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POLITICIANS
Bloomberg’s Bow Out Boosts Biden
Joe Biden’s unexpected success in the polls on Super Tuesday pushed former mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg out of the race altogether, which in turn gave Biden a boost over the other primary contender left standing, Bernie Sanders. Many are saying that with Bloomberg no longer in the race, Biden has become the flag bearer of the party’s moderate wing. Former vice president to Barack Obama, Biden, won at least nine of the 14 states that participated in the primary elections on March 3. Included in these nine states is a big win with Texas because many see Texas as a key state whose backing will especially help to defeat Republican candidate, President Donald Trump. These wins shot Biden ahead in the polls for the overall tally of delegates who will choose a presidential nominee at the Democratic convention in July. Up until this pivotal moment for Biden, Senator Sanders’ status had been as the Democratic front-runner, and Bloomberg was still a contender in the race. Biden’s triumph has been… Read More
The President’s Potential Impeachment
On Sunday morning, the House Judiciary Committee submitted a report to the House Rules Committee to supplement a summarization of the case against Republican, President Donald Trump, in his pending impeachment. The impeachment articles claim the president violated numerous federal laws. The Sunday morning report is meant to supplement the original two articles of impeachment the Judiciary Committee approved on Friday (December 13, 2019). The impeachment articles address the investigation of President Trump’s role in pressuring the Ukraine government into investigating presidential candidate and opponent, Joe Biden. The president is facing one charge of abuse of power for his role in asking the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, to investigate Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, as well as one count for obstructing Congress’ investigation into this matter. It is likely that the Democratic-led House of Representatives will vote on this as early as Wednesday (12/16/19). If the House votes in favor of impeachment, this will make President Trump only the third president in U.S. history to be impeached, albeit no… Read More
Trump’s Friend and Advisor Convicted on Seven Criminal Counts
Roger Stone, President Donald Trump’s longtime adviser, and friend was convicted of criminal charges on November 15 in a jury trial for lying to Congress, obstruction of justice, and witness tampering. He was found guilty of obstructing a congressional investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election. Prosecutor’s said that Stone did this in an effort to protect the president. In a trial that comes from investigations of Russian interference in the election and charges from Special Counsel Robert Mueller, Stone, a longtime Republican operative that has self-identified himself as a “dirty trickster” and “agent provocateur,” was found guilty of all seven criminal charges he was up against. These charges included his lying to the U.S. House of Representatives Intelligence Committee during its investigation in the Russian election interference, trying to block the testimony of a potential witness in this case, and for concealing large volumes of evidence from prosecutors. During the trial, the prosecution’s evidence showed that Stone released emails that Russians had stolen from Democratic computers and… Read More
Donald Trump’s Impeachment Inquiry
The impeachment inquiry for President Donald Trump continues amid criticism from both sides of Congress towards the other. The president’s impeachment inquiry was initiated by US House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, on September 24, after a whistleblower alleged that President Trump abused his power of the presidency by pressuring the leaders of foreign countries to investigate former vice president Joe Biden and his son Hunter. The president has been accused of doing this to advance his own personal and political interests. Thus far, these allegations have been corroborated by the testimony of top U.S. officials. In particular, the inquiry’s initial allegations focused on Trump and his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, for taking part in a quid-pro-quo campaign to pressure the Ukranian government to take actions that would support the president’s 2020 campaign. In the days after the announcement of the inquiry, additional allegations of misconduct were performed as well as reported. In the past few weeks, Trump and his defenders have busied themselves with attacking the process by which Trump’s impeachment… Read More
Brothers of Jussie Smollett Attack Sue’s Lawyers
