U.S. Politics

[Rick Plant]

Adam Schiff dismantles John Durham: Just call it 'good old-fashioned GOP cheating with the enemy'

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) took on former special counsel John Durham at a hearing on his investigation into the FBI's probe of Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

Throughout a House Oversight hearing on Wednesday, Durham rarely went against Republican claims that there was no "collusion" between Trump's 2016 campaign and Russia.

"So let's break this down," Schiff said before asking Durham if he remembered relevant portions of special counsel Robert Mueller's report.

"Mr. Durham, you're aware of Donald Trump's public statements along the lines of, hey, Russia, if you're listening, hack Hillary's emails, you'll be richly rewarded by the press," the lawmaker reminded the witness.

"I'm aware of that," Durham admitted.

"You're aware that Mueller found that hours after he made that plea for Russian help, the Russians, in fact, tried to hack one of the email servers affiliated with the Clinton campaign or family?" Schiff pressed.

"If that happened, I'm not aware of that," the former special counsel replied.

"You're not aware of that in the Mueller report?" Schiff gasped. "When you say you're not aware of evidence of collusion in the Mueller report, it's because apparently you haven't read the Mueller report very well."

"I'm not aware of that fact," Durham repeated.

After a barrage of questions recalling how Russia worked to benefit the Trump campaign, Schiff concluded by offering a new definition of collusion.

"They don't want to call collusion," Schiff said of Republicans. "Maybe there's a better name for it. Maybe they would prefer we just call it good old-fashioned GOP cheating with the enemy. Maybe that would be a little bit more accurate description."

"Because this is what happened, but they seem allergic to calling it for what it is," he asserted.

Watch:

[Rick Plant]

House Republicans censured Democrat Representative Adam Schiff yesterday for doing his Constitutional duty of holding Donald Trump accountable for his crimes during the first impeachment in 2020. Republicans are pathetic and this stunt proves the GOP House only exists to appease their cult leader Donald Trump. Also, MAGA loons Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene got into an argument on the House floor with Greene swearing at Boebert. These Republicans are not fit to govern.     


Adam Schiff @RepAdamSchiff

To my Republican colleagues who introduced this sham resolution: You honor me with your enmity.

You flatter me with this falsehood.

Your words tell me that I have been effective in the defense of our democracy, and I am grateful.

Watch:  https://twitter.com/i/status/1671595167827079171

https://twitter.com/RepAdamSchiff/status/1671595167827079171


A feud has been boiling between Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert for months. It finally reached a new level on Wednesday
https://www.salon.com/2023/06/21/youve-been-nothing-but-a-little-bh-to-me-mtg-says-to-boebert-during-a-floor-squabble/


MTG lashed out at Boebert on the House floor. Hear how Boebert responded

A spokesperson for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) confirmed the congresswoman called fellow GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) an expletive on the House floor during proceedings.

https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2023/06/22/lauren-boebert-marjorie-taylor-greene-conflict-house-floor-vpx.cnn



Stupid stuff': Dem Rep. shreds pro-Trump lawmaker for 'obsessive' stack of bills censuring Adam Schiff



Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) tore into first-term Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), a far-right, pro-Trump lawmaker who sponsored the resolution to censure Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) which passed along near party lines and caused chaos on the House floor on Wednesday.

The resolution was nothing unique, Lieu pointed out on MSNBC's "All In" — in fact, explained, she's spent almost her entire time in Congress promoting similar moves.

"Adam Schiff — he was censured along party line votes," said anchor Chris Hayes. "What is your assessment of the full day, starting with ... why they chose to make him the third member censured in this century, in a body that has seen multiple felons, and currently includes George Santos?"

"Again, how does this move the American family forward, how does this grow the economy?" said Lieu. "I know that the author of this resolution, Representative Luna, has introduced a total of six bills in her career. Five of them are about Adam Schiff, and that is rather obsessive. This strange obsession that the Republicans have with doing stupid stuff. None of this is helping to grow our economy, and moving the American family forward."

Republicans have never put forward a completely clear explanation for why they are censuring Schiff, who previously chaired the House Intelligence Committee before Republicans took a narrow House majority and Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) stripped him of his membership. Ostensibly, the censure is about Schiff making false claims about the Russia investigation into Trump. McCarthy previously claimed the basis for his initial removal from the Intelligence Committee was that he lied about his knowledge of the whistleblower behind Trump's first impeachment, but Republicans have never actually provided evidence he lied.

