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    Smartmatic, Executives Indicted In Alleged Foreign Bribery Scheme

    By
    Patrick Houck
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    2
    Missvain, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    Federal prosecutors have indicted Smartmatic and several former executives in a case alleging foreign bribery and money laundering tied to election contracts.

    The indictment, filed in the Southern District of Florida, accuses Smartmatic’s parent company, SGO Corp., of paying roughly $1 million in bribes between 2015 and 2018 to a former election official in the Philippines. The goal: to win or retain contracts for voting machines and related election services.

    Bribery Scheme Allegedly Funded Through Slush Accounts

    According to the Justice Department, the scheme relied on over-invoicing, shell companies, and coded financial documents to create and maintain slush funds used to pay off officials.

    Prosecutors also intend to present evidence that funds from a major voting equipment contract with Los Angeles County were diverted into these same slush funds to support the bribery operation.

    Three Executives Named

    The executives indicted are Roger Alejandro Pinate Martinez, Jorge Miguel Vasquez, and Elie Moreno. Some have pleaded not guilty and are seeking to have the charges dismissed.

    Smartmatic has publicly denied the allegations, calling them “factually and legally incorrect” and politically motivated. The company said it intends to vigorously fight the charges.

    As The Wall Street Journal reports:

    The case underscores the Trump administration’s willingness to enforce the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in select circumstances. President Trump in February paused enforcement of the law, saying it hurts the ability of American firms to do business in countries where gratuities or gifts are common. The Justice Department later resumed enforcement with a focus on cases that relate to U.S. strategic interests, but it closed nearly half of its pending investigations.

    Smartmatic said Thursday that it had cooperated with the government’s investigation and blamed the move to file charges on “powerful interests.”

    “Smartmatic will continue to stand by its people and principles,” it said. “We will not be intimidated by those pulling the strings of power.”

    The company has been in court for the past several years after suing conservative news outlets and allies of Trump who said voting-machine companies rigged the 2020 election for Joe Biden. Many defendants such as Fox News continue to fight Smartmatic’s claims, while Newsmax agreed last year to pay $40 million to settle with the company, according to regulatory filings.

    Corporate Indictment Raises Stakes

    This latest filing marks a shift from earlier 2024 charges, which focused on individual executives but did not name the company itself. Now, SGO/Smartmatic is listed as a corporate defendant — a rare move in high-profile election technology cases.

    The implications could be wide-ranging, especially for Smartmatic’s government contracts, reputation, and exposure to regulatory scrutiny.

    Impact on Ongoing Defamation Lawsuits

    The indictment could also influence Smartmatic’s high-profile defamation lawsuits, including its ongoing case against Fox News. Defendants may attempt to leverage the federal charges to undermine Smartmatic’s credibility or weaken its legal posture.

    What Comes Next

    Prosecutors will need to prove the full trail of transactions, how the funds were concealed, and that there was intent to break the law. The defense is expected to challenge the case on both factual and legal grounds — possibly including arguments about the statute of limitations and jurisdiction.

    Key developments to watch include any plea deals, dismissals, or trial outcomes; whether Smartmatic loses government contracts; and how the case shapes public confidence in election infrastructure.

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    Trump Files Another Defamation Suit Against The New York Times

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2
    Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    President Donald Trump filed a new $15 billion defamation suit against The New York Times on Thursday, following the dismissal of a similar lawsuit last month.

    In the suit, Trump accuses the Times of printing false and defamatory statements about his business career that damaged his professional reputation. The suit also names multiple reporters for the Times and Penguin Random House, which published a book on Trump’s business career. 

    Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    “The statements in question wrongly defame and disparage President Trump’s hard-earned professional reputation, which he painstakingly built for decades as a private citizen before becoming President of the United States, including as a successful businessman and as star of the most successful reality television show of all-time— The Apprentice,” the suit said. 

    It was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

    Two articles published by the Times in September 2024, and the book “Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success,” are the subject of the suit. The reporters named as defendants include Susanne Craig, Russ Buettner, and Peter Baker. 

    The suit listed several claims it said were defamatory, including an allegation that Trump received millions of dollars from his father through “fraudulent tax evasion schemes.” Another claim was that Trump’s father gave him “taxable gifts masquerading as loans, a likely tax fraud that went unnoticed.” 

    The suit said that these kinds of statements hurt Trump’s business ventures, including his social media company, Truth Social. 

    “Statements falsely casting aspersions on President Trump’s reputation as a businessman or the Trump Organization’s legitimacy therefore cause direct and easily foreseeable harm to these businesses’ value, revenue, and profitability,” the suit said. 

    Last month, Trump filed a similar lawsuit targeting the Times and multiple reporters he said made defamatory statements to maliciously interfere in the outcome of the 2024 election. That suit was tossed out by Judge Steven Merryday, who said it was improper. 

