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California finance agency opposes child sex trafficking bill, cites potential prison inmate costs

A bill that would increase penalties for child sex buyers in California could die before getting a vote amid concerns from state finance officials over the costs of housing additional prison inmates.  California lawmakers last week placed Senate Bill 1414 on “suspense file,” a list of bills that are expected to cost the state a significant amount of money, during an Aug. 7 meeting. The bill will either advance or be killed without public discussion in a special Thursday hearing. “When we pursued this to prevent children from being trafficked, bought and sold in the state of California, we never thought in a million years it would be this difficult,” Republican state Sen. Shannon Grove, who introduced the legislation and is its primary sponsor, told Fox News Digital. GOV NEWSOM ORDERS HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS TORN DOWN ACROSS CALIFORNIA: ‘NO MORE EXCUSES’ The bill would allow prosecutors to charge adults charged with soliciting minors with a felony. If the minor is younger than 16, or younger than 18 but a victim of human trafficking, the defendant would face up to three years in prison and a $10,000 fine. The bill would also require adults convicted multiple times of soliciting a minor at least 10 years younger than them to register annually as a sex offender. Under the current law, soliciting or purchasing a minor for sex is a misdemeanor punishable by a minimum of two days in jail and up to a year or a fine.   During last week’s Assembly Appropriations Committee hearing, a representative for the California Department of Finance spoke in opposition to the bill.  “California has successfully remained below the court-ordered prison population cap and has even made strides towards closing prisons, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in annual savings,” Millie Yan, a Finance Department official, told lawmakers. “However, increases to the (prison) population threaten the state’s ability to continue making progress in right-sizing California’s prison system.” The annual costs associated with increasing the prison population by one inmate can range from $10,000 to tens of thousands of dollars, she said.  “We also note that similar legislation that expands the list of individuals required to register as sex offenders has estimated to result in costs to the Department of Justice in the hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said Yan.  Grove and other lawmakers have dismissed financial concerns, arguing the potential cost pales in comparison to combating a significant problem across the state.  ELON MUSK ANNOUNCES X, SPACEX HQS WILL MOVE FROM CALIFORNIA TO TEXAS AFTER NEW GENDER IDENTITY LAW “We’ve spent $24 billion on the homeless population, and it got worse,” Grove said of California’s efforts to address its growing homeless population. “And they’re worried about spending tens of thousands of dollars on the prison population to lock individuals up who are buying children for sex?” California Gov. Gavin Newsom supports the bill, his office said. The governor’s office pointed to a Monday social media post when contacted by Fox News Digital.  “It’s standard practice for DOF to oppose bills that have a fiscal impact when not addressed via the budget,” the post states. “It’s NOT a position on policy or merits. The Governor SUPPORTS this bill.” California state Assembly Republican leader James Gallagher said the issue of child sex trafficking shouldn’t be a “financial question.” “It should be a right and wrong question,” he told Fox News Digital, while noting the billions of dollars California has spent to fix homelessness and the ballooning costs for a proposed high-speed rail project. “They are funding all of those things fully… but they don’t have money to make sure that johns buying children go to prison. If that’s the case, their priorities are seriously misplaced.” He also urged Newsom to take charge as the executive of the state and push for similar policies.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In addition to financial concerns, Grove said she was forced to make amendments to SB 1414 by the Democratic-controlled Senate Public Safety Committee.  That resulted in the exclusion of 16 and 17-year-olds from the protection provided, she said. These individuals are now required to prove that they are victims of trafficking in order for the perpetrator to be charged. Fox News Digital has reached out to state Sen. Aisha Wahab, chair of the committee. 

Federal judge in Texas expands ruling that blocks Biden administration protections of LGBTQ students

The decision in the case brought by the Texas Attorney General preempts any future Title IX regulations that extend federal protections to LGBTQ students.

