Florida CFO alerts Trump to $54K in unclaimed property: ‘Every dollar matters’ against ‘radical’ attorneys
Florida’s equivalent of a state treasurer wrote a letter to former President Trump, urging him to recoup an estimated $54,000 through the state’s unclaimed property program to help defend against the “very, very nasty people” coming after him. Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis told Trump in the letter that the state is proud to host several Trump properties and count him as a resident and that he admires the real estate mogul as a former small business owner for his attention to the customer. Patronis said he conducted a search of the state’s public unclaimed property program’s database and found several assets the former president, his family members or his businesses could reclaim. He urged Trump to take action so that the former president can further fund his legal defenses in the multiple ongoing court cases he is facing. The independently elected state official lambasted the prosecutions of the former president, offering to help personally process unclaimed property requests through his office’s fltreasurehunt.gov portal. NEW POLL SHOWS WHAT VOTERS THINK WILL HAPPEN IN NY V TRUMP “There are some very, very nasty people coming after you, and every dollar matters in your efforts to fight back against these radical state attorneys who have weaponized the courts,” Patronis wrote. “We need you and your team to have every resource possible to get through these BS charges so you can get back to work in Making America Great Again.” He defined “unclaimed property” as financial assets that are unknown, lost, inactive or abandoned, saying that the most common examples are dormant bank accounts or stocks and dividends. Typically, the property is held by the disbursing entity for several years before being handed over to the state. TRUMP’S VISIT TO WORKING-CLASS PA TOWN EVOKES FOND MEMORIES, BUSINESSES SAY: ‘MORE MONEY IN OUR POCKETS’ The official also thanked Trump for his contributions to Florida and the nation writ-large, adding that he hopes to hear back from the former president on the matter. A search by Fox News Digital of the Florida Department of Financial Services web portal returned one result for the Trump Organization totaling $3,000 in cashiers checks from JPMorganChase, and Trump’s name revealed nearly $10,000 in assets divided between an address in Volusia County, an address abutting the Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, and an unstated address. CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP There were also several entries under the name Ivana Trump, the former president’s late ex-wife, as well as many others under the names of Trump’s various properties, such as Trump National Doral as well as a resort in Sunny Isles Beach, upon which his name is licensed. The former president faces several lawsuits against him, including in New York, Atlanta and South Florida, all of which he has characterized as “witch hunts” brought upon him through the machinations of President Biden. He has also been held in contempt of court and fined $1,000 for each of 10 gag order violations by Judge Juan Merchan in the ongoing NY v. Trump trial. Patronis’ office told Fox News Digital it has returned $34 million in unclaimed property in April alone and $2.4 billion since Patronis was elected in 2017.
NY congressman tells Columbia he wants to give students graduation ‘they deserve’ after canceled commencement
Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y., penned a letter to Columbia President Minouche Shafik on Wednesday, asking for a list of graduating students from his district so that he can organize for them “the graduation ceremony they deserve” after the Ivy League school canceled its main commencement ceremony. D’Esposito said he finds it “appalling that Columbia University students have been deprived of their commencement ceremony,” noting how, for some, “graduating from higher education is the pinnacle of their life thus far – an important milestone celebrated by family, friends and loved ones.” Many of the college seniors this May missed out on their high school graduation ceremonies four years ago in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “These students have worked extremely hard, invested a tremendous amount of money, and succeeded in meeting requirements to proudly graduate,” the letter obtained by Fox News Digital said. “Your inability to maintain order on campus, keep students safe and end hate-filled violence has led to this.” COLUMBIA STUDENT LAUNCHES PETITION TO HOLD COMMENCEMENT ON CAMPUS: ‘WE ALL WORKED’ FOR THIS D’Esposito asked that Shafik “provide a list of students who call New York’s Fourth Congressional District home, and I will work with community leaders and partners in government to provide them with the graduation ceremony they deserve.” “Leadership at Columbia has failed these students,” he added. “We won’t fail them as well.” Columbia University announced on Monday that it has canceled its university-wide commencement ceremony because of disruptions caused by recent anti-Israel protests. Students will still be able to celebrate at a series of smaller, school-based graduation ceremonies this week and next. Those ceremonies will take place about 5 miles north of campus at Columbia’s sports complex, officials said. Demonstrations began nearly three weeks ago at the Ivy League university in New York City. It has since swept college campuses nationwide, with more than 2,500 people arrested overall, the Associated Press estimated. The university’s large graduation ceremony was scheduled for May 15 on the college’s main lawn in Manhattan, which is where a protest encampment was based until authorities dismantled it last week. University officials said the past few weeks have been “incredibly difficult” for the community, and that they decided to cancel the ceremony after discussing it with students. COLUMBIA STUDENT WHO