A ghost story in the nation’s Capitol
They always ask if I felt something. “Across your foot? Your shin?” My shin? “Yeah. Your ankle. Did you feel it?” Not really. But before I respond, they ask again. What was it like?” they inquired. “Or did you just fall?” Then they speculated I might be clumsy. Hmmph. Clumsy. I truly don’t think so. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: CONGRESS BRACES FOR POST-ELECTION GAME OF MUSICAL CHAIRS AS LEADERSHIP BATTLES LOOM Oh. I fall like everyone else. I work out daily. I’ve taken a couple of tumbles on predawn runs in Alexandria, Virginia. You never know when one of those sidewalk snakes will slither up from the asphalt and nip you on the ankle. I used to snow ski. I studied martial arts for years and hold a second degree black belt. Clumsy? Nah. “But, what do you think it was?” they follow up. Well, I have my theories. I was a little tired that day. I noted the lip on the small staircase near the Memorial Door of the U.S. Capitol where I may have caught the edge of my brown loafers. I remember my shoes. Rubber soles. Slight scuff on the toes. Perfectly matched with my crisp tan summer suit. Not quite an “Obama” tan suit. But appropriate for summer. And I thought at least reasonably dapper for traipsing around the U.S. Capitol and covering Congress on a sweltering July day. Was it the shoes? My fatigue? Or how about my haste to “get the story.” I spotted then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his small coterie of aides and a security detail descending a spiral staircase after a meeting with then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. D-Calif. I would try to ask Trudeau a question. No. This really doesn’t have anything to do with Trudeau. Or the fact that I recalled that there was a picture of him, aged about 14 or 15, at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, rooting for the Expos. He’s there with his father — the most storied of all Canadian prime ministers — the late Pierre Trudeau. Of course, the Expos no longer play in Montreal. They don’t play at all. They moved to Washington in 2005 and are now the Nationals. And this was before the tariff wars. Montreal has been bereft of Major League Baseball ever since. What would Youppi! Say? Look him up, kids. No, there wasn’t something across my shin or ankle. I didn’t feel anything. I was there, on those steps, in the U.S. Capitol, because I’m a baseball fan. And I found out that Justin Trudeau watched those old Montreal Expos teams in the 1980s. Stocked with Andre Dawson, Warren Cromartie and Steve Rogers. And even though Trudeau was there to discuss affairs of state with Pelosi and others, I was there to ask him about the national pastime. Ironic, I know, to pose such an interrogative to a Canadian. However, the reason was that there was a report that the Tampa Bay Rays might consider splitting their season each year between Florida and Montreal. Big league baseball would return to Quebec. It would be international news if Trudeau commented. It would appear on Fox. FS1. ESPN. TSN in Canada. And Montreal — famously robbed of perhaps winning the World Series in 1994 with the best team in the game that year because of the player’s strike — might have a shot again at baseball glory. But journalism is like baseball. A game of failure. You sometimes swing and miss. You’re doing great if you’re successful three out of ten times. THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO WHY REMOVING ILHAN OMAR FROM CONGRESS COULD BE HARDER THAN TRUMP EXPECTS And sometimes, in journalism, the question is never asked. That was this day. On those steps. Questions about the Rays and Montreal were muted. All because of whatever got me. Absolutely got me. I stepped toward Trudeau, mumbled something about Tampa Bay and bought it. I fell on those steps. Directly in front of the Canadian Prime Minister. On the hard Capitol marble. I quickly realized I was about to fall. With a microphone in one hand, I couldn’t catch myself. I was confident I’d break a wrist or a hand if I tried to catch myself. So, I just went with it and fell. And because I studied martial arts for all of those years from Master Kim and Master Yang back at the Tae Kwon Do dojang, I knew how to fall without hurting myself. I rolled onto my right shoulder toward Trudeau. My feeling flew up absurdly high in the air. “Oh Chad! Oh Chad! Oh Chad!” hollered my photographer, Robert Fetzer. “Chad!” Trudeau stopped briefly. But I leaped to my feet after the roll, hoping he might say something about baseball. I struck out. And Trudeau departed. “But what tripped you?” they ask. “Were you all right?” Physically, I was fine. Mentally, kind of garbled. I’ve worked daily at the U.S. Capitol for decades. I had a sneaking suspicion of what got me. Or better yet, who? In the latter years of the 19th Century, Rep. William Taulbee, D-Ky., did not get along with reporter Charles Kincaid. Taulbee thought Kincaid wasn’t an honest broker, writing screeds about his personal affairs. Taulbee was tall, towering over the diminutive Kincaid. Taulbee was known to sometimes physically pummel Kincaid. Taulbee was out of federal office. But Kincaid knew Taulbee would be at the Capitol. Kincaid packed a pistol with him. And on Feb. 28, 1890, the reporter shot the Bluegrass Congressman square in the eye. Taulbee leaked blood all the way down the House’s “Y” staircase, the plasma blending with marble. Through a miracle of chemistry, the splotches are still visible today. The Kentucky Democrat succumbed to his injuries 11 days later. It probably goes without saying that Taulbee does not like the congressional press corps. And, so, his phantasm is known to lurk around the Capitol. Sometimes low bridging reporters on ornate staircases. “What tripped you?” they ask. And before I
Minnesota official’s voter guide message on Somali TV triggers viral backlash: ‘Not an accident’
