Home Blog Page 115

Greg Pence Announces Retirement From Congress

By
Madeleine Jackson
-
2
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

    By
    admin
    -
    0
    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.

    CNN Anchor Reveals Cancer Diagnosis On Air

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
      -
      1
      CNN Headquarters via Wikimedia Commons

      On Monday, “CNN News Central” anchor Sara Sidner announced she is undergoing treatment for stage 3 breast cancer.

      “I have never been sick a day of my life. I don’t smoke, I rarely drink. Breast cancer does not run in my family,” Sidner said on CNN’s air. “And yet here I am with stage 3 breast cancer. It is hard to say out loud.”

      Sidner says she is in her second month of chemotherapy and plans to undergo radiation and a double mastectomy.

      The prominent news anchor recently traveled to the Middle East to cover the ongoing fighting between Israel and Hamas and the social unrest the conflict has caused.

      “Seeing the kind of suffering going on where I was and seeing people still live through the worst thing that has ever happened to them with grace and kindness, I was blown away by their resilience,” she told People Magazine as part of an interview published Monday. “In some weird way, it helped me with my own perspective on what I am going to be facing.”

      Trump Moves To Dismiss Georgia Election Interference Case

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
      -
      1
      Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

      Former President Donald Trump’s legal team has moved to dismiss the Georgia election subversion case, arguing that presidential immunity shields Trump from prosecution.

      The GOP front-runner’s attorneys argue that the indictment from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis charges Trump for “acts that lie at the heart of his official responsibilities as President.”

      Willis charged Trump last August with 13 counts for attempting to overturn President Joe Biden’s 11,779 vote victory in Georgia. The headline-grabbing charge was a violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statute, a law associated with the American mafia.

      Willis’ case that Trump and his co-conspirators exerted pressure on Georgia election officials in public and private included testimony from 75 witnesses, from former Trump advisers and attorneys to Peach State office-holders.

      As CNN reports:

      Trump’s immunity claims in the Georgia case, filed on Monday as part of a motion to dismiss state-level criminal charges against the former president, are similar to those argued by his defense team in the federal election subversion case.

      “The indictment in this case charges President Trump for acts that lie at the heart of his official responsibilities as President. The indictment is barred by presidential immunity and should be dismissed with prejudice,” the motion filed by Trump’s lawyer in the Georgia case reads.

      Monday’s filing in the Georgia case reiterates what the former president’s lawyers have repeatedly asserted – that Trump was working in his official capacity as president when he allegedly undermined the 2020 election results and therefore has immunity.

      As such, Trump’s indictment in both the Georgia and federal case are unconstitutional because presidents cannot be criminally prosecuted for “official acts” unless they are impeached and convicted by the US Senate.

      Reacting to the filing, Georgia State University constitutional law professor Anthony Michael Kreis called the motion to dismiss “so meritless it borders on the comical.”

      “Trump was acting as a candidate and not as president,” Kreis commented on X. “Despite using the trappings of his office to browbeat officials, nothing that Trump has been indicted for in Georgia constituted an official presidential act. Engaging in racketeering activity is not shielded by Article II.”

      This article was republished with permission from American Liberty News.

      Report: Boebert Under ‘Active Investigation’

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
      -
      3
      Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

      Colorado Congresswoman Lauren Boebert is reportedly under “active investigation” over an alleged physical incident with her ex-husband over the weekend.

      The Daily Beast reported that the “alleged physical altercation” occurred at Miner’s Claim restaurant in Boebert’s district on Saturday. Silt Police Chief Mike Kite confirmed to CBS News that an “active investigation” was already underway.

      Boebert’s ex-husband, Jayson Boebert, called police and claimed he was a “victim of domestic violence” and said that the congresswoman had “punched” him in the face several times, according to The Washington Post.

      Jayson Boebert told The Denver Post that he did not want his wife to be charged despite being the one to call the police.

      “I don’t want nothing to happen,” he said. “Her and I were working through a difficult conversation.”

      Boevert has denied allegations she unshed her ex-husband and has threatened legal action.

