Top Republicans accuse FTC chair of Hatch Act violations over ‘campaign-style events’ with Dems
Top Judiciary Republicans are accusing a controversial Biden-Harris administration official of violating the Hatch Act by touring the country with Democratic politicians ahead of the pivotal November elections. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, claimed Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan could be guilty of engaging in partisan political activity in her official capacity, which is prohibited under the Hatch Act. “According to recent reports, you appeared at a series of events in Texas, Illinois, Wisconsin and Arizona with several candidates for elected office. Media accounts described your tour as a ‘campaign gauntlet’ with the timing of your events ‘so near the election… hard to ignore,’” the lawmakers wrote in a letter sent on Monday to the chair. “These campaign-style events create the appearance that you are using your official position to advocate for the election of certain Democrat candidates.” PENNSYLVANIA SENATE RACE LABELED ‘TOSS UP’ IN LAST-MINUTE SHIFT BY TOP HANDICAPPER The Biden-Harris FTC chair has become a fan favorite among the more progressive contingent of the Democratic Party. However, she has also become a point of contention among the coalition trying to elect Vice President Kamala Harris. While some politicians are staunch supporters of Khan and her actions against Big Tech and other industries to prevent supposedly anticompetitive behavior, a number of Harris’ wealthy donors have pushed for her removal, putting the vice president in the middle. Khan has been hyper-vigilant of business moves, not hesitating to take on players in the tech, health care and grocery industries. In fact, Jordan has characterized her wielding of the FTC against businesses as harassment regarding her actions against X, owned by billionaire Elon Musk. SCHUMER-TIED GROUP DROPS MILLIONS AGAINST TED CRUZ AS DEMS EYE PICKUP OPPORTUNITY IN TEXAS Earlier this month, she joined Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, as well as Texas labor leaders and workers, for a discussion on worker freedom. During the same week, she was a guest in Illinois at a “fireside chat” with Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., where they discussed grocery prices and health care, among other topics. Khan also made an apparent surprise visit to the swing state of Wisconsin, where she spoke to residents about the potential sale of a county-owned nursing home. GOP CHALLENGER TIES SEN BALDWIN’S REMARK ABOUT TRUMP VOTERS TO CLINTON’S INFAMOUS ‘DEPLORABLES’ MOMENT “We’ve been watching with some alarm as more and more mergers and consolidation mean that fewer and fewer players are coming to control important parts of the health care system,” she told Wisconsinites during the visit. However, this wasn’t the only swing state the chair stopped in. She also joined Rep. Ruben Gallego in Pheonix, Arizona, to discuss rising rent prices. Gallego is notably in one of the most competitive Senate races in the country. While all the events were billed as official business and not campaign functions, the timing, locations, topics and people involved caught the attention of both Jordan and Lee. With less than two months until the general election, the official events with Khan deserved scrutiny, according to the lawmakers. SENATE SHAKE-UP: HOW A SECRET BALLOT COULD UNDERMINE A POTENTIAL TRUMP ENDORSEMENT IN RACE TO THE TOP The Republicans said, “This concern is particularly significant given your history of ignoring agency ethics advice concerning the appearance of partiality along with your subsequent dishonest testimony on the subject, and the numerous complaints from FTC staff that your mismanagement has made you the bottleneck that has prevented the FTC from successfully protecting consumers and bringing successful cases.” Jordan and Lee further requested Khan to provide all communications regarding the scheduling of the various events, as well as the funding for travel and accommodations. They also asked that she produce documents and communications regarding any guidance she was given by the FTC’s Designates Agency Ethics Official on doing public events with candidates. The FTC declined to comment when reached by Fox News Digital. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Trump lambastes Liz Cheney as ‘Crazed Warhawk’ as she campaigns for Kamala Harris