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    Federal Prosecutors Indict Former Trump National Security Adviser John Bolton

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    Federal prosecutors in Maryland have indicted former Trump national security adviser John Bolton for his alleged mishandling of classified documents, ABC News reports.

    CNN’s Katelyn Polantz reported Tuesday that prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland met over the weekend to hammer out the details of a potential indictment. Citing unnamed sources, Polantz reported that the Maryland team had initially pushed back against DOJ leadership’s push to charge Bolton, but those objections have now “lifted,” and the team is “at work” on the case. (RELATED: DOJ Opens Criminal Investigation Into John Bolton, Docs Show)

    Appearing on CNN’s The Situation Room with anchor Pamela Brown, Polantz explained that the disagreement was “about when to charge” Bolton — suggesting that some inside the DOJ were concerned about timing rather than substance. (RELATED: FBI Raids John Bolton’s Home In Classified Documents Probe)

    “From what I had learned through sources,” Polantz said, “was that the dispute was over timing — whether to charge John Bolton very soon or prepare an indictment very soon to take it through the grand jury, or whether there needed to be more time since those searches of his home and office only took place a couple of weeks ago.”

    In late August, FBI agents raided Bolton’s Maryland home and private office, seizing materials reportedly marked “secret,” “confidential,” and “classified,” including documents referencing weapons of mass destruction. Investigators also collected electronics and files labeled “Trump I–IV,” according to court filings.

    Bolton — who has been a vocal Trump critic since leaving the administration — has firmly denied any wrongdoing.

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

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    Trump Warns Hamas of U.S. Military Action if Violence in Gaza Continues

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    5
    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    President Trump warned Thursday that the United States will have “no choice” but to use lethal force against Hamas if the militant group does not stop its renewed violence in Gaza.

    “If Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the Deal, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

    The warning comes amid reports that Hamas has reasserted control in Gaza, launching a campaign of retribution following Israel’s withdrawal under a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. According to Reuters, Hamas fighters have killed at least 33 people since the ceasefire began last week. One widely circulated video showed several men being dragged into a Gaza City square and executed.

    On Wednesday, the U.S. military also issued a stern message to Hamas, urging the group to “immediately suspend violence and shooting at innocent Palestinian civilians in Gaza.”

    Residents in Gaza told Fox News Digital that Hamas fighters have returned to the streets and issued an ultimatum to suspected Israeli collaborators, giving them until Sunday to surrender and seek amnesty.

    Hamas has also failed to uphold its agreement to return all deceased hostages to Israel. Families of the victims described the ongoing wait as “torturous.”

    On Thursday’s episode of Fox & Friends, Orna Neutra — the mother of Israel Defense Forces Capt. Omer Neutra — said it is “devastating” to wait for her son’s remains to be returned.

    “We came here on Sunday, prepared to receive him on Monday and, as the day went by and only four hostages were released, and our son wasn’t among them, it was devastating,” she said.

    Omer Neutra, a fallen platoon commander, is one of two American citizens whose bodies have not yet been returned by Hamas under the first phase of the peace deal.

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    Florida Judge Temporarily Blocks Transfer Of Miami Land For Trump’s Presidential Library

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    6

    A Florida judge has temporarily blocked the planned transfer of a significant parcel of downtown Miami land for Donald Trump’s future presidential library.

    The Tuesday move by Circuit Judge Mavel Ruiz came after a Miami activist alleged that officials at Miami Dade College violated Florida’s open government law when they gifted the sizable plot of real estate to the state, which then voted to transfer it to the foundation for President Trump’s planned library.

    CBS News reports:

    “This is not an easy decision,” Ruiz said Tuesday when explaining her ruling from the bench.

    “This is not a case, at least for this court, rooted in politics,” she added.

    Marvin Dunn, an activist and chronicler of local Black history, filed a lawsuit this month in a Miami-Dade County court against the Board of Trustees for Miami Dade College, a state-run school that owned the property.

    He alleges that the board violated Florida’s Government in the Sunshine law by not providing sufficient notice for its special meeting on Sept. 23, when it voted to give up the land.

    Richard Brodsky, an attorney for Dunn, said the issue before the court was not a question of politics, but whether the public board followed the open government law.

    “The people have a right to know what they’re going to decide to do when the transaction is so significant, so unusual and deprives the students and the college of this land,” Brodsky said.

    The nearly 3-acre property is valued at more than $67 million, according to a 2025 assessment by the Miami-Dade County property appraiser.

    One real estate expert estimated that the parcel—one of the last undeveloped lots on an iconic stretch of palm tree-lined Biscayne Boulevard—could sell for hundreds of millions of dollars more.

