Home Blog Page 46

Third Top Pentagon Aide On Administrative Leave Over Leaks Probe

By
Madeleine Jackson
-
1
David B. Gleason from Chicago, IL, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

A third high-level Pentagon staffer has been placed on administrative leave in two days as part of a probe into media leaks.

Colin Carroll, chief of staff to Deputy Secretary Stephen Feinberg, was escorted out of the building on Wednesday, following Dan Caldwell, senior advisor to Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Darin Selnick, deputy chief of staff to Hegseth.

“We can confirm that Mr. Carroll has been placed on administrative leave pending investigation. We have nothing additional to provide at this time,” a defense official told Fox News Digital.

On Tuesday, Dan Caldwell was placed on leave for an “unauthorized disclosure” of information amid an investigation into Pentagon leaks an official confirmed to Fox News Digital that Reuters’ initial reporting is accurate but declined to comment on an ongoing investigation.

The Pentagon has not provided specifics about what the three officials are accused of leaking.

Last month Defense Department (DOD) announced it would launch a probe into “recent unauthorized disclosures of national security information” and might employ the use of polygraphs to determine the source of the leaks.

Last month, National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard announced increased security measures following a number of leaks within the intelligence community. “Our nation’s Intelligence Community must be focused on our national security mission. Politically motivated leaks undermine our national security and the trust of the American people, and will not be tolerated,” she declared on Friday in a thread on X.

“Unfortunately, such leaks have become commonplace with no investigation or accountability. That ends now. We know of and are aggressively pursuing recent leakers from within the Intelligence Community and will hold them accountable,” Gabbard added. She then listed several “recent examples” of intelligence community leaks:

  • “A leaker who has been sharing classified information with the Huffington Post”
  • “A leaker within the IC sharing information on Israel / Iran with The Washington Post”
  • “A leaker within the IC sharing information about the U.S. – Russia relationship with NBC”
  • “A leaker sharing information on NCSC activities and actions with The Record”

Gabbard concluded the thread by warning that unauthorized disclosure of classified material is a breach of the law and will be handled accordingly. Gabbard, a former Democrat Congresswoman from Hawaii who turned Republican, was sworn in last month after a 52-48 vote. During her confirmation hearing, she promised to end the politicization of intelligence and restore trust in the national security apparatus tasked with protecting American citizens.

Is Your Name In This Biden Citizen Spying Database?

By
Donny Ferguson
-
2
Joe Biden via Gage Skidmore Flickr

The federal government has been spying on millions of private gun sales and spying on American citizens without a constitutionally-mandated warrant as part of a nationwide gun control scheme.

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee reports committee chairman Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) sent a letter to Acting ATF Director Daniel Driscoll, “requesting information on a secretive program that appears to allow the federal government to monitor law-abiding Americans attempting to exercise their Second Amendment rights.”

“This kind of backdoor surveillance of American citizens—without due process or public disclosure—should alarm every single person who values the Bill of Rights,” said Paul. “The ATF and FBI have no business creating secret watchlists for law-abiding Americans seeking to purchase firearms. It’s unacceptable, and I intend to get answers.”

“An activist judge subjected GOA to a ‘gag order’ after the Biden Administration mistakenly gave us information related to its unlawful NICS Monitoring program. ATF and FBI have no business monitoring the gun purchases of American citizens. GOA has since learned that the FBI abused NICS Monitoring to enforce California’s ‘assault weapons’ ban. We are thankful to Chairman Paul and the Senate Homeland Security Committee for opening an investigation into this egregious violation of Second and Fourth Amendment rights,” said Aidan Johnston, Director of Federal Affairs, Gun Owners of America.

The committee reports Paul’s letter “follows reporting based on a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by Gun Owners of America, which revealed the existence of the NICS Audit Log Review (Monitoring) system. The Biden Administration’s ATF mistakenly released unredacted documents exposing the system, and has reportedly spent years trying to cover it up ever since.”

