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Authorities Apprehend Suspect In Trump Campaign Office Burglary

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Arrest image via Pixabay

A suspect accused of breaking into a Donald Trump campaign office outside of Washington, D.C. has been arrested, according to reports.

Toby Shane Kessler, 39, was detained on Saturday by the University of California, San Francisco Police Department for squatting in a campus dorm, the Loudoun County sheriff’s office said in a release on Thursday. 

Kessler was allegedly behind the break-in at a Trump campaign office in Ashburn, Va., in August. He broke in through the back door of the office and spent a “brief” period of time there before exiting, according to the Loudoun County sheriff’s office. 

The office is also used as the Virginia 10th District Republican Committee’s headquarters.

The sheriff’s office said that Kessler faces burglary charges, though law enforcement did not say if he took anything from the office. 

“It is rare to have the office of any political campaign or party broken into,” Sheriff Mike Chapman said at the time the incident took place. “We are determined to identify the suspect, investigate why it happened, and determine what may have been taken as well as what may have been left behind.”

In mid-August, the Loudoun County sheriff’s office said Kessler has a “history of criminal behavior and appears to have been in the Washington metropolitan area at least since 2018.” 

Trump has not commented on the arrest.

YMCA Singer Defends Trump’s Use Of Song – Floats Potential Inauguration Performance

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Gage Skidmore Flickr

Victor Willis, a founding member of the Village People and co-writer of the popular “Y.M.C.A.” disco song defended President-elect Donald Trump’s use of the song and rebuked claims the song is a “gay anthem.”

The 73-year-old songwriter wrote a lengthy Facebook post explaining that the popular song was based on his perception of the organization, saying he “knew nothing about the Y being a hang out for gays.” Y.M.C.A. is an acronym for the Young Men’s Christian Association nonprofit.

“When I say, ‘hang out with all the boys’ that is simply 1970s black slang for black guys hanging-out together for sports, gambling or whatever. There’s nothing gay about that,” he said of the lyrics.

Willis added that even though some members of Village People were gay, “Y.M.C.A” was not meant to be about sexuality, and people should get their “minds out of the gutter.”The singer went on to say those assumptions are “damaging to the song” and that starting next year, he and his wife will sue any news outlet that refers to “Y.M.C.A.” as a gay anthem.

Willis said he has received “over a thousand complaints” about the use of “Y.M.C.A” at Trump’s campaign rallies. Trump started using the song on the campaign trail in 2020.

The songwriter added that while getting all the complaints was a “nuisance,” he eventually realized the benefit of Trump using the song and reviving its popularity more than four decades after its release. 

“For example, Y.M.C.A. was stuck at #2 on the Billboard chart prior to the President Elect’s use. However, the song finally made it to #1 on a Billboard chart after over 45 years (and held on to #1 for two weeks) due to the President Elect’s use,” Willis wrote, saying, “the financial benefits have been great.”

“I decided to allow the president-elect’s continued use of YMCA because he seems to genuinely, genuinely like the song and so many other artists were stopping him from using their music,” Willis said on Fox News.

Willis told Fox News the Village People likely would decline to perform at Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony but given the President-elect’s role in reviving the 1978 song’s popularity.

“If you were to ask me today if the Village People would perform at the inauguration, I would probably say not because we’d be concerned about endorsement.”

“However, because the president-elect has done so much for YMCA and brought so much joy to so many people, the song has actually gone back to No. 1, and it’s still No. 1 today, so if he were to ask the Village People to perform the song live for him, we’d have to seriously consider it.”

Fani Willis Ordered To Hand Over All Communications With Special Counsel Jack Smith

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She has five days…

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has been ordered to hand over all records related to her communications with special counsel Jack Smith and the House January 6 Committee.

The Georgia prosecutor is leading a controversial RICO case against now-President-elect Donald Trump and several of his top associates for alleged election interference. The case is currently frozen and Trump filed a motion to dismiss the criminal charges on Wednesday.

The Daily Wire reports:

Willis’ office claimed in March that it did not have any documents on file or communications with Smith or the J6 Committee, Fox noted. However, the claim was untrue, and the office did have such communication.

Daily Wire reporter Luke Rosiak in October revealed Nathan Wade – Willis’ romantic partner, whom she hired as special prosecutor in the Trump case – had extensive communications with the Biden White House, according to records.

Wade billed the Fulton County office for hours of meetings with the White House, the congressional January 6 committee, and other D.C. officials, according to records obtained by the House Judiciary Committee.

On November 18, 2022, he billed eight hours for “Interview with DC/White House,” but under oath, he claimed he didn’t remember the meeting and couldn’t even say whether it was online or in person. Between September 7 and September 9, 2022, Wade billed $6,000 to taxpayers for “Witness Interviews; conf call DC; team meeting,” but couldn’t remember what the D.C. meeting entailed.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney also said in his ruling that Willis violated Georgia’s open records act when she failed to respond to nonprofit Judicial Watch’s lawsuit about the communication.