The election system in Minnesota is facing scrutiny on social media after a clip of a state official speaking to Somali voters reignited concerns about election integrity in the state. “If you’re already registered to vote, you don’t need to bring anything with you,” Minnesota Voter Outreach Director Melanie Hazelip said on Somali TV. “You just show up to your early voting location, which is usually the county office or City Hall. Minneapolis and the bigger jurisdictions have a lot of extra places where you can go, like a lot of libraries or community centers. As long as you’re registered to vote, you don’t need to bring anything with you. TRUMP SCORES SUPREME COURT WIN IN ELECTION INTEGRITY FIGHT AS STATES GAIN NEW VOTER ROLL TOOL “If you’re not registered to vote … you still have options. If you have a Minnesota ID that is updated, that’s all you need to bring with you. If you don’t have that, there is a list of documents on our website that you can find. You still have options to get registered same day.” While Hazelip’s comments were in accordance with the laws on the books, they prompted outrage on social media after being posted by conservative influencer End Wokeness, and the post racked up almost a million views with users making the case that the system is too lax. “A Minnesota election official just went on Somali TV and walked viewers through how to same-day register and vote using a Minnesota state ID,” retired Navy intelligence Officer Phillip C. Parrish posted on X. “Minnesota hands out those IDs to non-citizens with no citizenship marking. Vouching lets one registered voter clear up to eight others on an oath. Citizenship is required by law. Real-time proof is not. The same state that lost hundreds of millions to documented fraud in childcare, nutrition, and Medicaid programs is now advertising the lowest-friction path to the ballot on community TV. Affirm you’re a citizen. Cast the vote. Get investigated later—if at all. This is how the system is built. It is not an accident.” Federalist Society co-founder David McIntosh wrote on X, “Democrats are on a mission to tell every non-citizen how they can get away with voting in our elections. ELECTION CRIME ARRESTS KEEP PILING UP AS DEMS INSIST IT ‘JUST DOESN’T HAPPEN’ “How is this not election interference?” “Nothing to see here, I’m sure,” Red Ax Strategies President Matthew Brodsky posted on X. “This is why passing the SAVE America Act is crucial,” conservative commentator Riley Gaines posted on X. In a statement to Fox News Digital, the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office said it “provides information and resources on Minnesota election laws to hundreds of nonpartisan community groups every year as a part of our regular voter engagement efforts.” “Recently, our voter outreach director spoke with a local news outlet and provided accurate information about Minnesota election laws and how eligible voters cast their ballots. Unfortunately, her accurate remarks have been misinterpreted and misrepresented by political actors online,” the statement said. “With only a few days left before the election, we remain focused on making sure every eligible Minnesotan knows how and where to cast their ballot.” Bill Glahn, a policy fellow at the Center of the American Experiment, told Fox News Digital, “given the timing, so close to the election — and the audience, Somali TV — she really should have emphasized the need to be an American citizen in order to vote.” “It’s true most Somali immigrants are naturalized citizens, but not all,” Glahn said. “In fact, we just had a noncitizen sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for the Feeding Our Future fraud.” The scrutiny comes as the Walz administration confronts hundreds of millions of dollars lost to social services fraud tied to the state’s Somali immigrant community. Critics pointed to a further wrinkle in Minnesota state law signed by Gov. Tim Walz in 2023 that provided for Driver’s Licenses For All regardless of immigration status. The policy also stipulates that the licenses carry no markings indicating citizenship, even though such IDs are commonly used to register to vote. Under Minnesota law, a registered voter can “vouch” for up to eight other voters’ residency who want to sign up for same-day voter registration without an ID. The registered voter must go with the person or people to the polling place and sign an oath verifying their address, according to an official fact sheet from the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State. Glahn told Fox News Digital earlier this year that while the state touts the safeguards it has put in place to ensure only citizens vote, “it’s like murder’s illegal, but it happens all the time.” “It’s a penalty of perjury,” he said. “You signed an oath, but if you signed as Mickey Mouse, they’re not going to find you.” In September, a federal indictment was handed down charging an illegal immigrant from India with knowingly making the false claim to be a U.S. citizen to vote in the 2024 general election in Minnesota. Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report
US dual citizen extradited to El Salvador, accused of killing son’s mother and abandoning toddler: DOJ
