Kennedy Center ceiling partially collapses as Trump-led board pushes for 2-year closure
The Kennedy Center shared photos on Saturday that showed a partial ceiling collapse that happened during a rainstorm in the main hallway of the over 50-year-old performing arts building. Roma Daravi, vice president of public relations for the Kennedy Center, said the collapse underscored the need to close the building for renovations. “Another example of the urgent need to close for renovation and revitalization, as our Chairman President [Donald] Trump has championed,” Daravi said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital, adding, “This structural failure stems from decades of neglect and deferred maintenance by the previous leadership, and there’s no justification for further delays in restoring America’s cultural center.” VIDEO EXPOSES DISREPAIR LURKING BENEATH TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER AS $257M RENOVATION LOOMS The center’s board, which is led by Trump, voted in August to close the building for two years. This came after a judge ruled in May that Trump’s name must come off the building months after the board voted to name it: “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.” “Unless I am free to do what I do better than anyone else, bring this Institution back, physically, financially, and artistically, I have no interest in continuing what could only be a hopeless journey into ‘NEVER NEVER LAND,’” Trump wrote on Truth Social at the time. “Therefore, based on the fact that the Radical Left Democrats care more about opposing your favorite President, ME, than saving a dying Performing Arts Center, almost all of which lose large amounts of money throughout the Country, we are going to be working with Congress to transfer this failing Institution back to them so they can make a determination as to what to do with it.” TRUMP’S NAME TO BE REMOVED FROM KENNEDY CENTER AS APPEALS COURT DENIES BOARD’S REQUEST FOR ADMINISTRATIVE STAY Last month, the board voted to rename the institution’s grounds “President Donald J. Trump Plaza” and to put lettering on the building that says “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump.” The board remains in court fighting to move forward with the name changes, as well as the closure and $250 million in renovations. Grace Terpstra, founder of the community group Keep the KC, which is fighting the closure, said she thinks the board will use the collapse “to make the point that the whole thing needs to be shut down, that it’s going to fall on everybody.” KENNEDY CENTER DISPUTES ALLEGATIONS ON CONTRACTOR BIDS DESPITE DEMOCRAT SENATOR’S CLAIMS She added, “I think they’ll try to make it into a bigger thing and show that they’ve found a lot of other things.” A tarp and scaffolding has covered the front of the building since the bronze letters that made up Trump’s name were removed in June. Last week, the center did remove a piece of modern artwork called “Blue” that has been outside the building since 2019, saying in a statement, “we are honored to have been stewards” of the late sculptor Joel Shapiro’s work. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Machete-wielding MS-13 gangster wanted for murder walks free after Biden-appointed judge releases him: DHS
An MS-13 gang member convicted in a savage execution-style murder is out of federal custody in California after a federal judge ordered his immediate release, igniting fury from the Trump administration. U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta ordered the release of David Antonio Aviles Perez, 35, aka “the witch,” after finding that immigration officials held him for five months without giving him a bond hearing or determining whether he posed a danger to the public or a flight risk. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin accused the Biden-appointed judge of putting the public in danger by ordering Aviles Perez’s release. DHS EVISCERATES MEDIA FOR ‘ABSOLUTE ABSURDITY’ OVER CONCERN ABOUT ‘WORST OF THE WORST’ ACTIVIST JUDGES LIST “This radical activist judge has put American lives at risk by releasing a wanted murderer,” Mullin said in a statement Saturday. “This is now the SECOND time this dangerous illegal has been released back onto the streets in California,” he added. “Because sanctuary politicians want to play politics from the bench, innocent Americans are in danger.” SANCTUARY LAWS COULD STOP POLICE FROM PROTECTING KIDS. SO WE’RE SUING CALIFORNIA The case centers on a brutal 2014 gang killing in El Salvador and a legal fight over the Trump administration’s authority to detain immigrants while removal proceedings unfold. Alvise Perez, identified by Salvadoran prosecutors as an active MS-13 member also known as “La Bruja,” or “The Witch,” was convicted while outside El Salvador in December 2025 and sentenced to 20 years in prison for aggravated murder. ICE NABS ACCUSED MS-13 KILLER HIDING IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA SUBURB Prosecutors said Aviles Perez and another MS-13 member chased a man through a mountainous area in La Unión before fellow gang members forced the victim to stop and kneel. The victim was held by the shoulders as Aviles Perez and his accomplice approached, prosecutors said. The gang members then shot the man in the chest, back and face before fleeing. Both defendants were tried and convicted while outside the country. Aviles Perez entered the U.S. at an unknown date and location, according to DHS. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CHARGED WITH BRUTAL SLAYING ONE DAY AFTER CALIFORNIA JUDGE RELEASED HIM: DHS He was arrested in Monterey, California, in 2023, after allegedly swinging a machete at a homeless man at Laguna Grande Park near Monterey State Beach. He allegedly hid the weapon before officers recovered it from a nearby Holiday Inn parking lot. Aviles Perez was charged and convicted after the incident but later released from custody. DHS blamed California’s sanctuary policies, which limit cooperation between local authorities and federal immigration officials. DHS BUYS TWO CALIFORNIA MIGRANT DETENTION CENTERS FOR $1.5B TO BOOST ICE DEPORTATION CAPACITY ICE agents arrested him again in San Diego on March 26 and took him into custody pending his removal to El Salvador. He was held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center pending removal to El Salvador until Ohta ordered his immediate release Aug. 26, federal court records show. After nearly five months in immigration custody, Aviles Perez filed a petition challenging his detention and seeking his immediate release. Ohta ruled that immigration officials violated his Fifth Amendment due process rights by holding him without an individualized assessment of whether he was dangerous or likely to flee. “Although Petitioner appears to have previously been convicted following a fight with another individual in May 2023, the government has offered no evidence that it detained him after considering those facts and making an individualized determination of his danger to the public or flight risk,” Ohta wrote. FEDERAL JUDGE IN NEW YORK TIES TRUMP ADMIN HANDS ON ARRESTS AT IMMIGRATION COURTS The judge said federal officials gave Aviles Perez “no process before or after his detention” and had not shown that providing a hearing would place an undue burden on the government. Ohta ordered his immediate release and barred ICE from detaining him again unless an immigration judge first holds a bond hearing and determines that renewed detention is warranted. A status report was filed in the case Aug. 27, one day after the release order. DHS said Aviles Perez was subsequently released from federal custody. The ruling did not clear Aviles Perez of wrongdoing or find that he posed no danger. It focused on whether immigration officials followed the required process to justify keeping him detained. California Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Ohta to the San Diego County Superior Court in December 2020, according to the governor’s office. BIDEN JUDGE TORCHES TRUMP ICE CRACKDOWN AS ‘DEVOID OF RATIONAL EXPLANATION,’ NUKES COURTHOUSE ARREST POLICY President Joe Biden nominated her to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California in September 2021. The Senate confirmed her that December, and her judicial commission was issued later that month, according to the Federal Judicial Center. Mullin vowed that the ruling would not derail the administration’s immigration crackdown. “DHS and ICE will not be deterred by these partisan games,” he said. “If California’s leaders won’t protect Americans, DHS will.” Fox News Digital reached out to Ohta’s office for additional comment and confirmation surrounding Aviles Perez’s release.
