Reagan-appointed judge torches colleagues in Texas map fight, calls ruling ‘fiction,’ ‘judicial activism’
A federal judge in Texas responded to the court’s decision to scrap the state’s redrawn map with a jaw-dropping dissent on Wednesday in which he lobbed dozens of insults at his colleague and repeatedly invoked Democratic mega-donor George Soros. “This is the most blatant exercise of judicial activism that I have ever witnessed,” Judge Jerry Smith, a Reagan-appointee on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, wrote of the 2-1 decision to toss out the map. In the turbulent 104-page tirade, he named the majority opinion’s author, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown, a Trump appointee, hundreds of times, accusing him of “pernicious judicial misbehavior.” The majority opinion would be a “prime candidate” for a “Nobel Prize for Fiction,” Smith said. “The main winners from Judge Brown’s opinion are George Soros and Gavin Newsom,” Smith said. “The obvious losers are the People of Texas and the Rule of Law.” REPUBLICANS PUSH BACK OVER ‘FALSE ACCUSATIONS OF RACISM’ IN BLOCKBUSTER REDISTRICTING FIGHT Smith, a Yale Law School graduate, wrote that “if this were a law school exam, the opinion would deserve an ‘F.’” Smith’s dissent came as part of a three-judge panel’s decision in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas to temporarily block the state from using its map in the 2026 midterms. The map had created five new Republican-leaning districts, which the majority said was a product of unconstitutional racial gerrymandering. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has already turned to the Supreme Court for relief. Just as striking as the dissent itself, which Smith conceded was “disjointed,” was that the two judges in the majority did not wait for it, issuing their decision on Tuesday and leaving Smith’s dissent to land on the docket a day later. “Any pretense of judicial restraint, good faith, or trust by these two judges is gone,” Smith wrote. “If these judges were so sure of their result, they would not have been so unfairly eager to issue the opinion sans my dissent, or they could have waited for the dissent in order to join issue with it. What indeed are they afraid of?” Brown was joined in the 2-1 opinion by U.S. District Judge David Guaderrama, an Obama appointee. Smith’s broadside focused on Brown, saying that, “true to form,” he preferred to “live in a fantasyland” and had engaged in “judicial tinkering.” The Supreme Court is now under pressure to act quickly on what has become a pivotal election issue that could shape the outcome of next year’s midterms. Texas requires candidates to declare their candidacy by Dec. 8. The high court is already considering a similar Voting Rights Act case that originated in Louisiana. The justices heard oral arguments in the case last month and are expected to address the race provision of the law, which is relevant in the Texas case, on a normal timeline during this term. Brown’s majority opinion in Texas had opened with a quote from Chief Justice John Roberts, who said in an unrelated case, “The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.” FEDERAL JUDGES BLOCK TEXAS FROM USING REDRAWN CONGRESSIONAL MAP “Substantial evidence shows that Texas racially gerrymandered the 2025 Map,” Brown wrote. Brown said Department of Justice Civil Rights Division head Harmeet Dhillon’s warning to Texas this year to address four districts with non-White majorities because they were “coalition” districts was a race-based directive as evidenced by Dhillon ignoring all other Democrat-leaning districts that had White majorities. Abbott had responded to Dhillon by adding redistricting to the legislative agenda in a rush, leading to a stunning protest involving Democratic state lawmakers fleeing the state earlier this year. “The Governor explicitly directed the Legislature to redistrict based on race,” Brown found.
