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    Special Counsel Subpoenas Trump White House Aides Over Events Leading Up To Jan. 6

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    6
    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    The special counsel leading the investigation into former President Donald Trump‘s alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results is taking a closer look at the firing of the then-president’s cybersecurity chief.

    The New York Times reports that Jack Smith’s team has interviewed former DHS Cybersecurity chief Chris Krebs, who was terminated by Trump after refuting his claims the election was wrought with fraud.

    “There is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes or was in any way compromised,” the statement from Krebs’s agency read nine days after the election.

    Less than a week later Trump tweeted that Mr. Krebs was “terminated” after releasing a “highly inaccurate” statement about the 2020 election.

    “The investigators appear focused on Mr. Trump’s state of mind around the firing of Mr. Krebs, as well as on establishing a timeline of events leading up to the attack on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob on Jan. 6, 2021,” Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan reported. “The latest subpoenas, issued roughly two weeks ago, went to officials in the personnel office, according to the two people familiar with the matter.”

    Smith’s investigators seem to be asking witnesses about the efforts Trump and his allies took to evaluate the loyalty of federal officials working for the ex-president. John McEntee, a former Trump personal aide, was among those who had Krebs flagged for disloyalty and had developed a “loyalty test” to evaluate government hires under Trump. The Times notes that McEntee “was seen going into the grand jury in recent months.”

    Trump is facing numerous investigations regarding his actions while in the White House and after the election.

    Smith is also leading the investigation into Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents which were seized from his Mar-A-Lago estate in August. Earlier this month reports from The Times indicated the investigation is heating up after the Justice Department secured a “star witness” in the probe. (RELATED: Key Mar-a-Lago witness said to be former White House Employee)

    According to the report, the scope of the insider witness’s cooperation is not yet clear, nor is the timeline, but the witness reportedly gave investigators a picture of the storage room where some materials were held. 

    Consumers Purchasing ‘Trump Bucks’ Left Disappointed By Scam

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    2
    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Some of Donald Trump’s most fervent supporters are falling prey to a new scheme sweeping the internet.

    Suspected con artists have been peddling “Trump Bucks,” which have photos of the former president, and advertising them online as a kind of golden ticket that will help propel Trump’s 2024 bid and make the “real patriots” who support him rich when cashed in. The big problem? There is nowhere to cash the “Trump Bucks” in.

    On social media and in promotional videos — many featuring faked celebrity endorsements — the sellers have managed to convince some consumers that the product is in some way connected to the former President. The sellers claim that after investing in the Trump Rebate Banking System, or TRB for short, Trump will reward their loyalty by making them rich once he re-enters the White House.

    Invest in a TRB membership card “issued by Donald Trump,” the ads from Patriots Dynasty, Patriots Future, and USA Patriots claim, and the purchaser who spent, say, $99.99 on a “$10,000 Diamond Trump Bucks” bill will be able to cash it in for $10,000 at major banks and retailers like Walmart, Costco, and Home Depot.

    “TRB system membership cards are official cards issued by Donald Trump to allow Trump Bucks holders to use Trump Bucks as legal tender and deposit them in banks such as JP Morgan Chase, the Bank of America, and Wells Fargo,” a narrator identified only as “John” that appears to be a computer-generated voice says in one YouTube ad just moments after cautioning viewers that “Trump Bucks are not legal tender.”

    John Amann told NBC News he bought $2,200 worth of Trump Bucks and other items over the past year only to discover they were worthless when he tried to cash them in at his local bank.  

    NBC News has identified the Colorado-based companies behind the Trump Bucks as Patriots Dynasty, Patriots Future and USA Patriots and reviewed dozens of social posts, online complaints and hundreds of misleading ads for the products. Additionally, NBC News has found at least a dozen people like Amann who say they invested thousands of dollars after watching the pitches on Telegram and other websites that strongly suggested that Trump himself was endorsing these products.

    “Now I’m questioning whether he is aware of this,” Amann said of Trump.

    The Federal Trade Commission, in response to a Freedom of Information Act request from NBC News, confirmed it has received one fraud complaint against Patriots Dynasty that was filed in January.  But it provided no further details about the single complaint or who filed it.

    Bank of America spokesman Bill Halldin told NBC News that he’d heard reports from bank employees of customers coming in to exchange their Trump Bucks for actual cash, but the bank routinely turns them down and he’s unsure of the number of individuals who have made the request.

    “We don’t have any connection to this, and it isn’t a problem we’re seeing at our stores,” Home Depot spokesman Terrance Roper said in an email to NBC News. 

    Investigators Warn FBI Director Faces Charge For Hiding Biden Bribery Memo

    By
    Donny Ferguson
    -
    8

    The top Republican investigators in the House and Senate warn America may face a constitutional crisis, with the Director of the FBI facing possible Contempt of Congress charges for refusing to turn over a government document alleging a foreign national offered a $5 million bribe to then-Vice-President Joe Biden.

    Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-KY) blasted FBI Director Christopher Wray for defying a congressional subpoena for an unclassified record “alleging a criminal scheme involving then-Vice President Joe Biden and a foreign national.” 

    “The document, an FBI-generated FD-1023 form, allegedly details an arrangement involving an exchange of money for policy decisions. In a new letter to Director Wray, Comer warns that if the FBI fails to produce the record by May 30, 2023, the Oversight Committee will initiate contempt of Congress proceedings,” Grassley reports in a statement. 

    “The FBI has continued to tie itself in knots to ignore a legitimate subpoena from Congress, which has a constitutional duty of oversight. The Bureau’s developed a serious reputation problem through its spate of failures and overreach, and leadership is doing it no favors by attempting to stiff-arm Congress.  The FBI knows exactly what document Chairman Comer and I are seeking, and if they know us at all, they know we will get it, one way or another. If FBI leadership truly cares about protecting the agency’s reputation, they’d cooperate. These needless delays only harm the Bureau,” Grassley said.

    “The FBI’s refusal to provide this single document is obstructionist. Whistleblower disclosures that Joe Biden may have been involved in a criminal bribery scheme as Vice President track closely with what we are seeing in our investigation into the Biden family’s influence peddling schemes. Congress and the American people need to know what, if anything, the FBI did to verify the allegations contained within this record. If Director Wray refuses to hand over this unclassified record, the Oversight Committee will begin contempt of Congress proceedings,” Comer said.

    “Comer issued a subpoena for the unclassified FBI record on May 3, 2023 with a return date of May 10, 2023. After the FBI failed to produce the record, Oversight Committee counsel have attended two in-person meetings with FBI officials where they again refused to produce the FD-1023 form or offer any reasonable accommodation that would allow the Committee to review the document,” Grassley reports.

    On May 16, 2023, Grassley and Comer requested a phone call with Director Wray to discuss the subpoena, but despite repeated requests the FBI has not scheduled a phone call.

    Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of Great America News Desk.

    DeSantis Discusses Pardoning Jan. 6 Defendants, Including Trump

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    9

    Ron DeSantis has some big plans if elected President of the United States.

    On Thursday, the Florida Governor said that if elected president he will consider pardoning all the Jan. 6 defendants — including former President Trump — on his first day in office.

    “On day one, I will have folks that will get together and look at all these cases, who people are victims of weaponization or political targeting, and we will be aggressive in issuing pardons,” DeSantis said on “The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show” podcast when asked about whether he will consider pardoning Jan. 6 defendants, including Trump, who is currently facing a federal investigation over his role on Jan. 6.

    “I would say any example of disfavored treatment based on politics, or weaponization would be included in that review, no matter how small or how big,” he added.  

    DeSantis also accused the Justice Department and the FBI of weaponizing its authority.

    DeSantis also claimed that the FBI is targeting anti-abortion groups, as well as parents who want to attend school board meetings. He said that if elected, his administration would determine on a “case-by-case” basis if the government was weaponized against certain groups.  

    “We’re going to find examples where the government’s been weaponized against disfavored groups, and we will apply relief as appropriate, but it will be done on a case-by-case basis,” he said.  

    Report: Republican Governor Expected To Launch Presidential Campaign In June

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1
    North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, greets U.S. President Donald J. Trump arrives at the North Dakota Air National Guard Base, Fargo, N.D., Sept. 7, 2018. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. David H Lipp)

    The Republican presidential primary field is still growing.

    Fresh reports indicate another Republican governor is planning to launch his presidential campaign in the coming weeks.

    Sources close to two-term North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum told Fox News that the former software company CEO is planning to officially launch his campaign during an event in Fargo on June 7.

    Fox News has more:

    Sources close to Burgum say the governor would likely focus a presidential campaign on two issues — the economy and energy. However, Burgum, who served as chair of the Western Governors Association, could also point to his recent moves as governor to sign into law a strict measure that bans abortions six weeks after gestation with limited exceptions, as well as legislation to restrict transgender rights and a bill making gender-affirming care for minors in the state a criminal offense.

    Fargo, where Burgum is expected to make his announcement, is close to his tiny hometown of Arthur and sources with knowledge of the governor’s thinking say “it underscores that a theme of the campaign is that he’s the only candidate from a small town in the heartland and Americans want more small town values. One of his greatest perceived weaknesses is actually his best virtue.”

    Despite the North Dakota Gov. being a relatively unknown name compared to others in the race, Burgum would enter the 2024 presidential race as one of the wealthiest members of the Republican field.