Luna has recently come under controversy after a report that her own campaign biography was fudged.

Watch:

[Rick Plant]

This ridiculous Durham hearing was absolutely brutal for Durham and the GOP.  Faux News had to cut away from it because it was a total disaster for the GOP. Check out the clips below.


MeidasTouch @MeidasTouch

The Republican Rake Steppers are at it again. This is not going well for Durham or the House GOP.

Watch: https://twitter.com/i/status/1671527865177743367

https://twitter.com/MeidasTouch/status/1671531983518793733


MeidasTouch @MeidasTouch

Wow. Just wow. Schiff completely exposes Durham and his sham report here. This has completely backfired on the Republicans.

Watch: https://twitter.com/i/status/1671529353509830663

https://twitter.com/MeidasTouch/status/1671536071958745088


Watch: https://twitter.com/i/status/1671534208601260033

Watch: https://twitter.com/i/status/1671514389504053250

Watch: https://twitter.com/i/status/1671561024846327808


Ron Filipkowski @RonFilipkowski

Even Fox legal analyst Turley is mystified by Jim Jordan’s Durham clown show today: Durham “looks about as comfortable as a Benedictine monk in a strip club. He has this look a disbelief on his face. He’s said, look I reported the facts you can reach your own conclusions.”

Watch: https://twitter.com/i/status/1671537488932876288

https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1671537488932876288

[Rick Plant]

I'm not sure why some people are surprised by the actions of these partisan MAGA right wing Republicans. This is the same revenge agenda they ran on in 2022 promising their base they would hold these bogus investigations and ridiculous impeachment attempts. So, now they are holding these bogus hearings and floating their phony impeachment articles and the overwhelming majority of Americans are tired of it. Donald Trump is a criminal, so he was impeached twice for his crimes and January 6th was investigated by the House in 2022. That angered MAGA Republicans, so they decided to have their "own hearings" as an act of revenge based on conspiracy theories and the entire thing as been a total clown show. We can see who is truly pushing "partisan politics" and witch hunts" and it's MAGA Republicans doing it as their "hearings" are a massive failure as we all knew it would be.


House Republicans 'losing patience' with 'politically dumb' right-wingers' investigations



Rank and file Republican House members are losing patience with the party's leadership for allowing committee chairs to keep launching politically-motivated investigations into Democrats that go nowhere, and floor impeachment proposals on the House floor.

That is the opinion of Brendan Buck, the former top advisor to ex-House Speaker Paul Ryan during an appearance on MSNBC's "Way Too Early" on Thursday morning when discussing Colorado Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert's desire to impeach President Joe Biden.

The morning after special counsel John Durham was grilled over his investigation into the FBI that came up empty-handed, Buck called the series of hearings being conducted by House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) and James Comer (R-KY) "politically dumb."

He then told host Jonathan Lemire that their patience is growing thin with the time-wasting jihads initiated by the rightwing extremists in the caucus.

"I feel for [House Speaker] Kevin McCarthy," Buck began. "A not insignificant part of the job of being speaker is stopping your members from doing something politically dumb -- and that's clearly what is going on here."

"But the reality is, House members are losing patience with a lot of these investigations. That's because they rushed out right after the election and said that, pretty plainly, that Joe Biden is part of some corruption deal with his son," he continued. "In fact, Jim Jordan and James Comer, the two party chairman came out and said they have direct evidence that Joe Biden was part of some schemes with overseas dealings. Of course, six months later, we've not seen any of that."

"So, at some point, your members get tired, lose patience, and they want to see action -- that's what came to a head with Rep. Lauren Boebert. Kevin McCarthy has put that to bed, but I wouldn't be surprised if that doesn't bring itself back up in the not-too-distant future," he added.

Watch:

Indiana Moms for Liberty chapter scrambles to explain why it quoted Hitler in very first newsletter

An Indiana chapter of the right-wing group Moms for Liberty this week scrambled to explain why it led its first-ever newsletter with a quote from mass-murdering Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.

As reported by the Indianapolis Star, the Moms for Liberty chapter in Hamilton County, Indiana started off its recent newsletter with a quote from Hitler that stated, "He alone, who OWNS the youth, GAINS the future."

The group, which dedicates itself to getting school libraries to ban books that it finds offensive, posted a clarification about the quote on its Facebook page shortly after the newsletter published.

