Arkansas bars ‘Young Turks’ host Cenk Uygur from Democratic presidential primary
Arkansas election officials on Monday said online news personality Cenk Uygur, who was born in Turkey, can’t appear on the state’s Democratic presidential primary ballot next year. The determination comes weeks after Uygur proclaimed that he had become the first naturalized citizen on a presidential ballot after filing paperwork with the state and the Arkansas Democratic Party. Uygur’s parents immigrated to the U.S. from Turkey when he was 8. ‘YOUNG TURKS’ HOST CENK UYGUR DENOUNCES ‘DEFUND THE POLICE’ RHETORIC AS ‘WILDLY COUNTERPRODUCTIVE’ “My office has received your candidate filing paperwork,” Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston said in a letter to Uygur. “However, based on your own proclamation, your are not qualified to hold the elected office for which you filed. Therefore, I cannot, in good faith, certify your name to the ballot.” The Constitution sets simple requirements for president: A candidate must be at least 35 years old and “a natural born citizen.” THE YOUNG TURKS’ CENK UYGUR URGES PROGRESSIVES TO ‘VOTE NO’ ON SPENDING BILL: ‘WE HAVE GOTTEN NEARLY NOTHING!’ Several other states, including the early primary states of New Hampshire and Nevada, also have rejected his application to appear on their ballots. Uygur said officials were treating naturalized citizens as “second-class.” He has argued that the 14th Amendment of the Constitution makes him eligible to run for president. “This is the last form of acceptable bigotry in American society and I’m going to fight it with every fiber of my being,” Uygur said in a statement. “I’m not going to accept that I don’t belong in my own country.” Uygur, the co-creator of the online news and commentary show “The Young Turks,” announced in October he was challenging President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination. He previously made a failed bid for a California congressional seat. TEXAS SCHOOL SHOOTING: ‘YOUNG TURKS’ HOST CENK UYGUR CALLS DEMOCRATS ‘COWARDS’ FOR INACTION ON GUN CONTROL Reed Brewer, a spokesman for the Arkansas Democratic Party, said based on past court rulings, the party didn’t have authority to determine whether Uygur was eligible for the ballot. “Because of the vagaries of state law, rejecting a filing is simply not an option for us,” Brewer said. Brewer said he didn’t know whether the party would refund Ugyur his $2,500 filing fee.
Speaker Johnson gives Biden an ultimatum on Ukraine funding, immigration
There will be no additional funding for Ukraine without first making extensive reforms to the U.S. immigration system, House Speaker Mike Johnson told President Biden on Tuesday. Johnson issued the ultimatum in a letter to the White House, according to Punchbowl News. Biden and Democrats had pushed for months to provide additional funding for Ukraine’s war effort amid dwindling Republican support for the issue. With immigration being an even more divisive issue for Congress, Johnson’s declaration is a major blow to the prospect of further aid to Kyiv. Johnson’s letter says Ukraine aid is “dependent upon enactment of transformative change to our nation’s border security laws,” according to Punchbowl. The message came in response to a Monday letter from the White House. Penned by Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young, it warned that the U.S. would run out of Ukraine aid funding by the end of 2023. ZELENSKYY TO ADDRESS US SENATORS DURING CLASSIFIED BRIEFING ON STALLED MILITARY AID TO UKRAINE, ISRAEL “There is no magical pot of funding available to meet this moment. We are out of money—and nearly out of time,” Young wrote. “Cutting off the flow of U.S. weapons and equipment will kneecap Ukraine on the battlefield, not only putting at risk the gains Ukraine has made, but increasing the likelihood of Russian military victories.” “Already, our packages of security assistance have become smaller and the deliveries of aid have become more limited. If our assistance stops, it will cause significant issues for Ukraine,” she added. UKRAINE TO RECEIVE NATO SUPPORT FOR ‘AS LONG AS IT TAKES,’ GAIN ALLIANCE MEMBERSHIP AFTER CONFLICT The U.S. has already contributed well over $100 billion to Ukraine’s war effort since Russia invaded the country in February 2022. Republicans have increasingly questioned why that money isn’t being spent at home, however. Johnson first announced plans to pair Ukraine funding and immigration funding into the same bill in early November. “The American people feel very strongly about this, and I do as well. We have things that we can and should do around the world, but we have to take care of our own house first,” Johnson said at the time. “As long as the border is wide open, we’re opening ourselves up for great threats. And again, it’s just a matter of principle that if we’re going to take care of a border in Ukraine, we need to take care of America’s as well. And I think there’s bipartisan support for that idea.” Ukrainian forces have found little success in their months-long counteroffensive against Russia as well. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warned that the world should “be prepared for bad news” in the conflict this week.