Trump-linked MAGA Inc pours $10M into Ken Paxton’s Texas Senate race against James Talarico
MAGA, Inc., the super PAC linked to President Donald Trump, has made its first major midterm buy with $10 million in ad spending to support Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in his Senate race, according to a new filing with the Federal Election Commission. Paxton and Democrat state Rep. James Talarico are locked in a tight race in which polls continually show the two candidates neck and neck. The $10 million will go toward digital and TV ads across the state. FOX NEWS POLL: GOP DIVISIONS SHAPE TEXAS SENATE RACE Trump’s endorsement earlier this year already helped Paxton beat incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican primary. “While James Talarico has a record of raising taxes on working families, my Protecting the Texas Promise Agenda cuts costs and makes life more affordable. Thank you, President @realDonaldTrump, for your support,” Paxton wrote on X on Saturday while sharing a post about the ad buy. “Together we will win for Texas and America.” The decision comes after weeks of speculation over whether the super PAC would put money into the hotly contested race. Talarico’s campaign also responded to the move, telling Fox News Digital, “Billionaire-backed dark money groups are lying about James Talarico because they’re scared of the people-powered movement we’re building to fix this broken, corrupt political system.” BERNIE SANDERS DEMANDS DEMOCRATS BAN SUPER PACS FROM PRIMARIES, BLASTS AIPAC, ‘CORRUPT SYSTEM’ Talarico, who has called for higher taxes on the wealthy, called out billionaires heading to the Republican midterm convention starting Wednesday. “Next week, billionaire mega-donors and their puppet politicians will gather at a convention in Dallas to clink champagne glasses and toast their own corruption,” he said. “They’re paying $20,000 for entry to a Billionaire Ball celebrating corrupt tariffs, billionaire tax breaks, and a new forever war that are all driving grocery costs through the roof. We’ll be doing something different. We’re bringing Republicans, Democrats and independents together to collect groceries for our neighbors who have been screwed over by corrupt politicians.” Calling him “High Tax Talarico,” MAGA Inc. spokesperson Alex Pfeiffer told Fox News Digital the Democrat “wants to take money out of Texans’ pockets. MAGA Inc. is going to ensure Texas knows about Talarico’s radical policies and elects Ken Paxton to the U.S. Senate.” TALARICO’S ‘PROUD CAPITALIST’ ABOUT-FACE COLLIDES WITH RESURFACED CALL TO ‘DISMANTLE’ CAPITALISM Talarico’s campaign has raised $72 million since the campaign began, mostly from small donors, compared to $16.8 million by Paxton’s campaign, according to the Texas Tribune. The two anti-Talarico ads slam his policies on taxes and rural hospitals while touting Paxton’s support for doubling the child tax credit, allowing tax breaks for medical expenses and a $50,000 deduction for first-time homebuyers. MAGA, Inc. has around $400 million in campaign funds, which Trump called “my money” while speaking to reporters this week, adding, “I’m going to spend whatever amount of money necessary to try and help us.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
North Carolina Dem Senate candidate added former Bloods gang member to criminal justice task force: report
Roy Cooper, the former Democrat governor of North Carolina now running for Senate, added an ex-member of the notorious Bloods gang to a Racial Equity in Criminal Justice task force in 2020. In the wake of George Floyd’s 2020 death, Cooper created the task force via executive order, The Washington Free Beacon reported. Cooper, who tapped then-state attorney general turned current Gov. Josh Stein to lead the task force, stocked the panel with a mix of state officials and community activists, including Kerwin Pittman, who was convicted in 2007 of conspiracy to commit murder, serving 14 years in prison for the crime, according to records obtained by the Free Beacon. Pittman was also identified as a “ranking member of the Bloods” by prosecutors during a murder trial for Bloods member Michael Contrez Jones. SIX-FIGURE PRIVATE SECURITY BILL FOR TOP DEM SENATE HOPEFUL FUELS GOP HYPOCRISY CLAIMS Pittman was convicted in a 2006 drive-by-shooting of 19-year-old Jamel Amiens Jeffreys, the Free Beacon reported. Pittman defended his involvement in the task force and argued his past actions were the result of poor judgment as a teenager. “I was asked to contribute to conversations about criminal justice reform because of both my lived experience and the work I was doing in communities,” Pittman told the Free Beacon. “I have never hidden my past. The gang involvement and criminal conduct you reference occurred when I was a teenager and young man at or before the age of 19. I am now 39 years old. ONE YEAR AFTER IRYNA ZARUTSKA MURDER, VIOLENT CRIMES FUEL NORTH CAROLINA PUBLIC SAFETY DEBATE “I made decisions as a young person that had serious consequences, including spending more than a decade incarcerated.” Pittman, according to his LinkedIn profile, worked at the time of the task force’s creation for Emancipate NC, an organization which, as the Free Beacon reported, has often called for the abolition of police, writing that “maintaining white supremacy has always been the goal of policing” in a 2023 company blog post. Cooper, who is running for Senate against former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley, referenced his opponent’s record when asked to comment on the Free Beacon story. DEM SENATE HOPEFUL PIVOTS ON DATA CENTERS AS RISING POWER COSTS COLLIDE WITH CAMPAIGN “While Roy spent his career putting rapists and violent criminals behind bars and signing tough-on-crime laws as governor, Michael Whatley spent his appointing a convicted child sex predator who served six years in prison and spent over a decade as a registered sex offender to a top role within the North Carolina Republican Party that gave him access to events with children,” the Cooper campaign told Fox News Digital in a statement. Pittman and the Whatley campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Judge allows ‘homewrecker’ lawsuit against former Sen Kyrsten Sinema to move forward
