Home Blog Page 29

Homeland Security May Be Forced To Give Up These Hidden Records On The Attempt On Trump’s Life

    By
    Donny Ferguson
    -
    1

    Americans may soon know more on the inexplicable failure of seemingly every security measure in the July 13, 2024 attempt on President Donald Trump’s life, after an ethics watchdog filed a sweeping lawsuit.

    The non-profit public interest law firm Judicial Watch reports it has “filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for records related to security provided for the July 13, 2024, rally in Butler, PA, during which there was an assassination attempt on President Trump (Judicial Watch Inc. v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security (No. 1:25-cv-00704)).”

    “Federal agencies need to come clean on the events that led up to the assassination attempts on President Trump,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “It is now eight months since the first attempt, and the American people have yet to receive any answers under FOIA on the failures of the Biden administration to protect President Trump.”

    Judicial Watch reports the lawsuit was filed “after the agency failed to comply with a July 15, 2024, FOIA request to for:”

    All records, including emails, email chains, email attachments, text messages, video or audio recordings, photographs, outlook calendars, meeting minutes, correspondence, statements, letters, memoranda, reports, briefings, presentations, notes, summaries, requests for assistance, agreements, travel records, receipts, or other form of record, regarding providing support or manpower to President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign rally that was held in Butler, PA, on July 13, 2024.

    Judicial Watch notes the request “specifically sought records from the agency’s Homeland Security Investigations, which is believed to have helped provide security at the Butler event.”

    “On July 13, 2024, at a campaign rally in Butler, PA, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump. After the attempt on President Trump’s life, former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas named a bipartisan panel to conduct a 45-day independent review of the planning for and actions before, during, and after the rally,” Judicial Watch reports.

    Judicial Watch notes it has “an ongoing, independent investigation into the assassination attempts on President Trump,” writing:

    In August 2024, Judicial Watch received Secret Service records that showed the Secret Service has made it a top priority that “diversity and inclusion is not just ‘talked about’ – but demonstrated by all employees through ‘Every Action, Every Day.’” [Emphasis in original]

    Judicial Watch also uncovered records from the district attorney’s office in Butler County, PA, detailing the extensive preparation of local police for the rally at which former President Trump was shot, including sniper teams, counter assault teams and a quick response force.

    In response to a separate open records request, Judicial Watch obtained bodycam footage of the July 13 assassination events from the Butler Township Police Department.

    Judicial Watch reported that the FBI withheld information on a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for information about its coordination with the U.S. Secret Service regarding the July 13 Butler, PA, rally.

    On July 31, Judicial Watch reported that the United States Secret Service completely denied multiple Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for documents about the assassination attempt on former President Trump.

    Trump Tax Return Leaker Asked To Appear Before Congress After Outrageous Sentence

    By
    Donny Ferguson
    -
    2
    Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    The former IRS contractor who got a sweetheart plea agreement from the Biden administration after stealing and leaking the private tax information of President Donald Trump, will soon have to answer to Congress.

    The House Judiciary Committee reports Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) sent a letter “requesting that Charles E. Littlejohn, a former Internal Revenue Service (IRS) contractor who leaked tax information belonging to hundreds of thousands of Americans, including President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, appear before the Committee.”

    “In February, the IRS informed the Committee that Littlejohn had leaked the private data of more than 400,000 taxpayers—nearly six times higher than the 70,000 figure initially reported by the Biden-Harris IRS,” the Committee reports, noting it “raised concerns related to the Department of Justice’s sweetheart plea deal Littlejohn received, which resulted in a light sentence despite the severity of the data breach.”

    Despite pulling off what may be the greatest data theft in IRS history, which the presiding judge called “a threat to our democracy,” and exhibiting little remorse, Biden administration prosecutors allowed Littlejohn to plead guilty to only one minor charge, giving him the lightest possible sentence.