Graham demands Democrats explain ‘refuse illegal orders’ message to troops
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is demanding specifics from a group of congressional Democrats who urged military service members to “refuse illegal orders.” Graham sent letters to a cohort of congressional Democrats, all with backgrounds in the military or intelligence community, featured in a now-viral video where they urge service members to refuse illegal orders. The six lawmakers featured in the video were Sens. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., and Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., along with Reps. Maggie Goodlander, D-N.H.; Jason Crow, D-Colo.; Chris Deluzio, D-Pa.; and Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa. SIX DEMOCRATS URGE MILITARY MEMBERS TO ‘REFUSE ILLEGAL ORDERS’ IN VIRAL VIDEO; HEGSETH RESPONDS They reiterated the lines, “You can refuse illegal orders,” or “You must refuse illegal orders,” as they went on to charge that service members do not have to carry out orders from higher-ups that they believe violate the Constitution. Notably, none of the lawmakers dove into which orders they believed were illegal in the video. Graham, who served three decades in the Air Force and worked as an Air Force Judge Advocate General (JAG), wrote in six letters to each of the lawmakers that he took “the issue of unlawful orders very seriously.” “I cannot find a single example of an illegal order during this administration, but as a Member of Congress, I believe you owe it to the country to be specific as to which orders you believe are unlawful,” Graham said. SEN BLACKBURN FIRES BACK AT DEMOCRATS OVER ‘DISTURBING’ VIDEO URGING TROOPS TO DEFY ‘ILLEGAL’ ORDERS “However, to say that I am disturbed by your video encouraging service members and Intelligence Community professionals to refuse ‘unlawful orders’ is an understatement,” he continued. “In that regard, could you please provide clarity on what orders, issued by President Trump or those in his chain of command, you consider illegal?” The video, and Graham’s letters, come on the heels of rising questions among lawmakers about the legality of President Donald Trump’s authorization of strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean, and in the wake of the administration’s deployment of the National Guard to blue cities across the country. DEPUTY AG BLASTS DEMOCRATS’ ‘ABHORRENT’ VIDEO URGING TROOPS TO ‘REFUSE ILLEGAL ORDERS’ Members of the military have an obligation to follow lawful orders from their superiors, but they can ignore orders deemed illegal, according to the Uniform Code of Military Justice — the standardized military justice system enacted in 1951. When asked to get into specifics, Slotkin’s office pointed Fox News Digital to an interview the senator had with TMZ, where she explained that the video was made in response to service members “reaching out to us saying, ‘I don’t know what to do if the commander in chief orders me to do something that is illegal.’” Slotkin, who was a CIA officer, said service members aren’t “trained in police techniques. They’re not trained in arresting, detaining American citizens, crowd control, raids on homes, and they were worried that they could be asked to do those things, that protests could get bad in a place like Chicago, and they could be asked to do these things.” Fox News Digital reached out for comment from Kelly, Crow, Houlahan, Goodlander and Deluzio but did not immediately hear back.
NYC Mayor-elect Mamdani says he’ll work with Trump ‘to make life more affordable’ despite policy clashes
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani said he has “many disagreements” with President Donald Trump but is willing to set those differences aside for the sake of his city. “I intend to make it clear to President Trump that I will work with him on any agenda that benefits New Yorkers. If an agenda hurts New Yorkers, I will also be the first to say something,” Mamdani said Thursday at a press conference. “I know that for tens of thousands of New Yorkers, this meeting is between two very different candidates who they voted for, for the same reason,” he added. “They wanted a leader who would take on the cost of living crisis that makes it impossible for working people to afford living in this city.” The mayor-elect is scheduled to meet with Trump at the White House on Friday. MAMDANI VOWS TO DEFY TRUMP IN FIERY FINAL MARCH FROM BROOKLYN BRIDGE TO CITY HALL AHEAD OF ELECTION DAY Trump has repeatedly called out Mamdani for his political views, including labeling him a “Communist Lunatic” after his victory on Election Day. In the weeks leading up to the mayoral election, the president threatened to pull federal funding to New York City if Mamdani won. Afterward, Trump said of the city that he would “help them a little bit.” FLASHBACK: WILDEST MOMENTS MAMDANI OVERCAME ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL TO BECOME NYC’S NEXT MAYOR Mamdani, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist, said at Thursday’s press conference at City Hall Park in Lower Manhattan that a key part of the meeting was to talk about the issue of affordability. “When we speak about an affordability crisis, we’re speaking about 1 in 4 New Yorkers living in poverty, 1 in 5 struggling to afford $2.90 to ride the bus. New Yorkers, for whom the daily acts of life are becoming increasingly harder to afford,” Mamdani told reporters.
