US charges alleged Hezbollah member over 1994 Buenos Aires bombing
The bombing of a Jewish community centre killed 85 people, and Hezbollah has been accused of other attacks in Argentina. The United States has charged an alleged Hezbollah member, Samuel Salman El Reda, with giving material support to a “terrorist group”, accusing him of providing assistance for a 1994 bombing in Argentina. Federal prosecutors announced charges against the 58-year-old on Wednesday, linking El Reda to the truck bombing of the AMIA Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires, which killed 85 people. “This indictment serves as a message to those who engage in acts of terror: that the Justice Department’s memory is long, and we will not relent in our efforts to bring them to justice,” Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen of the US Department of Justice’s National Security Division said in a press release. Rescue workers search for survivors and victims in the rubble left when a car bomb destroyed the Buenos Aires headquarters of the Argentine-Israeli Mutual Association (AMIA) on July 18, 1994 [File: Enrique Marcarian/Reuters] The US has long characterised the 1994 bombing as an example of the far reach of the Iran-backed group Hezbollah, which at the time of the bombing was locked in a deadly battle with Israeli forces occupying southern Lebanon. Iran and Hezbollah denied responsibility for the attack, which sent shockwaves through the city’s Jewish community. Small commemorative tiles with the names of those killed can still be seen on sidewalks around Buenos Aires. US authorities said El Reda, a dual Lebanese-Colombian citizen, has helped coordinate the activities of Hezbollah’s Islamic Jihad Organization in South America, Asia and Lebanon since at least 1993. The statement from the Justice Department said El Reda is based in Lebanon and “remains at large”. The US Department of State sanctioned him in 2019 and offered $7m for information regarding his whereabouts. The bombing remains a source of controversy in Argentina, where former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has been accused of working to shield the perpetrators of the attack through a joint investigation with Iran, which helped found and nurture Hezbollah. Argentina has also accused Hezbollah of carrying out a 1992 attack on the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires, which killed 29 people. The country froze Hezbollah’s assets and branded it a “terrorist organisation” in 2019. Adblock test (Why?)
Roman Abramovich loses legal attempt to overturn EU sanctions
The EU imposed punishment on the oligarch in 2022 as part of measures targeting Russia and Putin’s close allies. Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has lost a legal challenge aimed at overturning European Union sanctions imposed on him in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Abramovich had filed a lawsuit at the EU’s general court against the European Union Council, which imposed punitive sanctions on the 57-year-old in 2022 as part of measures targeting Russia and President Vladimir Putin’s close allies after Russia invaded Ukraine. The court in Brussels rejected the challenge and also dismissed his claims for compensation, noting his role in the Russian steel company Evraz and the fact that steel provided a major source of revenue to the Russian government. “The General Court dismisses the action brought by Mr Abramovich, thereby upholding the restrictive measures taken against him,” it said in its ruling on Wednesday. “The [European] Council did not in fact err in its assessment by deciding to include, then maintain, Mr Abramovich’s name on the lists at issue, in the light of his role in the Evraz group and, in particular, its parent company,” it added, referring to the sanctions lists. Chelsea sale Abramovich, who also holds Israeli citizenship and is a former owner of Premier League football club Chelsea, became one of the world’s most powerful businessmen after the 1991 break-up of the Soviet Union. Forbes estimates his net worth at $9.2bn. In a statement issued on his behalf, Abramovich said he was disappointed by the ruling, which he can appeal. He said the court had not considered some of the arguments used by the EU Council, including the proposition that Abramovich had benefitted from the Russian government – which he said was a false suggestion. “Mr Abramovich does not have the ability to influence the decision-making of any government, including Russia, and has in no way benefited from the [Ukraine] war,” the statement said. “The court’s decision to maintain the sanctions against Mr Abramovich was based purely on the court defining Mr Abramovich as a ‘Russian businessman’ which under today’s very broad EU regulations is sufficient to remain sanctioned, even if you are just a passive shareholder in a business sector with no connection to the war.” The businessman has also been punished in the United Kingdom and had his assets frozen in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Abramovich was forced to sell Chelsea after being sanctioned by the British government for what it called his enabling of Putin’s “brutal and barbaric invasion” of Ukraine. The sale of the Premier League club for 2.5 billion pounds ($3.2bn) — then the highest price ever paid for a sports team — was completed by a consortium fronted by Los Angeles Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly. It marked the end of the trophy-filled, 19-year tenure of Abramovich. The EU has imposed 12 rounds of sanctions on Russia since Putin ordered his troops into Ukraine almost two years ago. The measures have targeted the energy sector, banks, companies and markets, and made more than 1,000 Russian officials subject to asset freezes and travel bans. Adblock test (Why?)