      “This is a sad situation for all that keeps escalating and another reason I’m moving,” Boebert said in a statement. “I didn’t punch Jayson in the face and no one was arrested. I will be consulting with my lawyer about the false claims he made against me and evaluate all of my legal options.”

      Last year, Boebert came under fire after she was thrown out of a “Beetlejuice” musical at the Buell Theater in Denver.

      Denver Arts & Venues said in a statement that they received three different complaints that Boebert and her date were “vaping, singing, causing a disturbance.”

      New York AG Demands Trump Pay Over $300 Million In Fraud Case

        By
        Madeleine Jackson
        -
        4
        Image via Pixabay free images

        New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) asked the judge in former President Donald Trump’s civil fraud case to impose a $370 million fine on the former president on Friday.

        In Friday’s court filing ahead of closing remarks James accused Trump, his business, and several top executives — including his adult sons — of using “myriad deceptive schemes” to falsely inflate his net worth by billions.

        “The conclusion that defendants intended to defraud when preparing and certifying Trump’s (statements of financial condition) is inescapable,” reads the state’s post-trial brief. 

        In addition to paying the $370 million penalty, James also asked the judge to issue a lifetime ban on the former president and two top executives from doing real estate business in New York.

        In their post-trial brief, Trump’s counsel repeated claims they made at trial — that banks wanted to work with the Trump Organization, did their due diligence and found no fraud. 

        “Errors or misstatements happen all the time in accounting, if there are no indicia of fraud such as concealment, forgery, or deceit, then there is no basis to determine that these SFCs are fraudulent, and any misstatements are just accidental errors,” the defense brief states.

        Trump’s adult sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, also defendants in the case, urged the judge to dismiss the case against them. They claimed the attorney general failed to show they had “anything more than a peripheral knowledge or involvement in the creation, preparation or use” of their father’s financial statements.

        “The record evidence and testimony adduced at trial conclusively establishes that the SFCs were prepared, in their entirety, by others at the company working in conjunction with the company’s long time outside accountants,” their lawyer, Clifford Robert, wrote in their joint post-trial brief. 

        Senate Campaign Arm Files Brief To Keep Trump On Colorado Ballot

          By
          Madeleine Jackson
          -
          3
          Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC via Wikimedia Commons

          The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) and Montana Sen. Steve Daines (R) have filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court to keep Donald Trump on Colorado’s primary ballot.

          Daines’s amici curiae — or friend-of-the-court — brief is part of a broader Republican backlash against the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling that Trump violated the Constitution’s insurrection clause.

          Daines, the chair of the Senate Republican campaign arm, argues the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling “breaches” the Constitution’s “bedrock guarantee of American democracy.”

          According to The Hill, Daines and the NRSC wrote that they have “a unique and profound interest” in the case because they support and seek to uphold the rights of all American citizens to vote for the candidate of their choice, arguing the Colorado court decision deprives Americans of that right.

          They argue that even if Section 3 of the 14th Amendment bars Trump from holding office, it does not bar him from appearing on the ballot, and that it is solely the prerogative of Congress to disqualify him from the Oval Office if he wins the election.  

          “So even if the Colorado Supreme Court were correct that President Trump cannot take office on Inauguration Day, that court has no basis to hold that he cannot run for office on Election Day and also seek removal for any alleged disqualification from Congress if necessary,” they wrote.

          Daines announced last month he would file a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court asking it to reverse the Colorado court’s decision, which he called “a disgrace to our country and our democracy.” 

          Blue State Joins Effort To Boot Trump Off Primary Ballot

          By
          Madeleine Jackson
          -
          8
          Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

          Massachusetts has become the latest state to try and boot former President Donald Trump from the state’s primary ballot.

          On Thursday, Free Speech For People and a Massachusetts-based civil rights firm filed a lawsuit on behalf of voters trying to prohibit Trump from appearing on the ballot under the U.S. Constitution’s insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment.

          According to The Washington Examiner, in a Thursday filing to the Massachusetts Ballot Law Commission, the groups said the Republican front-runner, “through his words and actions, after swearing an oath as an officer of the United States to support the Constitution, engaged in insurrection or rebellion, or gave aid and comfort to its enemies, as defined by Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment,” and he is, therefore, ineligible to hold office.

