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New York Attorney General Sues Trump

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

New York attorney general Letitia James has filed a lawsuit against former president Trump and three of his children, alleging business fraud.

The move by James’ office comes on the heels of a years-long civil investigation into the Trump family’s real estate business, the Trump Organization. The investigation has 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.

The lawsuit also targets Trump’s three adult children: Eric, Ivanka, and Donald Jr. who have all held senior executives at the Trump Organization.

The New York AG’s lawsuit comes after she rejected an offer from the former president’s legal team to settle the civil investigation into his business.

If the case goes to trial and Trump loses, a judge could potentially impose financial penalties and restrict the former president’s business operations in New York — all potentially in the midst of a 2024 presidential campaign that he is expected to join.

It is possible that James, as part of her lawsuit, could seek to curtail Trump’s Manhattan real estate portfolio, though she has given mixed signals publicly about what sort of punishment she will seek to impose.

Trump has long dismissed the investigation as a “phony years-long crusade” against him and criticized James for the inquiry.

“Today’s filing is neither focused on the facts nor the law — rather, it is solely focused on advancing the Attorney General’s political agenda,” Alina Habba, a Trump attorney who has represented the former president in New York-based and Trump Organization litigation. “It is abundantly clear that the Attorney General’s Office has exceeded its statutory authority by prying into transactions where absolutely no wrongdoing has taken place. We are confident that our judicial system will not stand for this unchecked abuse of authority, and we look forward to defending our client against each and every one of the Attorney General’s meritless claims.”

This story is developing. Stay with Great America’s News Desk for the latest updates.

Judge Rules Mike Lindell Must Face Defamation Trial

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Mike Lindell via Gage Skidmore Flickr

On Tuesday, a federal judge ruled longtime Trump defender and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell must a defamation lawsuit brought by voting company Smartmatic.

U.S. District Judge Wilhelmina Wright denied Lindell’s motion to dismiss Smartmatic’s case against him after the company sued the businessman for defamation after spreading false claims the company rigged the 2020 presidential election for Democrat Joe Biden, according to MSN.

“Construing the facts in the light most favorable to Smartmatic, the Court concludes that Smartmatic has alleged facts sufficient to suggest that Lindell knew or should have known that his statements were false and acted with actual malice in promoting the challenged statements,” Wright wrote.

The judge also found that Smartmatic made a plausible case that Lindell harmed its reputation.

“Smartmatic also alleges that, as a result of Lindell’s defamatory remarks, Smartmatic’s officers and employees have been threatened and the company has expended over one million dollars on public relations, crisis management, cybersecurity, and employee retention and recruitment efforts. Smartmatic alleges that its business depends on its reputation for safety, accuracy and auditability, and that Lindell’s defamatory statements have tarnished Smartmatic’s reputation,” the order notes.

“Smartmatic also alleges that Lindell made and promoted his defamatory statements for his own profit,” Wright, wrote in her ruling. “For example, Smartmatic alleges that on several occasions Lindell told audiences to purchase MyPillow products after making claims of election fraud and supplying audiences with MyPillow promotional codes related to Lindell’s election-hacking theories.”

MyPillow argued that it couldn’t be held liable for Lindell’s statements however the judge also shot down that argument.

“Lindell, the CEO of MyPillow, intentionally promoted MyPillow while allegedly defaming Smartmatic in media and other public appearances,” the order states. “Lindell used the MyPillow logo during media appearances in which he allegedly defamed Smartmatic. During these appearances, Lindell promoted the MyPillow business and provided audiences with promotional codes to use when buying MyPillow products. The MyPillow promotional codes Lindell relayed to audiences used words and phrases that correlated to Lindell’s allegedly defamatory statements.”

Lindell is also facing a similar lawsuit from a separate voting machine company, Dominion Voting Systems.

One America News Founder Donates $20,000 to DeSantis Campaign

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Ron DeSantis via Gage Skidmore Flickr

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis just received a hefty donation from none other than One America News Network owner Robert Herring.

Herring reportedly donated $20,000 to a political action committee backing DeSantis’s gubernatorial re-election. However, the donation raises special concerns considering DeSantis has been named an early favorite to be the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential nominee, possibly teeing up a battle against Donald Trump.

According to Mediaite, The Daily Beast’s Justin Baragona initially reported the donation, citing “election filings shared with Confider by the liberal American Bridge 21st Century PAC,” that went to Friends of Ron DeSantis PAC this month.

“The donation is especially notable considering OAN and Herring’s unyielding loyalty to [Donald] Trump and the many ways in which the former president has quietly stewed over the emergence of DeSantis as a wannabe heir to the MAGA throne,” noted The Daily Beast.

However, Herring defended his donation to the Florida Governor.

“It means that we support DeSantis as a vice President,” he told the Beast. “I believe that President Trump was the greatest President in My eighty years.”