Former U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema can be sued under North Carolina’s so-called homewrecker law after a federal judge ruled the state has jurisdiction over allegations she helped break up a marriage by having an affair with a woman’s husband. Sinema acknowledged having a sexual relationship with Matthew Ammel, who was a member of her security detail while she was a senator, but said she could not be sued in North Carolina because she lacks a meaningful connection to the state. U.S. District Judge David A. Bragdon rejected that argument and denied Sinema’s motion to dismiss the case, saying she knew Ammel lived in the state with his wife, Heather Ammel, and their three children. Bragdon also pointed out that Heather Ammel discovered the affair in early 2024 after reading nine messages Sinema sent to her husband while he was in North Carolina. He found that those communications were enough for Heather Ammel’s lawsuit to move forward in the state. JONATHAN TURLEY: FORMER SEN KYRSTEN SINEMA FIGHTS AFFAIR LAWSUIT INVOKING CENTURIES-OLD MARRIAGE TORT In her civil complaint, Heather Ammel is seeking damages from Sinema, claiming the ex-lawmaker interfered with what she described as a “good and loving marriage” by pursuing her husband. North Carolina is among the few states that recognize alienation-of-affection claims, allowing spouses to seek damages from a third party they believe caused the breakdown of their marriage. Sinema’s lawyers, Steven Epstein and Abigail Jenkins, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In his ruling, the judge found that the messages between the two affair partners showed Sinema was “furthering a romantic relationship” with Ammel and “invading” his marriage both while she went on trips with him and when he was home. SPURNED SPOUSES CASH IN AS NORTH CAROLINA’S ‘HOMEWRECKER’ LAW TURNS CHEATING INTO A COURTROOM JACKPOT According to Heather Ammel’s lawsuit, her husband joined Sinema’s security team in 2022 after retiring from the U.S. Army. He then began traveling with her domestically and internationally. Sinema, who is unmarried, said in a July 31 deposition that she first had sex with Ammel around Memorial Day 2024. “We were staying at an Airbnb in Napa, California. We were outside. Matt kissed me. We went inside and had sex,” Sinema said in her deposition, which took place at a law office in Raleigh. That summer, Ammel stopped wearing his wedding ring and was given a job as a national security fellow in Sinema’s Senate office, according to Heather Ammel’s lawsuit. Sinema, who represented Arizona in the U.S. House and later in the Senate, said in her deposition she had sexual encounters with Ammel in New York, Washington, Colorado and Arizona but never North Carolina. The Ammels separated on Nov. 1, 2024, and their divorce was finalized in March 2026, according to court records.
Trump weighs in on Lindsay Clancy murder trial dubbed ‘kangaroo court’ by GOP leaders
President Donald Trump said Lindsay Clancy will still have to pay “the price” for the deaths of her three small children — Cora 5, Dawson 3, and Callan, 8 months — after a mistrial was declared Friday. During a press gaggle in the Oval Office, a reporter asked Trump if he’d been following the murder trial of Clancy, a Massachusetts mom whose defense did not deny that she strangled her children with exercise bands in January 2023. It argued she was not guilty by reason of insanity. Her attorneys claimed she suffered from postpartum psychosis, a severe but rare psychiatric condition in which a person is disconnected from reality. LINDSAY CLANCY MISTRIAL DECLARED AFTER JURY DEADLOCKS IN KILLINGS OF HER THREE CHILDREN “It’s a horrible tragedy,” Trump told reporters. “It’s a horrible tragedy. I see what’s happened, and it looks like it’s a hung jury.” “I assume there’s going to be another trial. It’s a terrible situation. Look, she did a horrible, horrible thing. Can’t be worse. But you’ll find out what the price to pay is. There’ll be a price. It’s going to be [a] mental institution or jail or something.” The six-week trial, which was supposed to determine whether Clancy was to be held criminally responsible, quickly evolved into a flashpoint in the internet culture war over women’s postpartum mental health and spurred misinformation and conspiracy theories, including false claims accusing her ex-husband, Patrick Clancy, of being responsible for the children’s deaths. After nearly a week of deliberations, Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial when the jury deadlocked 11 to 1. Eleven jurors voted to acquit Clancy, while one holdout refused to join them. The jury consisted of 9 women and 3 men. PROSECUTOR IN INFAMOUS KILLER MOM CASE SAYS WOMEN ON LINDSAY CLANCY JURY MAY BRING ‘STRANGE TWIST’ TO VERDICT Clancy’s defense attorney requested that the lone juror be removed because a note given to the judge by the jurors said the holdout had doubt but refused to apply it, according to People. The mistrial invoked a strong reaction from Republican lawmakers, while Democratic lawmakers and leaders — including those from Clancy’s state — have remained mum on the high-profile case. “Out of 12 people, only ONE had the courage to hold a serial killer accountable for her actions,” Rep. Michael Rulli, R-Ohio, posted on X. “That’s not just bravery. That’s a hero.” “Holdout juror’s going to need security,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, posted on X. “Sad.” Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis called the mistrial a “miscarriage of justice.” “The victims deserved far, far better than a kangaroo court,” DeSantis wrote. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who has been vocal against Clancy’s supporters, who have been gathered outside the courthouse and posted videos showing support online, suggested Clancy would not have this support if she were Black. “This case is not about the excuses for why she committed murder,” Mace posted on X. “This is about justice for the three beautiful souls whose lives were taken after their mother strangled them with her bare hands and workout bands.” PATRICK CLANCY SPEAKS OUT AFTER HUNG JURY IN LINDSAY CLANCY CASE, ADDRESSES PROSPECT OF ANOTHER TRIAL “12 jurors looked at this onesie,” Mace continued. “Only ONE stood his ground to defend the children.” But Clancy’s defense argued that she was a devoted and loving mother who was desperately seeking to get help, alleging that the cocktail of medications she was on worsened her mental state. Clancy had been prescribed 13 psychiatric medications — more than 30 prescriptions — in the four months leading up to the murders. Patrick Clancy is suing for wrongful death and medical malpractice against Clancy’s providers, Dr. Jennifer Tufts, Rebecca Jollotta, Aster Mental Health and South Shore Health System. Clancy also filed a separate lawsuit alleging negligence, medical malpractice and personal injury. “Lindsay was struggling. We were all very concerned,” Susan Clancy, Clancy’s mother-in-law, told jurors. “She was very nurturing, very loving. She was a wonderful mother. Wonderful.” Clancy is due back in court Sept. 29 for a status hearing, trial assignment and a defense Rule 25 motion.
Arizona voter-law fight reaches SCOTUS as election groups warn ‘absurd’ consequence could ensue
Election experts are warning the Supreme Court that affirming a lower court’s ruling could mean that noncitizens, minors, or factitious people listed on state voter rolls could be impossible to remove. The Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in RNC v. Mi Familia Vote this December and will determine whether a pair of Arizona’s state laws which remove the registrations of noncitizen voters from voter rolls within 90 days of the election and require voters to show proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote are in violation of the National Voter Registration Act. “Citizenship is a qualification for voting. If states are going to enforce that requirement, they have to be able to verify it,” Justin Riemer, president & CEO of Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “And when officials find noncitizens on the voter rolls, they should be able to act before an election, not after. We are confident the Supreme Court will agree and reverse the Ninth Circuit’s misguided ruling.” In an amicus brief filed on Thursday, attorneys from Center for Election Confidence, Inc., Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections, Inc., and Honest Elections Project, argued that the Ninth Circuit Court’s ruling that the Arizona laws are an act of “voter suppression” is “absurd” and raises serious threats to state rights. CLINTON-APPOINTED JUDGE TRIGGERS APPEAL AFTER BLOCKING KEY VOTER CITIZENSHIP LAW The brief argued that Congress may regulate the mechanics of federal elections, but states have the constitutional authority to set and enforce voter qualifications — a power they argued becomes meaningless if states cannot obtain documentation needed to verify citizenship or remove people who were never eligible to register. “Since the power to establish voting requirements is of little value without the power to enforce those requirements, it would raise serious constitutional doubts if a federal statute precluded a State from obtaining the information necessary to enforce its voter qualifications,” the brief stated. The amicus brief pushed back on the Ninth Circuit’s conclusion that Arizona cannot conduct a systematic program to remove noncitizens from voter rolls during the NVRA’s 90-day pre-election period. The federal law generally requires states to complete systematic voter-removal programs at least 90 days before a federal election, while allowing removals during that window for a voter’s request, death, criminal conviction or mental incapacity. DEMOCRAT NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR SAYS THOUSANDS OF NONCITIZENS DISCOVERED ON VOTER ROLLS, PURGED The groups argued that non-citizenship is not among those listed grounds because it concerns someone who was never eligible to register in the first place. They said the restriction is meant to protect eligible voters from erroneous last-minute removals — not to shield people who were never eligible to register. “If the Ninth Circuit is right that the 90-day limitation on programs prohibits removal on these bases — because the statute has listed exceptions — States could never remove improperly registered individuals who fall within these categories, no matter when the removal happens or whether it is after a systematic inquiry,” the brief said. “Not just that, but these States could never remove these noncitizens who were never eligible to vote,” the brief continued. The brief pointed to reported