Updated: April 23, 2019 / 2:01 PM The two brothers that were involved in the alleged hate-crime attack against Jussie Smollett are taking legal action to sue the actor’s lawyers on Tuesday, accusing them of defamation for claiming they had “criminally attacked” the actor even after authorities concluded otherwise. A lawsuit was filed in Chicago’s federal court in which the Osundairo brothers charged that Smollett’s attorneys, both Mark Geragos and Tina Glandian, for falsely accusing them of physically attacking Smollett, even after the investigation was over. The lawsuit filed stated: “He wanted his employer and the public to notice and appreciate him as a successful black, openly gay actor,” it continued, “Smollett directed every aspect of the attack, including the location and the noose.” Smollett’s attorneys, Geragos and Glandian, called the lawsuit against them “comical” and a “desperate attempt for them to stay relevant and further profit from an attack they admit they perpetrated.” The lawyers feel confident that the courts will dismiss the lawsuit. Smollett has mentioned that he… Read More
Trump Suing to Block Subpoena form Obtaining Financial Records
Updated: 4/22/19 On Monday, President Donald Trump and his business organization are suing against the Democratic chairman of the House oversight committee to block a subpoena that is seeking years of the president’s financial records. The complaint, which was filed in Washington’s federal court, claimed that the subpoena from Representative Elijah Cummings “has no legitimate legislative purpose” and accuses Democrats of harassing Donald Trump while wielding their new majority in Congress to try to stain the president’s standing. “Instead of working with the president to pass bipartisan legislation that would actually benefit Americans, House Democrats are singularly obsessed with finding something they can use to damage the president politically,” the lawsuit said. Cummings, who is a Maryland Democrat and also chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, had issued out the subpoena earlier this month to Mazars USA, who is an accountant for Trump and his organization. The subpoena is seeking eight years of documentation from Trump and several of his businesses, lawyers for Trump and the Trump… Read More
Woman Faces 4 Years in Prison After Stealing 400k In GoFundMe Scam
Updated: 10:26 PM ET, Mon April 15, 2019 A woman in New Jersey is facing up to four years in state prison for her role in scamming more than $400,000 from GoFundMe donors, claiming that the money donated was for a homeless man in Philadelphia. On Monday in Burlington County, New Jersey, Katelyn McClure, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of theft by deception in the second degree. In the viral story which took place in 2017 and made national headlines, New Jersey resident McClure suddenly ran out of gas and was stranded on Interstate 95 in Philadelphia. Johnny Bobbitt Jr, a homeless man, supposedly saw her and gave her his last $20 to help her get some gas. McClure and her then-boyfriend, Mark D’Amico, took to social media to post about the “good deed,” including a picture of her with Bobbitt on a highway ramp. The couple decided to start a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for the homeless man, saying they wanted to pay it forward to the… Read More
The Supreme Court Feuds Over Death Penalty
UPDATED:8:51 AM ET, Tue April 2, 2019 Controversy has been sparked over a recent execution of a Muslim inmate in Alabama which led to a rare public debate between the Supreme Court justices on how the death penalty should be enforced. The justices are still divided and have not reached a compromise over the execution of Domineque Ray, a man who claimed that his religious rights were disregarded due to not being allowed to have an imam with him in the execution chamber back in February. In early February, the conservative-oriented court couldn’t provide much reasoning regarding their decision to allow the execution of Ray to go forward. The Alabama penitentiary allows for a Christian chaplain to be in the room; however, officials blocked the imam, forbidding this request and claiming that prison employees could only be present in the chamber for security concerns. However, it didn’t stop there. Another death penalty case involved the request for a Buddhist spiritual adviser last week, and the controversy continued since in this case the request… Read More
The House Passing Resolution Opposing Military Ban on Transgender People
UPDATED: 3/28/19 1:58 PM ET Early in January, the Supreme Court passed President Trump’s ongoing transgender military ban to take effect, enraging pro LGBT activists that say the ban itself is discriminatory, inhuman, and irrational. Trump first announced the ban on his Twitter account in July 2017 in which he said the reasoning behind the ban is due to “tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail.” The policy was then released later by the James Mattis, the previous Secretary of Defense in 2018. The policy’s purpose is to block all individuals who have been medically diagnosed with a condition known as gender dysphoria, preventing them from serving in the military, with limited exceptions. It also states that individuals without this condition may serve. However, only if they do so based on the sex they were assigned at birth. A resolution was then passed on Thursday by The House of Representatives conveying opposition against the Trump administration’s ban on service members in the military that are… Read More