“According to the exposed documents, the program enables ATF agents to request that the FBI flag and monitor specific individuals using data from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), often for extended periods of time—without those individuals ever knowing,” the committee reports.

The committee reprots Paul “demands that the ATF provide unredacted records showing how many Americans have been subjected to this monitoring, for what reasons, the legal basis for the program, whether it has led to prosecutions, and whether there has been any misuse by ATF personnel or contractors. The records must be submitted to the committee no later than 5:00 pm on April 24th, 2025.”

Dr. Paul highlights in his letter that “the existence of this surveillance program, and the ATF’s longstanding push to conceal it from the public, raise questions about its general use and its potential to infringe on Americans’ civil liberties.”

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

Federal Judge Finds Probable Cause To Hold Trump In Contempt

By
Madeleine Jackson
-
7

A federal judge said Wednesday that he has found probable cause to hold the Trump administration in contempt for failing to return two planes deporting migrants to El Salvador last month.

In the 48-page opinion, Judge Boasberg said the court had ultimately determined that the Trump administration’s actions on the March 15 deportation flights, which took place after he issued a bench ruling ordering their immediate return to U.S. soil, demonstrate a “willful disregard” for the court that is sufficient for the government to be found in criminal contempt.”

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ordered the Justice Department in a filing Wednesday to answer additional questions by April 23 if they want to “purge” the contempt.

Fox News reports:

That would involve identifying the individuals responsible for what he described as “contumacious conduct,” and by “determining whose ‘specific act or omission’ caused the noncompliance,” Boasberg said. 

The Justice Department could then request that the contempt be prosecuted by an attorney for the government and, should they decline to prosecute the matter, could “appoint another attorney to prosecute the contempt.”

“The Court does not reach such conclusion lightly or hastily; indeed, it has given Defendants ample opportunity to rectify or explain their actions,” the judge continued. “None of their responses has been satisfactory…”

“As this Opinion will detail, the Court ultimately determines that the Government’s actions on that day demonstrate a willful disregard for its Order, sufficient for the Court to conclude that probable cause exists to find the Government in criminal contempt,” Boasberg said Wednesday.

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

Heckler Tased at Marjorie Taylor Greene Town Hall as Audience Cheers

By
Madeleine Jackson
-
2
Arrest image via Pixabay

Things are heating up…

A heckler at Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-GA) town hall on Tuesday was tased by police as supporters of the congresswoman cheered.

At least three people were removed from the town hall after interrupting the event, including a man who had to be tased by police after he became violent.

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

In footage of the incident, posted by several reporters, multiple police officers could be seen struggling to restrain the man while escorting him out of the venue.

Watch:

After the man became violent and lashed out against the officers, shouting, “Get the fuck off me!” two officers could be seen deploying their tasers against him as Greene’s audience cheered and applauded.

“Don’t move! Stop!” an officer could be heard shouting at the man as he continued to resist arrest.

Greene then declared, “This is a peaceful town hall. Now, this is a peaceful town hall, ladies and gentlemen. This should not have to happen. This is a town hall.”

“Like I said before, this isn’t a political rally or a protest. I held a town hall tonight. You know who was out of line? The protesters,” Greene told reporters after the event. “There was a place designated outside for the protesters because we support their First Amendment right. So you know who was out of line? The protesters. The police did a great job, I am very thankful.”

Two other protesters were also removed from the town hall by police, including a man who could be seen resisting officers and asking, “Are you really doing this?” After the man continued to resist, officers could be seen pushing the man to the floor and handcuffing him.

Early on, a young woman went off on Greene as the congresswoman spoke about immigration. In particular, Greene said that “illegal alien criminals, cartels, and terrorists” are living at the U.S. southern border with Mexico and are “all inside the interior of the United States.”

Immediately after delivering the line, the protestor stood up and said “How about the KKK?”

“All inside the interior of the United States,” Greene repeated, as an officer approached the woman in the audience.