registration errors in New Jersey, Illinois and Oregon as examples of why states need a mechanism to correct allegedly improper registrations. It argues that an unlawful ballot cannot be undone once cast and counted. DHS APPROVES PLAN TO VERIFY VOTER CITIZENSHIP, MONITOR MAIL BALLOTS AS TRUMP PUSH INTENSIFIES “American elections are for American citizens only. Period,” Lisa Dixon, executive director of the Center for Election Confidence, said in a statement. “We should all support Arizona ensuring non-citizens can’t register to vote and removing any non-citizens who end up on the voter lists.” The amici also argued that the Ninth Circuit misread NVRA provisions governing what information is “necessary” for state election officials to assess a voter’s eligibility, and whether a state registration form is “equivalent” to the federal form. The brief argued that the Ninth Circuit wrongly concluded a voter’s citizenship attestation on a registration form is sufficient proof of eligibility and improperly interpreted an “equivalent” state form to mean one that is virtually identical to the federal form. “Once again, far-left activists are using the courts to twist federal law into a straitjacket that prevents states from securing their elections,” Jason Snead, executive director of Honest Elections Project, said in a statement to Fox News. “The Honest Elections Project urges the Supreme Court to side with Arizona and preserve the tools states need to ensure that elections are decided only by American citizens.”
Well-connected Dem operative learns fate after FBI busts him in child sex abuse sting
A well-connected political consultant in Virginia with ties to the state’s Democratic Party was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after getting caught with child sexual abuse material and attempting to sexually abuse an undercover agent’s purported 9-year-old son in an undercover FBI child sex abuse sting. Randon Sprinkle, 31, of Richmond, was handed the decade-long sentence on Thursday by U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young following a federal investigation by the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, according to a Justice Department press release. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, Sprinkle was ensnared in a May 2025 undercover operation after making contact on a dating app called Jack’d with an agent posing as the father of a 9-year-old boy. Authorities said Sprinkle sent the undercover agent a video showing two adults sexually abusing a minor, voiced a desire to travel to Washington, D.C., to abuse the fictitious child, and was later found in possession of dozens of files depicting the sexual abuse of toddlers and infants when agents searched his home. FBI RAIDS SPANBERGER ALLY OFFICE AS FEDERAL CORRUPTION PROBE TARGETS CANNABIS BUSINESS Beyond serving as the finance chairman for the Democratic Party of Virginia and the treasurer for the Metro Richmond Area Young Democrats, Sprinkle served as an elected delegate to the 2024 Democratic National Convention, according to public party rosters and local reporting. He also worked as a paid political director for Rep. Jennifer McClellan’s 2021 gubernatorial bid and previously served as her legislative aide when she was a state senator. Meanwhile, Sprinkle has also worked for other Virginia Democratic Party campaigns, according to consulting payments, including state Sen. Jennifer Boysko. State campaign finance records compiled by the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP) also show Sprinkle, who worked as an associate for the Richmond-based Reflex Strategy Group and another consulting group called Alexander Strategies LLC, donated thousands of dollars to the recent statewide campaigns of Rep. Abigail Spanberger and Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi. Alleged photos preserved online following his arrest show Sprinkle regularly operating alongside national-level Democratic Party politicians as well, including former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, whose name has been floated for a presidential run in 2028, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and Spanberger, among others. Spanberger’s transition team previously released a statement after his arrest, thanking the FBI “for their investigative work and for bringing this predator to justice.” “As a former federal law enforcement officer who arrested child predators, she believes that this individual should be swiftly prosecuted and put behind bars for his sickening crimes against children,” the statement said. “Upon learning about these appalling reports, the Spanberger campaign immediately donated the full amount of this individual’s prior donations, $1000, to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to support its critical mission of protecting America’s kids.” ILLEGAL ALIEN’S ‘INEXCUSABLE’ CRIME SPARKS INTERSTATE CLASH BETWEEN GOP SEN, DEM GOV: ‘YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED’ When reached for comment, the Metro Richmond Area Young Democrats referred Fox News Digital to a statement issued by the organization’s executive board following Sprinkle’s initial indictment in December 2025, confirming they took “immediate action to terminate all ties.” “The alleged conduct outlined in the indictment is reprehensible, unforgivable, and fundamentally misaligned with the values of our organization,” the board said in the statement. “It violates the most basic standards of humanity and decency.” Fox News Digital also reached out to the Democratic Party of Virginia and the public defender representing him but did not hear back in time for publication. .
