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    Former Trump Adviser, Peter Navarro, To Report To Prison Next Week

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    Image via Pixabay

    The walls are closing in…

    Former Trump Administration adviser Peter Navarro is scheduled to report to a Miami prison on March 19 to begin serving a four-month sentence for refusing to comply with a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.

    Navarro, 74, was convicted last year on two counts of contempt of Congress.

    The Hill has more:

    His lawyers wrote in a Sunday court filing that a federal appeals court should temporarily put his sentence on hold while he appeals his conviction. If that effort fails, he could become the first key Trump adviser to serve jail time over efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

    U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, who oversaw Navarro’s trial, declined to allow the Trump ally to stay out of prison while the appellate process plays out.

    Navarro’s counsel had argued that the question of executive privilege, which Navarro claimed Trump invoked over any testimony to the House Jan. 6 panel, rises to that threshold.

    Navarro told the judge during his sentencing he had an “honest belief” that executive privilege had been invoked by Trump. His lawyers wrote court filings that the judge’s decision “hamstrung” Navarro’s defense by leaving open the question of whether a president can direct his subordinates not to testify before Congress. 

    After his conviction, Navarro asserted his case could reach the Supreme Court due to the questions it raises about executive privilege for high-ranking White House staff. 

    Ex-White House adviser Steve Bannon was also convicted on two counts of contempt of Congress last year and sentenced to four months in prison, but a different judge said he could remain free pending appeal.

    Judge Rules On Trump’s Requests for Immediate Verdict in Fraud Trial

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2
    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    On Wednesday, former President Trump’s legal team asked for an immediate and direct verdict in the Trump Organization civil trial following testimony from ex-attorney Michael Cohen. 

    The request came after Cohen admitted during testimony that the former president did not ask him to inflate his finances on a personal financial statement.

    During a second day on the stand, Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and “fixer,” was asked directly whether Trump asked him to inflate his finances on personal financial statements.

    “Trump didn’t ask you to inflate the numbers on his personal statement, correct?” Trump attorney Clifford Roberts asked.

    “Correct,” Cohen replied.

    After Cohen’s response, Roberts spoke with the former president and fellow defense attorneys and told Judge Arthur Engoron he had no further questions.

    Roberts then asked for an immediate, direct verdict in the trial in light of Cohen’s testimony.

    Judge Engoron immediately said: “denied.”

    New York Attorney General Letitia James’ case accuses Trump, his two adult sons, the Trump Organization, and top executives of falsely inflating the values of Trump’s real estate properties and other assets in order to get tax benefits and better loan terms.

    James seeks around $250 million in damages, and she wants to bar Trump and his co-defendants from running another business in New York.

    Trump responded to the Judge’s ruling in a series of Truth Social posts Wednesday evening.

    “The New York State Attorney Generals case against me is DEAD, but the Radical Left Judge REFUSES to end it. He just can’t let it go,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, repeating his frequent attack on the judge in the case.

    “Letitia James should focus on Violent Crime, which is out of control. So unfair. I don’t even get a Jury Trial. A blight on the New York State Judicial System,” he continued. “Businesses are watching all over the world, and never coming in, only moving out. The Governor should get involved.”

    He added, “Election Interference by my Political Opponent!”

    Special Counsel Overseeing Trump Criminal Probe Subpoenas Mike Pence

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    Mike Pence via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    The special counsel investigating Former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election has summoned former Vice President Mike Pence to testify.

    The development follows months of negotiations between Department of Justice prosecutors and Pence’s legal team.

    WATCH:

    Per The Wall Street Journal:

    The move represents an escalation in the Justice Department investigation and sets the stage for a likely court battle over executive privilege, which lawyers for Mr. Trump have raised in recent years to block or slow the testimony of former administration officials in various probes.

    …

    Mr. Pence’s former chief of staff, Marc Short, and his former counsel, Greg Jacob, last year appeared before a federal grand jury as part of the investigation into Mr. Trump’s efforts to discredit the 2020 election results.

    Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Mr. Smith in November to examine efforts to undo the election results as well as to probe the handling of classified documents found at Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. That investigation has intensified over a year to include an extraordinary warrant-backed search of the property in August.

    Mr. Pence declined to speak to the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol by Mr. Trump’s supporters. But the former vice president has viewed the Justice Department investigation as different from the House inquiry, which he considered partisan, according to people familiar with his thinking.

    According to a person familiar with the matter, Pence’s team is weighing its response.

