Illegal migrant accused of snatching young girl had been set loose by Feds
A Guatemalan illegal immigrant who is now charged in Florida with the kidnapping and sexual assault of a child, had been freed into the U.S. with a court date for 2027, officials said this week. The Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office announced that Marvin Perez Lopez, an illegal immigrant from Guatemela, was arrested on Saturday for kidnapping a minor under 13 and sexual assault. Detectives learned that he arrived in January after crossing into the U.S. via Mexico and turned himself into Border Patrol. Authorities say he was given a court date for some time in 2027 and released into the U.S. ‘BIDEN HAS FAILED’: DEMS SOUND OFF AFTER HANDLING OF BORDER CRISIS FRACTURES THEIR OWN PARTY He is currently being held in the county jail on no bond, the office said. Perez Lopez is alleged to have grabbed an 11-year-old girl and forced her into his van, according to the arrest report, reported by CBS 12. The girl’s mother is said to have spotted them and started banging on the door, before the suspect jumped out of the van and fled, according to sheriff’s deputies. When deputies arrived at his apartment, Perez Lopez is alleged to have fled into an alleyway before he was eventually caught. “Here’s a Guatemalan, who came into the country illegally, was stopped by the border people, released, and made his way to South Florida. And now he commits a crime where he held an 11-year-old girl against her will and sexually assaulted her,” Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told the outlet. In a statement, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed that Perez Lopez was encountered by Border Patrol, issued a notice to appear and released on an order of recognizance after being encountered on Jan 19. A spokesperson said that ICE ERO officers have since lodged a detainer on him since his arrest on May 5. A detainer is a request by ICE that the agency be notified before a suspected illegal immigrant is released from local police custody and to hold them until ICE can take custody of them and put them into deportation proceedings. The arrest comes as the ongoing crisis at the southern border rages and remains a top political issue in the U.S., including the release of migrants into the U.S. interior. Republicans have blamed the crisis on the policies of the Biden administration, accusing it of adopting “open border” policies and of rolling back successful Trump-era policies. NEARLY TWO-THIRDS OF AMERICANS BELIEVE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IS REAL CRISIS, NOT A MEDIA NARRATIVE: POLL The Biden administration says it needs more funding and comprehensive immigration reform from Congress in order to fix a “broken” system and be able to tackle the ongoing crisis. It has also pointed to moves it has made to shorten immigration backlogs, including a rule that would empower asylum officers to make determinations on asylum cases. It has called on Congress to pass a bipartisan Senate bill unveiled earlier this year, which it says allows it to fund border security, including greater expedited removal. But conservatives say that the legislation would codify already high levels of illegal immigration. Meanwhile, officials at state and federal level continue to rack up arrests of convicted or suspected child sex offenders who crossed the border illegally. Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens announced last week that agents caught three illegal immigrants with prior felony convictions for “Indecency w/ child Sexual contact” coming across the border in Texas. Get the latest updates on the ongoing border crisis from the Fox News Digital immigration hub.