"The quote from a horrific leader should put parents on alert," the group said. "If the government has control over our children today, they control our country's future. We The People must be vigilant and protect children from an overreaching government."

This latest incident comes days after Vice News reported that assorted Moms for Liberty chapters have been forging links with "extremist groups like the Proud Boys, Three Percenters, sovereign citizen groups, QAnon conspiracist, Christian nationalists, and in one case, with the founder of the AK-47-worshiping Rod of Iron Ministries church in Pennsylvania."

The group was also recently listed as a "hate group" for the first time ever by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Read More Here: https://www.vice.com/en/article/5d93qd/moms-for-liberty-proud-boys



'Dictators like to ban artists': DeSantis compared to Fidel Castro at heated Miami meeting

Angry throngs turned out to Miami-Dade School Board meeting Wednesday to attack Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' policies as the country tried to figure out how to handle right-wing activists challenging books, reported the Miami Herald on Thursday.

Some who attended the meeting even compared DeSantis to Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.

Among those in attendance were people with Cuban heritage – who highlighted what they said were similarities behind DeSantis' policies and those of Cuba's former leader Fidel Castro.

"'Democracy is difficult. It’s messy. That’s why dictators like to ban artists. That’s why they like to ban art, because it is complicated and it makes us feel for other human beings,' said Carmen Pelaez, an acclaimed Cuban-American playwright in South Florida. '

As far as I know, there are two people that have tried to ban the story of Celia Cruz: Fidel Castro and Ron DeSantis.'" She was referencing "Celia Cruz: Queen of Salsa," one of the many books that was reviewed under DeSantis' new law.

Legislation signed by DeSantis makes it far easier for individuals to challenge books. DeSantis, who is seeking the GOP nomination for president in 2024 in competition with former President Donald Trump, has pushed back on criticism, claiming that no books have technically been "banned" in Florida — but this overlooks that hundreds of books have still been removed from school shelves in a sort of limbo while they are "reviewed."

This comes amid a number of other controversial cultural policies DeSantis has passed, including a law that makes it almost impossible to even mention sexual orientation in schools, and stacking the leadership of the New College of Florida with right-wing ideologues to suppress liberal thought on the faculty.

Read More Here: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article276613591.html



Adam Schiff tells 'The View' GOP is going after him to 'follow their master Donald Trump'

There were numerous members of the House that came together to run the first impeachment of Donald Trump, but the former president has always fixated on Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA). On Wednesday night, Republicans moved to censure Schiff, which has only happened a few times in the past century. After the vote, Democrats chanted "shame, shame" to the GOP on the floor.

Speaking to "The View" on Thursday, Schiff described the action as purely political.

"They go after people that are effective. They think they are standing up to them and, more importantly, that they are standing up to their master Donald Trump," Schiff told Whoopi Goldberg. "He threatened many of the Republicans that, if they didn't support this, with primary challenges, and they fell in line. They don't bother with people. They don't think they are a threat to essentially move the country in this authoritarian direction. The danger will intimidate others into standing and defending our Constitution. It's not going to have that effect on me, but I think they hope they can silence others, and that's where the kind of danger in this lies."

He went on to mention Franklin D. Roosevelt's famous statement that you can tell a lot about a person by the enemies he makes.

"I think we're in that kind of a time and I think I'm doing pretty damn well," said Schiff.

Joy Behar mentioned the rarity of the censure and explained that they're typically reserved for people who "lie about their entire resume" – like George Santos.

"Well, the crazies are running the House of Representatives now," Schiff replied. "Kevin has no control over his members, and so the speakers yesterday -- first all, there are very few of them on the Republican side, but the ones that were there were the Marjorie Taylor Greens (R-GA) the Lauren Boeberts (R-CO) and the Lunas."

He said that it "tears down" what the House stands for.

"We'll get past this. I have every confidence this shall pass," Schiff reassured the co-hosts. "I think that if we beat them next year, and God help us if we don't, they may just decide to abandon Trump. Not because he's a liar, they're fine with that. Not because he's immoral. They can live with that too. Not even because he's a danger to our national security, but they just might abandon him for the reason you mentioned, which is he's a loser."

Republican former White House staffer Alyssa Farah Griffin said that she spoke privately with some Republicans on Capitol Hill that were frustrated by the House focusing on things like this instead of actual issues. Some even told her that it was nothing more than an in-kind donation to Schiff's U.S. Senate campaign in California to replace Dianne Feinstein.