Justice Department knew three weeks ago that Mueller wouldn’t reach a conclusion on obstruction of justice
Updated 7:48 PM ET, Mon March 25, 2019 The U.S. Justice Department knew three weeks ago that Robert Mueller would not be reaching a conclusion whether President Donald Trump obstructed justice. The special counsel’s team informed Attorney General Bill Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein about Mueller’s intentions at a meeting that took place roughly three weeks ago. The meeting wasn’t only about discussing the matter of justice obstruction, according to a source familiar with the matter. During the meeting, the special counsel’s team also asked for more time to finish their work for administrative reasons. The Justice Department granted their request. On Sunday, March 24, Attorney General Bill Barr released a four-page summary of Mueller’s principal conclusions, explaining that the special counsel “did not draw a conclusion — one way or another — as to whether the examined conduct constituted obstruction.” “Instead,” Barr wrote, “for each of the relevant actions investigated, the report sets out evidence on both sides of the question and leaves unresolved what the Special… Read More
California governor moves to “Freeze” the death penalty
UPDATED: 2019/03/22 12:00 PM With an increasing focus on criminal justice system reform, California has taken a leadership role under to their new Governor, Gavin Newsom, in the stand against the death penalty. As of an executive order signed last week, California’s penal system now under a moratorium on all slated death penalties. According to Newsom, his concerns over the death penalty stem from a variety of factors including issues on race and mental health, and the statistics that lend themselves that these demographics playing an unjust role in those who face corpral punishment. He continues with concerns over the real, documented issue of putting to death innocent people. In America, the execution rate is higher than any other democracy in the world, and some studies suggest that the methods of execution may broach the border of cruel and unusual punishment. This is especially true in California, having the largest death row anywhere in the Western Hemisphere, with 737 people awaiting execution, and a nearly 60% skew toward African-American or… Read More
Republicans in FL push to make Ex-Felons pay for the right to vote
UPDATED: 2019-03-21 12:00 PM This week, a Florida House panel approved a bill that would require former felons to pay fees and fines before having their voting rights restored. This immediately prompted criticism from voting rights advocates and those who say it undermines a new Amendment that focuses on restoring that very right and unfairly punishes those who are unable to pay and undermine the central objective of the amendment: ending permanent disenfranchisement. However supporters of the bill contend that it’s meant to clarify and resolve questions that arise as a result of the new Amendment. Since it’s effective date in January, the Amendment has caused some confusion. For example, it did not apply to those convicted of murder or sexual offenses, stirring questions about which crimes should be counted in those categories. The bill, which would also clarify the relevant offenses, passed the subcommittee with a vote of 10 to 5, split along party lines — Democrats opposed.
Notoriously silent Justice Clarence Thomas asks important question for the first time in 3 years
UPDATED: 2019-03-21 12:00 PM Although generally known as the silent and stoic Justice on the Supreme Court — often not saying a word in open court for multi-year stretches — Justice Clarence Thomas asked his first question in 3 years involving race. Thomas is only the second African-American justice in US history. He opposes governmental racial remedies across the board, and has voted against such implementations of that philosophy like campus affirmative action and electoral districts drawn to enhance the voting power of minorities who have long faced bias at the polls. Thomas believes the Constitution’s equal protection guarantee forbids such racial measures and, in a practical vein, argues that they stigmatize blacks, Latinos and other racial minorities. To very briefly summarize, a portion of case heard on Wednesday morning examined the legal precedent for the Court’s interference in cases where State court juror’s were allegedly struck from the jury during the Voir Dire processes based solely on their race. Attorney Sheri Lynn Johnson argued on behalf of the defendant… Read More
SCOTUS rules government can detain immigrants with past criminal records — even years later