NY v. Trump: Mayor Adams says Rikers Island is ‘prepared’ if Trump is sentenced to jail
New York City’s Rikers Island is prepared if former President Donald Trump is ordered to serve time in jail amid his unprecedented trial in Manhattan, Mayor Eric Adams said Tuesday. “Our amazing commissioner … is prepared for whatever comes on Rikers Island,” Adams told the media Tuesday when asked if Rikers, New York City’s largest prison, is prepared if Trump is ordered to jail for violating a gag order imposed during the trial. “I’m pretty sure [the Department of Corrections commissioner] would be prepared to manage and deal with the situation. As you see what’s happening with Harvey Weinstein, we have to just you know, in this business, particularly around law enforcement, we have to adjust whatever comes our way,” he continued. “We don’t want to deal with a hypothetical, but they’re professionals that will be ready.” LIVE UPDATES: NY V. TRUMP TRIAL RESUMES WITH WITNESS TESTIMONY AFTER JUDGE MERCHAN THREATENS TRUMP WITH JAIL TIME Trump is currently on trial in Manhattan for 34 counts of falsifying business records. The case stems from former Trump attorney Michael Cohen paying former pornographic actor Stormy Daniels $130,000 to allegedly quiet her claims of an alleged extramarital affair she had with Trump in 2006. Trump has repeatedly denied the affair and pleaded not guilty to the charges. ERIC TRUMP SLAMS STORMY’S TESTIMONY FROM FRONT ROW COURT SEAT: ‘GARBAGE’ Prosecutors allege that the Trump Organization and the president reimbursed Cohen and fraudulently logged the payments as legal expenses. Prosecutors are working to prove that Trump falsified records with the intent to commit or conceal a second crime, which is a felony. Presiding Judge Juan Merchan has warned Trump he could potentially be ordered to jail if he continues violating a gag order that prevents him from making or directing others to make public statements about witnesses and their potential participation or remarks about court staff, DA staff or family members of staff. STORMY DANIELS TAKES THE STAND IN TRUMP CRIMINAL TRIAL The district attorney’s office, which is headed up by Democrat Alvin Bragg, argued Trump violated the order a total of 14 times in Truth Social posts and on his campaign’s website. Merchan ruled last Tuesday that Trump violated the order nine times, resulting in a $9,000 fine, and held a hearing last Thursday to consider the remaining alleged gag order violations. On Monday, Merchan fined the former president another $1,000 for an additional violation, while arguing that it’s “clear” the $1,000 fines for each violation are not effective. He said he would consider a jail sentence for Trump if he continues to violate the gag order. TRUMP SAYS JAIL TIME TO DEFEND FREE SPEECH IS ‘SACRIFICE’ HE’S WILLING TO MAKE “The last thing I want to consider is jail,” Merchan said. “You are [the] former president and possibly the next president.” In the judge’s initial gag order ruling last week, he threatened Trump with jail time if he further violated the order, while also lamenting not being able to fine Trump more than $1,000 for each violation. Merchan wrote in last week’s order that if Trump carries out “continued willful violations” of the gag order, he could face “incarceratory punishment” if “necessary and appropriate.” In the text of his order, Merchan lamented that the fines’ costs “unfortunately will not achieve the desired result in those instances where the contemnor can easily afford such a fine.” NY V TRUMP TO RESUME WITH GAG ORDER HEARING AFTER TRUMP FINED $9K, THREATENED WITH JAIL TIME Merchan continued that it would be “preferable” if the court “could impose a fine more commensurate with the wealth of the contemnor.” “In some cases that might be a $2,500 fine, in other cases it might be a fine of $150,000. Because this Court is not cloaked with such discretion, it must therefore consider whether in some instances, jail may be a necessary punishment,” he said, highlighting again that Trump could face time behind bars if he continues violating the order. Trump has railed against the gag order as “unconstitutional” and said Monday afternoon that he’s make the “sacrifice” of jail time to protect the Constitution. NY V TRUMP: JUDGE THREATENS JAIL TIME FOR ‘POSSIBLY THE NEXT PRESIDENT’ FOR FUTURE GAG ORDER VIOLATIONS “I have to watch every word I tell you people. You ask me a question, a simple question I’d like to give it, but I can’t talk about it because this judge has given me a gag order and [says] you’ll go to jail if you violate it,” Trump said Monday. “And frankly, you know what? Our Constitution is much more important than jail. It’s not even close. I’ll do that sacrifice any day.” TRUMP SAYS BIDEN ‘SHOULD BE IN JAIL’ AND ‘ON TRIAL,’ WHILE BLASTING NY CASE: ‘THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING’ Fox News reported earlier Tuesday that the Secret Service is holding internal discussions on how to handle a potential jail order for the 45th president. The Secret Service has not publicly weighed in on the report, but allegedly kicked off strategies of handling a potential jail order on Monday. Rikers Island is located in the Bronx on the East River. It holds about 6,000 inmates, according to city data published last year. Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman and Brianna Herlihy contributed to this report.
Pune Lok Sabha constituency: Check polling date, key candidates, past election results
Pune is one of the 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra. The date of voting for the Pune constituency is set for May 13 (Phase 4).
