Anti-abortion doctor appointed to Texas maternal death review committee
Dr. Ingrid Skop, an influential anti-abortion advocate, will now be reviewing maternal deaths for the state.
Hunter Biden tax trial postponed to September
The federal judge presiding over Hunter Biden’s criminal tax trial in California has sided with the first son’s attorneys, moving his trial from June to September. United States District Court for the Central District of California Judge Mark Scarsi heard arguments during a pre-trial hearing Wednesday, after Hunter Biden’s attorneys requested to delay his trial on tax charges stemming from Special Counsel David Weiss’ investigation. Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to federal tax charges in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California — specifically, three felonies and six misdemeanors concerning $1.4 million in owed taxes that have since been paid. Weiss alleged a “four-year scheme” when the president’s son did not pay his federal income taxes from January 2017 to October 2020 while also filing false tax reports. The trial was set to begin on June 20, but Scarsi postponed the trial, and said jury selection will begin Sept. 5. Federal prosecutors asked Scarsi earlier this month to deny Biden’s request to delay his trial, after the first son’s attorneys previously agreed to the June 20 date last year. “No defendant would be afforded a continuance because he wrongly chose to lodge a jurisdictionless appeal, and this defendant should be treated no differently,” the motion states.” Defense counsel offers a handful of other reasons why he wants a trial delay of 77 days, but none of them warrant a continuance. The motion should be denied.” The first son’s trial on federal gun charges is set to begin on June 3 in Delaware. Weiss also charged Hunter Biden in Delaware with making a false statement while purchasing a firearm; making a false statement related to information required to be kept by a licensed firearm dealer; and one count of possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance. Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to the charges in Delaware. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. Fox News’ Lee Ross contributed to this report.
One of Trump’s most controversial campaign managers is back but never really left
Corey Lewandowski says that when it comes to this summer’s Republican National Convention, former President Trump is the boss. “Donald Trump is the final decision-maker for everything that happens at the convention,” Lewandowski said in an interview with Fox News Digital on Wednesday. Trump’s 2016 campaign manager and longtime friend and outside adviser to the former president spoke the day after the Trump campaign confirmed that they had brought Lewandowski on to advise the campaign and the Republican National Committee (RNC) on the GOP’s 2024 delegate and convention process. RED FLAGS FOR TRUMP AND BIDEN AS THEY CAREEN TOWARDS PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES “He’s very helpful to me, and he’s helpful to the RNC, and he’s helpful to the president,” Trump 2024 campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita told Fox News. The news was first reported by the National Review and by Politico, which noticed that the RNC, in a filing with the Federal Election Commission, made an April 24 payment to Lewandowski’s firm for “management consulting.” 2024 SHOWDOWN: TRUMP TOPS BIDEN IN CASH DASH LAST MONTH The move marks a formal return by Lewandowski to Trump’s campaign structure. Lewandowski managed Trump’s first presidential campaign from before its inception in 2015 through the 2016 primaries. He was fired from his job in June of that year but remained close to the then-GOP presidential nominee. Lewandowski, a New Hampshire resident, led his state’s delegation to that summer’s Republican National Convention in Cleveland. After Trump took over in the White House, Lewandowski became a top outside adviser to the then-president and played an influential advisory role in Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign. And in early 2021, Trump named Lewandowski to set up and steer his first post-presidency super PAC. “I have been very blessed for the last decade to have had an incredible relationship with a candidate, a president, and a post-president. That has never wavered or changed,” he said. Lewandowski also spotlighted his “great relationship with Susie Wiles,” who, along with LaCivita, steers the Trump campaign. “I don’t think anybody can call into question the success of the 2024 campaign.” But Lewandowski’s been no stranger to controversy. Among them, he was removed from running the super PAC and Trump severed ties with his longstanding adviser and aide in the autumn of 2021 after Lewandowski was accused of making unwanted sexual advances toward a top Trump donor’s wife during a Las Vegas charity dinner. Lewandowski was later charged with a misdemeanor, but the charges were dismissed after completing impulse control counseling, community service and paying a fine in a deal struck with prosecutors. Asked if his past controversies could be a distraction going forward as he advises the Trump campaign and the RNC, Lewandowski said, “I have been a person who has always given my best and honest advice to the campaign and the candidate, and I think there is value in that.