"So, I'm not sure what's happening in the House," she confessed.

They went on to discuss Hunter Biden. Schiff said it's curious that the Republican Party would try to destroy a president by attacking his son, "who is clearly dealing with addiction."

He also agreed with Sunny Hostin that a compelling question about Donald Trump's document theft is what possible reason he had for taking them and what use he had for them.

Watch interview in link: https://www.rawstory.com/adam-schiff-republicans-donald-trump/

[Rick Plant]

As I've said before, MAGA Republicans only exist to appease and protect their cult leader Donald Trump. They have no interest in helping their own constituents or the lives of Americans.     


'Rewriting history': Democrat slams GOP for plan to erase Trump’s impeachments



Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) hit the "Do Nothing Congress" with accusations that they are more focused on their own political fantasies than doing the work they're paid by taxpayers to do.

Fox reporter Chad Pergram tweeted that Republican House Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) have introduced resolutions to "formally expunge records of House impeachments for [Donald] Trump in 2019 and 2021."

Their goal is to say that it would be "as if such Articles of Impeachment had never passed the full House of Representatives."

Unfortunately, those records are already at the National Archives, and the video clips of the hearings and evidence are all over the internet. It makes it a lot more difficult to make something as if it never happened when the information is still available.

"Democrats put #PeopleOverPolitics," said Lieu, "and passed the bipartisan infrastructure law to grow the economy and create even more jobs. What are Republicans focused on? Rewriting history and altering facts. All to bend the knee before their cult leader."

The accusation comes after Trump's loyalists censured Rep. Adam Schiff (R-CA) on the House floor. Censures are so rare that only a handful have happened in the past 100 years.

Trump has long had an obsession with Schiff, leading him to believe that the GOP acted in the interest of their "master."

"He threatened many of the Republicans that, if they didn't support this, with primary challenges, and they fell in line," Schiff told "The View's" co-host Whoopi Goldberg. "They don't bother with people. They don't think they are a threat to essentially move the country in this authoritarian direction. The danger will intimidate others into standing and defending our Constitution. It's not going to have that effect on me, but I think they hope they can silence others, and that's where the kind of danger in this lies."

https://www.rawstory.com/republican-house-2661722258/



'The story smells’: former prosecutor questions Alito’s claim about Alaska flight with GOP billionaire‬



Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito pre-emptively took to the Wall Street Journal op-ed page to angrily denounce a ProPublica article revealing billionaire GOP megadonor Paul Singer flew him to Alaska for a luxury fishing trip. Among his defenses of his behavior was that there happened to be an "empty seat" on the luxury plane and he saved taxpayers money by taking it.

But that really doesn't add up as an excuse, pointed out former federal prosecutor Harry Litman on Twitter, for one simple reason: why would taxpayers have paid for Alito to take a vacation in Alaska in the first place?

"Alito says he took seat on Singer’s private plane to save the taxpayers money," wrote Litman. "That assumes that the public would have paid for the commercial flight for his vacation. I know that at least some justices pay for their own personal travel. Much about the story smells like… you know…"

The new story about Alito's Alaska trip, coupled with another story about being flown out to Rome by a right-wing activist group with business before the court, comes amid a series of other stories about improper-looking gifts and transactions the justices have taken.

Justice Clarence Thomas was revealed to have accepted numerous gifts and vacations, and closed a cut-rate real estate deal, with GOP megadonor Harlan Crow. Meanwhile, Chief Justice John Roberts' wife earned $10.3 million in commissions from her work for elite law firms, at least one of which argued a case before the court.

The Supreme Court has faced mounting calls to adopt a binding code of ethics that can force them to recuse from cases when they have conflicting financial interests, as lower court federal judges are already subject to. However, the justices have not done so, and Roberts has defied requests by Senate investigators to testify on the issue.

Read More Here: https://twitter.com/harrylitman/status/1671944320247820288

[Rick Plant]

'Shady and corrupt': Add Barrett real estate de​al to list of Supreme Court ethics scandals



Thursday reporting on a real estate deal made by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett months after her confirmation in 2020 was the latest evidence, said a government watchdog, that ethics reforms at the high court must either be imposed by the judiciary or Congress.