Venezeula, US reach prisoner swap deal
As part of the agreement, US President Joe Biden agreed to grant clemency to Alex Saab, an ally of Nicolas Maduro. The United States has reached a deal to secure the release of 10 citizens from Venezuela, including six people who it said had been wrongfully detained, according to the White House. As part of the agreement, US President Joe Biden agreed to grant clemency to Alex Saab, a Colombian businessman and ally of President Nicolas Maduro who was in a Miami jail awaiting trial on a charge of money laundering. “A statement from the White House talks about 10 US prisoners, six of them the US says were wrongfully detained by the Venezuelan regime. Another two were [former] members of US special forces that allegedly participated in a coup attempt back in 2019,” Al Jazeera’s Alessandro Rampietti reported from Bogota, Colombia. Saab, who was arrested on a US warrant for money laundering in 2020 – was released from custody and returned to Venezuela on Wednesday, the Venezuelan government said. “Alex Saab is a Colombian entrepreneur, a very close ally for Nicolas Maduro, a person who is seen here as a bag man for the Venezuelan regime,” Rampietti said. US prosecutors have accused Saab of siphoning off $350m from Venezuela via the United States in a scheme that involved bribing Venezuelan government officials. He has denied the charge. The White House said Venezeula had agreed to release at least 20 Venezuelan prisoners, including “political detainees”. The prisoner swap talks were facilitated by Qatar, the White House said. Qatar’s chief negotiator met Maduro last week. Six Venezuelan activists have already been freed, according to their lawyer and the wife of one of them. The longtime education campaigners were convicted on conspiracy charges this year and sentenced to 16 years but have proclaimed their innocence. The White House has said in recent weeks that it expected to see progress on prisoner releases if it were to continue with sanctions relief for Caracas, which was unveiled in October in response to an agreement by the Venezuelan government to hold fair elections in 2024. While relations between the US and Venezuela remain uneasy, the two nations have taken steps to ease tensions in recent months. In recent weeks, however, the White House had warned that it was considering an end to sanctions relief if more progress was not made on prisoner releases. Adblock test (Why?)
Texas begins flying migrants to sanctuary cities with first flight to Chicago
The state of Texas has started flying migrants to sanctuary cities, with the first flight arriving in Chicago on Tuesday evening, Fox News has learned – marking an escalation of Gov. Greg Abbott’s previous strategy of bussing migrants to ease the pressure on the border state. Fox is told that the first flight left El Paso Tuesday afternoon with 120 migrants on board and arrived at Chicago’s O’Hare airport later in the day. Sources in Abbott’s office told Fox that all migrants signed voluntary waivers, as they do with the buses. The decision was partially in response to Chicago’s interference of the buses traveling to the sanctuary city. The city has launched lawsuits against companies transporting the migrants. TEXAS IMMIGRATION LAW PUSHBACK MARKS LATEST TENSION BETWEEN BIDEN ADMINISTRATION AND BORDER STATES OVER CRISIS The move from Abbott is an escalation from the strategy in place since April 2022 when he began bussing migrants first to Washington, D.C., and later expanded it to include other cities with “sanctuary” policies that forbid or limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Abbott’s office said this week that the state has bused over 82,900 migrants to cities, including D.C., New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Denver and Los Angeles. Abbott has said the operation provides “vital relief” to border towns and has promised to keep doing it “until [President] Biden secures the border.” Critics have accused Abbott of performing an “illegal” political stunt, with mayors of Chicago and New York in particular excoriating Abbott for the buses. Chicago’s mayor this week accused Abbott of creating chaos across the country. TEXAS GOV. ABBOTT SIGNS BILL MAKING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION A STATE CRIME “The issue is not just how we respond in the city of Chicago,” Johnson added. “It’s the fact we have a governor, a governor, an elected official in the state of Texas, that is placing families on buses without shoes, cold, wet, tired, hungry, afraid, traumatized, and then they come to the city of Chicago, where we have homelessness, mental health clinics that have been shut down and closed. We have people who are seeking employment. The governor of Texas needs to take a look in the mirror, with the chaos he’s causing for the people of this country.” Abbott’s press secretary, Andrew Mahaleris, told Fox News Digital that Johnson was “flat out lying.” “If he truly cared about these migrants, he would stop spreading falsehoods and complaining about a few thousand migrants being bussed into his sanctuary city,” he said. “Instead, Mayor Johnson should call on President Biden