Internal memo shows pro-Ukraine Republicans making case for aid to increasingly skeptical GOP
FIRST ON FOX: Senior House Republicans are laying out their case for why and how the U.S. can support Ukraine amid increasingly dire warnings for Congress to approve more funds to uphold Kyiv’s defense against Russia’s brutal invasion. A 28-page report is being sent within the House GOP conference outlining a “proposed plan for victory in Ukraine.” It calls for a three-pronged approach to success, according to a copy obtained by Fox News Digital: Getting “critical weapons to Ukraine at the speed of relevance,” tighter sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin and his allies, and “transferring frozen Russian sovereign assets to Ukraine.” “This will take congressional Republican pressure, which has been the key to unlocking every new needed weapon system to Ukraine since the start of the war,” the memo said. “This strategy will ensure Ukraine is able to make the needed advances on the battlefield to force Putin to the negotiating table. If Ukraine doesn’t negotiate from a position of strength, there can be no lasting peace.” The report was led by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas; House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala.; and Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner, R-Ohio. ZELENSKYY TO ADDRESS US SENATORS DURING CLASSIFIED BRIEFING ON STALLED MILITARY AID TO UKRAINE, ISRAEL Ukrainian officials are visiting Capitol Hill on Tuesday, a day after the White House’s Office of Management and Budget wrote a letter to congressional leaders warning that Ukraine will suffer serious losses if new U.S. aid is not approved this year. But a growing number of conservatives, mainly in the House, are increasingly skeptical of the continued flow of aid to Ukraine. The state of Ukraine funding in Congress is currently in limbo amid GOP-driven conversations about pairing it with U.S. border security and asylum reforms – many proposals of which have been deemed nonstarters by Democrats. UKRAINE TO RECEIVE NATO SUPPORT FOR ‘AS LONG AS IT TAKES,’ GAIN ALLIANCE MEMBERSHIP AFTER CONFLICT The Senate is expected to tee up a vote on Biden’s $106 billion supplemental aid request for Ukraine and Israel, but Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has already signaled he’s opposed to putting that package on the House floor. But the Tuesday memo argues that continuing to provide aid to Ukraine is boosting the U.S. economy and preventing a larger conflict down the line, such as if Putin attacks a NATO ally. The report also frames the ongoing issues in Ukraine as the fault of President Biden, stating, “Biden is mishandling the worst war in Europe since World War II. His weakness failed to deter Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, continues to prolong the war, and risks inviting further aggression from America’s adversaries.” At the same time, it appears to tackle conservative skeptics’ concerns about having proper oversight of the aid dollars and whether European allies are paying their fair share. “As of November 2023, the Inspectors General of the DoD, State, and USAID have not identified any significant diversion, theft, or misuse of U.S. assistance to Ukraine,” the lawmakers wrote, noting, “There are 96 ongoing or planned audits and reports by the IGs of more than 20 different agencies, as well as the Government Accountability Office (GAO), to monitor, audit, and evaluate activities related to the Ukraine response. 39 have been completed.” HOUSE PASSES BILL TO STOP FEDERAL FUNDS BEING USED TO HOUSE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS They also refuted the claim that the U.S. is dealt a bigger financial burden than its allies – when measured as a percentage of GDP, 29 countries have given more aid to Ukraine than the U.S., according to the report. It also included charts and graphs demonstrating that combined foreign aid to Ukraine is greater than the U.S. contributions by a margin of 55% to 45%. The report also stressed Russia’s budding alliances with China and Iran, and argued that upholding Ukraine against Moscow now would serve to deter Beijing and Tehran as well. Razom for Ukraine, a U.S. group pushing for continued support, told Fox News Digital they were supportive of the proposals in the GOP lawmakers’ report. “Chairmen McCaul, Turner, and Rogers make the crystal clear case for U.S. assistance to finally help Ukraine prevail over Putin’s invasion. This plan outlines how the U.S. can provide the aid and military capability needed to help Ukraine win – not just survive,” a top official in the group said. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
