Category: Unpresidential

Fulton county prosecutors prepare racketeering charges in Trump inquiry | Georgia | The Guardian

Skip to main contentSkip to navigationSkip to navigation Print subscriptions Sign in Search jobs Search US edition US edition UK edition Australia edition International edition Europe edition The Guardian – Back to home The Guardian News Opinion Sport Culture Lifestyle ShowMore Show More News View all News US news World news Environment US politics Ukraine Soccer Business Tech Science Newsletters Wellness Opinion View all Opinion The Guardian view Columnists Letters Opinion videos Cartoons Sport View all Sport Soccer NFL Tennis MLB MLS NBA NHL F1 Golf Culture View all Culture Film Books Music Art & design TV & radio Stage Classical Games Lifestyle View all Lifestyle Wellness Fashion Food Recipes Love & sex Home & garden Health & fitness Family Travel Money Search input google-search Search Support us Print subscriptions US edition UK edition Australia edition International edition Europe edition Search jobs Digital Archive Guardian Puzzles app Guardian Licensing About Us The Guardian app Video Podcasts Pictures Inside the Guardian Guardian Weekly Crosswords Wordiply Corrections Facebook Twitter Search jobs Digital Archive Guardian Puzzles app Guardian Licensing About Us US World Environment US Politics Ukraine Soccer Business Tech Science Newsletters Wellness New details about the direction and scope of case signal prosecutors are close to finalizing charges. Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images New details about the direction and scope of case signal prosecutors are close to finalizing charges. Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images Georgia This article is more than 4 months old Fulton county prosecutors prepare racketeering charges in Trump inquiry This article is more than 4 months old Exclusive: racketeering charges based on influencing witnesses and computer trespass, sources say US politics – follow live updates Hugo Lowell in Atlanta, Georgia @hugolowell Fri 21 Jul 2023 05.00 EDTLast modified on Fri 21 Jul 2023 10.13 EDT The Fulton county district attorney investigating Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in the state of Georgia has developed evidence to charge a sprawling racketeering indictment next month, according to two people briefed on the matter. Georgia grand jury selected in Trump case over attempt to overturn 2020 defeat Read more The racketeering statute in Georgia requires prosecutors to show the existence of an “enterprise” – and a pattern of racketeering activity that is predicated on at least two “qualifying” crimes. In the Trump investigation, the Fulton county district attorney, Fani Willis, has evidence to pursue a racketeering indictment predicated on statutes related to influencing witnesses and computer trespass, the people said. Willis had previously said she was weighing racketeering charges in her criminal investigation, but the new details about the direction and scope of the case come as prosecutors are expected to seek indictments starting in the first two weeks of August. The racketeering statute in Georgia is more expansive than its federal counterpart, notably because any attempts to solicit or coerce the qualifying crimes can be included as predicate acts of racketeering activity, even when those crimes cannot be indicted separately. The specific evidence was not clear, though the charge regarding influencing witnesses could include Trump’s conversations with Georgia’s secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, in which he asked Raffensperger to “find” 11,780 votes, the people said – and thereby implicate Trump. For the computer trespass charge, where prosecutors would have to show that defendants used a computer or network without authority to interfere with a program or data, that would include the breach of voting machines in Coffee county, the two people said. The breach of voting machines involved a group of Trump operatives – paid by the then Trump lawyer Sidney Powell – accessing the voting machines at the county’s election office and copying sensitive voting system data. The copied data from the Dominion Voting Systems machines, which are used statewide in Georgia, was then uploaded to a password-protected site from where election deniers could download the materials as part of a misguided effort to prove the 2020 election had been rigged. Though Coffee county is outside the usual jurisdiction of the Fulton county district attorney’s office, the racketeering statute would allow prosecutors to also charge what the Trump operatives did there by showing it was all aimed towards the goal of corruptly keeping Trump in office. A spokesperson for Willis did not respond to requests for comment. skip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Headlines US Free newsletter Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion The district attorney’s office has spent more than two years investigating whether Trump and his allies interfered in the 2020 election in Georgia, while prosecutors at the federal level are scrutinizing Trump’s efforts to reverse his defeat that culminated in the January 6 Capitol attack. A special grand jury in Atlanta that heard evidence for roughly seven months recommended charges for more than a dozen people, including the former president himself, its forewoman strongly suggested in interviews, though Willis will have to seek indictments from a regular grand jury. The grand jury that could decide whether to return an indictment against Trump was seated on 11 July. The selection process was attended by Willis and two prosecutors known to be on the Trump investigation: her deputy district attorney, Will Wooten, and special prosecutor Nathan Wade. Charges stemming from the Trump investigation are expected to come between the final week of July and the first two weeks of August, the Guardian has previously reported, after Willis told her team to shift to remote work during that period because of security concerns. The district attorney originally suggested charging decisions were “imminent” in January, but the timetable has been repeatedly delayed after a number of Republicans who acted as fake electors accepted immunity deals as the investigation neared its end. Explore more on these topics Georgia Donald Trump US elections 2020 US politics US crime Law (US) news Reuse this content Most viewed Most viewed US World Environment US Politics Ukraine Soccer Business Tech Science Newsletters Wellness News Opinion Sport Culture Lifestyle Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morningSign up for our email About us Help Complaints & corrections SecureDrop Work for us Privacy policy Cookie policy Terms & conditions Contact us All topics All writers Digital newspaper archive Facebook YouTube Instagram LinkedIn Twitter Newsletters Advertise with us Guardian Labs Search jobs Back to top © 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. (dcr)

@[100044274887410:2048:Donald J. Trump] to be brought on racketeering charges in Georgia over his pressure campaign to steal the election.

[https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jul/21/georgia-trump-charges-fraud-election-2020]