On Trump criticism, Vance tells Fox News former president’s ‘off the cuff’ comments ‘part of his appeal’

EXCLUSIVE: BYRON CENTER, Mich. — Donald Trump’s running mate has an answer to the blunt advice from allies and fellow Republicans that the former president should stick to policy and messaging instead of questioning Vice President Kamala Harris’ crowd sizes at her rallies, her race or attacks on her intellect. “I think one of the things people actually love about Donald Trump in politics is he’s not unwilling to speak off the cuff. He says what’s actually on his mind. He’s not always filtered. I think that’s a good thing and part of his appeal,” GOP vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, said Wednesday in a national exclusive interview with Fox News Digital. But Vance, speaking ahead of a campaign event in battleground Michigan, also emphasized that “if you look at this race, we’re talking about policy. That’s 90% of what we’re doing. And I think that’s going to keep on happening.” Harris has been riding a wave of momentum — witnessed in public opinion polling, in her soaring fundraising and in her large crowds she’s attracting on the campaign trail — in the three and a half weeks since she replaced President Biden atop the Democrats’ 2024 ticket. TRUMP CAMPAIGN PLANS COUNTER-PROGRAMMING DURING DEMOCRATS’ CONVENTION While criticizing Harris over key issues such as border security, crime and inflation, Trump has also continuously slammed the vice president and insulted her during speeches, news conferences and in social media posts. Sources in Trump’s political orbit tell Fox News that top advisers to the former president are quietly aiming to persuade him to tamp down the insults to Harris and the questioning of the vice president’s racial identity and instead focus on branding her an ultra-liberal and spotlighting her stance on the border, crime and inflation TRUMP ARGUES HARRIS IS MORE LIBERAL THAN BERNIE SANDERS — HERE’S WHAT THE VERMONT SENATOR TOLD FOX NEWS  Trump allies are also publicly pitching Trump to refocus his attention. “You’ve got to make this race not on personalities,” former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Monday in an interview on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom.” “Stop questioning the size of her crowds and start questioning her position.” McCarthy emphasized that Trump has “a short time frame to do it, so don’t sit back. Get out there and start making the case.” During an interview Tuesday with Bret Baier on Fox News’ “Special Report,” former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley — Trump’s top rival from the Republican presidential primaries earlier this year — also had some unsolicited advice for her former boss. Haley, who reiterated that she wants Trump to win the presidential election, emphasized that “the campaign is not going to win talking about crowd sizes. It’s not going to win talking about what race Kamala Harris is. It’s not going to win. Talking about whether she’s dumb. It’s not. You can’t win on those things. The American people are smart. Treat them like they’re smart.” NIKKI HALEY HAS BLUNT MESSAGE FOR TRUMP, GOP AS KAMALA HARRIS GAINS MOMENTUM: ‘QUIT WHINING’ Following his interview with Fox News Digital, Vance was also asked about the criticism of Trump from fellow Republicans as he took questions from reporters at the conclusion of his campaign event at a trucking company in this southwestern Michigan town just south of Grand Rapids. “To the people who say that Donald Trump should do something different, they had an opportunity to make Donald Trump do something different by challenging him over three separate primaries, every single one of which he won. I think Donald Trump has earned the right to run the kind of campaign that he wants to run,” Vance emphasized. But the senator added that “if you listen to what Donald J. Trump says, if you look at what I say, we are prosecuting the case against Kamala Harris on policy.” And taking aim at Harris, Vance charged that “we’d much rather have an American president who is who he is, who’s willing to offend us, who’s willing to tell us the truth, who isn’t a fake who hides behind a teleprompter.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

‘Earned that right’: Vance delivers blunt response to GOP criticism of Trump’s ‘off the cuff’ comments

