Victorious Paxton goes to Washington as former GOP foes open their doors — and wallets
The attorney general fundraised with Republican senators and met with rival-turned-ally John Thune, the Senate majority leader who had backed Sen. John Cornyn.
Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson stepping down
Nelson’s office oversees elections. Abbott appointed her to the role in 2023 after she became the longest-serving Republican woman in Texas Senate history.
Texas lifts commercial drivers license ban for temporary agricultural workers
The policy change was announced hours after the Department of Public Safety removed the Spanish language option for commercial driver’s license tests to align with federal guidance.
TribCast: Can Austin’s Project Connect get back on track?
What Texans can learn from the past and future of Austin’s multi-billion dollar public transit overhaul.
Sid Miller to join Democratic nominee for agriculture commissioner at data center forum
The Republican said he agreed to speak at the event prior to Clayton Tucker’s involvement because it was “the right thing to do.” Both are critics of data center construction in Texas.
DOJ expands indictment against SPLC, alleging $4M secretly funneled to KKK and extremist groups
The Department of Justice last month announced an indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), alleging that the civil rights nonprofit defrauded donors by secretly paying informants associated with extremist organizations, including the Ku Klux Klan. A federal grand jury in the Middle District of Alabama returned an 11-count indictment in April charging the SPLC with six counts of wire fraud, four counts of making false statements to a federally insured bank and one count of conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering, according to the Justice Department. The superseding indictment retains those charges while expanding on the alleged misconduct. According to the DOJ, the SPLC “secretly funneled” more than $3 million in donor funds between 2014 and 2023 to numerous individuals associated with extremist organizations, including the Ku Klux Klan, United Klans of America, the National Socialist Movement, participants in the Unite the Right rally and the Aryan Nations-affiliated Sadistic Souls Motorcycle Club. NEO-NAZIS, ‘SADISTIC’ BIKERS AND CHARLOTTESVILLE ORGANIZER: 5 OF THE MOST SHOCKING SPLC INFORMANTS The original indictment alleged approximately $3 million in payments between 2014 and 2023. “The SPLC’s paid informants (‘field sources’) engaged in the active promotion of racist groups at the same time that the SPLC was denouncing the same groups on its website,” the indictment states. Prosecutors further allege the SPLC opened bank accounts tied to fictitious entities in order to conceal donor funds that were allegedly routed to confidential sources. MIKE DAVIS: SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER: A TALE OF A RACISM SCAM According to the indictment, the SPLC began operating a covert informant network in the 1980s, and between 2014 and 2023 allegedly paid those sources in a clandestine manner. The DOJ alleges an SPLC employee instead encouraged the pair to remain involved and offered them a monthly salary of $1,200. The two subsequently agreed to remain in the organization, according to the indictment. DR. BEN CARSON: I KNOW HOW BAD THE SPLC WAS, IT CAME AFTER ME AND PUT ME AT RISK Prosecutors allege an SPLC employee instructed the individuals to claim they worked for a company called Rare Books and helped college students with research and writing assignments if anyone questioned the source of their income. The indictment alleges donor funds were used to pay both individuals through SPLC accounts. According to prosecutors, the pair were also reimbursed for expenses related to Ku Klux Klan activities, including cross-burning events and associated costs such as wood and fuel. One of the individuals is also accused of recruiting new members using donor-funded payments. The indictment further alleges the SPLC knew donor funds were used to purchase materials for Ku Klux Klan garments. In a statement to Fox News Digital, attorney Abbe Lowell, who represents the SPLC, denied the allegations. “This apparent superseding indictment attempts to shore up the flaws in the initial charges, but it changes nothing,” Lowell said. “The SPLC did not lie to its donors, it did not mislead banks it did business with, and its informant program prevented violence and saved lives,” he continued. “It appears the Justice Department shared the indictment with media before it was unsealed by the court – another example of the government’s troubling handling of this case.” “We will be addressing these irregularities with the court and look forward to presenting the truth at trial,” he added. NONPROFIT REVENUE TOTALS SURGE AMID GROWING SCRUTINY AFTER MAJOR FRAUD CASES The superseding indictment also notes that the SPLC’s reported revenue increased from roughly $38.7 million in 2010 to more than $129 million in 2023, an increase of approximately 233%. According to the filing, the organization’s net assets grew from approximately $238 million to nearly $787 million during the same period. The SPLC is a longtime nonprofit organization that says it combats white supremacy and extremism through research, reporting and monitoring efforts intended to assist law enforcement and the public. During a news conference announcing the original indictment, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche alleged the SPLC paid members of extremist groups so it could generate “work product” documenting their activities. “To that end, [SPLC] was doing the exact opposite of what it told its donors it was doing – not dismantling extremism but funding it,” Blanche said. Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch, David Spunt, Jake Gibson and Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.