Shannon Bream’s Steele Dossier Defense for Biden Allegations

Skip to main content Manage SubscriptionLogin! subscribe Politics TV Interviews Entertainment Sports Podcasts Opinion UK Mediaite+ Mediaite Manage SubscriptionLogin! subscribe Politics TV Interviews Entertainment Sports Podcasts Opinion UK Mediaite+ Appeals Court Upholds Gag Order on Trump – But Allows Him To Criticize Jack Smith GOP Mega-Donor Slams ‘Disgraceful’ Last Months of Trump’s Presidency While Endorsing Haley on Fox News ‘I Am A Really Bad Person’: Michigan School Shooter Addresses Court Before Sentencing Elon Musk Trying to Get Disney Chief Bob Iger Fired After DealBook Disaster White House Dumps Council on American-Islamic Relations from Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia Materials Fox’s Shannon Bream Cites Debunked Steele Dossier as Republican Defense for Using Unverified Allegations Against Biden Colby HallJul 21st, 2023, 9:08 am Twitter share button Heretofore, we shall call this the “Steele Dossier” defense against using unverified allegations to smear a political opponent, and while Fox News anchor Shannon Bream does not get credit for coming up with it, she did cite it during a Thursday hit on Special Report. At issue is an internal document recently released by Senator Chuck Grassley that had not been made public because the FBI could not verify the information included. The specific document is a FD-1023s, and contains allegations that Ukrainian energy company, Burisma, hired Hunter Biden as a means of protecting the company through his father, then-Vice President Joe Biden. The document contains descriptions of second-hand discussions of payments made to the Biden family. According to the FBI, all information in FD-1023s include “raw, unverified reporting from confidential human sources.” To wit: FD-1023s merely document that information; they do not reflect the conclusions of investigators based on a fuller context or understanding. Recording this information does not validate it, establish its credibility, or weigh it against other information known or developed by the FBI in our investigations. As former Attorney General Bill Barr stated, the Department of Justice investigated these claims and, ostensibly, could not find any merit to the allegations. Again, this was under the Trump administration. Cut to Thursday night, Fox News guest anchor Gillian Turner noted that Democrats are claiming that “Republicans have now had years, three years to investigate this. And at this point, they’ve not come up with a smoking gun.” Bream replied, “Republicans will say, well, let people read this and see what they think it is. And now we need to know whether this DOJ, which, by the way, has all of this percolating against the backdrop of, we think, former President Trump about to be indicted again and potentially on another round of federal charges, whether they’re treating all political families the same way.” She then introduced a clip of Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin saying: The Republicans on the Oversight Committee have been on a wild goose chase since we began. They’ve basically been trying to rehabilitate and revive the completely debunked and discredited charges that Rudy Giuliani began with several years ago about the Bidens being involved in corruption in Ukraine. And nothing has ever come of that. “So he continues to link this to Rudy Giuliani; Bill Barr says there was no link,” Bream followed. “There’s nothing in this document that mentions his name. But again, as he talks about unverified allegations, Republicans say what was the Steele Dossier?” There are clear parallels here – the Steele Dossier contained outlandish and unverified information and fueled speculation surrounding the Trump campaign’s coordination with Russian intel officers. Fox News has long used the media’s eager coverage of the unverified Steele Dossier as evidence of bias against Trump. And if the argument is that the unverified allegations against Biden are effectively the same thing, what does that say about our media’s ever shifting journalistic standards? Watch above via Fox News. Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com Filed Under: Hunter BidenJoe BidenShannon BreamSteele dossier Previous PostNext Post Previous PostNext Post Colby Hall – Founding Editor Colby Hall is the Founding Editor of Mediaite.com. He is also a Peabody Award-winning television producer of non-fiction narrative programming as well as a terrific dancer and preparer of grilled meats. More Stories by Colby Hall Load Comments Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Tips Have a tip or story idea? Email us. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. Most Popular ‘We Heard Him With Our Own Ears!’ CNN’s Dana Bash Stunned By Trump Rival’s Claim Cops Incited Jan. 6 Rioters ‘I Have No Evidence But—’ NBC’s Chuck Todd Floats Trump Collusion With Debate Attack Dog Ramaswamy ‘I Was Shaking Listening to Him’: Van Jones Says Vivek Ramaswamy’s Debate Remarks ‘One Step Away From Nazi Propaganda’ ‘Pathetic and Disgusting’: McGovern Slams Marjorie Taylor Greene, Says ‘It’s Really Rich to Get a Lecture on Civility’ From Her Hot Mic Catches Megyn Kelly’s Post-Debate Panel Mocking Ron DeSantis’s Expression: ‘Looked Like You Shot His Dog’ You may also like: ‘Very Important Point!’ CNN Says Hunter Biden Charges Not Connected To President Biden — Don’t Help Impeachment Tommy ChristopherDec 8th, 2023, 8:30 am JUST IN: CNN Airs ‘Disgusting’ Footage of Israeli Soldiers Holding Blindfolded Men Stripped to Underwear in Gaza Colby HallDec 8th, 2023, 7:52 am Jamaal Bowman Rips Mike Lawler For ‘Speaking Like an Expert’ on the Border, West Bank Despite Having Never Visited: ‘I’ve Been!’ Charlie NashDec 8th, 2023, 6:50 am ‘He Was Pissed Off’: Megyn Kelly Reveals What Chris Christie Complained About During Debate Commercial Break Charlie NashDec 7th, 2023, 10:02 pm Hunter Biden Hit With 9 New Federal Charges Charlie NashDec 7th, 2023, 8:50 pm Fox News Correspondent Jennifer Griffin Fact-Checks Tucker Carlson’s Wild Claim About Biden Administration: ‘100% Not True’ Charlie NashDec 7th, 2023, 8:14 pm © 2023 Mediaite, LLC About Us Advertise Privacy Accessibility User Agreement Ethics & Diversity Policy Contact

Fox News says it’s okay to investigate man-not-in-government Hunter Biden with completely unverified allegations and unreliable sources because of the Steele Dossier, and it’s okay to go tit-for-tat.

One problem, those two are not the same. All of the crazy Hunter Biden allegations that have *already* been looked at by Bill Barr’s DOJ and found to be bunk, Lev Parnas who Rudy Giuliani tasked to lead the Hunter Biden investigation in Ukraine testified this was all bunk, and when the Steele Dossier was leaked it was not yet investigated but still raw intelligence, some of which turned out to be true.

[https://www.mediaite.com/tv/foxs-shannon-bream-cites-debunked-steele-dossier-as-republican-defense-for-using-unverified-allegations-against-biden/]

Trump Promotes ‘Sound of Freedom,’ a Conservative Hit About Child Trafficking – The New York Times