to take immediate action to secure the border – something the president continues failing to do.” Meanwhile, the chaos at the border itself continues with enormous numbers of migrant encounters. The daily record for encounters was broken this week when more than 12,600 migrants were encountered in a single day. FEDERAL APPEALS COURT BLOCKS BIDEN ADMIN FROM REMOVING TEXAS’ RAZOR WIRE AT SOUTHERN BORDER Customs and Border Protection sources told Fox News on Wednesday that December total migrant encounters have exceeded 190,000 and are on track to break another record for the highest monthly total – which was 269,000 in September. Sources told Fox that agents are averaging around 10,000 encounters a day, and Mexican sources say more are on the way. Fox News’ Griff Jenkins and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
Democrat senator sounds alarm on ‘crisis’ at southern border, urges negotiators to strike a deal
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., lamented the escalating influx of illegal immigrants at the southern border, noting the absence of an agreement on a border framework to be included in the multibillion-dollar national supplemental aid package to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan as senators prepare to recess Wednesday afternoon. “What’s happening on the border is a crisis,” Warner said in a telephone press conference Wednesday. “I think we had yesterday over 12,000 people – the highest number ever.” He added, “We can’t say that Ukraine is a crisis, Israel is a crisis, the border is a crisis, and then not do our job.” According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection sources on Tuesday, there were more than 12,600 migrants encountered at the southern border in the preceding 24 hours, the highest figure recorded in a single day. SCHUMER AND MCCONNELL VOW TO TAKE ‘SWIFT ACTION’ ON SUPPLEMENTAL PACKAGE EARLY NEXT YEAR Talks have been ongoing with senators and Biden administration officials as Republicans have refused to pass some $60 billion in additional aid to Ukraine unless it is tied to strict border security measures, such as immediate screenings for asylum processing, more detention beds and quicker expulsions for illegal entrants. “The bad news is that we didn’t come up with a framework on the border negotiations before the end of the year and the other component parts that would travel along with that legislation,” Warner said. “The good news is and, and this is not just trying to be wishful Christmas thinking, is that the negotiations have finally gotten serious.” Initially, Republicans insisted on bolstering border security measures in the supplemental package last month, while Democrats remained firm in excluding any immigration policy alterations from advancing in the bill. However, negotiations gained momentum last week after GOP lawmakers blocked the supplemental bill’s progress to a vote. MANY SENATORS HAVE ALREADY LEFT TOWN AMID BORDER NEGOTIATIONS AS ILLEGAL CROSSINGS HIT RECORD “We’re basically going to be dramatically changing not only border policy, but in many ways, immigration laws in this package, and getting agreement and writing it takes some time… it really has to be broadly bipartisan,” Warner said. “We’ve got to get it done. The excuse that we don’t have enough time will disappear.” The total amount of supplemental aid the White House first requested in October amounts to roughly $106 billion and includes $14 billion to assist Israel. President Biden has been urging Congress to take action on the package, and Ukraine President Volodymr Zelenskyy made a final plea last week to both chambers in private meetings. The White House has sent more than $100 billion to Ukraine since the Russian invasion began in February 2022. Last week, Biden announced the administration would send $200 million in additional military aid to the Eastern European nation. However, Congress failed to reach an agreement this week, even after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., canceled part of the holiday recess so that senators could continue negotiations with Biden administration officials. The negotiations, led by Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla., Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., and Chris Murphy, D-Conn., are now punted to January. LAWMAKERS UNLIKELY TO ADVANCE BORDER SECURITY, UKRAINE FUNDING LEGISLATION BEFORE CHRISTMAS “Our colleagues at the negotiating table are under no illusions about how difficult it is to fix our nation’s broken asylum and parole system,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said on the floor Wednesday. “They’re working on what would be the first serious repair in more than 30 years. But there’s no longer any disagreement that the situation at the southern border is unsustainable and requires the Senate to act.” Schumer called the negotiations “one of the hardest things this Senate has undertaken in a very long time.” “But make no mistake, the winter recess will be a busy and important few weeks for the U.S. Senate. Negotiations will continue around the clock, reaching an agreement on a critical national security supplemental,” he said.