“The protest is outside,” Greene said. “Thank you very much. Protest is outside.”

“You butch-bodied bigot!” the woman yelled as she was being escorted out. Many in the crowd stood and applauded after the woman left the room.

Report: Top Hegseth Advisor Placed On Administrative Leave

By
Madeleine Jackson
-
0
David B. Gleason from Chicago, IL, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

A top advisor to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was escorted out of the Pentagon on Tuesday and placed on administrative leave, according to a Defense Department official. 

Dan Caldwell had been placed on leave for an “unauthorized disclosure” of information amid an investigation into Pentagon leaks an official confirmed to Fox News Digital that Reuters’ initial reporting is accurate but declined to comment on an ongoing investigation. 

Last month the Defense Department announced a probe into “recent unauthorized disclosures of national security information” and said it planned to use polygraphs to determine the source of leaks. 

“The use of polygraphs in the execution of this investigation will be in accordance with applicable law and policy,” DOD Chief of Staff Joe Kasper wrote in a memo. “This investigation will commence immediately and culminate in a report to the Secretary of Defense.”

He wrote that “information identifying a party responsible for an unauthorized disclosure” would be referred for criminal prosecution.”

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

Suspect In Tesla Arson Attacks Facing 40 Years In Prison

By
Madeleine Jackson
-
0

He’s done…

A man linked to arson attacks at the Tesla Albuquerque Showroom and the Republican Party of New Mexico (RPNM) headquarters is facing 40 years behind bars after being indicted this week.

On February 9, two Tesla vehicles were damaged in an arson attack at the Tesla Albuquerque Showroom. The building was also damaged that day with graffiti reading “Telsa Nazi Inc.,” as well as swastika symbols spray-painted in red and black paint on the showroom’s exterior walls.

Nearly two months later on March 30, Albuquerque’s RPNM office was damaged in an arson attack which damaged the entrance. At both scenes, investigators located matching glass containers of improvised flammable mixtures with distinctive green lids.

Wagner was linked to the fires through surveillance footage, along with video of a white Hyundai Accent and matching scene evidence, federal investigators said.

Agents from the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) raided Wagner’s house in Albuquerque on April 12.

There, investigators reported finding assembled fire-starting devices, ingredients matching the flammable mixtures found at the scene, a jar with a similar green lid, black and red spray paint, and a stencil bearing the phrase “ICE=KKK,” which matched the graffiti sprayed at the RPNM headquarters.

Wagner now faces two counts of malicious damage or destruction of property by fire, and will stay in custody while he awaits his detention hearing on April 16. If convicted, Wagner faces between five and twenty years behind bars for each count.

“All of these cases are a serious threat to public safety, therefore there will be no negotiating. We are seeking 20 years in prison,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi, who had previously labeled vandalism of Tesla dealerships to be “domestic terrorism.”

“Let this be the final lesson to those taking part in this ongoing wave of political violence,” Bondi said. “We will arrest you, we will prosecute you, and we will not negotiate. Crimes have consequences.

“Hurling firebombs is not political protest,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche added. “It is a dangerous felony that we will prosecute to the maximum extent.

AOC Targets Trump In Fiery Rant

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    3

    Going off…

    Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) told President Donald Trump to “look in the mirror” when “he talks about rapists and criminals” during a rally with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on Monday.

    Protesting the trading of stocks by sitting members of Congress, Ocasio-Cortez said, “We saw it just happen with Trump’s corrupt and disastrous and rushed tariff scheme. We saw Marjorie Taylor Greene buy that dip. I got one question for her, how much did you make? How much did you make off of people’s despair?”

    She continued, “No more! We can’t accept it. I hope we see now that it was all about manipulating the market so that he could quietly enrich his friends who bought the dip before reversing it all in the morning.”

    The congresswoman went on, “This is a matter of fact. Donald Trump is a criminal who was found guilty of 34 felony counts of fraud! Liable for sexual abuse! Or course he’s lying and abusing and manipulating the stock market too! When he talks about rapists and criminals, he should look in the mirror!”