A dual U.S.-Salvadoran citizen from California accused of murdering a woman in front of their toddler son before abandoning the child near her remains has been extradited to El Salvador to face charges, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Thursday. Michael Alejandro Castillo Murga, 27, of Beaumont, California, was handed over to Salvadoran authorities Wednesday to face charges of aggravated femicide and imperfect homicide in the 2019 killing. The extradition marks the first time the U.S. has surrendered an American citizen to face prosecution for crimes committed in El Salvador, according to the DOJ. Castillo Murga holds dual U.S. and Salvadoran citizenship. AMERICAN WHO FLED US AFTER ALLEGEDLY KILLING PREGNANT WIFE COULD RETURN WITHIN DAYS WITH MURDER CHARGE DROPPED Salvadoran authorities allege Castillo Murga picked up Melvi Fernanda Nájera Quezada, 23, and their son from her mother’s home Jan. 31, 2019, supposedly to begin living together as a family. Investigators allege he instead killed Nájera Quezada and abandoned their child near her body, which was discovered near a highway the next day. An autopsy determined she died from severe bleeding caused by cuts to her neck and other wounds inflicted with a plastic knife, according to the DOJ. Farmworkers discovered the boy, who was younger than 2, several days later in a rugged area near where his mother’s body was found. He was severely dehydrated and starving with cuts on his face, insect bites and signs of abuse, authorities said. FUGITIVE MOM WANTED IN DAUGHTER’S ARIZONA MURDER USED CARTELS TO HIDE FOR YEARS BEFORE CAPTURE IN MEXICO: FEDS Investigators linked Castillo Murga to the killing through cellphone location data and witness accounts. Authorities also said he sent his girlfriend a photograph showing bloodstains on his face and neck. Prosecutors also accused Castillo Murga’s grandmother and a lawyer of helping conceal evidence. According to the DOJ, the pair arranged for two people to clean blood from the interior and exterior of Castillo Murga’s vehicle using water, car shampoo and vinegar, but they were unable to remove all the blood. Castillo Murga escaped to Guatemala around Feb. 2, 2019, with assistance from his grandmother and lawyer before eventually entering the U.S., according to prosecutors. MAN ACCUSED OF KILLING WIFE ON WEDDING NIGHT BROUGHT BACK TO US AFTER YEARS ON THE RUN IN MEXICO U.S. Marshals arrested him in October 2024 in response to an extradition request from El Salvador. Castillo Murga challenged his extradition in federal court, but a judge rejected his petition in November 2025 and denied a subsequent request to halt the transfer in September 2026. The secretary of state ultimately authorized his surrender, and U.S. Marshals transported him into Salvadoran custody Wednesday to face prosecution.
Dem probes could ‘torture’ young Trump officials with crushing legal bills, subpoenaed conservative warns
Repeated calls by Democratic lawmakers to investigate President Donald Trump and his allies are raising concerns from a conservative organization previously subpoenaed during former Biden-appointed special counsel Jack Smith’s 2020 election investigation. And one of its leaders is warning that young professionals could face reputational damage and steep legal bills. Rachel Bovard, vice president of programs at the Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI), said Smith’s investigation left her organization on the hook for millions of dollars in fees to ensure compliance with the subpoenas. HOUSE DEMS PLOT TRUMP INVESTIGATION BLITZ IF THEY SEIZE MAJORITY “Jack Smith was a test run in how to do this,” Bovard told Fox News Digital. “Jack Smith basically went in crazy, subpoenaed a host of information across the right. His goal was to map the right, and he did it. And all of that information is still on file at the FBI and the Justice Department. It doesn’t go away, so it’s sitting there waiting for the next Dem administration to pick it up, and we expect that’s what they’ll do with it.” Though CPI was targeted by the Biden Justice Department and not Congress, Bovard said she fears Democrats will follow what she described as Smith’s playbook if they win control of Congress in the midterm elections. The concerns come after Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., stated during an event earlier this month at the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics that she wants Democrats to send a “deterrence message” to any young person considering working in the Trump administration. Slotkin said she wants to “not just focus on the president, but on the people who enabled him.” “They literally just want to use the government as a political weapon, which is exactly what Jack Smith also did to a bunch of people, including my organization,” Bovard told Fox News Digital. “We were never credibly accused of any crime, but we had to spend millions of dollars to comply with subpoenas.” Bovard said Smith’s subpoenas allowed the Justice Department to obtain detailed information such as CPI’s health coverage and benefits, which she said had no relevance to Smith’s investigation. Fox News Digital reached out to Slotkin’s office for comment but did not receive a response before publication. Abhishek Kambli, a former federal prosecutor and a partner at Holtzman Vogel, told Fox News Digital that Congress’ ability to issue subpoenas and conduct investigations must be related to legislative duties and that Congress can’t issue subpoenas for law enforcement purposes. Kambli said remarks by Slotkin and other members of Congress could be used as evidence by anyone seeking to challenge a subpoena. “You had multiple members of the House and the Senate that talk about the accountability agenda and holding the Trump administration accountable for wrongdoing,” Kambli told Fox News Digital. “And if they just throw in boilerplate language that this is for legislative purpose, anyone challenging those subpoenas will have that entire record to demonstrate that it’s anything but that.” While Michael Morley, a law professor at Florida State University College of Law, agreed that Slotkin’s remarks are bad optics, he said Congress’ authority to conduct investigations is still broad, pointing out that Congress can investigate the agencies it has created. “I don’t think that is consistent with our norms, and I certainly don’t think it’s something that we’d like to see become a routine part of our discourse,” Morley said of Slotkin’s