    Jordan’s letter reads, in part:

    “Since the 118th Congress, the Committee has been conducting oversight into the unprecedented leak of protected taxpayer information by your client, Charles E. Littlejohn. On January 29, 2024, the Department of Justice (DOJ) allowed Mr. Littlejohn, a former Internal Revenue Service (IRS) contractor, to plead guilty to only one count of unauthorized disclosure of tax information for leaking ‘thousands of individuals’ and entities’ tax returns,’ including President Trump’s tax information. Since then, the Committee has obtained information showing that the scope of the leak is much broader than the Biden-Harris Administration led the public to believe—affecting over 400,000 taxpayers. In light of this new information, Mr. Littlejohn’s testimony is critical to the Committee’s oversight efforts and advancement of potential legislative reforms. We therefore respectfully request his testimony. 

    “In 2017, Mr. Littlejohn applied to work as an IRS contractor with the expressed intention of accessing and disclosing President Trump’s tax returns. Not only did Mr. Littlejohn succeed in obtaining and leaking President Trump’s returns, he also disclosed ‘thousands of Americans’ federal tax returns and other private financial information’ to the New York Times and ProPublica, which together published more than 50 articles relying on the stolen information. Despite the Biden-Garland Justice Department referring to his unauthorized disclosures as ‘unparalleled in the IRS’s history,’ it only charged Mr. Littlejohn with one count of unauthorized disclosure of tax information, which resulted in a five-year prison sentence, three years’ supervised release, and a $5,000 fine. The judge who oversaw Mr. Littlejohn’s sentencing, admitted that she was ‘perplexed’ and ‘troubled’ by the plea agreement.

    “After Mr. Littlejohn’s sentencing, the IRS began notifying and assisting affected taxpayers. In May 2024, an IRS spokesman stated, ‘[m]ore than 70,000 people received the initial notice that their information was involved in the breach.’ However, in December 2024, the IRS issued a second wave of notifications to additional taxpayer victims. On February 14, 2025, the IRS disclosed to the Committee that it had ‘mailed notifications to 405,427 taxpayers whose taxpayer information was inappropriately disclosed by Mr. Littlejohn’ and that ’89 [percent] of the[se] taxpayers are business entities.’

    “In light of this new disclosure that Mr. Littlejohn leaked hundreds of thousands of taxpayers’ information—not just ‘thousands’ as previously suggested—the Biden-Harris Administration’s decision to charge him with just one count of unauthorized disclosure of tax information is even more concerning. The Committee has jurisdiction over criminal law and federal law enforcement pursuant to House Rule X. As such, to develop effective legislation, such as reforms to DOJ procedures governing plea agreements and new statutory limits of the Crime Victims’ Rights Act, Mr. Littlejohn’s testimony is necessary.

    “Accordingly, we write to request Mr. Littlejohn’s testimony before the Committee on the Judiciary as soon as practicable. Please confirm his appearance before the Committee as soon as possible, but no later than 5:00 p.m. on March 31, 2025. We will also work with the Federal Bureau of Prisons to facilitate his testimony in a timely manner.”

    The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Great America News Desk.

    Canadian Conservative Pushes Ottawa To Remove All US Tariffs

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    2

    As Canada braces for President Trump’s Liberation day tariffs to take effect some Canadian political leaders are suddenly supporting proposals to remove all tariffs.

    Maxime Bernier, who served as foreign affairs minister in former Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative government and now heads the right-wing People’s Party of Canada (PPC), told Fox News Digital in an interview from Halifax that it is “absolutely” the time for Canada to remove all tariffs against the U.S.

    He said the 25% duties the Canadian government, under then-Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, imposed on the U.S. in early February to counter Trump’s 25% tariffs against Canada “won’t hurt the Americans – it is hurting Canadians.”

    New Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a statement following his March 28 call with the president – the first contact between both leaders since Carney was elected Liberal leader by his party nearly three weeks before – that Canada would implement retaliatory tariffs in response to Wednesday’s U.S. “trade actions.”

