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New House Subcommittee Takes Aim at ‘Weaponized’ Federal Agencies

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Joe Biden via Gage Skidmore Flickr

ANALYSIS – LONG OVERDUE – The new Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government will soon be investigating federal agencies that have abused their power and violated Americans’ rights.

The spotlight should be especially focused on those federal agencies in the law enforcement and intelligence arenas. 

As I have repeatedly argued, this subcommittee is long overdue and badly needed, as the always growing behemoth that is our federal government has in recent years been fully weaponized for partisan gain and abused citizens of all stripes.

The active partisan involvement by the FBI in helping cover up Hunter Biden’s laptop, along with current and retired senior officials in the intelligence community working to discredit the laptop, should be front and center of these investigations.

As should the entire Hillary Clinton campaign contrived Trump-Russia-collusion hoax.

More recently, new bombshells of this vast federal overreach and abuse have been dropped by Elon Musk’s ‘Twitter Files’ expose’.

These files show a deep unconstitutional collusion between the FBI and a multitude of federal agencies and Big Tech, especially Twitter to censor and block online content posted and read by millions of Americans.

This illegal activity violating Americans’ first amendment rights is also a huge concern.

According to The Epoch Times:

For now, the subcommittee will specifically look at abuses by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI, the legality of vaccine mandates, disinformation about conservative-sponsored election security laws, and censorship by big tech firms under government pressure, according to subcommittee members.

While created by Republicans the new select subcommittee has a broad mandate. It will be chaired by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).

Since its creation, some Democrats have called the panel a Republican ploy to deflect from ongoing investigations into the Jan. 6 Capitol breach and former President Donald Trump.

On January 10, Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) using every leftist talking point and incendiary partisan term he could muster, called it “nothing more than a deranged ploy by the MAGA extremists who have hijacked the party and want to use taxpayer money to push their far-right conspiracy nonsense.”

Republican subcommittee members dismissed these allegations, with one congressman saying that this vast federal overreach which they will be investigating represents “the signature abuse of power of our time,” in much the same way Watergate defined another era.

ET adds:

The new panel will examine how these abuses happened, how to correct them, and how to make sure the abuses won’t happen again, subcommittee member Rep. Mike Johnson told The Epoch Times.

“Since the beginning of the Biden administration, some federal agencies designed to serve and keep Americans safe have instead been turned against them,” he said.

“This fact is beyond dispute. The Biden Administration has used counterterrorism resources against the parents of school children, raided the homes of political opponents, targeted conservative states over their election integrity laws, inflated domestic extremism statistics, and instituted illegal vaccine mandates, just to name a handful of examples,” he added.

However, the members emphasized that the subcommittee won’t be limited to investigating specific abuses, like the Russian collusion hoax or specific agencies.

“We have a very broad charter. We’re not limited to [investigating the] DOJ and FBI,” said Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.).

That is a good thing, because the abuse and corruption at our federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies extends far beyond the DOJ and the FBI.

Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of Great America News Desk.

Trump in Hot Water Again After Posing with Infamous Philly Mob Boss

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    Trump is facing criticism after a photo emerged of him with the infamous Philadelphia mon boss, Joseph “Skinny Joey” Merlino.

    Trump posed for the photo obtained by The Philadelphia Inquirer with Merlino earlier this month at Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach. The two, along with an unidentified third man, flash Trump’s customary “thumbs-up” hand signs and smiles while wearing golfing attire.

    “President Trump takes countless photos with people. That does not mean he knows every single person he comes in contact with,” said a Trump spokesperson after The Inquirer shared a copy of the photo with his campaign.

    Merlino was convicted in 2001 in a racketeering case and served a decade in federal prison and is known for connections to mob with operations in Philadelphia and Atlantic City. After his release, he relocated to Boca Raton, Florida before being arrested again in 2018 on a gambling-related charge.

    Trump has recently come under fire for his contact with controversial public figures like Kanye West and Nick Fuentes.

    Last year Trump hosted a dinner while the rapper also known as Ye was in the middle of his anti-Semitic, pro-Nazi meltdown. West was also accompanied by Nick Fuentes, one of the most infamous white nationalists and Holocaust deniers in the country. Trump has asserted that he was unaware Fuentes would be attending the dinner.