Former President Donald Trump is assailing former Rep. Liz Cheney on social media as she campaigns alongside Vice President Kamala Harris. “Arab Voters are very upset that Comrade Kamala Harris, the Worst Vice President in the History of the United States and a Low IQ individual, is campaigning with ‘dumb as a rock’ War Hawk, Liz Cheney, who, like her father, the man that pushed Bush to ridiculously go to War in the Middle East, also wants to go to War with every Muslim Country known to mankind,” Trump declared in a Truth Social post on Monday. Cheney’s father, Dick Cheney, served as vice president alongside President George W. Bush from early 2001 through early 2009. Trump also called her “Crazed Warhawk Liz Cheney” in a post on Tuesday, while he called her “a low IQ War Hawk” in a post earlier this month. LIZ CHENEY PREDICTS ‘MILLIONS OF REPUBLICANS’ WILL VOTE FOR HARRIS: ‘VOTE YOUR CONSCIENCE’ Trump and Liz Cheney have a substantial history of vociferously opposing each other. Cheney was one of the 10 House Republicans who voted in favor of impeaching Trump in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Later that year, she was ousted from her role as House Republican conference chair. HARRIS AND TOP ANTI-TRUMP REPUBLICAN CHENEY TEAM UP IN BATTLEGROUND BLITZ Cheney was one of the two House Republicans to serve on the House Select Committee formed to investigate the Jan. 6 episode. Trump-backed candidate Harriet Hageman ousted Cheney in the 2022 Republican primary for Wyoming’s at-large U.S. House seat. Cheney, who identifies as “a Reagan conservative,” has suggested that Harris will defend the U.S. Constitution TRUMP CALLS LIZ CHENEY A ‘LOW IQ WAR HAWK’ AFTER APPEARANCE IN SUPPORT OF HARRIS Cheney is also supporting some other Democrats during the 2024 election cycle, including Rep. Colin Allred of Texas, who is challenging incumbent GOP Sen. Ted Cruz in the Lone Star State’s U.S. Senate contest.
Trump meets with Latino leaders after new poll shows him 11 points ahead of Harris in key voting bloc
Former President Trump held a roundtable with Latino leaders in Miami Tuesday – hours after a new poll showed him leading Vice President Kamala Harris in the key voting bloc by 11 points. The former president held the event at Trump National Doral Miami, where he was joined by Latino leaders like Florida GOP Reps. Maria Salazar and Carlos Gimenez, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, Florida Sen. Rick Scott and Hialeah Mayor Esteban Bovo. TRUMP, HARRIS NECK AND NECK AS DEMS LOSE GROUND AMONG LATINO, BLACK VOTERS: POLL During the event, Trump criticized Harris, who is in Washington, D.C., Tuesday and does not have any campaign events. “She’s sleeping right now, she couldn’t go on the trail,” Trump said. “You know, you’d think when you had 14 days left, you wouldn’t be sleeping. She’s not doing anything today, I should take one of those – we’ve gone 52 days in a row.” Trump added: “And I’m going 14 more days, and we’re going to have a big victory party, hopefully.” Trump blasted Harris for taking the day off from campaigning, calling her “lazy” and “a radical left lunatic.” “The Latino community knows that President Donald J. Trump is the only candidate who can bring prosperity back to America,” the Trump campaign said ahead of Tuesday’s event. “That’s why they’ll turn out in record numbers on November 5th to vote for him to be the 47th President of the United States.” TRUMP RIPS HARRIS ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION DURING LATINO VOTER TOWN HALL: HISPANIC VOTERS ‘MOST AGAINST IT’ The event comes after a new USA Today/Suffolk University poll showed Trump leading Harris by 11 percentage points with Latino voters. The poll places Harris at 45% and Trump at 44% nationally, but specifically with Latino voters, Harris has fallen back in support. The new poll showed Latino voters backing Trump with 49% to Harris’ 38%. The poll showed that Black voters prefer Harris by 72% to 17%, but that 55-point edge is significantly less than the advantage Democrats traditionally enjoy. President Biden benefited from staggering support from Black and Latino voters four years ago. A Pew Research Center analysis found 92% of Black voters and 59% of Latino voters supported Biden in the 2020 race. But Trump has made massive inroads among Latino and Black voters in the 2024 race by courting men, as he campaigns on the economy and crime. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Meanwhile, Harris, on Tuesday after the poll came out, posted her plan to “deliver real changes for Latino men and their families,” including helping them to get jobs; helping them to grow small businesses with no interest loans or deferred loan repayments and fully forgivable loans of up to $20,000; providing $25,000 in down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers; expanding the child tax credit; and covering the cost of long-term home care through Medicare.
