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Trump Adviser Sentenced To Four Months In Prison

By
Madeleine Jackson
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Image via Pixabay

On Thursday, former Trump adviser Peter Navarro was sentenced to four months in prison for refusing to comply with a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

Last year, Navarro was convicted of two counts of contempt of Congress: one for failing to produce documents related to the probe and another for skipping his deposition. 

The Hill has more:

Prosecutors argued Thursday that Navarro showed “utter disregard” for the House committee’s probe and “utter contempt for the rule of law.” They asked the judge to impose a six-month prison term.

“The committee was investigating an attack on the very foundation of our democracy,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney John Crabb. “There could be no more serious investigation undertaken by Congress.”

The Justice Department (DOJ) has pushed back against claims Navarro’s sentence was politically motivated.

“It’s unfortunate that the statements mislead. They mislead,” Mehta said. “Nancy Pelosi is not responsible for this prosecution; Joe Biden isn’t responsible for the prosecution. It’s those kinds of statements from someone who knows better… that contributes to why our politics are so divisive.”

“Punishing Dr. Navarro won’t fix or change that,” Navarro attorney Stanley Woodward later said of the political climate.

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

Judge Rules Fox News Can Pursue Counterclaim Against Smartmatic

By
Madeleine Jackson
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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]

But it can’t avoid Smartmatic’s $2.7 billion lawsuit…

A New York Supreme Court judge has ruled that Smartmatic’s defamation lawsuit against Fox News Channel can proceed.

However, he also denied the voting system company’s motion to dismiss Fox News’ counterclaim its suit is anti-free speech. He reasoned, in part, that the network has yet to be found liable for defamation.

The Hollywood Reporter has more on the order advancing claims from both sides:

“There remained a triable issue of fact for trial in that action as to whether defendants acted with actual malice, which is an element that plaintiffs need to prove here as well,” the order stated.

But in a win for Smartmatic, New York Supreme Justice David Cohen refused to dismiss its suit against Fox. He found that the company “sufficiently alleged” that the network’s employees “played an affirmative role in the publication of the defamation at issue.”

The decision sounds the death knell for Fox’s attempts to toss the case. Judge Cohen’s 61-page ruling states that Smartmatic has “substantial basis” to pursue its claim “that, at a minimum, Fox News turned a blind eye to a litany of outrageous claims about [Smartmatic], unprecedented in the history of American elections, so inherently improbable that it evinced a reckless disregard for the truth.”

The Reporter continues:

Despite a $788 million settlement to resolve a similar suit brought by Dominion Voting Systems, Fox continues to face mounting legal troubles over broadcasting far-right conspiracy theories that the 2020 election was stolen with the help of voting technology companies. Last year, Fox Corp.’s board of directors was sued for allegedly adopting a business model centered on chasing profits by intentionally broadcasting falsehoods and disregarding the risk of exposing itself to defamation claims.

The dispute centers on allegations that Fox, in an attempt to boost ratings, capitalized on the popularity of former President Donald Trump by fabricating a narrative that Smartmatic caused him to unfairly lose the election.

A trial over the network’s 2020 election coverage isn’t expected until 2025.

Stunner: Documents Many Prove Top CIA Employees Plotted to ‘Take Out’ Trump

By
Donny Ferguson
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Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

A new federal lawsuit may reveal proof two CIA employees discussed a plot to “get rid of” and “take out” President Donald Trump.

The non-profit public interest law firm Judicial Watch announced they filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the Defense Department for “reports submitted by a military officer to his superiors regarding an alleged conversation around January 2017 between CIA analysts Eric Ciaramella and Sean Misko about trying to ‘get rid’ of then-President Trump.”

“The intelligence community targeted Trump for removal for daring to question Biden family corruption and election interference tied to Ukraine and Burisma,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said. “The Biden Defense Department’s sitting for over a year on a simple FOIA request on the Deep State targeting of Trump is a cover-up plain and simple.”

