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    Maine Sec. Of State Withdraws Trump Ballot Ban

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Hours after the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously sided with Donald Trump, Maine’s Secretary of State withdrew her determination that former President Trump should be blocked from the state’s ballot under the 14th Amendment’s insurrection clause.

    “The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that individual states lack authority to enforce Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment with respect to federal offices,” Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows wrote in a modified ruling, obtained by The Hill. “Consistent with my oath and obligation to follow the law and the Constitution, and pursuant to the Anderson decision, I hereby withdraw my determination that Mr. Trump’s primary petition is invalid.”

    “As a result of the modified ruling, votes cast for Mr. Trump in the March 5, 2024 Presidential Primary Election will be counted,” Bellows continued.

    In December, Maine became the second state to block Trump from its primary ballots.

    The decision made Bellows (D) the first state official to remove a presidential candidate via the 14th Amendment, as the Colorado decision was made by a court.

    “I do not reach this conclusion lightly. Democracy is sacred,” Bellows said at the time.

    “I am mindful that no Secretary of State has ever deprived a presidential candidate of ballot access based on Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment,” she wrote. “I am also mindful, however, that no presidential candidate has ever before engaged in insurrection.”

    Bellows wrote in a 34-page decision at the time that Trump “was aware of the tinder laid by his multi-month effort to delegitimize a democratic election, and then chose to light a match.”

    Ex-Trump Organization CFO Pleads Guilty To Perjury Charges

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

    On Monday, former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg appeared in Manhattan Criminal Court to plead guilty to charges related to Donald Trump’s civil fraud case.

    Weisselberg pleaded guilty to perjury charges stemming from his testimony in former President Trump’s civil fraud trial. 

    The top executive was ordered to pay more than $1.1 million, plus interest.

    The Hill reports:

    Weisselberg’s charges stem from his testimony in October during the civil fraud trial, where he testified that he “never focused on” Trump’s Manhattan triplex that was listed on the former president’s financial statements as 30,000 square feet in size – despite actually being less than 11,000 square feet.  

    But after Weisselberg testified, Forbes published an article accusing him of lying under oath, citing years old correspondence between the magazine and Trump Organization executive. 

    “A review of old emails and notes, some of which the attorney general’s office does not possess, show that Weisselberg absolutely thought about Trump’s apartment—and played a key role in trying to convince Forbes over the course of several years that it was worth more than it really was,” Forbes wrote in its Oct. 12 article.  

    When confronted by state lawyers about the Forbes article, Weisselberg conceded that the triplex in the former president’s 5th Avenue Trump Tower was only 10,996 square feet. 

    Weisselberg is among several top executives at the Trump organization who were barred last month from operating their business in New York for a range of two to three years. That ruling came from Judge Aurthur Engoron, who also banned Trump and his children from operating the business. 

    A New York Appeals Court allowed Trump and his sons to maintain control of the company temporarily while they attempt to appeal Engoron’s decision.

    Engoron also “permanently” barred defendants Weisselberg and former corporate controller Jeffrey McConney from “serving in the financial control function of any New York corporation or similar business entity registered and/or licensed in New York State” and as a director of any New York corporation or other legal entity in New York for three years.

    “There was never an option to choose a jury trial,” a Trump spokesperson told Fox News Digital last month. “It is unfortunate that a jury won’t be able to hear how absurd the merits of this case are and conclude no wrongdoing ever happened.”

    New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) sued Trump in 2022, alleging he falsely altered his net worth on key financial statements to receive tax and insurance benefits. The documents, which detailed the value of the Trump Organization’s various assets, were sent to banks and insurers to secure loans and deals, which the state purports is evidence of fraud.  

    Illinois Judge Removes Trump from Ballot

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2
    Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

    Donald Trump has been removed from a third state’s ballot…

    On Wednesday, Cook County Circuit Judge Tracie Porter barred Trump from the Illinois ballot one month after the anti-Trump challenge was dismissed by the Illinois State Board of Elections. 

    According to court documents obtained by Fox News, the order urged the board to remove Trump or “cause any votes cast for him to be suppressed,” for violating section three of the 14th Amendment, or the “disqualification clause,” for engaging in insurrection.

    Porter’s ruling reverses last month’s decision by the Illinois Board of Elections to keep Trump’s name on the primary ballot after a group of Illinois voters accused the former president of engaging in insurrection. 

    However, the order is put on hold until Friday, in case of an appeal from Trump’s attorneys to the Illinois Appellate Court, First District or the Illinois Supreme Court. 

    A campaign spokesperson for Trump issued a statement to Reuters saying it “is an unconstitutional ruling that we will quickly appeal.”

    For the first time, the Supreme Court is considering the meaning and reach of Section 3 of the Constitution’s 14th Amendment, which bars former officeholders who “engaged in insurrection” from holding public office again.

    The 14th Amendment, Section 3 of the Constitution states, “No person shall… hold any office… under the United States… who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States… 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.”

