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    Florida Governor Breaks Silence on Potential Trump Arrest

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    9

    Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) is finally addressing former President Donald Trump’s remarks over the weekend that Manhattan prosecutors plan to arrest him on Tuesday.

    During an event Monday, DeSantis slammed George Soros-backed prosecutor Alvin Bragg’s highly politicized yearslong witchhunt into the former president.

    “I’ve seen rumors swirl. I have not seen any facts yet, and so I don’t know what’s going to happen,” said DeSantis, a likely 2024 Republican presidential hopeful. “But I do know this: The Manhattan district attorney is a Soros-funded prosecutor and so he, like other Soros-funded prosecutors, they weaponize their office to impose a political agenda on society at the expense of the rule of law and public safety.”

    “But what I can speak to is if you have a prosecutor, who is ignoring crimes happening every single day in his jurisdiction, and he chooses to go back many, many years ago to try to use something about porn star hush-money payments, that’s an example of pursuing a political agenda and weaponizing the office,” he said.

    DeSantis also noted that his office would not be involved in the case “in any way,” signaling that he has no plans to help Trump fight extradition to New York should he face charges.

    Prosecutors are expected to charge Trump with a felony by arguing that the alleged crime was committed to hide an illegal campaign contribution. The potential problem for Trump centers around how his company reimbursed former attorney Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty to related charges and served time in prison.

    The payment to Daniels was listed as a legal expense and Trump’s company cited a retainer agreement with Cohen. The retainer agreement did not exist and the reimbursement was not related to any legal services from Cohen, thus setting up a potential misdemeanor criminal charge of falsifying business records. A report by NBC News said that Trump personally signed several of the checks to Cohen while he was serving as president.

    Prosecutors can elevate the misdemeanor to a felony if they can prove that Trump’s “‘intent to defraud’ included an intent to commit or conceal a second crime.”

    Prosecutors argue that the second crime is that the $130,000 hush payment was an improper donation to the Trump campaign because the money was used to stop a story for the purpose of benefiting his presidential campaign.

    Donald Trump Moves to End Georgia Probe

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Former President Donald Trump is moving to put an end to the ongoing Georgia election probe.

    On Monday, Trump’s legal team made a filing seeking to bar the use of any evidence presented to a grand jury reviewing the matter, according to The Hill.

    The Monday filing seeks to block use of a report from a grand jury on the matter, bar Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’s involvement in the case, and attacks a series of interviews given by jury forewoman Emily Kohrs.

    In a 50-page filing in a Fulton County court, Trump’s attorneys labeled the investigation as “confusing, flawed, and, at times, blatantly unconstitutional.”

    “Given the scrutiny and the gravity of the investigation and those individuals involved — namely the movant Donald J. Trump, this process should have been handled correctly, fairly, and with deference to the law and the highest ethical standards,” attorneys Jennifer Little, Drew Findling, and Marissa Goldberg wrote in the filing.

    Last month, Great America News Desk reported that the Georgia grand jury recommended indictments against multiple individuals. So far, no indictments have come from the probe but forewoman Kohrs seemed to indicate Trump, and others could expect to be charged.

    “It is not a short list,” the forewoman Kohrs said in an interview.

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

    House Speaker Responds to News of Potential Trump Indictment

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy delivers remarks at the 2021 Capitol Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in Washington DC, December 1, 2021. USDA Forest Service photo by Tanya E. Flores.

    House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R- Calif.) responded to former President Donald Trump’s social media post saying that he will be arrested this week by pledging to have congressional committees investigate whether federal funding was involved in the case out of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.

    “Here we go again — an outrageous abuse of power by a radical DA who lets violent criminals walk as he pursues political vengeance against President Trump,” McCarthy said on Twitter. “I’m directing relevant committees to immediately investigate if federal funds are being used to subvert our democracy by interfering in elections with politically motivated prosecutions.”

    McCarthy’s remarks come after Trump wrote on social media Saturday morning that he would be arrested on Tuesday.

