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Former GOP Senator Jeff Flake Endorses Harris

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(Los Angeles - EUA, 09/06/2022) Presidente da República Jair Bolsonaro, durante Sessão Plenária de Abertura da IX Cúpula das Américas..Foto: Alan Santos/PR

A former Republican Senator is endorsing Kamala Harris for president.

Over the weekend, Jeff Flake (Ariz.) who served as ambassador to Turkey, officially endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.

Flake said in a statement posted to X, on Sunday he is supporting the Harris-Walz ticket because he believes in the rule of law and wants to support a candidate “who respects the will of the voters and would never attempt to use the powers of the Presidency to overturn an election” and “seeks to unite our country” rather than divide it.

Flake, who described himself as a “conservative Republican,” added, “I would encourage all Republicans who feel this way to do the same. After all, in times like these there is nothing more conservative than putting country over party.”

Flake, a vocal Trump critic during his time as a senator during the Trump administration, said that he wanted a candidate who uses “the political process created by our founders to debate and to persuade, not disparage or demonize” and “understands that political opponents are our fellow citizens, not the enemy.”

“I want to support a presidential candidate who seeks to unite our country, rather than one who divides us,” Flake said in the video. “One who represents the ideals of new generation of leadership, not based on grievances of the past but hope for the future.”

In the video, and later in an interview with Martha Raddatz on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday morning, Flake pointed to Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election results as a reason he cannot support him — and that he wants a candidate who “respects the will of the voters.”

“I think Republicans believe in the rule of law in particular, and it’s difficult to support a candidate who, having lost an election, tries to use the powers of the presidency to overturn that election,” Flake said in an interview with ABC. “That is anything but respect for the rule of law. So I know that a lot of conservative Republicans feel the way I do, that you just can’t support a candidate like that.”

Flake served in the House from 2001 to 2013 and the Senate from 2013 to 2019.

Flake served as an ambassador to Turkey, stepping down earlier this month.

He noted on ABC that as an ambassador, he could not make the endorsement until he resigned.

“Having spent the past three years overseas as a United States ambassador, I’ve seen up close that we have very real enemies abroad,” Flake said in the video. “We also have vital and indispensable allies. I want to support a presidential candidate who understands and appreciates the difference.”

New York Appeals Court Poised To Overturn Trump’s $454 Million Fine

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Alec Perkins from Hoboken, USA, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

An appeals court in New York appears set to issue a favorable ruling for former President Donald Trump after the state’s Attorney General’s Office controversially applied an anti-fraud law to his real estate practices. The case resulted in a hefty $454 million fine, which now faces potential reduction or reversal.

During Thursday’s hearing, justices from the New York Supreme Court expressed concern about the judgment, with one justice labeling the fine “troubling.”

The New York Post reports:

A panel of New York appeals court judges appeared skeptical about the gargantuan $454 million civil fraud judgment Donald Trump was dealt after he was found liable for business fraud — with one jurist calling it “troubling.”

The former president is attempting to reverse or reduce the judgment of $354 million — plus an additional $100 million in interest — after a judge sided with New York Attorney General Letitia James, who argued in a lawsuit that Trump inflated his net worth by billions to get better loan and insurance terms.

Trump’s lawyers, who have called Judge Arthur Engoron’s February ruling “draconian, unlawful, and unconstitutional,” appeared before a five-judge panel of a Manhattan appeals court Thursday to plead their case.

Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Judge Peter Moulton questioned whether James’ lawsuit turned into “something it was not meant to do.”

In a post-verdict interview, Attorney General Letitia James stated that if Trump cannot pay the judgment, her office would pursue asset seizure, including Trump’s iconic properties like the 40 Wall Street skyscraper. “We will seek judgment enforcement mechanisms in court, and we will ask the judge to seize his assets,” she told ABC News.

Fox News Legal Analyst Johnathan Turley criticized the ruling, calling it “astronomical” and accusing James of engaging in “mob justice” by threatening Trump’s assets.