    Ocasio-Cortez concluded, “But back to stocks, to be clear, I don’t care what party you are, Democrat or Republican. It doesn’t matter how powerful one is or the position that one holds, members of Congress holding and trading individual stock is wrong. It is corrosive, it is destructive, and it needs to be banned.”

    Watch:

    Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) has been rumored as a potential 2028 primary opponent to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer but has yet to make any announcement.

    However, A government accountability nonprofit is calling on the House to launch a probe into whether Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., misappropriated her taxpayer-funded member allowance.

    Americans for Public Trust, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization, sent a letter to the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) on Tuesday, questioning “several troubling expenses” from AOC’s disbursements, which they claim are “in contravention of federal law and the standards of the House of Representatives.”

    Each member of Congess receives a Member Representational Allowance (“MRA”), a budget for official duties that “may not be used for personal or campaign purposes,” according to the Congressional Research Service. However, the “Squad” member is being accused of using these funds for “campaign purposes.”

    AOC reportedly made a payment of $3,700 to a “Juan D Gonzalez” and another for $850 to “Bombazo Dance Co Inc.,” with both expenditures described as being used for “training.”

    Georgia Man Arrested Over Alleged Threats To Kill Tulsi Gabbard

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1

    FBI agents arrested a Georgia man after making numerous death threats against Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard.

    Aliakbar Mohammad Amin, of Lilburn, Ga., was charged on Friday with “transmitting interstate threats to injure” Gabbard and her family, according to the DOJ press release.

    “Threatening to harm public officials is a criminal act that cannot be excused as political discourse,” acting U.S. Attorney Richard Moultrie, Jr. said in a statement. “Our Office, in coordination with our law enforcement partners, will vigorously prosecute individuals who commit these acts of violence.”

    Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    Prosecutors allege Amin sent text messages between March 29 and April 1 that contained threats against Gabbard and her husband, including, “You and your family are going to die soon,” and “I will personally do the job if necessary.”

    “The home you two own . . . is a legitimate target and will be hit at a time and place of our choosing,” Amin wrote in another text, according to the DOJ.

    Other texts allegedly included, “Prepare to die, you, Tulsi, and everyone you hold dear. America will burn,” and “Death to America means death to America literally, Tulsi is living on borrowed time.”

    Federal agents later found a firearm at Amin’s house while executing a search warrant, the DOJ said.

    “The FBI sees all threatening communications as a serious federal offense. We will employ every investigative tool and resource available to identify those responsible and ensure they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Paul Brown, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office, said in a statement.

    “Let this arrest serve as a clear warning: if you engage in this kind of criminal behavior, you will be caught and you will go to prison,” Brown added.

    Gabbard thanked the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service and local law enforcement on Friday after the FBI announced the arrest.

    “Thank you @FBI, @USMarshalsHQ, and local law enforcement for your service and dedication in apprehending this radicalized, dangerous criminal who repeatedly threatened the lives of me, my family, and @realDonaldTrump. Thank you for your tireless work every day keeping the American people safe,” she wrote in a post on X.

    Threats against political officials have been on the rise, during the 2024 campaign cycle Donald Trump survived multiple assassination attempts.

    A recent study by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) has revealed a concerning trend: a significant portion of left-leaning Americans believe that political violence, including assassination, is justifiable against figures such as President Donald Trump and the de facto head of the Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk. The study surveyed over 1,200 U.S. adults and found that 38% of respondents felt that assassinating Trump would be at least “somewhat justified,” with this figure rising to 55% among those identifying as left-leaning. Similarly, 31% of overall participants, and 48% of left-leaning individuals, expressed some level of justification for assassinating Musk.

    This data suggests a troubling normalization of violent political rhetoric within certain segments of the population. The NCRI report highlights that this shift has been particularly pronounced following the December 2024 assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, allegedly by Luigi Mangione. Mangione’s actions have been glamorized in various online communities, leading to a proliferation of memes and discussions that endorse political violence.