Skip to contentSkip to site index Politics Today’s Paper Politics|Trump Promotes ‘Sound of Freedom,’ a Conservative Hit About Child Predators https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/19/us/politics/trump-sound-of-freedom.html Share full article AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENT Supported bySKIP ADVERTISEMENT Trump Promotes ‘Sound of Freedom,’ a Conservative Hit About Child Predators Hosting a screening at his private club, the former president is the most prominent Republican to embrace a film lauded by both mainstream conservatives and far-right QAnon believers. Share full article Based on real-life events, “The Sound of Freedom” stars Jim Caviezel as Tim Ballard, a former federal agent who sought to rescue South American children from sex traffickers.Credit…Angel Studios By Anjali Huynh July 19, 2023 Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina called it an “amazing, gut-wrenching, emotional movie.” “Wow. Wow. Wow,” Senator Ted Cruz of Texas wrote of the film, urging supporters to see it. And on Wednesday, former President Donald J. Trump hosted an event featuring a screening of the movie, “Sound of Freedom,” at his private club in New Jersey, the most striking sign yet of how the unlikely box-office hit has captured the imagination of American conservatives. The movie, released July 4, was the second most-watched film in North America last weekend, behind “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning,” and has made $90.7 million as of Monday, according to data from Comscore. Based on real-life events, the movie stars Jim Caviezel as Tim Ballard, a former federal agent who sought to rescue South American children from sex traffickers. Its themes have resonated with a wide range of conservatives, including mainstream Republicans who have focused heavily on education and other children’s issues, evangelicals who have responded to the movie’s religious overtones, and far-right QAnon believers who have for years spread alarmist fears of child endangerment. The plot never directly invokes QAnon, the wide-ranging, pro-Trump conspiracy theory that falsely accuses leading Democrats of orchestrating a pedophilia ring, but the movement’s supporters have embraced the film. And Mr. Caviezel himself has promoted baseless QAnon theories. Appearing on Stephen Bannon’s podcast before the movie’s release, he commented that “there is a big storm coming,” a QAnon slogan. In 2021, he spoke at a QAnon convention. Image Mr. Caviezel in the film, which has been embraced by supporters of the QAnon conspiracy theory movement.Credit…Angel Studios The movie’s endorsement from presidential candidates echoes grass-roots energy around what Sarah Longwell, a Republican strategist, called the “mainstreaming of the center of the QAnon movement, which is that this is about protecting children.” In focus groups, Ms. Longwell said, Republican voters have brought up QAnon less explicitly than in the past and more frequently express concerns about schools “indoctrinating children” and transgender athletes competing in sports. A spokesman for Angel Studios, the company that produced the film, did not respond to a request for comment. Efforts to reach Mr. Caviezel were unsuccessful, but on Wednesday, he responded to critical coverage of the movie. Appearing on a conservative podcast, he repeated a quotation from the movie that refers to a Bible verse: “Better a millstone be hung around their necks that they be cast into the sea that they should ever hurt one of these little ones,” he said. Both Mr. Caviezel and Mr. Ballard attended the screening on Wednesday at Mr. Trump’s club. Experts on misinformation expressed misgivings about the movie’s message. “I do think that human trafficking is real and child trafficking is real and these are real problems,” said Kathryn Olmsted, a professor of history at the University of California, Davis, who has studied the role of conspiracy theories in American politics. “It’s just that this renewed, highly politicized focus on it is emblematic of increasing political polarization in our society.” The man at the center of “Sound of Freedom,” Mr. Ballard, is a former Department of Homeland Security agent who founded an anti-trafficking group and was appointed by Mr. Trump to a federal advisory panel on human trafficking. He has been accused of exaggerating his exploits. The movie depicts Mr. Ballard setting out to rescue two siblings who were sold by sex traffickers; he ultimately saves dozens of children. Daniela Peterka-Benton, the academic director for the Global Center of Human Trafficking at Montclair State University, said the movie’s focus on saviors rather than victims resulted in an incomplete, glamorized depiction of human trafficking. Most children, she said, are not “snatched away” but are trafficked by people they know. “It does a disservice to the victims; it does a disservice to people really fighting to end human trafficking and to provide services to survivors,” she said. “There’s so much more to it than just the rescue.” Nevertheless, politicians, commentators and Hollywood celebrities have praised the film. Ivanka Trump, Mr. Trump’s daughter, who has largely stayed out of politics since the 2020 election, promoted the film in June, writing on Twitter that it “sheds light on the harrowing reality” of human trafficking. Republicans — many of whom were far less worried about the Trump administration’s separation of migrant children from their parents — have also seized on the issue. Last week, Senate Republicans’ official Twitter account shared a video that pointed to New York Times reporting about migrant children forced to work dangerous jobs across the United States. The post misleadingly accused President Biden of having “created the largest child trafficking ring in U.S. history.” In liberal Manhattan, “Sound of Freedom” viewers at several theaters said they had come not for the politics, but because they wanted to see a good thriller. “I came because I believe that there’s child trafficking going on and there’s just not enough light being shed on it,” said Malaika Villamizar, 19. She was surprised to hear, however, that the movie had been promoted by Mr. Trump and other Republican politicians. She said she had heard about the film on TikTok. Anjali Huynh covers politics for The Times. More about Anjali Huynh A version of this article appears in print on , Section A, Page 22 of the New York edition with the headline: Trump Screens ‘Sound of Freedom,’ A Film Popular With Conservatives. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe Share full article AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENT Site Index Site Information Navigation © 2023 The New York Times Company NYTCo Contact Us Accessibility Work with us Advertise T Brand Studio Your Ad Choices Privacy Policy Terms of Service Terms of Sale Site Map Canada International Help Subscriptions Manage Privacy Preferences

The Republican Party continues its march into extremism as the front runner for the presidency, @[100044274887410:2048:Donald J. Trump], hosts a private screening of “Sound of Freedom”, a QAnon film being marketed directly to conservatives.

QAnon, an insane conspiracy theory that a random dude on 4chan troll board has a secret clearance nobody has heard of and has been posting for years that any day now a secret cabal of Democrats, Hollywood elites, and Jews will be exposed as belonging to a global child sex trafficking ring to harvest their blood to stay young with Donald Trump as the only person who can stop them, has been incorporated directly into the Trump campaign since 2019 and has been central to Republican political ideology for years.

The film has been a massive success among the target audience of the easily manipulated Trump supporters and has grossed about as much as the new Indiana Jones movie.

[https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/19/us/politics/trump-sound-of-freedom.html]

Israeli Antiquities Are Stranded at Trump’s Florida Estate as Authorities Fail to Retrieve Them – Israel News – Haaretz.com

Search Haaretz – back to home page LOG INSUBSCRIBE NOWSUBSCRIBE NOW accessibility Open menu In the News Israel-Hamas War Live Updates Hamas – Israel Netanyahu – Biden Hanukkah Hostages Released Hamas Hostages Israelis Dead Israel Fake News Haaretz | Israel News Israeli Antiquities Are Stranded at Trump’s Florida Estate as Authorities Fail to Retrieve Them Israeli clay lamps, intended for a brief exhibition in Washington D.C. in 2019, got stranded in the U.S. due to the pandemic. Recently, they were found at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida Amir Tibon Nir Hasson Jul 18, 2023 Jul 18, 2023 Share in Twitter Save Save article to reading list Send in e-mailSend in e-mail Share in Facebook Share in Twitter Share in WhatsApp Send in e-mailSend in e-mail Save Save article to reading list Zen Read Print article Amir Tibon Nir Hasson Jul 18, 2023 Jul 18, 2023 Antiquities belonging to Israel have been kept for the past several months at former U.S. President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, and senior Israeli figures have unsuccessfully tried to have them returned to Israel. Comments In the News Gaza War Is a Threat to Israel’s Arab Neighbors, and a ‘Humanitarian Event’ to Gulf States U.S. Blocks UN Security Council Demand for Humanitarian Cease-fire in Gaza Netanyahu and His Allies Are Anti-economic and Anti-Zionist At Defense and Arms Expo, Israeli Cyber Is Out, but Surveillance Tech In Second West Bank Settler Suspected of Attacking Palestinians to Be Held Without Trial Peace Of Mind: Moving To Asssisted Living Paid by Attorney Rakefet Shfaim ICYMI Progressive ‘Freedom Fighters,’ I’m a Palestinian Israeli. I Don’t Need your ‘Liberation’ Hamas’ Campaign of Rape Against Israeli Women Is Revealed, Testimony After Testimony Many Israelis and Palestinians Have ‘Sobered Up’. I Refuse to Do the Same Israel’s Repulsive Embrace of Elon Musk Is a Cynical Betrayal of Jews, Dead and Alive Lost Biblical Monument in Jerusalem Is in Plain Sight, New Theory Claims Masterclass in Manipulation: Exposing Max Blumenthal’s Lies About Israel and October 7 haaretz Facebook Twitter Android Apple Email RSS Subscribe Newsletters Terms Contact Us My Cookies Advertise Accessibility Report an issue Accessibility manifest Download App© Haaretz Daily Newspaper Ltd. All Rights Reserved FAQ Contact us Terms and conditions Privacy policy Cancellation of digital subscriptions Management Editorial Newsletters Accessibility Advertise on Haaretz.com About HaaretzLoad more News Israel News U.S. News Middle East Jewish World World News Tech News Business Life and Culture Archaeology Life Science Sports Culture Books Travel in Israel Television Food Sports Converting to Judaism Columnists and Opinion Chemi Shalev Allison Kaplan Sommer Anshel Pfeffer David Rosenberg Opinion Haaretz Editorial Haaretz Cartoon Letters to the Editor Special Coverage Haaretz Hebrew and TheMarker הר הבית וורדעל מדויקת מבצע השפעה ישראל יאיר גולן יריד נשק סדרות מומלצות סרטים חדשים בקולנוע מפלס הכנרת שמות החטופים Partnerships Haaretz Labels Haaretz.com, the online English edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, gives you breaking news, analyses and opinions about Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World. © Haaretz Daily Newspaper Ltd. All Rights Reserved

