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Congress May Blow Lid Off Backroom Deal For Trump Tax Return Leaker

By
Donny Ferguson
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1

Americans may soon learn why the man who stole the confidential financial information of 18,000 taxpayers got the lightest possible criminal sentence from the Biden administration after leaking the tax returns of one of those people – President Donald Trump.

U.S. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) announced in a statement he has “sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi requesting information about the prosecution of Charles Littlejohn, the former IRS contractor who leaked the tax returns of President and Trump and thousands of others to ProPublica and the New York Times.”

“During Littlejohn’s sentencing, Biden-Harris Justice Department prosecutors stated that the scope and scale his unauthorized disclosure was unparalleled in the IRS’s history yet allowed Littlejohn to plead guilty to only one count of unauthorized disclosure of tax information, resulting in only a five-year prison sentence, three years’ supervised release, and a $5,000 fine,” the statement explains.

“It remains unclear why the Biden-Harris Justice Department chose to allow him to plead guilty to only a single felony count,” the statement notes.

Jordan’s letter reads, in part:

“The Committee on the Judiciary is continuing to investigate the unprecedented leak of protected taxpayer information by Charles E. Littlejohn. Despite confessing to leaking ‘thousands of individuals’ and entities’ tax returns’ to ProPublica and the New York Times, the Biden-Harris Administration charged Mr. Littlejohn, a former Internal Revenue Service (IRS) contractor, with only one count of unauthorized disclosure of tax information. Due to the Trump Administration’s commitment to transparency and accountability, the Committee has learned that the scope of Mr. Littlejohn’s leak was much broader than the Biden-Harris Administration had led the public to believe. Accordingly, we respectfully renew our request for documents relating to Mr. Littlejohn’s prosecution.

“During Mr. Littlejohn’s sentencing, Justice Department prosecutors stated that the ‘scope and scale’ of Mr. Littlejohn’s unauthorized disclosure was ‘unparalleled in the IRS’s history.’ They claimed at the time that the data stolen by Mr. Littlejohn included ‘returns’ and ‘return information’ for approximately 18,000 individuals and 73,000 businesses. Yet, the Justice Department under President Biden allowed Mr. Littlejohn to plead guilty to only 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.

“During Mr. Littlejohn’s sentencing, the judge expressed that she was ‘perplexed’ and ‘troubled’ by the overly lenient plea agreement, stating: ‘The fact that [Mr. Littlejohn] is facing one felony count, I have no words for.’

“On February 8, 2024, the Committee wrote to the Biden-Harris Justice Department requesting documents about the Department’s decision to pursue one charge against Mr. Littlejohn despite the severity of his actions. On March 18, 2024, the Biden-Harris Justice Department responded by defending Mr. Littlejohn’s single felony charge and his five-year prison sentence. The Biden-Harris Justice Department failed to produce any substantive or nonpublic information to the Committee.

“After President Trump took office, the IRS disclosed to the Committee that over 405,000 taxpayers were victims of Mr. Littlejohn’s leaks and that ’89 [percent] of the taxpayers [we]re business entities.’ While it is now clear that Mr. Littlejohn’s conduct violated the privacy of hundreds of thousands of American taxpayers, it remains unclear why the Biden-Harris Justice Department chose to allow him to plead guilty to only a single felony count. It appears that the Biden-Harris Justice Department authorized a plea agreement in this case that did not ensure full accountability for criminal conduct that was unprecedented in its scope and scale.”

Trump Praises Court After Appeal Restores National Guard Control

By
Madeleine Jackson
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4
President Donald Trump takes questions after signing Executive Orders, Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok) President Donald Trump signs Executive Orders, Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)

President Trump is celebrating his most recent win…

President Donald Trump celebrated a federal appeals court ruling Thursday that granted him a temporary legal victory in his use of military force on U.S. soil, allowing the National Guard to remain deployed and under his control in Los Angeles as immigration protests continue.

The decision, handed down Thursday night by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, paused an earlier ruling by U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer, who found the president’s deployment unlawful and ordered control of the Guard returned to California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The legal whiplash, pausing Breyer’s 36-page rebuke just two hours after it dropped, left Los Angeles caught between two clashing branches of government and a national debate over presidential power, immigration enforcement, and military presence in civilian life.

Trump cheered the result on Friday morning via Truth Social:

The Appeals Court ruled last night that I can use the National Guard to keep our cities, in this case Los Angeles, safe. If I didn’t send the Military into Los Angeles, that city would be burning to the ground right now. We saved L.A. Thank you for the Decision!!!

