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    Report: Conservative Network Shared Private Smartmatic Employee Data With Trump Team After 2020 Election

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Voting systems company Smartmatic is suing conservative media network One America News (OAN) and new evidence shows a direct connection to former President Donald Trump.

    According to a report by CNN, an email exchange dated January 8, 2021, between OAN president Charles Herring and Trump lawyer Sidney Powell, who is also being sued by Smartmatic as well as other individuals tied to Trump for spreading misinformation about the 2020 election, purportedly contained a spreadsheet full of passwords for employees of Smartmatic.

    The court records don’t reveal how OAN obtained the spreadsheet; according to CNN, lawyers for Smartmatic alleged the possession of the information means OAN executives “may have engaged in criminal activities” by “appear[ing] to have violated state and federal laws regarding data privacy.”

    Per CNN:

    While Smartmatic’s public filings didn’t identify the sender or recipient of the email, court records from a separate 2020-related lawsuit confirm that Herring and Powell exchanged emails on the same date. The pair’s communications about the purported Smartmatic spreadsheet, which have not been previously reported, resurrect questions that have dogged OAN for years regarding its tendency to blur the lines between opinion journalism and brazen political advocacy.

    Smartmatic is seeking billions of dollars in damages from OAN and Fox News after the networks falsely claimed that the company flipped votes during the 2020 election.

    Last year, Dominion Voting Systems won nearly $800 million in its similar defamation suit against Fox News.

    Verdict Announced In Trump Defamation Case

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2
    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    The jury has returned with its verdict in the E. Jean Carroll defamation case against former President Donald Trump.

    Trump left the courtroom earlier in the day as Carroll’s legal team was making its closing arguments.

    The jury awarded her $83.3 million.

    Trump Adviser Sentenced To Four Months In Prison

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    6
    Image via Pixabay

    On Thursday, former Trump adviser Peter Navarro was sentenced to four months in prison for refusing to comply with a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

    Last year, Navarro was convicted of two counts of contempt of Congress: one for failing to produce documents related to the probe and another for skipping his deposition. 

    The Hill has more:

    Prosecutors argued Thursday that Navarro showed “utter disregard” for the House committee’s probe and “utter contempt for the rule of law.” They asked the judge to impose a six-month prison term.

    “The committee was investigating an attack on the very foundation of our democracy,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney John Crabb. “There could be no more serious investigation undertaken by Congress.”

    The Justice Department (DOJ) has pushed back against claims Navarro’s sentence was politically motivated.

    “It’s unfortunate that the statements mislead. They mislead,” Mehta said. “Nancy Pelosi is not responsible for this prosecution; Joe Biden isn’t responsible for the prosecution. It’s those kinds of statements from someone who knows better… that contributes to why our politics are so divisive.”

    “Punishing Dr. Navarro won’t fix or change that,” Navarro attorney Stanley Woodward later said of the political climate.

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

    Judge Rules Fox News Can Pursue Counterclaim Against Smartmatic

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    Looking east towards 6th Avenue along north (48th Street) side of Fox News building on a snowy afternoon. [Photo Credit: Jim.henderson, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons]

    But it can’t avoid Smartmatic’s $2.7 billion lawsuit…

    A New York Supreme Court judge has ruled that Smartmatic’s defamation lawsuit against Fox News Channel can proceed.

    However, he also denied the voting system company’s motion to dismiss Fox News’ counterclaim its suit is anti-free speech. He reasoned, in part, that the network has yet to be found liable for defamation.

    The Hollywood Reporter has more on the order advancing claims from both sides:

    “There remained a triable issue of fact for trial in that action as to whether defendants acted with actual malice, which is an element that plaintiffs need to prove here as well,” the order stated.

    But in a win for Smartmatic, New York Supreme Justice David Cohen refused to dismiss its suit against Fox. He found that the company “sufficiently alleged” that the network’s employees “played an affirmative role in the publication of the defamation at issue.”

    The decision sounds the death knell for Fox’s attempts to toss the case. Judge Cohen’s 61-page ruling states that Smartmatic has “substantial basis” to pursue its claim “that, at a minimum, Fox News turned a blind eye to a litany of outrageous claims about [Smartmatic], unprecedented in the history of American elections, so inherently improbable that it evinced a reckless disregard for the truth.”

    The Reporter continues:

    Despite a $788 million settlement to resolve a similar suit brought by Dominion Voting Systems, Fox continues to face mounting legal troubles over broadcasting far-right conspiracy theories that the 2020 election was stolen with the help of voting technology companies. Last year, Fox Corp.’s board of directors was sued for allegedly adopting a business model centered on chasing profits by intentionally broadcasting falsehoods and disregarding the risk of exposing itself to defamation claims.