Judicial Watch filed a suit in March after Willis said she does not have responsive records to the request — the same thing she had told House Republican investigators seeking details about her election interference case brought against President-elect Trump.

Willis had claimed she was not properly served, but McBurney wrote that despite confusion on the court docket initially, the prosecutor “never offered up a meritorious defense.”

She is ordered to produce any relevant records and pay attorney fees.

Trump Moves To Quash Georgia Case After Massive Election Win

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On Wednesday, President-elect Donald Trump moved to throw out his criminal election charges in Georgia after winning the 2024 election.

The new filing aims to toss Trump’s fourth and final criminal case, which accuses him of entering a months-long unlawful conspiracy to overturn President Biden’s 2020 victory in Georgia.  

“Accordingly, well before the inauguration of President Trump, this Court should inquire into its jurisdiction to continue to hear this appeal,” wrote Steve Sadow, Trump’s lead attorney in Georgia, in the filing. 

“That inquiry should result in this Court deciding that both this Court and the trial court lack jurisdiction to entertain any further criminal process against President Trump as the continued indictment and prosecution of President Trump by the State of Georgia are unconstitutional,” Sadow continued. “President Trump respectfully submits that upon reaching that decision, this Court should dismiss his appeal for lack of jurisdiction with directions to the trial court to immediately dismiss the indictment against President Trump.” 

The Georgia case has not yet reached trial and has been raised for months as an appeals court takes up Trump’s argument that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) should be disqualified over her romance with a top prosecutor on the case who was forced to step aside. 

Trump was charged in the case alongside more than a dozen of his allies, who could still face trial even if his charges are dismissed.

After securing the presidency Trump’s two federal indictments were also tossed out.

Trump’s filing comes hours after one of his co-defendants who pleaded guilty, Kenneth Chesebro, filed court documents seeking to invalidate his plea deal struck in October of last year.

Kash Patel Threatens To Sue Ex-Pence Aide

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Image via gage Skidmore Flickr

The gloves are off…

Kash Patel’s legal team threatened Wednesday to sue a former aide to Mike Pence who claimed he was unfit to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Over the weekend, President-elect Donald Trump announced Patel would replace current FBI Director Christopher Wray for his incoming administration.

“Today, Kash Patel sent a letter to my counsel @MarkSZaidEsq – threatening legal action & demanding that I retract my comments on MSNBC about his unfitness to serve as FBI Director,” Troye wrote on X. “This aligns with his threats against the media & political opponents, revealing how he might conduct himself if confirmed in the role.”

She added, “I stand by my statements—my priority remains the safety & security of the American people. I am not the only one who has expressed concerns about him. So why me? And so it begins.”

On Monday, Troye claimed during an MSNBC interview that Patel would “lie about intelligence” while serving in the Department of Defense during Trump’s first term. A lawyer representing Patel told Troye her comments were “defamatory” and demanded she retract them via a public statement on X “within five business days of receipt of this letter.”

“Unless this step is taken, Mr. Patel will take swift legal action to uphold his rights and reputation,” wrote Patel’s attorney Jesse Binnall.

Republican Senator Calls On Trump Nominee To Quit Drinking

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    By Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America - Pete Hegseth, CC BY-SA 2.0

    North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer (R) called on President-elect Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense to stop drinking amid concerning reports.

    The New Yorker reported on Sunday that Hegseth was forced to step down by two nonprofit advocacy groups he ran due to mismanagement of funds, sexual impropriety and excessive drinking. NBC News reported on Tuesday that Hegseth’s drinking also worried colleagues at Fox News, where he was a weekend host until earlier this month. 

    “One of the things I’d love to hear is that he’s committed to not drinking,” Cramer told CNN on Wednesday. “Being familiar with the problems of alcoholism and the dumb things we do when we drink too much, it’d be really nice if he could set that one aside for good, if not at least through his term as secretary.”

    Cramer’s comments come as Hegseth faces an uphill battle toward Senate confirmation for the top post at the Pentagon.

    Hegseth was set to meet with Sens. Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), and Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) on Tuesday and traveled again to Capitol Hill on Wednesday.

    Sources close to the President-elect informed The Wall Street Journal that he’s considering nominating Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to replace Hegseth if he can’t gather the support for confirmation. (RELATED: Trump Signals Plan To Nominate DeSantis For Admin. Role)

    Trump FBI Nominee Targeted By Iranian Hackers

    Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Ramón Colón-López and the chief of staff to Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller, Kash Patel, arrive at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Jan. 14, 2021. (DoD photo by Lisa Ferdinando)

    President-elect Donald Trump’s FBI director pick, Kash Patel, was the target of an Iranian hacking plot.

    Sources close to the matter informed CNN that the hackers successfully accessed some of Patel’s communications.