    Rep. Boebert’s Son Arrested On Federal Charges

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0

    Yikes…

    The eldest son of Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., was arrested Tuesday in connection with multiple reported property thefts.

    Tyler Jay Boebert, 18, faces five felony charges and more than a dozen misdemeanor offenses in connection to a recent string of vehicle trespass and property thefts, the Rifle Police Department said. 

    He is charged with four counts of criminal possession of ID documents belonging to multiple victims, one count of conspiracy to commit a felony and “over 15 additional misdemeanor and petty offenses,” the department stated. 

    He is charged with four counts of criminal possession of ID documents belonging to multiple victims, one count of conspiracy to commit a felony and “over 15 additional misdemeanor and petty offenses,” the department stated. 

    “This is an ongoing investigation, no further information will be released at this time,” Rifle police said, adding that all suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 

    Rep. Boebert told Fox News in a statement, “I love my son Tyler, who has been through some very difficult, public challenges for a young man and the subject of attention that he didn’t ask for.”

    “It breaks my heart to see my child struggling and, in this situation, especially when he has been provided multiple opportunities to get his life on track,” she said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “I will never give up on him and I will continue to be there for him. As an adult and father, Tyler will take responsibility for his actions and should be held accountable for poor decisions just like any other citizen.”

    Marianne Williamson Returns to Presidential Race

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    Joe Biden via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    On Wednesday, long-shot candidate Marianne Williamson announced she is jumping back into the presidential race to challenge Joe Biden.

    Williamson made the announcement in a video statement on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Williamson said she returned to the race because she feels President Biden is a vulnerable candidate to put up against former President Donald Trump.

    “As of today, I am unsuspending my campaign for the presidency of the United States,” Williamson said. “I had suspended it because I was losing the horse race. But something so much more important than the horse race is at stake here, and we must respond.”

    “Right now, we have a fascist standing at the door. Everybody’s all upset about it. Well, we should be upset about it. But we’re not going to defeat the fascist by–well, by what? What is President Biden offering?” she asked. “What is he saying beyond, ‘You know, the economy is doing really well.’?”

    “We’re still in this. Let’s do this. This is serious,” she added. “We need to say to the American people, ‘we see your pain,’ and we need to say to Donald Trump, ‘we see your B.S.’”

    Williamson originally suspended her campaign on Feb. 7, dropping out of the race without making an endorsement.

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

    Jeb Bush Defends Trump Following $355M Court Ruling

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1

    Former 2016 Republican presidential hopeful Jeb Bush defended his old rival in a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed.

    The column, which was co-authored by Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale, slammed the recent civil fraud trial against Trump, which resulted in a nearly $355 million fine and barred Trump from operating his business in New York for three years. 

    “Every American has a right to be critical of Mr. Trump’s politics—one of us ran against him in 2016,” reads Bush’s op-ed, titled, “Elon Musk and Donald Trump Cases Imperil the Rule of Law.” 

    “…But equality before the law is precious, and these rulings represent a crisis not only for the soundness of our courts, but for the business environment that has allowed the U.S. to prosper,” the opinion piece continued. “If these rulings stand, the damage could cascade through the economy, creating fear of arbitrary enforcement against entrepreneurs who seek public office or raise their voices as citizens in a way that politicians dislike.”

    The op-ed marks a defense of Bush’s former 2016 rival, albeit not for Trump’s political stances. Instead, Lonsdale and Bush are calling for a “dispassionate” legal system that will not throttle businesses and lead to a weakened economy. 

    “​​New York and Delaware have played an outsize role in business in the U.S.” the pair wrote. “Many major companies are incorporated in Delaware owing to the state’s body of corporate legal precedents; and a significant number of banks operate in New York, the world financial capital. The appellate courts in those states now have a chance to review these dangerous judicial rulings and try to stop further damage to the reputations of their respective judiciaries.”

    “If they don’t, blue-state politicians may have the satisfaction of ‘sticking it’ to Messrs. Trump and Musk, but the loss to those states will be significant,” they continued. “The damage to the legal fabric of the country will be even worse. A dispassionate justice system is at the heart of American exceptionalism, and the country will be poorer if we lose it.”

    Long-Shot Candidate Drops Out Of Race, Endorses Trump

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    A long-shot presidential candidate has suspended his campaign and endorsed former President Donald Trump to become the Republican nominee.

    On Tuesday, Texas pastor Ryan Binkley announced his decision to end his campaign.

    “Today, I am suspending my campaign for the Presidency of the United States of America and offering my endorsement and unwavering support for President Trump,” Binkley wrote on X. 

    “When I began this journey, it was with a message in my heart that our country needs to awaken to the fact that the unsustainable deficit spending and debt path we are on will undoubtedly lead us to a generational economic disruption,” he continued. “I believe that we can get off that path and begin a journey to balance the federal budget by transforming and demonopolizing the healthcare system which has been bankrupting our nation. I also felt deeply that as bad as the U.S. fiscal and monetary policy is, the political corruption and cultural divide in our country is an even greater threat. Throughout my campaign, I have seen our party struggle to find a place for a new vision while weighing the corrupt allegations and indictments against President Trump. He will need everyone’s support, and he will have mine moving forward.” 