EXCLUSIVE: BYRON CENTER, Mich. — Donald Trump’s running mate defended the former president when pressed about allies and fellow Republicans advising him to stick to policy and messaging instead of “off the cuff” comments targeting Vice President Harris. “I think one of the things people actually love about Donald Trump in politics is he’s not unwilling to speak off the cuff. He says what’s actually on his mind. He’s not always filtered. I think that’s a good thing and part of his appeal,” GOP vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance of Ohio said Wednesday in a national exclusive interview with Fox News Digital. But Vance, speaking ahead of a campaign event in battleground Michigan, also emphasized that “if you look at this race, we’re talking about policy. That’s 90% of what we’re doing. And I think that’s going to keep on happening.” Harris has been riding a wave of momentum — witnessed in public opinion polling, in her soaring fundraising and in her large crowds she’s attracting on the campaign trail — in the three and a half weeks since she replaced President Biden atop the Democrats’ 2024 ticket. TRUMP CAMPAIGN PLANS COUNTER-PROGRAMMING DURING DEMOCRATS’ CONVENTION While criticizing Harris over key issues such as border security, crime and inflation, Trump has also continuously slammed the vice president and insulted her during speeches, news conferences and in social media posts. Sources in Trump’s political orbit tell Fox News that top advisers to the former president are quietly aiming to persuade him to tamp down the insults to Harris and the questioning of the vice president’s racial identity and instead focus on branding her an ultra-liberal and spotlighting her stance on the border, crime and inflation TRUMP ARGUES HARRIS IS MORE LIBERAL THAN BERNIE SANDERS — HERE’S WHAT THE VERMONT SENATOR TOLD FOX NEWS  Trump allies are also publicly pitching Trump to refocus his attention. “You’ve got to make this race not on personalities,” former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Monday in an interview on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom.” “Stop questioning the size of her crowds and start questioning her position.” McCarthy emphasized that Trump has “a short time frame to do it, so don’t sit back. Get out there and start making the case.” During an interview Tuesday with Bret Baier on Fox News’ “Special Report,” former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley — Trump’s top rival from the Republican presidential primaries earlier this year — also had some unsolicited advice for her former boss. Haley, who reiterated that she wants Trump to win the presidential election, emphasized that “the campaign is not going to win talking about crowd sizes. It’s not going to win talking about what race Kamala Harris is. It’s not going to win. Talking about whether she’s dumb. It’s not. You can’t win on those things. The American people are smart. Treat them like they’re smart.” NIKKI HALEY HAS BLUNT MESSAGE FOR TRUMP, GOP AS KAMALA HARRIS GAINS MOMENTUM: ‘QUIT WHINING’ Following his interview with Fox News Digital, Vance was also asked about the criticism of Trump from fellow Republicans as he took questions from reporters at the conclusion of his campaign event at a trucking company in this southwestern Michigan town just south of Grand Rapids. “To the people who say that Donald Trump should do something different, they had an opportunity to make Donald Trump do something different by challenging him over three separate primaries, every single one of which he won. I think Donald Trump has earned the right to run the kind of campaign that he wants to run,” Vance emphasized. But the senator added that “if you listen to what Donald J. Trump says, if you look at what I say, we are prosecuting the case against Kamala Harris on policy.” And taking aim at Harris, Vance charged that “we’d much rather have an American president who is who he is, who’s willing to offend us, who’s willing to tell us the truth, who isn’t a fake who hides behind a teleprompter.” The Harris campaign has characterized some of Trump’s recent criticism of the vice president as “unhinged,” his recent interviews as “disastrous,” and the agenda he’s pushing as “dangerous and bizarre.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Max inclusivity: Harris campaign is letting new hires ID themselves with custom pronouns