BSP chief Mayawati removes nephew Akash Anand as party co-ordinator, ‘successor’
The surprise decision comes on the day voting was held for the third phase of the Lok Sabha polls in the country.
Johnson warned against making ‘side deals’ with GOP rebels: Don’t ‘grease a squeaky wheel’
House Republicans are warning Speaker Johnson, R-La., against making any potential “side deals” with the GOP rebels threatening to oust him. Johnson is holding his second meeting in as many days on Tuesday afternoon with Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky. They made several demands of Johnson on foreign aid and government funding in a two-hour closed-door meeting on Monday. It’s not immediately clear if they will back off their threats if their requests are fulfilled, but several House Republicans told Fox News Digital they hope Johnson stands firm against their demands unless he decides something is in the best interest of his conference. “I think his job as speaker is to listen a lot, and then he has to ultimately make a decision, so I don’t have a problem with him listening,” Republican Study Committee Chair Kevin Hern, R-Okla., said on Tuesday morning. “What I would have a problem with – and we had this problem with Speaker McCarthy – is when you start making special deals, side deals and hidden deals… then people [say]… ‘What about my deal?’” ANTI-MCCARTHY GOP REBELS DISTANCE THEMSELVES FROM PUSH TO OUST SPEAKER JOHNSON Hern was referring to the closed-door conversations ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., held with members of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus and their allies, at times shifting House GOP policy after hours behind closed-doors with those members. That includes side deals he made in January 2023 to win the speaker’s gavel after a record 15 rounds of voting. “It’s hard to equate him and Speaker McCarthy, they’re just entirely different and they had a different approach to most of everything,” one GOP lawmaker granted anonymity to speak freely told Fox News Digital. The GOP lawmaker argued that the concessions being asked of Johnson were mostly non-controversial, but added, “I just feel like it’s not good practice to establish separate arrangements with separate members.” 2 HOUSE REPUBLICANS MOVE TO OUST SPEAKER JOHNSON 6 MONTHS AFTER HE TOOK GAVEL “My management style has always been – you never, ever, ever grease a squeaky wheel,” Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., said when asked about potential side deals. “Because if you do, you’re going to end up with more squeaky wheels.” Fox News Digital reported early on Tuesday that among the requests Greene and Massie made to Johnson were assurances that the House would not vote on any more Ukraine aid and a pledge to defund Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation of former President Trump. They are also demanding that Johnson vow to block any legislation from getting a House-wide vote unless it has the support of a majority of the House GOP – a long-standing informal provision called the Hastert rule, named after a former Republican speaker. Greene confirmed those requests when she arrived at Johnson’s office on Tuesday afternoon for their second meeting. “These are not unreasonable requests. These are the right things to do. These are the right things to do for our conference,” Greene told reporters. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., told Fox News Digital he did not believe Johnson would agree to their requests, and called them “nonsense.” MASSIE THREATENS TO OUST SPEAKER JOHNSON IF HE DOESN’T STEP DOWN OVER FOREIGN AID PLAN “Look, they get to weigh in, they get a vote. That’s what they get. They don’t get to form our total policy,” Meuser said. A second GOP lawmaker granted anonymity to speak freely acknowledged there would always be “concerns” about possible side deals with House Republicans’ razor-thin majority. “I think there’s always concerns about that, that there’s specific members that are getting more attention than others from the speaker himself,” the second GOP lawmaker said. “But, you know, overall, I think it’s kind of like, we’re just trying to figure out how to move forward on some of this stuff. Everybody realizes the majority is so thin, that, you know, anybody could walk into the speaker’s office and make demands.” Johnson was asked about some GOP lawmakers’ concerns about his negotiating with Greene and Massie during his weekly press conference on Tuesday. “It’s not a negotiation, OK? This is how I have operated as speaker… Everybody knows I have lengthy discussions, detailed discussions on a daily basis with members across the conference. There are 217 of us. It takes a lot of time,” Johnson said. “So I take Marjorie’s ideas and Thomas’ and everybody else’s equally, and we assess them on their own value and where we can make improvements and changes and all of that. And that’s what this is.”