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Poisoning pregnant women with abortion-inducing drugs could soon be felony under red-state bill
The GOP-controlled Louisiana House of Representatives advanced a bill Tuesday evening that criminalizes abortion coerced “by means of fraud” and also makes it illegal to possess two abortion drugs without a valid prescription by a 64-29 vote. The bill, which now heads to the state Senate, would penalize coercers – with fines between $50,000 to $100,000 and 10 to 20 years imprisonment – who prey “on an unsuspecting pregnant mother without her knowledge or consent.” It also “amends various abortion criminal laws to add the crime of attempted abortion.” The bill has drawn the ire of pro-abortion groups and Vice President Kamala Harris, who said the legislation was “absolutely unconscionable.” PRO-LIFE ACTIVISTS FOUND GUILTY ON CONSPIRACY CHARGES FOR 2020 ‘RESCUE ACTION’ AT DC CLINIC “The Louisiana House just passed a bill that would criminalize the possession of medication abortion, with penalties of up to several years of jail time,” Harris wrote on X. State Sen. Thomas Pressly responded to Harris’s remarks, saying “what’s unconscionable is blatantly lying about my bill.” “Leaving out the part about ‘not having a valid prescription’ & our efforts to protect expectant mothers from being slipped abortion meds by diabolical spouses, that’s kind of a big omission. Do better,” he wrote on X. Senate Bill 276, dubbed the Catherine and Josephine Herring Act, honors the namesake mother-daughter duo who endured a coerced abortion when Catherine’s estranged husband surreptitiously administered abortion drugs that were procured in Mexico into her drinks without her knowing. Herring is the bill author’s sister. TRUMP SAYS HE ‘WILL NEVER ADVOCATE IMPOSING RESTRICTIONS ON BIRTH CONTROL’ OR OTHER CONTRACEPTIVES “There was no ‘choice’ involved when my husband slipped abortion drugs into my drinks seven times,” Herring said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. “I suffered serious side effects from the drugs. I believe my daughter’s life would have ended if I had not taken abortion pill reversal doses of progesterone. As a survivor of domestic violence, I’m grateful for Louisiana’s willingness to protect women and children from those who intend to harm them with abortion drugs.” In February, Catherine’s husband, Mason Herring, pleaded guilty to charges of child injury and assaulting a pregnant person, resulting in a 180-day jail sentence. An amendment to the bill also categorizes abortion drugs mifepristone and misoprostol as controlled substances but permits doctors to prescribe them for non-abortion purposes, explicitly exempting women from punishment. RFK JR. SAYS HE SUPPORTS ABORTION ‘EVEN IF IT’S FULL TERM’ Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America regional director Caitlin Connors told Fox News Digital in a statement the bill is “necessary in a world where pro-abortion Democrats have enabled abusers to coerce and poison mothers with dangerous abortion drugs by removing in-person doctor visits and giving abortionists immunity through shield laws.” The move comes in an election year when Democrats have sought to place the abortion issue front and center for voters. Republicans have struggled to adopt a universal position on the issue after achieving their decades-long goal of ending Roe v. Wade. Fox News’ Digital’s Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
Obama State Dept blocked FBI from arresting supporters of Iran nuclear program in US: Emails