    The PPC leader said that Trump should be told that “the real reciprocal response” to tariffs is “zero on our side, zero on your side.”

    Bernier said that instead, Carney and his main rival, Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre, are being “fake patriots using a dollar-for-dollar trade war against Trump” and telling Canadians: “That’s the best thing to do.”

    “We cannot impose counter-tariffs,” said Bernier, who also served as industry minister in the Harper government. 

    “The Americans are 10 times bigger than us. We won’t win a trade war,” he said, underscoring that retaliation will lead to a recession in Canada.

    Former Canadian Conservative politician Tony Clement, who served alongside Bernier in Harper’s Cabinet, told Fox News Digital that “from an economic point of view,” removing Canadian tariffs “makes a lot of sense” and “may come to that at some point, but the public isn’t there right now.”

    “From a point of view of the emotional wounds of Canadians created by Trump and his annexation talk and tariffs, I’m not sure that a political voice would survive if it went down that public-policy route,” said Clement, a former Canadian industry minister in the Harper government.

    “The mood of the people is outrage. I’ve never seen people in Canada this incandescently mad at the United States,” he said, who is campaigning in the Toronto area for Poilievre’s Conservative Party ahead of the April 28 general election. “There is complete distrust of whatever Trump says because it can change within 24 hours.”

    Eliminating Canadian tariffs, without a quid pro quo from Trump, could “show weakness to a bully,” added Clement, who, prior to entering federal politics in 2006, served as a Cabinet minister in former Ontario Premier Mike Harris’ Progressive Conservative government.  

    In the statement released following his recent conversation with Trump, Carney said that both leaders “agreed to begin comprehensive negotiations about a new economic and security relationship immediately following the election.” 

    Conservative strategist Yaroslav Baran, who served as communications chief for Harper’s successful Conservative 2004 leadership campaign, and director of war room communications for the Harper-led Tories during the 2004, 2006 and 2008 federal election campaigns, told Fox News Digital that under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), “trade in goods and services ought to be tariff-free” between Canada and the U.S., excluding carveouts on the Canadian side for dairy, eggs, poultry and softwood lumber. 

    However, Baran added that he “can’t semer Ontario Premier Mike Harris’ Progressive Conservative government.  

    In the statement released following his recent conversation with Trump, Carney said that both leaders “agreed to begin comprehensive negotiations about a new economic and security relationship immediately following the election.” 

    Conservative strategist Yaroslav Baran, who served as communications chief for Harper’s successful Conservative 2004 leadership campaign, and director of war room communications for the Harper-led Tories during the 2004, 2006 and 2008 federal election campaigns, told Fox News Digital that under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), “trade in goods and services ought to be tariff-free” between Canada and the U.S., excluding carveouts on the Canadian side for dairy, eggs, poultry and softwood lumber. 

    However, Baran added that he “can’t see the removal of all Canadian tariffs on U.S. products as long as the U.S. has tariffs on Canadian products.”

    Hunter Biden To Be Stripped Of License To Practice Law In DC

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
      -
      3
      President Joe Biden hugs his family during the 59th Presidential Inauguration ceremony in Washington, Jan. 20, 2021. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took the oath of office on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. (DOD Photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Carlos M. Vazquez II)

      Former first son and convicted felon Hunter Biden agreed to be disbarred from practicing law in Washington, D.C., according to court records. 

      Hunter Biden filed an affidavit under seal on Tuesday acknowledging his “consent to disbarment,” D.C. Court of Appeals records show. Biden was “suspended immediately from the practice of law” in Washington, D.C., in June 2024 following his felony conviction in a Delaware federal court. 

      Hunter Biden will officially be disbarred if the D.C. Court of Appeals accepts a disciplinary agency’s recommendation – and his own consent – for disbarment, according to the New York Post.

      The former first son’s Washington, D.C., bar member standing currently reads that he is under “Temp Disciplinary Suspension,” Fox News Digital found on Wednesday morning. Hunter Biden has been licensed to practice law in the nation’s capital since 2007. 