    “ILLEGAL LEAKS FROM A CORRUPT & HIGHLY POLITICAL MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEYS OFFICE, WHICH HAS ALLOWED NEW RECORDS TO BE SET IN VIOLENT CRIME & WHOSE LEADER IS FUNDED BY GEORGE SOROS, INDICATE THAT, WITH NO CRIME BEING ABLE TO BE PROVEN, & BASED ON AN OLD & FULLY DEBUNKED (BY NUMEROUS OTHER PROSECUTORS!) FAIRYTALE, THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE & FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK,” Trump posted to his social media platform. “PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!”

    The remarks from Trump come after a report from NBC News said federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies were planning to prepare for the possibility that Trump could be indicted next week by a Manhattan grand jury in connection with a $130,000 hush money payment he allegedly made to porn actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign.

    Prosecutors are expected to charge Trump with a felony by arguing that the alleged crime was committed to hide an illegal campaign contribution.

    Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg reportedly wrote in an email to employees that was obtained by POLITICO: “I’m sure you have seen the ongoing press attention and public comments surrounding an ongoing investigation by this office.”

    “Please know that your safety is our top priority,” Bragg continued. “We have full confidence in our outstanding security staff and investigators, along with our great OCA and NYPD colleagues, and will continue to coordinate with all of them. We do not tolerate attempts to intimidate our office or threaten the rule of law in New York. Our law enforcement partners will ensure that any specific or credible threats against the office will be fully investigated and that the proper safeguards are in so all 1,600 of us have a secure work environment.”

    “This office is full of the finest public servants in the country. I am committed to maintaining a safe work environment where everyone is able to continue to serve the public with the same diligence and professionalism that make this institution so renowned,” Bragg concluded. “In the meantime, as with all of our investigations, we will continue to apply the law evenly and fairly, and speak publicly only when appropriate.”

    The potential problem for Trump centers around how his company reimbursed former attorney Michael Cohen. The payment to Daniels was listed as a legal expense and the company cited a retainer agreement with Cohen. However, according to The Daily Wire, the retainer agreement did not exist and the reimbursement was not related to any legal services from Cohen, thus setting up a potential misdemeanor criminal charge of falsifying business records. The report said that Trump personally signed several of the checks to Cohen while he was serving as president.

    Prosecutors can elevate the misdemeanor to a felony if they can prove that Trump’s “‘intent to defraud’ included an intent to commit or conceal a second crime.”

    Prosecutors argue that the second crime is that the $130,000 hush payment was an improper donation to the Trump campaign because the money was used to stop a story for the purpose of benefiting his presidential campaign.

    Other notable figures have reacted to the news the former president could be charged this week.

    Twitter boss and tech mogul Elon Musk speculated that if Trump in fact charged the move will likely be a major boost to his 2024 campaign.

    Vivek Ramaswamy, who is running for president, decried the prospect of former President Donald Trump being indicted.

    “A Trump indictment would be a national disaster. It is un-American for the ruling party to use police power to arrest its political rivals,” Ramaswamy tweeted on Saturday.

    He made a reference to the 2004 presidential election in which Democrat John Kerry lost to George Bush and his running mate Dick Cheney.

    “If a Republican prosecutor in 2004 had used a campaign finance technicality to arrest then-candidate John Kerry while Bush & Cheney were in power, liberals would have cried foul – and rightly so,” Ramaswamy said. “Principles go beyond partisanship.”

    Georgia Prosecutors Weighing RICO Charges In Trump Probe

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    0
    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    As criminal charges loom over former President Donald Trump from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, prosecutors under Atlanta DA Fani Willis (D) are weighing racketeering and conspiracy charges against those who conspired to overturn Trump’s 2020 electoral defeat in Georgia.

    A source close to the investigation says prosecutors have compiled substantial evidence related to a conspiracy. They added that the work shows the effort didn’t originate in Georgia.

    CNN further reports:

    Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis could make decisions on charges this spring, the source said. Willis will bring her charging recommendations to the regularly seated grand juries, who each serve two-month terms. Two regular Fulton County grand juries were seated in early March, and the next batch of two are scheduled to be sworn-in early May.

    Investigators have at least three recordings of Trump pressuring Georgia officials, including a phone call that he made to the Georgia House speaker to push for a special session to overturn Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 victory in the state.