MISSED HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION UPSET TO MISS OUT ON COLLEGE COMMENCEMENT AMID PROTESTS Shafik on May 1 issued a statement justifying her decision to “ask the New York City Police Department to intervene to end the occupation of Hamilton Hall and dismantle the main encampment along with a new, smaller encampment.” The university president was grilled before Congress about soaring antisemitism at the Ivy League school last month, and the next day, she allowed police onto campus to arrest over 100 people. But as anti-Israel demonstrations escalated and police noted that “outside agitators” came with the intent of escalating the situation, Shafik for several days opted to keep police off the school’sprivate property. On May 1, she acknowledged how “academic leaders spent eight days engaging over long hours in serious dialogue in good faith with protest representatives,” and the “University offered to consider new proposals on divestment and shareholder activism, to review access to our dual degree programs and global centers, to reaffirm our commitment to free speech, and to launch educational and health programs in Gaza and the West Bank.” “It is going to take time to heal, but I know we can do that together,” Shafik wrote. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “I hope that we can use the weeks ahead to restore calm, allow students to complete their academic work, and honor their achievements at Commencement,” she added. “We also must continue with urgency our ongoing dialogue on the important issues that have been raised in recent months, especially the balance between free speech and discrimination and the role of a university in contributing to better outcomes in the Middle East. Both are topics where I hope Columbia can lead the way in new thinking that will make us the epicenter, not just of protests, but of solutions to the world’s problems. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Senator’s fundraising skill could be winning ticket for Trump’s veepstakes
WASHINGTON, D.C. — As he helps raise money for former President Trump, Sen. Tim Scott says he’s got a message that he’s emphasizing as he meets with top Republican donors. “It is in the best interest of the United States of America to have four more years of President Donald Trump. It is in the best interest of our economy to have four more years of Donald Trump,” Scott said in an interview with Fox News Digital. Scott, who was one of roughly a dozen Republican candidates who unsuccessfully challenged Trump for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination before ending his White House bid late last year, endorsed the former president in January. The conservative senator from South Carolina over the past few months has become a top Trump surrogate and is considered to be among a small group of contenders being considered as Trump’s running mate on the 2024 Republican ticket. TRUMP, RNC TOUT APRIL HAUL AS THEY TRY TO CLOSE FUNDRAISING GAP WITH BIDEN, DEMOCRATS Scott has been meeting with donors as Trump and the Republican National Committee try to close the large fundraising gap they face in the race against President Biden and the Democratic National Committee in the 2024 rematch between the president and his GOP predecessor. “The one thing you can discern as a top donor and Republican and, frankly, a strong business person is that a strong economy makes all things possible,” Scott said in an interview Wednesday on Capitol Hill. VP STAKES: TRUMP MEETS WITH POTENTIAL RUNNING MATES Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, has been very active in helping Trump raise money. He was among the potential Trump running mates on hand this past weekend at an RNC spring donor retreat that was headlined by the former president. The senator helped organize a major fundraiser for Trump this year ahead of the South Carolina primary. Next week, he’s scheduled to attend a top-dollar fundraiser in New York City for the former president. And as the New York Times first reported, Scott will host a gathering next month in the nation’s capital that will include major GOP donors who remain uncommitted to Trump. “What I’m going to say to the donors across the country and specifically next week is that four more years under Donald Trump is good for our economy. It’s good for your pocket book. But more important, it’s good for America’s future.” Scott was a voracious fundraiser as he cruised to a very comfortable 2022 Senate re-election, and he transferred much of his unused campaign cash over to his 2024 White House effort. Asked if his fundraising efforts on behalf of Trump give him a leg up in the competition for the vice presidential nomination, Scott kept on message, saying, “I certainly hope that all of our efforts will lead to a better America with one result: Donald Trump having four more years.” As for any competition between him and the other potential contenders, Scott would only say that “my goal isn’t to be in a better position than someone else who wants something. My goal is to make sure that the next generation of leaders looks at me and others and says, ‘Those guys, they burned a path that we get to walk down.’” Scott was interviewed the day after Indiana’s Republican presidential primary, where former Ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley won over 21% of the vote against Trump, even though she ended her White House bid two months ago. Haley, who was the last candidate standing against Trump before dropping out in March, has not endorsed the former president. Asked if he had reached out to his fellow South Carolinian in an attempt to mend relations with Trump’s political orbit, the senator said no. But Scott argued that “the good news is that the voters and the fundraising machine that supported [Haley’s] candidacy and our candidacy and other candidates are all coming back into the fold. The good news is President Trump is a unifying force for our party.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Barron Trump to enter politics as Florida delegate at GOP convention