James filed a civil fraud lawsuit against the former president and his three adult children in September 2022, on the heels of a years-long civil investigation into the Trump family’s real estate business, the Trump Organization.

The investigation centered on whether the former president’s company misled investors and tax authorities by inflating property values to get investments and subsequently deflating them to get tax and loan benefits.

Trump continues to deny any wrongdoing.

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Kamala Harris Blames Trump For Border Crisis In First Solo Interview

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Kamala Harris via Wikimedia Commons

Kamala Harris, who has been a key figure in the Biden administration’s handling of immigration, discussed the ongoing border crisis during a taped interview with MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle. In the interview, which aired Wednesday, Harris acknowledged that the immigration system is broken but expressed confidence in her vague plan to fix it. She once again reiterated her support for a “pathway to citizenship.”

“When I’m elected president, if the American people give me the opportunity, I will bring back the bill and sign it into law,” Harris told Ruhle. She emphasized the need for a comprehensive plan, not only to strengthen border security but also to provide avenues for immigrants to gain citizenship.

However, Harris’s remarks continue faced criticism. Mediaite’s Colby Hall pointed out that simply repeating cliché talking points in a sit-down interview with a friendly host is unlikely to change public perception that Harris tends to avoid difficult press engagements like the plague:

Hall noted in a column published Wednesday morning that Ruhle announced her interview just days after appearing on Real Time with Bill Maher and openly advocating on behalf of Kamala Harris, or more to the point, against Donald Trump.

In another part of the interview, Harris seemed to struggle when asked about the economic concerns of middle-class Americans, yet again referencing her own middle-class upbringing. She also appeared uncertain when questioned about her plan to raise corporate tax rates, especially if Republicans take control of the Senate – a detail that would greatly affect her ability to push forward left-wing economic policies.

Harris’ performance in the interview left many wondering whether her administration’s immigration and economic agendas have been fully thought out.

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Trump Threatens Retaliation Against Iran Following Assassination Briefings

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Former President Donald Trump has vowed retaliation against Iran following reports that the Islamic Republic has conspired to assassinate him as he runs for president in 2024.

During an event in Mint Hill, North Carolina, Trump made the threat while delivering a speech on manufacturing at the Mosack Group’s warehouse.

U.S. intelligence officials have reportedly briefed Trump on the suspected Iranian plot to kill him, according to his campaign. The revelation was first reported by The Guardian:

The briefing, from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), is believed to have focused on a scheme unrelated to two failed domestic assassination attempts against the Republican nominee for president, and came amid reports suggesting that Iran is conducting an ongoing hack against Trump’s campaign.

Steven Cheung, the Trump campaign’s spokesperson, said the briefing concerned “real and specific threats from Iran to assassinate [Trump] in an effort to destabilize and sow chaos in the United States”.

He added: “Intelligence officials have identified that these continued and coordinated attacks have heightened in the past few months, and law enforcement officials across all agencies are working to ensure President Trump is protected and the election is free from interference.”

This development marks another escalation in tensions between the former president and Iran, which has been implicated in assassination plots against Trump and Trump administration officials

After surviving his first assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, former President Donald Trump made a jaw-dropping revelation about his dying wish.

In a fiery statement on Truth Social, Trump shared a video clip of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and issued a bold warning regarding Iran:

“If they do assassinate President Trump, which is always a possibility, I hope that America obliterates Iran, wipes it off the face of the Earth. If that does not happen, American leaders will be considered ‘gutless’ cowards!”

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Haitian Group Asks Court To Arrest Trump And Vance

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

A nonprofit advocacy group has taken legal action against former President Donald Trump and Senator J.D. Vance. They’ve filed criminal charges, accusing the Republican nominee for president and his running mate of making inflammatory statements about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio. Trump and Vance argue that the influx of migrants has overwhelmed the area, even going so far as to allege that some Haitians are eating dogs and cats – claims that remain unsubstantiated and highly controversial.