Hamas sympathizers could be added to list that includes terrorist suspects if GOP bill becomes law
FIRST ON FOX: Legislation being introduced on Tuesday would put terrorist supporters, including those backing Hamas and those who call for violence against Jews, on the no-fly list, as anti-Israel campus protests engulf colleges across the country. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., is introducing the No Flights for Terrorists Act, which would put individuals on the Transportation Security Administration’s no-fly list if they have encouraged violence against Jews, pledged support for terrorist groups, or have been disciplined by higher education institutions for such conduct. Terrorist organizations are designated as such by the secretary of state, and include Hamas, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Palestine Islamic Jihad and the Palestine Liberation Front. Currently, the no-fly list is a small subset of the terror watchlist that contains the information of known or suspected terrorists. COLUMBIA LAW STUDENT GROUP REPORTEDLY DECLARES NO JEW IS SAFE UNTIL ‘EVERYONE IS SAFE’ The bill is being co-sponsored by Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and comes after thousands of protesters have been arrested at colleges and universities in recent weeks, since the formation of an encampment at Columbia University on April 18. There have been a number of allegations of discrimination against Jewish students, with students saying they feel unsafe on campus and have been intimidated. One student group from Columbia Law reportedly declared that no Jew is “safe” or “free” until “Palestine” is free. Marshall claimed that professional agitators are able to promote terrorism without consequences on college campuses. “Hamas terrorist sympathizers don’t just hate Israel, they hate America and everything we stand for. These Far-Left paid professional agitators are promoting terrorism with no fear of the consequences from this Administration and these University Presidents who are coddling them to safeguard their donor lists,” Marshall said in a statement. “These radical Marxists who are doing Hamas’ bidding across the country on college campuses, threatening the safety of our Jewish students and communities, should be treated the same way we treat the terrorist organizations they are pledging their support to and immediately be placed on the TSA No Fly List,” he said. COLUMBIA CRACKS DOWN ON PROTESTERS, THREATENS SUSPENSION AS DEADLINE LOOMS Blackburn said it is “unacceptable for terrorist sympathizers to threaten the safety of Jewish students in America with little to no consequence.” “When protesters chant ‘We are Hamas’ and carry around ‘Death to America’ posters, we should believe them. Any student, professor or paid protester in America who promotes terrorism or engages in terrorist acts on behalf of Hamas should immediately be placed on the TSA No Fly List,” she said. The legislation will be filed as an amendment to the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization currently moving through the Senate. The bill comes days after the House voted to expand the legal definition of antisemitism used to enforce anti-discrimination laws. The bill overwhelmingly passed the House by a 320-91 vote, netting a majority of Republicans and Democrats. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP If passed by the Senate and signed by President Biden, the bipartisan Antisemitism Awareness Act would mandate that the Department of Education legally adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism when enforcing anti-discrimination rules. Fox News’ Liz Elkind and Lindsey Kornick contributed to this report.