Trump repeatedly praised OANN’s coverage of the 2020 presidential election and frequently pressed supporters to switch from Fox News to the more conservative network. While OANN experienced record-high viewership throughout the 2020 election the network has struggled to maintain its presence on cable.

Amanda Head: Liberal Elitists Panic Over Strangers Near Their Mansions

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    Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made headlines last week after 50 migrants were flown to the liberal elite hotspot Martha’s Vineyard. Despite Massachusetts being a sanctuary state it wasn’t 48 hours before a “humanitarian crisis” was declared and the National Guard was activated to resolve the issue and transport the migrants to a Cape Cod naval base.

    For reference below is a photo of former President Barack Obama’s 10-room vacation home on the island.

    Aerial view of Barack Obama’s Martha’s Vineyard residence.

    Watch what Amanda has to say about the ongoing border crisis below.

    Amanda Head: Venezuelan Regime Deploys Spies Just like the U.S.

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    Amanda Head dives into the ongoing controversy between the United Socialist Party of Venezuela and Latin-American artist Luis Fonzi while highlighting a grim comparison to America’s own intelligence community.

    Watch Amanda break it down below.

    This Democrat Governor is Planning to Run for President in 2024 Under One Condition

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    Casa Rosada (Argentina Presidency of the Nation), CC BY 2.5 AR via Wikimedia Commons

    Democrats are chomping at the bit to announce their campaign for president but there seems to be one obstacle, President Joe Biden.

    Biden, who is currently the oldest president in history, will be 81 years old when the next election occurs and some Democrats say he isn’t the best candidate to lead the country or stand a chance of defeating Trump who has all-but-confirmed his own 2024 plans. (RELATED: New Report Indicates Trump Will Postpone 2024 Campaign Announcement)

    One Democrat desperately vying for the presidency is none other than California Governor Gavin Newsom. According to sources close to the politician, Newsom is “absolutely” planning to run for president in 2024 if Biden opts out.

    According to The Washington Examiner:

    “After this midterm election is over, he absolutely is going to announce that he is running for the presidency once Biden announces that he is not running,” a top California fundraiser close to the Newsom family told the Wrap. “No ifs, ands or buts. He will run if Biden does not.”

    Governor Newsom’s political ambitions have been the subject of scrutiny over the past few months as he has sought to distinguish himself early on as a presidential contender by meeting with prominent donors, sparring with Republican lawmakers, and calling out his party’s inaction on hot-button issues like abortion and climate change.

    One of the Wrap’s sources, a Los Angeles philanthropist who backed Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential bid in 2020 and supported her during her time as district attorney in San Francisco, said some in the party have questioned whether she will be the automatic forerunner if Biden chooses to step aside.

    “There’s going to be a ton of people coming out against Kamala if Biden doesn’t run,” the source said.

    President Biden recently called his own 2024 campaign into question during an interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes” when he declined to say if he absolutely planned to run for a second term.

    “In terms of election laws,” Biden said, “it’s much too early to make that kind of decision.”

    “Look, my intention, as I said to begin with, is that I would run again,” Biden responded to CBS anchor Scott Pelley. “But it’s just an intention. But is it a firm decision that I run again? That remains to be seen.”

    Obama Reveals The Small Issue That Will Keep Pete Buttigieg from the Presidency

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    The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    A new book reveals why former President Barack Obama says former South Bend mayor-turned Biden cabinet member, Pete Buttigieg will not make it to the White House. The former commander in chief who still holds a celebrity-like presence among Democrats says Buttigieg’s height is a big problem.

    According to The Washington Free Beacon:

    “Obama had actually been impressed by the brains, charisma, and chutzpah of the thirty-something mayor of a small midwestern city,” writes New York magazine correspondent Gabriel Debenedetti in The Long Alliance. “Obama just doubted it would all add up to viability in a presidential campaign where image and fame mattered immensely—he thought Buttigieg was too short and, as a former volunteer for Obama in 2008, seemed too young—and where such a large field would make breaking through that much harder.”

    Trump wasted no time calling attention to Mr. Buttigieg’s height during the 2020 election, spurring tons of memes and viral reactions on Twitter to the mayor’s short stature.

    Every single commander in chief since William McKinley (1897-1901) has been at least 5 foot 9 inches tall. It’s never going to happen, but height isn’t the only reason. Debenedetti also notes that Obama was rightfully “turned off by Buttigieg’s apparent inability to win over nonwhite voters” in the Democratic primary.

    Biden was similarly impressed by Buttigieg’s “gay Obama” schtick but “also thought everyone was kidding themselves” about his viability as a candidate. “The guy had gotten destroyed in the piddling race for DNC chair in 2017, so how was he going to be the party’s presidential nominee?” Debenedetti writes of Biden’s thinking at the time. The former VP was particularly annoyed when a bunch of former Obama staffers started lining up behind Buttigieg and Beto O’Rourke, another candidate with no shot at winning. “You believe this shit?” Biden would often vent to aides and associates.