UPDATED: 2019-03-20 12 PM In a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court held on Tuesday that the government can detain immigrants with past criminal records — without a bond hearing — even if years have passed since they were released from custody. The focus of the case was whether or not a bond hearing must occur promptly upon an immigrant’s release from criminal custody or whether it can happen months or even years later when the individual has resettled into society. According to the current statute, the detention can occur “when the alien is released” from custody, with no clarification on timeline. In his opinion for the Court, Justice Samuel Alito took issue with the immigrants in the case arguing they were “owed bond hearings” in order to argue for their release. Alito said that the law did not support their argument. Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote separately to say that the ruling was based entirely on the language of the statute at hand. “The court correctly holds that the Executive Branch’s… Read More
New law — signed by Trump — used to get data from Cohen’s Gmail
UPDATED: 2019-03-20 12 PM Court filings reveal that federal prosecutors used a new law Trump signed to collect data from his former attorney and “fixer,” Michael Cohen. Southern District of New York Investigators obtained search warrants to Cohen’s Gmail account in February of 2019. The documents were turned over by Google, but the search engine company “declined to produce data that it stored on computer servers located outside of the United States,” according to an FBI agent’s affidavit who was working on Cohen’s case. Just a few weeks later, Trump signed into law the CLOUD Act, giving US law enforcement more legal precedent to pursue overseas data — like that of Cohen’s email stored on international servers. This provision was tucked into the $1.3 trillion spending bill Trump signed to avoid a second government shutdown under his administration. With this new governance, the federal prosecutors returned to court, asking for another warrant to get the remaining Cohen materials. An April 2018 affidavit provided by the FBI agent argued that “providers… Read More
Paul Manafort Sentenced to More Prison Time And Charged With Crimes in New York State
UPDATED: 2019/03/14 6:00PM New York State prosecutors charged Paul Manafort with mortgage fraud and other charges on Wednesday, March 13th, 2019 in a move that would ensure if Donald Trump were to try to pardon him, he would stay in prison. Judge Amy Berman handed down a 43 month sentence on top of the 47 months he was sentenced to last week. Her added sentence adds an extra three and a half years to his original sentence. While the judge in his original sentencing was lenient with Manafort, Berman was definitely not. She did not believe that he was sorry for his actions in the least. She said, “Saying I’m sorry I got caught is not an inspiring plea for leniency.” She told the courtroom “It is hard to overstate the number of lies and the amount of fraud and the extraordinary amount of money involved.” After the sentencing, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. revealed charges of residential mortgage fraud, conspiracy, falsifying records, and a scheme to defraud, in… Read More
“Testicular Bill of Rights” Proposed In Objection to Georgia Abortion Bill
UPDATED 2019/03/13 2:00PM Democratic minority whip Daar’shun Kendrick is proposing a law that would make it an “aggravated assault” for men to have sex without a condom and would require men to obtain permission from their partner before seeking a prescription for erectile dysfunction drugs. Among her other proposals are DNA testing at the sixth week of pregnancy to determine paternity and requirements for the father to make immediate child support payments. It would also ban vasectomy procedures and introduce a 24-hour waiting period for men to buy porn or sex toys in Georgia. The bill is in response to Georgia’s House of Representatives passing a “heartbeat bill” that would ban abortions after the sixth week of pregnancy. The bill is moving to the State Senate, which is Republican-controlled. She said on a radio interview, “If the state of Georgia is going to be concerned with regulating women’s reproductive rights, I think it’s only fitting that we also do that for men’s reproductive rights.” She said that the point of… Read More
Tucker Carlson Caught on Tape Using Racist and Homophobic Language (Again)
UPDATED 2019/03/12 4:00PM Media Matters for America released tapes of conservative Fox News host, Tucker Carlson, using racist and homophobic language just days after releasing records of Carlson making misogynist remarks. In the recording the Fox News host uses racist and homophobic language to describe Iraqi people, African Americans, members of the LGBT community and immigrants while speaking on a radio show in the years between 2006 and 2011. These recordings come one day after the nonprofit release recordings in which he can be heard using sexist language while speaking about child rape, rape shield laws, underage marriage and other topics. He refused to apologize for his remarks on his television show, instead choosing to go on a diatribe about the “digital mob.” He said, ““The great American outrage machine is a remarkable thing. One day you’re having dinner with your family imagining everything is fine, the next your phone is exploding with calls from reporters.” He said that his network still supports him saying, “First, Fox News is behind… Read More