    Screenshot via X [Credit: Elon Musk]

    Wisconsin Teen Plotted To Kill Trump To Start ‘Political Revolution’

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1

    Disturbing…

    A 17-year-old Wisconsin teen accused of killing his mother and stepfather had also plotted to assassinate President Donald Trump to start a “political revolution,” according to court documents.

    Nikita Casap, 17, had images and messages on his phone that referenced a “self-described manifesto regarding assassinating the president, making bombs, and terrorist attacks,” FOX6 Milwaukee reported, citing a search warrant filed with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.

    Images of a three-page document titled “Accelerate the Collapse” called for the assassination of Trump, according to the report. 

    Trump was specifically referenced in an excerpt from the document, which said “getting rid of the president and perhaps the vice president” is “guaranteed to bring in some chaos. … Point being this manifesto is specifically for the attack that targets Trump.”

    Casap was charged earlier this month in the shooting deaths of his mother, Tatiana Casap, and his stepfather, Donald Mayer. The couple were found severely decomposed in their home on Feb 28 – more than two weeks after prosecutors allege Casap killed them. 

    During an interview with one of Casap’s classmates, authorities learned that Casap told the female classmate he had been in contact with a man from Russia, who they claim knew about the teen’s scheme to take passports, a car and the family dog and flee to Ukraine, according to the report.

    A recent study by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) has revealed a concerning trend: a significant portion of left-leaning Americans believe that political violence, including assassination, is justifiable against figures such as President Donald Trump and the de facto head of the Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk. The study surveyed over 1,200 U.S. adults and found that 38% of respondents felt that assassinating Trump would be at least “somewhat justified,” with this figure rising to 55% among those identifying as left-leaning. Similarly, 31% of overall participants, and 48% of left-leaning individuals, expressed some level of justification for assassinating Musk.

    This data suggests a troubling normalization of violent political rhetoric within certain segments of the population. The NCRI report highlights that this shift has been particularly pronounced following the December 2024 assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, allegedly by Luigi Mangione. Mangione’s actions have been glamorized in various online communities, leading to a proliferation of memes and discussions that endorse political violence.

    Screenshot via X [Credit: Elon Musk]

    Obama Appointee Blocks Trump Immigration Order

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    6

    This is far from over…

    A federal judge on Monday blocked the Trump administration from revoking the legal status and work permits of the more than 530,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela who flew into the United States during former President Joe Biden’s time in office. 

    The migrants came to the U.S. under Biden’s controversial CHNV mass humanitarian parole program.

    In her order, Judge Indira Talwani, an Obama appointee, wrote that each migrant needs to have an individualized, case-by-case review.

    “The Termination of Parole Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans, 90 Fed. Reg. 13611 (Mar. 25, 2025), is hereby STAYED pending further court order insofar as it revokes, without case-by-case review, the previously granted parole and work authorization issued to noncitizens paroled into the UnitedStates pursuant to parole programs for noncitizens from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (the “CHNV parole programs”) prior to the noncitizen’s originally stated parole end date,” she wrote. 

    Biden created the CHNV program in 2023 via his executive parole authority. The program was launched in 2022 and initially first applied to Venezuelans before it was expanded to additional countries.

    The Biden administration argued that CHNV would help reduce illegal crossings at the southern border and allow better vetting of people entering the country amid an influx of migrants. 

    The program was temporarily paused due to widespread fraud.

    Officials with the Department of Homeland Security and the Trump administration told Fox News that Talwani essentially ruled that Trump can’t use his own executive authority, the same authority Biden used, to revoke the parole that Biden granted. 

    “It is pure lawless tyranny,” a Trump administration official told Fox News. 

    In March, the roughly 532,000 migrants under the CHNV program were told to leave the U.S. 

    1...454647...279Page 46 of 279
    © Great America News Desk 2022