In 2022 Real Clear Investigations reported:

Barely two weeks after Donald Trump took office, Eric Ciaramella – the CIA analyst whose name was recently linked in a tweet by the president and mentioned by lawmakers as the anonymous “whistleblower” who touched off Trump’s impeachment – was overheard in the White House discussing with another staffer how to remove the newly elected president from office, according to former colleagues.

Sources told RealClearInvestigations the staffer with whom Ciaramella was speaking was Sean Misko. Both were Obama administration holdovers working in the Trump White House on foreign policy and national security issues…

At a meeting of National Security Council employees two weeks into the Trump administration, the unidentified military staffer, who was seated directly in front of Ciaramella and Misko, confirmed hearing them talk about toppling Trump.

“After Flynn briefed [the staff] about what ‘America First’ foreign policy means, Ciaramella turned to Misko and commented, ‘We need to take him out,’ ” the staffer recalled. “And Misko replied, ‘Yeah, we need to do everything we can to take out the president.’”

Added the military detailee, who spoke on condition of anonymity: “By ‘taking him out,’ they meant removing him from office by any means necessary…”

Alarmed by their conversation, the military staffer immediately reported what he heard to his superiors.

“It was so shocking that they were so blatant and outspoken about their opinion,” he recalled. “They weren’t shouting it, but they didn’t seem to feel the need to hide it.”

In response, Judicial Watch file the suit after the Defense Department failed to respond to a January 14, 2022, FOIA request for:

Any and all reports submitted by a US military officer assigned to the National Security Council to his superiors relating to a conversation he overheard circa January 2017 at an “all-hands” NSC staff meeting between CIA analysts Eric Ciaramella and Sean Misko regarding trying to “get rid” of then-President Trump, as discussed in a January 22, 2020 Real Clear Investigations article available at this link.

Any and all records relating to any investigations conducted by the Department of Defense and/or its sub-agencies and departments into the alleged conversation between Misko and Ciaramella referenced above, including but not limited to investigative reports and witness statements.

All emails and communications sent to and from members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff regarding the alleged conversation between Misko and Ciaramella and any related investigations.

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

Maine Dismisses Trump Primary Ballot Appeal

By
Madeleine Jackson
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2
Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

On Wednesday, the top court in Maine ruled former President Donald Trump may remain on the state’s primary ballot until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the matter,  dismissing an appeal from Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (D).

According to The Hill, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled unanimously to uphold a lower judge’s order that required Bellows to wait for the U.S. Supreme Court to decide on the Colorado ballot case before she could withdraw, modify, or uphold her decision to block Trump’s name from Maine’s primary ballot on March 5.

Last year, Bellows ruled Trump could not appear on the state’s primary ballot under the insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment.

Trump appealed the decision to the state court which declined to take up the case, however, the judge said Trump could remain on the ballot until the U.S. Supreme Court decides the Colorado case

The Hill has more:

Bellows had warned punting the decision on Trump’s eligibility would put Maine in a “precarious position,” noting the state primary is held on Super Tuesday, March 5, which is fast approaching. She said voters might cast their votes with the answer on Trump’s eligibility still unresolved.

“A stay of this proceeding, followed by a February decision from the U.S. Supreme Court, may ultimately force the Secretary and her staff to scramble to minimize damage to the integrity of the March 5, 2024, election,” the Maine attorney general’s office, representing Bellows, had written in court filings.

Kari Lake Calls On Arizona GOP Chair To Resign

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    Kari Lake speaking with supporters at a "Stand for Freedom" rally at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Scottsdale Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. [Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons]

    On Wednesday, Arizona GOP chairman Jeff Dewit resigned after leaked audio appeared to show him attempting to bribe Senate candidate Kari Lake.

    On Tuesday, Lake demanded the chair resign after a recording surfaced of him appearing to offer Lake money in exchange for ending her Senate campaign.

    The recording, first reported by The Daily Mail, purports to capture DeWit offering Lake money in exchange for her staying out of politics for two years.