Days after ProPublica reported on Justice Samuel Alito's previously undisclosed private jet trip—funded by a billionaire hedge fund owner whose business has been involved in numerous Supreme Court cases—CNN revealed that Barrett has had financial dealings with the Religious Liberty Initiative (RLI) at Notre Dame Law School.

A Notre Dame professor who had just taken a leadership role at RLI purchased Barrett's private home months after she was sworn in in October 2020.

The group, which advocates for religious freedom, was founded in 2020 and has filed numerous amicus briefs in cases related to the issue—related to questions surrounding abortion, public health precautions, and school prayer—since it was established. RLI has filed at least nine briefs with the court since the sale of Barrett's home.

The newly reported conflict of interest is one of several in recent months that have brought renewed scrutiny to the fact that the Supreme Court justices are not required to abide by an ethics code, as other federal judges are.

"The endless drip of shady and corrupt Supreme Court dealings just further underscores the need for reform," said Kyle Herrig, president of the watchdog group Accountable.US. "Every federal judge is bound to an ethics code requiring them to avoid behavior that so much as looks improper, except for Supreme Court justices. Chief Justice Roberts has the power to change that, but so far he hasn't shown the courage. If he fails to do his job, Congress must do theirs."

CNN also reported Thursday that RLI funded a previously reported trip Alito took to Rome shortly after the court overturned Roe v. Wade, stripping millions of people across the U.S. of the right to abortion care. In Rome, the right-wing justice mocked critics of the ruling, which has been decried as a violation of international law by human rights experts.

Alito ruled in favor of RLI's positions stated in its amicus briefs in several cases, and neither judge has recused themselves from a number of high-profile cases involving the Initiative.

In recent months, government watchdogs have demanded accountability for alleged ethics breaches and conflicts of interest at the Supreme Court, including Justice Clarence Thomas' financial ties to Republican megadonor Harlan Crow.

Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing last month to make the case for legislation that would require the high court to follow an ethics code.

Although Barrett's home sale may not have violated any rules, Indiana University law professor Charles Geyh told Accountable.US, it adds to the "perception problem" regarding the justices' ethics.

"It is addressed by the court being much more vigilant in guarding against perception problems created by [the justices'] financial wheelings and dealings," Geyh said, "and going the extra mile to make sure that they not only are clean, but look clean."

Read More Here: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/22/politics/alito-barrett-supreme-court-ethics-travel/index.html



Rep. George Santos’ $500K bond was guaranteed by his father and his aunt

Several media organizations, including NBCUniversal News Group, had requested that the court unseal the names of the bond guarantors, known as suretors.



WASHINGTON — The father and an aunt of Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., guaranteed his $500,000 bond after he was charged last month with more than a dozen federal counts, a source familiar with the matter confirmed Thursday.

The congressman's father, Gercino Dos Santos, and Elma Santos Preven, his aunt, were the suretors for the bond. They did not have to provide any money upfront — they are obligated to pay only if Santos violates the terms of his release.

Their names, first reported by ABC News, were confirmed minutes before a federal court in New York released a document just after noon Thursday showing the family members' signatures.

U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert had ordered that their identities be made public.

Santos’ lawyer had argued that unsealing the names of the co-signers would put them in a position in which they would be likely to "suffer great distress, may lose their jobs, and God forbid, may suffer physical injury.”

On Thursday, Santos told reporters on Capitol Hill that he kept their identities secret because he was concerned about their safety.

Asked whether his family members had the money to guarantee bond, Santos said: "Don’t you think that’s a little invasive? That’s exactly the reason that I chose to keep their identities secure. My dad is an honest working man, as is my aunt."

Later in the day, Santos tweeted, "My family & I have made peace with the judges decision to release their names. Now I pray that the judge is correct and no harm comes to them." He also asked the media not to disturb or harass his dad and his aunt.

Several media organizations, including NBCUniversal News Group, had requested that the court unseal and make public documents with the names of the bond guarantors, known as suretors.

Santos, 34, was released on bond after his May 10 court appearance following his indictment on 13 criminal counts. He has been charged with seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds and two counts of making materially false statements to the House of Representatives.

Santos pleaded not guilty at his arraignment.

Other conditions of his release include random monitoring at home and a ban on travel outside New York and Washington without seeking permission from the court. He was also ordered to surrender his passport.

Santos is due in court for his next appearance June 30 in New York.

His lawyer didn't respond to a request for comment.

After he left court in May, Santos said some of the charges were “inaccurate,” and he expressed confidence that he would be able to clear his name.