FBI Director pleads for Congress to keep program accused of spying on Americans
FBI Director Christopher Wray pleaded with lawmakers on Tuesday to continue funding a controversial surveillance tool of the U.S. government. Wray testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday morning. In his opening remarks, he urged Congress to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which has been both credited with preventing terror attacks on U.S. soil and accused of being a vehicle for spying on U.S. citizens. The law lets the government keep tabs on specific foreign nationals outside the country without first obtaining a warrant to do so, even if the party on the other side of those communications is an American on U.S. soil. The program will expire at the end of this year if not reauthorized by Congress. “The expiration of our 702 authorities would be devastating to the FBI’s ability to protect Americans,” Wray told Senate lawmakers. FBI PAINTS GRIM PICTURE OF AI AS A TOOL FOR CRIMINALS: ‘FORCE MULTIPLIER’ FOR BAD ACTORS He said the FBI is aware of a “steady drumbeat” of calls for attacks by foreign terrorist organizations since Hamas massacred more than 1,200 Israelis on Oct. 7. Section 702, Wray argued, is an “indispensable” tool to combat terror threats by allowing the government “to stay a step ahead of foreign actors located outside the United States who pose a threat to national security.” The FBI director pointed to several examples of how the bureau has used Section 702 to help victims of cyber crimes and identify potential targets. “In just one recent cyber case, for instance, 702 allowed the FBI to alert more than 300 victims in every state and country around the world,” Wray said, adding that those notifications were made possible by the FBI’s ability to conduct U.S. person queries in the existing 702 database. Wray testified that stripping the FBI of its 702 surveillance powers would be akin to “unilateral disarmament” in the face of growing threats from Iran and China. PUBLIC TRUST IN FBI HAS REACHED ‘THE RED ZONE,’ US INCHING CLOSER TO ‘MAYHEM, CHAOS, ANARCHY:’ WSJ COLUMNIST However, critics on the right and left claim the program encroaches on Americans’ civil liberties, specifically if the FBI conducts warrantless surveillance on communications between Americans and foreign nationals. A letter objecting to combining the measures was signed by more than 50 lawmakers on Wednesday, led by Reps. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, and Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, along with Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., and Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash. “A temporary extension would be entirely unnecessary, and it would be an inexcusable violation of the public’s trust to quietly greenlight an authority that has been flagrantly abused,” the letter addressed to Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said. “If Section 702 is to be reauthorized for even a single day, it must be through standalone legislation subject to robust, open debate and amendment.” GARLAND SAYS INCENDIARY MEMO DIRECTING FBI TO USE COUNTERTERRORISM TOOLS ON PARENTS NEVER RESCINDED Wray argued against any attempt by lawmakers to restrict the FBI’s surveillance authority, which he compared to the “pre-9/11-style wall” that prevented U.S. intelligence agencies from sharing information that could have prevented the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks. “If that’s the path chosen, what are we going to say to the family whose loved one’s care was sabotaged when a hospital was taken offline by a foreign adversary and the FBI wasn’t able to stop the cyber attack? What’s the justification for not using every lawful tool to stop China from stealing our technology and undermining our freedoms? Because I can assure you the PRC is not holding back or tying its own hands behind its back,” he said. “And what if there were a terrorist attack that we had a shot to prevent, but couldn’t take it, because the FBI was deprived of the ability under 702 to look at key information already sitting in our holdings?” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Fox News Digital is told that congressional leaders are considering attaching a temporary extension of FISA to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), an annual defense spending bill. Doing so would delay the fight over Section 702 reauthorization until early 2024. Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
Liberal activist shareholders set to sue Smith & Wesson as part of ESG push to cripple gun manufacturers