The Harris campaign appears to be offering maximum inclusivity with unlimited preferred pronoun options for potential new hires to choose from when filling out their applications.  Immediately after supplying one’s full name and resume, Harris for President job applicants are given a menu of pronouns to choose from, including identifiers such as “Fae/faer,” “Hu/hu,” “Ey/em,” and “Xe/xem,” among others. If, for some reason, none of the nine recommended pronouns the Harris campaign lists work for an applicant, they can check a box that reads “Custom” and enter in whatever pronouns they want.  In addition to its unlimited array of pronoun options, the Harris campaign’s job applications also ask potential new hires to explain how they will “contribute to building a diverse culture” if they are hired. Meanwhile, the applications include a so-called “optional” diversity survey, which the campaign says helps them “evaluate our diversity and inclusion efforts.” The survey asks applicants to once again identify their preferred pronouns, as well as their gender identity and whether they are gay or straight. JESSE WATTERS: TRUMP’S RUNNING AGAINST A WOKE WOMAN AND A PROGRESSIVE VP Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for comment but did not receive a response.  Earlier this month, a resurfaced clip of Vice President Kamala Harris from 2017 showed the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee calling on “everybody” to be “woke.” “We have to stay woke. Like everybody needs to be woke,” then-senator Harris said during a 2017 conference. “And you can talk about if you’re the wokest or woker, but just stay more woke than less woke.” Harris also followed up the next day reiterating her comments in a post on X, formerly Twitter, stating, “We have to stay active. We have to stay woke.” HARRIS SAYS ‘EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE WOKE’ IN UNEARTHED CLIP SPREADING LIKE WILDFIRE ON SOCIAL MEDIA A few days prior to that clip surfacing, Harris also drew mockery from the internet when another clip resurfaced of Harris introducing herself with her name, pronouns and descriptions of her clothing to a group that was visually impaired. “Good afternoon. I want to welcome these leaders for coming in to have this very important discussion about some of the most pressing issues of our time,” a masked up Harris said at the roundtable event discussing the Supreme Court’s Roe v Wade decision and its impact on people with disabilities. “I am Kamala Harris, my pronouns are she and her. I am a woman sitting at the table wearing a blue suit.” Other guests at the table followed suit with similar introductions. Harris officially took over the Democratic nomination for president on Aug. 5, after President Joe Biden bowed to intra-party pressure over his cognitive decline and announced he would not continue to seek reelection. Upon her entrance into the race, Harris was lauded in the media for her identity politics, including her position as a “daughter of immigrants,” “the first female vice president in U.S. history,” and “the first woman of color to lead a major party ticket.” While running the first time around in 2020 to be the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee, Harris purposely highlighted her female pronouns when talking about the presidency. She shared why in a 2019 article from Buzzfeed News. “I’m articulating it more than I have before, but I’ve always been very aware that for these jobs, we’re asking people to see what they’ve not seen before,” Harris told Buzzfeed in response to questions about her choice of words. It’s necessary, Harris continued, “especially in light of the whole discussion about ‘electability,’ which drives me bananas. It’s important for people to understand that they have to really check how they’re thinking about these things. But we have to help along the way, and part of it is about how we use language.”  

Fox News Politics: Et tu, Barack?

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest political news from Washington, D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail.  Here’s what’s happening… – Biden-Harris admin using taxpayer funds to mask Medicare premium hikes… – Report claims many illegal immigrants on terror list have been released… – Trump campaign eyes counter-programming during DNC convention… President Biden remains bitter toward the top Democrats who organized his ouster from the 2024 presidential race, even as the party prepares a massive sendoff at the Democratic National Convention (DNC), according to a report. Biden remains frustrated that former President Obama did not tell him to drop out face to face, but rather relied on his influence behind the scenes, Politico reported Tuesday. Biden is also angry at former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who he believes played the major role in forcing him to withdraw, alongside Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the outlet reported, citing three sources familiar with Biden’s thinking. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. A White House source told Politico that Biden views Pelosi as “ruthless” following the events of July.  News of Biden’s frustration comes as the Democratic Party plans a massive celebratory sendoff for Biden at the DNC. The very party members who forced him to drop out now hail him as an elder statesman ….Read more JOE-KING AROUND: Biden quips that he is ‘looking for a job’ to audience of content creators …Read more HOMICIDE DROP?: Death toll lower in Biden’s last year compared to Trump’s: Report …Read more ‘DEATH SPIRAL’: Biden-Harris administration uses taxpayer funds to mask Medicare premium hikes …Read more ‘DEEPLY CONCERNED’: GOP lawmakers demand answers on fraud within Biden migrant flight program …Read more ‘PLEASANTLY SURPRISED’: Trump push to dismantle Education Department spurs House GOP enthusiasm …Read more ‘RABID DOG’: Stefanik calls on NY official to resign for Trump comments after assassination attempt …Read more ‘MADE IT WORSE’: Rep. Jordan says Kamala Harris could fix the border, economy as VP but hasn’t …Read more ‘RUBBER-STAMPED’: Key Dem hit over support of Biden-Harris record on border, inflation …Read more ‘THANK YOU’: Walz defends his military record, has kind words for JD Vance’s record …Read more ‘DIED OF LONELINESS’: Former Minnesota resident reveals why she left Gov Walz’s state during heart-wrenching interview …Read more ‘UNFATHOMABLE: Ex-federal prosecutor who charged George Floyd rioters unleashes scathing critique of Gov Walz …Read more ‘TEXTBOOK STOLEN VALOR’: Viral video shows Walz retired military rank falsely identified over a dozen times …Read more ‘SOCIALIST CRUSADE’: Top Minnesota lawmaker sounds alarm on businesses fleeing Walz’s ‘devastating agenda’ …Read more  IN KAMALA WE TRUST?: Americans find Harris more honest than Trump: poll …Read more POWER RANKINGS: Fox News Power Rankings: Three governor’s races to watch on election night …Read more ‘DIFFERENT BALLGAME’: Election enthusiasm among Dems has jumped dramatically since Harris replaced Biden …Read more TAMMY’S TRACK RECORD: Vulnerable Dem’s support of sanctuary cities targeted in Wisconsin ad …Read more CONVENTION CLASH?: Trump campaign picks up the pace, eyes counter-programming during Democrats’ convention …Read more DANGER AT THE DOOR?: Report that many illegal immigrants on terror watchlist have been freed sparks push for answers …Read more DOUBLING DOLLARS: New York City migrant crisis costs expected to exceed $5B in 2-year period — double to $10B by 2025 …Read more ON NOTICE: Rabbi warns colleges after ‘national failure’ to protect Jewish students …Read more ‘ON A ROLL’: Democratic Gov. Murphy defends Harris for avoiding media interviews …Read more ‘BAD ACTORS’: Anti-Trump blue-state AG calls on Big Tech to ‘protect’ voters from election misinformation …Read more CRACKING DOWN: New York county bans wearing masks in public amid crime fears …Read more ‘INADEQUATE’: Google says omissions of Trump assassination attempt search results was by design …Read more FIGHTING WORDS: Boxer Imane Khelif files complaint to French authorities over alleged cyber harassment, citing Elon Musk, JK Rowling …Read more Subscribe now to get the Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