@[100044274887410:2048:Donald J. Trump] has boasted many times he is Israel’s best friend, but in reality he used his office to steal Israeli antiques and is refusing to return them.

[https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-07-18/ty-article/.highlight/israeli-antiquities-remain-stranded-at-trumps-estate-as-authorities-fail-to-retrieve/00000189-6448-dc6b-a3f9-ee593e850000]

Michigan AG charges participants in 2020 fake elector plot | CNN Politics

Sixteen fake electors who signed certificates falsely claiming President Donald Trump won Michigan in the 2020 election have been charged with multiple felonies, state Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Tuesday.

This is the first time any of the fake electors have been charged with a crime related to the scheme, versions of which took place in multiple states.

All 16 individuals were each charged with eight felonies: Two counts of forgery, one count of conspiracy to commit forgery, two counts of election law forgery, one count of conspiracy to commit election law forgery, one count of publishing a counterfeit record and one count of conspiring to publish a counterfeit record.

The group of fake electors from Michigan includes current and former state GOP officials, the Republican National Committee member, a sitting mayor, a school board member and Trump supporters who were the plaintiffs in a frivolous lawsuit that tried to overturn the 2020 results.

“This plan, to reject the will of the voters and undermine democracy, was fraudulent and legally baseless,” Nessel said in a video released Tuesday.

Nessel, a Democrat, initially referred the matter to federal prosecutors at the Justice Department, but she reopened the state probe in January. Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith is also actively investigating the fake electors plot, and some fake electors have testified to his grand jury.

CNN has reached out to the defendants seeking comment.

Michigan was one of the seven battleground states where the Trump campaign put forward slates of “fake electors” as part of their plan to undermine the Electoral College process, and potentially disrupt Congress’ certification of the 2020 election results on January 6, 2021.

The 16 fake GOP electors from Michigan met in Lansing on December 14, 2020, and signed certificates falsely proclaiming that Trump won the state and they were the rightful electors. They were rebuffed by police when they tried to enter the statehouse to deliver the papers, according to videos of the interaction, which took place while the real group of Democratic electors were meeting inside the building. President Joe Biden defeated Trump by a little more than 154,000 votes in the 2020 election.

In the view of the Trump campaign, these were “alternate” electors who could have somehow replaced Biden’s electors when Congress counted the electoral votes on January 6, 2021, handing Trump a second term. However, a wide array of legal experts, including many inside the Trump White House and Trump campaign, thought this plan was unconstitutional and possibly illegal.

The charged individuals are former Michigan GOP co-chair Meshawn Maddock; current Michigan GOP vice chair Marian Sheridan; RNC committeewoman Kathy Berden; Wyoming, Mich., Mayor Kent Vanderwood; Shelby Township clerk Stanley Grot; Grand Blanc school board member Amy Facchinello; local GOP officials Rose Rook and Mari-Ann Henry; pro-Trump lawsuit plaintiffs John Haggard and Timothy King; unsuccessful GOP candidates Clifford Frost and Michele Lundgren; as well as Hank Choate, James Renner, Mayra Rodriguez and Ken Thompson.

CNN has previously reported that Trump campaign officials, led by the former president’s attorney Rudy Giuliani, oversaw efforts to put forward fake slates of electors in seven key states, including Michigan.

An audio recording obtained by CNN early last year captured one of the now-charged fake electors from Michigan boasting that the Trump campaign directed the entire operation.

“We fought to seat the electors. The Trump campaign asked us to do that,” Meshawn Maddock, then the co-chair of the Michigan Republican Party, said at a public event at the time that was organized by the conservative group Stand Up Michigan, according to the recording.

The House January 6 committee uncovered evidence that Trump knew about the plan and that he spoke directly about it with RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, who is from Michigan. She testified that Trump and his allies told her the electors’ plan was important, and that the RNC later helped the Trump campaign assemble the slates of GOP electors.

Federal investigators from the special counsel’s office have asked key witnesses in their separate investigation about the role of higher-level Trump officials in the fake electors scheme, CNN has reported.

In the video released Tuesday alongside the charges, Nessel once again shot back against allegations that the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent, saying that the election in her state “was procedurally the same as in every previous modern presidential election.”

“These defendants may have believed the now long-debunked myths of vote tampering or ballot dumps,” Nessel said. “They may have felt compelled to follow the call to action from a president they held fealty to. They may have even genuinely believed that this was their patriotic duty.”

She continued, “But none of those reasons or feelings provide legal justification to violate the law and upend our Constitution and our nation’s traditions of representative government, self-determination, and a government by the people.”

Nessel also said that her office will continue to investigate efforts to overturn the 2020 election, and “has not ruled out potential charges against additional defendants.” She also pre-empted attacks that will surely come from Trump allies, who may claim the indictments are politically motivated.

“There will be those who claim these charges are political in nature. But when there is overwhelming evidence of guilt in respect to multiple crimes, the most political act I could engage in as a prosecutor would be to take no action at all,” Nessel said.

Michigan’s top elections official, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, praised the charges Tuesday, telling CNN’s Anderson Cooper on “AC360” that they are a “strong and bold statement” that is “rooted in facts and the law.”

“We hope, and I expect, this will have a deterrent effect for any plans that are afoot,” Benson continued, looking ahead to the 2024 election.