    There is also a recording of Trump’s call to a top investigator with the Georgia Secretary of State’s office in December 2020, while they were looking into quashed allegations of irregularities with signature-matching in Cobb County in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

    Prosecutors in multiple criminal investigations in different jurisdictions face difficult and politically consequential choices over what to charge Trump with if they decide to indict him.

    In Atlanta, the Republican-controlled Georgia House of Representatives pushed legislation through this month that would create an oversight mechanism for county prosecutors. The investigatory panels would take disciplinary action against prosecutors who neglect their duties.

    Meanwhile, Trump posted on his social media site early Saturday morning, claiming that the Manhattan DA’s office would arrest him on Tuesday.

    Behind the scenes, local, state and federal law enforcement agencies are preparing for a possible indictment in New York, as American Liberty News reported last week:

    NBC News is reporting that law enforcement agencies are preparing for what was, until recently, largely considered unthinkable.

    The indictment of a former president of the United States.

    According to five senior law enforcement figures speaking on the condition of anonymity, local, state and federal agencies are discussing security plans involving the Manhattan Criminal Court if New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg decides to charge Trump for his alleged connection to hush money payments made to Stormy Daniels.

    Report: Mar-A-Lago Staff, Members Subpoenaed In Classified Docs Probe

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    Marine One lifts-off after returning President Donald J. Trump to Mar-a-Lago Friday, March 29, 2019, following his visit to the 143-mile Herbert Hoover Dike near Canal Point, Fla., that surrounds Lake Okeechobee. The visit was part of an infrastructure inspection of the dike, which is part of the Kissimmee-Okeechobee Everglades system, and reduces impacts of flooding for areas of south Florida. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian) [Photo Credit: The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons]

    At least a dozen people ranging from members to employees of Donald Trump’s Mar-A-Lago estate have been subpoenaed as part of the Justice Department’s ongoing probe into the former president’s handling of classified materials.

    According to an exclusive report from CNN, multiple sources close to Trump’s inner circle confirmed that multiple individuals have been subpoenaed to testify to a federal grand jury, intentionally casting a “wide net.”

    The report noted that Trump’s communications aide Margo Martin, who worked in the White House and then moved with Trump to Florida, appeared before the grand jury in Washington, DC earlier this week.

    Special counsel Jack Smith has sought testimony from a range of people close to Trump. He’s targeted Trump’s own attorneys who represent him in the matter as well as staffers who work on the grounds of Mar-a-Lago, including a housekeeper and restaurant servers.

    The staffers are of interest to investigators because of what they may have seen or heard while on their daily duties around the estate, including whether they saw boxes or documents in Trump’s office suite or elsewhere.

    “They’re casting an extremely wide net – anyone and everyone who might have seen something,” said one source familiar with the Justice Department’s efforts.

    For instance, federal investigators have talked to a Mar-a-Lago staff member seen on security camera footage moving boxes from a storage room with Trump aide Walt Nauta, who has already spoken with investigators.

    The report noted that many of the Mar-a-Lago staffers are being represented by counsel paid for by Trump entities.

    The Justice Department has been investigating potential mishandling of national security records and possible obstruction. Last August, FBI agents conducted a raid on Mar-A-Lago and recovered more than 100 classified documents during a search.

    Earlier this year, documents marked classified were found in the Penn Biden Center thinktank in Washington, D.C. Shortly after a subsequent search found classified documents in President Biden’s Delaware homes.

    Report: Georgia Prosecutors Have Another Recording Of Trump Pressuring State Official To Overturn Election

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    10
    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    New reports indicate Fulton County investigators have an audio recording of former President Donald Trump pressuring then-Georgia House Speaker David Ralston (R) to push for a special House session to overturn then-President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the state during the 2020 election.

    The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the Fulton County special grand jury, which has been investigating efforts to overturn the 2020 election, heard the recording.

    Ralston passed away last year following an extended illness.

    The AJC spoke with five jurors about the evidence shown during the trial. The jurors would not disclose any part of the final report that remained under seal, including who they recommended to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to be indicted.

    The Daily Wire has more:

    The report said that jury foreperson Emily Kohrs, who was widely condemned for her bizarre attention-seeking media interviews following the conclusion of the jury’s final report, was not one of the five jurors who were interviewed by the publication. The jurors expressed frustration with how Kohrs conducted herself, saying that it led to the jury being “portrayed as not serious.”