Walz responds to network’s vice presidential debate invite

The Democratic candidate for vice president, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, posted to X on Wednesday agreeing to a debate Oct. 1 on CBS News. Walz’s reply came in response to CBS News listing potential dates in an X post for Walz and Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance to debate on the network. Tim Walz re-posted the graphic, saying “See you on Oct. 1, JD.” FORMER MINNESOTA RESIDENT UNLOADS ON GOV WALZ AFTER MOTHER DIED ‘OF LONELINESS’ DURING PANDEMIC Vance had not yet responded to the debate proposal publicly. Vance and the Trump campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP According to a Harris campaign official, “Harris for President has accepted CBS’ invitation to a vice presidential candidate debate on October 1. Governor Walz looks forward to debating JD Vance — if he shows up.” According to CBS, four dates were proposed: Sept. 17, Sept, 24, Oct. 1, and Oct. 8.

Walz responds to vice presidential debate invitation; Vance says ‘I strongly suspect we’re going to be there’

The Democratic candidate for vice president, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, posted to X on Wednesday agreeing to a debate Oct. 1 on CBS News. Walz’s reply came in response to CBS News listing potential dates in an X post for Walz and Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance to debate on the network. Tim Walz re-posted the graphic, saying “See you on Oct. 1, JD.” FORMER MINNESOTA RESIDENT UNLOADS ON GOV WALZ AFTER MOTHER DIED ‘OF LONELINESS’ DURING PANDEMIC Vance responded to the potential debate with Fox News host Laura Ingraham on “The Ingraham Angle.”  “Look, Laura, we’re certainly going to debate Tim Walz. We just heard about this three hours ago. So we’re going to talk to them and figure out when we can debate,” Vance said. “I strongly suspect we’re going to be there on Oct. 1, but we’re not going to do one of these fake debates, Laura, where they don’t actually have an audience there, where they don’t actually set the parameters in a right way, where you can have a good exchange of ideas,” Vance added.  “In other words, we’re not going to run and walk into a fake news media garbage debate,” Vance asserted. “We’re going to do a real debate, and if CBS agrees to it, certainly we’ll do it.” The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. According to a Harris campaign official, “Harris for President has accepted CBS’ invitation to a vice presidential candidate debate on October 1. Governor Walz looks forward to debating JD Vance — if he shows up.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP According to CBS, four dates were proposed: Sept. 17, Sept, 24, Oct. 1, and Oct. 8.

