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Pro-reparations progressive Democrat who wants ICE abolished mounts long shot Senate bid to succeed McConnell

Pro-reparations progressive Democrat who wants ICE abolished mounts long shot Senate bid to succeed McConnell

Former Kentucky state Rep. Charles Booker — a progressive Democrat who has advocated far-left policies, including “Medicare for All” and the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — has launched a U.S. Senate bid to succeed outgoing Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, who announced earlier this year his current term will be his last. “Now more than ever, we need leadership that is committed to the work of ending generational poverty and uprooting structural racism, delivering on system-changing policies like Medicare for All, Universal Basic Income, Reparations, and Universal Childcare,” Booker asserted in part of a lengthy statement on his campaign website. “We need leadership that will drive the charge for bold policies like 40 for 40, so that anyone working a 40-hour work week will make a guaranteed minimum of $40,000 a year,” he declared. ‘AMERICA FIRST’ ATTORNEY GENERAL DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM MCCONNELL — HIS FORMER BOSS — AS KENTUCKY RACE DEFINES GOP FUTURE Booker declared in an X post last month that “ICE really does need to be abolished.”  In another post, he wrote, “It really is a damn shame that we still don’t have universal healthcare in the U.S. of America. We need Medicare for All.” His latest bid may be a long shot. Kentuckians have not had a Democrat representing them in the Senate so far during the 21st century. It is Booker’s third run for Senate. DEM SHELLACKED BY MCCONNELL IN 2020 MOUNTS NEW SENATE BID: ‘COWARDS IN WASHINGTON ARE BOWING TO DONALD TRUMP’ In 2022, Booker was decisively defeated by incumbent Republican Sen. Rand Paul.  Booker lost the 2020 Democratic U.S. Senate primary in the Bluegrass State to Amy McGrath, who lost to incumbent Republican Sen. McConnell in the general election later that year.  McConnell, 83, has served in the Senate since 1985.  FINAL SENATE CANDIDATE CHARLIE KIRK ENDORSED BEFORE HIS ASSASSINATION: ‘WE HAVE TO WIN’ CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In September, Booker announced, “For over two years, I have had the distinct honor of serving the people of Kentucky in the office of Governor Andy Beshear.  “I am humbled and excited to announce that today was officially my last day.” The Booker campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Federal probe targets alleged Minnesota Somali fraud ‘network’ as COVID-aid crime rings persist

Federal probe targets alleged Minnesota Somali fraud ‘network’ as COVID-aid crime rings persist

The Small Business Administration is investigating a network of Somali groups in Minnesota that it says is tied to a massive COVID fraud scandal highlighting alleged systemic failures by Gov. Tim Walz’s team to properly audit public funds. Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice-presidential nominee, has become embroiled in a scandal that has already led to charges against dozens of people – mostly Somali – and prompted allegations from civil servants in his administration who have spoken of retaliation against whistleblowers and institutional negligence. “Numerous individuals and nonprofits indicted in the $1 billion Minnesota COVID fraud scandal, including Feeding Our Future, received SBA PPP loans in addition to other state and federal funding,” Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler announced on X. “I have ordered an investigation into the network of Somali organizations and executives implicated in these schemes.” ‘DOGE’ SENATOR SEEKS TO ENSURE FEDS CAN CONTINUE PURSUING COVID FRAUDSTERS, DEBTORS, AS IG SOUNDS ALARM She added: “Despite Governor Walz’s best efforts to obstruct, SBA continues to work to expose abuse and hold perpetrators accountable, full stop.” An SBA spokesperson confirmed the probe to Fox News Digital, saying the agency is “investigating all individuals and organizations indicted as part of the $1 billion Minnesota COVID fraud scheme to identify any that may have also fraudulently obtained PPP loans – evaluating their citizenship status, the legitimacy of their nonprofit work, and other requirements for eligibility.” “The agency will provide additional details as the scope of fraud across these Somali networks are uncovered – and remains committed to clawing back all funding that was illegally obtained on behalf of American taxpayers,” SBA spokesperson Maggie Clemmons said. GOP LEADERSHIP UNLEASHES FURY ON DEM GOVERNOR AHEAD OF BLOCKBUSTER CONGRESSIONAL HEARING President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the Somali community in Minnesota was “garbage,” eliciting sharp responses from local officials including Minneapolis Councilman Jamal Osman – who claimed that “everyone knows that our president is racist, xenophobic and Islamophobic.” Walz did not reply to a Fox News Digital request for comment about Loeffler’s announcement.  Previously, the governor said he would “welcome” a Treasury Department probe into whether his administration enabled millions of taxpayer dollars to reach Somali terror group Al Shabaab. “If they want to help us, I welcome that,” Walz said. “Do an investigation, find out. But I don’t think anybody really believes their motive or timing is about actually doing something about this.” SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS AFTER FAR-LEFT MAYOR GIVES VICTORY SPEECH IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE: ‘HUMILIATING’ A separate report from City Journal, which also broke the Walz story, noted a 2015 study by a House Homeland Security Committee task force found more foreign-fighter terrorism-related travelers came from the Land of 10,000 Lakes than any other state. Of those charged with seeking to join ISIS at the time, the outlet reported that they were “sophisticated users of social-welfare benefits.” Two suspects had allegedly used federal financial aid to pay for their travel as they were preparing to depart Howard Beach, N.Y., for Syria. HOUSE GOP DEMANDS ANSWERS ON BILLIONS IN MEDICAID COSTS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS Minnesota, however, is far from the only state with PPP troubles. Federal authorities in 2020 arrested a group of New York nail salon owners near JFK Airport in a scheme that allegedly combined smuggling Vietnamese immigrants for low-wage labor with misappropriating COVID-19 relief funds, according to the New York Post. Dat Ho, Peter Nguyen and Victoria Ho were charged with conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud after allegedly inflating payroll to secure $13 million in PPP loans, according to the New York Post. BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION FAILED TO RECOUP $200B IN FRAUDULENT COVID LOANS, HOUSE COMMITTEE SAYS In May, an Iowa man – who was alleged to be a former Cuban military officer who entered the U.S. 20 years ago by crossing the border after a denied visa application – was arrested as a figurehead of an Iowa COVID-benefit fraud ring, according to an indictment statement from the Justice Department. Yovany Ciero of Mason City was convicted on dozens of counts, including wire fraud, money laundering and engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from a specified unlawful activity. Prosecutors said Ciero and co-schemers stole an estimated $2.4 million, which entailed more than 100 Cuban immigrants who obtained PPP loans under false pretenses as “self-employed businesspeople” while they worked at the same meatpacking plant. Authorities say Ciero recruited people for the scheme, and then passed that information to others who submitted the fraudulent loan applications to the feds. He faces up to life imprisonment, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa.