Paul Manafort Sentenced to Nearly 4 Years in Prison
UPDATED 2019/03/08 3:00PM Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chairman, has been sentenced to almost 4 years in prison for cheating on his taxes and committing bank fraud. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Manafort was facing nearly 20 years in prison, but US. District Court Judge R.S. Ellis III called the guidelines calculation for his sentencing “excessive” and instead sentenced him to 47 months in prison. In court, Manafort asked the judge to consider his suffering over the past two years saying, “The last two years have been the most difficult years for my family and I. To say that I feel humiliated and ashamed would be a gross understatement.” He added, “I know it is my conduct that has brought me here.” Aware he may be criticized, the judge attempted to prove that his punishment was harsh enough, saying “go and spend a day, a week in jail or in the federal penitentiary. He has to spend 47 months.” He said that the sentence he imposed is in line with others… Read More
Michael Cohen Asked Lawyer to Talk to Trump Team About Pardon, Possibly Contradicting Testimony
UPDATED 2019/03/07 2:00PM A spokesperson for Michael Cohen, former personal attorney and fixer for President Trump, confirmed in a statement that Cohen asked one of his attorney’s to reach out to an attorney representing the president about receiving a pardon. According to the statement, Cohen asked his attorney at the time to meet with Rudy Giuliani, who is representing Trump, about the possibility of a pardon after an FBI raid on his home and office occured in July 2018. Davis said, “Prior to Michael Cohen’s decision to leave the ‘Joint Defense Group’ and tell the truth on July 2, 2018, Michael was open to the ongoing ‘dangling’ of a possible pardon by Trump representatives privately and in the media. During that time period, he directed his attorney to explore possibilities of a pardon at one point with Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani as well as other lawyers advising President Trump.” Cohen later left the Joint Defense Group and “change his life and tell the truth” for the sake of his family… Read More
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Be Indicted on Corruption Charges
UPDATED 2019/03/01 3:00PM Israel’s attorney general announced on Thursday, February 28th, that his office plans to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on corruption charges. The indictment comes after a two-year investigation into the prime minister’s conduct. Netanyahu faces one count of bribery and three counts of breach of trust. With elections only six-weeks away, Netanyahu is calling the prosecution’s announcement a “witch hunt,” calling the charges “outrageous” and an attack on him by his liberal opponents. He vowed to refute all allegations, calling them “blood libel.” This is not the first time that Netanyahu has found himself in trouble with the law. Police have previous recommended indicting the prime minister for bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three different cases. The most serious allegations against the prime minister involve his ties to the controlling shareholder of Israel’s telecom tech giant Bezeq, Shaul Bezeq. Police have said their investigation concluded that the men engaged in a “bribe-based relationship.” Police also accused the PM of corruption twice, the first instance involves… Read More
Conservative Federal Judge, Eric Miller, Confirmed Without Consent of Either Home-State Senator
UPDATED: 2019/02/28 3:00PM Seattle attorney Eric Miller was confirmed as a judge on the United States’ most liberal appeals court this week, but he was confirmed without the consent of either of his home-senators. Before this week, a nominee for the 9th circuit court of appeals had never been confirmed without the support of at least one senator from their home-state. Historically, senators can submit their opinions via “blue slips” or they may choose not to return them. Neither Senator Patty Murray nor Senator Maria Cantwell, both Washington state Democrats, returned blue slips on Miller’s nomination to serve on the 9th circuit court of appeals. Miller was confirmed on Tuesday, February 26th on a 53-46 vote. This allows Trump to move forward toward a more conservative federal judiciary. The vote to confirm Miller’s lifetime appointment followed a brief hearing, which took place during a congressional recess. Only two Republican senators were present. This marks a break in traditions that some Democrats are calling “a dangerous first.” According to a statement… Read More
Michael Cohen Testifies That Donald Trump Was Involved in Hush Money Scheme, Provides Checks to Prove It