      Hunter Biden was found guilty in June 2024 of lying about his drug use when purchasing a firearm in 2018. 

      He was found guilty on three charges: making a false statement on a purchase application of a gun, making a false statement related to information required to be kept by a federally licensed gun dealer, and possession of a gun by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance.

      Trump Calls Out 4 ‘Disloyal’ GOP Senators By Name Over Defiant Tariff Pushback

        By
        Madeleine Jackson
        -
        3
        Mitch McConnell via Gage Skidmore Flickr

        Early Wednesday, President Donald Trump unloaded on multiple Republican Senators who are opposing his impending tariffs on Canada.

        Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced a resolution to terminate the emergency declaration, and while the vote is largely symbolic, several Republican defections would carry political weight.

        Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Rand Paul (R-KY) have expressed support for Kaine’s motion, with Collins calling the tariffs a “huge mistake.”

        In a fiery Truth Social post Wednesday, the same day his new tariff regime is set to come into play, the president lashed out at four ranking Republican senators — Mitch McConnell, Paul, Collins, and Lisa Murkowski — for wavering on his plan.

        Trump accused the lawmakers of “playing with the lives of the American people” and aligning with “Radical Left Democrats and Drug Cartels.”

        Trump didn’t hold back, accusing the dissenting Republicans of exposing “the weakness of certain Republicans” and imploring voters to “contact these Senators and get them to FINALLY adhere to Republican Values and Ideals.”

        He wrote:

        Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Rand Paul, also of Kentucky, will hopefully get on the Republican bandwagon, for a change, and fight the Democrats wild and flagrant push to not penalize Canada for the sale, into our Country, of large amounts of Fentanyl, by Tariffing the value of this horrible and deadly drug in order to make it more costly to distribute and buy. They are playing with the lives of the American people, and right into the hands of the Radical Left Democrats and Drug Cartels. The Senate Bill is just a ploy of the Dems to show and expose the weakness of certain Republicans, namely these four, in that it is not going anywhere because the House will never approve it and I, as your President, will never sign it. Why are they allowing Fentanyl to pour into our Country unchecked, and without penalty. What is wrong with them, other than suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome, commonly known as TDS? Who can want this to happen to our beautiful families, and why? To the people of the Great States of Kentucky, Alaska, and Maine, please contact these Senators and get them to FINALLY adhere to Republican Values and Ideals. They have been extremely difficult to deal with and unbelievably disloyal to hardworking Majority Leader John Thune, and the Republican Party itself. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

        The tariffs, set to take effect on April 2, which the president has branded “Liberation Day”, are justified by Trump under an emergency order citing fentanyl trafficking across the northern border — despite testimony from his own intelligence chief downplaying Canada’s role in the crisis.

        NYC Mayor Eric Adams Indictment Dismissed

        By
        Madeleine Jackson
        -
        0
        via Wikimedia Commons

        On Wednesday, a federal judge dismissed federal corruption charges against New York City mayor Eric Adams, underscoring the prosecutorial power of the Trump administration.

        In his ruling, the judge, Dale E. Ho of federal court in Manhattan, refused to allow the government to keep open the option of reinstating the charges, as the Justice Department had sought.

        The New York Times reports:

        The decision abruptly ended the long-running case weeks before it had been set for trial. It was also the culmination of a bitter clash between the prosecutors who indicted Mr. Adams and the officials at Mr. Trump’s Justice Department who killed the case.

        The fight, in which Manhattan prosecutors and Justice Department officials accused each other of ethical misconduct, left Mr. Adams deeply damaged as he faces a steep uphill climb for re-election this year.