West Virginia governor blames politics for sudden bank auction of $50M resort amid key Senate bid

One of West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice’s most prized possessions is set to hit the auction block against his will later this month, and the Republican U.S. Senate nominee said the situation reeks of blatant politics. In 2009, the Democrat-turned-Republican rescued the Greenbrier luxury resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.V. from bankruptcy by purchasing it from CSX.  This week, Justice said the big banks never would have acted against the Greenbrier property now if he were not poised to flip the deciding seat in a narrowly-divided U.S. Senate. Justice’s campaign and his gubernatorial office declined to respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment, but the governor told the Parkersburg News-Sentinel the situation is another “terrific burden” that comes with potentially upsetting the political apple cart. MANCHIN SENATE SEAT RACE HEATS UP AS JUSTICE JUMPS IN: ‘I’M WORRIED ABOUT THIS NATION’ “I truly believe if I wasn’t running for the U.S. Senate, you never would have heard about this in 10 million years, and we would have just continued to do exactly what we’re doing with JPMorgan, and everyone would have been happy in the neighborhood,” Justice said. With longtime Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.V., retiring, Justice is heavily favored to flip the seat in his race against Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott. If the rest of the Senate map remains static and Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, becomes vice president, Republicans will win control of the upper chamber. Justice, whose official biography describes him as the “largest farmer” east of the Mississippi, and his family are involved in more than 100 companies in the agriculture, coal, real estate and hospitality industries. The resort, halfway between Beckley, West Virginia, and Roanoke, Virginia, is known for its opulence and formal dress code. In a statement, the Justice Companies said the governor and JPMorgan have had a decades-long, good-faith relationship and that the $142 million lien on the Greenbrier now sits at $9.4 million. The statement said that, as of July, Justice was informed JPMorgan sold the loan to Baltimore-based Beltway Capital-McCormick 101 “despite the existence of a mutual agreement to resolve the outstanding obligations…” It was ultimately declared in-default. “This deceitful move by JPMorgan is nothing more than the latest political stunt by the Democrats to undermine the next Republican senator from West Virginia,” the statement added. JUSTICE IN THE SENATE: WV GOV INTERESTED IN CHALLENGING MANCHIN Beltway Capital and JPMorganChase did not return requests for comment. At his Tuesday press briefing, Justice said the foreclosure auction “has to be driven by something.” “I truly believe it’s a political play. Everybody I talk to says the same thing,” he said. “We weren’t notified. Carter Bank was never asked about their position. In all honesty… if you wanted to sell the $9.4 million obligation, why wouldn’t you have asked Carter Bank?”  A spokesman for Carter Bank of Martinsville, Virginia, with which Justice reportedly sought a second lien to boost his standing with JPMorgan, said it is aware of the notice of foreclosure sale, but is not the lender who started the process. “Carter Bank will closely monitor the matter and act in a manner that best protects the Bank and its shareholders,” the spokesman said. Justice also criticized JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, noting he had longtime ties to the Democratic Party.  Dimon regularly donated to Democrats throughout the 1990s and 2000s, but as of late has critiqued “Bidenomics” and raised eyebrows among elites when he praised Trump at Davos. Meanwhile, Democrats rejected Justice’s claim of a campaign-season political ploy, with the state’s party chairman appearing to laugh off the idea of the left conspiring against him. “Calling Jamie Dimon a ‘friend to Democrats’ is like calling JD Vance an Appalachian,” said State Del. Mike Pushkin of Kanawha County. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The Democratic Party had nothing to do with [Justice’s] failure to pay his creditors,” he added. Bob Wolford, an attorney for Justice, released a statement on the matter, floating potential future damage litigation against JPMorganChase, among other points: “Let me be clear that the Greenbrier will not be sold, and the Justice family will take all necessary action to ensure that there will not be any adverse impact on their ownership of the Greenbrier or the Greenbrier’s operations and the ability of the Greenbrier to continue to provide world-class service for its guests will be uninterrupted,” Wolford said. A public notice in the city’s local paper announced the Greenbrier would be sold to the highest bidder Aug. 27 at 2p.m. on the steps of the Greenbrier County Courthouse in Lewisburg — absent further intervention.

