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

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    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.

    Kari Lake Loses Appeal in Gubernatorial Race Challenge

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    Kari Lake speaking with supporters at a "Stand for Freedom" rally at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Scottsdale Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. [Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons]

    Arizona Republican Kari Lake’s challenge of her loss to Democrat Katie Hobbs in the gubernatorial race has been rejected by an appeals court. 

    On Thursday, the Arizona Court of Appeals denied Lake’s request to toss election results in Maricopa County and hold the election again.

    According to Fox News, the Republican challenger claimed problems with ballot printers at some polling places on Election Day resulted from intentional misconduct. Still, the court said Lake presented no evidence that voters whose ballots were unreadable by tabulators at polling places were not able to vote. 

    “Lake’s arguments highlight Election Day difficulties, but her request for relief fails because the evidence presented to the superior court ultimately supports the court’s conclusion that voters were able to cast their ballots, that votes were counted correctly, and that no other basis justifies setting aside the election results,” the court said in its opinion. 

    The court said a witness called by Lake to testify had confirmed that voters whose ballots couldn’t initially be read at polling places could still ultimately have their vote counted.

    And while a pollster who testified on behalf of Lake claimed the polling place problems had disenfranchised enough voters to change the outcome in Lake’s favor, the court said his conclusions were baseless.

    In response to the ruling, Lake signaled her intent to take the case to the Supreme Court.

    “I told you we would take this case all the way to the Arizona Supreme Court, and that’s exactly what we are going to do. Buckle up, America!”

    Lawyers for Lake focused on problems with ballot printers at some polling places in Maricopa County, which is home to more than 60% of the state’s voters making it Arizona’s most populous county.

    The defective printers produced ballots that were too light to be read by the on-site tabulators at polling places. However, the county argued everyone had a chance to vote and all ballots were counted since ballots affected by the printers were taken to more sophisticated counters at the elections department headquarters.

    Additionally, Lake’s attorneys argued that the chain of custody for ballots was broken at an off-site facility. The county disputes the claim. 

    Trump Valet Pleads Not Guilty in Mar-A-Lago Case

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    3
    Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

    On Thursday, former President Donald Trump’s valet Walt Nauta pleaded not guilty in a Miami, FL courtroom over his role in the ongoing Mar-A-Lago classified documents case.

    Nauta, a former White House military valet, is facing charges on six counts in the case after he was spotted on security cameras moving boxes in and out of the storage room at Trump’s Florida residence according to The Hill.

    Court filings describe Nauta as moving boxes in advance of a visit by former Trump attorney Evan Corcoran, who was set to retrieve documents in order to comply with a subpoena from the Justice Department seeking the return of all records with classified markings.

    Nauta is accused of coordinating with Trump to conceal the documents from Corcoran and investigators.  

    Nauta appeared in court alongside Trump on June 13, but was not arraigned as he had yet to secure counsel in Florida.

    Nauta, who remains a valet to Trump, has been ordered not to discuss the case with the former president except through their attorneys.

    This story is breaking. Click refresh to stay updated on the latest news.

    Georgia Prosecutor Signals Timetable For Charges In Trump Probe

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    4
    Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Are the walls closing in on Donald Trump?

    A new letter from election crimes prosecutor Fani Willis reveals indictments are likely coming in August.

    The New York Times has more:

    The Georgia prosecutor leading an investigation into former President Donald J. Trump and his allies has taken the unusual step of announcing remote work days for most of her staff during the first three weeks of August, asking judges in a downtown Atlanta courthouse not to schedule trials for part of that time as she prepares to bring charges in the inquiry.

    The moves suggest that Fani T. Willis, the Fulton County district attorney, is expecting a grand jury to unseal indictments during that time period. Ms. Willis outlined the remote work plan and made the request to judges in a letter sent on Thursday to 21 Fulton County officials, including the chief county judge, Ural Glanville, and the sheriff, Pat Labat.

