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Year: 2024

Trump ‘respectfully’ honored fallen troops at Arlington National Cemetery amid altercation report: veteran

Trump ‘respectfully’ honored fallen troops at Arlington National Cemetery amid altercation report: veteran

A U.S. veteran and former member of the Presidential Honor Guard defended former President Donald Trump’s appearance at Arlington National Cemetery this week amid reports of an altercation between Arlington staff and the Trump campaign. The veteran, Lucas O’Hara, said on social media that he worked at Arlington for three years during his time in the military, and he lauded Trump’s composure at the event. Meanwhile, the Trump campaign is facing criticism following reports that cemetery staff warned them not to take photographs at the Monday event. “I have witnessed over 75 wreath laying ceremonies performed by politicians and conducted 524 funerals in this cemetery during the time I served in the Presidential Honor Guard for three years. What I got to witness yesterday was the most respectful and solemn ceremony I have seen,” O’Hara wrote.  “There were no speeches, no angles, no weird photo ops just our elected officials and the 45th President respectfully and solemnly honoring the fallen and their families,” he added. 38 DAYS: VP REFUSES TO REVEAL POLICY POSITIONS The Monday event honored the 13 U.S. service members who were killed while defending the Kabul airport during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. Several parents of the service members released a statement saying they had approved a Trump campaign photographer to record the event. A report from NPR says two Trump campaign staff members “verbally abused and pushed” a cemetery official who tried to stop them from filming and taking photos. A defense official also told The Associated Press that the campaign was warned by cemetery staff not to take photographs at the event. REPUBLICANS SLAM HARRIS FOR BEING ‘LAST PERSON IN THE ROOM’ WHEN BIDEN MADE CALL TO EVACUATE AFGHANISTAN “Federal law prohibits political campaign or election-related activities within Army National Military Cemeteries, to include photographers, content creators or any other persons attending for purposes, or in direct support of a partisan political candidate’s campaign,” a cemetery official said in a statement. “Arlington National Cemetery reinforced and widely shared this law and its prohibitions with all participants. We can confirm there was an incident, and a report was filed.” Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung argued that the staffer who blocked the campaign photographers appeared to be having a “mental health episode.” He also specified that the campaign was granted approval to bring a photographer. ‘YOU’RE FIRED’: TRUMP VOWS PINK SLIPS ON DAY 1 FOR EVERY OFFICIAL RESPONSIBLE FOR ‘AFGHANISTAN CALAMITY’ “The fact is that a private photographer was permitted on the premises and, for whatever reason, an unnamed individual, clearly suffering from a mental health episode, decided to physically block members of President Trump’s team during a very solemn ceremony,” he said. Trump attended the event at the invitation of family members of the soldiers who were killed in the Kabul bombing. “We are deeply grateful to the president for taking the time to honor our children and for standing alongside us in our grief, offering his unwavering support during such a difficult time,” five of the family members wrote after the event. “His compassion and respect meant more than words can express.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Palin libel lawsuit against New York Times reinstated by federal court

Palin libel lawsuit against New York Times reinstated by federal court

A lawsuit against the New York Times brought by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has been resurrected by a federal court. Palin, a former Republican vice presidential candidate, sued the outlet after it published a 2017 editorial claiming her campaign had encouraged the 2011 shooting of then-Rep. Gabby Giffords. The editorial in question was published on the day of a mass shooting at a congressional baseball practice game. No such encouragement of connection to the shooting was ever produced — Palin filed suit against the newspaper, alleging staff had intentionally published false information in an attempt to smear her and damage her reputation. NEW YORK TIMES FOUND NOT LIABLE IN SARAH PALIN DEFAMATION CASE U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff dismissed the lawsuit in February 2022 in the middle of jury deliberations. He allowed the jurors to finish deliberating and give a verdict, which ultimately favored the New York Times, but lawyers pointed out that individuals on the jury received notifications from the outlet mid-deliberation announcing the judge’s dismissal. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan on Wednesday overturned that dismissal and verdict, finding that Rakoff made a series of errors that qualify the lawsuit for a retrial. “We have no difficulty concluding that an average jury’s verdict would be affected if several jurors knew that the judge had already ruled for one of the parties on the very claims the jurors were charged with deciding,” 2nd Circuit Judge John Walker Jr. said regarding the dismissal. SARAH PALIN SUES NY TIMES OVER EDITORIAL TYING HER TO GIFFORDS SHOOTING “We think a jury’s verdict reached with the knowledge of the judge’s already-announced disposition of the case will rarely be untainted, no matter what the jurors say upon subsequent inquiry,” Walker said, addressing claims from jurors that the dismissal and subsequent notifications did not affect their decision. The court noted several other issues with how Palin’s lawsuit was handled, including restrictions on her claim that editorial page editor James Bennet allowed the unsubstantiated claims against her to politically aid his brother, Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado. Palin’s legal team called the ruling “a significant step forward in the process of holding publishers accountable for content that misleads readers and the public in general.” “The truth deserves a level playing field, and Governor Palin looks forward to presenting her case to a jury that is ‘provided with relevant proffered evidence and properly instructed on the law,’” lawyer Shane Vogt added. The New York Times called the ruling “disappointing,” but said it is confident the lawsuit will be dismissed again in a retrial. Importantly, the appeals court did not find Rakoff biased against Palin and therefore still eligible to preside over the retrial.