UPDATED 2019/02/27 2:00PM Former Trump lawyer, Michael Cohen, is testifying on Capitol Hill today and attempting to support his claims that the president engaged in possible criminal conduct while in office. He has submitted copies of checks that Trump, his son Donald Jr. and the COO of the Trump Organization have signed as evidence. Cohen provided a copy of a check that he says was personally signed by Trump in 2017 to reimburse him for payments that he made to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels, who alleged having an affair with Trump. Cohen said at his House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing, “I am providing a copy of a $35,000 check that President Trump personally signed from his personal bank account on Aug. 1 of 2017 — when he was President of the United States — pursuant to the cover-up, which was the basis of my guilty plea, to reimburse me — the word used by Mr. Trump’s TV lawyer — for the illegal hush money I paid on his… Read More
Conservative Student Assaulted at UC Berkeley
Breaking News, Politicians, Sexual Assault
UPDATED 2019/02/27 2:00PM Activist Hayden Williams was on the UC Berkeley campus recruiting students for a grassroots conservative organization when two men assaulted him. One of the men pushed Williams and punched him in the face. Hayden is not a student at the UC Berkeley campus, but the campus chapter of Turning Point USA, asked him for recruiting assistance. Williams is a field representative for another conservative group, Leadership Institute. On Tuesday, February 26th, 2019, UC Berkeley officials announced that police were preparing to apprehend a suspect in the assault on a felony charge. The suspect has not been named and they have not yet been issued an arrest warrant. Conservatives are arguing that the attack garnered what they perceive as a delayed response from the police and university because of “liberal bias” in the media. They also say that this bias has garnered a lack of response from the public as well. Donald Trump Jr. even tweeted, “Wonder if it would be the same if a conservative beat up… Read More
Michael Cohen Will Testify on Capitol Hill This Week
Michael Cohen is scheduled to testify before three congressional committees this week. He will testify on Tuesday (2/26/19) before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Wednesday (2/27/19) before the House Oversight Committee and Thursday before the House Oversight committee. His hearings on Tuesday and Wednesday are private, but the House Oversight hearing is public. Cohen, formerly Trump’s lawyer, pleaded guilty last year to multiple crimes, including lying to Congress and arranging hush money payments to women that allegedly had affairs with the president. He is expected to describe what he views on the president’s “lies, racism and cheating” while President of the United States and while in private business. His three-year long prison sentence is set to begin in May. Cohen is expected to detail his exact motives for helping president Trump and his motives for coming clean now, offering specific details about how and why he arranged hush money payments under the direction of Trump. He is also expected to provide more detail about his lies to Congress, specifically the allegation… Read More
Federal Court Orders Roger Stone Associate Andrew Miller to Testify, Rejects Challenge to Mueller’s Legitimacy
Roger Stone associate Andrew Miller will testify to a grand jury in the Mueller investigation or face the possibility of going to jail, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on February 26th, 2019. The ruling is seen as an endorsement of Mueller’s authority; Miller will be held in contempt of court and jailed for refusing to testify under Mueller’s subpoena. Miller’s challenge to the subpoena tested whether Mueller could call witnesses to a grand jury and take other prosecutorial steps. The appeals court said that Mueller was legally appointed by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein as special counsel in May 2017 and has conducted a grand jury investigation that is within his authority. Miller’s attorney said in a statement, “We are disappointed with the decision and will be considering future legal action, whether before the full court of appeals or the Supreme Court.
Former Trump Staffer Wants to Nullify NDAs with Class-Action Lawsuit
UPDATED 2019/02/21 Former Trump campaign official, Jessica Denson is filing a class-action claim to nullify all nondisclosure agreements that the Trump campaign forced its staffers to sign. In the claim, Denson argues that the NDAs are too vague, too broad and can be used as a means of retaliation against those staffers who complain about their workplace conditions. Trump is a big fan of non-disclosure agreements and uses them often. Denson’s lawyers, David Bowles and Maury Josephson, have estimated that there were thousands of employees, volunteers and contractors who have been forced to sign these NDAs that keep them from exposing any secrets or making any disparaging comments about Trump, his family or his campaign. Bowles told The Post, “My client believes that the campaign has been using these NDAs as a bludgeon against workers who want to speak out and anybody who wants to make a comment that could be construed as critical of the president of the United States.”