    Hackers reportedly accessed some of Patel’s communications, according to one source. Patel, a former chief of staff to the defense secretary during Trump’s first term, has been a vocal critic of Iran and an advocate for aggressive measures against the regime.

    While refraining from addressing the specifics of the incident, Trump transition spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer framed Patel’s leadership as integral to the incoming administration’s security policies.

    “Kash Patel was a key part of the first Trump administration’s efforts against the terrorist Iranian regime and will implement President Trump’s policies to protect America from adversaries as the FBI Director,” Pfeiffer told the network.

    Patel is only the latest to be targeted in the foreign hacking plot. Iranian and Chinese actors have reportedly ramped up efforts to infiltrate the communications of those close to the President-elect.

    Last month, the FBI informed Todd Blanche, Trump’s lead attorney and nominee for deputy attorney general, that Chinese hackers had tapped his cellphone, sources confirmed. 

    Trump Signals Plan To Nominate DeSantis For Admin. Role

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    President-elect Donald Trump is considering nominating Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida as defense secretary to replace Pete Hegseth, Trump’s current pick to steer the Pentagon, multiple sources confirm to Fox News.

    The popular conservative governor, a Navy veteran who served in the Iraq war, was re-elected in a landslide in 2022 but is term-limited and cannot run for re-election in 2026.

    DeSantis is “very much” in contention to replace Hegseth, multiple sources told Fox News.

    One source added that it was the president-elect himself who floated the governor’s name, and that Trump and DeSantis discussed the idea as they met Tuesday while appearing together in Florida at a memorial service for fallen law enforcement officers in Palm Beach County.

    The suggestion which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal comes as Hegseth returns to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to continue meeting with Republican senators as he makes his case for confirmation as defense secretary.

    Hegseth, an Army National Guard officer who deployed to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and who previously was a Fox News host, is facing a series of drinking and sexual misconduct allegations. 

    Hegseth has denied the allegations and has vowed to keep fighting for his confirmation.

    If Trump moves ahead and nominates DeSantis and the governor is confirmed by the GOP-controlled Senate next year, it would lead to the ascension of Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez. She would make history as Florida’s first female governor – and the first of Cuban descent.

    Trump DEA Nominee Withdraws From Consideration

    By Petty Officer 2nd Class Robert Simpson - https://www.dvidshub.net/image/1011806/coast-guard-cutter-dependable-drug-bust, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=127998859

    Another one bites the dust…

    President-elect Trump’s choice to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced on Tuesday he is withdrawing from consideration.

    Florida’s Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a post on X Tuesday evening that he would instead tend to his current duties overseeing an area of the Sunshine State that includes Tampa Bay.

    “Over the past several days, as the gravity of this very important responsibility set in, I’ve concluded that I must respectfully withdraw from consideration,” Chronister said.

    “There is more work to be done for the citizens of Hillsborough County and a lot of initiatives I am committed to fulfilling,” Chronister continued. “I sincerely appreciate the nomination, outpouring of support by the American people, and look forward to continuing my service as Sheriff of Hillsborough County.”

    Trump just announced Chronister as his choice to lead the DEA in a Truth Social post on Saturday, tapping the local sheriff to take charge of the agency tasked with seizing illegal substances ranging from fentanyl to other opioids.

    “I am pleased to nominate Sheriff Chad Chronister for Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA),” Trump wrote.

    “For over 32 years, Sheriff Chad Chronister has served the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and received countless commendations and awards for keeping his community SAFE,” Trump added.

    Chronister marks the second nominee to withdraw from consideration after former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration to be the next U.S. attorney general.

    Fox News Contributor Dead After Battle With Cancer

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    Looking east towards 6th Avenue along north (48th Street) side of Fox News building on a snowy afternoon. [Photo Credit: Jim.henderson, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons]

    Fox News contributor and doctor Kelly Powers has died after a long battle with cancer.

    Powers was first diagnosed with brain cancer after facing a series of health complications in 2020, and went into remission before the deadly illness returned this year.

    She was a regular on the Fox News talk show Red Eye, and made appearances on Fox Business where she led segments on health risks facing Americans.

    Powers was educated at the New York College of Podiatric Medicine and did her residency at the Boston University School Of Medicine.

    After years of helping patients, Powers became one herself while hosting a Fox News segment about heart health when she began to experience shortness of breath and chest pains.

    “It’s crazy – I went into heart failure while doing a report on Fox Business – live – on heart health and talking about the subtle signs that women often miss. You can’t make this up,” she told Preferred Health Magazine in an interview after her first diagnosis.

    She battled through that ailment, only to discover she had the aggressive brain cancer glioblastoma a short time later.

    After three surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation, she managed to beat the cancer back — all while becoming pregnant and giving birth to a boy, Bennett, according to a GoFundMe.

    When her cancer returned in 2024, friends raised nearly $100,000 to help pay for an experimental treatment that insurance wouldn’t cover.

    Powers is survived by Bennett, 3, and her husband, Steve. She was 45 years old.