    “There are very powerful people who want to keep you out,” DeWit reportedly told Lake in the recording, saying only that these figures were from the “east.”

    “Just say, is there a number at which,” DeWit begins, before being cut off.

    “I can be bought? That’s what it’s about,” Lake retorted.

    “You can take a pause for a couple of years,” DeWit continued. “You can go right back to what you’re doing.”

    Lake said she would not accept a billion dollars to leave the Senate race.

    The former TV news anchor and current rising MAGA star’s Senate campaign has been met with some hesitation from Republican strongholds who would reportedly prefer a stronger fundraiser in the race.

    She said Tuesday that she didn’t have anyone in mind to replace DeWit.

    “I haven’t given it a lot of thought. What I want to do is make sure we get the corrupt people out,” she said.

    On Monday, the chair of the Maricopa County GOP, Craig Berland, also called on DeWit to resign.

    “If this is, in fact, true, I’m asking AZGOP Chairman Jeff DeWit to resign,” he said in a statement about the recording.

    Trump Declared Winner Of New Hampshire Primary

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
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      1

      In the end, it wasn’t even close…

      Former President Donald Trump has been declared the winner of the New Hampshire primary.

      Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley celebrated a symbolic victory in New Hampshire early Tuesday morning. Haley won all six votes in Dixville Notch, which kicked off the first-in-the-nation primary vote just past midnight.

      The remaining voters headed to the polls later on Tuesday.

      The final tracking poll before Tuesday’s primary showed Trump with a 22-point lead over Haley — his largest yet.

      While addressing a crowd of supporters Trump tore into Haley after his win in New Hampshire.

      “I have to tell you — it was very interesting, because I said, ‘Wow what a great victory,’ but then somebody ran up to the stage all dressed up nicely when it was at 7, but now I just walked up, and it was at 14,” Trump said, mocking Haley for delivering remarks to supporters after the race was called in his favor.

      “Let’s not have somebody take a victory when she had a very bad night. She had a very bad night,” Trump said.

      Later, he added that he couldn’t let his former United Nations ambassador “get away with bullshit.”

      “But I felt I should do this, because I find in life, you can’t let people get away with bullshit,” he said. “You can’t. And when I watched her in the fancy dress … I said, ‘What’s she doing?’ We won. And she did the same thing last week.”

      Federal Appeals Court Leaves Trump Gag Order In Place

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
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      0
      Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

      A Washington, D.C.-based appeals court has declined to rehear arguments concerning Donald Trump’s ability to speak about witnesses and courthouse staff in special counsel Jack Smith’s Jan. 6 trial.

      Trump’s only option if he wishes to further appeal is to go to the Supreme Court.

      Per CNN:

      Trump has unsuccessfully tried to challenge the gag order placed on him by Judge Tanya Chutkan late last year through appeals.

      The 11 judges from the DC Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday declined to touch the case after a three-judge panel previously upheld the gag order against Trump. There were no statements or dissents made by any of the judges.

      This article was republished with permission from American Liberty News.

      Massachusetts Judge Dismisses Trump Ballot Challenge

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
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      0
      Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

      Former President Trump will be allowed on Massachusetts’s presidential primary ballot.

      On Monday, the Massachusetts State Ballot Law Commission rejected two attempts to keep Trump off the ballot, stating it “does not have jurisdiction over the matters presented.”

      The two ballot eligibility challenges followed the same line of argument as a series of others across the nation that invoke the 14th Amendment’s insurrection clause, according to The Hill. The challenges argued Trump cannot appear on the primary or general ballots because he “engaged in a rebellion against the Constitution.”

      On Tuesday, Trump celebrated the victories.

      “Yesterday, the Massachusetts State Ballot Law Commission dealt another blow to Biden Democrats and their Election Interference attempt to disenfranchise millions of American voters by trying to remove President Trump from the ballot,” the campaign wrote in a statement.