    Before entering politics, Burgum steered his one-time small business, Great Plains Software, into a $1 billion software company. His business was eventually acquired by Microsoft while Burgum stayed on board as a senior vice president.

    Gov. Burgum, who would widely be considered a dark horse candidate, would enter a competitive primary field. Earlier this week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis launched his highly anticipated campaign. Former ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, tech mogul Vivek Ramaswamy, and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson have also launched campaigns against frontrunner Donald Trump.

    Oath Keepers Founder Sentenced to 18 Years Over Role in Jan. 6 Riot

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    12
    Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

    Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes has been sentenced to 18 years in prison following his conviction on seditious conspiracy theories for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. 

    A federal judge delivered the sentence on Thursday. The sentencing represents the longest prison term yet assigned to a figure involved in the riot despite Rhodes not entering the Capitol building that day, according to reports from The Hill.

    “He exploited his vast public influence as the leader of the Oath Keepers and used his talents for manipulation to goad more than twenty other American citizens into using force, intimidation, and violence to seek to impose their preferred result on a U.S. presidential election,” the Justice Department wrote in a sentencing memo earlier this month.

    Seditious conspiracy carries a maximum 20-year prison sentence, but the Justice Department also sought a terrorism enhancement for Rhodes as well as other Oath Keepers defendants.

    Judge Amit Mehta largely sided with the Justice Department, which suggested a 25-year prison sentence for Rhodes. The DOJ largely argued the former Army soldier encouraged other fellow veterans to violate the oaths to defend the Constitution they took when beginning their service. 

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

    DeSantis Scores Endorsement from Top GOP Donor

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    6

    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is hitting the campaign trail running…

    Despite his previous support of Donald Trump, Hal Lambert, who founded Point Bridge Capital – also known as “MAGA ETF” is betting against Trump in this election.

    “I’m in for DeSantis this time — I plan to do a lot to help DeSantis win,” Lambert told the New York Post prior to DeSantis joining the race. “Ron is good at giving a message.”

    Lambert served on Trump’s inaugural committee in 2016. His issue with Trump for 2024 is that the former president is too focused on the results from 2020.

    “We can’t talk about things from four years ago that can’t be changed,” Lambert said. “Trump is going to have a difficult time winning the general election. The election won’t be about Joe Biden’s bad record. It will be a referendum on Trump instead.”

    Lambert founded Point Bridge Capital as an exchange-traded fund that invests only in companies with employees and political action committees (PACs) that support Republican candidates. 

    The Republican donor noted that immigration is set to be a major focus for Americans during the campaign cycle and Trump’s inability to fulfill his campaign promises could come back to haunt him.

    “With millions of illegals from all over the world swarming across the border under Biden, it’s an everyday reminder that Trump didn’t fulfill his number one campaign promise — building a wall and having Mexico pay for it,” Lambert said. “We got neither and our country will forever be changed.”

    DeSantis launched his highly-anticipated presidential campaign on Wednesday with Twitter owner Elon Musk.

    The popular governor joined a growing list of primary challengers.

    Earlier this week Sen. Tim Scott (S.C) announced his bid for the White House. Former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley, tech mogul Vivek Ramaswamy, and former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson have also jumped into the race. Conservative commentator and California gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder also recently announced his candidacy for president.

    Former president Donald Trump has consistently dominated polls since announcing his third presidential campaign.

    Florida Congresswoman Pursues $16 Million Fine Against Anti-Trump Democrat

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    9
    Photo via Gage Skidmoer Flickr

    Freshman Congresswoman Ann Paulina Luna (Fla.) wants revenge against House Democrat Adam Schiff (Calif.)

    Rep. Luna has reportedly introduced a resolution that would fine Schiff $16 million for his claims that former President Trump colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election.

    “The GOP Conference agrees that Adam Schiff has betrayed the trust of the American people, purposely abused positions of extreme authority, lied continuously, and as such, must be held to account,” Luna said. “Accordingly, the resolution requires Rep. Schiff to pay a $16 million dollar fine, half of the cost American taxpayers were forced to pay for the Russia hoax investigation.”

    Luna accused the lawmaker of taking advantage of his position as chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence to mislead the American people by his repeated accusations of collusion.

    “By repeatedly telling these falsehoods, Representative Schiff purposely deceived his Committee, Congress, and the American people,” the resolution said. It noted that Schiff “lent credibility” to the Steele dossier, supported a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrant against Trump aide Carter Page, and publicly accused Page of being a Russian collaborator.

    “Representative Schiff exploited his positions on HPSCI to encourage and excuse abusive intelligence investigations of Americans for political purposes,” it said. “Representative Schiff used his position and access to sensitive information to instigate a fraudulently based investigation, which he then used to amass political gain and fundraising dollars.”