Harris senior spokesman silent on whether he still thinks Liz Cheney is ‘crazy,’ a ‘warlord’
Vice President Kamala Harris’ senior campaign spokesperson, Ian Sams, remained silent when pressed on whether he still believes in his previous sharp critiques of Harris campaign surrogate, Liz Cheney, who Sams described in 2013 as a “warlord” and blamed in 2019 for “lead[ing] us into Iraq.” “Liz Cheney helped lead us into Iraq from a special State Department Middle East post her dad’s administration created for her,” Sams criticized Cheney on Twitter, now X, in 2019. “Liz Cheney brings the crazy today,” he said in a separate 2013 social media post, which linked to a Wall Street Journal op-ed that Cheney wrote at the time. Meanwhile, that same year, Sams shared an article from Salon.com, which referred to Cheney as an “aspiring warlord.” CNN ANCHOR CALLS OUT HARRIS CAMPAIGN AFTER SPOKESMAN KNOCKS TRUMP’S ‘MENTAL ACUITY’ FOR TURNING DOWN INTERVIEW Fox News Digital uncovered several social media posts by Sams critiquing Cheney, who, in more recent days, has praised the former GOP Wyoming congresswoman following her endorsement of his boss. Just over the weekend, Sams touted the fact that Cheney would be stumping for Harris in the battleground state of Wisconsin. A few days before that, he was defending Cheney from attacks by former President Donald Trump. “Congresswoman Cheney is a patriot,” Sams told MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell last month. “I think, in the last five years, we’ve seen over-and-over again, her put country over party. Or as John McCain would say, ‘To put country first.’” Sams added during the interview that he thinks Harris “really respects … true conservatives,” like Cheney. CAMPAIGN ADVISER DENIES HARRIS IS LOSING SUPPORT WITH MEN, BLAMES TRUMP FOR BORDER Besides praising the congresswoman and her endorsement of Harris, Sams has also highlighted the fact that Harris was endorsed by a large cohort of former President George W. Bush officials, including those who worked on national security. It was Bush’s administration that invaded Iraq in 2003. Fox News Digital reached out to Cheney for comment but did not receive a response by publication time. “A broken clock is right twice a day, and a Kamala Harris spokesman is right once in his life,” the Trump campaign said in a statement Monday, highlighting Sams’ 2019 post about Cheney “lead[ing] us into Iraq from a special State Department Middle East post” that he claimed Cheney’s father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, created for her. However, despite Sams’ claim that Cheney’s father “created” a state department position exclusively for her, the position existed before she was ever hired. “Ian Sams wrote the truth about Kamala Harris’ surrogate (and likely future Defense Secretary),” the Trump campaign statement concluded.
Russia behind Walz deepfake video, US intelligence community officials say
A deepfake video disparaging vice presidential candidate Tim Walz was created by “Russian influence actors” who are trying to undermine Kamala Harris’ campaign, U.S. intelligence community officials told Fox News. The video circulating on social media purports to show former Mankato West High School student Matthew Metro claiming that he was groped and kissed by Walz in 1997 when the Minnesota governor was a teacher there. Except the allegations are completely fabricated. “Based on newly available intelligence analysis conducted over the weekend, Russian influence actors manufactured and amplified the content,” the officials told Fox News, adding that the video fit a pattern used by Russian actors in which the subject was “staged direct to camera and trying to make them go viral.” These intelligence community officials also pointed out that they believe Russia is likely to be more aggressive in its efforts to sow division in the U.S. post-election if Harris wins, because Russia prefers that former President Trump win the 2024 race. TIM WALZ PRESSED ON ‘THE VIEW’ ABOUT PAST MISSTATEMENTS: ‘I SPEAK HONESTLY’ The real Matthew Metro – who is now living in Hawaii – told The Washington Post that he has never met Walz. “It’s obviously not me: The teeth are different, the hair is different, the eyes are different, the nose is different,” he said. “I don’t know where they’re getting this from.” TIM WALZ HITS BACK AT CRITICS OF HIS GUN-LOADING TECHNIQUE: ‘I CAN SHOOT BETTER THAN ALL OF THEM’ Metro called the deepfake “an invasion of my privacy and my personal life.” It so far has been viewed more than 5 million times, The Washington Post reported, citing engagement data from the social media platform X. Metro told the newspaper that he suspects his dormant accounts on Facebook and other social media platforms might have been raided for images and information about his background to create the deepfake. Both the Harris and Trump campaigns did not immediately respond Tuesday to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.