Barron Trump, the youngest child of former President Trump is set to enter the political fray for the first time. The 18-year-old was picked by the Republican Party of Florida on Wednesday night as one of the state’s at-large delegates to the Republican National Convention, according to a copy of the results. Republican Party of Florida chairman Evan Power said the 18-year-old high school senior will serve as one of 41 at-large delegates from Florida to the national gathering, where the GOP is set to officially nominate his father as its presidential candidate for the November general election. TRUMP PERMITTED TO ATTEND SON BARRON’S GRADUATION AFTER RIPPING TRIAL JUDGE FOR DELAYING DECISION Up until now, Barron Trump has stayed out of the political and public spotlight as he focused on his studies. His name was thrust into the public sphere recently after concerns were raised by his father that he may not be able to attend his son’s graduation due to his ongoing “hush money” trial in New York City. However, the judge overseeing the trial said there would be no court on May 17 so that Trump could attend his son’s graduation. Barron Trump attends a private high school near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in south Florida. TRUMP SHOULD RISK ARREST AND ATTEND SON’S GRADUATION, PIERS MORGAN SAYS, FORCE DEMS INTO ‘POLITICAL SUICIDE’ He is the only child the former president and his wife, former First Lady Melania Trump share together. Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and Trump’s youngest daughter, Tiffany, are also part of the Florida delegation to the convention taking place in Milwaukee from July 15 to July 18. Eric Trump was selected as delegation chair, meaning he will place his father’s name in for the nomination. A campaign official told ABC News that Barron “is very interested in our nation’s political process.” “We are fortunate to have a great group of grassroots leaders, elected officials, and members of the Trump family working together as part of the Florida delegation to the 2024 Republican National Convention,” Power said in an emailed statement to The Associated Press. The former president officially became the presumptive Republican presidential nominee on March 12 when Georgia, Mississippi and Washington state held primaries. He called it a “really great day of victory” in a video message to supporters. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
GOP leaders snubbed Katrina Pierson in her House primary. Now they need her to pass school vouchers.
Ahead of the primary, Pierson lacked endorsements from Gov. Greg Abbott, former President Donald Trump, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, each of whom backed pro-voucher challengers in a number of other House contests.
North Texas landowners trying to stop a reservoir that Wichita Falls calls crucial
State regulators face a critical decision this week on whether to approve a permit for a new reservoir that the city of Wichita Falls says is vital for ensuring enough water for the region. But some locals are fighting the project.
Alabama lawmakers strengthen penalties for falsely reporting a crime after Carlee Russell kidnapping hoax
A bill increasing penalties for falsely reporting a crime to law enforcement is heading to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey’s desk. Lawmakers in the Yellowhammer State passed the bill on Wednesday with a 32-0 vote in the Senate. Many in the state called for harsher penalties for making a false police report after Carlee Russell faked her own kidnapping off Interstate 459 in the city of Hoover last summer – a case that drew national attention. CARLEE RUSSELL PLEADS GUILTY TO FAKE KIDNAPPING REPORT CHARGES IN ALABAMA Falsely reporting a crime to authorities is a Class A misdemeanor in Alabama, but the legislation, if signed by Ivey, will make the crime a felony if it “alleges imminent danger to a person or the public.” It would also make it easier to order restitution for the amount of money authorities spend working on the case. “The goal of this legislation is to create a deterrent for those who blatantly lie in reporting a crime, so that those who do, experience the full force of the law,” state Attorney General Steve Marshall said in a statement. CARLEE RUSSELL ADMITTED TO LYING ABOUT HER DISAPPEARANCE BY ALABAMA FREEWAY: POLICE Russell, who later admitted to fabricating the entire incident, disappeared for two days after calling Hoover police to report a toddler on the interstate on July 13. She told the dispatcher she was stopping her car to check on the child, then faked her abduction. She showed up at her parents’ house late in the night on July 15 after massive searches led by law enforcement and volunteers and national headlines about her alleged kidnapping. A few days later, her attorney issued a statement through police stating there was no kidnapping and that Russell never saw a toddler. She also apologized to law enforcement and the volunteers who searched for her through the statement. Russell pleaded guilty on March 21 to charges of giving false information to law enforcement. She was given a suspended six-month sentence, which allows her to avoid jail, and was ordered to pay more than $17,000 restitution. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Biden national security adviser’s wife launches run for House seat in key swing state