West Virginia governor blames politics for sudden bank auction of $50M resort amid key Senate bid

One of West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice’s most prized possessions is set to hit the auction block against his will later this month, and the Republican U.S. Senate nominee said the situation reeks of blatant politics. In 2009, the Democrat-turned-Republican rescued the Greenbrier luxury resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, from bankruptcy by purchasing it from CSX.  This week, Justice said the big banks never would have acted against the Greenbrier property now if he were not poised to flip the deciding seat in a narrowly-divided U.S. Senate. Justice’s campaign and his gubernatorial office declined to respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment, but the governor told the Parkersburg News-Sentinel the situation is another “terrific burden” that comes with potentially upsetting the political apple cart. MANCHIN SENATE SEAT RACE HEATS UP AS JUSTICE JUMPS IN: ‘I’M WORRIED ABOUT THIS NATION’ “I truly believe if I wasn’t running for the U.S. Senate, you never would have heard about this in 10 million years, and we would have just continued to do exactly what we’re doing with JPMorgan, and everyone would have been happy in the neighborhood,” Justice said. With longtime Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.V., retiring, Justice is heavily favored to flip the seat in his race against Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott. If the rest of the Senate map remains static and Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, becomes vice president, Republicans will win control of the upper chamber. Justice, whose official biography describes him as the “largest farmer” east of the Mississippi, and his family are involved in more than 100 companies in the agriculture, coal, real estate and hospitality industries. The resort, halfway between Beckley, West Virginia, and Roanoke, Virginia, is known for its opulence and formal dress code. In a statement, the Justice Companies said the governor and JPMorgan have had a decades-long, good-faith relationship and that the $142 million lien on the Greenbrier now sits at $9.4 million. The statement said that, as of July, Justice was informed JPMorgan sold the loan to Baltimore-based Beltway Capital-McCormick 101 “despite the existence of a mutual agreement to resolve the outstanding obligations…” It was ultimately declared in-default. “This deceitful move by JPMorgan is nothing more than the latest political stunt by the Democrats to undermine the next Republican senator from West Virginia,” the statement added. JUSTICE IN THE SENATE: WV GOV INTERESTED IN CHALLENGING MANCHIN Beltway Capital and JPMorganChase did not return requests for comment. At his Tuesday press briefing, Justice said the foreclosure auction “has to be driven by something.” “I truly believe it’s a political play. Everybody I talk to says the same thing,” he said. “We weren’t notified. Carter Bank was never asked about their position. In all honesty… if you wanted to sell the $9.4 million obligation, why wouldn’t you have asked Carter Bank?”  A spokesman for Carter Bank of Martinsville, Virginia, with which Justice reportedly sought a second lien to boost his standing with JPMorgan, said it is aware of the notice of foreclosure sale, but is not the lender who started the process. “Carter Bank will closely monitor the matter and act in a manner that best protects the Bank and its shareholders,” the spokesman said. Justice also criticized JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, noting he had longtime ties to the Democratic Party.  Dimon regularly donated to Democrats throughout the 1990s and 2000s, but as of late has critiqued “Bidenomics” and raised eyebrows among elites when he praised Trump at Davos. Meanwhile, Democrats rejected Justice’s claim of a campaign-season political ploy, with the state’s party chairman appearing to laugh off the idea of the left conspiring against him. “Calling Jamie Dimon a ‘friend to Democrats’ is like calling JD Vance an Appalachian,” said State Del. Mike Pushkin of Kanawha County. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The Democratic Party had nothing to do with [Justice’s] failure to pay his creditors,” he added. Bob Wolford, an attorney for Justice, released a statement on the matter, floating potential future damage litigation against JPMorganChase, among other points: “Let me be clear that the Greenbrier will not be sold, and the Justice family will take all necessary action to ensure that there will not be any adverse impact on their ownership of the Greenbrier or the Greenbrier’s operations and the ability of the Greenbrier to continue to provide world-class service for its guests will be uninterrupted,” Wolford said. A public notice in the city’s local paper announced the Greenbrier would be sold to the highest bidder Aug. 27 at 2p.m. on the steps of the Greenbrier County Courthouse in Lewisburg — absent further intervention.