A battalion of 700 U.S. Marines is expected to arrive Friday to support the Guard, an escalation that critics, including Newsom, argue the move is an example of authoritarian excess. The troops have been guarding a federal detention center downtown, where protests have centered.

“I’m confident, on the basis of the review of the 36 pages – absolutely it will stand,” Newsom said of the district judge’s order.

National Guard troops in Los Angeles have already detained protesters boycotting operations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), though they were quickly turned over to local law enforcement, according to officials.

Maj. Gen. Scott Sherman told the Associated Press on Wednesday that about 500 National Guard Troops have been trained so far to help agents carry out immigration operations.

Illegal Immigrants Are Setting California On FIRE! Stand With ICE and DONATE NOW!

Disgraced Lawyer Michael Avenatti Lands Reduced Prison Term

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2
    Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

    Michael Avenatti, a former high-profile attorney who rose to fame representing porn actor Stormy Daniels against President Donald Trump, was originally sentenced after pleading guilty to bilking his California clients and hiding millions more from the IRS. 

    He had the sentence vacated in October by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which determined that it was based on calculations of a greater loss to his victims than was actually suffered — and thus was too lengthy. 

    U.S. District Court Judge James Selna on Thursday sentenced Avenatti to 135 months, minus 40 to account for a separate Stormy Daniels fraud sentence.

    The court previously ruled that the Stormy Daniels theft was similar in nature, happened in the same time period, and therefore could be considered when deciding the new sentence.

    The 14-year sentence was nullified, but not dismissed entirely, and his convictions still stand, with Avenatti guilty of wire fraud and tax obstruction.

    Authorities said Avenatti negotiated and collected settlement payments on behalf of his clients, then funneled the money to accounts he controlled and spent it on his own lavish lifestyle.

    The case is separate from Avenatti’s other convictions for attempting to extort Nike and stealing money from Daniels. Avenatti’s attempts to get those convictions and sentences overturned on appeal all failed.

    Avenatti’s initial release date was set for July 31, 2035, but he asked Selna for a sentence that would have him released in just a few years. Avenatti, who was suspended from practicing law in California, has been representing himself.

    Prosecutors had asked for a sentence of only a few months less than the 14 years originally handed down.

    Ahead of his resentencing, Avenatti appealed for a more lenient sentence by providing details of his alleged personal transformation while behind bars in a 41-page memorandum filed last month.

    The memorandum detailed his life at the Terminal Island prison in Los Angeles, describing how he is trusted by prison officials to help other inmates – including serving as “suicide watch companion.” 

    Rand Paul Blames White House After Being ‘Uninvited’ From Picnic

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
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      0
      Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

      Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) had harsh words for the White House on Wednesday after he said he was “uninvited” from its annual picnic, a snub that came amid the Kentucky Republican’s vocal opposition to President Trump’s tax cut and spending package.

      On Wednesday, CNN’s Manu Raju caught up with Paul outside the Capitol, where the senator addressed the revoked invitation for seven minutes.

      “I think I’m the first senator in the history of the United States to be uninvited to the White House picnic,” he said. “I just find this incredibly petty. I mean — I have been, I think, nothing but polite to the President.”

      Paul added, “The level of immaturity is beyond words.”

      The senator went so far as to say he has lost respect for the president.

      “I’m arguing from a true belief and worry that our country is mired in debt and getting worse,” he said. “And they choose to react by uninviting my grandson to the picnic. I don’t know. I just think it really makes me lose a lot of respect I once had for Donald Trump.”

      Paul accused White House aides of “running sort of a paid influencer campaign against me for two weeks on Twitter.” He even said that “someone has told us that the White House called them from the White House, and offered them money to attack me online.”

      He added, “So, it’s silly in a way, but it’s also just really sad that this is what it’s come to,” he continued. “But petty vindictiveness like this, I don’t know. It makes you wonder about the quality of people you’re dealing with.”

      In a Thursday Truth Social post, Trump claimed that Paul and his family are in fact invited to the White House event.

      “Of course Senator Rand Paul and his beautiful wife and family are invited to the BIG White House Party tonight. He’s the toughest vote in the history of the U.S. Senate, but why wouldn’t he be? Besides, it gives me more time to get his Vote on the Great, Big, Beautiful Bill, one of the greatest and most important pieces of legislation ever put before our Senators & Congressmen/women,” the president wrote.