    The report said that five jurors all confirmed the existence of an alleged recording, which has not yet been released to the public, in which Trump called Ralston to pressure him to hold a special session to overturn Biden’s win in the state.

    The jurors said that Ralston “basically cut the president off. He said, ‘I will do everything in my power that I think is appropriate.’ … He just basically took the wind out of the sails. ‘Well, thank you,’ you know, is all the president could say.”

    In describing how they looked back at the events that unfolded throughout the process, one of the jurors said, “I tell my wife if every person in America knew every single word of information we knew, this country would not be divided as it is right now.”

    Report: FBI Raids Home Of Larry Hogan’s Ex-Chief Of Staff

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    0
    Image via Pixabay images

    The manhunt for former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s ex-chief of staff is escalating.

    The FBI has raided the Florida home of Roy McGrath, just two days after the former chief of staff failed to appear in Baltimore on Monday for the start of his criminal trial.

    Joseph Murtha, McGrath’s attorney, confirmed the search in a phone interview with The Associated Press Wednesday afternoon. An FBI spokesperson confirmed to the outlet that agents “conducted court-authorized activity at that residence” but declined to elaborate.

    “I haven’t a clue. I didn’t see this coming,” he said. “This behavior is so out of the ordinary for him. Obviously, his personal safety is a concern.”

    The U.S. Marshals Service released a wanted poster for McGrath on Tuesday after U.S. District Court Judge Deborah Boardman issued an arrest warrant

    https://twitter.com/officer_Lew/status/1635712508752441346

    Earlier this week, McGrath’s attorney said he had no reason to believe his client would skip out on court, noting he had a substantive conversation about the case Sunday evening. (RELATED: Federal Judge Issues Arrest Warrant For Former GOP Governor’s Ex-Chief Of Staff)

    “I looked forward to seeing him at 8:45 this morning,” Murtha said on the day of McGrath’s scheduled appearance. “Most importantly, I’m concerned. I’m hoping he’s safe. These situations are very stressful, the uncertainty of going to trial can cause people to do things many people don’t think are appropriate. We hope that he’s safe.”

    McGrath is facing an eight-count federal indictment stemming from a criminal corruption investigation. Charges include wire fraud, including securing a $233,648 severance payment equal to one year of salary as the head of Maryland Environmental Service. He also faces fraud and embezzlement charges connected to roughly $170,000 in expenses. McGrath has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    McGrath resigned from Hogan’s office a few months after the six-figure payment was reported.

    According to Fox News, McGrath gave up his passport in October 2021 as part of terms set in his pretrial release.

    Authorities have yet to locate McGrath.

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

    Freedom Caucus Congressman Preemptivley Endorses Ron DeSantis for President

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    9

    Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has seemingly scored his first Congressional endorsement and he hasn’t even launched his campaign.

    On Wednesday, Texas Rep. Chip Roy preemptively endorsed the Florida Governor for president

    “The next President of the United States must be a vibrant and energetic leader with the faith, vision, and courage to chart a new course,” Roy said in an email to supporters from his campaign account on Wednesday.

    “America needs a leader who will truly defend her and empower the people against the destructive force of unrestrained government and corporate excess, profligate spending, and woke cultural indoctrination.”

    “That leader is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis,” Roy said.

    The Texas lawmaker has become one of the most vocal hardline Republicans in the House, and his decision to endorse DeSantis is a notable rejection of former President Trump.

    Rep. Roy broke with Trump ahead of and on Jan. 6, 2021, criticizing his move to pressure Republicans to reject the 2020 presidential election results.

    The Texas congressman praised DeSantis’s “faith in god” and his being a “dedicated husband and father.”

    DeSantis’s “non-politically correct” stances and rejection of “woke corporate America and higher education,” Roy argued, are also reason to support him.

    The House Freedom Caucus member did not directly mention Trump but pointed to disappointing 2022 midterm election losses that were widely attributed to Trump-boosted candidates falling short.

    “[DeSantis] has also proven his ability to win at the ballot box time and time again. When other Republicans were faltering in key races, Governor DeSantis provided a positive vision for the future with prudent, conservative action. The result was crystal clear: Republicans enjoyed sweeping, historic performances statewide,” Roy said.