        The Justice Department had moved to dismiss the charges against the mayor after the prosecutors who had brought the indictment refused to do so. One of the department’s highest-ranking officials offered a highly unusual justification, arguing that the case was compromising Mr. Adams’s ability to help enforce the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

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

        Republican Triumphs As Florida’s Special Congressional Race Ends Surprisingly Close

          By
          Patrick Houck
          -
          0
          Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

          What were once expected to be safe Republican holds turned into unexpected battlegrounds, at least Tuesday night. In two key Florida special congressional races, Democratic turnout surged, tightening margins in districts that previously leaned solid red—but in the end it wasn’t enough.

          Republican state Senator Randy Fine has officially won the special election for Florida’s 6th Congressional District, defeating Democratic challenger Josh Weil in a closely watched race that drew national attention. The election, held on April 1, 2025, fills the seat vacated by former Congressman Michael Waltz, who left office to become President Trump’s national security advisor.

          Fine, who secured a commanding lead in the Republican primary, ran a campaign focused on border security, protecting Second Amendment rights and fully backing Trump’s America First agenda. His campaign received a boost from a high-profile endorsement by President Trump, helping to energize Republican turnout in the final stretch.

          The race was seen as a critical bellwether for GOP momentum heading into next fall, especially with the House majority hanging in the balance. Fine’s win is expected to strengthen the Republican hold in Congress, though Democrats showed surprising competitiveness in a district previously considered reliably red.

          With his victory, Fine will now head to Washington, where he’s expected to align closely with Trump’s legislative goals and be a reliable vote for the conservative agenda.

          Early voting data showed Republican advantages shrinking in the Sunshine’s States First and Sixth Congressional Districts dramatically compared to last November, raising alarm bells within GOP circles and prompting calls for an all-hands-on-deck approach to avoid costly losses.

          With control of the House hanging by a thread, these special elections became a critical test of Republican turnout strength—and a clear warning that Democrats aren’t sitting this cycle out.

          Fueled by Trump’s ambitious agenda and determined to redeem themselves after last year’s disappointing performance, Democrats appear highly motivated, closing gaps in traditionally red districts and forcing the GOP to fight harder than expected.

          The results could send a powerful signal about which party has the energy heading into November—and whether Republicans can maintain the momentum needed to defend their historically narrow House majority.

          Winner Projected In Wisconsin Supreme Court Race In Blow To Trump

          By
          Patrick Houck
          -
          0

          The high-stakes Wisconsin Supreme Court race shaped up to be competitive as predicted, with control of the court—and potentially the future of election law, redistricting and abortion access in the battleground state—hanging in the balance.

          However, the end result saw Susan Crawford, a liberal-leaning Dane County Circuit Court Judge, defeat Brad Schimel, a conservative Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge, preserving the court’s 4-3 liberal majority until at least 2028.

          As The Hill reports, Tuesday night’s outcome comes as a blow to President Donald Trump and Elon Musk:

          The election offered the first big test for both parties since the November elections and came after record-breaking amounts of money poured into the race. In particular, the race was seen as a test of Musk’s political sway, as his super PAC, America PAC, alone spent more than $12 million to support Schimel. He also traveled to Wisconsin the Sunday before the election, where he handed out $1 million checks to voters who had signed his petition against “activist judges.”

          Musk’s involvement sparked controversy, with Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul unsuccessfully suing to block his actions as potential vote-buying.

          Musk’s unpopularity may have played a role in the election, though it’s not the sole factor in Crawford’s victory. Economic uncertainty, a declining stock market and sweeping cuts to government programs with little congressional oversight seems to have motivated Democrats and independents.

          Trump also waded into the race, repeatedly urging voters to go to the polls and support Schimel.

          The race will also be a bitter disappointment for Wisconsin Republicans, who lost a chance to keep their conservative majority after Justice Janet Protasiewicz defeated conservative candidate Dan Kelly in 2023.

          This year’s race, which shattered the 2023 race’s fundraising records by tens of millions of dollars, received outsized national attention not just because it determined the partisan tilt of the court, but also because it comes less than three months into Trump’s second term as president, making it the first critical referendum on the president.