      Paul responded to the invitation with two posts, one in which he called the president’s words “promising” and another in which he slapped a Make America Great Again hat on his grandson.

      “This is a promising sign of things to come—and if there’s one thing [President Trump] and I agree on, it’s that my wife is beautiful,” the senator wrote on X.

      “Turns out my grandson is actually invited to the Congressional Picnic! He is ready!” Paul wrote in another post holding his grandson in a MAGA hat.

      Fellow budget hawk Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) also said he was not invited to this year’s White House event.

      Celebrate President Trump’s 79th Birthday — Sign His Official Card Today!

      Report: Trump Considering Cabinet Member To Replace Powell At The Federal Reserve

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
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      1
      By Federalreserve - https://www.flickr.com/photos/federalreserve/54004811346/, Public Domain,

      President Trump is reportedly mulling implementing some major leadership changes at the Federal Reserve.

      Reports indicate President Trump is considering a member of his Cabinet to succeed Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

      Powell has less than a year remaining in his term as Fed chair, which is due to expire in May 2026. President Donald Trump, who nominated Powell to the role in 2017, has signaled he won’t nominate the chair for another term and recently gave Powell the derisive nickname of “Mr. Too Late” amid his efforts to lobby the Fed to cut interest rates.

      Trump has suggested he could name Powell’s successor in the near future, well in advance of the end of Powell’s term as chair, and has reportedly developed a short list of contenders in mind.

      Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is one of the leading contenders for the role of Fed chair, Bloomberg News reported, citing people familiar with the matter, though the outlet noted the administration hasn’t started formal interviews.

      Bloomberg reported that former Fed official Kevin Warsh, who Trump considered for the treasury secretary role before opting to nominate Bessent, is also on the short list for the Fed chair role.

      Bessent testified before the House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday and was asked about reports linking him to the Fed chair role and whether he would rather have that role or remain as the Treasury secretary.

      The secretary said that his current role is “the best job” in the nation’s capital and that while he is “happy to do what President Trump wants me to do,” he “would like to stay in my seat through 2029” to advance the administration’s agenda until the end of the president’s term.

      Celebrate President Trump’s 79th Birthday — Sign His Official Card Today!

      Poll Reveals Legal Immigrant Voters Shift To Trump

      By
      Seijah Drake
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      5

      In a stunning political reversal, new polling shows that naturalized immigrant voters — once seen as a reliable Democratic voting bloc — are now favoring President Donald Trump and his immigration policies, delivering a serious blow to the Democratic Party’s long-term strategy of winning elections through mass migration and demographic shifts.

      CNN’s polling analyst Harry Enten revealed a dramatic change: immigrant voters, who gave Democrats a 32-point advantage in 2020, have swung right by 40 points. Republicans now lead among legal immigrant voters by 8 points — a staggering shift that few analysts saw coming.

      “More so than any group I can find, the voters who’ve become more hawkish on immigration are immigrants themselves,” Enten said. “They’ve gone from sympathy for illegal immigrants to a clear preference for stronger borders and enforcement — and they’re aligning with Trump.”

      In 2016, Trump received just 36% of the vote from naturalized citizens. That number jumped to 47% in 2024, with early 2025 polling suggesting the trend is continuing. Immigrant voters cite economic hardship, crime, and perceived unfairness in the immigration system as key reasons for the shift. Many are frustrated that they followed the legal process only to see unchecked illegal immigration flood the labor market and strain public services.

      The frustration is especially acute among working-class immigrants, who face direct competition for jobs, housing, and school resources. Many now feel that the Biden administration’s immigration policies — spearheaded by DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas — have placed the interests of illegal border crossers ahead of those who played by the rules.

      For years, Democrats openly embraced a long-term strategy to shift the electoral balance through high levels of immigration. Influential think tanks like the Progressive Policy Institute argued that growing diversity would create an enduring Democratic majority. But the strategy assumed that legal immigrants would remain politically aligned with newer arrivals — an assumption increasingly proven false.

      This polling shift places Democrats in a bind: if they reduce migration, they’ll lose the influx of potential future voters. But if they continue mass migration, they risk alienating the immigrants already here — many of whom are becoming increasingly aligned with Trump’s America First policies.

      Since returning to office in January, Trump has taken aggressive steps to reverse Biden-era immigration policies. Illegal border crossings have plummeted, and employers are reporting tighter labor markets, especially in the construction and service industries — leading to slow but steady wage increases for lower-income Americans.