Federal Judge Overseeing Roger Stone Case Orders Him to Court
UPDATED: 2019/02/20 5:00PM Federal judge Amy Berman Jackson of the United States District Court in Washington ordered a hearing on Tuesday, February 19th, 2019, to consider revoking Roger Stone Jr.’s bail. Stone was charged with obstruction of justice, witness tampering and making false statements last month. He pleaded not guilty to the felony charges, which accused him of lying to investigators. The order comes after Stone posted a photo of the judge on Instagram with cross hairs of a gun near her head. Stone suggested in the post that Judge Jackson would be biased in presiding over his case. The photo was deleted, but already circulated across social media. Judge Jackson asked Trump’s longtime adviser to explain why she should not change the conditions of his release or modify his gag order after seeing the horrific Instagram post. Stone apologized in a court filing on Monday writing that the “photograph and comment…was improper and should not have been posted. I had no intention of disrespecting the Court and humbly… Read More
Ruth Bader Ginsburg Returns to Supreme Court
UPDATED: 2019/02/19 2:00PM 85-year-old Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg took the bench at the Supreme Court on Tuesday, February 19th, for the first time since undergoing surgery in December for cancer. The surgery that she underwent was to remove two cancerous nodules from her lung She was there to hear oral arguments after missing two weeks in January to recover. Instead of attending in person, she followed the cases by reading their transcripts from home and will vote in the cases she missed. Cases this term include religious liberties, partisan gerrymandering and Trump’s decision to add a question about citizenship to the 2020 Census questionnaire.
Anthony Weiner Released from Prison
UPDATED: 2019/02/17 1:00PM The oft-disgraced congressman, Anthony Weiner, has been released from prison as a part of a federal re-entry program in New York while he waits for his full release later this spring. Weiner was serving time after being convicted of sexting a 15-year-old North Carolina girl. He was sentenced to 21 months in prison and was transferred from Federal Medical Center in Massachusetts to New York’s Residential Reentry Management Program. It is believed that Weiner is serving his remaining time until his release on May 14th, 2019 in home confinement or a halfway house. Upon release, Weiner will spend three years supervised and will pay a $10,000 fine. He will also register as a sex offender.
Deal’s Off the Table – Judge Denies Plea Agreement Due to Manafort’s “Intentional” Lies During the Investigation
UPDATED: 2019/02/14 12:00 PM Paul Manafort finds himself without the safe haven of a plea deal today. As Judge Amy Berman Jackson explains, Manafort “made multiple false statements to the FBI, the OSC and the grand jury concerning matters that were material to the [Robert Mueller led] investigation,” including his contacts with his Russian associate during the campaign and later. Manafort was convicted of a litany of financial crimes in August, and cut the original deal to plead guilty to two charges of conspiracy and witness tampering in September. However, Judge Jackson determined that Manafort intentionally lied about $125,000 he received for the legal bills, about another Justice Department criminal investigation, and about his interactions with his longtime Russian associate, Konstantin Kilimnik, while and after he was campaign chairman. Even though is deal is off the table, Manafort is still bound by what he agreed to in the plea. He is unable to retract his guilty pleas, and the finding frees Mueller’s office from its contractual obligations stipulated in the… Read More
Bar Registration Card Shows Elizabeth Warren Listed Her Race as “American Indian”
UPDATED: 2019/02/06 11AM Cue the “Pocahontas” jokes from President Donald Trump…again. The Washington Post is reporting that Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren listed her race as “American Indian” on a State Bar of Texas registration card in 1986. Warren’s political career has been plagued with questions about her heritage after the senator claimed to be Native American, including attacks from Donald Trump and his Twitter account. Warren used DNA testing last year to prove that she did, indeed, have some Native American roots, but her assertion was swiftly met with criticism among the Native community. The registration card is significant because it is the first time a document has shown Warren making the claim in her own handwriting. Republicans insist that she used her assertions that she was Native American to further her career (though research has proven that is not so). Warren is expected to formally announce her 2020 presidential run on Saturday, February 9th. In an interview with The Post, Warren said that she was sorry for identify herself… Read More
Trump Organization to Check Immigrant Status of Employees