    “Thank you for your consideration and assistance in keeping the Fulton County Judicial Complex safe during this time,” wrote Ms. Willis, who has already asked the F.B.I. to help with security in and around the courthouse.

    Ms. Willis had said in a previous letter that any charges related to the Trump investigation would come in the grand jury term that runs from July 11 to Sept. 1. Her letter on Thursday appears to offer more specificity on timing.

    Willis has been investigating Trump’s alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results in the Peach State.

    The grand jury probe burst into the spotlight in February when jury foreperson Emily Kohrs made statements to the media that seemed to tease trouble ahead for Trump.

    Trump was recently indicted in New York on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Trump is the first President to be indicted on criminal charges.

    Mike Pence Says He Won’t Endorse Trump

    By
    Victoria Churchill
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    1
    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Former Vice President Mike Pence had some strong words for his former boss in an interview with Martha MacCallum on Fox News. On Friday, Mike Pence made a bombshell announcement.

    Social media users from across the Republican spectrum had some choice words for Pence following his statement. Most conservatives seemed upset by the statement.

    Pence’s former Press Secretary and current co-host on The View – Alyssa Farah Griffin – was one of few Republicans who praised Pence’s decision.

    Former Illinois Congressman and Presidential candidate who defied Trump in 2020 also commended Pence’s decision.

    The University of Virginia‘s Center for Politics Director Larry Sabato also praised Pence’s choice and wondered if he had set a precedent for other top Republican leaders to reject Trump this year.

    This article originally appeared on American Liberty News. Republished with permission.

    Trump Says ‘Fire Sale’ Of Properties Will Be Necessary To Make $464 Million Bond

    By
    admin
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    1
    Image via Pixabay free images

    Donald Trump admitted on Tuesday that he’ll have to take extraordinary measures to make his bond on the New York Attorney General’s office civil fraud case.

    Sources tell Fox Business that Trump’s billionaire friends are reluctant to throw him a financial lifeline, potentially forcing him to sell his properties at “fire sale” prices.

    The Hill reports on the former president’s latest social media tirade:

    Trump blasted New York Judge Arthur Engoron, who ruled against the former president in the fraud case, in a Truth Social post objecting to having to post the bond.

    “I would be forced to mortgage or sell Great Assets, perhaps at Fire Sale prices, and if and when I win the Appeal, they would be gone. Does that make sense? WITCH HUNT. ELECTION INTERFERENCE!” Trump added.

    Trump’s warning comes a day after his legal team informed the court that the former president was unable to secure the full $464 million bond due next week.

    They cited difficulties finding a Treasury Department-approved surety company willing to underwrite a bond at such a high level. And they noted many of the approved companies have internal policies against issuing bonds of more than $100 million.

    New York Attorney General Letitia James said that if Trump fails or refuses to pay the $354.8 million fine, plus roughly $100 million in interest, she will seize his assets – including his properties.

    Former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham proposed a list of properties former President Trump would be most disappointed to have seized if he cannot pay the damages in his civil fraud case.

    “I think if it were to happen, 40 Wall Street is probably the one that he would … I mean, he would hate it,” Grisham told CNN’s Erin Burnett on Monday. “But I think if she tried to seize Mar-a-Lago or Bedminster or Trump Tower even — I mean, those are his babies.”

    “You’ve got the Sterling golf course in Virginia. Any of the properties with golf courses, I think, would absolutely devastate him,” Grisham, who worked under the Trump administration, added. “It will be interesting to see what [New York Attorney General Letitia James] goes for.”

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

    Fox News Trashed Trump’s Election Fraud Claims: Court Documents

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    3
    The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    Court documents from Dominion Voting System’s ongoing defamation lawsuit against Fox News show the network’s executives and prime-time lineup privately doubted former President Donald Trump’s claims of widespread voter fraud after losing reelection. However, some of them expressed fear that any fact-checkers might alienate their audience.

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    In a text message to his producer, Tucker Carlson said that “Sydney Powell is lying.” Behind the scenes, News Corp founder Rupert Murdoch called Rudy Giuliani’s defense of the former president “crazy stuff.”