          Turnout was significant in key battleground counties, with Schimel performing worse than Trump in urban, suburban and rural areas.

          According to projections from Decision Desk HQ, Crawford is expected to receive 54.5% of the vote, while Schimel is projected at 45.6%, giving Crawford a decisive 8.9-point margin of victory.

          For context, Trump won Wisconsin in the 2024 presidential election by approximately 0.9%.

          With national implications in a perennial swing state that will help decide control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections, all eyes will remain on the Badger State as next year’s election cycle gets underway.

          Trump Commutes Prison Sentence Of Hunter Biden’s ‘Fall Guy’

          By
          Madeleine Jackson
          -
          3
          President Joe Biden hugs his family during the 59th Presidential Inauguration ceremony in Washington, Jan. 20, 2021. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took the oath of office on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. (DOD Photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Carlos M. Vazquez II)

          On Tuesday, President Donald Trump commuted the sentence of Jason Galanis, a convicted ex-business associate of Hunter Biden, whom Trump officials described as the “fall guy” for the former first son’s business dealings. 

          Galanis was sentenced in 2017 to 189 months, or 14 years, in prison, after pleading guilty to securities fraud based on bonds issued by a company affiliated with a Native American tribe in South Dakota. 

          The funds were reportedly supposed to be used for certain projects, but were instead used for his personal finances. 

          A Trump administration official told Fox News Digital that Galanis served eight years and eight months of his sentence and had an “unblemished record while in prison.” The official also said Galanis was sexually assaulted by a security guard while in prison. 

          The Trump official told Fox News Digital that Galanis “basically was the fall guy for Hunter Biden and Devon Archer.” The official noted Galanis was “extremely cooperative” during the 2024 House impeachment inquiry into the Biden family. 

          “After serving eight years and eight months in prison on good behavior, the administration felt it was time for him to regain his liberty and go on into his private life,” the official told Fox News Digital. 

          Congressional investigators interviewed Galanis while he was in prison to gather information on the Biden family’s business dealings and any “access” to then-Vice President Joe Biden. 

          Galanis testified that Joe Biden was considering joining the board of a joint venture created by Hunter Biden and his business associates with ties to the Chinese Communist Party after he left the vice presidency.

          Anna Paulina Luna Resigns From House Freedom Caucus

          By
          Madeleine Jackson
          -
          0
          By Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America - Anna Paulina Luna, CC BY-SA 2.0,

          On Monday, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) announced she is resigning from the House Freedom Caucus.

          The focus of her anger reportedly stems from a brief incident from earlier this month when a group of House conservatives held up a chamber-wide vote on unrelated legislation to press GOP leaders to kill Luna’s measure – known as a “discharge petition.”

          A discharge petition allows lawmakers to force a bill onto the House floor, despite objections from leadership, provided the mechanism gets signatures from a majority of the chamber.

          “I have consistently supported each of you, even in moments of disagreement, honoring the mutual respect that has guided our caucus,” Luna wrote in a letter to colleagues. “That respect, however, was shattered last week.”

          “Acting within the House conference rules – rules we all agreed to – I sought to bring a vote to the floor on a measure that would allow new mothers in Congress (fewer than 14 in our nation’s history) and fathers, if they choose, to vote by proxy,” Luna continued. 

           “This was a modest, family-centered proposal. Yet, a small group among us threatened the Speaker, vowing to halt floor proceedings indefinitely – regardless of the legislation at stake, including President Trump’s agenda – unless he altered the rules to block my discharge petition.”

          “I cannot remain part of a caucus where a select few operate outside its guidelines, misuse its name, broker backroom deals that undermine its core values and where the lines of compromise and transaction are blurred, disparage me to the press, and encourage misrepresentation of me to the American people,” Luna wrote.

          She will be the first House Freedom Caucus member to leave the group, which does not advertise its membership, in the 119th Congress.

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

          1...282930...258Page 29 of 258
          © Great America News Desk 2022