Shapiro responds to illegal immigrant trucker fiasco – says driver was in fed database first
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro responded to backlash over the arrest of an Uzbek illegal immigrant with suspected terror ties who was captured by federal authorities while holding a Pennsylvania commercial driver’s license. Akhror Bozorov was nabbed by ICE while driving a big rig in Kansas and holding a Pennsylvania CDL with a Somerton, Philadelphia address. He was wanted in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on suspicion of ties to terrorist groups among other allegations, according to DHS. Shapiro said Bozorov still remained in the federal database PennDOT uses to vet noncitizens for licensure validity as of Wednesday – and administration officials penned a scathing letter to lawmakers about the incident, disputing that it was ever possible he was registered to vote, as some critics have questioned. In a letter to House and Senate leaders obtained by Fox News Digital, PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll, a Democrat, and Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt, a Republican, pushed back on “misstatements and ill-informed speculation” from critical officials, including allegations illegal immigrants are permitted under the Shapiro administration to obtain state driver’s licenses. ICE ARRESTS ILLEGAL-IMMIGRANT TRUCKER FROM UZBEKISTAN OVER ALLEGED TERROR TIES “All non-citizens who apply for driver’s licenses… must provide PennDOT with proof of identity and must have their legal presence in this country verified through the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database,” Carroll and Schmidt wrote. “The SAVE database is maintained by the United States Department of Homeland Security. In the instance the letter references, PennDOT followed the established federal process for confirming that the applicant was lawfully present using the SAVE database,” they said. Carroll said PennDOT communicated with DHS on the matter Tuesday and found the database did not flag any issues in the time since Bozorov’s license was issued in July. LAWMAKERS WARNED PENNDOT OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT-CDL CRISIS BEFORE BUST; GOP DEMANDS ANSWERS FROM SHAPIRO Schmidt’s office handles voter registration and state elections, and the letter went on to say that noncitizens who are lawfully issued licenses are marked with “special indicators” that prevent them from utilizing any “motor voter” registration processes. “We checked the federal database months ago, when this individual received his CDL, and he was authorized to get it by the federal database,” Shapiro said Wednesday. “Ironically, we went and checked the database yesterday — he’s still qualified to get a CDL.” Shapiro said DHS was “clearly not minding the shop” and “got to get better — because every single state in the country relies on this database when making a determination as to who qualifies for a CDL. We relied on the feds before issuing this one.” DHS pushed back on Shapiro’s claims, saying that federal work authorization “does not confer any legal status in this country” and that data limitations stem from prior administrations. “Just because the Biden administration granted Bozorov — a wanted terrorist — work authorization and sanctuary politician Gov. Shapiro allowed him to get a CDL in Pennsylvania, does not mean he should be on America’s roads operating an 18-wheeler and potentially transporting hazardous materials,” a DHS spokesperson said Thursday.