    The dispute centers on allegations that Fox, in an attempt to boost ratings, capitalized on the popularity of former President Donald Trump by fabricating a narrative that Smartmatic caused him to unfairly lose the election.

    A trial over the network’s 2020 election coverage isn’t expected until 2025.

    Maine Dismisses Trump Primary Ballot Appeal

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2
    Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

    On Wednesday, the top court in Maine ruled former President Donald Trump may remain on the state’s primary ballot until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the matter,  dismissing an appeal from Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (D).

    According to The Hill, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled unanimously to uphold a lower judge’s order that required Bellows to wait for the U.S. Supreme Court to decide on the Colorado ballot case before she could withdraw, modify, or uphold her decision to block Trump’s name from Maine’s primary ballot on March 5.

    Last year, Bellows ruled Trump could not appear on the state’s primary ballot under the insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment.

    Trump appealed the decision to the state court which declined to take up the case, however, the judge said Trump could remain on the ballot until the U.S. Supreme Court decides the Colorado case

    The Hill has more:

    Bellows had warned punting the decision on Trump’s eligibility would put Maine in a “precarious position,” noting the state primary is held on Super Tuesday, March 5, which is fast approaching. She said voters might cast their votes with the answer on Trump’s eligibility still unresolved.

    “A stay of this proceeding, followed by a February decision from the U.S. Supreme Court, may ultimately force the Secretary and her staff to scramble to minimize damage to the integrity of the March 5, 2024, election,” the Maine attorney general’s office, representing Bellows, had written in court filings.

    Federal Appeals Court Leaves Trump Gag Order In Place

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    A Washington, D.C.-based appeals court has declined to rehear arguments concerning Donald Trump’s ability to speak about witnesses and courthouse staff in special counsel Jack Smith’s Jan. 6 trial.

    Trump’s only option if he wishes to further appeal is to go to the Supreme Court.

    Per CNN:

    Trump has unsuccessfully tried to challenge the gag order placed on him by Judge Tanya Chutkan late last year through appeals.

    The 11 judges from the DC Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday declined to touch the case after a three-judge panel previously upheld the gag order against Trump. There were no statements or dissents made by any of the judges.

    This article was republished with permission from American Liberty News.

    Massachusetts Judge Dismisses Trump Ballot Challenge

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

    Former President Trump will be allowed on Massachusetts’s presidential primary ballot.

    On Monday, the Massachusetts State Ballot Law Commission rejected two attempts to keep Trump off the ballot, stating it “does not have jurisdiction over the matters presented.”

    The two ballot eligibility challenges followed the same line of argument as a series of others across the nation that invoke the 14th Amendment’s insurrection clause, according to The Hill. The challenges argued Trump cannot appear on the primary or general ballots because he “engaged in a rebellion against the Constitution.”

    On Tuesday, Trump celebrated the victories.

    “Yesterday, the Massachusetts State Ballot Law Commission dealt another blow to Biden Democrats and their Election Interference attempt to disenfranchise millions of American voters by trying to remove President Trump from the ballot,” the campaign wrote in a statement.

    “In discarding this latest hoax, the commission sided with the Constitution, ensuring that the people of Massachusetts will have the right to vote for the candidate of their choice in 2024.”

    Massachusetts will hold its primary on March 5, or Super Tuesday, along with 15 other states.

    The state’s Ballot Law Commission met last week for a pre-hearing conference where they heard arguments on procedural matters.

    “There is nothing in the case law or the statutes that the commission is required to follow that says qualification to be on a ballot is a precondition to appear on the ballot,” Trump lawyer Marc Salinas said, per CNN.

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

    Trump Hints At VP Pick Hours After DeSantis Calls It Quits

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2

    Who will be Donald Trump’s next running mate? America is waiting with bated breath…

    On Saturday, Trump hinted that people likely won’t be shocked by his choice but stopped short of sharing any more details.

    Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier asked Trump in New Hampshire about when he will decide who could join him on the ticket if he secures the nomination, Trump answered, “Well, it’s never really had that much of an effect on an election, which is an amazing thing, both election and primary. It’s never really had much of an effect.”

    “I may or may not really [decide] something over the next couple of months. There’s no rush to that. It won’t have any impact at all. The person that I think I like is a very good person, a pretty standard. I think people won’t be that surprised, but I would say there’s probably a 25 percent chance that would be that person,” Trump continued.