    Paul Pelosi Hammer Attack Footage Released

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    Image via Pixabay images

    Police have released the footage of a hammer-wielding intruder attacking former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband in their San Fransisco home.

    The footage disclosure follows San Francisco Superior Court Judge Stephen M. Murphy’s ruling yesterday over prosecutors’ objections.

    Beware the video shows graphic and violent content.

    According to a sworn affidavit, David DePape broke into the Pelosis’ San Francisco estate shouting, “Where is Nancy?” DePape said he intended to break Pelosi’s kneecaps if she didn’t comply with his instructions.

    However, the House speaker had flown to Washington.

    Instead, DePape encountered her husband, Paul Pelosi, 82.

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

    Biden Pentagon ‘Diversity’ Push is Part of Radical Leftist Agenda, Harms US Warfighting

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    Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III speaks during the 2023 U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee meeting co-hosted with Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken hosting Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa and Japanese Defense Minister Hamada Yasukazu, at the Department of State. Washington, D.C., Jan 11, 2023. (DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jack Sanders)

    ANALYSIS – The ‘Woke Wars’ at the Pentagon will be heating up now that Republicans have taken over the House of Representatives, but few know how bad the problem is.

    And what exactly do we mean by ‘woke.’

    Well, to me, woke is a catchall term invented by the left to describe a full spectrum of leftist and socialist agendas. Among them are diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), better described as DIE.

    DIE includes Critical Race Theory (CRT), anti-white racism, extreme feminism as well as the radical transgender agenda. 

    All flow from the Frankfurt School of modern socialism and intend to radically transform our institutions and society along socialist lines.

    Not only are these policies wrong, but in many cases, they are illegal and unconstitutional; they simply codify reverse discrimination and racism in violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.

    Many of these concepts have thoroughly infected our colleges and universities and are being pushed down to even our high schools and grammar schools.

    Some of this goes back to the 1980s, but most recently they have been pushed hard at the Pentagon by hardcore leftists with Team Clinton, Team Obama and now the same radicals with Team Biden.

    This aggressive push for ‘diversity’ and the obsession with race totally undermines our military culture, where our troops are supposed to think less about our differences, not more.

    As Michael Washburn of The Epoch Times writes:

    The U.S. military’s increased push for diversity and inclusion, as reflected in the far-reaching National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) signed by President Joe Biden on Dec. 23, 2022, aims to remake the military’s culture and ethos along the same lines as left-wing policies that have been put to use at elite colleges and other areas of the private sphere, defense experts say.

    While efforts to diversify the armed forces along racial and gender lines at the expense of traditional standards, aren’t new, the NDAA signals dramatically increased civilian input on and oversight of a culture once deemed to be the domain of professional soldiers, the experts told The Epoch Times.

    Provisions of the NDAA that aim to boost diversity are so similar to policies enforced by private institutions, such as Harvard University, that an organization opposing the “woke” agenda in the armed forces, and supporting traditional standards and requirements [Veterans for Fairness and Merit- VFM], has gone so far as to lend its expertise in a lawsuit over Harvard’s admissions policies, in the form of an amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) filing (pdf), obtained by The Epoch Times. The filing argues that diversity and inclusion policies have harmed the military and aren’t a good idea in either the public or private spheres.

    Part of Biden’s NDAA pushes illegal racial preferences in training and recruitment.

    Scott McQuarrie, president of Veterans for Fairness and Merit (VFM), explains how bad this is: “[advocates of diversity] make this assertion that it’s a national security imperative that the military be allowed to use racial preferences in order to meet that high bar. Most people being candid with you would say that’s a very far-fetched argument.”

    “In fact, our military has operated over the last few generations effectively without having to suspend the Constitution. In Bosnia, Panama, the Gulf War, Afghanistan, and Iraq, the military did quite well, and we don’t need to violate the Constitution for the military to execute its mission,” he added.

    The Pentagon’s aggressive push for diversity and inclusion, as reflected in Biden’s far-reaching NDAA signed on Dec. 23, aims to radically transform the military’s culture and ethos along the same lines as left-wing policies that are ruining many colleges, corporations and civilian institutions.