Ex-Fetterman staffers promise more damaging details after blistering report: ‘Tip of the iceberg’
In just over a week, former staffers for John Fetterman, D-Pa., are planning to go public with inside details after expressing what they called disgust at his work as a legislator. “We’re a group of former campaign & Senate staffers for John Fetterman who are disgusted with what he’s become. If you were troubled by yesterday’s Wall Street Journal story… trust us, that’s just the tip of the iceberg,” the group wrote in a post to X. “It’s even worse than you thought.” The new social media account, which is calling itself “Former Fetterman Staffers” (FFS) alleges it will reveal additional unflattering details of the embattled senator’s office as he also faces blowback over Wall Street Journal reporting chronicling his reluctance to engage in the basic duties of his office. FETTERMAN FACES DEM REVOLT AS BOMBSHELL REPORT FUELS PUSH TO OUST HIM: ‘DISGRACE’ The FFS acronym notoriously also stands for “for f—s sake.” Fetterman routinely blew off constituent meetings, neglected legislative review and declined to make in-state public appearances, according to a Wall Street Journal report published on Thursday, drawing immediate backlash online. “There is a lot I could say about this report of John Fetterman’s pathetic behavior as a senator,” Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., said on X. “But between the laziness, disrespect, and willingness to carry water for a foreign government, it shows us something we already know: this man has no sense of duty.” “John Fetterman is a disgrace,” Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., said in a post of his own. “Our state deserves better than a lazy trust fund baby who is too lazy to do the job.” Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, who is the vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, also condemned Fetterman’s behavior. “This report is horrifying, but not new to many of us in PA. John barely showed up as [Lieutenant Governor] and is constantly MIA as our senator,” Kenyatta wrote. “When he’s not on FOX cheerleading Trump & endless wars, he is attacking the very neighbors who gave him a chance. 2028 can’t come soon enough,” he continued. DNC VICE CHAIR ATTACKS DEMOCRATIC SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN: ‘YOU’RE A MESS’ Conor Lamb, a former Pennsylvania congressman who ran against Fetterman in the 2022 primary for the party’s nomination, called on Fetterman to resign. “John, if there is a decent bone left in your body, just quit. It’s an insult to decent people in our state for you to treat them and the office this way,” Lamb wrote, referring to an instance where Fetterman blew off a meeting with paralyzed military veterans. As reactions continue to pour in, Former Fetterman Staffers, the new group on X, told viewers that they would set a deadline for some of its upcoming revelations. “Set your calendar for September 14th — the day the Senate is back in session — for our first drop. (Let’s be honest, maybe the 15th: he’ll skip Monday’s votes),” the group said. Despite raising questions and rage towards Fetterman, some observers condemned the staffers for what they called a lack of loyalty. “So disloyal. He gave you jobs and opportunities and advanced your careers, and you publicly turn on him and set up an X account to attack him?” Marc Thiessen, a political pundit and former White House speechwriter for the Bush Administration, wrote on X. “Honorable thing, if you disagree, is to resign quietly and work for someone else you prefer. You are pathetic,” he continued. Mark Morgan, political director for the Republican Governors Association, echoed Thiessen’s thinking, blasting the group for its anonymity. “Staff rule #1: it’s not about you Staff rule #2: Your boss had the courage to put their name on a ballot. If you’ve chosen to become a click-seeking bottom feeder, at least have the courage to put your own name on it,” Morgan said. EMBATTLED REP TONY GONZALES ANNOUNCES PLANS TO RESIGN AMID SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS “I’m disgusted by anonymous leakers, actually,” Harmeet Dhillon, Trump’s assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, also chimed in. Fetterman’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
NJ mayor demands sanctuary policy rollback after baby killed in crash allegedly involving illegal immigrant