    Earlier this month, Trump signaled he’s already made his decision on a running mate. (RELATED: Trump Says He’s Selected VP Choice)

    “I can’t tell you that really, I mean, I know who it’s going to be,” Trump said when he was asked who his running mate will be in 2024.

    Baier asked Trump if South Carlina Sen. Tim Scott, who ended his campaign in November, is among those being considered for the position.

    “You know, [Scott] endorsed me. There’s an example, [Nikki Haley] comes from South Carolina, Tim Scott is from South Carolina. But if you look [at] the governor, great governor, another senator [Lindsey Graham]. We happen to like Lindsey,” Trump said. “But, [Gov. Henry McMaster (R)] knows it very well. He endorsed me. It’s very hard for a governor to endorse somebody when you haven’t … I mean, Henry McMaster was the lieutenant governor under her and he endorsed me … What does that tell you?”

    In a Fox News town hall in Iowa earlier this month, Trump indicated he would be willing to consider any of the people who ran against him.

    “I’ve already started to like [Chris Christie] better,” Trump said, in reference to the former New Jersey governor who dropped out of the primary race earlier this month. Christie and Trump have had a tumultuous relationship over the years, with Christie’s 2024 campaign largely squared on criticizing the former president.

    On Sunday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis officially ended his presidential campaign, spurring rumors the Republican could be teaming up with Trump.

    However, Trump said it’s “highly unlikely” he’d ask Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to serve in a second Trump administration after DeSantis ended his own presidential campaign and endorsed him.

    “It’s probably unlikely,” Trump said after DeSantis dropped out of the race. “But I have to be honest: Everything’s a possibility, but I think it’s highly unlikely. I have a lot of great people, and I have great people that have been with me right from the beginning.”

    Judge Delays Trump Defamation Trial

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2

    On Monday, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan postponed E. Jean Carroll’s defamation trial against former President Trump over recent exposures to COVID-19.

    Judge Kaplan, who oversees the trial, announced in the courtroom he would postpone the trial for at least one day, according to The Hill.

    “We will take the day off,” Kaplan said.

    Kaplan said one of the jurors reported feeling ill on his way into court, and he was sent home.

    Alina Habba, one of Trump’s attorneys, said that she also was feeling ill on Monday and had recently been exposed to COVID-19 at a dinner with her parents.

    The judge said Habba and fellow Trump attorney Michael Madaio had both taken COVID-19 tests earlier in the morning and were negative. 

    Trump was briefly in the courtroom with Habba on Monday.

    Trump has fought against the author’s claims the former President raped her in a dressing room in the 1990s.

    In August, Judge Kaplan dismissed former President Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against Carroll, ruling her statement made on a cable network was substantially true and “[t]here would have been no different effect on the mind of an average listener.” (RELATED: Judge Dismisses Trump’s Counterclaim Against E. Jean Carroll)

    “The difference between Ms. Carroll’s allegedly defamatory statements — that Mr. Trump ‘raped’ her as defined in the New York Penal Law — and the ‘truth’ — that Mr. Trump forcibly digitally penetrated Ms. Carroll — is minimal. Both are felonious sex crimes,” Kaplan ruled.

    Kaplan, a Clinton appointee, separately rejected Trump’s defense that he has “absolute presidential immunity” in the case.

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

    Report: DeSantis Drops Out Of 2024 Contest

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1

    On Sunday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis officially paused his 2024 presidential campaign.

    The Hill has more:

    “Following our second-place finish in Iowa, we’ve prayed and deliberated on our way forward,” DeSantis said in a video message posted on X, a few hours ahead of an event he had scheduled in New Hampshire. “If there was anything I could do to produce a favorable outcome, more campaign stops, more interviews, I would do it. But I can’t ask our supporters to volunteer their time and donate their resources if we don’t have a clear path to victory. Accordingly, I am today suspending my campaign.”

    “It’s clear to me that a majority of Republican primary voters want to give Donald Trump another chance,” the governor continued. “While I have had disagreements with Donald Trump such as on the coronavirus pandemic and his elevation of Anthony Fauci, Trump is superior to the current incumbent Joe Biden. That is clear.” 

    DeSantis went on to signal his support for Trump while knocking former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley. 

    “I signed a pledge to support the Republican nominee and I will honor that pledge. He has my endorsement because we can’t go back to the old Republican guard of yesteryear. A repackaged form of warmed-over corporatism that Nikki Haley represents.” 

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

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