    California Governor Finally Breaks Silence on 2024 Run

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    4
    Casa Rosada (Argentina Presidency of the Nation), CC BY 2.5 AR via Wikimedia Commons

    California Governor Gavin Newsom is putting rumors to rest that he’s plotting a primary challenge against Joe Biden in the next election cycle.

    Newsom, who has faced increased scrutiny recently due to speculation he’s planning to mount a presidential campaign, told reporters that he’s “all in” on Biden 2024 and has made that same commitment to other White House officials, according to Mediaite.

    “I’ve told everyone in the White House, from the chief of staff to the first lady,” he recounted to me as we sat on the top floor of California’s now-ceremonial governor’s mansion on election night.

    His message to Ron Klain and Jill Biden over the summer — when he visited Washington amid growing speculation, and considerable West Wing irritation, that he was plotting a primary challenge — was to count him as a firm supporter of Biden’s reelection: “I’m all in, count me in,” he said he told them.

    Newsom relayed the same to Biden himself on election night.

    Newsom says when he spoke to Biden on Election Night, he told the president “I’m all in; put me in coach. We have your back.”

    Newsom’s declaration of support for Biden comes as he already faces a 2020 rematch against Donald Trump, who recently announced his own 2024 campaign. However, Trump’s announcement has been met with mixed feelings from Republicans as some say his bombastic character and history make him unlikely to win another national election.

    Over the weekend, Twitter CEO Elon Musk announced he plans to support Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for president in 2024 if he mounts a bid, despite just reinstating Trump’s Twitter account access.

    “I’m fine with Trump not tweeting,” Musk wrote in reply to a tweet about Trump’s restored account. “The important thing is that Twitter correct a grave mistake in banning his account, despite no violation of the law or terms of service.”

    “Deplatforming a sitting President undermined public trust in Twitter for half of America,” he said.

    In his reply thread, Musk said that in 2024 he wants someone “sensible centrist” in office, and that Biden has not been that. When someone replied to ask him directly whether Ron DeSantis would fit the bill, he said yes.

    Special Counsel Asks Supreme Court To Weigh In On Trump Federal Election Interference Case

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    4
    Duncan Lock, Dflock, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    Special Counsel Jack Smith asked the Supreme Court to immediately take up former President Trump’s federal 2020 election criminal case, urging the justices to weigh in on Trump’s immunity defense as the former president seeks to have the case tossed entirely.

    Citing Trump’s fast-approaching March 4 trial date, Smith asked the Supreme Court to immediately take up the issue.

    The Hill has more:

    “It is of imperative public importance that respondent’s claims of immunity be resolved by this Court and that respondent’s trial proceed as promptly as possible if his claim of immunity is rejected,” Smith wrote in the filing.

    Smith also requested the Supreme Court expedite its consideration of whether to take up the issue. If they do agree to hear it, Smith further asked that the justices expedite their consideration of the case.

    “This case presents a fundamental question at the heart of our democracy: whether a former President is absolutely immune from federal prosecution for crimes committed while in office or is constitutionally protected from federal prosecution when he has been impeached but not convicted before the criminal proceedings begin,” Smith wrote in the filing.

    This is a breaking news story. Click refresh for the latest updates.

    House Democrat Becomes The First To Publicly Call On Biden To Withdraw

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    President Joe Biden delivers remarks in National Statuary Hall on the one-year anniversary of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Thursday, January 6, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Cameron Smith)

    There’s no going back now…

    On Tuesday, Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D) became the first sitting Democrat U.S. Congressman to call on Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential contest.

    “Instead of reassuring voters, the President failed to effectively defend his many accomplishments and expose Trump’s many lies,” Doggett said in a statement.

    “I represent the heart of a congressional district once represented by Lyndon Johnson. Under very different circumstances, he made the painful decision to withdraw,” he later said. “President Biden should do the same.”

    Doggett, who is 77, praised the president’s legislative achievements in his years in Washington but argued that now is a moment to pass the torch in the Democratic Party.

    “While much of his work has been transformational, he pledged to be transitional,” Doggett said. “He has the opportunity to encourage a new generation of leaders from whom a nominee can be chosen to unite our country through an open, democratic process.”

    “My decision to make these strong reservations public is not done lightly nor does it in any way diminish my respect for all that President Biden has achieved,” he continued.

    “Recognizing that, unlike Trump, President Biden’s first commitment has always been to our country, not himself, I am hopeful that he will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw. I respectfully call on him to do so.”