FIRST ON FOX: Liberal activists are preparing to file a lawsuit against the board of one of the largest gun manufacturers in the United States, alleging that the company exposed shareholders to unnecessary liability by selling and promoting AR-15 rifles and thus violating their fiduciary duty. In a draft of a lawsuit viewed by Fox News Digital expected to be filed this week, liberal activist shareholder plantiffs alleged that the board of Smith & Wesson “knowingly allowed the Company to become exposed to significant liability for intentionally violating federal, state, and local laws through its manufacturing, marketing, and sales of AR-15 style rifles and similar semiautomatic firearms.” The draft explains that the company’s board has expressed “unwillingness to exercise any oversight whatsoever” when it comes to manufacturing and marketing AR-15s, which the shareholders say has exposed the company to unnecessary liability. The lawsuit is the latest in a series of moves made by liberal activists across the country using the legal system to go after gun manufacturers as a part of a larger movement known as environmental, social, and governance (ESG), which puts pressure on investors to be more “socially conscious.” NRA BLASTS DOCTOR WHO TESTIFIED BEFORE CONGRESS IN GUN VIOLENCE HEARING: ‘GUN CONTROL EXTREMIST’ Critics say ESG investments allocate money based on political agendas, such as a drive against climate change, rather than on earning the best returns for savers. The ESG industry, meanwhile, says it helps highlight companies that may be riskier than traditional investing guidelines alone might suggest. That could lead to more stable, safer returns for savers. It also says using an ESG lens could help investors find better, more profitable opportunities. PROPOSED GUN CONTROL MEASURES LACK EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE THEY REDUCE CRIMES, EXPERTS SAY Two of the plaintiffs in the case are led by Sister Judy Byron, an anti-gun activist who recently participated in drafting a statement from the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, where “investors representing $634 billion in assets” called for pressure on gun manufacturers and companies associated with them “to review their operations, supply chains and policies and take meaningful action on this public safety concern.” “While we believe that sensible gun control legislation and enforcement is needed to help halt the wave of senseless gun tragedies, progress has been stalled at the federal level in large part due to an aggressive NRA lobby,” the statement said. “Corporations, therefore, have an important role to play both to ensure that they are not indirectly complicit in these lethal events, and in advancing the solutions that may help prevent them. While the business case for companies to reduce their exposure to this issue is clear, the moral case for action grows more urgent each day. We therefore ask companies to carefully reflect on how their operations, business relationships, supply chain policies, marketing practices and public voices might be used to counter gun violence and foster safer communities.” Byron and her small but vocal group of shareholders, emboldened by the 2018 mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, have already pressured two gun manufacturers into providing information on how they are trying to develop safer guns, NBC News reported. “When I say that I’ve always been interested in social justice, it isn’t just to know about it and be aware of it, but to bring about change and bring about justice,” Byron said in 2018. “We’re looking to change the system.” In each of the last three years, a majority of Smith & Wesson stockholders have rejected proposals from activist stockholders. The most recent proposal in September 2023 was rejected by 73% of stockholders. The complaint acknowledges that Smith & Wesson has analyzed its potential legal liabilities for years but still argued that the company be held “liable for breaching their fiduciary duties by knowingly allowing Smith & Wesson to violate various federal, state, and local laws through its manufacturing, marketing, and sales of AR-15 Rifles.” Fox News Digital reached out to the Adrian Dominican Sisters, a plaintiff in the case led by Byron, for comment but did not immediately receive a response. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
NY sheriff sounds alarm on migrants crossing Canada border, warns cartels ‘thrive in our very own backyards’