This story has been updated with additional reporting.

CORRECTION: This story has been updated with the correct spelling of fake elector Mari-Ann Henry’s name.

The walls are closing in.

CNN reports: Sixteen fake electors who signed certificates falsely claiming President Donald Trump won Michigan in the 2020 election have been charged with multiple felonies, state Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Tuesday.

[https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/18/politics/michigan-fake-electors/index.html]

Trump says he’s received a target letter from special counsel Jack Smith’s Jan. 6 investigators – POLITICO

Skip to Main Content POLITICO Politico Logo Congress Pro E&E News Search Search WASHINGTON & POLITICS Congress White House Elections Legal Magazine Foreign Affairs 2024 ELECTIONS News GOP Candidate Tracker STATE POLITICS & POLICY California Florida New Jersey New York GLOBAL POLITICS & POLICY Brussels Canada United Kingdom POLICY NEWS Agriculture Cannabis Cybersecurity Defense Education Energy & Environment Finance & Tax Health Care Immigration Labor Sustainability Technology Trade Transportation NEWSLETTERS Playbook Playbook PM West Wing Playbook POLITICO Nightly POLITICO Weekend The Recast Huddle All Newsletters COLUMNISTS Alex Burns John Harris Jonathan Martin Michael Schaffer Jack Shafer Rich Lowry SERIES & MORE Breaking News Alerts Podcasts Video The Fifty Women Rule Matt Wuerker Cartoons Cartoon Carousel POLITICO Live Upcoming Events Previous Events Follow us Twitter Instagram Facebook My Account Log In Log Out legal Trump says he’s received a target letter from special counsel Jack Smith’s Jan. 6 investigators It’s the clearest sign yet that Trump may soon face his third criminal indictment — this time for his effort to subvert the 2020 election results. While the specific crimes that former President Donald Trump may be charged with are not clear, Smith’s team has been eyeing potential obstruction charges related to Trump’s actions in the days leading up to Jan. 6 and on that day itself. | Giorgio Viera/AFP via Getty Images By Kyle Cheney 07/18/2023 09:32 AM EDT Updated: 07/18/2023 10:07 AM EDT Link Copied Donald Trump said Tuesday he expects to be indicted by special counsel Jack Smith’s Jan. 6 grand jury, citing a “target letter” he received from investigators on Sunday. Such a letter “almost always means an arrest and indictment,” Trump, who has already been criminally indicted twice in recent months, wrote on Truth Social. Trump said the letter, which is prosecutors’ typical precursor to a charging decision, offered him a chance to speak to the grand jury, which meets at the federal courthouse in Washington D.C., later this week. Targets of criminal investigations rarely speak to grand juries, and Trump has not exercised that right in the two other criminal cases in which he’s been charged. Legal Tracking the Trump criminal cases By POLITICO Staff The letter is the clearest sign yet that Smith is close to seeking an indictment for Trump’s role in the effort to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power on Jan. 6, 2021. While the specific crimes that Trump may be charged with are not clear, Smith’s team has been eyeing potential obstruction charges related to Trump’s actions in the days leading up to Jan. 6 and on that day itself — including pressuring his vice president, Mike Pence, to unilaterally block the certification of Joe Biden’s electoral victory. Investigators have also examined Trump’s consideration of a plan to seize voting machines from the states, his campaign of false claims that the election was stolen and his role in advancing a plan to assemble bogus slates of presidential electors to stoke a conflict ahead of Jan. 6. It’s unclear whether other figures associated with Trump’s effort are also in Smith’s sights. Investigators have interviewed dozens of prominent figures in Trump’s orbit, including Pence, in recent months. Attorneys John Eastman and Jeff Clark — two Trump associates considered key allies in his effort — had their phones seized last year. Trump revealed the target letter as he prepares to fight on another front to delay a criminal trial — also resulting from charges brought by Smith — related to his hoarding of national security secrets at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Trump’s attorneys will be in court in Fort Pierce, Fla. on Tuesday afternoon asking for the trial to be postponed until after the 2024 election, a prospect that Smith’s team has vehemently opposed. Trump is facing an extraordinary array of criminal charges and investigations. In addition to the two cases Smith has mounted, he’s facing charges in Manhattan for allegedly falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment scheme to a porn actress accusing him of an extramarital affair in 2016. And a district attorney based in Fulton County, Ga. has convened a grand jury that is expected to consider charging Trump and allies for efforts to subvert the 2020 election in Georgia. Many aspects of Smith’s Jan. 6 investigation were previously pursued by the House select committee on Jan. 6, which interviewed hundreds of figures associated with Trump’s scheme to seize a second term despite losing the election. The committee concluded that Trump was at the center of a complex, months-long effort to sow doubt about the election results and then orchestrate several attempts to reverse the outcome despite no evidence of significant fraud. The panel focused in particular on Trump’s effort to pressure state and local officials to appoint “alternative” slates of presidential electors in seven states won by Biden and then use those slates as a pretense to disrupt the Jan. 6 session of Congress — when the Constitution and federal laws require Congress to meet and certify the election. That session, also according to the Constitution and law, is managed by the vice president, who doubles as president of the Senate. When no state officials acquiesced, Trump turned to a cadre of lawyers, including Eastman, who promoted fringe alternatives to keep Trump’s prospects alive. Eastman famously pressured Pence and his top aides to violate provisions of the Electoral Count Act — the law that has governed the Jan. 6 session of Congress since 1887 — to advance the effort. Prosecutors and the select committee have also focused on Trump’s effort to assemble a massive crowd in Washington on Jan. 6, part of his plan to pressure Pence and GOP lawmakers to help reverse the results, and then to steer it toward the Capitol after Pence made clear he wouldn’t go along with the plan. Trump inflamed the crowd with his rhetoric and then stoked anger further when he attacked Pence — even as violence was underway at the Capitol — accusing him of lacking “courage.” Pence and lawmakers were forced to evacuate and delay the count of electoral votes for six hours while law enforcement and the National Guard worked to clear the mob. Filed under: Donald Trump, Donald Trump 2024, 2020 Presidential Candidates, 2020 Elections, Jack Smith, Trump Indictment POLITICO Link Copied About Us Advertising Breaking News Alerts Careers Credit Card Payments Digital Edition FAQ Feedback Headlines Photos POWERJobs Press Print Subscriptions Request A Correction Write For Us RSS Site Map Terms of Service Privacy Policy Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information and Opt Out of Targeted Advertising © 2023 POLITICO LLC

@[100044274887410:2048:Donald J. Trump] will be indicted again for his scheme to stop the peaceful transfer of power by planning on the DOJ to seize voting machines, assembling fake electors, his fake electors submitting fraudulent votes, pressuring state officials to ignore votes and hand him the election, and of course for sending an armed mob to the Capitol to stop his Vice President from participating in the certification of the election.