A former Biden Administration senior official, and wife of the president’s national security adviser, is launching a bid for Congress in a key northeastern battleground state where she was born and raised. Maggie Goodlander, the wife of National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and a former top lawyer in Biden’s administration who served as a deputy assistant attorney general at the Justice Department, on Thursday announced her candidacy for the open seat in New Hampshire’s Second Congressional District. “I know how to get things done and deliver for New Hampshire,” Goodlander said in a statement. “I’ll be a workhorse for the people of the Second District and I’ll never stop fighting for a freer and more just Granite State.” The announcement is likely to elevate an already high-profile race to succeed longtime Democratic Rep. Annie Kuster in a blue-leaning, but competitive, district in a key general election battleground state. SHOCKER: LONGTIME DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSWOMAN IN BATTLEGROUND STATE ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT Goodlander joins a burgeoning field of candidates aiming to succeed the six-term Kuster, who announced in late March that she would retire from Congress rather than seek re-election. Goodlander could face plenty of scrutiny over Biden administration polices — both domestic and international — over her ties to Republicans, and over her residency. Goodlander’s congressional campaign will also likely draw national attention to the New Hampshire race and possibly garner high-profile endorsements. Goodland married Sullivan nearly nine years ago when he was working as a foreign policy advisor to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during her 2016 presidential campaign. The couple’s wedding, attended by prominent political figures including Clinton, now-Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, was a snapshot of the couple’s long history in Democratic politics. TOP BIDEN ADVISER’S WIFE CONSIDERING RUN FOR HOUSE SEAT IN KEY SWING STATE Sullivan worked as Klobuchar’s chief counsel before serving as an adviser on Hillary Clinton’s 2008 Democratic presidential primary campaign and later on former President Barack Obama’s general election presidential campaign. He served as deputy chief of staff to Clinton during her years as Secretary of State in the Obama administration. After Clinton departed the administration, Sullivan became then-Vice President Biden’s top security aide. Sullivan then served as a top adviser on Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. Four years later, he was one of Biden’s first appointments following the 2020 presidential election. While not as well known nationally as her high-profile husband, Goodlander hails from a prominent New Hampshire family. TOP BIDEN OFFICIAL’S WIFE COULD FACE SCRUTINY OVER RESIDENCY IF SHE JUMPS INTO HOUSE RACE Her grandfather, Sam Tamposi, was a major player in state Republican politics. Her mother, Betty Tamposi, ran for the House in 1988 in the Second Congressional District but lost in the GOP primary. In some ways, Goodlander’s story mirrors that of Kuster, the woman she’s trying to succeed in Congress. Kuster’s parents were prominent Republicans in New Hampshire, but she ran as a Democrat. Goodlander, a Yale University and Yale Law School graduate, served as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve and worked as an adviser to late Senators Joe Lieberman and John McCain on the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. She also served as a law clerk to Attorney General Merrick Garland during his tenure as chief judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Goodlander joins a Democratic primary field that includes Colin Van Ostern, who worked as Kuster’s campaign manager in 2010 during her first run for Congress, and who later won two terms as a New Hampshire executive councilor before winning the 2016 Democratic gubernatorial nomination. Van Ostern launched his bid the day after Kuster’s retirement announcement and was endorsed by the incumbent a couple of weeks later. While Van Ostern has landed a good deal of Granite State support, Goodlander’s entry into the race could potentially shift the landscape. “I mean, it’s pretty rare to have someone of this caliber who is 37, with pretty unimpeachable roots in the district, a vast national network, and a demonstrable bipartisan record, who isn’t already an elected official. It would be a really exciting dynamic in one of the nation’s top congressional races,” a veteran Democratic operative in New Hampshire who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely told Fox News. State Sen. Becky Whitley, a progressive Democrat, is also running to succeed Kuster. Eight Republicans, including 2022 Senate candidate Vikram Mansharamani and Lily Tang Williams, who’s making her second straight bid for the congressional nomination, are running. Goodlander’s campaign announcement highlighted her roots in Nashua, “the city her family has called home for over 100 years.” But for years, Goodlander and Sullivan have spent much of their time in the nation’s capital because of work. The couple owns a home in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. While the port city on the New Hampshire Seacoast is located in the state’s First Congressional District, the geography won’t prevent Goodlander from running in the Second District. The U.S. Constitution only mandates that a candidate must reside in the state in which they are running in, not the specific congressional district. The most recent high-profile example of a Democratic congressional candidate in New Hampshire campaigning in a district outside their residence was six years ago, when Levi Sanders — the son of Sen. Bernie Sanders — ran in the First District even though he lived in the Second District. While Goodland grew up in the Second District, records reviewed by Fox News Digital show that the last time Goodlander voted there was by absentee ballot for the 2008 presidential primary and general elections. Goodlander registered to vote in New Hampshire’s First District in 2016. Fox News’ Aubrie Spady contributed to this report Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Spiritual Leader Morari Bapu Exemplifies Civic Duty, Casts Vote in Lok Sabha Elections
Morari Bapu’s journey with the sacred verses of the Ramayana commenced as a young child.