An upstate New York sheriff is expected to sound the alarm to Congress about the increased number of illegal migrants surging across the northern border with Canada, bringing an uptick of high-speed chases, home break-ins and other crimes straining emergency management in the rural communities there. David Favro, the elected sheriff of Clinton County for the past 21 years, is expected to testify before a House subcommittee on emergency management and technology hearing Tuesday dedicated to discussing the topic of “protecting our preparedness” amid the ongoing border crisis. “Under the current administration’s policies, the discretionary approach to border security and immigration laws allows criminals and cartels to thrive in our very own backyards,” Favro is expected to say, according to his prepared opening statement obtained in advance of the hearing by Fox News Digital. “The ongoing crisis, exacerbated by the expiration of Title 42, poses substantial threat to the security of local communities. These communities find themselves neglected and left to rely solely on local and state resources to address this crisis, without any concrete plan by the Secretary of Homeland Security to address these impacts.” Clinton County, which has about 30 miles of international border with Canada, has encountered a diverse group of migrants from 42 different counties, with over 55% coming from Mexico, 22.1% originating from India and under 4% each from Haiti, Romania and Guatemala, according to Favro, who is also a member of the National Sheriff’s Association. ERNST SLAMS BIDEN’S BORDER POLICY AS CANCELLATIONS SWEEP MASSACHUSETTS HOTELS, ‘DISPLACING’ MILITARY FAMILIES “The Border Crisis significantly strains Emergency Management in our small rural community. A notable surge in transient population, funneled through a small rural community whose residents are primarily native to the area, raises concerns and has led to an uptick in emergency response calls,” Favro is expected to say. Citing staffing shortages due to broad law enforcement hiring and retention issues, Favro will testify that the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office has just 22 deputies despite serving a population of approximately 80,000 people, according to the 2021 census. About 97.6% of residents are native to Clinton County, which spans about 1,117.53 square miles. “Responding to reports of ‘strangers’ on private property may tie up one or two units, impacting our ability to address other safety needs. Adding to the complexity, high-speed vehicle pursuits involving migrants are on the rise,” Favro’s prepared remarks say. “A recent incident caused bodily injuries and property damage in what resulted as the busiest traffic point in our small rural county. This highlights the need for urgent attention to the Border Crisis’ impact on our emergency capabilities and calls for strategic solutions to protect our community and law enforcement resources.” The Swanton Border Patrol sector of the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol oversees a vast expanse of 295 miles along the northern border. Despite covering 70% of all northern border encounters, this sector operates with only 15% of the staffing allocated to the entire Northern Border region, Favro will tell lawmakers, adding that 73% of encounters in the Swanton sector are single adults, 27% are family units and less than half of 1% are unaccompanied children. Favro is also expected to discuss how migrants coming from countries south of the U.S. may not be prepared for the frigid northern winter climate. “In Clinton County, we regularly experience temperatures falling -35 degrees below zero with a deadly wind-chill. Ponds and swamps freeze quickly and require conducting rescue missions with volunteer fire and rescue teams alongside Border Patrol and Sheriff Deputies. Tragically, two deaths have occurred among migrants attempting to traverse dark wooded terrain,” Favro will testify. “Migrants are arriving predominately from the southern border where they are accustomed to survivable temperatures with minimal clothing.” “Most do not realize how cold it can become, particularly at nighttime when they tend to move and cross without detection,” the sheriff will tell lawmakers. “Migrants attempt to seek shelter in barns, sheds, basements or even what they think may be unoccupied homes. We have responded to calls of residents awaking in the middle of the night to unfamiliar noises only to discover migrants that entered their home to get out of the weather.” As Clinton County sees an increase of migrants crossing from Canada, Favro will also note how New York City is busing migrants from the southern border to upstate rural communities “where there are literally no resources to assist these people.” BIDEN ADMIN MAKES EXCEPTIONS TO SANCTIONS ON VENEZUELAN AIRLINE TO ALLOW DEPORTATION FLIGHTS “Many communities across