EXCLUSIVE: The Obama-Biden State Department “actively interfered” to prevent the FBI from executing arrest warrants on individuals illegally in the United States who were allegedly supporting Iranian financial efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction, whistleblowers told Sens. Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson. Fox News Digital obtained letters Grassley, R-Iowa, and Johnson, R-Wis., sent to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and Attorney General Merrick Garland on the matter. The Obama-Biden administration began its Joint Plan of Action, which served as the negotiating process for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran Nuclear Deal, that was signed by then-President Obama in 2015. At the time, Obama said broader sanctions would remain in place, which the administration would “continue to enforce… vigorously.” DEATH OF IRAN’S PRESIDENT TEMPORARILY HALTS UN NUCLEAR TALKS, OFFICIAL SAYS The United States, for decades during both Republican and Democratic administrations, imposed sanctions on “Iranian individuals, companies, and organizations for involvement in nuclear proliferation, ballistic missile development, support for terrorist groups, and human rights abuses.” But Grassley and Johnson received unclassified and legally protected whistleblower disclosures which they say show that “while the Obama-Biden administration publicly committed to ‘preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons by raising the cost of Iran’s defiance of the international community,’ then-Secretary of State John Kerry actively interfered with the Federal Bureau of Investigation executing arrest warrants on individuals in the U.S. illegally supporting Iranian efforts, including financial efforts, to develop weapons of mass destruction and its ballistic missile program.” The records, according to the senators, show that the Justice Department and FBI leadership, including then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch and then-FBI Director James Comey “failed to take the necessary steps to stop Kerry’s obstructive efforts against law enforcement.” One email — an unclassified FBI email from August 25, 2017 — detailed at least eight instances connected to the Iran nuclear deal where “the FBI/DOJ/USG could have moved forward with the cases but the State Department chose to block them.” According to the records, in six of these instances, the FBI “lost the opportunity to arrest the main subject.” The email says that one of the subjects the FBI was unable to arrest was “on the Terrorism Watch List” and another “returned to Iran.” The email further says that the State Department “blocked” one planned FBI arrest while the subject was “mid-flight and the subject was forced to leave the US immediately upon arrival.” The email also claims at least two targets were arrested only after “State lifted their block…since the new [Trump] Administration took office.” STATE DEPT DENIES IRAN’S RARE REQUEST FOR US ASSISTANCE AFTER DEADLY HELICOPTER CRASH: ‘LOGISTICAL REASONS’ “These warnings about the failure to arrest known Iranians subject to arrest warrants occurred as early as 2015 and was allegedly done due to political reasons,” Grassley wrote. A July 2015 email shows “concerns were raised about stand down orders to arrest criminal Iranians.” FBI official to an LA field office FBI official with subject line “HQ Support.” An April 28, 2016 email states: “State has been blocking FBI actions where State has had a role for approval or concurrence—visas, lure ops primarily. We have prepared a package of several cases blocked by State and have been working it up the FBI/DOJ/State chain over the past 6 months.” That email also noted that “DOJ was surprised by this a bit because extraditions are ministerial functions and not something State would/should block.” Grassley and Johnson said additional unclassified FBI emails indicate that the State Department’s alleged interference into ongoing FBI investigations became such an issue that then-AG Loretta Lynch had to discuss the matter with Secretary Kerry. An unclassified email from April 29, 2016, described the take-away from a meeting between then AG Lynch and Kerry: “…now is not a ‘good time’ to be requesting approvals for extraditions or lures on Iran CP cases,” the email said. Another email from May 3, 2016, described alleged “tension” between Lynch and Kerry: “…when the PC [Principals Committee] ended, Kerry packed up his stuff and rushed out without engaging with the AG at all. The issues remain unresolved.” ‘BUTCHER OF TEHRAN’ DEAD BUT RAISI’S LEGACY CONTINUES AS IRAN APPOINTS ACTING PRESIDENT “The records provided to our office show that the Obama/Biden administration’s State Department, under the leadership of John Kerry, actively and persistently interfered with FBI operations pertaining to lawful arrests of known terrorists, members of Iranian proliferation networks, and other criminals providing material support for Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs,” Grassley and Johnson wrote. Grassley and Johnson said the records “also show that DOJ and FBI leadership apparently allowed it