Trump labels 6 Democrats who told troops to refuse unlawful orders ‘traitors’ who should be arrested
President Donald Trump slammed the six Democrats who appeared in a video telling troops to defy “illegal” orders. “It’s called SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. Each one of these traitors to our country should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday. “Their words cannot be allowed to stand — We won’t have a Country anymore!!! An example MUST BE SET.” In a second post, Trump wrote, “This is really bad, and dangerous to our country. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???” Trump added later Thursday that the actions were “punishable by death.” SIX DEMOCRATS URGE MILITARY MEMBERS TO ‘REFUSE ILLEGAL ORDERS’ IN VIRAL VIDEO; HEGSETH RESPONDS The video, which was posted on Tuesday by Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., has drawn the ire of Republicans and the Trump administration. The Democrats in the video include Slotkin, Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Reps. Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., Maggie Goodlander, D-N.H., Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., and Jason Crow, D-Colo. All the lawmakers in the video highlighted their former service in the military and intelligence community. Slotkin and her colleagues have spent recent weeks introducing legislation to limit Trump’s ability to deploy National Guard members domestically or launch military action against suspected narcoterrorists without congressional approval. None of that context appears in the video, titled “Don’t Give Up the Ship,” which instead frames the appeal as a warning to military members to “stand up for our laws” and “refuse unlawful orders.” SEN BLACKBURN FIRES BACK AT DEMOCRATS OVER ‘DISTURBING’ VIDEO URGING TROOPS TO DEFY ‘ILLEGAL’ ORDERS War Secretary Pete Hegseth responded to the video on X, writing, “Stage 4 TDS.” Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., echoed the sentiment during an appearance on “The Faulkner Focus.” “They have stage four Trump Derangement Syndrome,” Blackburn told Fox News’ Harris Faulkner. “It is inconceivable that you would have elected officials that are saying to uniform members of the military who have taken an oath to protect and defend, that they would defy the orders that they have been given to execute their mission,” she added. Slotkin’s “No Troops in Our Streets Act,” detailed in a Nov. 13 release, would give Congress the power to block National Guard deployments inside American cities. Trump has expanded National Guard operations to Los Angeles, Portland and Chicago amid violent crime. There are also reports that troops will be deployed to Louisiana. Fox News Digital’s Madison Colombo contributed to this report.
Trump not invited to Dick Cheney funeral
President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance were not invited to the funeral for former Vice President Dick Cheney, Fox News has confirmed. Cheney’s funeral is scheduled for mid-morning on Thursday at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. It is traditional for sitting U.S. presidents to attend funerals for past presidents and vice presidents, but Trump has had a uniquely poor relationship with Cheney’s family in recent years. News of the president’s exclusion was first reported by Axios. Cheney’s daughter, former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., helped lead the House investigation into Trump’s role in the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Both Liz and her father endorsed former Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential campaign. CHIP CARTER MARVELS AT BIPARTISANSHIP HE WITNESSED AT HABITAT FOR HUMANITY, FATHER’S FUNERAL The elder Cheney, who went from the plains of Casper, Wyoming, to a decades-long public career as a Republican congressman, Defense secretary, White House chief of staff and one of the most powerful American vice presidents ever, died at age 84 earlier this month. “Richard B. Cheney, the 46th Vice President of the United States, died last night, November 3, 2025. He was 84 years old. His beloved wife of 61 years, Lynne, his daughters, Liz and Mary, and other family members were with him as he passed,” his family said in a statement obtained by Fox News. “The former Vice President died due to complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease.” “For decades, Dick Cheney served our nation, including as White House Chief of Staff, Wyoming’s Congressman, Secretary of Defense, and Vice President of the United States,” the statement continued. VANCE SAYS HE OWES ‘SO MUCH’ TO CHARLIE KIRK WHILE GUEST-HOSTING SHOW, PRAISES ‘VISIONARY’ CONSERVATIVE LEADER “Dick Cheney was a great and good man who taught his children and grandchildren to love our country, and to live lives of courage, honor, love, kindness, and fly fishing,” his family said. “We are grateful beyond measure for all Dick Cheney did for our country. And we are blessed beyond measure to have loved and been loved by this noble giant of a man.” Cheney had a long history of cardiac problems, including five heart attacks. He received a heart transplant on March 24, 2012, at a Virginia hospital after nearly 21 months on a waiting list. Cheney, who served as vice president for two terms under President George W. Bush, was one of the most powerful and controversial men ever to hold that position. He was a driving force behind America’s “war on terror,” including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Fox News’ Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