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    Federal Prosecutors ‘At Work’ To Bring Charges Against John Bolton

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    0
    The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    Federal prosecutors are reportedly preparing charges against former Trump National Security Adviser John Bolton, a longtime critic of President Trump, over his handling of classified materials — a move that comes after months of internal resistance from within the Justice Department.

    According to CNN’s Katelyn Polantz, prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland met over the weekend to hammer out the details of a potential indictment. Citing unnamed sources, Polantz reported that the Maryland team had initially pushed back against DOJ leadership’s push to charge Bolton, but those objections have now “lifted,” and the team is “at work” on the case.

    The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    Appearing on CNN’s The Situation Room with anchor Pamela Brown, Polantz explained that the disagreement was “about when to charge” Bolton — suggesting that some inside the DOJ were concerned about timing rather than substance.

    “From what I had learned through sources,” Polantz said, “was that the dispute was over timing — whether to charge John Bolton very soon or prepare an indictment very soon to take it through the grand jury, or whether there needed to be more time since those searches of his home and office only took place a couple of weeks ago.”

    In late August, FBI agents raided Bolton’s Maryland home and private office, seizing materials reportedly marked “secret,” “confidential,” and “classified,” including documents referencing weapons of mass destruction. Investigators also collected electronics and files labeled “Trump I–IV,” according to court filings.

    Bolton — who has been a vocal Trump critic since leaving the administration — has denied any wrongdoing. His attorney, Abbe Lowell, said the items taken were “decades old” and insisted that his client “did nothing inappropriate.”

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    Fox News To Join Other Networks In Rejecting Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon Media ‘Pledge’

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    5

    Not happening…

    Fox News is reportedly planning to join a coalition of news organizations to reject the War Department’s order that will sharply curtail press freedom at the Pentagon.

    The move follows a late Friday memo from Hegseth demanding reporters sign a new “In-Brief for Media Members” agreement or surrender their Pentagon access cards by Tuesday.

    The order forbids journalists from soliciting tips, photographing, or even sketching what they see inside the building.

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

    Networks are coordinating through the Pentagon press pool to issue a unified response to publicly oppose the measure, according to Status’ Oliver Darcy.

    Darcy reported Tuesday that Fox News, where Hegseth worked for almost a decade prior to his nomination, has “no plans to agree to the draconian rules,” citing sources.

    The move will set up “a showdown with his former employer,” according to Darcy.

    Darcy’s reporting was later backed up by CNN’s chief media analyst Brian Stelter, who wrote in his Reliable Sources newsletter, “CNN has already said that its journalists will not accept the new restrictions. I’m told that Fox News, NBC, ABC, CBS and CNN will issue a joint statement later today saying much the same thing.”

    The push by Hegseth has now been slammed across the board by newspapers and networks — such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, CNN, Newsmax and The Guardian — with the only outlet reportedly agreeing to the new terms being One America News.

    The Pentagon Press Association condemned the policy, saying: “This Wednesday, most Pentagon Press Association members seem likely to hand over their badges rather than acknowledge a policy that gags Pentagon employees and threatens retaliation against reporters who seek out information that has not been pre-approved for release.”

    Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell dismissed concerns on Monday, accusing reporters of a “full-blown meltdown” in a statement to Status and insisting the policy “is what’s best for our troops and the national security of this country.”

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    Steve Bannon Asks Supreme Court To Toss Out Contempt Conviction

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2
    Duncan Lock, Dflock, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    Former Trump White House strategist Steve Bannon is taking his fight against what he calls a politically motivated prosecution to the U.S. Supreme Court, asking the justices to wipe out his contempt of Congress conviction stemming from the now-disbanded Jan. 6 committee.

    Bannon already served a four-month prison sentence for refusing to comply with a subpoena from the Democrat-led panel. But he’s now appealing to clear his record and to set a higher bar for future contempt cases — a move his legal team says is essential to protect the separation of powers and prevent future partisan abuse of congressional authority.

    “Political winds change, but the requirements for criminal prosecution should not—least of all when it comes to a statute fraught with implications for the separation of powers,” Bannon’s petition reads.

    The petition was filed Friday and will be reviewed later this term after the Justice Department has a chance to respond.

    Thor Brødreskift / Nordiske Mediedager, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    A Question of Fairness and Executive Privilege

    Bannon’s appeal focuses on whether he “willfully” ignored the committee’s subpoena — the legal threshold for contempt. His attorneys argue he acted on the advice of counsel and believed executive privilege issues needed to be resolved before cooperating. Under that interpretation, his actions weren’t criminally “willful.”

    However, lower courts sided with the Biden Justice Department, saying prosecutors only needed to show Bannon deliberately refused to comply — regardless of his reasons. Bannon’s lawyers argue that interpretation upends more than a century of precedent and hands Congress unchecked power to criminalize political opponents.