remarks. “But I don’t think that necessarily means it rises to the level of a constitutional issue.” ELISSA SLOTKIN CALLS BACKLASH TO THREAT OF PROSECUTION COMMENTS ‘MANUFACTURED OUTRAGE’ Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at Advancing American Freedom, said that while Congress may be able to hold someone in criminal contempt for not complying with a subpoena, it’s up to the Justice Department to prosecute, which it could decline to do. Spakovsky said that precedent was established during the Obama administration, when the Justice Department declined to prosecute then-Attorney General Eric Holder after the House held him in contempt for refusing to comply with a subpoena related to the Fast and Furious investigation. But Kambli said that doesn’t erase the risks potential Trump administration officials could face, arguing that the investigative process itself can be the punishment. “There is no doubt that some members of Congress intend to use that process to bankrupt people who cannot afford legal representation,” Kambli told Fox News Digital. “That is a real threat, regardless of whether anyone is ultimately prosecuted.” SLOTKIN’S VIRAL ‘THREAT’ TO CONSERVATIVES TAKES NEW TWIST AS STUDENT MOVES TO HOLD HER ACCOUNTABLE: ‘SHOCKING’ Bovard said when she first saw Slotkin’s remarks about seeking a “deterrence message” she interpreted them as a call to use the investigative process to “torture” young professionals. “I don’t know that these Democrats think they can actually put people in jail. I think that’s almost beside the point for them,” Bovard told Fox News Digital. Kambli said concerns remain that if a Democrat returns to the White House, former Trump administration officials could be subjected to Justice Department investigations. “Where the real exposure lies is in the scenario where a Democrat wins the presidency in 2028, and they maintain both houses of Congress,” Kambli told Fox News Digital. Just weeks before Slotkin’s remarks, Trump said during an interview with Time magazine that he would issue preemptive pardons to members of his administration before leaving the White House, pointing out that President Joe Biden issued a pardon for Dr. Anthony Fauci. Bovard said it was unfortunate that political affairs had reached a point where mass pardons were even under consideration, but she argued they made sense given the rise in lawfare. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “This is how we’re going to have to live: mass pardons of your political parties on either side, and that’s obviously a terrible outcome. But if, you know, the Slotkin theory is put to the test. I don’t think Trump’s going to have a choice. I think he’s going to have to
Report on alleged ‘second Dan Sullivan’ effort emerges after nearly 1 in 10 Alaskans voted
A New York Times investigation revealed an alleged effort by operatives liked to Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to recruit a second Dan Sullivan for Alaska’s ballot, but the report came as nearly 1 in 10 registered Alaska voters had already cast ballots. The timing means roughly 58,000 voters may have made their choices before learning of the reported effort that critics say was intended to create confusion with a same-name candidate. Peltola’s campaign and the DSCC have denied involvement. SENATE CONTROL IS A COIN FLIP — AND DEMOCRATS’ PATH RUNS THROUGH TRUMP COUNTRY Dan J. Sullivan made it to the four-candidate general election earlier this year after winning 2.5% of the vote in the primary. His campaign announcement did not list a party affiliation. His website does not state his position on any political issues. “Dan Sullivan challenges Dan Sullivan for U.S. Senate Seat, urges Alaskans to defeat incumbent, elect a Sullivan who stands up for Alaska,” it read. The New York Times reported that the effort to recruit potential Republican spoiler candidates included Dan J. Sullivan. The effort spanned coordination between the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) to Peltola staffers, according to text messages, interviews and internal documents. According to a source interviewed by the New York Times, Peltola was aware of the efforts. MARY PELTOLA’S CAMPAIGN, DEMS BACKED COVERT SCHEME TO FIELD SPOILER CANDIDATES IN ALASKA SENATE RACE: REPORT The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit last week, seeking to delay certification if Sen. Dan Sullivan is defeated, citing the possible confusion. It’s unclear if the DOJ is likely to succeed on those grounds. The state’s ranked-choice voting system is further complicating the election picture for Sen. Sullivan. Under this system, voters rank their preferred candidates. If their top choice is eliminated, their support passes to their next-ranked option. While supporters of the process argue it expands voters’ power and greatly increases the influence of candidates that may not otherwise be a top choice, critics believe it also introduces confusion. Alaska state Sen. James Kaufman, a Republican, is one of those critics. Kaufman fears that some voters won’t bother to fill out both the “Sullivans” on the ballot to cover their bases. He believes there are still some voters in Alaska, especially Republicans, who refuse to use the system, citing disagreements with its implementation. “Some people have a pretty strong traditionalist perspective: one person, one man, one vote,” Kaufman said in an interview with Fox News Digital earlier this year. ALASKA SENATE RACE’S ABSURD NAME PROBLEM GETS EVEN HARDER TO UNTANGLE “And, so, the ballot fatigue where people just don’t rank because maybe they disagree with it; there’s a pretty strong segment of the population here that just patently disagrees with the rank-choice voting system we ended up with. And they don’t necessarily believe in utilizing it,” he added. Less than a week remains before the Nov. 3 general election.