GOP challenges to overseas balloting rules stymied in two key battleground states
Republicans in two key battleground states were hit by twin legal setbacks Monday, after judges in Michigan and North Carolina rejected their efforts to crack down on overseas voting from U.S. residents living abroad, criticizing both the short timeline and the proposed remedy sought by the plaintiffs. A claims court judge in Michigan described the effort as an “attempt to disenfranchise” voters living overseas, while a Superior Court judge in North Carolina said the plaintiffs “presented no substantial evidence” to back their claims that the current laws do not go far enough to protect against election fraud. The two separate court rulings come just weeks after Republicans in Pennsylvania, Michigan and North Carolina filed lawsuits aimed at restricting both the registration and vetting process for overseas voters. Republican plaintiffs argued that current law makes it possible for these residents to register and vote in elections without proper identification. That contention has been fiercely rejected by Democrats, who argued the level of vetting sought by Republicans would disenfranchise “tens of thousands” of voters abroad, including U.S service members and their families. FLURRY OF PRE-ELECTION LEGAL CASES IS NOW ‘STANDARDIZED’ STRATEGY, EXPERTS SAY Judges in U.S. battleground states appear to back this line of thinking, following two separate decisions filed Monday. In Michigan, the Court of Claims Judge Sima Patel rejected plaintiffs’ effort to invalidate a rule that allows spouses and dependents of U.S. service members stationed overseas to vote at that person’s former home address, even if they never lived in the state themselves. Patel criticized the timing of the GOP-led lawsuit, which was filed just 28 days before the election, and said it would result in “extreme prejudice” for would-be voters and election administrators. “Consistent with federal law, the Michigan Legislature made a policy choice to allow a small pool of individuals who accompany family members abroad to qualify as Michigan residents for the purpose of voting in Michigan because they are connected to Michigan through their spouse, parent, or someone serving a parental role,” Patel said, adding that “It is hard to imagine a more prejudicial situation arising from plaintiffs’ delay.” Patel further noted that the law for overseas voters has been in place for 12 years and had gone unchallenged until now. FLURRY OF PRE-ELECTION LEGAL CASES IS NOW ‘STANDARDIZED’ STRATEGY, EXPERTS SAY And in North Carolina, Wake County Superior Court Judge John Smith dismissed the GOP lawsuit that pushed for similar rules for absentee voting and spouses of U.S. service members, noting that the current statute for overseas voting had been adopted in 2011 with bipartisan support, and “has not been challenged until the filing of this complaint and motion.” Further, he said, plaintiffs “have failed to show any likelihood of irreparable harm” as a result of the voters in question. FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: VOTER OUTREACH, BALLOT EFFICIENCY AND A LITTLE HOUSEKEEPING In Pennsylvania, judges are expected to rule on three separate lawsuits Republicans have filed in recent weeks seeking to restrict overseas voters and their registration under the 1986 Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), which oversees the voting process for U.S. residents living abroad. Democrats, for their part, have criticized the legal push as a last-minute effort by Republicans to restrict voter turnout from a demographic that has until recently been a reliable bedrock of GOP support. More than 1.2 million overseas ballots were cast in the 2020 election, according to data from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. And in a dead-heat sprint to Election Day, these voters could play a pivotal role in the race’s final outcome. All three states are considered “toss-up” states in the 2024 election, and could prove pivotal in picking the next president. “Election-denying extremists, afraid they are losing this election, are actively working to disenfranchise members of our military deployed outside of the United States,” Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, a Pennsylvania Democrat and Air Force veteran, told Fox News. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Harris campaign announces concert series with Bruce Springsteen to mobilize voters ahead of Election Day
The Harris campaign announced a concert series with Bruce Springsteen in battleground states to mobilize voters with just two weeks to go until Election Day. The Harris campaign’s “When We Vote We Win” concert series will be a massive get-out-the-vote effort in key states, a senior campaign official said. The official said Springsteen will headline the kick-off concerts, with the first on Thursday in Atlanta. Former President Barack Obama will join Vice President Kamala Harris for the event. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN ENDORSES KAMALA HARRIS IN NEW INSTAGRAM VIDEO: ‘VISION OF AMERICA’ The official said Springsteen will headline another concert on Monday in Philadelphia, another event Obama will attend. The concert series will hit all seven battleground states: Georgia, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina and Wisconsin. The official said the campaign will announce additional concerts in the coming days. ‘KAMALA ERA’: DNC LAUNCHES TAYLOR SWIFT-THEMED CAMPAIGN IN PITCH TO YOUNG VOTERS A senior campaign official said campaign advisers see the events as opportunities to attract voters and ensure the attendees turn out to vote. Springsteen announced his support for Harris earlier this month, saying she and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, have “a vision this country respects and includes everyone, regardless of class, religion, race, your political point of view or sexual identity, and they want to grow our economy in a way that benefits all.” Springsteen slammed former President Donald Trump, saying he “doesn’t understand the meaning” of being “deeply American.” The announcement comes after the Democratic National Committee (DNC) rolled out a Taylor Swift-themed “I Will Vote” campaign to target young voters across battleground states with just over two weeks until Election Day. The DNC’s “I Will Vote” campaign includes a new Snapchat filter urging young voters to be “fearless” on issues that Democrats say “will decide this election,” including reproductive rights and the economy, while urging them to “learn how to cast their ballot for Vice President Harris this November.” Meanwhile, Trump will hold a massive rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Sunday.