Trump administration eyes sweeping federal power over AI, draft order shows
The Trump administration is preparing a sweeping executive order that would direct the Justice Department to sue states that enact their own laws regulating artificial intelligence, according to a draft reviewed by Fox News Digital. The six-page document, titled, “Eliminating State Law Obstruction of National AI Policy,” is marked “Deliberative / Predecisional / Draft,” a label the government uses for internal working documents that have not been approved or made official. Such markings indicate the text is part of policy discussions still underway and is exempt from public release under the Freedom of Information Act until a final decision is made. The draft order reviewed by Fox News Digital details a broad, multiagency plan to centralize AI regulation under federal authority and anchor Washington’s control over the fast-moving technology sector. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE DRIVES DEMAND FOR ELECTRIC GRID UPDATE The Washington Post first reported the administration’s intent to direct the DOJ to sue states over AI laws. A White House official, speaking on background, said any discussion of potential executive orders is speculative until one is officially announced. During his second term, President Donald Trump has placed energy and AI dominance at the core of his economic and national security agenda. If enacted, it would mark one of the strongest federal efforts yet to override state authority on technology regulation, potentially testing the limits of presidential power. The order directs the Justice Department to create an AI Litigation Task Force within 30 days to challenge states that pass their own AI rules. It also directs the Commerce Department to review state AI laws within 90 days and allows the agency to withhold federal broadband and infrastructure funds from states that don’t comply. TRUMP, MCCORMICK TO UNVEIL $90B ENERGY AND INNOVATION INVESTMENT IN PENNSYLVANIA It calls on the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission to set nationwide rules for AI transparency, blocking states from enforcing their own, potentially stricter, versions. The draft goes beyond what has been publicly reported, explicitly naming California and Colorado as examples of states whose “fear-based” AI regulations obstruct “America’s domination of this new frontier.” It asserts that such state measures undermine U.S. dominance in AI. The Special Advisor for AI and Crypto is directed to develop legislative proposals to make the federal framework permanent. The executive order follows a failed effort in Congress earlier this year to block all state AI regulation through a broader tax and immigration bill. That proposal collapsed after pushback from Senate Republicans who said oversight was needed to protect consumers and workers. Concerns about AI’s impact on jobs, children and the energy grid have become central political issues across party lines. Meanwhile, Republicans have championed state sovereignty, making the proposal’s endorsement of federal authority a noteworthy departure. The Trump administration has recently taken similar legal action against several states, including California, New York and Vermont, over climate and policing laws that the White House argues violate federal prerogatives.
House Republican to move to expel Dem accused of stealing disaster relief money for campaign
Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., said Thursday he will be moving to expel a colleague from the other side of the aisle, Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., following an indictment alleging that she used federal disaster funds for her 2021 campaign. While the congressman initially moved to file a motion to censure his colleague, he changed his mind on Thursday and instead called for her expulsion. “I have decided to skip censure and move straight to expulsion,” Steube wrote on X. “Defrauding the federal government and disaster victims of $5 million is an automatic disqualifier from serving in elected office.” “Cherfilus-McCormick needs to be swiftly removed from the House before she can inflict any more harm on Congress, her district, and the State of Florida,” he added. SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS AFTER FAR-LEFT FIREBRAND BOTCHES EPSTEIN CLAIMS: ‘INSANE ACCUSATION’ Steube said he would file the resolution on Thursday, saying that if Cherfilus-McCormick refused to resign and “save Congress the embarrassment of having to expel