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Former GOP State Rep Acquitted In Second Corruption Trial

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    Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

    On Thursday, Former Michigan Rep. Larry Inman (R) was acquitted on all counts involving bribery and extortion after a second corruption trial.

    Inman, 69, was charged in 2019 for allegedly soliciting a bribe, attempted extortion, and lying to federal investigators, according to the Detroit Free Press.

    According to The Daily Caller, in 2019 a jury originally found Inman not guilty of lying to investigators, however, they could not reach a verdict regarding the remaining counts forcing the trial to go into a second hearing, Detroit Free Press reported.

    “I think he’s very glad to have this behind him,” Inman’s attorney James Fisher stated. “He feels vindicated because this has been a very long struggle for him. And he’s never said anything other than that he is not guilty of these charges, and I think the jury believed that.”

    The jury had allegedly debated for 45 minutes before reaching their final verdict on Thursday. According to the outlet, the first jury deliberated for over 10 hours over two days during the first hearing.

    Inman served as a Michigan representative from 2015 to 2020. However, Fisher noted that Inman is unlikely to get back into politics.

    “I think it’ll be very hard for him to get back involved in politics after this just because he’s struggled through this whole entire process,” Fisher told the Detroit Press. “I hope the people that he represented see this and look at him in a positive way. I think he is a good man who deserves to be credited for what he did for his constituents.”

    Trump Bucks Judge With Courtroom Monologue

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    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    In the end, former President Donald Trump spoke to the court from the defense table in his civil fraud trial.

    Trump’s remarks came during closing arguments, which remain ongoing.

    “The facts are the financial statements are perfect, that there are no witnesses against us. The banks got all their money paid back. There were great loans,” Trump maintained, echoing remarks he has previously made in public.

    Trump spoke for approximately five minutes before accusing Judge Arthur Engoron of having his own agenda.

    “I certainly understand that,” the GOP front-runner persisted. “You can’t listen for more than one minute.”

    At that point, Engoron told one of Trump’s lawyers to “control your client.” The judge eventually cut Trump off.

    Engoron ruled on Wednesday that he wouldn’t allow Trump to speak during his attorneys’ closing arguments because he wouldn’t agree to avoid personal attacks.

    NBC News further reports on the unprecedented courtroom display:

    Speaking from the table sitting next to his lawyers, Trump spoke to denying all wrongdoing while Engoron quietly listened.

    Trump maintained that banks “got all their money back” and “they weren’t defrauded” while repeating his call to receive damages “for what we’ve gone through.”

    The former president accused James’ office of not providing one document proving her allegations of inflating his financial statements and argued that the case presents a “situation where I”m an innocent man.”

    “The legal scholars looking at this case find it disgraceful,” he said, adding “this is a fraud on me.”

    James is asking Engoron to fine Trump and his co-defendants over $370 million and impose a lifetime ban on Trump and two former company executives from the New York real estate industry.

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

    This article was republished with permission from American Liberty News.

    Police Respond To Bomb Threat Targeting Judge In Trump Fraud Trial

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    Police image via Pixabay free images

    Authorities in Nassau County, New York, are responding to a bomb threat at the residence of the judge presiding over Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial.

    New York Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron received the threat this morning, hours before closing arguments are scheduled to begin.

    Per ABC News:

    In light of the threat, the court is adding additional security for the judge, the court official said.

    Nassau County Police bomb technicians responded to Engoron’s home out of an abundance of caution. Nassau County Police notified the court system of the threat, which they say they have determined to be unfounded.

    Today’s court proceedings are expected to proceed as planned.

    Trump is prohibited from delivering closing remarks by Engoron after he refused to agree to the judge’s proposed conditions to limit the subject of conversation to what is permissible in a lawyer’s closing argument.

    The former president is on trial for allegedly deceiving lenders.

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

    This article is republished with permission from American Liberty News.

    Trump Says He’s Selected VP Choice

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    Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    During a town hall event hosted by Fox News on Wednesday, Donald Trump revealed he has decided who will be his running mate if he becomes the Republican nominee for president.

    “I can’t tell you that really, I mean, I know who it’s going to be,” Trump said when he was asked who his running mate will be in 2024.

    “We’ll do another show sometime,” Trump said when pushed by host Martha MacCallum to “give us a hint.”

    “What about any of the people who you’ve run against?” MacCallum asked. “Would you be open to mending fences with any of them?”