the country are facing a housing shortage for their local residents. The increase in migrants has created a shuffle effect, for example, where communities are relocating their excess overage of migrants from one region to another,” Favro’s prepared remarks say. “For example, we have all seen Texas relocating migrants to New York City? What you do not see is New York then busing migrants to the northern border communities where there are literally no resources to assist these people. Some private organizations (Plattsburgh Cares) are providing essentials like food and clothing, as well as guidance and an occasional bus ticket to a different location of the migrants choosing.” Favro is expected to tell lawmakers how 911 call centers nationwide have experienced “recognizable” increases in calls for service. Since 911 callers’ migrant statuses are not questioned during incoming calls and when responding to an emergency call, it is difficult to establish just what those actual numbers are, he will argue. However, Favro will note that “challenges in rescues and general assistance requests have also intensified due to diverse language barriers.” The Clinton County Jail is also currently the only facility accepting detainees from Border Patrol in the area. Since the beginning of the year, the sheriff’s office has already recovered $2 million from the federal government for the cost of housing federal detainees at a rate of $112 per day at the facility. In his opening remarks, Chairman Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y., is also expected to rip the Biden
Adam Schiff officially files to run for Dianne Feinstein’s open Senate seat
California Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff has officially filed to run for the late Senator Dianne Feinstein’s, D-Calif., open Senate seat. Schiff, who was censured by the House earlier this year for his claims that former President Trump colluded with Russia to win the 2016 election, officially entered the race on Monday night, announcing the move on X, formerly Twitter. “It’s official — I just filed my paperwork and will be on the ballot to be California’s next United States Senator,” Schiff wrote. ANTI-TRUMP DEM ALLEGEDLY CLAIMED MARYLAND HOME AS PRIMARY RESIDENCE DESPITE RUNNING FOR SENATE IN CALIFORNIA “92 days until the March 5th primary — see you on the campaign trail!” he added. The California congressman entered into a crowded election that’s seeing him face off against fellow House Democrat Reps. Katie Porter and Barbara Lee, as well as Republican attorney Eric Early. Schiff’s censure has helped him, at least financially, with his voter base — the California Democrat raked in over $8 million in campaign donations after being formally criticized by Congress’ lower chamber. However, Schiff does face a different problem: he has allegedly claimed a primary residence in Maryland for years despite his goal to represent Golden State residents in the Senate. All while owning a 3,420-square-foot home in Maryland, Schiff has reportedly taken a homeowner’s tax exemption on a smaller 650-square-foot condo he owns and designates as his primary residence in Burbank, California. By claiming his California home as his primary residence, Schiff was able to receive a $7,000 reduction in his property assessment – an estimated $70 in annual savings from property taxes, according to a CNN report. In California, each county collects a general property tax equal to 1% of the assessed value. Schiff, who announced his Senate ambition in January, did not take a similar exemption on his Maryland home. Tax records reviewed by the outlet revealed Schiff paid his property taxes in California with a personal check featuring his Maryland address in 2017. The outlet’s review of past records and comments from the lawmaker, as well as photos shared to social media in recent history, also indicated Schiff has made his Maryland home his full-time residence. Deed records also revealed Schiff designated his Maryland home his primary residence in 2003, the year he bought the home. Additionally, Schiff reportedly refinanced his mortgage and indicated that his Maryland home was his primary residence in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. Los Angeles County deed records for Schiff’s California condo, which was purchased in 2009 for a little less than $300,000, were notarized in Maryland, the outlet highlighted. Schiff will have to navigate the tumultuous waters of the robust Senate candidate field while promoting his accomplishments in the House. However, it remains to be seen how his censure will truly affect his candidacy. Fox News Digital’s Kyle Morris contributed reporting.