her,” he would bring it to the floor for a vote. On Wednesday night, Steube initially said he would file “a privileged motion to censure” Cherfilus-McCormick on Thursday morning and to remove her from all committees in the wake of “one of the most egregious abuses of public trust I have ever seen.” “Stealing $5 million in taxpayer disaster funds from FEMA of all places is beyond indefensible,” he wrote Wednesday. “Millions of Floridians have relied on FEMA after devastating hurricanes, and that money was supposed to help real disaster victims.” “And once House Ethics concludes their investigation or she is formally convicted, rest assured I will move to expel her from Congress,” he added. Cherfilus-McCormick responded to that Wednesday message in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “This is an unjust, baseless, sham indictment — and I am innocent. The timing alone is curious and clearly meant to distract from far more pressing national issues. From day one, I have cooperated with every lawful request, and I will continue to do,” Cherfilus-McCormick said. “I am deeply grateful for the support of my district, and I remain confident that the truth will prevail. I look forward to my day in court. Until then, I will continue fighting for my constituents.” The Justice Department said in a statement that in 2021, Cherfilus-McCormick and her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, operated a family healthcare company on a FEMA-funded COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract and received an overpayment of $5 million. “The indictment alleges that the defendants conspired to steal that $5 million and routed it through multiple accounts to disguise its source. Prosecutors allege that a substantial portion of the misappropriated funds was used as candidate contributions to Cherfilus-McCormick’s 2021 congressional campaign and for the personal benefit of the defendants,” the DOJ said in its statement. NANCY MACE TO FORCE CENSURE VOTE AGAINST FELLOW HOUSE REPUBLICAN According to the DOJ, Cherfilus-McCormick and Nadege Leblanc allegedly arranged additional funds using straw donors and funneled “other monies from the FEMA-funded COVID-19 contract to friends and relatives who then donated to the campaign as if using their own money.” The Florida congresswoman is also accused of working with her 2021 tax preparer, David K. Spencer, to conspire to file a false federal tax return, according to the DOJ. The two allegedly “falsely claimed political spending and other personal expenses as business deductions and inflated charitable contributions in order to reduce her tax obligations.” Attorney General Pam Bondi called Cherfilus-McCormick’s alleged crime “particularly selfish” and “cynical.” Additionally, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Jason A. Reding Quiñones said that the “indictment shows no one is above the law.” “This individual and her family allegedly stole money from FEMA and then laundered it through friends toward her own personal benefits — including her campaign accounts. Today the FBI and partners at [DOJ] took action. No one is above the law,” FBI Director Kash Patel wrote in a post on X. If convicted, Cherfilus-McCormick faces up to 53 years behind bars, according to the DOJ. If convicted, her brother faces up to 35 years, Leblanc faces up to 10 years and Spencer faces up to 33 years, prosecutors said. Fox News’ Bill Melugin and David Spunt contributed to this report.
Kamala Harris accuses Trump of ‘gaslighting’ America on Epstein: ‘Release the files!’
Former Vice President Kamala Harris called on President Donald Trump to unilaterally release the Epstein files on Wednesday. Harris shouted at Trump to take action during a podcast appearance with The Bulwark. She argued that Trump’s claim that he cannot release the files without congressional approval is an example of him trying to “gaslight the American people.” “All of a sudden he’s saying he’ll wait to see what Congress does. Since when?” Harris asked. “All of a sudden now he’s waiting for Congress to green light what he will do or wants to do? Come on.” “So, release the files!” Harris shouted. “Release the files. He is the president of the United States, the head of the executive branch. He has taken unilateral action without concern about the three co-equal branches of government on almost everything he has done, so release the files.” KHANNA, MASSIE, GREENE URGE SENATE TO PASS EPSTEIN BILL UNCHANGED, WARN OF ‘RECKONING’ Harris’ statement came just hours before Trump signed legislation green lighting the Justice Department to release the files. “I HAVE JUST SIGNED THE BILL TO RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES!” Trump wrote in a lengthy message on the Truth Social platform. “As everyone knows, I asked Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, to pass this Bill in the House and Senate, respectively. Because of this request, the votes were almost unanimous in favor of passage. “At my direction, the Department of Justice has already turned over close to fifty