US swaps Maduro ally with Venezuela for 10 Americans, including ‘Fat Leonard’
The U.S. has reached an agreement with Venezuela to exchange a close ally of Venezuelan president Nicholas Maduro for 10 American prisoners who were being detained in the country. A senior Biden administration official confirmed the exchange on Wednesday, hours before the Americans were turned over. The released Americans include several who were considered wrongfully detained, as well as four who were not. Among the latter is Malaysian businessman Leonard Francis, known as “Fat Leonard,” who assisted in one of the largest corruption scandals in U.S. Navy history. “We have reached an agreement to secure the release of six Americans who have been wrongfully detained in Venezuela, which means that all of the Americans detained in Venezuela and those four other Americans will soon be released. And we expect that they will be very soon on their way home to their families and friends and hope to be very soon in a position to share the news with their families,” the official said in a briefing call Wednesday morning. “Leonard Francis, who is also known as Fat Leonard, will be extradited from Venezuela and will be on a plane hopefully very soon on his way back to a federal detention facility,” the official added. FUGITIVE ‘FAT LEONARD’ MAY HAVE LEFT THE COUNTRY, US MARSHALS SAY President Biden, in a statement, said that the six wrongfully detained Americans “have lost far too much precious time with their loved ones, and their families have suffered every day in their absence.” “I am grateful that their ordeal is finally over, and that these families are being made whole once more,” Biden said. Maduro’s ally in the exchange is Colombian-born businessman Alex Saab, who was being held in the U.S. on charges of money laundering. The Maduro regime has also agreed to release nearly two dozen Venezuelan political prisoners as part of the deal. REPUBLICAN WARNS CHINA, RUSSIA, IRAN ‘TRYING TO INVADE’ WESTERN HEMISPHERE 200 YEARS SINCE MONROE DOCTRINE Secretary of State Antony Blinken hinted at the deal earlier Wednesday. “We hope to have some good news to share probably later today,” he told reporters when questioned. “We want to make sure that our fellow Americans are released. We are also focused on political prisoners in Venezuela and trying to ensure their release. So what I can say in this moment is this: We have a lot of work going on.”
RFK Jr. issues stark warning after Colorado court blocks Trump from ballot: ‘Country will become ungovernable’
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who is running as an independent for president in 2024, issued a warning after Colorado’s Supreme Court blocked former President Trump from the ballot over Jan. 6. “If Trump is kept out of office through judicial fiat rather than being defeated in a fair election, his supporters will never accept the result. This country will become ungovernable,” Kennedy, who initially launched a Democratic primary challenge to President Biden in April before switching to an independent 2024 bid in October, wrote on X. “It’s time to trust the voters. It is up to the people to decide who the best candidate is. Not the courts. The people. That’s Democracy 101,” Kennedy said. “When any candidate is deprived of his right to run, the American people are deprived of their right to choose.” Calling for a swift reversal, RFK Jr. said the 4-3 Colorado decision deeming Trump ineligible for the White House under the U.S. Constitution’s insurrection clause, “contributes to the perception that the elites are picking the President by manipulating the legal system, and through other interventions.” “Every American should be troubled by the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to remove President Trump from the ballot,” Kennedy wrote on X. “The court has deprived him of a consequential right without having been convicted of a crime. This was done without an evidentiary hearing in which he is given the basic right of confronting his accusers.” TRUMP DECISION SPLITS COLORADO SUPREME COURT ALONG ELITE EAST COAST LAW SCHOOLS, DENVER LAW LINES In an earlier thread, Kennedy argued the U.S. would condemn foreign governments if they acted the way the Colorado Supreme Court has. “When a court in another country disqualifies an opposition candidate from running, we say, ‘That’s not a real democracy.’ Now it’s happening here,” Kennedy said. “I’m not a Trump supporter (if I were, I wouldn’t be running against him!) But I want to beat him in a fair election, not because he was kicked off the ballot. Let the voters choose, not the courts!” Speaking to Fox News Digital, Mark Gorton and Tony Lyons, co-founders of Americas Voice 2024, a super PAC supporting Kennedy’s 2024 presidential campaign, highlighted similarities between the Colorado Trump ruling and efforts to censor Kennedy and block the longtime Democrat from the Democratic ticket. “Generally, these kinds of tactics to keep somebody off the ballot are the same kinds of tactics that the DNC used against him when he was campaigning in New Hampshire. And they were saying that they were going to penalize him in Georgia and South Carolina,” Lyons told Fox News Digital, describing efforts he says the DNC is taking to block third-party candidates from ballots on a state-by-state basis. NEW POLL SHOWS RFK JR. BEATING TRUMP AND BIDEN AMONG YOUNG AMERICANS IN SWING STATES “They’re going to do everything in their power to keep Bobby Kennedy off the ballot because they don’t want him on the stage with Joe Biden. And the RNC doesn’t want Bobby on the stage with Donald Trump because he has better ideas, better arguments and better policies,” Lyons said. “They’re using these tactics as a way to avoid dialog and debate, to disenfranchise the American public, to, you know, take away voting rights that have been, you know, hard fought for 50 or 60 years. All of these tactics are anti-democratic tactics. And so I think that Bobby Kennedy is absolutely right to stand up for the right of even an opponent when he believes that what’s being done is not the right thing and unconstitutional.” Noting how Kennedy is not a Trump supporter, Gorton echoed those sentiments, describing RFK Jr. as “a man of principle” working against the “dirty games” of the political establishment. “The DNC is not just trying to do one thing to stop one candidate. They’re throwing the kitchen sink at every, you know, every Democratic letter. And whether it’s voting or rules for how you run the primary or ballot access or censoring people, it’s the same, you know, large scale organization or large scale network of people that instead of putting forth a candidate and letting the people choose, are constantly trying to corrupt and manipulate the system,” Gorton told Fox News Digital. “The DNC – it’s amazing because they run around and are constantly talking about threats to democracy. Yet they’re the ones who are saying the American people shouldn’t get a choice and they’re manipulating the system and they’re censoring people. And that’s the ethic of the people in D.C. today, where they feel like they’re entitled to rule and that anything they do in the service of their own power is acceptable.”
Fox News Politics: Chaos in Colorado
Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. Subscribe now to get Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox. What’s Happening? -Trump’s Republican rivals rally around him in Colorado ruling -Progressive Dem blasted for asking cops to patrol home after calls to defund police -CAIR scrubs Democrat praise for organization after leader’s pro-Hamas comments The Colorado Republican Party is planning to withdraw from the state’s primary election and move to a caucus system if the ruling against former President Donald Trump stands. A state GOP spokesperson made the remark on social media following a video posted by GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, in which he pledged to withdraw if the Colorado Supreme Court’s Tuesday disqualification of Trump is sustained. “I pledge to withdraw from the Colorado GOP primary ballot until Trump is also allowed to be on the ballot, and I demand that Ron DeSantis, Chris Christie, and Nikki Haley do the same immediately — or else they are tacitly endorsing this illegal maneuver which will have disastrous consequences for our country,” Ramaswamy said in the video. The Colorado Republican Party replied to the candidate’s video, assuring him, “You won’t have to because we will withdraw from the Primary as a Party and convert to a pure caucus system if this is allowed to stand.” ‘EXTREME’ CRITICISM: Biden admin, Texas clash over law marks latest border battle …Read more ‘WAR ON NATURAL GAS’: Biden admin is throwing $1B at cities to decarbonize buildings …Read more POLICY SHIFT: Dean Phillips endorses progressives’ ‘Medicare-for-All’ bill amid challenge to Biden …Read more RALLYING AROUND TRUMP: Trump’s Republican White House rivals rally around the former president in ballot battle …Read more GREAT EXPECTATIONS: Trump’s polls could point to a problem even in victory …Read more BALLOT BATTLE: Dem-appointed Colorado justice warns of repercussions of state Supreme Court ruling in fiery dissent …Read more ‘FRAUD’: Progressive Dem who voted to defund police blasted for asking cops to patrol his home …Read more ‘NO BUSINESS IN OFFICE’: Soros-backed DA blasted after man kills 2 people in 7th DUI, released on bond …Read more COVERING THEIR TRACKS: CAIR quietly scrubs Democrat praise for group after blowback over leader’s pro-Hamas comments …Read more Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