    On Monday, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (D) seemed to signal support for the idea of Biden stepping away from the race and seemed to promote himself as an alternative candidate. (RELATED: Potential Biden Replacement Pitches Himself After ‘Very Bad’ Debate)

    Watch:

    Colorado Supreme Court Rules On Trump Ballot Ban

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    5
    Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

    The Trump campaign announced it will swiftly appeal the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling removing the former president from the state’s 2024 ballot to the U.S. Supreme Court.

    Trump’s leading allies have responded to the decision with fire and fury on social media:

    The Colorado Supreme Court has ruled to remove Donald Trump from the 2024 state ballot, citing the 14th Amendment’s so-called insurrection clause.

    The ruling has been temporarily stayed by the state’s highest court. It is subject to further appellate proceedings.

    An appeal is all but certain, as CNBC reports:

    The ruling is the first time a state court has agreed that Trump, who is the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, should be barred from ballots in a state because of a U.S. constitutional provision barring people who have engaged in “insurrection” from federal office.

    Courts in Minnesota and Michigan have rejected similar suits challenging Trump’s placement on the presidential ballot, but the issue is continuing to be litigated in a number of states.

    A group of six Colorado voters in September sued to block Trump from state ballots in 2024 because of a claim he was barred due to a provision in the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

    That provision, Section 3, says that “no person” can serve as an officer of the United States who, having previously taken an oath of federal office, “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” against the U.S.

    A Colorado judge ruled last month that Trump must be allowed on next year’s Republican primary ballot. District Judge Sarah Wallace said in her ruling that that language in the 14th Amendment means it can’t be used to prevent Trump from appearing on the ballot.

    Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), which filed the lawsuit on behalf of six Colorado voters, appealed Wallace’s decision to the Colorado Supreme Court.

    The disqualification trial focused on Trump’s actions before and during the U.S. Capitol riot and whether they violated Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. Section 3 states:

    No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability

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

    Appeals Court Overturns Republican Lawmaker’s Conviction

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

    How embarrassing…

    President Biden’s Department of Justice was humiliated by a recent federal appeals court decision to overturn ex-Rep. Jeff Fortenberry’s (R-Neb.) conviction of lying to the FBI about an illegal campaign contribution.

    Last year, a California jury convicted Fortenberry for false statements he made during interviews in Nebraska and the nation’s capital over an illegal campaign donation from a foreign national.

    The Republican lawmaker resigned from his seat in Congress and was sentenced to two years of probation, a $25,000 fine and 320 hours of community service. However, the federal appeals court ruled that because Fortenberry was tired in the proper venue his conviction must be overturned.

    “Fortenberry’s trial took place in a state where no charged crime was committed, and before a jury drawn from the vicinage of the federal agencies that investigated the defendant,” wrote U.S. District Judge James Donato, who sat on the appeals court by designation. 

    “The Constitution does not permit this. Fortenberry’s convictions are reversed so that he may be retried, if at all, in a proper venue,” the 23-page opinion continued.

    According to reports from The Hill, authorities charged Fortenberry after accepting a $30,200 donation from a Nigerian businessman to the then-congressman’s campaign at a 2016 fundraising event in California. Fortenberry told investigators that he was unaware of any illegal contributions to his campaign. But court filings indicate the agency had listened into an earlier phone call, in which a cooperating witness told Fortenberry that the Nigerian businessman was likely the source of the $30,200 donation. 

    Federal law prohibits campaign contributions from foreign nationals to any local, state or federally elected official.

    “We are gratified by the Ninth Circuit’s decision. Celeste and I would like to thank everyone who has stood by us and supported us with their kindness and friendship,” Fortenberry said in a statement.

    While the appeals court decision reverses Fortenberry’s sentence, the ex-lawmaker could still be retried in the proper venue.

    Report: Boebert Under ‘Active Investigation’

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    3
    Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    Colorado Congresswoman Lauren Boebert is reportedly under “active investigation” over an alleged physical incident with her ex-husband over the weekend.

    The Daily Beast reported that the “alleged physical altercation” occurred at Miner’s Claim restaurant in Boebert’s district on Saturday. Silt Police Chief Mike Kite confirmed to CBS News that an “active investigation” was already underway.

    Boebert’s ex-husband, Jayson Boebert, called police and claimed he was a “victim of domestic violence” and said that the congresswoman had “punched” him in the face several times, according to The Washington Post.

    Jayson Boebert told The Denver Post that he did not want his wife to be charged despite being the one to call the police.