Chip Roy demands sanctions on ICC officials going after US, Israel
FIRST ON FOX: House Republicans led by Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Brian Mast, R-Fla., are pressuring the Biden administration to threaten sanctions against International Criminal Court (ICC) officials if the body goes after the U.S. or U.S. allies that do not fall under its jurisdiction. It comes amid reports that the ICC is preparing warrants against top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over their handling of humanitarian aid in Gaza during the Middle Eastern nation’s war on terror group Hamas. They’re leading a new bill to force President Biden’s hand called The Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act, along with 15 House GOP co-sponsors, including House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and Republican Study Committee Chair Kevin Hern, R-Okla. CALIFORNIA STATE OFFICIALS CONDEMN VIOLENT ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS AT UCLA According to legislative text obtained by Fox News Digital, it would force Biden to sanction an ICC-related entity or person “no later than 60 days after the enactment of this Act, if the International Criminal Court is engaging in any attempt to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute any protected person.” “The ICC is an illegitimate court that represents a massive threat to U.S. sovereignty. The Trump administration was right to impose sanctions on the associates of the ICC if they dare go after U.S. citizens, service members, or our allies,” Roy told Fox News Digital. “Biden’s decision to reverse that policy was weak, embarrassing, and wrong.” ISRAEL URGES PALESTINIANS TO EVACUATE RAFAH AHEAD OF EXPECTED GROUND OPERATION IN HAMAS STRONGHOLD Roy said of reports that the ICC may target Israel, “If the ICC goes after our allies, there will be consequences.” Israel is not under the ICC’s jurisdiction. The Palestinian territories, however, were admitted in 2015. Mast said their bill sent a “clear message” to the ICC, adding, “We may not recognize you, but you sure as hell will recognize what happens when you target America or its allies.” Mast is a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where the bill will have to advance before a possible House-wide vote. A U.S. Army veteran, he also previously served with the Israeli Defense Force (IDF). Stefanik, the No. 3 House Republican, accused the ICC of “a campaign to undermine the only democracy in the Middle East, while turning a blind eye to the numerous human rights atrocities committed by Hamas.” “This double standard is an abuse of power by the ICC and exposes their irrelevance,” she said. State Department deputy spokesman Vidant Patel would not confirm or deny whether the U.S. was aware of the ICC’s reported plans during a press briefing early last week, but he told reporters, “On this investigation, our position is clear. We continue to believe that the ICC does not have jurisdiction over the Palestinian situation.” ISRAELI TROOPS GAIN OPERATIONAL CONTROL OF GAZAN SIDE OF RAFAH CROSSING, IDF SAYS Israeli officials are concerned that the ICC is preparing arrest warrants over Israel’s response to the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by the terrorist group Hamas, the New York Times reported last Monday. Israel has been accused of blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza while waging a ground invasion and airstrike campaign in order to get Israeli hostages being held by Hamas back to their homes. But there’s been mounting criticism of Israel on the world stage over the severity of its response. Netanyahu said on X last week in response to the report, “Under my leadership, Israel will never accept any attempt by the ICC to undermine its inherent right of self-defense.”
Flights for illegal immigrants without IDs targeted in FAA bill as deadline looms
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is facing renewed scrutiny over illegal immigrants traveling by plane throughout the U.S. without proper identification as Congress looks to pass the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization before its May 10 deadline. While the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act, which would renew the FAA among other things, enjoys significant support, several amendments have been offered for inclusion. Two Republican senators in particular have looked to address lax TSA standards for illegal immigrants who enter the U.S. and then fly throughout the country. Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Rick Scott, R-Fla., are pushing their VALID Act as an amendment, which would stop migrants from being able to use the Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) app as an acceptable form of identification to fly. WHITE HOUSE LOOKS TO CONVINCE AMERICANS OF ‘BIDENOMICS’ WITH KAMALA HARRIS TOUR “Our own government is flying illegal immigrants across the nation without ID, while American citizens wouldn’t be able to board a plane without a driver’s license or passport,” Lee told Fox News Digital in a statement. “My VALID Act stops the TSA from letting illegals fly to our communities through the CBP One app. It is very important that the FAA reauthorization include this vital provision for transportation safety and national security,” he added. ALL GOP SENATORS PRESS BIDEN NOT TO SUPPORT EXPANDING WHO PANDEMIC AUTHORITY The TSA did not provide comment to Fox News Digital in time for publication. The two senators signed a letter to their colleagues on Monday, explaining it is a congressional duty to address the immigration crisis, and the FAA bill is “likely our last opportunity to do so this year.” While the year is far from over, Congress has passed nearly all the time-sensitive reauthorizations necessary. The next issue with a strict deadline for action will be appropriations for fiscal year 2025, which need to be finished by Sept. 30. ERNST LEADS SENATE GOP DEMANDING BIDEN ‘CEASE PLANNING’ GAZA REFUGEE ACCEPTANCE Additionally, the Senate is expected to be on recess for a significant portion of time in the fall as several competitive elections in November approach. A Senate staff member with knowledge of the discussions told Fox News Digital that a time agreement has not been reached by senators, leaving hope for passing the FAA bill in limbo. It is unclear whether Lee’s amendment will see a vote, as Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., tends not to allow amendments to be called up in regular order, opting instead for a pre-filled amendment tree with amendments pre-designated for consideration. Lee’s amendment has been deemed relevant to the subject at hand, per the staff member. Neither Lee nor Schumer’s offices provided comments on the status of negotiations for amendment consideration.