[https://www.politico.com/news/2023/07/18/trump-says-hes-received-a-target-letter-from-special-counsel-jack-smiths-jan-6-investigators-00106776]

Majority support Trump in 2024 GOP primary straw poll at Turning Point Action Conference | Washington Examiner

News White House Senate House Campaigns Business Justice Crime Sunday Talk Shows Washington Secrets Policy Defense & National Security Energy & Environment Education Immigration Finance & Economy Healthcare Foreign Policy Technology Infrastructure Space Think Tanks Opinion Columnists Editorials Beltway Confidential Watch Latest Clips The Debrief Reporter’s Notebook Restoring America Newsletters Subscriber Content Member Login Magazine Archive Quarterly Briefing Book of the Month Sign In | Subscribe My Account WEX Access Contact Us Logout Clear Search Sign In | Subscribe My Account WEX Access Contact Us Logout Friday, December 08, 2023 Friday, December 08, 2023 Sign In | Subscribe My Account WEX Access Contact Us Logout News White House Senate House Campaigns Business Justice Crime Sunday Talk Shows Washington Secrets Policy Defense & National Security Energy & Environment Education Immigration Finance & Economy Healthcare Foreign Policy Technology Infrastructure Space Think Tanks Opinion Columnists Editorials Beltway Confidential Watch Latest Clips The Debrief Reporter’s Notebook Restoring America Newsletters Subscriber Content Magazine Archive Quarterly Briefing Book of the Month Crosswords Turning Point USA Majority support Trump in 2024 GOP primary straw poll at Turning Point Action Conference by Julia Johnson, Politics Reporter July 16, 2023 03:13 PM Latest The child tax credit keeps getting smaller By: Timothy P. Carney Sex trafficking victims call on judge to recuse himself in Pornhub criminal case By: Breccan F. Thies Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley blasted online for Hanukkah tweets By: Jenny Goldsberry Videos Embattled Penn President Liz Magill faces growing calls for resignation Economy defies recession predictions with 199,000 jobs in November Trump indictments boosted his polling, but conviction could cost him reelection Hunter Biden indicted on criminal tax charges in California Newsletters Sign up now to get the Washington Examiner’s breaking news and timely commentary delivered right to your inbox. EXCLUSIVE — Attendees at the Turning Point Action Conference in West Palm Beach, Florida, overwhelmingly voted former President Donald Trump the winner of the Republican presidential primary straw poll. The results of the poll, conducted by the Trafalgar Group, were exclusively provided to the Washington Examiner. THREE TAKEAWAYS FROM DAY ONE OF TURNING POINT ACTION CONFERENCE Most conference-goers preferred Trump for the nomination, with 85.7% supporting the former president. Second, was businessman Perry Johnson with 7.8%, who spoke on day two of the event. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) followed with 4.3%. An image of former President Donald Trump covered with messages written on sticky notes is displayed at an exhibit titled “Say What You Want” featuring images of 2024 presidential candidates, during the Turning Point Action conference, Saturday, July 15, 2023, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) Lynne Sladky/AP DeSantis did not attend the event in his home state. His campaign press secretary Bryan Griffin said in a statement on Saturday, “Governor DeSantis spent the day with Iowans and spoke to a packed house at the Tennessee GOP Statesman Dinner later that night. This was a day after he delivered the strongest interview at the Family Leadership Summit, which Donald Trump notably skipped. Ron DeSantis is campaigning to win.” For their second preference, half of the respondents chose Vivek Ramaswamy, who also spoke at the conference, further deviating from national polling. Twenty-one percent named Trump their second pick, and 13.5% said Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL). In a statement, founder and CEO Charlie Kirk said, “The straw poll demonstrates that President Trump remains the single most dominant force among the conservative grassroots. All the attacks against him have seemingly made him even stronger and more popular among the conservative faithful.” “What’s also clear is that Governor DeSantis’ decision not to come to this event probably hurt his showing in this poll. There are a lot of people here who have a lot of respect for the governor and what he’s done in Florida, but I was approached multiple times by attendees telling me they were disappointed he didn’t come, and that’s evident in the poll results,” he said. “Vivek showed up and gave a great speech, and he was the clear second-choice favorite among our people.” Kirk called Ramasamy’s results “remarkable” considering where he started, saying the 2024 hopeful is “running a great campaign, and his message is clearly resonating with primary voters. Also, the big losers in this poll are the RNC, the warmongers, and the primary debates. This event and its attendees are the pulse of the grassroots, and it’s clear there’s been a tectonic shift in the passions and priorities of base conservatives.” Presidential candidates former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez also spoke during the event. According to Turning Point Action, former Vice President Mike Pence, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, and DeSantis were all invited but declined the invitation. Thirty percent of respondents said Kari Lake should be vice president, 24% said Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), and 22% said Ramaswamy. Roughly half of the conference’s approximate 6,000 attendees were college-aged individuals between the ages of 18-21, while the other half were of varying ages. Only about half of the attendees responded to the poll. There was measurable support for the popular Florida governor from attendees, who were disappointed that they would not hear from him on this occasion, according to a source involved with the event. The source detailed enthusiasm for DeSantis from many conference-goers, some of whom posted positive thoughts and messages of support on a large cardboard cutout of his face outside the main hall. An image of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis covered with messages written on sticky notes is displayed at an exhibit titled, “Say What You Want,” featuring images of 2024 presidential candidates, during the Turning Point Action conference, Saturday, July 15, 2023, in West Palm Beach, Fla.(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) Lynne Sladky/AP The poll also surveyed attendees on public policy issues, such as the war in Ukraine, which many of the speakers were vocally against. More than 95% said they are against United States involvement in the war in Ukraine. The southern border was voted the most important issue facing America, with nearly a quarter saying so. Just under 60% said they were excited for the Republican National Committee’s primary debate next month, which Trump notably may not attend. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Further, two-thirds said they don’t trust the RNC to get voters to the polls in 2024. A majority, 77%, also said they don’t plan to donate to the party. Interestingly, nearly 90% said the GOP should “embrace early voting and vote banking.” National polling from Morning Consult shows Trump has 56% of support among potential primary voters. Behind him is DeSantis with 17%. Latest The child tax credit keeps getting smaller By: Timothy P. Carney Sex trafficking victims call on judge to recuse himself in Pornhub criminal case By: Breccan F. Thies Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley blasted online for Hanukkah tweets By: Jenny Goldsberry Videos Embattled Penn President Liz Magill faces growing calls for resignation Economy defies recession predictions with 199,000 jobs in November Trump indictments boosted his polling, but conviction could cost him reelection Hunter Biden indicted on criminal tax charges in California Newsletters Sign up now to get the Washington Examiner’s breaking news and timely commentary delivered right to your inbox. Turning Point USA News straw poll 2024 Elections Donald Trump Vivek Ramaswamy Ron DeSantis Share your thoughts with friends. Cookie Preferences About Examiner Magazine Archive Staff Policies and Standards Sitemap Terms Of Service Subscription Terms of Use Privacy Policy Your Privacy Choices Transparency In Coverage Advertise Contact Subscribe Newsletters Careers Facebook Twitter Copyright 2023. Washington Examiner. All Rights Reserved.