If he is convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison for “the top counts,” the Justice Department said, without specifying which counts those were.

He has resisted calls for his resignation from fellow Republicans and said he still plans to run for re-election next year, despite ongoing investigations at the federal, state and local levels.

Meanwhile, the House Ethics Committee said Thursday that it has issued more than 30 subpoenas and more than 40 voluntary requests for information in its own investigation of Santos. In an update, the panel said it’s working to resolve the matter in an “expeditious timeframe” and that it has been in touch with the Justice Department to “mitigate the potential risks” of dual investigations while “still meeting the Committee’s obligations to safeguard the integrity of the House.”

The committee typically steps aside when the Justice Department picks up a probe into a member of Congress, but it has continued to investigate Santos for potential ethics violations despite his recent indictment.

Santos first came under scrutiny after The New York Times published a bombshell investigation in December indicating that much of his résumé appeared to have been manufactured, including claims that he owned numerous properties, was previously employed by Goldman Sachs and Citigroup and had graduated from Baruch College.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/rep-george-santos-500k-bond-was-guaranteed-father-another-relative-rcna90580



George Santos ethics probe widens despite 'risks' of 'dual investigations': report



An investigation into United States Representative George Santos (R-NY), led by the House Ethics Committee, will expand to address "allegations that he fraudulently obtained unemployment insurance benefits," which are already included in his recent federal indictment charges, The Washington Post reports.

After the right-wing congressman "was released on a $500,000 bond," following his New York arrest on 13 federal charges last month, Rolling Stone reports "the court revealed on Thursday Santos' father, Gercino dos Santos, and his aunt, Elma Preven, were the two individuals who helped bail him out."

Per Rolling Stone, in March, the ethics committee began its probe into "whether Representative George Santos may have: engaged in unlawful activity with respect to his 2022 congressional campaign; failed to properly disclose required information on statements filed with the House; violated federal conflict of interest laws in connection with his role in a firm providing fiduciary services; and/or engaged in sexual misconduct towards an individual seeking employment in his congressional office."

Now, the Post reports, the ethics panel's probe will also encompass "the federal charges, which allege that he defrauded his donors, used their money for his personal benefit and wrongfully claimed unemployment benefits.

The Post also notes:

"While the ethics committee traditionally paused investigations into lawmakers charged with federal crimes so as not to interfere with the work of the Justice Department, members had previously signaled that they would continue with their inquiry into Santos. The committee's latest statement acknowledged 'the risks associated with dual investigations,' noting that they're 'in communication with the Department of Justice to mitigate the potential risks while still meeting the Committee's obligations to safeguard the integrity of the House.'"

Following the GOP lawmaker's May federal indictment, United States Attorney Breon Peace said, "This indictment seeks to hold Santos accountable for various alleged fraudulent schemes and brazen misrepresentations," adding, "Taken together, the allegations in the indictment charge Santos with relying on repeated dishonesty and deception to ascend to the halls of Congress and enrich himself. He used political contributions to line his pockets, unlawfully applied for unemployment benefits that should have gone to New Yorkers who had lost their jobs due to the pandemic, and lied to the House of Representatives. My Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively root out corruption and self-dealing from our community’s public institutions and hold public officials accountable to the constituents who elected them."

Read The Full Reports Below:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/06/22/santos-ethics-investigation-indictment/

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/george-santos-dad-aunt-guaranteed-bond-1234776107/



GOP lawmaker calls for return of Mississippi’s Confederate-themed state flag: report



A Mississippi Republican lawmaker is calling for the return of the state’s retired Confederate-themed flag, The Mississippi Free Press reports.

State Sen. Kathy Chism issued the call to bring back the flag during a June 3 speech at a Tishomingo County political rally.

“That flag, a lot of our people fought and died under that flag,” Chism said, according to the report.

Both houses in 2020 voted decisively in favor of retiring the flag, which features red, white, and blue bars with a Confederate cross in the upper left corner. It was originally adopted as the state flag in 1894.

The flag’s retirement vote following decades of activism.

Chism was among 14 senators (all Republicans) from a body of 52 members who voted against the June 28, 2020 measure to change the flag.

The Mississippi Legislature’s Republican leaders finally agreed to vote on legislation to change the state flag on June 28, 2020.

Chism in a 2020 Facebook post falsely stated that the Confederate-themed flag had been designed by an African American soldier who served for the Confederacy.