UPDATED 2019/01/30 3:00PM Last month, workers at the Trump National Golf Club came forward to say that their managers hired them knowing that they were in the country illegally. Now, a lawyer for the immigrant workers says that they were fired on January 18th, 2019. Many, he said, had been working at the club for a dozen or more years. The Trump Organization, responding to these claims, said on January 30th, 2019 that it will now use the E-Verify electronic system to be sure that the employees have the proper documentation. Eric Trump said in a statement, “We are actively engaged in uniforming this process across our properties and will institute E-Verify at any property not utilizing the system.” He continued on to say, “As a company we take this obligation very seriously and when faced with a situation in which an employee has presented false and fraudulent documentation, we will take appropriate action.” Eric Trump drove home the point that the illegal immigrants who were hired were simply the… Read More
Mueller Indicts Roger Stone, Says He Coordinated With Trump Officials About Wikileaks
UPDATED 2019/01/25 3:00PM Longtime Donald Trump associate Roger Stone has been indicted by a grand jury on charges brought by special counsel Robert Mueller. Mueller alleges that Stone coordinated with senior Trump officials about stolen emails from WikiLeaks that could have damaged Trump’s opponents (namely Hillary Clinton). Mueller’s indictment does not say who in Trump’s camp knew about Stone’s search for damaging emails, but it does say that there we multiple people involved from Trump’s campaign. This indictment marks the first time prosecutors alleged that they knew of additional people with close ties to Trump who worked with Stone while he looked to get in touch with Julian Assange. Stone was arrested by the FBI on Friday, January 25th, 2019 at his home in Florida. He was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury in Washington, DC on seven counts which included one count of witness tampering, five of false statements, and one of obstruction of official proceeding. Stone told reporters outside of the federal courthouse in Fort Lauderdale that… Read More
Michael Cohen Postpones House Testimony Because of ‘Threats Against His Family’
UPDATED: 2019/01/24 1:00PM Michal Cohen, Donald Trump’s former lawyer announced that he is postponing is public congressional testimony (originally scheduled for February 7th) saying that he has been subject to “ongoing threats against his family” from Trump and attorney Rudy Giuliani. Cohen’s attorney, Lanny Davis, said in a statement, “Due to ongoing threats against his family from President Trump and Mr. Giuliani, as recently as this weekend, as well as Mr. Cohen’s continued cooperation with ongoing investigations, by advice of counsel, Mr. Cohen’s appearance will be postponed to a later date. Mr. Cohen wishes to thank Chairman Cummings for allowing him to appear before the House Oversight Committee and looks forward to testifying at the appropriate time. This is a time where Mr. Cohen had to put his family and their safety first.” When asked about these threats against Cohen and his family, Donald Trump said, “Well, I would say he’s been threatened by the truth. He’s only been threatened by the truth.” Democrats now must consider subpoenaing Cohen to… Read More
Supreme Court Takes No Action on DACA, Denies Trump Shut Down Win
UPDATED: 2019/01/23 12:30PM Donald Trump was counting on the Supreme Court’s DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) decision to use as a bargaining chip in getting funding for his border wall, but it looks like that won’t be happening. On Tuesday, January 22nd, 2019 the Supreme Court once again did not act on the administration’s effort to end the program that gives protections to nearly 700,000 undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children, leaving the program in place for at least the next several months. Trump’s administration had asked for the court to take up the issue in Fall of 2018, and Trump was attempting to exchange protections for DACA recipients for his border wall. This was a reversal from his previous position of letting the Supreme Court decide. The government shutdown is the longest in history and has lasted 33 days.
Former Obama Border Control Chief Goes Public In Support of Trump’s Wall
UPDATED: 01/08/19 1:45PM Mark Morgan, the chief of U.S. Border Control under Barack Obama went public on Tuesday, January 8th, 2019 to say that he supports the president and his border wall. He said in an interview with the Law & Crime Network, “I am here today breaking my silence to tell the American people that the president is correct in what he’s doing. The wall works.” Back in 2016 Morgan was a fan of adding fencing around the border and is recorded as telling a Senate committee in 2016, “Do we need more fencing? Yes. Does it work? Yes. Do we need it everywhere? No. Is it the sole answer? No.” He repeated this sentiment while supporting Mr. Trump, but said that having a border without a wall would be like having a high-tech home without windows or doors. He also made it understood that he was not asked by the president or the administration to make his views known to the public. He said that it was his… Read More
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