Dolton, Illinois mayor’s former assistant turns on her over ‘unethical and predatory behavior’

Dolton, Illinois mayor’s former assistant turns on her over ‘unethical and predatory behavior’

A former assistant to controversial Dolton, Illinois Mayor Tiffany Henyard says she is blowing the whistle on the embattled “supermayor” for her lavish spending on the taxpayer’s dime, accusing Henyard of “unethical and predatory behavior” in order to “increase her influence.”  Henyard, who also serves as Supervisor for the neighboring Thornton Township, has been dogged by scandal for months and has been accused of misdeeds, excessive spending, allegations of corruption and retaliating against co-workers.  Despite the controversies and calls for her resignation, she has remained resolute in her roles, but now Thornton Township trustee Carmen Carlisle has come forward to spill the beans on the bombastic mayor.   STATE FUNDS TO DOLTON CUT AS EMBATTLED ‘SUPERMAYOR’ TIFFANY HENYARD TRIES TO REINSTATE INDICTED POLICE CHIEF “Today, I am breaking my silence and speaking out against Thornton Township Supervisor and Mayor of Dolton Tiffany Henyard, who I believe has engaged in unethical and predatory behavior throughout her tenure,” Carlisle wrote in an emailed statement to WGN.  “For the past two years, Henyard has manipulated employees, vendors, and residents, using her position to increase her influence, all while projecting a false image of success, funded by the hardworking taxpayers of Thornton Township and the Village of Dolton.”  Carlisle, who was an assistant to Henyard before being appointed a trustee in May 2023, said at a recent special board meeting that she rarely raised questions about extravagant trips and other spending charged to township taxpayers because she “trusted the administration,” per the report.  Carlisle and other township trustees then voted to put new restrictions on spending on special events and access to credit cards.  “I am standing up, not just for myself, but for others who have been affected by what I see as Henyard’s abusive leadership,” Carlisle’s statement continued. “I believe there are many more victims who have been retaliated against, fired or lied to by Henyard, but have yet to speak out.”  Henyard responded to the apparent show of disloyalty by announcing a new nickname for Carlisle.  “I think I’m going to get you a new nickname: ‘Lyin’ Carlisle,’” Henyard said at the public meeting. “I’m tired of everyone in here. There always has to be a show.”  WGN reported in January that Henyard and her entourage racked up $67,000 in charges for trips to Portland, Austin, Atlanta and New York City in a five-month span. Carlisle was on at least one of the trips along with other trustees and township officials. In Atlanta, the group stayed at the Four Seasons and billed taxpayers more than $9,300. CONTROVERSIAL MAYOR POSTS VIDEO WITH BIDEN JUST DAYS AFTER RIPPING COLLEAGUES FOR ‘ATTACKING ON A BLACK WOMAN’ Carlisle said at the recent special meeting that the moment she didn’t trust the administration or the process, she began asking questions.   “I worked as your assistant. I saw a lot. I heard a lot. … The first time I ever really questioned supporting you is when you went on this national platform and you said you didn’t know anything about a foundation. But you forget that I was in certain rooms when certain things happened,” Carlisle said according to The Lansing Journal.  Henyard has been under scrutiny for her role with the Tiffany A. Henyard Cares Foundation.  In a September 2022 meeting, Henyard and the township board voted to give $10,000 to the foundation, which claims to help people with cancer. Records viewed by the Illinois Answers project show the foundation’s paperwork was filed with the state the same day that the township payment was approved. An Illinois Answers Project and FOX 32 investigation found that thousands of taxpayer dollars were spent on a group bicycle ride to Springfield in support of a breast cancer bill, but the bill was never formally filed, and state lawmakers weren’t in session. “You were not honest about that foundation,” Carlisle said at the meeting. “You came to my house after that, unannounced, and tried to get me to say somebody else started that foundation that didn’t.” Meanwhile, former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has been hired as a “special investigator” by the Village of Dolton to look into Henyard’s alleged misdeeds.    Lightfoot stated in a preliminary report earlier this month that in April 2022, Dolton’s general fund balance was $5.61 million, but by May 2024, the balance had dropped to a deficit of $3.65 million. Lightfoot also disclosed that Henyard used the village credit card to make purchases at Amazon, Target, Walgreens, Wayfair and other retailers.  One jaw-dropping statement revealed that the embattled mayor had dropped $33,000 on Jan. 5, 2023 on Amazon.  The accusations of financial misdeeds have prompted an ongoing FBI investigation. Henyard, who typically speaks into a golden microphone at meetings, has also come under fire for an alleged sexual assault by one of her allies during a Las Vegas trip, where the alleged victim claims to have been fired after speaking out.  Furthermore, Lewis A. Lacey, the former deputy chief of police of Dolton and an ally of Henyard, was indicted earlier this month by a federal grand jury on bankruptcy fraud charges and is accused of concealing assets and income to avoid paying creditors and settling a lawsuit. In February, it was reported that the FBI was investigating Henyard after six people had reportedly spoken to the agency about her alleged misconduct, including “business owners, a former village employee and one or more public officials.”  In April, the FBI served two federal subpoenas as part of an investigation. Henyard was not served. The first one was for employment records, personnel files and disciplinary reports for 25 Dolton employees, including three police officers and Keith Freeman, who is the village administrator and Henyard’s top aide. Freeman was charged with bankruptcy fraud. The second subpoena was served specifically on Freeman, asking for records of all companies associated with him and possible ties to the village. Fox News’ Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report. 