    “Oh, sure. I will, I will,” Trump responded. “I’ve already started to like Christie better.”

    Hours before Trump’s event with Fox News, the former New Jersey governor announced he is dropping out of the 2024 contest.

    MacCallum then jokingly asked if Trump would consider Christie as a running mate.

    “I don’t see it, I don’t see it,” Trump said. “That would be an upset. Christie for vice president. Ladies and Gentlemen, I’d like to announce, nah.”

    Report: Christie Dropping Out Of 2024 Race

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    Maryland GovPics, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    New reports indicate former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is planning to end his presidential campaign very soon.

    Mediaite has more:

    Journalist Mark Halperin broke the news on his Substack after speaking with two anonymous sources.

    Halperin wrote that the Christie campaign was expected to make an announcement at 5 p.m. Eastern time. Christie is not expected to immediately announce an endorsement.

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

    Judge Judy Makes Endorsement Ahead Of Iowa Caucus

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      On Wednesday, Judge Judith Sheindlin, better known to fans as Judge Judy, announced she is endorsing Nikki Haley for president.

      Fox News first reported the news:

      “I’m proud to endorse Nikki Haley because she is whip smart, has executive credentials and was a superb governor,” Sheindlin said in a statement. “She has international gravitas as Ambassador to the United Nations. She is principled, measured and has that elusive quality of real common sense. I truly think she can restore America and believe she is the future of this great nation.”

      Haley returned the compliment, calling the judge a “no-nonsense lady.”

      “Judge Judy is a no-nonsense lady who has earned the respect of millions of Americans from her courtroom by being thoughtful, fair, and honest. I’m honored to have her support,” Haley said in a press release. 

      For 25 years, Sheindlin starred on the beloved show “Judge Judy,” where her witty retorts in the courtroom earned her millions of dedicated fans. Instead of stepping away from television for good, she is now the presiding judge on Amazon Freevee’s “Judy Justice,” which became Freevee’s No. 1 original show with more than 150 million viewers over the past two years.

      Sheindlin is a graduate of New York Law School, was appointed to the bench in New York City’s Family Court in 1982 and became the Supervising Judge of the Manhattan Court in 1986. 

      Christie Predicts Trump Will Become GOP Nominee If He Wins New Hampshire

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      Maryland GovPics, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

      Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) predicted that if Donald Trump wins the New Hampshire primary later this month he will more than likely move on to become the party’s nominee.

      While speaking at a town hall event in New Hampshire, Christie warned that Nikki Haley’s popularity in her home state of South Carolina will not be enough to deter Trump if he wins the Granite State. South Carolina’s primary comes next month.

      “If he wins here, don’t expect South Carolina to save us; it’s not going to happen,” the former New Jersey governor told the crowd Tuesday. “So you all are the ones who are going to make the call here.”

      Trump currently leads with 41.5 percent support in The Hill/Decision Desk HQ’s polling average of the state. Haley, the former South Carolina governor, places second with just more than 30 percent. Christie trails in a distant third place with 11.5 percent.

      Christie expressed doubts at the town hall about Haley’s ability and interest in defeating Trump for the nomination.

      He argued she is not actually running to beat Trump because she said in the past she would pardon him if he’s convicted in any of his criminal trials. She also has not ruled out being the former president’s running mate, Christie added.

      “Let’s say I dropped out of the race right now and I supported Nikki Haley. And then three months from now, four months from now, when you’re ready to go to the convention, she comes out as his vice president. What will I look like?” he said. “What will all the people who supported her at my behest look like?” 

      Nevada Judge Rejects Trump Ballot Eligibility Challenge

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      Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

      A Nevada federal judge rejected a challenge to remove former President Donald Trump from the 2024 ballot.

      On Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Gloria M. Navarro, who was appointed by former President Obama, issued the order dismissing John Anthony Castro’s case, noting he “lack standing.”

      Castro, a GOP challenger, ultimately asked if the U.S. Constitution’s Fourteenth Amendment bars Trump from holding office over his alleged incitement of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. 

      Fox News has more:

      “This is a politically charged question of significant interest to the American public,” Navarro noted. “For reasons discussed below, the Court finds that Castro lacks standing, and the Court therefore lacks jurisdiction to hear this case.” 