    “American taxpayers paid $32 million to fund the investigation into collusion that was launched as a result of Rep. Schiff’s lies, misrepresentations, and abuses of sensitive information,” it added.

    Last week, Luna introduced a separate resolution to expel Schiff from Congress for abusing his position on the intelligence committee.

    Last week, Schiff said Luna’s resolution to expel him from Congress was “payback” for his effort to hold Trump accountable.

    “A MAGA Republican Member of Congress just filed a motion to expel me from the U.S. House of Representatives. I stood up to Donald Trump and held extreme MAGA forces accountable,” Schiff said on Twitter last week. “Now they want payback. They’ll go after anyone who defends the rule of law.”

    WATCH: Truck Tries to Crash Through White House Barrier

    By
    Paul Crespo
    -
    2
    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)

    ALERT – In what appears to be an idiotic attempt to supposedly kill Joe Biden, a 19-year-old man repeatedly rammed a U-Haul truck into the barriers around the White House at Lafayette Park on Monday night. 

    To be clear these barriers (or bollards) are designed to stop large vehicles and are a substantial distance from the White House perimeter fence.

    There was no mention of explosives or other dangerous materials aboard the truck. Had there been this would be an entirely different story.

    Still, the incident prompted the evacuation at The Hay-Adams Hotel on the 800 block of 16th Street.

    The driver, Sai Varshith Kandula of Chesterfield, Missouri has reportedly been arrested and charged with multiple crimes, including threatening to kill, kidnap, or inflict harm on the president, vice president or family member.

    He was also charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and reckless operation of a motor vehicle.

    A man who said he was walking home from his run on the mall videotaped a driver in a U-Haul truck repeatedly ram the barricade at Lafayette Park near the White House.  

    “I decided it was time to get the hell out of there” he says

    See the video below.

    According to a United States Park Police statement, the driver “intentionally crashed into the bollards on the outside of Lafayette Park.”

    Ya, that looks about right.

    The Secret Service spokesman also tweeted:

    Shortly before 10:00 p.m. Monday, Secret Service Uniformed Division officers detained the driver of a box truck after the vehicle collided with security barriers on the north side of Lafayette Square on 16th Street. There were no injuries to any Secret Service or White House personnel and the cause and manner of the crash remain under investigation. 

    Seems to me that the cause and manner of the crash are pretty obvious – the guy kept trying to ram through the barricades.

    In a follow-up tweet, the spokesman said: “Charges will be filed by the United States Park Police with investigative support from the #SecretService.” 

    In the photo below the truck can be seen more clearly after the driver was secured and removed. The bollards can also be more clearly seen.

    Meanwhile, is that a swastika flag on the pavement at the police officer’s feet?

    The location of the crash is noteworthy since it lies at the south end of 16th St where it is now known as Black Lives Matter (BLM) square. Fox 5 reported:

    Had the barriers been breached, two fences providing additional layers of security would have been in-between the driver and the White House. Lafayette Square has long been one of the nation’s most prominent venues for demonstration near the Executive Mansion. The park was closed for nearly a year after federal authorities fenced off the area at the height of nationwide protests over policing following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, but it reopened in May 2021.

    What the news outlet doesn’t say is that during those violent BLM riots at Lafayette Park in 2020 numerous officers were injured, cars and property burned, and the thin blue line of police at the park between the rioters and White House fence were almost overrun.

    During the height of the rioting on May 31st, President Trump was also briefly rushed to the underground bunker by the Secret Service.

    These barriers are designed to stop vehicles, not mobs of angry rioters.

    Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of Great America News Desk.

    Judge Sets Date For Trump ‘Hush Money’ Trial

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    9
    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Donald Trump is going to trial.

    On Tuesday, the former president appeared in a New York City virtual court hearing Tuesday, where a judge announced when the blockbuster trial will commence.

    Trump will go on trial on March 25, 2024- months before the 2024 election.

    Trump has been prohibited from sharing any evidence turned over by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office during pre-trial discovery on social media while the case is ongoing, according to Fox News.

    New York State Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan imposed the protective order May 8 but stopped short of imposing a gag order. 

    On Tuesday, he appeared next to his attorney, Todd Blanche. During the hearing, Merchan asked Trump if he has a copy of the protective order. 

    “Yes, I do,” Trump replied. 

    Mechan then asked Blanche if he has explained to Trump that it constitutes a “mandate order” and warned that “violations could result in sanctions,” that “could include a finding of contempt.”

    Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. 

    Earlier this year, a New York grand jury voted to indict former President Donald Trump for his alleged role in a hush money bribe to adult film star Stormy Daniels amid the 2016 presidential election in DA Alvin Bragg’s yearslong investigation into the real estate mogul.

    Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York opted out of charging Trump related to the Daniels payment in 2019. The Federal Election Commission also tossed its investigation into the matter in 2021.

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

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