to happen until the Trump administration altered its course.” Separately, a Nov. 29, 2016 email from Shell corporate to an FBI official within Comey’s office wrote: “It seems Trump election win having impact on doing business in Iran. We are going to sign a small deal in Iran this week ($5 million licensing agreement.) We were in talks with a Japanese bank to handle the funds, but they have recently backed off, unofficially citing coming Trump presidency. European banks feeling the same way. Small amount of money, but having a dampening effect on doing business in Iran.” Ex-FBI official Peter Strzok was copied on that email. Now, Grassley and Johnson are demanding records from email archives of Kerry, now-CIA Director Bill Burns, Wendy Sherman, and now-Secretary of State Antony Blinken, by June 4. They are also demanding records with terms like Mohommad Javaz Zarif; the Joint Plan of Action (JPOA); the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA); Iran Nuclear Deal; Iran Proliferation/Counterproliferation; Law enforcement actions pertaining to Iranian citizens, to include visa lures, extraditions and related subject matter; and the case files for the eight cases mentioned. The FBI and DOJ confirmed receipt of Grassley’s letter, but both declined to comment further. The State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Federal judge temporarily blocks part of DeSantis immigration law
A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily halted enforcement of a Florida law that makes it a crime to transport illegal immigrants into the state. The law, which Gov. Ron DeSantis signed in 2023, in part amends human smuggling statutes to make it a felony to bring individuals without lawful immigration status into Florida. U.S. District Judge Roy Altman issued a temporary injunction against that provision and in his decision cited testimony from plaintiffs that they were “now too afraid to travel in and out of Florida with their undocumented friends or family members – for fear of being arrested or prosecuted or of having their family members deported.” Altman, who was appointed by former President Trump, blocked the law while a lawsuit brought by the Farmworker Association of Florida and several people who say they were impacted works its way through court. MAYORKAS FORCED TO ADMIT MORE MIGRANTS HAVE CROSSED US BORDER UNDER BIDEN THAN TRUMP: ‘SEVERAL MILLION PEOPLE’ DeSantis has strongly opposed illegal immigration as both an unsuccessful Republican candidate for president in 2024 and as governor of Florida. Last month, his administration scored a victory after another judge dropped him and staff members from a lawsuit targeting coordinated flights of illegal immigrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard in 2022. The 2023 immigration law DeSantis signed funds that migrant transportation program, restricts access to ID cards, and requires more businesses to use E-Verify, a federal system that determines whether employees can legally work in the U.S. The lawsuit only challenged the provision related to transporting migrants. RED STATE AG PUSHES BACK AGAINST BIDEN IMMIGRATION LAWSUIT: ‘WE’RE HAPPY TO FIGHT YOU’ DeSantis’ office and the farmworker group behind the lawsuit did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital. Republicans are staking strong positions against the increase in illegal border crossings seen under President Biden, a Democrat, as the November election approaches. There were a historic 2.4 million migrant encounters in FY 23, and that mark could be broken in FY 24, although monthly numbers have decreased, according to the latest figures from the Department of Homeland Security. WHITE HOUSE ACCUSES GOP OF SIDING ‘WITH FENTANYL TRAFFICKERS’ BY OPPOSING BORDER BILL The GOP has blamed Biden’s policies for the border crisis and Republican-controlled legislatures in Texas, Iowa and Oklahoma, in addition to Florida, have passed laws allowing local officials to enforce immigration laws. The Biden administration and immigrant rights groups have sought to block those laws, arguing they overstep the federal government’s authority to enforce immigration law. Civil rights groups say Florida’s ban on migrant transport will place thousands of people, including many U.S. citizens, at risk of being arrested for simple acts such as driving a relative to a doctor’s appointment or going on a family vacation. In his decision Wednesday, Altman said the law is likely unconstitutional because it “extends beyond the state’s authority to make arrests for violations of federal immigration law and, in so doing, intrudes into territory that’s preempted” by the federal government. Reuters contributed to this report.