      The shift among immigrant voters adds to a growing list of Democratic vulnerabilities. Latinos, black voters, and even younger voters have begun drifting away from the party, especially in response to crime, inflation, and identity politics. Trump’s immigration stance — once demonized as “xenophobic” — now resonates as a defense of legal immigration and national sovereignty.

      A recent poll found that 59% of Americans supported Trump’s crackdown on violent protests in Los Angeles following ICE raids, which saw rioters waving foreign flags and attacking police. Among naturalized citizens, support for the crackdown was even higher.

      Trump Seeks Renewed Push To Toss Hush Money Conviction

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
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      1
      Gage Skidmore Flickr

      A federal appeals court is now weighing whether President Donald J. Trump’s historic 2024 felony conviction should be tossed, after a recent Supreme Court decision drastically reshaped the legal understanding of presidential immunity.

      As The Hill reports, a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit heard arguments on Wednesday that could open the door for President Trump to seek justice in a federal courtroom, rather than being cornered by politically motivated actors in a New York state court. The court is reviewing whether the former president’s conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records—handed down by a Manhattan jury earlier this year—should stand in light of the Supreme Court’s July 1 ruling affirming broad constitutional protections for former presidents.

      President Trump’s legal team argues that the case should never have proceeded under state jurisdiction. They emphasize that aspects of the prosecution, including the use of Trump’s official communications during his presidency, relied on acts now potentially protected under the Supreme Court’s revised interpretation of presidential immunity.

      Judge Myrna Pérez, a Biden appointee on the panel, conceded the seismic implications of the Supreme Court’s decision, stating, “It seems to me that we got a very big case that created a whole new world of presidential immunity, and that the boundaries are not clear at this point.”

      That lack of clarity has opened the door for Trump’s team to renew their efforts to move the case into federal court—a more neutral venue where political bias is far less entrenched than in Manhattan’s judiciary.

      Trump was convicted in May 2024 by a New York jury for allegedly falsifying business records tied to payments made during the 2016 campaign. But these charges stem from conduct before he assumed the presidency, making them highly questionable in their merit and unprecedented in American legal history. Many supporters see this as part of a broader effort to criminalize the former president and interfere in the 2024 election—an attempt to “get Trump” no matter the legal cost.

      Following the Supreme Court’s 6–3 decision in July, which reaffirmed the Constitution’s protections of the executive branch, Trump’s attorneys highlighted how certain trial evidence—such as social media posts and communications while in office—were used improperly. According to them, these were “official acts” and should be protected under the high court’s new standards.

      However, Judge Juan Merchan, the New York state judge overseeing the trial, dismissed the challenge in December 2024, stating that the evidence in question was “harmless” in light of what he described as “overwhelming” proof. Trump’s legal team vehemently disagreed, calling the trial a “show trial” fueled by partisan politics rather than a genuine pursuit of justice.

      Trump’s attorneys argue that the case involves official conduct, including actions taken while president, and therefore falls under the scope of presidential immunity. The Hill confirms that they contend the Manhattan DA’s charges involve acts that occurred during Trump’s time in office and were connected to his official duties, even if indirectly.

      The Manhattan District Attorney’s office, predictably, opposes this view. They maintain that the prosecution was based entirely on personal conduct. But given the political makeup of New York courts and prosecutors, many Americans view this case as nothing more than election interference dressed up as legal procedure.

      This appeal represents a potential turning point—not just for Trump, but for every future president. If the Supreme Court’s guidance on immunity is ignored by lower courts, it could invite an era where former commanders-in-chief are harassed by hostile state prosecutors for political gain.

      Congresswoman Indicted Following ICE Facility Encounter

      By
      admin
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      0
      Police image via Pixabay free images

      A federal grand jury has indicted U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) on two felony counts and one misdemeanor charge related to a physical altercation with federal officers outside a Newark immigration detention facility.

      The incident occurred on May 9 at Delaney Hall, during what was described as a congressional oversight visit. McIver was joined by several Democratic colleagues and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka.

      According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, McIver allegedly struck two federal officers — once with her forearm and again while attempting to block the arrest of Mayor Baraka. Baraka had entered a restricted area without authorization. He was briefly detained for trespassing, but the charges were later dropped.

      As The Washington Post reports:

      Video released by the Department of Homeland Security showed McIver rushing after the agents as they tried to arrest Baraka outside the facility’s gates and shouting to protesters outside to “surround the mayor.” At one point, McIver’s elbows appear to make contact with a masked officer amid the crush of the crowd.