Cyclone Dana: Schools closed in West Bengal, Odisha for 4 days from…
The depression will further intensify into a cyclonic storm by October 23 and cross north Odisha and southern West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island in the early morning hours of October 25 as a severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 100-110 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph, it said.
Texas Supreme Court justice’s oversight of the trust of a Houston millionaire with dementia raises ethics concerns
Despite objections from her family, John Devine oversees the trust of Elvie Kingston, a clear violation of Texas’ judicial ethics rules, experts said. His wife is also her legal guardian.
Biden admin faces scrutiny over response to ‘significant rise’ of assaults on Border Patrol agents
FIRST ON FOX: Republican lawmakers are looking for answers from the Biden administration about what action is being taken against illegal immigrants who assault Border Patrol agents, as officials report a “significant rise” in assaults. Lawmakers, led by Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland and acting Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Troy Miller asking about illegal immigrants who assault agents in an effort to evade capture. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT BITES BORDER PATROL AGENT IN THE FACE AMID ‘SIGNIFICANT RISE’ OF ATTACKS ON CBP “In FY23, CBP reported that 610 agents were assaulted, while in FY24 at least 413 agents were assaulted. Though these incidents primarily involve physical assault, CBP agents also endure a large percentage of assaults by other means, including through the use of projectiles, vehicles, and firearms,” they say. In August, Border Patrol in the El Paso Sector of Texas warned that it has seen a “significant rise in attacks on Border Patrol Agents recently.” That was highlighted last month when an illegal immigrant bit a Border Patrol agent in the face after being encountered coming across from Mexico. CAUGHT ON CAMERA: FENCE-CUTTING MIGRANTS BUSTED BY FEDS While the attacker in this instance was prosecuted, it has fueled concerns from the lawmakers that illegal immigrants are not being prosecuted sufficiently. They cite media reports that assaults have become a regular occurrence. “Though this incident was somewhat outlandish in the mode of attack, CBP agents have stated they experience assaults like this almost every night while on duty, including getting rushed by large groups of illegal aliens all at once, many of whom will punch and kick the outnumbered agents,” they say. The Republicans also say that statements from agents contradict claims that “CBP is working closely with the Department of Justice (DOJ) to hold these criminal illegal aliens accountable.” The lawmakers are asking for the number of illegal immigrants CBP has referred to the Department of Justice for assault and how many of those have been charged. They are also asking whether CBP reached out to DOJ to discuss why an illegal immigrant is not charged with assault, and whether the agents themselves are contacted. They also want to know how many illegal immigrants who have assaulted agents have been released into the U.S. and the types of support they offer to agents who have been assaulted. CBP says it responds to congressional inquiries through official channels. The letter comes amid intense scrutiny of the southern border and the way it has been handled by the Biden administration. It comes after a massive influx of illegal immigration that has dropped sharply since June, when President Biden signed an order limiting releases into the U.S. The Harris and Trump campaigns have fought over who is the best candidate to tackle the crisis. The Trump campaign has sought to pin the 2021-2024 crisis on Vice President Kamala Harris and her role in the administration, while the Harris campaign has attacked former President Donald Trump for rejecting a bipartisan border security bill introduced earlier this year, but that has failed to pick up Republican support. Get the latest updates on the ongoing border crisis from the Fox News Digital immigration hub.