    Of course, Obama didn’t even want Biden to run in 2020 (or 2016). “You don’t have to do this, Joe, you really don’t,” he reportedly told his former vice president before Biden declared his candidacy. As the Democratic primary wore on, Obama tried to warn his fellow Democrats not to “underestimate Joe’s ability to fuck things up.”

    There have already been some rumors Buttigieg may seriously be considering making another run for president in the near future, however without the support of past presidents like Obama it’s doubtful he would be successful enough to gain the party’s nomination.

    Amanda Head: Kanye West Puts America First

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    Kanye West has become one of the most polarizing figures in Hollywood but no matter how you feel about him there is one thing that nobody can dispute, Mr. West always puts America first.

    Watch Amanda Head break down Kanye’s latest feud below:

    Federal Judge Grants Trump’s Special Master Request, Rejects DOJ’s Demands

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    Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

    Thursday evening, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon officially appointed a special master to review the thousands of pages of materials seized by the FBI during its August raid of former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence.

    Judge Cannon also rejected the Justice Department’s demand she permits federal investigators continue their own probe into the records marked classified, according to POLITICO. In her ruling, Cannon rejected the DOJ’s claims that records they are trying to review as part of an ongoing criminal investigation remain highly classified or contain extraordinarily sensitive defense information that could damage national security if released.

    “The Court does not find it appropriate to accept the Government’s conclusions on these important and disputed issues without further review by a neutral third party in an expedited and orderly fashion,” Cannon, a Trump appointee, wrote in her 10-page ruling denying the Justice Department’s request to essentially exclude about 100 documents marked classified from the special master process.

    Judge Cannon selected Raymond Dearie a former federal judge in New York, to lead the independent investigation. Earlier this week, Trump’s legal team named Dearie as one of its proposed judges to oversee the case. In a separate filing, the Justice Department also named Dearie as one of its pre-approved candidates. (Related: DOJ Signals Support for Trump-selected Special Master Candidate)

    Dearie is a former chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York who also served on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. He was also among the FISA judges who signed an order approving electronic surveillance of Carter Page, a former Trump aide, as part of the FBI’s investigation into whether the 2016 Trump campaign colluded with Russia.

    Dearie accepted the role in a signed filing Thursday night.

    Judge Cannon pressed him to complete the review by Nov. 30th, over a month after the Oct. 17 deadline the Justice Department had most recently asked Cannon to set. Cannon also requested the special master “prioritize review of the approximately 100 documents marked as classified (and papers physically attached thereto).”

    However, the Justice Department was able to secure two wins over the former president. In Judge Cannon’s ruling, she ordered Trump to shoulder the full cost of Dearie’s review, as well as that for any staff or associates he hires.

    The judge also offered clarification on how the DOJ might continue its criminal investigation while the documents are reviewed by the special master, such as “questioning witnesses and obtaining other information about the movement and storage of seized materials, including documents marked as classified, without discussion of their contents.”

    “The Government’s submissions, read collectively, do not firmly maintain that the described processes are inextricably intertwined, and instead rely heavily on hypothetical scenarios and generalized explanations that do not establish irreparable injury,” she wrote.

    “There has been no actual suggestion by the Government of any identifiable emergency or imminent disclosure of classified information arising from Plaintiff’s allegedly unlawful retention of the seized property,” Cannon wrote. “Instead, and unfortunately, the unwarranted disclosures that float in the background have been leaks to the media after the underlying seizure.”

    Trump Says Legal Battles Will Not Deter 2024

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    Former President of the United States Donald Trump speaking with attendees at the 2022 Student Action Summit at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Florida. [Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons]

    Despite Trump facing a heap of legal battles, the former president says nothing will cause him to waver from his 2024 plans.

    During an appearance with radio host Hugh Hewitt, the 45th president remarked that despite the ongoing legal woes he doesn’t expect an indictment, according to The Washington Examiner.

    “I can’t imagine being indicted. I’ve done nothing wrong. Look, if you look, you know it better than anybody,” Trump told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt. “Everything was declassified.”

    Hewitt noted “a prosecutor can indict a ham sandwich if they want to” before repeating Trump’s remark that even if he were to be indicted it wouldn’t make him change his mind in regard to 2024.

    Criminal charges do not necessarily preclude running for the presidency, however, Trump predicted the country would likely react negatively to an indictment.

    “If a thing like that happened, I would have no prohibition against running,” Trump added. “It would not. But I think if it happened, I think you’d have problems in this country the likes of which perhaps we’ve never seen before.”

    “I think they’d have big problems, big problems. I just don’t think they’d stand for it. They will not, they will not sit still and stand for this ultimate of hoaxes,” the former president replied. “I don’t think the people of this country would stand for it, especially since they know, especially since they know I’m totally innocent.”

    Trump has insisted the documents taken from Mar-a-Lago during the FBI’s infamous raid last month were declassified but some legal experts have cast doubt on Trump’s claim.

    Trump has repeatedly hinted at launching a third presidential campaign and says now the last remaining detail is exactly when he will make the announcement.