      The two other members of Congress have not been charged.

      Habba and McIver havepublicly said that prosecutors tried to reach a resolution with McIver without pressing charges but were not successful, though neither provided details.

      “The Justice Department and Alina Habba wanted me to admit to doing something that I did not do, and I was not going to do that,” McIver said on CNN last month. “I came here to do my job and conduct an oversight visit, and they wanted me to say something differently, and I’m not doing that.”

      Federal prosecutors claim McIver’s actions constituted assault and obstruction of federal officers in the performance of their duties.

      McIver has denied the allegations, claiming the charges are politically motivated and amount to intimidation over her work on immigration oversight. Her attorney, Paul J. Fishman, called the case “political retaliation against a dedicated public servant who refuses to shy away from her oversight responsibilities” and vowed to prove her innocence in court.

      Fishman previously served as U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey from 2009 to 2017.

      The case is unusual. Criminal indictments of sitting members of Congress are rare — especially ones that don’t involve financial misconduct or corruption. This case centers instead on conduct during an official visit tied to immigration enforcement.

      Legal experts say the indictment could reignite debate over how much leeway lawmakers have in conducting oversight of federal agencies, particularly those involving immigration detention practices.

      An arraignment date for McIver has not yet been set. If convicted, she faces up to eight years in prison for each felony count, and up to one year for the misdemeanor.

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      Musk Apologizes To Trump After Public Feud

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
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      0

      Waving the white flag…

      Early Wednesday morning, billionaire Elon Musk publicly apologized to President Donald Trump, putting an end to the online feud.

      Musk, who recently deleted posts warning that Trump was named in the files relating to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, had mostly broken with Trump over the “One Big Beautiful Bill” currently moving through the Senate. He went so far in a number of posts to call for people to vote against anyone in Congress who supported it.

      In his Wednesday morning post, however, he voiced regret for how far he’d taken his attacks: “I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far.”

      Many began to question whether a reconciliation between the two billionaires was on the table as Musk voiced his support for Trump’s actions in California.

      On several occasions, Musk either reposted or commented positively on posts from Trump or his team regarding the administration’s actions to control the rioting in Los Angeles County.

      Musk also shared Trump’s statement criticizing California Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Democratic Mayor Karen Bass for their failure to restore order once the protests turned violent. Rioters have been seen specifically targeting law enforcement and federal agents, including throwing rocks at federal vehicles.

      U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said Monday that 40-year-old Elpidio Reyna, a resident of Compton, California, was the man seen on video throwing rocks at law enforcement vehicles in Paramount, injuring one federal officer and damaging government vehicles.

      “Elpidio Reyna can run, but he can’t hide. He threw rocks at federal officers leaving a command post in Paramount on Saturday, a brazen attack caught on film and that could have resulted in deaths. Reyna, 40, is charged with assault on a federal officer, and faces up to eight years in prison if convicted,” Essayli posted on X. 

      A video shared with the post shows a man wearing a motorcycle helmet pelting rocks at federal vehicles on Saturday afternoon. 

      Reyna has not yet been arrested, and the FBI is offering $50,000 for information that leads to his capture. 

      Trump authorized sending another 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles on Monday and deployed hundreds of Marines. 

      “The Insurrectionists have a tendency to spit in the face of the National Guardsmen/women, and others,” he posted on Truth Social. “These Patriots are told to accept this, it’s just the way life runs. But not in the Trump Administration. IF THEY SPIT, WE WILL HIT, and I promise you they will be hit harder than they have ever been hit before. Such disrespect will not be tolerated!”

      Celebrate President Trump’s 79th Birthday — Sign His Official Card Today!

      Terry Moran Out At ABC News Following Post Attacking Trump White House

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
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      1

      Just in…

      ABC News correspondent Terry Moran is leaving the network after he took aim at President Donald Trump and top White House aide Stephen Miller in a now-deleted post on X. 

      “We are at the end of our agreement with Terry Moran and based on his recent post – which was a clear violation of ABC News policies – we have made the decision to not renew,” a spokesperson for ABC News confirmed to Fox News Digital.

      “At ABC News, we hold all of our reporters to the highest standards of objectivity, fairness and professionalism, and we remain committed to delivering straightforward, trusted journalism,” the spokesperson added. 

      Moran was initially suspended after he called Trump and Miller “world-class” haters early Sunday morning. Moran, who’s been with the network since 1997.

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

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