In response, the nonprofit is calling on the Clark County Municipal Court to issue a warrant for Trump and Vance’s arrest. The county’s largest city and seat, Springfield, is at the heart of this legal challenge.

Breitbart’s Neil Munro has the latest:

The charges were requested by the Haitian Bridge Alliance, which has been backed for many years by Mark Zuckerberg’s FWD.us investor group, and by investor George Soros’ political campaigns. The jarring claim was loudly echoed by pro-Democratic media sites, such as NBCNews.com, who prefer to hide the ordinary civic and pocketbook damage of migration behind elite claims about racism.

“The Haitian Bridge Alliance made the move after inaction by the local prosecutor, said their attorney, Subodh Chandra of the Cleveland-based Chandra Law Firm,” the Associated Press reported Tuesday.

“Guerline Jozef, a co-founder and the executive director of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, filed the charges on behalf of the group,” NBCNews reported:

“Over the last two weeks, both Trump and Vance led an effort to vilify and threaten the Haitian community in Springfield, Ohio,” Jozef alleged.

“If anyone else had disrupted public service, made false alarms, and engaged in telecommunications harassment in the manner Trump and Vance did with their relentless and persistent lies – even after the governor and mayor said what they were saying was false, they would’ve been arrested by now,” the group’s attorney, Subodh Chandra, claimed.

“They must be held accountable to the rule of law in the same way any of the rest of us would be.”

The lawfare follows the government-arranged delivery of perhaps 20,000 Haitians to the city, which has had a huge civic and pocketbook impact in the town of almost 60,000 Americans.

The inflow has been welcomed by business, political, and media leaders in Springfield, but is decried by ordinary Americans who are losing wages, opportunities, housing, safe roads, civic aid, and their stable community to the chaotic migration.

What’s Behind the Legal Action?

The charges stem from Trump and Vance’s remarks, which critics argue fuel anti-immigrant sentiment. Haitian immigrants currently enjoy temporary protected status (TPS) under the Biden administration, a measure designed to protect them from deportation due to the severe unrest and violence gripping Haiti. This protection even applies to those who entered the U.S. illegally, with the goal of shielding them from the chaos that has left Haiti teetering on the edge of anarchy.

“We are providing this humanitarian relief to Haitians already present in the United States given the conditions that existed in their home country as of June 3, 2024,” stated Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas at the time of the announcement.

Immigration Advocates Push for More

While the Haitian Bridge Alliance welcomed the Biden administration’s decision, they’re pushing for long-term solutions. Jozef praised the humanitarian relief but made it clear that he believes this is just a temporary fix.

“I call on the U.S. Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform that would create permanent protection for all TPS recipients,” said Jozef.

The demand for a more permanent path to safety comes as violence continues to escalate in Haiti.

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Trump Scores Legal Victory, Case Against Hillary Clinton Resuscitated – What’s Next?

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Hillary Clinton via Gage Skidmore Flickr

A federal appeals court on Friday granted former President Donald Trump more time to file a crucial document in his effort to revive his failed lawsuit against Hillary Clinton.

The lawsuit, originally filed in March 2022, accuses Clinton, the Democratic National Committee, former FBI Director James Comey and others of rigging the 2016 presidential election. Trump’s legal team claims the defendants engaged in a conspiracy to “discredit, delegitimize and defame” him during his first presidential campaign.

Trump’s request for additional time was aimed at resuscitating the racketeering (RICO) suit. His legal team also sought to expand their arguments in the case.

Law & Crime reports:

Now, in the waning days of his third bid for public office, the underlying lawsuit is long-since dead and gone – dismissed as “frivolous” and “hyperbole” by a district court in Florida in September 2022 – but remains on appellate life support in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

In a terse order, Trump-appointed U.S. Circuit Judge Kevin C. Newsom gave Trump an opportunity to stretch the process a bit further – and to opine about the issues at stake in the appeal at length.