NYC council expected to ban solitary confinement despite protests from police, Mayor Adams
The New York City Council is expected to pass legislation banning city jails from imposing solitary confinement on inmates in the vast majority of circumstances after a committee approved it Wednesday morning. The legislation, which will go before the full council Wednesday afternoon, comes despite protests from the New York City Police Department and Mayor Eric Adams. Adams has already vowed to veto the bill, but advocates say the City Council has enough votes to override the veto. “I don’t think this is thought through, and anyone who has knowledge of a correctional facility would tell you that you can’t leave dangerous people in a general population,” Adams told a local city outlet Tuesday. The city’s bill would ban solitary confinement in all cases aside from a four-hour de-escalation period to be used in the event of an emergency. It would also require that all inmates be allowed 14 hours per day outside their cells. SAN FRANCISCO OFFICE OF REPARATIONS BUDGET GETS GUTTED BY DEMOCRATIC MAYOR AS CITY FACES DEFICIT The bill’s supporters on the council argue solitary confinement constitutes torture. Council member Yusef Salaam, who was convicted in the Central Park Five case, is among the bill’s 38 sponsors, according to The New York Times. REPARATIONS PUSH GAINS STEAM AS COMMUNITIES NATIONWIDE CONSIDER PAYMENT PLANS – AND NOT JUST FOR SLAVERY “You can hear people crying out,” he told the outlet. “You can hear people in pain. You can hear people going through a mental breakdown. It’s one of the most horrific things to experience.” BILL MAHER URGES PALESTINIANS NOT TO BELIEVE ‘MYTH’ OF ‘FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA’: ISRAEL IS GOING ‘NOWHERE’ A number of prominent members of Congress have put their support behind the effort, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.
Biden says ‘no question’ Trump supported insurrection
President Biden told reporters Wednesday that there is “no question” that former President Trump supported an insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, following last night’s court ruling that disqualified the former president from appearing on Colorado’s ballots. Biden, speaking on the tarmac after landing in Milwaukee, declined to comment on the Colorado case. However, when asked if Trump is an insurrectionist, Biden said “we saw it all.” “Now whether the 14th Amendment applies, let the court make that decision. But he certainly supported an insurrection. No question about it. None. Zero,” Biden responded. “And he seems to be doubling down on about everything.” TRUMP DECISION SPLITS COLORADO SUPREME COURT ALONG ELITE EAST COAST LAW SCHOOLS, DENVER LAW LINES Biden is in Wisconsin to highlight his administration’s support for Black-owned businesses. Tuesday’s 4-3 ruling in Colorado is stayed until January 4 because of likely appeals. Three justices on the Colorado Supreme Court dissented. “We do not reach these conclusions lightly,” the court’s majority wrote. “We are mindful of the magnitude and weight of the questions now before us. We are likewise mindful of our solemn duty to apply the law, without fear or favor, and without being swayed by public reaction to the decisions that the law mandates we reach.” DEMOCRAT-APPOINTED COLORADO JUSTICE SAYS TRUMP BALLOT BAN UNDERMINES ‘BEDROCK’ OF AMERICA IN FIERY DISSENT In a previous ruling, Colorado District Judge Sarah B. Wallace allowed Trump to stay on the ballot, but she found that Trump “engaged in insurrection” for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold said in a statement that she would “continue to follow court guidance on this important issue.” “The Colorado Supreme Court has ruled that Donald Trump is barred from the Colorado ballot for inciting the January 6 insurrection and attempting to overturn the 2020 Presidential Election. This decision may be appealed,” Griswold wrote. The 14th Amendment states, “No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.” Fox News’ Bill Mears and Adam Sabes contributed to this report.