Major county sheriff rejects ICE detainer on illegal immigrant who allegedly killed young boy in hit-and-run

Major county sheriff rejects ICE detainer on illegal immigrant who allegedly killed young boy in hit-and-run

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office rejected an immigration detainer by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on a criminal illegal immigrant allegedly responsible for a felony hit-and-run that resulted in the death of an 11-year-old boy Thanksgiving morning. In a statement Dec. 2, the Department of Homeland Security said it had filed a detainer request for Mexican illegal Hector Balderas-Aheelor, after his arrest for a felony hit-and-run that killed 11-year-old Aiden Antonio Torres De Paz. A spokesperson for the San Diego Sheriff’s Office told Fox News Digital it received the detainer request for Balderas-Aheelor, also known as Hector Amador Balderas, on Nov. 29. The spokesperson said, in accordance with California law, “a review of the criminal history was conducted, and the Immigration Detainer was rejected.” It added that the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office “complies with the California Values Act” and directed Fox News Digital to an information page on the law that said, “The Sheriff’s Office does not hold individuals based on federal detainer warrants.” NEWSOM’S OFFICE REVEALS BLUE STATE WILL COMPLY WITH ICE AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT’S EARLY RELEASE PLANS EXPOSED ABC San Diego reported that Balderas-Aheelor was arrested Saturday in the death of Torres De Paz in Escondido. The outlet said the child had run into the street to retrieve a soccer ball when he was hit, and the driver sped off. Torres De Paz died in the hospital from his injuries on Thanksgiving Day. Balderas-Aheelor was previously removed from the United States four times, according to DHS. Commenting on the case, Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said, “Thanksgiving should be a day of celebrating family and giving gratitude, but instead the family of Aiden Antonio Torres De Paz mourned this beautiful child’s death because a criminal illegal alien stole his life. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKER ACCUSED IN FATAL CALIFORNIA CRASH RELEASED BY BIDEN ADMIN AFTER 2022 BORDER CROSSING “Hector Balderas-Aheelor was previously removed FOUR times before he chose to commit a felony and illegally reenter the country a fifth time,” she continued. “Now, sanctuary laws threaten to put this killer back onto California’s streets.” McLaughlin called on California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom “to do the right thing and honor ICE’s arrest detainer.” In response, Diana Crofts-Pelayo, a spokesperson for Newsom, told Fox News Digital “nothing prohibits the federal government from doing its job in this case,” and “this driver needs to be held responsible for the tragic hit-and-run.” CHICAGO SUBURB SLAMMED FOR REHIRING POLICE OFFICER ARRESTED BY ICE: ‘CRAZY AS HELL’ “Unlawfully returning to the United States after deportation is a federal criminal offense and California honors federal criminal warrants,” Crofts-Pelayo added. “The federal government admits a failure to apprehend the suspect when he unlawfully entered the U.S. California law does not prevent them from acting now.”