“I can only imagine how proud he was that his art, his flag design was chosen to represent our State and now we want to strip him of his pride, his hard work. I’m sure he put a lot of thought into this design,” Chism’s June 2020 Facebook post said.

The Confederate-themed flag was designed by Sen. Edward N. Scudder, a white supremacist, according to the report, which notes that his daughter Fayssoux Scudder Corneil spoke about what compelled her father to design the flag during a 1924 speech to the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

“My father loved the memory of the valor and courage of those brave men who wore the gray … and has always taken keen interest in the reunions where he could meet and mingle with those of the Lost Cause,” Corneil said, according to the report.

“He told me that it was a simple matter for him to design the flag because he wanted to perpetuate in a legal and lasting way that dear battle flag under which so many of our people had so gloriously fought.”

Gov. Tate Reeves signed the measure to retire the Confederate-themed flag into law despite his previous opposition to changing it, and he created a commission that designed a new state flag with a Magnolia at its center, the report said.

The new design got overwhelming support from voters who backed it by a 73 percent to 27 percent margin in November 2020, according to the report, which notes that a similar measure 19 years earlier lost by a 64 percent to 36 percent margin.

Read More Here: https://www.mississippifreepress.org/34094/senator-calls-for-return-of-old-mississippi-flag-our-people-died-under-that-flag

[Rick Plant]

Larry Hogan slams DeSantis campaign as 'one of the worst I have seen so far'



Former Gov. Larry Hogan (R-MD) didn't hold back in his criticism of Gov. Ron DeSantis's (R-FL) 2024 presidential campaign, saying it was "one of the worst I have seen so far."

Speaking with CBS News's Major Garrett, Hogan said the Florida governor has "dropped like a rock" and is floundering against the Republican front-runner, former President Donald Trump.

"I think DeSantis really underperformed,” Hogan answered when asked what his assessment of his campaign was so far. “He started making all kinds of mistakes. I think the campaign is one of the worst I’ve seen so far and he’s dropped like a rock.”

Hogan said DeSantis has made several mistakes, including wading into culture war issues and criticizing the war in Ukraine.

"He’s got some strengths, but he’s also got some weaknesses," said Hogan. "I mean, he just doesn’t connect with people. He’s not a good campaigner. He’s not a good debater.”

He also predicted that the campaign "is getting close to being over."

While he didn't entirely rule out a potential comeback, he said DeSantis "is heading in the wrong direction."

Rumors have swirled about Hogan launching his own presidential campaign. Hogan did not rule out a run of his own but said that he was devoting his efforts to making sure Trump won't be the Republican nominee.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/larry-hogan-desantis-campaign-one-of-the-worst-i-have-seen-so-far



Trump '100 percent' betrayed the country: Newest GOP candidate Will Hurd



Former Congressman Will Hurd (R-TX), known for his more moderate stances within the Republican caucus, jumped into the race for president this week — and he is making clear that he believes former President Donald Trump betrayed the United States when he stole hundreds of highly classified national defense documents and left them lying around his Mar-a-Lago country club.

He discussed the severity of the issue with CNN's Kaitlan Collins on Thursday evening.

"You're a former CIA officer," said Collins. "As you know, Trump is accused of taking information related to the U.S. nuclear programs, our defense capabilities, weapons capabilities. If what is alleged is true, do you think he betrayed the nation?"

"100 percent, he did," said Hurd. "And to me, it's absolutely outrageous that he knew what he had in those documents. He knew the level of sensitivity. And, yes, you know, you are innocent until proven guilty. But if those allegations are true, it is slapping the men and women who put themselves in harm's way every single night in order to keep us safe, it's a slap in their face because the leader of the free world should be willing to protect those secrets. Because if they got in the wrong hands, people would — lives would be lost."

"And what we still haven't heard from Donald Trump is why — he said the other night, I had T-shirts and shoes in those boxes, right? That's outrageous," said Hurd, referencing a contradictory defense Trump offered in a recent interview with Fox News' Bret Baier.

"What also did he do to protect those documents at his properties?" added Hurd. "What did he do to vet his employees or people that came to the club and determine whether or not they were being targeted from our adversaries? We know the Russians and the Chinese, what they do to try to influence and gain information. And this would be a — it had been a target-rich environment. Donald Trump hasn't announced — what has he done in order to protect those?"

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