    Binkley, the co-founder and current CEO/president of Generational Equity Group, a merger and acquisitions business advisory in Texas, announced his bid in April of last year.

    “Currently our nation is lost, divided, and in financial trouble. Here’s the good news: united, we can rise to change it as we restore our faith in God, freedom, and each other,” Binkley’s website said.

    According to Fox News, Binkley’s campaign platform focused on issues like immigration reform and border controls, boosting the economy, privatizing healthcare, utilizing cheap energy sources like nuclear energy, and supporting pro-life policies.

    Explosive Device Detonated Outside Of Republican Attorney General’s Office

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    Police image via Pixabay free images

    Authorities are investigating an explosive that was detonated Saturday morning outside the office of Alabama Republican Attorney General Steve Marshall.

    In a statement on Monday, Marshall said that there were no injuries from the explosion and that Alabama authorities would be further investigating the incident. No possible motives have been given and no suspects have been identified by state authorities. 

    The Daily Wire has more:

    “In the early hours of Saturday, February 24, an explosive device was detonated outside of the Alabama Attorney General’s Office building in Montgomery,” Marshall said in a statement. “Thankfully, no staff or personnel were injured by the explosion. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency will be leading the investigation, and we are urging anyone with information to contact them immediately.”

    The explosion reportedly took place at the intersection of Washington Avenue and South Bainbridge Street in Montgomery. and followed reports of a suspicious package being at the scene. 

    “It was determined that the suspicious package was an explosive device that was detonated in the early morning hours of Saturday, Feb. 24,” the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said. “Nothing further is available as the investigation remains ongoing.”

    The Alabama Bureau of Investigation was informed of the incident around 8:19 a.m. on Saturday morning.

    Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Sgt. Jeremy Burkett said that there was no property damage from the detonation. 

    Report: Authorities Respond To Death Threat Sent To Donald Trump Jr.

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    This is hardly the first time…

    Former President Donald Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr. informed reporters that he received another death threat containing an unknown white substance on Monday.

    A hazmat unit and firefighters arrived at Trump Jr.’s Florida home on Monday to assess the threat. In a statement to The Daily Caller, the son of the current Republican presidential frontrunner expressed his disappointment over the repeated threats and the media’s biased treatment of Republicans, especially Trump supporters.

    “It’s just become a little bit too commonplace that this sort of stuff happens,” Donald Trump Jr. told the Daily Caller. “Clearly, if this happened to a prominent Democrat it wouldn’t be tolerated and would drive news coverage for weeks. The media would blame all Republicans and force them to answer for it, But since it’s me, radical haters on the left will largely get a free pass and the media will barely flinch.”

    “It doesn’t matter what your politics are, this type of crap is unacceptable,” Donald Trumpl Jr. continued. “This is actually the second white powder substance envelope that’s been mailed to me. The last time we had this happen, it was during my father’s presidency and my then-wife opened it up with my kids by her side. So, it’s just sad that we live in a society where politics and the left’s hatred of my father would drive people to do such crazy things, but that’s where we are unfortunately. ”

    Andrew Surabian, a spokesperson for Trump Jr., told the Caller that: “The test results of the substance came up inconclusive on what it was exactly, but officials on the scene do not believe it is deadly.”

    Trump Appeals $464 Million Fraud Verdict

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    On Monday, former President Donald Trump’s legal team appealed the recent civil fraud ruling by New York Judge Arthur Engoron.

    Judge Engoron’s ruling ordered Trump to pay nearly $355 million, Donald Jr. and Eric to each pay $4 million, and ex-Trump Org chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg to pay $1 million. The order also barred Trump from serving as a corporate officer or a director of a company in New York for three years, and barred his sons for two years. The Trumps did avoid the so-called “corporate death penalty;”

    Engoron declined to revoke the Trump Org’s certificate to do business in New York.

    The monetary verdicts also incur pre- and post-judgment interest under New York law. With interest, the total amount Trump is currently on the hook for is just over $354 million, with post-judgment interest accruing at nearly $112,000 per day. 

    Trump has previously signaled he planned to file an appeal.

    CNN Newsroom anchor Jim Acosta described it as “breaking but not shocking news” Monday morning and reported Trump will have to put up the cash or post bond to sustain the appeal, as chief legal affairs correspondent Paula Reid noted.

    As CNN reported, the “common practice” in this New York court district is to require a bond of 110 percent, a staggering sum in light of these cumulative verdicts.

    The New York fraud case and the Carroll verdicts “could wipe out a substantial amount of Trump’s liquid assets,” reported Adam Klasfeld at Just Security, noting that the ex-president had said in a deposition that his assets were “‘substantially in excess’ of $400 million,” and a Bloomberg analysis “estimated Trump’s liquid assets at $600 million.”

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