    They can’t be allowed to destroy our military, as they are destroying everything else. The GOP House needs to focus like a laser beam on these issues at the Defense Department, and private groups like VFM need to continue and ramp up their legal battle against DIE.

    This is a war for the soul of our armed forces and our Republic.

    Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of Great America News Desk.

    DeSantis Dives into RNC Leadership Race

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      Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is getting involved in the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) ongoing leadership battle.

      Gov. DeSantis endorsed former Trump campaign adviser and California attorney Harmeet Dhillon in her bid to take the RNC chairmanship away from Ronna McDaniel.

      “I think we need to get some new blood in the RNC,” DeSantis told Charlie Kirk, the founder of conservative Turning Point USA, on Florida’s Voice

      “I like what Harmeet Dhillon has said about getting the RNC out of D.C. Why would you want to have your headquarters in the most Democrat city in America? It’s more Democrat than San Francisco is,” he continued, referencing a letter that Dhillon sent to RNC members about looking into regional offices while keeping their headquarters in Washington.

      The Florida governor referenced the disappointing performance of Republicans in the last three election cycles as the reason for wanting a leadership change at the RNC.

      “We’ve had three substandard election cycles in a row: ‘18, ‘20 and ‘22. And I would say of all three of those, ‘22 was probably the worst. Given the political environment of a very unpopular president in Biden, huge majorities of the people think the country is going in the wrong direction — that is an environment that’s tailor-made to make big gains in the House and the Senate and in state houses all across the country. And yet that didn’t happen,” DeSantis told Kirk.

      DeSantis’s comments come just one day before the RNC committee members will hold a secret ballot vote for several positions, including their chairperson. 

      In addition to McDaniel and Dhillon, the pro-Trump MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell is also running to lead the party.

      Former Top FBI Official Charged with Violating Russia Sanctions

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      Arrest image via Pixabay

      A former top FBI official involved in the investigation of alleged ties between Russia and Donald Trump has been charged with violating U.S. sanctions against Russia.

      Charles McGonigal, who previously worked as the counterintelligence director in the FBI’s New York field office, was arrested for violating U.S. sanctions against Russia over his work with Oleg Deripaska, a sanctioned Russian oligarch.

      McGonigal was charged along with a court interpreter, Sergey Shestakov, who also had ties to Deripaska according to The Hill.

      According to the FBI, McGonigal took money from Deripaska in exchange for investigating a rival Russian oligarch. The indictment also alleges also claims that the duo was actively trying to conceal the identity of Deripaska when negotiating the deal.

      “They both previously worked with Deripaska to attempt to have his sanctions removed, and, as public servants, they should have known better,” U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said in a statement. “This Office will continue to prosecute those who violate U.S. sanctions enacted in response to Russian belligerence in Ukraine in order to line their own pockets”

      The FBI alleges that the two attempted to conceal Deripaska’s involvement by “not directly naming Deripaska in electronic communications, using shell companies as counterparties in the contract that outlined the services to be performed, using a forged signature on that contract, and using the same shell companies to send and receive payments from Deripaska.”

      The two were charged with one count of conspiring to violate and evade U.S. sanctions, in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), one count of violating the IEEPA, one count of conspiring to commit money laundering, and one count of money laundering, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Shestakov is also charged with one count of making false statements, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. 

      After leaving the FBI, McGonigal worked for Deripaska directly, making $42,000 a month.

      Florida Lawmaker Makes Announcement on 2024 Plans

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      Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

      Florida Senator Rick Scott (R) is shutting down speculation of a White House run…at least for 2024.

      On Wednesday, Sen. Scott announced he will seek another term in the Senate in 2024. According to The Hill, the Florida Senator announced his intentions during an appearance in South Florida and also unveiled a list of hires that includes several longtime campaign hands. 

      “I’ve never lost an election and I don’t intend to now,” Scott said in a statement. “We’ve worked hard to turn Florida into a red state that elects Republicans up and down the ballot. But I never take anything for granted.”