      “In discarding this latest hoax, the commission sided with the Constitution, ensuring that the people of Massachusetts will have the right to vote for the candidate of their choice in 2024.”

      Massachusetts will hold its primary on March 5, or Super Tuesday, along with 15 other states.

      The state’s Ballot Law Commission met last week for a pre-hearing conference where they heard arguments on procedural matters.

      “There is nothing in the case law or the statutes that the commission is required to follow that says qualification to be on a ballot is a precondition to appear on the ballot,” Trump lawyer Marc Salinas said, per CNN.

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

      Nikki Haley Kicks Off New Hampshire Primary With Unanimous Victory

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
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      3

      Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is off to a strong start in New Hampshire.

      Haley won all six votes in Dixville Notch, N.H. which kicked off first-in-the-nation primary voting at midnight early Tuesday morning.

      Of the six votes, four are registered Republicans and two are undeclared voters. The remaining voters in the Granite State will head to the polls later on Tuesday.

      Although the small resort community is too small a sample size to signal the direction of the voters’ preferences, Haley celebrated the votes in a post on X, formerly Twitter, early Tuesday morning.

      “A great start to a great day in New Hampshire,” the former South Carolina governor wrote. “Thank you Dixville Notch!”

      Trump still leads New Hampshire with 50.6 percent of the vote, according to The Hill/Decision Desk HQ’s polling average. Haley is currently at 36.8 percent. Recent polls suggest Haley performs well among independents and moderate voters in New Hampshire. 

      Trump Hints At VP Pick Hours After DeSantis Calls It Quits

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
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      2

      Who will be Donald Trump’s next running mate? America is waiting with bated breath…

      On Saturday, Trump hinted that people likely won’t be shocked by his choice but stopped short of sharing any more details.

      Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier asked Trump in New Hampshire about when he will decide who could join him on the ticket if he secures the nomination, Trump answered, “Well, it’s never really had that much of an effect on an election, which is an amazing thing, both election and primary. It’s never really had much of an effect.”

      “I may or may not really [decide] something over the next couple of months. There’s no rush to that. It won’t have any impact at all. The person that I think I like is a very good person, a pretty standard. I think people won’t be that surprised, but I would say there’s probably a 25 percent chance that would be that person,” Trump continued.

      Earlier this month, Trump signaled he’s already made his decision on a running mate. (RELATED: Trump Says He’s Selected VP Choice)

      “I can’t tell you that really, I mean, I know who it’s going to be,” Trump said when he was asked who his running mate will be in 2024.

      Baier asked Trump if South Carlina Sen. Tim Scott, who ended his campaign in November, is among those being considered for the position.

      “You know, [Scott] endorsed me. There’s an example, [Nikki Haley] comes from South Carolina, Tim Scott is from South Carolina. But if you look [at] the governor, great governor, another senator [Lindsey Graham]. We happen to like Lindsey,” Trump said. “But, [Gov. Henry McMaster (R)] knows it very well. He endorsed me. It’s very hard for a governor to endorse somebody when you haven’t … I mean, Henry McMaster was the lieutenant governor under her and he endorsed me … What does that tell you?”

      In a Fox News town hall in Iowa earlier this month, Trump indicated he would be willing to consider any of the people who ran against him.

      “I’ve already started to like [Chris Christie] better,” Trump said, in reference to the former New Jersey governor who dropped out of the primary race earlier this month. Christie and Trump have had a tumultuous relationship over the years, with Christie’s 2024 campaign largely squared on criticizing the former president.

      On Sunday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis officially ended his presidential campaign, spurring rumors the Republican could be teaming up with Trump.

      However, Trump said it’s “highly unlikely” he’d ask Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to serve in a second Trump administration after DeSantis ended his own presidential campaign and endorsed him.

      “It’s probably unlikely,” Trump said after DeSantis dropped out of the race. “But I have to be honest: Everything’s a possibility, but I think it’s highly unlikely. I have a lot of great people, and I have great people that have been with me right from the beginning.”

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