Eric Trump slams Stormy’s testimony from front row court seat: ‘Garbage’
Former President Donald Trump’s son Eric Trump blasted testimony from former pornographic actress Stormy Daniels as “garbage” amid his father’s unprecedented trial in Manhattan. “Perspective: Sitting front row attempting to figure out how any of this garbage from 20 years ago relates to ‘legal’ bills submitted by a long time personal attorney being booked as a ‘legal’ expense — but I digress,” Eric Trump posted to his X account Tuesday. Daniels took the stand Tuesday morning, where she went into detail about meeting Trump in 2006 during a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe. The testimony included Daniels detailing allegedly sleeping with the then-real estate mogul. Trump has repeatedly denied any affair with Daniels. Trump is facing 34 counts of falsifying business records in the case, which revolves around Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen, paying Daniels $130,000 to allegedly quiet her claims of the alleged extramarital sexual encounter. Trump has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors allege that the Trump Organization reimbursed Cohen and fraudulently logged the payments as legal expenses. Prosecutors are working to prove that Trump falsified records with the intent to commit or conceal a second crime, which is a felony. LIVE UPDATES: NY V. TRUMP TRIAL RESUMES WITH WITNESS TESTIMONY AFTER JUDGE MERCHAN THREATENS TRUMP WITH JAIL TIME Eric Trump continued on X that prosecutors do not care about the “merits of this case,” and are instead focusing on the “salacious show.” STORMY DANIELS TAKES THE STAND IN TRUMP CRIMINAL TRIAL “To be clear, they don’t give a s**t about the merits of this case — the 15 Manhattan prosecutors are sitting at their table and behind in the courthouse pews, giddy by this salacious show. This is the intent, not the merits, nor the fact that this entire case is a massive extortion play,” he wrote. The presiding judge in the case, Juan Merchan, told prosecutors earlier Tuesday that they were going into too much detail during their questioning of Daniels. “The degree of detail we’re going into is unnecessary,” Merchan said. TRUMP READS BACK TO MEDIA THEIR OWN TRIAL REPORTING: ‘NO SMOKING GUN’ In addition to her testimony on the alleged encounter with Trump in 2006, Daniels described to the court how she got into the pornography business after working as an exotic dancer as a teenager. The testimony Tuesday comes fresh off the heels of Merchan warning Trump he could face jail time if he breaks a gag order that restricts him from making or directing others to make public statements about witnesses and their potential participation or remarks about court staff, DA staff or family members of staff. Trump has railed against the order as “unconstitutional” and trampling on his free speech rights. TRUMP SAYS JAIL TIME TO DEFEND FREE SPEECH IS ‘SACRIFICE’ HE’S WILLING TO MAKE The DA’s office argued that Trump violated the order more than a dozen times, with the judge ruling last week that Trump violated the order nine times, resulting in a combined $9,000 fine. Merchan fined the former president another $1,000 for an additional violation on Monday, arguing that it’s “clear” the $1,000 fines for each violation are not effective. NY V TRUMP: DA’S WITNESS TESTIFIES TRUMP DID NOT DIRECT HIM ON COHEN REPAYMENTS Merchan added Monday said he would consider a jail sentence for Trump if he continues to violate the gag order. “The last thing I want to consider is jail,” Merchan said. “You are [the] former president and possibly the next president.” Trump said Monday afternoon that potential time in jail to protect the Constitution is a “sacrifice” he’s willing to make. “I have to watch every word I tell you people. You ask me a question, a simple question I’d like to give it, but I can’t talk about it because this judge has given me a gag order and [says] you’ll go to jail if you violate it,” Trump said in remarks outside the Manhattan courtroom Monday afternoon. NY V TRUMP TO RESUME MONDAY AFTER EVENTFUL 3RD WEEK OF TESTIMONY, THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF GAG ORDER FINES “And frankly, you know what? Our Constitution is much more important than jail. It’s not even close. I’ll do that sacrifice any day.” Ahead of court kicking off on Tuesday, Trump again addressed the media, where he said news reports across a wide array of outlets have not shown a “smoking gun” in the trial and that prosecutors have “nothing.” “This all comes out of the White House and Crooked Joe Biden. This comes from the White House. And it’s all Biden because it’s an attack on his political opponent. That hasn’t happened in this country. It does happen in third world countries, but it hasn’t happened in this country. And it’s a shame. And the trial is a very unfair trial. It’s a very, very unfair trial. The good news is they have nothing,” he said.