FIRST ON FOX: Biden gets boost from major health care group warning Trump poses ‘threat to public health’
FIRST ON FOX: President Biden is getting a boost from a major group of former medical officials who say they are concerned about the “threat” former President Trump poses to public health. The group of 48 individuals is led by Dr. Andrew Gurman, former president of the American Medical Association (AMA), and includes six other former AMA presidents, a former U.S. surgeon general, four former acting surgeons general, a number of other former deputy and assistant surgeons general and former representatives of the American College of Physicians. “We write today as people who have dedicated our lives to helping people. As former leaders of national health care and delivery organizations, we have come to understand how policy can impact public health and, just as importantly, the ability of American families to afford the healthcare they need,” the group wrote in a letter addressed to the American People and shared exclusively with Fox News Digital. WATCH: DEM GOVERNOR SWARMED BY ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS WHILE CELEBRATING DAUGHTER’S COLLEGE GRADUATION “If he is elected president, Donald Trump will make our fears a reality. The price of healthcare for American families under Trump would skyrocket, while millions would lose access to healthcare altogether. While his specific policies are at best ambiguous, his track record and his words make clear the damage he would do. “We therefore encourage anyone concerned about the price, availability, and safety of healthcare to keep Mr. Trump out of the White House,” they added. The group argued that because of Trump’s “ambiguity” concerning health care policy, all they could do was “surmise” how the former president might proceed based on his record in office and his remarks on the campaign trail. WATCH: DEM SENATE CANDIDATE CAUGHT ON VIDEO SCREAMING AT REPORTER OVER CONTROVERSIAL POLICE REMARK They described what they foresee as “troubling,” including Trump’s expressed desire to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Additionally, the group argued Trump would cut funds from the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), eliminate the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), cut funding for veterans’ health care and try to further restrict abortions. “I am concerned that, based upon what I saw during the Trump presidency and what I have heard him say during the campaign, that returning Mr. Trump to the Oval Office could have real and negative effects on the health of our country,” Gurman told Fox News Digital ahead of the letter’s release. “I am concerned that millions might lose access to health care altogether, and that for the rest it might well become much more expensive. I think that people need to hear those concerns, and that’s why I signed the letter.” Biden campaign communications director Michael Tyler reacted to the letter by telling Fox News Digital “every chance Trump got while in office, he made it his mission to rip health care away from working families.” “Pushing to ‘terminate’ the Affordable Care Act is just the start for Trump if he’s re-elected. He’s now running to go even further. A second Trump presidency would mean the American people would risk getting sicker, going broke, both or worse with soaring prescription drug costs, the elimination of protections for patients with preexisting conditions and wins for Big Pharma at the expense of working families,” he said. “This November, voters will send President Biden back to the White House because he is the candidate who won’t just protect our health care, but will do everything he can to lower costs and improve our health care.” Fox News Digital has reached out to Trump’s campaign for comment and a Trump spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, said the claims were false. “These claims are outright lies. While President Trump is running to make less expensive healthcare options available for people without eliminating the Affordable Care Act, Joe Biden is destroying Obamacare and the entire healthcare system with his open borders invasion,” said Leavitt. “It was recently announced that Joe Biden is giving free government healthcare to illegal aliens. Every penny of this will be funded by American citizens, taken out of their paychecks and wallets. It will mean higher taxes, higher premiums, higher deductibles, and longer wait times to see a doctor. And it will mean the border invasion Biden launched will become even larger as the world floods over in search of free government benefits. This is all part of Biden’s war on the working class. Day 1 of a Trump Administration we will seal the border, deport the illegals and cut off their government benefits.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.