    “I don’t want nothing to happen,” he said. “Her and I were working through a difficult conversation.”

    Boevert has denied allegations she unshed her ex-husband and has threatened legal action.

    “This is a sad situation for all that keeps escalating and another reason I’m moving,” Boebert said in a statement. “I didn’t punch Jayson in the face and no one was arrested. I will be consulting with my lawyer about the false claims he made against me and evaluate all of my legal options.”

    Last year, Boebert came under fire after she was thrown out of a “Beetlejuice” musical at the Buell Theater in Denver.

    Denver Arts & Venues said in a statement that they received three different complaints that Boebert and her date were “vaping, singing, causing a disturbance.”

    4 FEMA Employees Fired After Approving ‘Egregious’ Payments For Illegal Migrants

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    4
    Image via Pixabay free images

    The buck stops here…

    The Department of Homeland Security told Fox News that “four employees are being fired today for circumventing leadership and unilaterally making the egregious payment for hotels for migrants in New York City.”

    The firings come after Elon Musk wrote on X Monday that “The DOGE team just discovered that FEMA sent $59M LAST WEEK to luxury hotels in New York City to house illegal migrants.” 

    “Sending this money violated the law and is in gross insubordination to the President’s executive order,” Musk added. “That money is meant for American disaster relief and instead is being spent on high end hotels for illegals!”  

    “A clawback demand will be made today to recoup those funds,” he added. 

    A New York City Hall spokesperson confirmed to Fox News that the city had received funds “through the past week” that were allocated by the Biden administration for the purpose of housing and supporting illegal immigrants. 

    Of the $59.3 million, $19 million was for direct hotel costs, while the balance funded other services such as food and security. According to NY City Hall, the funds were not part of a disaster relief grant. 

    Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) told “Fox & Friends” on Tuesday that the firings were ‘long overdue.”

    “These funds have been misappropriated going back to the Biden administration and New York City – a sanctuary city – has been wasting billions of dollars of taxpayer money to provide free housing, clothing, food, education and healthcare to illegal immigrants, including criminal aliens that are here illegally,” he added.

    “And so I applaud DHS for taking action to stop these payments under President Trump’s leadership because we have incentivized cities like New York and states like New York – a sanctuary state – to allow this to continue and it has to stop,” Lawler also said.

    The Department of Homeland Security previously told Fox News Digital that those who made the payment will be “held accountable.”

    Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Sunday that she supported getting rid of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) “the way it exists today.” 

    In an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Noem’s stance appeared in line with that of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, who have both suggested shutting down FEMA could be an option, as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has reportedly gained access to FEMA’s sensitive disaster relief data to review its programs. 

    “Can and should Donald Trump shut it down?” CNN’s Dana Bash asked Noem. 

    “He can. And I believe that he will do that evaluation with his team,” Noem said. “And he’s talking about it, which I’m grateful for. He’ll work with Congress, though, to make sure that it’s done correctly and that we’re still there to help folks who have a terrible disaster or a crisis in their life. He’s been very clear that he still believes there’s a role for the federal government to come in and help people get back up on their feet. But there’s a lot of fraud and waste and abuse out there. And since President Trump has taken over and come back into this administration, we’ve seen incredible change.” 

    Noem, who visited Asheville, North Carolina, on Saturday to meet with Hurricane Helene victims and survey the damage, told CNN that she oversaw 12 different natural disasters that prompted a FEMA response when she was governor of South Dakota.

    During former President Biden’s term, FEMA faced backlash after it was reported that while they lacked the necessary funds needed to help Hurricane Helene victims, they were dishing out money that ended up being used to aid illegal immigrants.  

    Speaker Mike Johnson clarified that emergency relief funding is separate from FEMA funds allocated to immigration, but said that the agency should not have any part in funding the border crisis. 

    FEMA partners with Customs and Border Control (CBP) and administers money to the Shelter and Services Program (SSP), a government-funded program that provides assistance and housing for illegal immigrants released into the U.S. 

    “FEMA spent tens of millions of dollars in Democrat areas, disobeying orders, but left the people of North Carolina high and dry. It is now under review and investigation,” Trump posted, adding:

    THE BIDEN RUN FEMA HAS BEEN A DISASTER. FEMA SHOULD BE TERMINATED! IT HAS BEEN SLOW AND TOTALLY INEFFECTIVE. INDIVIDUAL STATES SHOULD HANDLE STORMS, ETC., AS THEY COME. BIG SAVINGS, FAR MORE EFFICIENT!!!

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