      “The people of Florida have elected me three times so far to fight for conservative values, stand up to Joe Biden and the radical, woke Democrats, and bring common-sense to Washington. We’re going to keep fighting to do the things the people of Florida elected me to do.”

      The Senator’s announcement comes after Republicans failed to win back the upper chamber last year, a failure that some blamed on Scott.

      Despite the GOP’s unsuccessful effort to win back the Senate majority, the Florida Senator launched an unsuccessful bid to unseat Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) as Senate minority leader.

      Scott remains a powerful political force in his home state. Prior to winning his Senate seat in 2018, he served two terms as Florida governor. 

      Amanda Head: CNN Stabs Biden!

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      Is the mainstream media finally waking up? Not so fast…

      However, tensions between the press and the Biden administration are definitely heating up after what has been widely regarded as a friendly relationship…

      Let Amanda explain the rising feud below:

      Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of Great America News Desk.

      Trump Ally Says GOP Firebrand is Gunning for Trump VP Slot

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      Marjorie Taylor Greene -Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, via Wikimedia Commons

      Georgia Republican firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene is aiming high.

      According to former White House strategist Stephen Bannon, the Georgia lawmaker is angling herself to potentially be selected as Donald Trump’s choice for Vice President in what is his third pursuit of the White House.

      “This is no shrinking violet, she’s ambitious — she’s not shy about that, nor should she be. … She sees herself on the short list for Trump’s VP,” Bannon told NBC News

      When Greene “looks in the mirror, she sees a potential president smiling back,” Bannon added. 

      An unnamed source in the NBC News piece concurred that Greene’s “whole vision” is to snag the second-in-command slot on Trump’s ticket.  

      The source noted Rep. Greene’s recent efforts to rebrand herself as a politician who has the ability to “stand astride the divide between the party’s hard-liners and its establishment wing” is definitely part of a larger goal.

      Recently, MTG threw herself into the middle of the contentious battle to elect a new Speaker of the House. Bannon told NBC that Rep. Greene’s support of Kevin McCarthy was a calculated risk.

      “She’s both strategic and disciplined — she made a power move, knowing it would run up hard against her most ardent crew,” he said. “She was prepared to take the intense heat/hatred short-term for the long-term goal of being a player.”

      Rep. Greene has made a name for herself in Congress as a far-right firebrand and staunch supporter of the former President. The Republican lawmaker endorsed Trump even before his official 2024 launch.

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

      Georgia DA Teases ‘Imminent’ Charging Decisions in Trump Probe

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      Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

      The Georgia prosecutor in charge of the investigation into former President Donald Trump‘s alleged interference in the 2020 election is seeking to keep the special grand jury’s finding a secret for now.

      On Tuesday, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis argued that the panel’s report which may include recommendations for indictments as well as other information from the special grand jury’s investigative work be kept from the public.

      “We want to make sure that everyone is treated fairly and we think for future defendants to be treated fairly, it is not appropriate at this time to have this report released,” Willis said. She also told the judge, “decisions are imminent.”

      Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney was hearing arguments on whether the report is a presentment and is therefore required to be released under Georgia law because the grand jurors recommended their findings be publicized. In addition to the timing, the judge is expected to consider whether the report should be disclosed publicly in full or with redactions.

      A group of media organizations filed a brief supporting the release of the report. They called it a “matter of profound public interest that goes to the heart of the nation’s democratic forms of government,” according to The Washington Post. An attorney for the media intervenors, Tom Clyde, made arguments in favor of immediate disclosure during the hearing on Tuesday.

      Judge Willis concluded the day’s proceedings and promised to “circle back” on a decision, promising there would be advance notice if he decided in favor of disclosure.

      Trump’s attorneys said in a statement they were not attending the hearing Tuesday, saying Trump was not informed or asked to attend.

      The attorneys, Georgia-based Drew Findling and Marissa Goldberg, added, “We can assume that the grand jury did their job and looked at the facts and the law, as we have, and concluded there were no violations of the law by President Trump.”

      The ongoing investigation in the Peach State after a phone call recording surfaced in which Trump pressed Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” votes, enough to flip the state’s results from Joe Biden.

      Trump has defended the call and has broadly rejected any claims of wrongdoing.