At the annual meeting of the far-right extremist group Turning Point USA, Donald Trump won their straw poll by a massive margin with 85.7%, businessman Perry Johnson with 7.8%, who spoke on day two of the event and Gov. Ron DeSantis followed with 4.3%.

[https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/trump-2024-gop-straw-poll-turning-point-action]

Matt Gaetz Thinks Margot Robbie Is Really Hot

Skip to main content Manage SubscriptionLogin! subscribe Politics TV Interviews Entertainment Sports Podcasts Opinion UK Mediaite+ Mediaite Manage SubscriptionLogin! subscribe Politics TV Interviews Entertainment Sports Podcasts Opinion UK Mediaite+ Appeals Court Upholds Gag Order on Trump – But Allows Him To Criticize Jack Smith GOP Mega-Donor Slams ‘Disgraceful’ Last Months of Trump’s Presidency While Endorsing Haley on Fox News ‘I Am A Really Bad Person’: Michigan School Shooter Addresses Court Before Sentencing Elon Musk Trying to Get Disney Chief Bob Iger Fired After DealBook Disaster White House Dumps Council on American-Islamic Relations from Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia Materials Matt Gaetz Tries Appealing To Youngsters at TP USA Conference: ‘Margo Robbie Is Not Mid!’ Phillip NietoJul 15th, 2023, 5:51 pm Twitter share button Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) tried impressing young conservatives at a Turning Point USA conference on Saturday by referencing an online debate about the attractiveness of actress Margot Robbie. Recently, there has been an online debate about whether or not Robbie is attractive when she is not wearing makeup. The controversy originates from tweets referring to the actress as “mid,” a term used by members of Generation Z to refer to a mildly attractive female. This is her without makeup. Definitely mid. https://t.co/9sHshGY09z pic.twitter.com/Q4yLPC1dIE — Nick (@NicholasVerola) July 12, 2023 She is a hard 7. You used to find a Margot Robbie in every Blockbuster Video in 1995. pic.twitter.com/rGvrUg0F4z — Bizlet (@bizlet7) July 12, 2023 The Republican firebrand decided to reference this controversy during his speech at the Turning Point Action Conference in West Palm Beach, Florida, noting that the Barbie actress is a “ten.” “There’s this big online debate raging right now, and I just want to settle as one true north for the nature of truth itself,” said Gaetz. “Margot Robbie is not mid. A ten is a ten even with Common Core math.” The joke appeared to go over well with some of the young audience members as it was meant with claps and jeers in the auditorium. Watch the full clip above. Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com Filed Under: Margot RobbieMatt GaetzTurning PointTwitter Previous PostNext Post Previous PostNext Post Load Comments Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Tips Have a tip or story idea? Email us. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. Most Popular ‘We Heard Him With Our Own Ears!’ CNN’s Dana Bash Stunned By Trump Rival’s Claim Cops Incited Jan. 6 Rioters ‘I Have No Evidence But—’ NBC’s Chuck Todd Floats Trump Collusion With Debate Attack Dog Ramaswamy ‘I Was Shaking Listening to Him’: Van Jones Says Vivek Ramaswamy’s Debate Remarks ‘One Step Away From Nazi Propaganda’ ‘Pathetic and Disgusting’: McGovern Slams Marjorie Taylor Greene, Says ‘It’s Really Rich to Get a Lecture on Civility’ From Her Hot Mic Catches Megyn Kelly’s Post-Debate Panel Mocking Ron DeSantis’s Expression: ‘Looked Like You Shot His Dog’ You may also like: Kevin McCarthy Hit With Brutal, Since-Removed Community Note On X After Resigning: ‘He Just Quit’ Phillip NietoDec 6th, 2023, 6:37 pm ‘Whoa!’ Gutfeld Draws Stunned Gasps In Studio With Devastating Crack About Fox News Firing Tucker Carlson Caleb HoweDec 2nd, 2023, 2:30 pm Matt Gaetz Urges Against Expelling George Santos – ‘Whoever He Is’ Phillip NietoNov 30th, 2023, 5:18 pm The Appeal of Elon Musk’s ‘Go F*ck Yourself’ Rant Isaac SchorrNov 30th, 2023, 12:47 pm Elon Musk Deletes Falsehood-Ridden Pizzagate Meme After His Own App Calls Him Out Isaac SchorrNov 28th, 2023, 3:37 pm Mayor of Paris Quits ‘Global Sewer’ Twitter/X in Scorching Post: ‘The Weapon of Mass Destruction of Our Democracies’ Jamie FreveleNov 27th, 2023, 3:45 pm © 2023 Mediaite, LLC About Us Advertise Privacy Accessibility User Agreement Ethics & Diversity Policy Contact

Sex trafficker @[100044404090370:2048:Congressman Matt Gaetz] wants to remind you he’s a fucking creep.

[https://www.mediaite.com/online/matt-gaetz-tries-appealing-to-youngsters-at-tp-usa-conference-margo-robbie-is-not-mid/]

Trump Asked About I.R.S. Inquiry of F.B.I. Officials, Ex-Aide Says Under Oath – The New York Times