Feds raid multiple Minnesota autism service providers amid Medicaid fraud investigations
Federal agents raided multiple Minnesota autism service providers Thursday in the latest law enforcement action involving a state already under intense scrutiny over allegations of widespread fraud in taxpayer-funded programs. The FBI confirmed that federal and state agencies were conducting “court-authorized investigative activity” at multiple locations across Minnesota, including sites in the Twin Cities and Rochester, according to MPR News. Meanwhile, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office also confirmed that its Medicaid Fraud Control Unit executed search warrants at Iska Inc. in St. Louis Park and Bright Horizon Therapy in Edina, both of which provide autism-related or other Medicaid-funded services. The operation involved the FBI, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, IRS criminal investigators, U.S. Postal Inspectors and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, according to FOX 9 Minneapolis. MN DEM SENATE CANDIDATE’S VIRAL HIJAB VIDEO TAKES NEW TURN AS WOMAN BESIDE HER FACES MAJOR STATE INVESTIGATION “This is an active investigation, and no further details are available at this time,” FBI Minneapolis spokesperson Matt Vogel told MPR News. Iska Inc. received more than $16.7 million in Medicaid payments between 2018 and 2025, according to state data reviewed by the Minnesota Star Tribune. The business participated in Minnesota’s Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention program, which provides services to children and young people with autism and has faced increasing scrutiny over fraud allegations. The latest searches follow a series of enforcement operations targeting suspected fraud in Minnesota’s publicly funded programs. In April, federal and state investigators executed 22 search warrants in Minnesota, including at autism service providers and childcare businesses. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER The Justice Department also announced charges against 15 defendants in May in connection with alleged health care fraud schemes involving more than $90 million in intended losses. The cases included an alleged $46.6 million scheme targeting Minnesota’s autism intervention program, which DOJ said saw Medicaid claims surge from more than $600,000 in 2018 to more than $400 million by 2025. The raids come ahead of Vice President JD Vance’s planned visit to Minnesota — alongside members of the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud — where allegations of public-services fraud have fueled growing questions about oversight. Officials have not announced charges related to Thursday’s searches, and the allegations against any individual business remain unproven.
Election expert sounds alarm on how noncitizens are landing on voter rolls
An election integrity expert raised concerns Wednesday about California and Washington after the Justice Department identified thousands of suspected noncitizen voter registrations, including cases in which residents told officials they were not U.S. citizens yet were still registered to vote. In an interview with Fox News Digital, J. Christian Adams, president of the Public Interest Legal Foundation, blamed the states’ automatic voter registration systems and local officials’ refusal to use available federal tools to verify citizenship. “Noncitizens are getting on the rolls all over the country through the motor voter program. They’re going into (the) DMV. Sometimes they’re even telling the DMV they’re not citizens, and states are still registering them to vote,” Adams said. “That’s why aliens are getting on the rolls in states like Washington and California that have automatic voter registration.” FEDERAL OFFICIALS IDENTIFY 400 NONCITIZENS REGISTERED TO VOTE IN WASHINGTON STATE: ‘TIP OF THE ICEBERG’ California and Washington both require U.S. citizenship to register to vote, though their automatic voter registration systems differ. California DMV customers who indicate they are eligible to vote can be automatically registered, while Washington’s automatic registration through the Department of Licensing is tied to transactions requiring proof of U.S. citizenship, such as obtaining an enhanced driver’s license or ID. However, federal officials said they identified more than 20,000 likely noncitizens on California voter rolls, many with addresses in Los Angeles County, and more than 400 suspected cases in Washington. The findings come just ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. Washington Secretary of State Steve R. Hobbs pushed back against the Justice Department on Wednesday, criticizing its findings for containing “several glaring deficiencies.” The list included U.S. citizens and individuals who are not currently registered to vote, Hobbs said. “Without individualized proof of ineligibility, it would be both irresponsible and illegal for election officials to decline to process a registered voter’s ballot. If you have individualized proof, I invite you to provide it so election officials can take appropriate steps that are consistent with federal and state law,” Hobbs said. The California secretary of state also pushed back last week, saying a review of the DOJ’s data on Los Angeles County found “significant accuracy problems with their sweeping claims.” “At best, this litigation is a reckless political stunt. At worst, it threatens to disenfranchise thousands of Californians this election,” the office said. DOJ HAS VERIFIED 20,000 NONCITIZENS ON CALIFORNIA VOTER ROLLS, FEDERAL PROSECUTOR SAYS Adams also blamed election officials for refusing to use the Department of Homeland Security’s Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database to identify noncitizens on voter rolls. He described SAVE as the “best database there is for aliens” that is “just sitting there waiting for them to use.” “They don’t want to check. They don’t have to check. Federal law doesn’t require them to check. What federal law does is make data available through the SAVE database at DHS,” Adams said. Hobbs criticized the DOJ’s reliance on the SAVE database, calling it “unreliable” and arguing that the absence of a citizenship record does not establish immigration status. “It cannot rely on the mere absence of a name from the SAVE database or the department’s assertions based on the vague and untested methodology described in the lawsuit against California,” Hobbs said. MORE THAN A QUARTER-MILLION NONCITIZENS MAY BE REGISTERED TO VOTE IN 4 KEY STATES, DHS ALLEGES As a result of lax regulations, Adams said his team has identified major voter roll issues in California beyond noncitizen registration, including duplicate registrations and registrations associated with deceased residents. “It’s what we expect now from California because partisan politics has taken over election administration in that state,” he said. “They think it’s part of the program to disenfranchise people if they check citizenship, but it’s not,” he added. “They’re saying that everything’s fine here. ‘Don’t look at us. We’re as good as it can be,’ But the reality is they’re really not using the data that are available to keep the rolls clean.” DOJ THREATENS EMERGENCY LEGAL ACTION AGAINST CALIFORNIA OVER SUSPECTED NONCITIZEN VOTERS Other states, including Florida and North Carolina, have used the SAVE database and found fewer issues, according to Adams, contrasting their approach with California and Washington. While the Justice Department’s disclosure marks a rare public accounting of suspected noncitizen voter registrations, Adams said the findings will likely not affect the upcoming midterm elections. Audits usually happen during off-election years when there is sufficient time for legal review, according to Adams. Waiting until just before an election in an even-numbered year can result in courts dismissing challenges due to “laches,” a legal principle that penalizes someone for waiting too long without a valid reason to file a legal claim. “There’s very little you can do right before an election. That’s why the hard work in these cases is in odd-numbered years, not in October or even-numbered years. So, you really have to do this stuff early, or you could lose on what’s called laches,” he said. Despite the timing, Adams, who worked in the DOJ’s Voting Section more than a decade ago, applauded the department for taking the matter seriously. “Nobody took noncitizen registration seriously until now. And that’s a welcome change,” he said.
Dead felon voting controversy grows as ‘Betty No Last Name’ surfaces in Spanberger’s rights restoration push
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s effort to restore voting rights to tens of thousands of convicted felons sparked controversy Thursday after an attorney obtained an executive citation addressed to “Betty No Last Name,” purportedly notifying the recipient that her voting rights had been restored. The citation identifies No Last Name as one of more than 66,000 Virginians whose rights to vote, serve on juries and seek public office have reportedly been restored under Spanberger’s administration. The controversy comes ahead of a Nov. 3 ballot measure that would make voting rights restoration automatic upon release from prison. “It’s a big deal,” said Virginia Beach attorney Tim Anderson, who first obtained the citation for No Last Name and shared it with Fox News Digital. SPANBERGER VOTING RIGHTS LETTERS SENT TO DEAD FELONS AMID BALLOT ACCESS PUSH “It’s clear [Spanberger] didn’t sign it. No governor and no secretary of the commonwealth would sign a restoration order that says Betty No Last Name, so they’re not looking at it; they didn’t review anything,” Anderson told Fox News Digital in an interview Thursday. Each citation bears the signatures of the governor and Secretary of the Commonwealth Candi Mundon-King. “Whereas, Betty No Last Name, by reason of conviction(s), suffers political disabilities …,” the citation obtained by Fox News Digital says. MAP IT: DOJ ILLEGAL VOTING CRACKDOWN SWEEPS 17 STATES AS RAZOR-THIN ELECTIONS FACE SCRUTINY Anderson said he obtained the citation through a public records request to the Chesapeake Sheriff’s Office after reports emerged that restoration notices had been sent to felons who are now deceased. He said the document originated from Spanberger’s office and was sent to the sheriff’s office. He speculated that the citations were generated through a mail merge of records and signed using an autopen despite language in the documents indicating that each case had been individually reviewed. Former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares also questioned whether the administration had individually reviewed the restoration cases. “Four mentions of ‘Betty No Last Name’ and still no last name. I’m thinking perhaps Abigail Spanberger’s ‘individualized review’ is just imaginary,” Miyares said in a statement. Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger, Mundon-King and the Chesapeake Sheriff’s Office for comment. A sheriff’s office official also confirmed veracity of the citation received in No Last Name’s name, and provided an additional copy to Fox News Digital. Anderson said he found the questionable citation after contacting only a handful of Virginia law enforcement agencies and believes similar cases may exist elsewhere in the state. He also suggested that officials whose signatures appear on the citations could face criminal liability if the documents were found to be fraudulent, potentially resulting in forfeiture of office. Anderson’s finding went viral on social media Thursday, and critics pointed out how No Last Name’s citation colored the upcoming ballot question on automatic rights restoration for felons. Some Virginia lawmakers have called for an independent audit of Spanberger’s rights-restoration process. State Sen. Glen Sturtevant, R-Chesterfield, who has called for the audit, said reports have since emerged of restoration citations being sent to deceased individuals. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “Now a certificate for “Betty No Last Name,” signed by the governor. Still no audit. Vote no on Question 3,” Sturtevant said in a statement. “Congratulations to Betty No Last Name,” added Del. Wren Williams, R-Stuart. “You can now vote in Virginia.”