    Legitimacy of the Jan. 6 Committee in Question

    Bannon’s team also challenges the legitimacy of the Jan. 6 committee itself, arguing its composition violated House rules. The resolution establishing the committee called for 13 members, with five appointed after consulting the minority leader. But then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected several of Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s picks, leading McCarthy to withdraw all Republican participation. Pelosi then filled the seats with seven Democrats and two hand-picked Republicans, both of whom supported the committee’s mission.

    According to Bannon’s lawyers, that procedural breach means the subpoena was never valid in the first place. But the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the argument, calling it a procedural objection that Bannon forfeited by not raising it earlier.

    A Broader Battle Over Accountability and Power

    This case follows the Supreme Court’s earlier refusal to intervene on behalf of Peter Navarro, another Trump official convicted for contempt of Congress. But Bannon’s appeal could mark a new test of how far Congress can go in criminally pursuing political figures — especially when executive privilege and partisan motives are at play.

    Holding America hostage! Democrats shut down the government so that they can continue their mission to give YOUR hard-earned money to illegals. What’s the best way to protect American jobs? [Respond to GOP Survey]

    Multiple Lawmakers Ejected During Trump Speech In Knesset

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    2
    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    On Monday, President Trump attended a Middle East Peace Summit to deliver remarks as his landmark peace deal between Israel and Hamas goes into effect and all remaining hostages are released.

    The president was in the middle of paying tribute to Special Envoy Steve Witkoff for his role in helping broker the Gaza peace deal which saw the release of the 20 remaining hostages held by Hamas earlier that morning.

    As Trump joked that “everybody loves Steve,” shouting erupted in the chamber as one left-wing lawmaker stood and held up a sign which read “Recognize Palestine” before being intercepted by security and escorted out.

    The two protesting lawmakers were identified by Israeli media as Ayman Odeh and Ofer Cassif of the Hadash party, a joint Jewish-Arab socialist faction.

    Odeh, the party leader and a Knesset member since 2015, is a prominent Arab-Israeli politician known for advocating Palestinian rights and a two-state solution, typically in measured, diplomatic terms. Cassif, a Jewish MK from the same party, is known for his more confrontational approach and frequent denunciations of Israeli policy, including accusations of genocide and war crimes.

    “Sorry about that, Mr President,” the Knesset speaker told Trump after a brief delay during the session.

    Speaking of the ejection, the president quipped: “That was efficient!”

    The remark drew laughter, then applause, and chants of “Trump” from Israeli lawmakers.

    Watch the moment below:

    President Trump’s remarks highlighted the recent release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas.

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday praised President Donald Trump as the “greatest friend” Israel has ever had, as Hamas released the last 20 living hostages under the new peace deal.

    “No American president has ever done more for Israel,” Netanyahu said. “It ain’t even close.”

    He thanked Trump for “standing up for Israel” at the United Nations, recognizing Israel’s rights in the West Bank — or the Judea and Samaria  — and withdrawing from the “disastrous” Iran nuclear deal.

    “Thank you for supporting Operation Rising Lion and for your bold decision to launch Operation Midnight Hammer,” Netanyahu said, referring to the June strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites. “Boy, you got to hear this — this is the most fitting name ever given to a military operation, because a little after midnight, you really hammered them.”

    Prime Minister Netanyahu also announced he had nominated Trump to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

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    Trump Orders Defense Secretary to Ensure Troops Get Paid Despite Democrat Shutdown

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    4
    Daniel Ramirez from Honolulu, USA, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    President Donald Trump is stepping up to protect America’s servicemembers amid the ongoing government shutdown — directing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to use all available Department of Defense funds to make sure troops receive their paychecks on time.

    In a decisive move shared Saturday on Truth Social, Trump invoked his authority as Commander in Chief, announcing that servicemembers will be paid on October 15, regardless of congressional gridlock.

    “That is why I am using my authority, as Commander in Chief, to direct our Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to use all available funds to get our Troops PAID on October 15th,” Trump wrote.
    “We have identified funds to do this, and Secretary Hegseth will use them to PAY OUR TROOPS.”

    The Office of Management and Budget confirmed that the funds would come from research and development money within the DOD — funding that remains available for two years and can be redirected in this emergency.

    Trump’s order comes as Democrats in the Senate, led by Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), refuse to act on legislation that would keep pay flowing to the military. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) reminded Americans that the House has already passed a bill — H.R. 5371 — to ensure military pay continues during the shutdown.

    “No one in the military or any military family should have their pay blocked on October 15!” Johnson said on X. “Since the bill ALREADY PASSED THE HOUSE, a simple yes vote by five more Democrats on Tuesday would allow the military to be paid on Wednesday.”

    While Democrats point fingers, President Trump and Republican leaders are taking concrete action to protect the men and women in uniform who defend the nation.

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