“Appellants’ unopposed motion to exceed the word limitation in their consolidated reply brief and to enlarge the time to file that brief is GRANTED,” the judge’s order reads. “The consolidated reply brief, which may not exceed 10,000 words, is due by September 27, 2024.”

In late August, Trump asked Clinton’s counsel for consent in order to obtain the since-granted extension – citing “pressing hearings occurring in other cases.” The original deadline was Aug. 30. The original word limit, under court rules, was 6,500 words.

Trump’s lawyers replied a few days later with a detailed request for an extension, which the judge found persuasive.

“The interests of justice and judicial economy will be served by permitting this extension of time in the context of the multiple consolidated appeals,” Trump’s attorneys wrote. “Appellants’ counsel conferred with Appellees’ counsel regarding the relief sought in this motion and all Appellees oppose this extension request.”

Following the judge’s decision, Clinton reluctantly agreed to the extension without objection.

This article originally appeared on American Liberty News. It is republished with permission.

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Georgia State Elections Board Orders Hand Counting Of Ballots

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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

The Georgia State Elections Board has issued a new ruling requiring all ballots to be hand-counted before the certification of this November’s election.

The board voted 3-2 to pass resolution 181-1-12-.12, mandating that a hand count be conducted at the precinct level on election night to ensure the totals align with machine results.

The New York Times further reports:

The new rule, which passed on a 3-2 vote, runs counter to extensive legal advice from the top election official and law enforcement officials in the state. A nonpartisan collective of local election officials had also objected to the change.

The measure is the latest in a stream of right-wing election policies passed by the State Election Board over the past few months. The board has come under increasing pressure from critics already concerned that it has been rewriting the rules of the game in a key swing state to favor former President Donald J. Trump. Last month, the board granted local officials new power over certifying the election, which opponents say could potentially disrupt the process if Mr. Trump loses in November.

Critics argue that requiring hand counting, in addition to a machine count, could introduce errors and confusion into the process and potentially disrupt the custody of ballots.

To start hand-counting on election night, poll workers would likely have to break open the seals on boxes of completed ballots, possibly exposing the ballots to fraud or loss. In previous elections, ballots remain sealed and stored securely unless a recount was ordered.

The ruling comes less than 50 days before a fiercely contested presidential election.

This article originally appeared on American Liberty News. It is republished with permission.

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Eric Trump Suggests Possibility Of ‘Inside Job’ In Second Assassination Attempt On Donald Trump

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Eric Trump raised concerns about the second assassination attempt on his father, former President Donald Trump, suggesting that it might have been an “inside job” during a Monday interview with Megyn Kelly on SiriusXM’s The Megyn Kelly Show.

The remarks came after the arrest of Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, who is accused of attempting to assassinate Trump at the Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Florida. Federal and local authorities confirmed Routh’s apprehension on Sunday.

When Kelly asked whether the attack could have been an inside job, Eric Trump urged viewers to “entertain everything.”

“Everybody had better entertain it… twice in five weeks, you better start entertaining all of those scenarios, because something is very, very wrong,” he stated, expressing disbelief at how Routh, armed with an AK-style rifle, crossed a major highway in broad daylight without detection.

Eric Trump questioned how the alleged gunman was able to breach multiple layers of security and get within close range of his father during the incident. “He literally got across all of that holding a long gun, and no one saw this? There weren’t eyes on the street?” he asked.

He concluded by emphasizing the need to enhance security measures around the former president, stating, “We better really start locking down this perimeter, because something is awfully wrong… the world knows they are trying to get him.”

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‘We’ll Take Care of It’: Grassley Reveals Never-Before-Heard Claim From First Trump Assassination Attempt

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Image via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Iowa’s senior U.S. senator, Chuck Grassley, has disclosed findings from his office’s investigation into the first assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump during a July 13 rally near Butler, Pennsylvania. Revealing the latest to Fox News, Grassley’s office shared concerning security lapses by the Secret Service, which had assured local law enforcement that it would secure the American Glass Research (AGR) building overlooking Trump’s rally – an assurance that was not fulfilled.