GOP chairman subpeonas Biden officials to appear for sworn depositions on voter mobilization EO

GOP chairman subpeonas Biden officials to appear for sworn depositions on voter mobilization EO

FIRST ON FOX: A House Republican is issuing subpoenas to five Biden administration agency officials to sit for sworn depositions after the congressman claimed their respective agencies failed to comply with previous congressional subpoenas to turn over their strategic plans to implement President Biden’s executive order (EO) on Promoting Access to Voting.  In March 2021, Biden signed Promoting Access to Voting, which states that “executive departments and agencies should partner with State, local, Tribal, and territorial election officials to protect and promote the exercise of the right to vote, eliminate discrimination and other barriers to voting, and expand access to voter registration and accurate election information.” The plan has already come under scrutiny from Senate Republicans, who have called it a federal “voter mobilization” effort with “potentially partisan impacts.” HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBPOENAS 15 BIDEN CABINET SECRETARIES TO HAND OVER DOCUMENTS ON VOTER MOBILIZATION ‘SCHEME’ Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis.,chairman of the Committee on House Administration, in June subpoenaed Biden’s 15 cabinet secretaries for their detailed plans for carrying out the order just five months out from the November election.  On Thursday, he deployed another set of subpoenas, this time to officials he claims have “direct knowledge” of how their respective agencies implemented the EO.  Subpoenas were sent to officials at the Department of Labor, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Justice and Department of Agriculture for the officials to testify under oath.  “Americans deserve transparency and trust in their elections. However, the Biden Administration has refused to comply with a lawfully issued congressional subpoena and cooperate with our investigation into their plan to use federal agencies to ‘get out the vote,’” Steil said. TOP GOP SENATORS SLAM BIDEN ADMIN FOR ‘HIDDEN’ PLANS ON FEDERAL GET-OUT-THE-VOTE EFFORTS “The Committee has concerns about the implementation of E.O. 14019, particularly regarding its compatibility with provisions of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993,” the cover letter to the subpoenas reads. “Congress delegates to federal agencies specific functions and missions, which by law they are required to follow. Congress’s delegation of authority to [the agencies] does not include using funds and resources to provide Americans with voter registration materials,” it says.  “Federal law requires that only U.S. citizens who choose to register to vote must have the opportunity to do so, and every lawful vote must count according to law. Increased voter registration and participation is a goal all Americans share,”the subpoena states. “At the same time, our system requires that our actions must always comply with the Constitution and federal law.” Steil noted in the subpoena that according to Article I, section 4 of the Constitution, States have the primary role in establishing election law and administering elections, which includes voter registration. DOJ’S ELECTION PLAN RAISES THREAT OF ‘SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT’ AGAINST RED STATES, WATCHDOG WARNS “And, to the extent the Elections Clause contains a federal ‘fail-safe,’ it is Congress to which the Constitution delegates that power—not the President. The President’s role is limited to enforcing enacted legislation passed by Congress; therefore, the President must exercise great restraint when attempting to act on election law,” Steil said.  “Furthermore, the Constitution’s voting rights amendments and federal law only protect the right of U.S. citizens to vote. To protect these rights, Congress has made it a crime for noncitizens to vote in federal elections and for anyone to assist noncitizens attempting to vote. Fox News digital reached out to DOJ, HHS, HUD, Dept. of Labor, and Dept. of Agriculture for comment.