      “To have standing to sue in federal court, a plaintiff must have suffered a concrete, particularized, and actual or imminent injury in fact that was caused by the defendant’s challenged conduct and is redressable by a favorable decision,” Navarro explained. “This limitation on the judicial power prevents a plaintiff from invoking Article III jurisdiction of federal court by asserting what is merely a ‘general interest common to all members of the public.’” 

      The ruling noted that multiple courts have already rejected Castro’s political competitor standing argument. 

      “In rejecting his political competitor standing argument, courts have fund that Castro improperly manufactured his standing merely to file this lawsuit,” Navarro writes. “The evidence indicates that Castro is creating his own injury in order to manufacture standing to challenge Trump’s eligibility to run for president.” 

      The judge observed that by his own admission, Castro “declared as a candidate and paid the filing fee to show the impermissibility of Trump’s presidency.” The ruling cited how Castro was quoted in an Associated Press article as having said, “I’m not going to lie and pretend my candidacy is anything more than trying to enforce the United States Constitution, and that’s what I’m here to do.” 

      In a footnote, Navarro highlighted that Trump and Castro are not even competing on the same ballot in Nevada. 

      Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung praised the Nevada lawsuit’s dismissal in a statement to news outlets.  

      “Today’s dismissal of another bogus, bad-faith, Crooked Joe Biden-engineered attempt to deprive Americans as a whole, and the voters of Nevada specifically, of their right to vote for the candidate of their choice is not only a victory for President Trump, but a victory for all Americans and the people of Nevada,” Cheung said, according to KLAS. “President Trump remains undefeated in federal court against these cynical efforts to interfere in the 2024 election. Courts in eleven states have now dismissed similar, pathetic, 14th Amendment ballot cases.” 

      “Make no mistake, each and every one of these ‘ballot-challenges’ are blatant attempts to steal the election for Crooked Joe Biden and disenfranchise over 100 million American voters,” he continued. “President Trump is the leading candidate for not only the Republican primary, but the general election and his opponents are desperate. Rest assured that he will fight each and every one of these disgraceful attacks on American democracy, he will win, and we will all Make America Great Again.”

      Dozens of lawsuits are now challenging Trump’s eligibility, citing the Fourteenth Amendment, after the Colorado Supreme Court removed him from the ballot in their state. 

      Greg Pence Announces Retirement From Congress

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      Ted Eytan from Washington, DC, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

      On Tuesday, Greg Pence, the brother of former Vice President Mike Pence, announced he would not run for re-election.

      “As a former Marine Officer, I approached the job with purpose,” he said in a statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. “After three terms, I’ve made the decision to not file for reelection.”

      Pence’s announcement is the latest in a series of recent House retirements.

      The southeast Indiana district is heavily Republican and will likely stay in GOP hands.

      Last year, Mike Pence became one of the first presidential primary contestants to drop out of the race after disappointing poll numbers.

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

      Report: Fani Willis Accused Of Hiring Lover As Key Prosecutor

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        Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

        On Monday, a court motion was filed stating that Atlanta-area District Attorney Fani Willis (D) improperly hired the special prosecutor who assisted in securing a grand jury indictment against former President Donald Trump.

        The filing by Michael Roman, a co-defendant and 2020 Trump campaign official, states that the court should disqualify Willis for the alleged affair that financially benefitted her and her lover.

        Roman alleges that private attorney Nathan Wade, who is married with children, paid for lavish vacations with Willis using funds his law firm received from the county.

        As The Washington Times reports:

        According to court documents reviewed by The Washington Times, Mr. Wade’s firm has been paid nearly $654,000 in legal fees since January 2022 in the prosecution of Mr. Trump over his efforts to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.

        Mr. Roman is a former Trump campaign official and one of 19 defendants charged with election interference in the case. He is seeking to have the charges against him dismissed and for the prosecutors in the case to be disqualified.

        Mr. Roman said Ms. Willis did not obtain county approval in hiring Mr. Wade, and brought him on board to lead the day-to-day prosecution of the former president, despite her own office having “numerous experienced lawyers fully capable of preparing this case for the grand jury and trial.”

        The court filing asserts that “sources close to both the special prosecutor and the district attorney have confirmed they had an ongoing, personal relationship.”

        The motion goes on to state that the lovers went on vacations from Napa Valley to the Caribbean, “and the special prosecutor has purchased tickets for both of them to travel on both the Norwegian and Royal Caribbean cruise lines.”

        his article was republished with permission from American Liberty News.