    Roy appears to be DeSantis’s first official Congressional endorsement for president. Several other Republicans have endorsed Trump, while Rep. Ralph Norman endorsed former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.

    Ron DeSantis Hit With Ethics Complaint From Trump Super PAC

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    8
    Ron DeSantis via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    A political action committee supporting former President Donald Trump has filed an ethics complaint against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ahead of his expected 2024 announcement.

    Make America Great Again Inc. claims the Sunshine State governor has violated state ethics and election laws with his “shadow presidential campaign.” 

    On Wednesday, the group filed the complaint with the state’s Commission on Ethics, a majority of which are DeSantis appointees.

    NBC News first reported the complaint alleges that DeSantis has already checked all the boxes for someone considering a run for the White House, including making stops in early primary states; writing a book; raising tens of millions of dollars to go into a state-level committee that could be transferred to a federal super PAC; and watching a constellation of supporter-led super PACs and an outside nonprofit group pop up, some with the stated intention of getting DeSantis to run for president.

    The pro-Trump super PAC says the combination of those steps violates a handful of Florida laws about officeholders’ accepting illegal gifts.

    “This letter provides ample evidence to support a finding of probable cause by the Florida Commission on Ethics that Governor DeSantis, in concert with certain associated political committees, political consultants and a 501(c)(4) organization, has solicited and received millions of dollars’ worth of illegal gifts in violation of Florida State ethics laws and the Florida Constitution,” the draft complaint reads. 

    While the group undoubtedly faces an uphill battle against DeSantis, if the governor did face penalties, they could include fines, public censure, ballot disqualification, removal from office or impeachment.

    The governor has brushed off the lawsuit.

    “Adding this to the list of frivolous and politically motivated attacks — it’s inappropriate to use state ethics for partisan purposes,” said Taryn Fenske, DeSantis’ communications director.

    Read a copy of the formal complaint below:

    It is addressed to chairman of the Ethics Commission, Glenton Gilzean, whom DeSantis appointed.  

    Trump-Super-PAC-v.-DeSantisDownload

    Super PACs, known as independent expenditure-only committees, are legally allowed to raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, associations and individuals, and to spend unlimited sums to support or oppose political candidates. Unlike traditional PACs, they are prohibited under long-standing federal rules from either coordinating or contributing directly to a candidate or candidate’s campaign. 

    DOJ Prosecutors Ask Judge to Reject White House Adviser’s Executive Privilege Claims

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    0

    The Justice Department is urging a judge to reject at trial former Trump Administration security adviser Peter Navarro‘s claims of executive privilege.

    On Tuesday, the DOJ filed a last-minute response after Navarro successfully delayed the trial after forwarding a January letter from former President Trump’s attorney shortly before arguments were scheduled to begin.

    According to The Hill, the DOJ argues the letter does not change the case, as the jury “should be charged with deciding only the essential elements of the charged offense, that is: whether the Defendant knew he had been subpoenaed by the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol…to produce documents and appear for a deposition, and nonetheless made a deliberate decision not to do either.”

    Navarro was subpoenaed by the now-disbanded committee in February of last year as lawmakers sought to speak to the trade and coronavirus adviser about the Navarro Report, a three-part series he compiled claiming to “provide a demonstration that President Trump had a good faith belief that the November 3, 2020 Presidential election results, were, indeed, the poisonous fruit of widespread fraud and election irregularities.” 

    At the time, Navarro claimed executive privilege, however, it took nearly a year for Trump to make such an assertion through his lawyer.

    Numerous Trump officials have claimed executive privilege as the DOJ has sought to compel their testimony.

    The House voted to hold Navarro in contempt of Congress last April.

    But the filing also argues that such a privilege cannot be used as a blanket excuse to avoid all questions, noting the committee largely wished to speak with Navarro about “matters undertaken in his personal capacity with persons outside the government” rather than any conversations he may have had with Trump.

    “Because the Defendant failed to raise an immunity claim with the committee, he should not now be allowed to invoke testimonial immunity after the fact to foreclose prosecution,” DOJ wrote. 

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