thousand pages of documents to Congress. Do not forget — The Biden Administration did not turn over a SINGLE file or page related to Democrat Epstein, nor did they ever even speak about him.” EPSTEIN FILES TO GO PUBLIC AS TRUMP SAYS HE SIGNED LAW AUTHORIZING RELEASE OF RECORDS The House voted Tuesday to release the files by a 421–1 margin, following pressure for months from the measure’s ringleaders, Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and other Democrats. The Epstein Files Transparency Act specifically directs the Justice Department to release all unclassified records and investigative materials related to Epstein and Ghislane Maxwell, as well as files related to individuals who were referenced in Epstein’s previous legal cases, details surrounding trafficking allegations, internal DOJ communications as they relate to Epstein and any details surrounding the investigation into his death. Files that include victims’ names, child sex abuse materials, classified materials or other materials that could threaten an active investigation may be withheld or redacted by the DOJ. Attorney General Pam Bondi told reporters Wednesday that she would comply with the law after it was signed, which directs the Justice Department to release the files online in a searchable format within 30 days. Fox News’ Diana Stancy and Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Former aide to House rep accused of faking political attack
A former aide to Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., was charged with faking a political attack that prosecutors say included lacerations and writing on her body. Natalie Greene, 26, of Ocean City, made an initial court appearance Wednesday on one count of conspiracy to convey false statements and hoaxes and one count of making false statements to federal law enforcement following the alleged incident in Egg Harbor Township over the summer. “Late at night on July 23, 2025, Greene’s co-conspirator called 911 and reported that she and Greene had been attacked by three men when they were out walking on a trail at a nature preserve in Egg Harbor Township,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey said in a statement. “According to the co-conspirator, during the attack, the men had called Greene by name and had specifically referenced her employment with Federal Official 1, an official whose identity is known to the Government.” “When law enforcement officers located Greene, she was lying in a wooded area just off the trail, with her hands and feet bound together with black zip ties. Greene’s shirt was pulled over her head and was also tied with a black zip tie,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office added. “Greene had numerous lacerations on her face, neck, upper chest, and shoulder. The words ‘TRUMP W—-’ were written on her stomach and the words ‘[Federal Official 1] IS RACIST’ were written on her back. Greene was crying and yelling that one of her alleged attackers had a gun.” ‘GEN Z’ DEM CANDIDATE CHARGED WITH INTERFERING WITH ICE POSTED VIDEO OF HERSELF IN MOB BLOCKING UNMARKED SUV Federal prosecutors said Greene told the responding officers that one or more of the alleged attackers said they had a gun and threatened to shoot her, while they also “had held her down and restrained her movement, cutting her and writing on her body.” After receiving medical treatment for the wounds, Greene again described her alleged attack to law enforcement officers and an FBI agent, but the “investigation revealed that Greene had not, in fact, been attacked by three men at gunpoint on July 23,” according to the Attorney’s Office. “Instead, Greene had paid a body modification/scarification artist to deliberately cut the lacerations on her face, neck, upper chest, and shoulder, based on a pattern that she had provided beforehand. Law enforcement officers recovered black zip ties in Greene’s car on the night of the alleged attack, similar to the zip ties that had been used to bind Greene’s arms and feet,” it said. “Also, the investigation revealed that, two days prior to the alleged attack, the cellphone of Greene’s co-conspirator had been used to search ‘zip ties near me.’” JUDGE REJECTS REP. LAMONICA MCIVER’S BID TO TOSS ASSAULT CASE, SAYS HER ACTIONS HAD ‘NO LEGISLATIVE PURPOSE’ A Van Drew spokesperson told Fox News Digital, “We are deeply saddened by today’s news, and while Natalie is no longer associated with the Congressman’s government office, our thoughts and prayers are with her.” “We hope she’s getting the care she needs,” the spokesperson added. The Attorney’s Office said the count of conspiracy has a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and a term of three years of supervised release, while the count of false statements also has the same penalties. “Greene was released on a $200,000 unsecured bond and additional conditions, as set by the Court,” the office said following her court appearance Wednesday. Greene joined Van Drew’s team in a part-time role in 2022 and later was his constituent advocate, according to the New York Post.