    However, the network is adamant that it never knowingly made false claims.

    Months of depositions and evidence were made public Thursday.

    As The Hill reports:

    Top network hosts Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham in text messages referred to the voter fraud allegations made by Trump and his associates as “insane” while network leadership debated how rebuking those claims on the air might hurt the conservative media giant’s reputation with its viewers, according to the filing.

    Correspondence and testimony from top talent and executives at the network were made public as part of an ongoing defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting System against Fox News and its parent company, seeking $1.6 Billion in damages, for what the voting software company says was Fox’s broadcasting of information about it that the network’s leaders knew were false.

    At one point, Laura Ingraham’s producer messaged network management, saying her “BS” about the election would wind up giving him “a f*cking aneurysm.”

    Around the same time, Tucker Carlson wanted Fox News’ prime-time hosts to pressure network execs to fire reporter Jacqui Heinrich for fact-checking Trump.

    “Please get her fired,” Carlson messaged Sean Hannity. “Seriously… What the f*ck?”

    Page 31 in the legal filing detailed Carlson’s request, which included concerns about FOX Corporation’s declining stock price:

    In their group text thread, Carlson pointed Hannity to a tweet by Fox reporter Jacqui Heinrich. Heinrich was “fact checking” a tweet by Trump that mentioned Dominion and specifically mentioned Hannity’s and Dobbs’ broadcasts that evening discussing Dominion. Heinrich correctly fact-checked the tweet, pointing out that “top election infrastructure officials” said that “‘There is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised.’”

    Carlson told Hannity: “Please get her fired. Seriously… What the fuck? I’m actually shocked. It needs to stop immediately, like tonight. It’s measurably hurting the company The stock price is down. Not a joke.” Tucker added, I just went crazy on Meade over it. Hannity said he had “already sent to Suzanne with a really?” He then added: “I’m 3 strikes. Wallace shit debate[.] Election night a disaster[.] Now this BS? Nope. Not gonna fly. Did I mention Cavuto?”

    Representatives for Fox said the messages were cherry-picked out of context, saying the case boils down to freedom of the press and freedom of speech. The network added in a statement that these are “fundamental rights afforded by the Constitution and protected by New York Times v. Sullivan.”

    Ray Epps Charged, Debunks Conspiracy Theory

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    6
    Elvert Barnes, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    Former Marine Ray Epps has been charged with one count related to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, officially debunking a popular conspiracy theory peddled by former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

    According to court documents, Epps was charged with a misdemeanor count of disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds. According to NBC News, “He was charged by information, which suggests that he plans to enter a plea deal.”

    Epps, a one-time chapter president for the Oath Keepers, became the subject of controversy after he was not immediately charged for his actions at the Capitol on Jan. 6th.

    According to The New York Times, Epps was “seen on video encouraging demonstrators to march with him and enter the Capitol at one point. At another point, however, he pleads for restraint once it becomes clear the situation is turning violent. He also pushes past a police barricade into a restricted part of the Capitol grounds.”

    Popular primetime Fox News host Tucker Carlson promoted the conspiracy that Epps was actually an undercover federal agent helping incite the riot. Carlson has since been fired from the network however Epps recently filed a defamation suit against Fox.

    “Fox knew it needed a scapegoat for January 6th. It settled on Ray Epps and began promoting the lie that Epps was a federal agent who incited the attack on the Capitol.”

    Trump Adviser Steve Bannon Sentenced to Four Months in Prison

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    Thor Brødreskift / Nordiske Mediedager, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    Former Trump strategist Steve Bannon received his sentence Friday morning following his conviction on two counts of criminal contempt of Congress after he defied a subpoena from the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol raid.

    Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, sentenced Bannon to four months in prison and has been ordered to pay a fine of $6,500.

    The judge said that Bannon “has expressed no remorse for his actions” and hasn’t demonstrated that he has any intention of complying with the subpoena from the Jan. 6 committee.