House Judiciary Committee investigates ‘manipulated’ evidence seized by FBI in Trump classified records probe
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan is investigating whether evidence seized by the FBI in its raid on former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home as part of special counsel Jack Smith’s classified records case was “altered or manipulated.” Jordan, R-Ohio, sent a letter to the Office of Professional Responsibility this week after Smith admitted that seized documents are no longer in their original order and sequence. NEW REVELATIONS IN FLORIDA DOCUMENTS TRIAL PUT TRUMP ON OFFENSE AGAINST ‘DERANGED’ SPECIAL COUNSEL Smith and federal prosecutors admitted in a court filing on Friday that “there are some boxes where the order of items within that box is not the same as in the associated scans.” The prosecutors had previously told the court that the documents were “in their original, intact form as seized.” “The Government acknowledges that this is inconsistent with what Government counsel previously understood and represented to the Court,” a footnote in the filing reads. Jordan, in his letter, said the acknowledgment “presents grave concerns” about the Justice Department’s “commitment to impartial justice, whether the Special Counsel’s Office misled a federal court, whether the Special Counsel’s Office strenuously upheld the ‘highest professional standards’ of the Department of Justice.” Jordan is now asking the DOJ’s Office of Professional Responsibility to “hold accountable” attorneys who may have violated the standards. Jordan is demanding that the office produce all documents and records referring or relating to any allegation of ethical impropriety regarding Smith, top prosecutor Jay Bratt or any other attorney assigned to the special counsel’s office. Jordan is also requesting all documents and records related to the “manipulation” of documents seized from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in August 2022, among others, by May 20. Jordan’s investigation comes after Trump’s co-defendants in the case asked for a delay as lawyers were having trouble figuring out the origin of some of the documents in the evidence boxes. JUDGE UNSEALS FBI FILES IN TRUMP CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS CASE, INCLUDING DETAILED TIMELINE OF MAR-A-LAGO RAID The FBI agents seized 33 boxes of documents in August 2022 from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, spurring another legal battle that Trump has called a “scam.” The investigation is overseen by special prosecutor Smith, who Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed to the job, and has charged Trump with 40 felony counts, including allegedly violating the Espionage Act, making false statements to investigators and conspiracy to obstruct justice. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges and slammed the case as an “Election Inference Scam” promoted by the Biden administration and “Deranged Jack Smith.” The case is slated to head to trial on May 20, though the date may change, with presiding Judge Aileen Cannon underacting a trove of documents in the lead-up to the trial that have provided notable updates to the case. Meanwhile, after Smith’s acknowledgment of the inconsistencies, former President Trump called for his arrest. “Now, Deranged Jack has admitted in a filing in front of Judge Cannon to what I have been saying happened since the Illegal RAID on my home, Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Florida – That he and his team committed blatant Evidence Tampering by mishandling the very Boxes they used as a pretext to bring this Fake Case,” Trump posted to Truth Social on Friday. “These deeply Illegal actions by the Politicized ‘Persecutors’ mandate that this whole Witch Hunt be DROPPED IMMEDIATELY. END THE ‘BOXES HOAXES.’ MAGA2024!” Trump added: “ARREST DERANGED JACK SMITH. HE IS A CRIMINAL!” Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.