The building in question was later used by Thomas Matthews Crooks, the would-be assassin who fired eight shots at Trump in under 30 seconds. Three rallygoers were hit, one fatally, and Trump himself was grazed by a bullet that came within an inch of his head. Despite these dangers, no law enforcement personnel were stationed on the roof where Crooks had taken his position.

“Butler County law enforcement officials stated that at separate times during the walkthrough, when they reiterated their concerns to the agents and counter sniper about securing the AGR complex buildings, the agents responded: ‘we will take care of it,’” Grassley’s office revealed in a Tuesday letter to acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe.

The Iowa senator questioned Rowe whether the Butler County law enforcement officials’ claim is true and, if so, what the Secret Service did to secure the area with the AGR complex buildings.

Grassley noted that in the weeks following the first assassination attempt, Rowe told senators during a hearing, “what was communicated is that the locals had a plan and that they had been there before,” in regard to the roof of the AGR building where Crooks took his shots from. 

Crooks’ final location was only discovered when bystanders noticed him army-crawling toward Trump. A local police officer attempted to access the roof, prompting Crooks to rush his first shot.

Startling video footage, obtained by Fox News more than two weeks after the incident, showed a figure believed to be Crooks moving across the roof of the AGR building three minutes before the attack. FBI officials later revealed that Crooks accessed the roof by climbing HVAC equipment and piping, moving across multiple rooftops to establish his position about 450 feet from Trump.

The Secret Service was aware of a potential threat 10 minutes before Trump took the stage but allowed the event to proceed. Additionally, a local law enforcement countersniper had flagged the shooter as suspicious over an hour before the attack due to his use of a rangefinder and his possession of a backpack.

Grassley’s investigation raises serious questions about the security protocols in place during the rally and the Secret Service’s handling of the potential threat.

Read Grassley’s letter to acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe here:

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Bush-Era Attorney General Endorses Harris

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Image via Gage Skidmore Flickr

A surprising betrayal…

Former Attorney General to President George W. Bush, Alberto Gonzales is turning his back on Donald Trump.

In the same op-ed, Gonzales called former President Donald Trump “perhaps the most serious threat to the rule of law in a generation.” Gonzales wrote:

The American presidency is the most powerful position in the world. Of course, our constitution and laws, as well as institutions such as Congress and our courts, act as guardrails to that power. The law provides the certainty of accountability and fundamental fairness. Yet it is the president’s integrity, honesty and respect for our institutions that may be the most important and reliable check on abuses of power.

As the United States approaches a critical election, I can’t sit quietly as Donald Trump — perhaps the most serious threat to the rule of law in a generation — eyes a return to the White House. For that reason, though I’m a Republican, I’ve decided to support Kamala Harris for president.

The Republican AG also officially endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president.

In his endorsement, Gonzales defended her from critics who have raised concerns as to why she hasn’t accomplished more as Vice President, pointing the finger at Congress:

Trump and his surrogates will blame her for the economic policies of the Biden administration, as well as the border crisis. Based on my experience, however, a vice president truly has little to no influence on economic policy. A vice president may provide input, but it is the president who is the ultimate decision-maker. That is part of the job of being the president. Further, Congress has as much, if not more, power to affect our economy through legislation. It is as much their failure as Biden’s that child care, housing, gasoline and groceries cost too much. And as for the border, Trump and his supporters in Congress assumed partial responsibility for the tough border situation when they killed bipartisan legislation in order to help Trump’s election chances.

Ultimately, Gonzales wrote that he had more faith in Harris to carry out the duties as Commander in Chief:

Harris, meanwhile, has sworn fidelity to the rule of law as a former local prosecutor and state attorney general. Her record in law enforcement shows a clear commitment to pursuing justice. While I may disagree with some of her policies, I am hopeful she will be open to dissenting views and will act always in a manner respectful of the power of all three branches of government.

In his closing, he added that Harris was “the best suited, able and committed to unite us in a manner consistent with the rule of law.”