Missing GOP congressman reveals he’s ‘more energized than ever’ to return to Washington
Rep. Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., said Tuesday he is “more energized than ever” and plans to return to in-person work “within a matter of weeks,” issuing a new statement after months away from Capitol Hill because of an undisclosed medical issue. Kean, who represents New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, has been absent from Congress for months while dealing with undisclosed health issues keeping him away from Washington and the campaign trail. Kean said in April that he was addressing a “personal medical issue,” but he has not publicly disclosed the nature of the issue. “Serving the people of this district is the honor of my life. Every day, I wake up determined to build on the results I have delivered for New Jersey families such as lowering costs, restoring the SALT deduction, funding our law enforcement, helping veterans, standing with Israel, strengthening our economy, and making government work better,” Kean said in a statement Tuesday, amid growing scrutiny over his absence. REP. TOM KEAN JR. SAYS HE EXPECTS TO RETURN TO CONGRESS ‘IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS’ AFTER MISSING 100 VOTES Kean has not cast a vote since March 5, according to The New York Times. House voting records also listed Kean as “Not Voting” on a May 21 roll call vote. “I am optimistic about the road ahead, and ready to earn the support of voters in every corner of the district,” Kean continued. “I am more energized then ever to keep fighting for the people of New Jersey’s 7th District. Right now I am focused on my recovery and under the advice of healthcare professionals I will transition from virtual work to in person work within a matter of weeks. At that time I will be completely transparent as to the nature of my medical condition.” Kean added that he “understand[s] the need for transparency on this matter” and looks forward to sharing his experience with the public. DEMOCRAT TINA SHAH CALLS TRANSGENDER HEALTHCARE FOR CHILDREN A ‘NO-BRAINER’ IN COMPETITIVE NJ HOUSE RACE Ahead of Kean’s Tuesday primary election, during which he ran unopposed, President Donald Trump endorsed the New Jersey Republican. Trump praised Kean in a Truth Social post Monday night, describing him as a strong supporter of the president’s “America First Agenda,” adding the New Jersey Republican is “working tirelessly” on border security, crime, the economy, taxes, energy, veterans and Second Amendment issues. “Tom Kean has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election,” Trump concluded, telling people to get out and vote. Trump’s support remains one of the most powerful forces in Republican primaries, with candidates across several states openly competing for his backing ahead of key contests. His endorsement of Kean signals the White House and GOP leaders are still lining up behind the incumbent as Republicans fight to defend their narrow House majority this fall. Four Democrats — Rebecca Bennett, Michael Roth, Tina Shah and Brian Varela — were competing for the nomination to face Kean in November, but Bennett edged them out Tuesday night during the Democratic primary. The Associated Press described Bennett as a former Navy helicopter pilot, Roth as a former Small Business Administration official, Shah as an intensive care doctor and Varela as a businessman, with each candidate raising seven figures as Democrats target Kean’s battleground seat.
Democrats turn to Paralympian in bid to flip key GOP-held Senate seat
Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek of Iowa on Tuesday captured his party’s Senate nomination in the race to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Joni Ernst. Turek, a Paralympian, defeated state Sen. Zach Wahls in Iowa’s Democratic Senate primary, The Associated Press reported, and will now face off against Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson, who cruised to the GOP nomination. The Republican-controlled Senate seat in Iowa is a top target for Democrats, and the race is one of about a dozen crucial showdowns in this year’s midterm elections that will determine whether Republicans successfully hold onto their slim majority in the chamber. THE MIDTERM RACES THAT COULD TIP THE BALANCE OF POWER IN THE SENATE Turek, a moderate Democrat who flipped a GOP-held Iowa House seat in 2022, was backed by former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and had the tacit support of longtime Democratic Senate Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. And VoteVets, an establishment-aligned outside group, has spent big bucks on behalf of Turek. “Josh Turek is a two-time Paralympic gold medalist who has represented his country on the world stage and has built a reputation in the legislature for working across the aisle to get things done for Iowans,” Schumer and Gillibrand said in a statement. “His nomination tonight puts the Iowa Senate seat firmly in play, and in November, Iowans will reject Ashley Hinson’s self-serving politics and send Josh Turek to the U.S. Senate.” But National Republican Senatorial Committee Regional Press Secretary Samantha Cantrell said that “Chuck Schumer spent $10 million dollars to coronate Josh Turek as his rubber stamp for Democrats’ radical tax-and-spend agenda. In November, Iowans will reject him and elect Ashley Hinson to keep fighting for Iowa families, farmers, and workers.” Wahls, a progressive candidate who Republicans likened to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, was endorsed by liberal champion Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. The Democratic primary grabbed plenty of national attention and drew tons of outside money. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB Hinson, a former TV news anchor who is in her third term representing Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, defeated former state senator and former U.S. Senate candidate Jim Carlin in the GOP Senate primary, The Associated Press reported. Hinson was backed by President Donald Trump; Senate Majority Leader John Thune; the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is the campaign arm of the Senate GOP; and by Ernst as she cruised to her party’s nomination. Hinson, who in 2020 flipped a Democratic-held seat, is seen as a rising star in the party. Iowa was once a top battleground state that former President Barack Obama carried in his 2008 and 2012 White House victories. But the state has shifted to the right in recent election cycles with Trump carrying the state by nine points in 2016, eight points in 2020 and by 13 points in November 2024. Republicans hold both of the state’s Senate seats — Ernst and longtime Sen. Chuck Grassley — and all four of Iowa’s congressional districts, as well as all statewide offices except state auditor. But Democrats are energized heading into the midterms, when the GOP, as the party in power, will face traditional headwinds, a challenging political climate thanks to persistent inflation and sky-high gas prices due to what polls show is an unpopular war with Iran, as well as Trump’s sinking approval ratings. And Iowa Democrats, in particular, are energized after flipping two GOP-held state Senate seats in special elections in 2025. The general election winner will succeed Ernst, a retired Army Reserve and Iowa National Guard officer who served in the Iraq War and was first elected to the Senate in 2014. Ernst grabbed plenty of national attention in that campaign with her “make ’em squeal” ads as she won the high-profile Senate election to succeed retiring longtime Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin. Fox News’ Sally Persons contributed to this report.
Plastic surgeon who testified for 1993 WTC bombing cleric wins NJ Dem primary
A pro-Palestinian plastic surgeon in New Jersey who testified as a witness in a major terrorism case on behalf of a convicted Islamic cleric won election in the New Jersey primary. Adam Hisham Hamawy, a former Army combat medic born in Egypt, won a 12-way Democratic primary contest for a solidly blue House seat, according to The Associated Press. Hamawy was considered to be the frontrunner to succeed retiring Trenton-area Rep. Bonnie Watson-Coleman, D-N.J., and garnered support from the Democratic Party’s far-left flank. He attempted to weather mounting scrutiny for his ties as a young adult to Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, who was convicted of inciting the 1993 World Trade Center bombing that killed six people and injured thousands. The infamous “Blind Sheikh” was also an influential figure among al Qaeda terrorists. MEET ANALILIA MEJIA, THE SANDERS-AOC BACKED PROGRESSIVE WHO JUST WON ELECTION TO CONGRESS Hamawy testified as a witness for the defense and has faced lingering questions for his role in the convicted sheikh’s 1996 trial. Fox News contributor Andrew McCarthy, the chief prosecutor in Abdel Rahman’s criminal trial, said Hamawy’s testimony ultimately helped the government’s case despite it being offered to undermine the prosecution’s case. “As was uniformly the case with witnesses presented in the extensive defense case, his testimony, once cross-examination was over, did more to bolster the prosecution’s proof of a jihadist terrorism conspiracy against the United States than to help the accused,” McCarthy said in a statement to Fox News Digital. His campaign told Fox News Digital that a past affiliation with Abdel Rahman, who was also convicted of conspiring to assassinate Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, amounts to “guilt-by-association” shaming. He has denied any wrongdoing and was never criminally charged. The political newcomer also faced questions over his ties to a now-shuttered al Qaeda-linked front group in Eastern Europe, which he briefly volunteered for in 1994, Jewish Insider first reported. Hamawy was endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.; Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.; and controversial Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, among other leading progressives. American Priorities, a nascent pro-Palestinian super PAC, also poured money into the race to put him over the top. EX-COUNTERTERRORISM CHIEF WARNS OF ‘MAJOR PROBLEM’ THAT COULD FORCE US ‘BACK INTO THE WAR ON IRAN’S TERMS’ The district, spanning liberal Mercer County up through Somerville to the Plainfields, is considered a safe Democratic seat in a blue-trending state that has moved away from the relatively close margins President Donald Trump received in his 2024 race. With a crowded field, few have coalesced around an alternative to Hamawy, while one opponent — Plainfield Mayor Adrian Mapp — did call out the surgeon as a “radical extremist.” Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., told Jewish Insider he had “deep concerns” about Hamawy’s “associations with terrorist organizations and leaders who have attacked America.” Activist Sue Altman, who lost to adjacent-district Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. in 2024, is another of the dozen running against Hamawy. She recently won support from influential figures among the party’s establishment, including former Gov. Jon S. Corzine, ex-Sen. Robert “The Torch” Torricelli and ex-Sen. Bill Bradley. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., notably credited Hamawy with saving her life on an overseas deployment to the Middle East in 2004, and he, in turn, credited her with helping secure his evacuation in 2024 after his medical mission was reportedly trapped by a closed border crossing near Khan Younis, Gaza. During that humanitarian trip, Hamawy said he had “never … witnessed the level of atrocities and targeting of my medical colleagues,” in an apparent reference to the Israeli government.