Libertarians challenge Trump-backed Republicans, look to shake up midterms beyond GOP-Dem duopoly
In the American political scene dominated by the GOP-Democrat duopoly, Libertarians like Kentucky congressional candidate Jeremy Todd are looking to offer voters an alternative as they head to the polls during the midterm elections. “I think ultimately the Republican Party has abandoned… true conservatism, small government principles,” Todd told Fox News Digital this week, asserting that “they may be more conservative than Democrats, but, to us true conservatives, that’s not good enough.” Todd, who views himself as “right of MAGA,” mounted his long-shot U.S. House bid after Rep. Thomas Massie lost the Republican primary in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District to Trump-backed former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein. Democratic congressional candidate Melissa Strange is also running in the contest. “We are welcoming people who are conservative, who believe in small, limited government, to my campaign and then to a larger movement that is probably gonna need to exist post the downfall of the Republican Party,” Todd said. Former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent, who quit his post earlier this year due to his opposition to the Iran war, and former Rep. Ron Paul, have both backed Todd. TRUMP-BACKED CANDIDATE ED GALLREIN CALLS KENTUCKY WIN A ‘DAVID VS. GOLIATH’ VICTORY AFTER DEFEATING MASSIE In a Pew Research survey of U.S. adults released earlier this month, 5% of registered voters indicated that they would vote for another candidate other than the GOP and Democratic candidates in the U.S. House race in their district, while 15% were not sure about how they would vote. The poll, carried out Sept. 28-Oct. 4, had a margin of error among registered voters of plus or minus 1.8 percentage points. Todd is not the only Libertarian running this election cycle looking to make an impact — but no candidate running under the Libertarian Party has ever been elected to the U.S. Congress. Former Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, who switched from Republican to Independent and then to Libertarian during his final term, became “the first LP member to serve in Congress,” according to the Libertarian National Committee — but Amash, who served in the House for a decade, won all of his elections as a Republican. Libertarian candidate Ted Brown is on the ballot for the 2026 Texas U.S. Senate race that features Trump-backed state Attorney General Ken Paxton and Democratic state Rep. James Talarico. NOT EVEN SKY HIGH GAS PRICES OR THE IRAN WAR WILL STOP TRUMP SUPPORTERS VOTING MAGA Brown earned only about 2.36% of the vote in the 2024 Texas U.S. Senate contest won by incumbent GOP Sen. Ted Cruz. He dismissed the criticism he says he gets regularly from Republicans that he is merely spoiling Paxton’s chances. “They could avoid that problem by nominating a better candidate,” Brown said, noting that he delivers the same message to Democrats. “You can’t spoil a system that’s already rotten,” Brown stated. “There are a lot of people making a protest vote, and there’s good reason to.” Bill Redpath, a former Libertarian National Committee (LNC) chair who is currently listed as an at-large LNC representative, is running in the special Ohio U.S. Senate race where Trump-backed Republican Sen. Jon Husted faces former Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat. Redpath earned less than 2% of the vote in a 2022 Illinois U.S. Senate bid. Todd, while speaking to Fox News Digital, urged voters not to “buy into the lesser of two evils talk. Make sure you get out there and vote and give us a real shot because we can win this.” GOP REP THOMAS MASSIE INTRODUCES 8 ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT AGAINST WAR SECRETARY PETE HEGSETH Todd, who supports Massie’s bid to impeach War Secretary Pete Hegseth and the congressman’s push to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act II, is a fiscal hawk who advocates slashing government spending to address the much-discussed “affordability” issue. “The affordability crisis is not a hoax,” he said, suggesting that younger individuals particularly face this “stark reality.” “The only answer is we’ve got to cut government spending so that we stop money printing, so that we stop debasing and devaluing the currency and their wages have an opportunity to catch up. That’s ultimately what’s happening is we’re printing money faster than wages can keep up with and it’s kind of left an entire generation behind to the benefit of asset holders,” Todd said. “The easiest way you can cut government spending is get out of these stupid conflicts. We should not be paying billions of dollars to Ukraine to fight Russia. We should not be paying billions of dollars to come to Israel’s defense,” Todd asserted. “And last but not least, we should get out of this conflict in Iran. Just leave.” WHY THE HOUSE LET OUT EARLY IS A MATTER OF DEBATE AFTER JOHNSON SAYS CHAMBER HAS ‘DONE ITS WORK’ In a Sunday post on X, Todd called President Donald Trump “a warmonger.” During the Fox News Digital interview, Todd credited Trump with forging “the greatest coalition we’ve maybe ever seen in politics,” noting that Trump delivered a speech at the Libertarian National Convention in 2024 to appeal to the voting bloc. “We believe that the job of the United States military is not to wage endless regime-change wars around the globe,” Trump told that Libertarian gathering in 2024, but “to defend America from attack and invasion here at home.” Todd said since delivering that speech, Trump has gone “back on all but essentially one of the promises, which is border security.” “We’ve not gotten deportations to the level that we wanted. We’ve gotten into another stupid and maybe the biggest and most ridiculous Middle Eastern conflict,” Todd said. MTG SAYS GOP’S FUTURE ‘DESTROYED’ AFTER TRUMP-BACKED PRIMARY CHALLENGER DEFEATS THOMAS MASSIE The White House did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment. In a statement provided to Fox News Digital, Republican National Committee national press secretary Natalie Baldassarre declared, “President Trump has endorsed Ed Gallrein, a Navy SEAL and fifth-generation farmer who will represent the needs of working families in Congress.