The mayor of the New Jersey township where a baby boy was killed last week after an illegal immigrant allegedly struck the child’s family with her car in a grocery store parking lot told Fox News Digital that the state’s sanctuary policies should be rolled back to help prevent similar tragedies. “If our police pull somebody over and they’re undocumented… they can’t call the federal agencies, they can’t call ICE. That needs to change,” Jennifer Kuhn, the mayor of Jackson Township, said in an interview on Thursday. “Condolences at this point are not enough. At this point, leadership needs to step in. And we have to do something.” Authorities say Maria Cobon-Guzman, a Guatemalan national who did not have a driver’s license, hit a mother pushing a stroller carrying her 9-month-old son and 5-year-old daughter in the parking lot of a kosher grocery store in Jackson on Aug. 28. The infant died, while the mother and 5-year-old were critically injured. Kuhn argued the crash underscores the need to scrap New Jersey policies that, in most cases, limit cooperation between local, county and state law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. ILLEGAL ALIEN’S ‘INEXCUSABLE’ CRIME SPARKS INTERSTATE CLASH BETWEEN GOP SEN, DEM GOV: ‘YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED’ “These issues shouldn’t happen whether you’re illegal or legal. But the problem is that we can’t hold them accountable if they’re not documented and they’re illegal aliens,” she added. Cobon-Guzman, 20, was charged with manslaughter. Prosecutors also charged Ariadna Lazaro-Flores, alleging she allowed Cobon-Guzman to drive her vehicle despite knowing she did not have a driver’s license. Lazaro-Flores, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, was charged with endangering the welfare of an incompetent person, according to an inmate report. Both women illegally entered the U.S. during the Biden administration, with Lazaro-Flores doing so five times in October 2023 and being removed each time, the Department of Homeland Security previously told Fox News Digital. Cobon-Guzman entered once in October 2023 but was released unvetted into the nation’s interior, DHS added. On July 31, an immigration judge issued an order of removal against her. DEADLY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCK CRASH EXPOSED FAILURES ON THE ROAD AND AT THE BORDER: KEY SENATOR At the center of Kuhn’s criticism is New Jersey’s Immigrant Trust Directive, a policy implemented under former Gov. Phil Murphy in 2018. Among other provisions, the directive generally prohibits police from asking about a person’s immigration status, notifying U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when someone is being released from custody, or sharing certain non-public personal information for civil immigration enforcement purposes. Current New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed legislation codifying the directive into state law in March. She also signed an executive order in February that prohibits ICE agents from using nonpublic areas of state property to stage or conduct operations unless they have a judicial warrant. NJ TAXPAYERS ON THE HOOK FOR $12M MORE AS DEM GOVERNOR PROTECTS ILLEGAL ALIENS BATTLING DEPORTATION Kuhn is calling for the Jackson Township Council to pass a resolution demanding an end to such policies at the state level. “I know that there’s other towns around in Ocean County and in other counties that are also doing the same. Something needs to change,” Kuhn said. Supporters of the policies say they help build trust between immigrant communities and local law enforcement by encouraging victims and witnesses to report crimes without fear that routine interactions with police will lead to scrutiny over their immigration status. Dan Prochilo, a spokesperson for the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, defended the Immigrant Trust Directive and other sanctuary-style reforms signed by Sherrill. County jails and state prisons can notify ICE when someone is being released if they are charged with or have been convicted of certain violent or serious crimes, Prochilo said in a statement to Fox News Digital. Some of those crimes include assault, stalking, criminal sexual contact, arson and burglary, according to the Immigrant Trust Directive. New Jersey jails can also notify ICE if a suspect has been convicted of a felony within the past five years or is under a final deportation order from a federal immigration judge, Prochilo said. “Such notice has been provided regularly in appropriate cases by New Jersey law enforcement agencies since the Immigrant Trust Directive took effect in 2019,” Prochilo added. Fox News Digital also reached out to Sherrill’s office for comment.