Special counsel hits back at Hunter Biden requesting Trump, Barr subpoenas
Special Counsel David Weiss blasted Hunter Biden’s recent request to subpoena former President Trump and other former officials in a court filing on Tuesday. Weiss submitted the filing in Delaware federal court, arguing Biden’s request “is meritless and should be denied.” President Biden’s son had requested subpoenas against Trump, former Attorney General Bill Barr and two other former Trump administration officials, arguing his gun crimes charge had originated in a vindictive Justice Department. “Not only does defendant’s motion fail to identify any actual evidence of bias, vindictiveness, or discriminatory intent on the Special Counsel’s part, his arguments ignore an inconvenient truth: No charges were brought against defendant during the prior administration when the subpoena recipients actually held office in the Executive Branch,” Weiss wrote. “Instead, every charge in this matter was or will be brought during the current administration—one in which defendant’s father, Joseph R. Biden, is the President of the United States and Merrick B. Garland is the Attorney General that was appointed by President Biden and who personally appointed the Special Counsel. Defendant has not shown, nor can he, how external statements by political opponents of President Biden improperly pressured him, his Attorney General, or the Special Counsel to pursue charges against the President’s son,” the filing continues. HUNTER BIDEN PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO FEDERAL GUN CHARGES OUT OF SPECIAL COUNSEL DAVID WEISS’ PROBE Biden attorney Abbe Lowell had argued last month that the investigation into the president’s son arose only due to “incessant, improper, and partisan pressure” during the Trump administration. HUNTER BIDEN INVESTIGATORS LIMITED QUESTIONS ABOUT ‘DAD,’ ‘BIG GUY’ DESPITE FBI, IRS OBJECTIONS: WHISTLEBLOWER Biden’s gun crimes trial is not set to begin until after January 2024. He faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted on all charges. He faces one count of making a false statement in the purchase of a firearm; another of making a false statement related to information required to be kept by a federal firearms licensed dealer; and one other count of possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance. This summer, Biden agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor tax charges and would have also avoided prosecution on the gun charges had he stayed out of trouble for two years. That deal collapsed under scrutiny from a judge.
Sinema hit with ethics complaint over alleged failure to detail finances in disclosures: ‘Highly suspicious’
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., is facing a complaint alleging an “ongoing failure” to “fully complete” financial disclosure reports as required by lawmakers, according to a letter provided to Fox News Digital. The American Accountability Foundation (AAF) sent the document to the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics Monday, calling for an investigation into Sinema’s alleged failure to disclose assets, income, and other required items related to Dr. Lindsay Buckman, whom Sinema treated as a spouse for officially related travel in the past and who the group says she still lives with. “The American people deserve to know that their elected officials are making decisions based on what benefits the American people, and not based on what benefits them financially,” AAF president Tom Jones told Fox News Digital. “Yet Sen. Sinema’s failure to disclose the nature of this relationship makes it impossible for the American people to have confidence in her motives.” “Sen. Sinema has a moral and legal obligation to fully disclose the details of her finances,” Jones said. “The fact that she hasn’t done so is highly suspicious and troubling.” GOP, DEMS TEAM UP TO RIP ‘DELUSIONAL’ SINEMA OVER ‘PLAN’ TO SWIPE THEIR VOTERS IN INDEPENDENT REELECTION BID AFF’s complaint revolves around Buckman, who the group says Sinema reported on a 2013 trip to Israel by appearing to have “petitioned the [House Committee on Ethics] to allow Dr. Buckman to travel with her because Representative Sinema believed Dr. Buckman was a spouse in all but title.” “While Senator Sinema appears to believe Dr. Buckman is just like a spouse for the purpose of $7737.15 junkets to Israel funded by outside groups, she does not seem to believe that the spousal designation applies for the purposes of financial disclosures,” the complaint states. “The spousal disclosures