New York Senate Democrat won’t face charges after allegedly shoving lobbyist before committee meeting
A New York state senator who had to be held back after he allegedly shoved a lobbyist in the Capitol in Albany before a committee meeting on energy and telecommunications will not face charges. Michael Carey, a lobbyist seeking support for a 911 civil rights bill, told Fox News Digital he was speaking with Democratic Sen. Kevin Parker before the Standing Committee on Energy and Telecommunications on May 15, when the altercation took place. Late Tuesday, New York State Police spokesperson Stephanie O’Neil said the investigation was closed, and no criminal charges were filed in regard to the “disturbance” at the state Capitol that day. Carey told The Associated Press that he spoke with Parker on Friday and they “resolved things in a peaceable way.” Parker’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. NEW YORK SENATE DEMOCRAT ALLEGEDLY SHOVED LOBBYIST BEFORE COMMITTEE MEETING, HAD TO BE RESTRAINED Last week, Carey had been seeking a piece of legislation, and he approached Parker ahead of the meeting and asked for his support. Specifically, Carey has been calling for a change in state developmental disabilities systems. Carey’s son died in 2007 while he was being cared for by the state. Carey allegedly tried to explain the situation to Parker ahead of the meeting, to which the latter yelled back, “I don’t care,” the lobbyist claimed. The two men were standing about 15 feet away when Carey questioned Parker, saying, “You don’t care my son died?” Parker, for a second time, said, “I don’t care,” Carey said. Carey then claims he turned around to the others in the room and said, “You heard it, everybody. He doesn’t care.” The next thing Carey knew, Parker was allegedly in his face. NEW YORK SENATE DEM FACES RAPE ALLEGATIONS IN LAWSUIT: ‘EXTREMELY DISTURBING’ Parker allegedly lunged toward Carey after he called the senator out for not showing remorse for his dead son. Onlookers then reportedly pounced to hold Parker back. After the altercation, Parker was seen taking his seat at the beginning of the committee meeting video and joking about the matter. “There’s always lots of excitement in this committee,” Parker said. “I don’t know. Someone said my committee meetings are boring.” He then proceeded to say he hoped Wednesday’s meeting would “be as exciting as the pregame.” Last year, Parker was accused in a lawsuit of raping a woman early in his legislative career, when he went to her home to discuss disaster relief efforts for Haiti. In 2005, Parker was arrested and charged with third-degree assault after punching a traffic agent who gave him a ticket for double-parking, according to news reports from that time. In that same year, a former aide accused Parker of threatening her after she publicly complained that he shoved and hit her when she worked for him. Parker was also convicted of misdemeanor criminal mischief charges in 2010 after he chased a New York Post photographer and damaged the person’s camera. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Families of Uvalde shooting victims sue Texas DPS officers for waiting to confront gunman
In a separate settlement, the city of Uvalde will pay $2 million to the families, create a permanent memorial to the victims and provide enhanced training for police officers.
Biden’s ballot issues in Ohio aren’t going away as state Democrats receive another urgent warning
President Biden may not appear on the ballot in Ohio come Election Day, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose warned Tuesday. The Ohio Democratic Party has received weeks of warnings from both LaRose’s office and the state legislature saying that Biden is on track to miss the state’s deadline for filing as a candidate. LaRose, a Republican, says the Democratic Party has yet to offer a solution that fits with existing law. Biden’s problems arise from Ohio’s requirement that parties certify their presidential candidates at least 90 days before Election Day. The Democratic Party won’t certify Biden until its national convention in Wisconsin, which is scheduled for Aug. 19, just 75 days before the election. “I’ve said from here to Colorado that it’s in the best interest of voters to have a choice in the race for president. I’m also duty-bound to follow the law as Ohio’s chief elections officer,” LaRose said in a statement Tuesday. DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST BOASTS PARTY FOUGHT TO UNDERMINE ‘DANGEROUS’ THIRD-PARTY THREAT TO BIDEN “As it stands today, the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee will not be on the Ohio ballot. That is not my choice. It’s due to a conflict in the law created by the party, and the party has so far offered no legally acceptable remedy,” he continued. DEMS BLASTED OVER LEAKED MEMO THAT SAYS ‘QUIET PART OUT LOUD’ ABOUT VOTER REGISTRATION EFFORTS “The Ohio House speaker said today there won’t be a legislative solution, so I’ve sent a letter to Ohio Democrats’ chair seeking (again) a solution that upholds the law and respects the voters. I trust they’ll act quickly,” he finished. Ohio Democrats had previously argued that Ohio could accept a “provisional certification” for Biden’s candidacy, but LaRose says state law makes no such allowances. VULNERABLE DEM SENATOR RIPPED FOR IGNORING QUESTIONS ABOUT BIDEN’S PUSH TO ‘BAN’ GAS-POWERED CARS LaRose said either the state legislature needs to change the law to allow Biden’s certification, or the Democratic Party needs to change its plans. Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens, also a Republican, says lawmakers won’t bail Biden out. “There’s just not the will to do that from the legislature,” Stephens told reporters. His Democratic counterpart, Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo, had the same message when speaking to reporters on Tuesday. “We’ve seen the dysfunction here in this place,” she said. “And I think we’ve seen that folks have not been able to put aside partisanship and hyper-partisanship and infighting.… I think at this point, you’re probably going to see either, you know, some sort of inner party effects or perhaps court action.” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, another Republican, assured voters that Biden would be on the ballot come November, arguing that if the legislature doesn’t act, then it’s “going to be done by the court.” Ohio Democrats have yet to respond to LaRose’s Tuesday letter.
