictment lists the 11 fake electors, but redacted the names of seven other individuals who were indicted following the investigation led by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes (D).

    The Washington Post reported the names of those seven individuals as “former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, attorneys Rudy Giuliani, Jenna Ellis, John Eastman and Christina Bobb, top campaign adviser Boris Epshteyn and former campaign aide Mike Roman.”

    The felony charges stem from the 11 Trump supporters gathering at the Arizona GOP’s headquarters following the 2020 election to sign fraudulent certifications claiming to be Arizona’s 11 official electors to the Electoral College, with the intent that their votes would eventually be counted for Donald Trump.

    “They are accused of allegedly aiding an unsuccessful strategy to award the state’s electoral votes to Trump instead of Biden after the 2020 election,” the Post added.

    “In Arizona, and the United States, the people elected Joseph Biden as President on November 3, 2020,” the indictment reads.

    “Unwilling to accept this fact, Defendants and unindicted coconspirators schemed to prevent the lawful transfer of the presidency to keep Unindicted Coconspirator 1 in office against the will of Arizona’s voters,” it continued, referring to Trump. “This scheme would have deprived Arizona voters of their right to vote and have their votes counted.”

    Ex-Arizona Republican Party chairwoman Kelli Ward is among those charged for her role as a fake electoral. Politico’s Kyle Cheney noted that Trump himself is listed as an unindicted co-coconspirator.

    Mayes released a video with the indictment.

    “We conducted a thorough and professional investigation over the past 13 months into the fake electors scheme in our state. I understand for some of you today didn’t come fast enough. And I know I’ll be criticized by others for conducting this investigation at all. But as I’ve stated before, and we’ll say here again, today, I will not allow American democracy to be undermined.”

    Special Counsel Files Superseding Indictment Against Trump

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    4
    Image via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Special counsel Jack Smith filed a superseding indictment in his case indicting former President Trump for his actions seeking to subvert the 2020 election

    The superseding indictment is an effort by the special counsel to respond to a ruling earlier this summer by the Supreme Court, which held that Trump and other former executives retain broad immunity for core actions they took as president and are presumptively immune for other actions taken while in office.

    While the indictment retains the original charges – a sign of Smith’s confidence in the evidence underpinning the case – it makes significant cuts in an effort “to respect and implement the Supreme Court’s holdings.”

    The filing removes former Justice Department attorney Jeffrey Clark as an unnamed, unindicted co-conspirator in the case, a reflection of specific instructions from the Supreme Court that said Trump’s conversations with Justice Department officials were protected from prosecution. 

    The superseding indictment is 10 pages shorter than the original, cutting lengthy examples from the original “speaking indictment” that walked through the evidence against Trump and his plots to remain in power.

    But the new filing takes pains to distinguish various elements of Trump’s efforts to unwind the election as actions taken purely in a private capacity – and thus conduct that can be prosecuted.

    Trump on his social media site called it “an effort to resurrect a ‘dead’ Witch Hunt” and move by Smith to “save face.”

    “Deranged Jack Smith, has brought a ridiculous new Indictment against me, which has all the problems of the old Indictment, and should be dismissed IMMEDIATELY,” Trump wrote.

    The Tuesday filing comes after Smith presented the case against the former president to a second grand jury, which had not previously heard the matter. It likewise concluded charges were warranted against the president.

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