Skip to contentSkip to site index Politics Today’s Paper Trump Investigations Where the Inquiries Stand Tracking the Cases How the Cases Compare What if Trump Is Convicted? Possible Trial Dates AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENT Supported bySKIP ADVERTISEMENT Trump Asked About I.R.S. Inquiry of F.B.I. Officials, Ex-Aide Says Under Oath In a court filing, John Kelly, who was a chief of staff under Donald Trump, said the former president had asked about having the tax agency look into Peter Strzok and Lisa Page. Share full article John Kelly, a former White House chief of staff, in 2018.Credit…Doug Mills/The New York Times By Michael S. Schmidt July 7, 2023 John F. Kelly, who served as former President Donald J. Trump’s second White House chief of staff, said in a sworn statement that Mr. Trump had discussed having the Internal Revenue Service and other federal agencies investigate two F.B.I. officials involved in the investigation into his campaign’s ties to Russia. Mr. Kelly said that his recollection of Mr. Trump’s comments to him was based on notes that he had taken at the time in 2018. Mr. Kelly provided copies of his notes to lawyers for one of the F.B.I. officials, who made the sworn statement public in a court filing. “President Trump questioned whether investigations by the Internal Revenue Service or other federal agencies should be undertaken into Mr. Strzok and/or Ms. Page,” Mr. Kelly said in the statement. “I do not know of President Trump ordering such an investigation. It appeared, however, that he wanted to see Mr. Strzok and Ms. Page investigated.” Mr. Kelly’s assertions were disclosed on Thursday in a statement that was filed in connection with lawsuits brought by Peter Strzok, who was the lead agent in the F.B.I.’s Russia investigation, and Lisa Page, a former lawyer in the bureau, against the Justice Department for violating their privacy rights when the Trump administration made public text messages between them. The disclosures from Mr. Kelly, made under penalty of perjury, demonstrate the extent of Mr. Trump’s interest in harnessing the law enforcement and investigative powers of the federal government to target his perceived enemies. In the aftermath of Richard M. Nixon’s presidency, Congress made it illegal for a president to “directly or indirectly” order an I.R.S. investigation or audit. The New York Times reported last July that two of Mr. Trump’s greatest perceived enemies — James B. Comey, whom he fired as F.B.I. director, and Mr. Comey’s deputy, Andrew G. McCabe — were the subject of the same type of highly unusual and invasive I.R.S. audit. It is not known whether the I.R.S. investigated Mr. Strzok or Ms. Page. But Mr. Strzok became a subject in the investigation conducted by the special counsel John Durham into how the F.B.I. investigated Mr. Trump’s campaign. Neither Mr. Strzok nor Ms. Page was charged in connection with that investigation, which former law enforcement officials and Democrats have criticized as an effort to carry out Mr. Trump’s vendetta against the bureau. Mr. Strzok is also suing the department for wrongful termination. Mr. Strzok and Ms. Page exchanged text messages that were critical of Mr. Trump and were later made public by Rod J. Rosenstein, then the deputy attorney general under Mr. Trump, as he faced heavy criticism from Republicans on Capitol Hill who were trying to find ways to undermine him. The sworn statements from Mr. Kelly are similar to ones he made to The New York Times in November, in which he said that Mr. Trump had told him that he wanted a number of his perceived political enemies to be investigated by the I.R.S., including Mr. Comey, Mr. McCabe, Mr. Strzok and Ms. Page. Mr. Kelly told The Times last year that Mr. Trump’s demands were part of a broader pattern of attempts to use the Justice Department and his authority as president against people who had been critical of him, including seeking to revoke the security clearances of former top intelligence officials. In the sworn statement, Mr. Kelly said that Mr. Trump had discussed having the security clearances of Mr. Strzok and Ms. Page revoked, although Mr. Kelly did not take action on the idea. Mr. Kelly said that his notes showed that Mr. Trump discussed the investigations of the two on Feb. 21, 2018. “I did not make a note of every instance in which then President Trump made a comment about Mr. Strzok and Ms. Page,” Mr. Kelly said. “President Trump generally disapproved of note-taking in meetings. He expressed concern that the notes might later be used against him.” Mr. Kelly said that he never took any steps to follow through on Mr. Trump’s desires to have his enemies investigated. Mr. Trump has said he knew nothing about the audits of Mr. Comey and Mr. McCabe and their spouses. The I.R.S.’s inspector general found last year that Mr. Comey and Mr. McCabe had been randomly selected for the audits, though the inspector general’s report acknowledged some deviations from the I.R.S.’s rigorous rules for random selection when the agency made final selections of the returns that would be audited. Mr. Kelly told The Times last year that Mr. Trump had at times discussed using the I.R.S. and the Justice Department to address others in addition to Mr. Comey, Mr. McCabe, Mr. Strzok and Ms. Page. They included, Mr. Kelly said, the former C.I.A. director John O. Brennan; Hillary Clinton; and Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and the owner of The Washington Post, whose coverage often angered Mr. Trump. Michael S. Schmidt is a Washington correspondent covering national security and federal investigations. He was part of two teams that won Pulitzer Prizes in 2018 — one for reporting on workplace sexual harassment and the other for coverage of President Trump and his campaign’s ties to Russia. More about Michael S. Schmidt A version of this article appears in print on , Section A, Page 14 of the New York edition with the headline: Trump Asked About an I.R.S. Inquiry of F.B.I. Officials. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe Share full article AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENT Site Index Site Information Navigation © 2023 The New York Times Company NYTCo Contact Us Accessibility Work with us Advertise T Brand Studio Your Ad Choices Privacy Policy Terms of Service Terms of Sale Site Map Canada International Help Subscriptions Manage Privacy Preferences

John F. Kelly, who served as former President Donald J. Trump’s second White House chief of staff, said in a sworn statement that Mr. Trump had discussed having the Internal Revenue Service and other federal agencies investigate two F.B.I. officials involved in the investigation into his campaign’s ties to Russia.

Mr. Kelly said that his recollection of Mr. Trump’s comments to him was based on notes that he had taken at the time in 2018. Mr. Kelly provided copies of his notes to lawyers for one of the F.B.I. officials, who made the sworn statement public in a court filing.

“President Trump questioned whether investigations by the Internal Revenue Service or other federal agencies should be undertaken into Mr. Strzok and/or Ms. Page,” Mr. Kelly said in the statement. “I do not know of President Trump ordering such an investigation. It appeared, however, that he wanted to see Mr. Strzok and Ms. Page investigated.”

-The New York Times

[https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/07/us/politics/trump-kelly-irs-fbi-strozk-page.html]

Trump supporters boo, call Lindsey Graham a ‘traitor’ at South Carolina rally | The Hill

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Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., speaks to reporters about the indictment of former President Donald Trump during a media availability on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard) Supporters of former President Trump booed and called South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) a “traitor” at a rally in the senator’s home state on Saturday. “Thank y’all for coming. Thank you very much,” Graham said in response to a chorus of boos at the rally for the former president in Pickens, S.C. “Just calm down for a second. I think you’ll like this,” he added, after waiting several minutes for the crowd to settle to no avail. Graham, who has had an on-and-off relationship with Trump over the years, touted the “common ground” that he and the former president have found on Saturday. “It took a while to get there folks, but let me tell you what happened,” he said. “I’ve come to like President Trump and he likes himself and we got that in common. And I’m gonna help him become president of the United States.” “So let me tell you how you win an election folks — you get people together that don’t agree all the time to agree on the most important things,” Graham added. “My hope is we can bring this party together cause he’s gonna be our nominee.” The South Carolina senator, who at one point called Trump a “race-baiting, xenophobic religious bigot” during the 2016 campaign, became one of the president’s fiercest supporters in the Senate during his administration. Graham briefly turned against Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. However, he ultimately endorsed the former president’s 2024 White House bid. The senator has recently defended Trump in the face of two indictments, saying last month that the latest charges made the former president “stronger” than before. Tags 2024 GOP presidential primary 2024 presidential election Donald Trump Lindsey Graham South Carolina Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. 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@[100044463815168:2048:Lindsey Graham] was booed for several minutes by Trump fans at today’s MAGA Klan rally, booed while he was trying to speak, and booed when he exited.

Trump then later insulted Graham to his face, as the crowd again booed at him.

Lindsey Graham will continue to support Trump, not only because he is the Republican leader but also because Trump laveshes Graham with free stuff at Mar-a-Lago.
(See: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/575226-grisham-graham-was-using-trump-to-mop-up-the-freebies-like-there-was-no/amp/)

[https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4077580-trump-supporters-boo-call-lindsey-graham-a-traitor-at-south-carolina-rally/amp/]

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