Afghan evacuee vetting process ‘fragmented’ with ‘vulnerabilities,’ watchdog warns
A report from the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general is faulting the government’s parole processes surrounding the resettling of tens of thousands of Afghan evacuees after the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan. “DHS has a multifaceted but fragmented process for identifying and resolving issues for noncitizens with derogatory information, including [Operation Allies Welcome] parolees. This siloed approach creates potential gaps in DHS components’ responsibility for terminating parole, initiating removal proceedings, or monitoring parole expiration,” the DHS Office of Inspector General [OIG] report says. Of the 97,000 evacuees who came to the U.S. in the wake of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, 79% (about 77,000) were granted humanitarian parole into the United States for two years. Parole is a congressionally granted authority that allows the government to permit entry to noncitizens for either urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. DHS ANNOUNCES TERROR BAR EXEMPTIONS FOR AFGHAN EVACUEES WHO WORKED FOR TALIBAN-ERA CIVIL SERVICE During that parole process, Afghans were screened, vetted and inspected by federal agencies, including a review of any derogatory information that may ultimately lead to a rejection of parole – whether it be national security concerns, criminal convictions or something else. But the report found that the three main DHS components – Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – have “separate but interconnected processes for identifying and resolving derogatory information for OAW parolees. “We found vulnerabilities in the USCIS and ICE processes for resolving derogatory information,” the report said. Specifically, it found an enforcement gap for when parolees are denied benefits, where inadmissibility for benefits does not lead to removal proceedings. It also found criteria that did not align between agencies, with changes to enforcement priorities that may result in different thresholds for action. It also found a “complex” process for returning OAW parolees to Afghanistan that depends on a third-party country. Without the cooperation of that country, the United Arab Emirates, the ability to deport Afghans would be in jeopardy, “likely causing significant delays in an already complex process.” Additionally, the OIG found that DHS did not have a process for monitoring the expiration of the two-year parole period and guidelines for determining “re-parole” for parolees are “undefined.” “CBP, USCIS, and ICE officials uniformly believed this was not their responsibility,” the report said. PENTAGON IG REPORT SAYS 50 AFGHAN EVACUEES BROUGHT TO US HAD ‘POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT SECURITY CONCERNS’ “Although CBP granted the original humanitarian parole for evacuees during OAW, CBP officials told us that once they paroled an OAW evacuee, USCIS and ICE would monitor the parole status of individual parolees. However, both USCIS and ICE officials confirmed they are not monitoring the end of parole for individual OAW parolees,” the report said. The OIG recommended USCIS develop guidelines on terminating parole and making referrals to ICE. Other recommendations include reviews of records, clarity of DHS responsibility for parole reauthorization, and guidelines for how to deal with derogatory information. In a response to the report, DHS concurred with the recommendations but defended its approach to resettling Afghans. “During this unprecedented whole-of-government effort, the United States government facilitated the relocation of Afghans whose lives were at risk, while prioritizing the maintenance of the national security and public safety of the United States,” it said. However, it said the OIG’s report “includes information that does not sufficiently describe the Department’s policies and processes for identifying and resolving derogatory information” for parolees. It pointed to what it says are inadequacies in the report, including that the USCIS manual already includes guidelines on parole termination, and that DHS already has access to information regarding parole expiration. It is the latest report to draw an issue with the vetting process. A Pentagon inspector general report issued in 2022 found that officials identified at least 50 Afghan evacuees who were brought to the United States in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan whose information indicated “potentially significant security concerns” – and were unable to locate dozens of those who it said had derogatory information that would make them ineligible for parole. Fox News’ Bill Melugin contributed to this report.