Trump-endorsed Hinson secures Iowa Senate nomination as Democrats eye GOP seat
Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson of Iowa on Tuesday captured her party’s Senate nomination in the race to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Joni Ernst. Hinson, a former TV news anchor who is in her third term representing Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, defeated former state senator and former U.S. Senate candidate Jim Carlin in the GOP Senate primary, The Associated Press reported. The Republican-controlled seat in Iowa is a top target for Democrats, and the race is one of about a dozen crucial showdowns in this year’s midterm elections that will determine whether the Republicans hold on to their current 53–47 majority in the chamber. Hinson was backed by President Donald Trump; Senate Majority Leader Sen. John Thune; the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which is the campaign arm of the Senate GOP; and by Ernst as she cruised to her party’s nomination. Hinson, who in 2020 flipped a Democratic-held seat that covers the northeastern portion of Iowa, is seen as a rising star in the party. THE MIDTERM RACES THAT COULD TIP THE BALANCE OF POWER IN THE SENATE “It has been working Iowans from all 99 counties – and I’ve visited every single one of them – who powered this campaign and delivered a resounding victory tonight,” Hinson said in a statement released moments after her race was called. And she emphasized, “We’re going to continue fighting every day to make life more affordable for Iowa families, to take on Big Pharma and Big Health Insurance, and to root out corruption in Washington by banning Members of Congress and their spouses from trading stocks and participating in prediction markets.” Iowa was once a top battleground state that former President Barack Obama carried in his 2008 and 2012 White House victories. But the state has shifted to the right in recent election cycles, with Trump carrying the state by nine points in 2016, eight points in 2020, and by 13 points in November 2024. Republicans hold both of the state’s Senate seats — Ernst and longtime Sen. Chuck Grassley — and all four of Iowa’s congressional districts, as well as all statewide offices except for state auditor. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB But Democrats are energized heading into the midterms, when the GOP as the party in power will face traditional headwinds, a challenging political climate thanks to persistent inflation and sky-high gas prices due to what polls show is an unpopular war with Iran and Trump’s sinking approval ratings. And Iowa Democrats, in particular, are energized after flipping two GOP-held state Senate seats in special elections last year. Hinson will face off in the general election against state Rep. Josh Turek, a Paralympian. Turek defeated state Sen. Zach Wahls in an expensive and contentious Democratic Senate primary. Wahls, a progressive who Republicans have likened to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, had the backing of liberal champion Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. Turek, the more moderate Senate contender who flipped a GOP-held Iowa House seat in 2022, was backed by former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and had the tacit support of longtime Democratic Senate Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. And VoteVets, an establishment-aligned outside group, has spent big bucks on behalf of Turek. “Josh Turek is a two-time Paralympic gold medalist who has represented his country on the world stage and has built a reputation in the legislature for working across the aisle to get things done for Iowans,” Schumer and Gillibrand said in a statement. “His nomination tonight puts the Iowa Senate seat firmly in play, and in November, Iowans will reject Ashley Hinson’s self-serving politics and send Josh Turek to the U.S. Senate.” But National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Regional Press Secretary Samantha Cantrell said that “Chuck Schumer spent $10 million dollars to coronate Josh Turek as his rubber stamp for Democrats’ radical tax-and-spend agenda. In November, Iowans will reject him and elect Ashley Hinson to keep fighting for Iowa families, farmers, and workers.” And the NRSC quickly went up with a digital ad targeting Turek for what Republicans argued is his “radical agenda.” Hinson is aiming to succeed Ernst, a retired Army Reserve and Iowa National Guard officer who served in the Iraq War and was first elected to the Senate in 2014. Ernst grabbed plenty of national attention in that campaign with her “make ’em squeal” ads as she won the high-profile Senate election to succeed retiring longtime Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin. Fox News’ Sally Persons contributed to this report.