on financial disclosure forms are required to disclose and prevent conflicts of interest,” the group writes. “The Ethics in Government Act has always understood that conflicts related to holdings of a spouse should be imputed to the spouse who is a Member.” AAF notes Sinema’s financial disclosures “includes barely any assets, despite her having held a Congressional salary of $174,000 for over a decade” and called for the committee to open an investigation into the matter. VETERAN AIR FORCE PILOT SEEKING TO OUST VULNERABLE DEM SENATOR SAYS NATION MUST ABANDON ‘WRONG LEADERS’ “Further, Senator Sinema’s disclosure has been so sparse as to strain credibility, failing to list items such as checking accounts or a mortgage,” the letter says. “When coupled with her persistent effort to hide what she regards as marital assets, investigation by the Ethics Committee of Senator Sinema’s filings is required.” National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman Tate Mitchell echoed AFF’s concerns, saying her failure to disclose assets raises concerns. “Kyrsten Sinema’s failure to disclose her assets and potential conflicts of interest raises serious ethical questions as she flirts with asking Arizonans for their vote again,” Mitchell said. “Arizonans deserve to have an honest broker serving them in the Senate, not another shady D.C. politician.” Sinema’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the complaint.
State Dept: Hamas refuses to release women hostages to prevent sharing horrors of captivity
The State Department says the U.S. suspects one reason Hamas is refusing to release its remaining female hostages is to prevent them from revealing the horrors they experienced in captivity. Israeli officials believe Hamas still has roughly 18 women in custody, most of whom were kidnapped from an Oct. 7 music festival near the Gaza border, according to Axios. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller says that Hamas’ refusal to release the women led to the collapse of the cease-fire on Friday. “It seems that one of the reasons they don’t want to turn women over that they’ve been holding hostage — and the reason this pause fell apart — is that they don’t want these women to be able to talk about what happened to them during their time in custody,” Miller said during a Monday press briefing. The statement comes amid heightened tensions regarding Hamas’ brutal treatment of women during and after its Oct. 7 massacre. Israel has documented extensive instances of rape and sexual assault and has called on the United Nations to take action. US LOOKS TO INCREASE AID INTO GAZA THROUGH EGYPT, INCLUDES WARNING FOR ISRAEL During a meeting at the U.N. in Geneva last week, Israeli officials attempted to raise awareness of the alleged sexual violence against women and urged the international body – which often condemns global injustices and human rights violations – not to keep quiet about the issue. ISRAEL LAUNCHES 10,000TH AIRSTRIKE AGAINST HAMAS, AS PALESTINIANS SEEK SHELTER IN CROWDED SOUTHERN GAZA “Among the war crimes and the crimes against humanity that Hamas committed on Oct. 7 were also sexual crimes, sexual assaults, rapes, that were part, that were a systematic part of their attack, of the massacre, and we are expecting a strong condemnation,” said Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, an associate professor at Bar-Ilan University who spoke at the event. “We expected recognition of that. We expected a clear and loud statement that says that there is no justification for using the bodies of women as a weapon of war. None of this came up until now.” UN ACCOUNT HIT FOR EXPLICITLY CONDEMNING HAMAS’ ATTACK ON ISRAEL EIGHT WEEKS LATER: ‘TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH’ The official UN Women X account faced heavy criticism when it finally condemned the Oct. 7 attack on Friday, roughly two months later. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., faced similar backlash this week when she joined CNN on Sunday for an interview and was asked about the silence from progressive women’s groups on Hamas’ use of rape as a weapon of war. Jayapal, who chairs the left-wing Congressional Progressive Caucus, claimed she did condemn Hamas’ treatment of women specifically, but argued that “we have to be balanced about bringing in the outrages against Palestinians.” Israel says roughly 137 hostages remain in Gaza, though the U.S. has repeatedly warned that there is no way to know how many of that number are still alive. Fox News’ Lawrence Richard contributed to this report