Sky-high gas prices aren’t shaking Trump’s MAGA faithful in oil country as supporters warn of bigger threat
TEXAS — Gas prices are soaring ahead of the midterm elections, but President Donald Trump’s supporters at campaign rallies in Texas say the rising costs aren’t shaking their loyalty to the president, with some warning that the country’s future is at stake. “I do experience that costs are high, but I’m in for the long haul and I support everything that he’s been doing,” one supporter told Fox News Digital at Trump’s rally in Lubbock, Texas. Fox News Digital spoke with Trump supporters at rallies in Lubbock and Corpus Christi, two cities in a state deeply tied to America’s oil and gas industry where voters acknowledged the economic squeeze but remained firmly behind the president. For some, concerns about the country’s future and the rise of socialism are adding urgency to the approaching election. The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline stood at approximately $4.25 on Wednesday, up nearly 40% from roughly $3.05 a year earlier, according to AAA. TRUMP WON THIS RELIABLY RED STATE BY DOUBLE DIGITS. NOW A DEADLOCKED RACE IS BRINGING HIM BACK Trump acknowledged the higher costs during his Lubbock rally while pointing to increased American oil production and his administration’s recent energy deal with Venezuela as steps toward bringing prices down. “Our country is making a fortune while people have to pay more at the pump,” Trump said, adding that gas prices are “going to come down really fast.” “The ones we care about are our people at the pump,” Trump told the crowd. “And those numbers are going to start coming down very, very rapidly.” During his earlier stop in Corpus Christi, Trump announced the arrival of the first million barrels of Venezuelan oil secured through an agreement with the South American country, which the White House says is being provided at no cost to American taxpayers and will be refined in Texas. The administration has touted the agreement as a major step toward expanding America’s energy supply and supporting domestic jobs, arguing that the additional oil will eventually help lower costs for consumers. The White House said the broader agreement would give the U.S. majority control over approximately 65 billion barrels of proven Venezuelan oil reserves, expanding American access to energy resources as Trump pushes to boost supply and bring down prices. NOT EVEN SKY HIGH GAS PRICES OR THE IRAN WAR WILL STOP TRUMP SUPPORTERS VOTING MAGA Stephen Elsher of Corpus Christi said the economy remains his top concern heading into the midterms, but he believes Republicans are the ones who can turn things around. “I’d like to see it turn around and do better for this next year,” Elsher told Fox News Digital. “Without the Republicans in charge, we won’t go that direction.” Meanwhile, the Democratic Party has faced growing pressure from its progressive wing, with democratic socialist candidates gaining prominence and sparking debate over the party’s direction. Trump repeatedly warned voters against what he described as the “radical left Democrat communist” agenda during his Lubbock rally, arguing that Democratic policies would raise taxes, threaten Texas oil and gas jobs, and weaken border security. “The choice in this election is very simple,” Trump told supporters, contrasting his economic agenda with what he described as the consequences of Democratic control. TRUMP’S MAGA FAITHFUL SEND WARNING TO REPUBLICANS AHEAD OF HIGH-STAKES MIDTERM ELECTIONS For some Trump supporters at the Texas rallies, concerns go beyond affordability, with attendees warning that the rise of socialism poses a threat to the country’s future. “We can’t lose our republic,” Susie, a Corpus Christi supporter, told Fox News Digital, warning that the country is under siege by Democrats, socialists and communists. Elizabeth Trigo, who attended Trump’s Lubbock rally with her daughters, said the midterms are about more than just the next election, pointing to the country’s future and preserving opportunities for the next generation. “I think the main reason this election, the midterms, is a lot of it has to do with the future,” Trigo told Fox News Digital. “The most important thing is opportunity again. Trump is on the side of opportunity.” Trigo said she wants Trump to continue fighting the war on drugs and pushing back against socialism during his remaining two years in office.