          “Donald Trump violated his oath of office and incited a violent insurrection that attacked the U.S. Capitol, threatened the assassination of the Vice President and congressional leaders, and disrupted the peaceful transfer of power for the first time in our nation’s history,” Ron Fein, Legal Director at Free Speech For People, said in a press statement.

          The advocacy group also filed a suit in Illinois on Thursday with Illinois co-counsel Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym and election lawyer Ed Mullen.

          “Our country faces a crisis in Trump’s bid for reelection. We cannot let a candidate who revels in undermining the rule of law continue his candidacy in clear violation of a constitutional mandate. In Illinois, the electoral board has a mandatory duty to keep disqualified candidates off the ballot. As the growing consensus of legal decisions show, Trump engaged in insurrection; he cannot run for president,” attorney Caryn Lederer said in a press statement announcing the efforts in Illinois.

          Free Speech For People has also filed lawsuits on behalf of voters in Minnesota, Michigan, and Oregon. 

          Trump is appealing decisions in Colorado and Maine that are keeping him off the ballot.

          Stefanik Withdraws Endorsement Over Republican’s Anti-Trump Comments

            By
            Madeleine Jackson
            -
            2
            Elise Stefanik with Donald Trump via Wikimedia Commons

            House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik was the bearer of bad news this week.

            Stefanik (N.Y.) announced she is revoking her endorsement of former Ohio state lawmaker Crag Riedel’s bid for Congress over his reported criticism of former President Trump.

            “Earlier this week, I informed Craig Riedel (OH-09) that I will be withdrawing my endorsement. I was very disappointed in his inappropriate comments regarding President Trump, Stefanik wrote Thursday in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “As we begin 2024, my focus is on ensuring we nominate the strongest candidates on the ballot who are committed to electing President Trump this November and expanding our House GOP Majority.”

            Riedel came under fire last month after leaked audio showed the Ohio lawmaker was not interested in Trump’s support.

            In the audio, first obtained by the Charlie Kirk Show, Riedel was asked, “You’re not looking for a Trump endorsement, are you?” 

            “I’m not. We are not. Nope,” Riedel said.

            When asked if he is “making it a point that you don’t want Trump’s endorsement,” Riedel could be heard answering “yep.”

            He later goes on to say he dislikes the way Trump communicates and “calls peoples names,” and called the former president “arrogant.”

            However, despite Riedel’s private comments he later chose to endorse Trump and touted his record.

            Trump Legal Team Requests Judge Hold Jack Smith In Contempt

            By
            admin
            -
            3
            Image via Gage Skidmore Flickr

            Donald Trump’s legal team have asked Judge Tanya Chutkan to hold Special Counsel Jack Smith in contempt of court for continuing to submit filings following Chutkan’s stay order.

            Trump’s attorneys accuse Smith’s office of ignoring Chutkan’s ruling and want to block further filings with the federal election interference case on hold while Trump appeals a court ruling that struck down his presidential immunity defense.

            Smith recently requested the court limit Trump’s trial arguments.

            As Bloomberg reports:

            In a filing Thursday in Washington, Trump’s lawyers argued that Smith and his team wrongfully ignored a stay of the case by continuing to file new motions and serve thousands of pages of evidence on the defense during his appeal. Trump asked US District Judge Tanya Chutkan to order Smith to explain why he shouldn’t be held in contempt and sanctioned by the court.

            “The prosecutors have cast these hallowed mandates aside to score cheap political points against President Trump on behalf of the Biden Campaign,” Trump’s lawyers said in the filing. “In so doing, the prosecutors have repeatedly and willfully disregarded the Court’s explicit instructions.”

            The government has said in recent court filings that it would continue to meet some deadlines to ensure that the trial “proceeds promptly” if Trump’s appeal fails.

            Smith’s office declined to comment on Trump’s latest filing.

            The case is one of four Trump hopes to overcome in his third bid for the White House.

            This article was republished with permission from American Liberty News.

            1...114115116...236Page 115 of 236
            © Great America News Desk 2022