    Federal prosecutor J.P. Cooney argued that Bannon is not above the law and should be sentenced and treated like any other citizen, according to ABC News.

    “It must be made clear to the public and the grand jury … that no one is above the law,” Cooney said. “He hid behind a fabricated claim of executive privilege, to thumb his nose at Congress.”

    “He had an interest in making a public spectacle of the committee’s hearings,” Cooney told the judge, saying that Bannon “has tried to make it about nothing but politics and retribution.”

    During Friday’s proceeding’s Bannon attorney David Schoen hit back against the prosecutor’s claim Bannon did not have a legitimate claim of executive privilege when he rejected the committee’s subpoena.

    In particular, Schoen went after Trump lawyer Justin Clark, who told DOJ investigators in July that at no point did former President Donald Trump ever invoke executive privilege over Bannon’s testimony.

    “You wouldn’t believe a thing he says,” Schoen said of Clark, who also contradicted other claims made by Bannon’s defense team in their case.

    Last week, the Justice Department announced it pushing for a more severe sentence for Bannon of at least 6 months. (RELATED: Feds Recommend Jail Time for Bannon)

    Bannon’s attorney David Schoen argued that there should not be a 30-day mandatory minimum of jail time for the offense.

    Nichols, however, rejected that argument, saying the statute is clear on the point that there is a mandatory minimum of 30 days and a mandatory maximum of 12 months.

    In comments to reporters after the ruling Bannon appeared to hint at an appeal in the near future and said, “this thing about I’m above the law is an absolute and total lie.”

    It wasn’t long before individuals went to Twitter to

    Trump’s Former Chief of Staff Subpoenaed in Jan. 6 Investigation

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    Office of Congressman Mark Meadows, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    Donald Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows has been issued a subpoena in the special counsel’s ongoing investigation into Trump’s alleged attempt to overturn the 2020 election results.

    Reports indicate special counsel Jack Smith issued the subpoena to Meadows in January. Smith is seeking documents and testimony related to the Jan. 6 riot.

    The subpoena of Meadows follows the recent subpoena of former Vice President Mike Pence.

    Pence has vowed to fight the subpoena from the DOJ, saying he was prepared to go to the Supreme Court if it was necessary.

    “I’m going to fight the Biden DOJ’s subpoena for me to appear before the grand jury because I believe it’s unconstitutional, and it’s unprecedented,” Pence told reporters after an event in Iowa on Wednesday.

    As Great America News Desk previously reported:

    PENCE ALLIES SAY HE IS COVERED BY THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISION THAT PROTECTS CONGRESSIONAL OFFICIALS FROM LEGAL PROCEEDINGS RELATED TO THEIR WORK — LANGUAGE KNOWN AS THE “SPEECH OR DEBATE” CLAUSE. THE CLAUSE, PENCE ALLIES SAY, LEGALLY BINDS FEDERAL PROSECUTORS FROM COMPELLING PENCE TO TESTIFY ABOUT THE CENTRAL COMPONENTS OF SMITH’S INVESTIGATION. IF PENCE TESTIFIES, THEY SAY, IT COULD JEOPARDIZE THE SEPARATION OF POWERS THAT THE CONSTITUTION SEEKS TO SAFEGUARD.

    “HE THINKS THAT THE ‘SPEECH OR DEBATE’ CLAUSE IS A CORE PROTECTION FOR ARTICLE I, FOR THE LEGISLATURE,” SAID ONE OF THE TWO PEOPLE FAMILIAR WITH PENCE’S THINKING, WHO SPOKE ON CONDITION OF ANONYMITY TO DISCUSS HIS LEGAL STRATEGY. “HE FEELS IT REALLY GOES TO THE HEART OF SOME SEPARATION OF POWERS ISSUES. HE FEELS DUTY-BOUND TO MAINTAIN THAT PROTECTION, EVEN IF IT MEANS LITIGATING IT.”

    This story is developing. Click refresh for the latest updates.

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