Harris thanks supporters for ‘standing up for democracy’ at annual DNC meeting
Former Vice President Kamala Harris thanked her supporters for “standing up for our democracy” and the “rule of law” on Friday at the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) annual winter meeting in Los Angeles. Harris, who became the party’s 2024 presidential nominee without a primary election after former President Joe Biden dropped out of the race, said Democrats express gratitude toward her because she is the “public face of a lot of the work that we do.” “People then come up to me in various places, and when they thank me, they are thanking you for standing up for our democracy, for the rule of law, for values and principles, for community, for the breadth and depth of who we are with all of our beautiful differences as a nation,” she said during her remarks. KAMALA HARRIS DOESN’T RULE OUT ANOTHER PRESIDENTIAL RUN IN NEW INTERVIEW: ‘I AM NOT DONE’ Harris continued, “When they thank me, they are thanking you for the work that you do that are about upholding basic principles that are at the foundation of the declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. So thank you for everything that you have done, that you are doing and you will do.” Harris recently passed on launching a 2026 gubernatorial campaign in her home state of California, but is keeping the door wide open to a 2028 presidential run. “Obviously, we must focus on the midterms,” she said on Friday. “But Democrats, we must also have a clear vision for what comes after the midterms. And then after Trump. We need to answer the question. We need to answer the question: what comes next for our party and our democracy?” KAMALA HARRIS HINTS AT POLITICAL FUTURE, TELLS CHARLAMAGNE SHE’S ‘IN IT FOR THE FIGHT’ “And in so doing, we must be honest that for so many, the American dream has become more of a myth than a reality,” she added. “Whether it’s the cost of food, energy, health care, transportation or housing, America is facing an affordability crisis, a crisis that we are witnessing is fueling a system fear, frustration, and a lack of confidence in our systems.” The former vice president also addressed Democrats’ recent wins in key local races. “From Jackson to Atlanta, from Sacramento to New York. The American people sent a message they want leaders who fight yes for affordability, for health care, for the right of people to participate in their democracy,” Harris said. Harris also took jabs at President Donald Trump, as well as his policies and his “Make America Great Again” movement. “We all know that in the midst of all this, the truth and reality of the moment that just a few days ago, he said the economy was, I had to count the pluses there. A plus, plus, plus, plus, plus. That’s what he said when asked to rate the economy – a plus, plus, plus, plus, plus. There is nothing A plus about any of this,” she said. “We must be candid and clear. Donald Trump is not the only source of our problems,” Harris added. “He and the rise of the MAGA movement, I believe, are a symptom of a failed system that is the result of years of outsourcing and offshoring, financial deregulation, growing income inequality, a broken campaign finance system and endless partisan gridlock all contributing to how we got here today.”
After Australia passes social media ban, lawmakers probed on why Congress hasn’t done more to protect kids
After Australian teens were kicked off of social media this week following a nationwide social media ban for anyone in the country under the age of 16, several lawmakers and other political figures called on the United States to do something similar. Congress has passed some general online safety laws, such as limits on the collection of minors’ information by social media platforms, but thus far, Congress has not enacted any laws that would change who can use social media platforms, or how the apps are designed for minors. “I imagine it’s the opposition from the tech industry,” said Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y. “I see social media as a catastrophe for the mental health of the next generation, and I feel like society is conducting an unprecedented experiment on the psyche of young Americans.” TEXAS FAMILY SUES CHARACTER.AI AFTER CHATBOT ALLEGEDLY ENCOURAGED AUTISTIC SON TO HARM PARENTS AND HIMSELF Torres added that he believes there is a need for reform but also conceded that it is a “complicated area” in light of the First Amendment. “I do think more congressional action would be wise,” Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., told Fox News Digital when asked why he thought Congress had not passed laws that will better protect kids on social media. “Obviously, we’re a country that values freedom, and so a lot of people feel like that would be either power better exercised by the state, or power better exercised by parents.” However, Johnson said, he does think “we need to hold some of these platforms accountable,” noting that “they have technological tools that they could very easily use to keep kids safe.” After Australia passed its social media ban on kids under the age of 16, Republicans and Democrats came out to urge the United States to enact better safety measures for kids on social media. These figures included former President Barack Obama’s chief of staff while he was in office, Rahm Emanuel, Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii. PROTECTING KIDS FROM AI CHATBOTS: WHAT THE GUARD ACT MEANS Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital that one of the reasons Congress has potentially stalled on passing legislation to protect kids on social media was because “a lot of people don’t know” about the dangers. “I think it’s gotten worse,” Norman said, in regard to the dangers of social media for kids. “Got to have an age and got to track down something that is destroying our children.” However, some Republicans have also been weary of the push to regulate social media for kids, particularly efforts to create an age limit for the platforms. Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., told Fox News Digital that she would likely not be in favor of “an all-out ban.” “I’m still a capitalist, and there’s federalism and we have freedom here,” Boeert said. “But we have a lot of good legislation for solutions but, unfortunately, leadership prioritizes things that the American people don’t, and I think it’s time to read the room of America so we can pass good legislation.”
DHS to focus on arresting illegal immigrants with serious offenses amid negative polling on ICE raids: report
The Department of Homeland Security is amending its immigration enforcement operations by moving away from raids targeting all illegal immigrants in the U.S. and focusing more on the ones who have committed serious offenses, according to a report. Teams under U.S. Border Patrol Commander at Large Gregory Bovino will shift their focus to specific targets, including illegal immigrants who have been convicted of serious crimes, NewsNation reported. The change means federal agents will put a smaller emphasis on carrying out large raids that have happened at Home Depot stores and other locations, according to the outlet. JUDGE BLOCKS ICE FROM MAKING WARRANTLESS ARRESTS IN DC WITHOUT FLIGHT-RISK PROOF Illegal immigrants have been targeted based on characteristics such as ethnicity, accent, language or location, such as being at a Home Depot or a car wash. Agents will still conduct traffic stop enforcement, but Border Patrol is unlikely to continue grabbing people off the streets, the outlet reported. The reported change in immigration enforcement comes as support for President Donald Trump‘s mass deportation policies has tanked in the polls. 250 BORDER AGENTS TO DEPLOY TO LOUISIANA FOR ‘SWAMP SWEEP,’ REPORT SAYS A Public Religion Research Institute survey released earlier this week found that approval of Trump’s handling of immigration dipped from 42% in March to 33%. A YouGov poll last month found that a majority of Americans oppose Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations tied to Trump’s immigration crackdown. In a survey last month by the health policy research group KFF and The New York Times, about half of the immigrants polled said they — and their family members — “feel less safe” with Trump as president. Border Patrol has carried out migrant raids this year in various cities, including in Los Angeles, Chicago and Charlotte. The raids have prompted several protests and lawsuits, as the operations have been scrutinized for going too far. A new operation in New Orleans, dubbed “Catahoula Crunch,” will continue despite the updated tactics. Agents have already arrested more than 250 people, and DHS said it aims to reach 5,000, according to NewsNation.
EXCLUSIVE: Inside Trump’s private schedule as media fixates on his health
EXCLUSIVE: Fox News Digital obtained a copy of President Donald Trump’s personal schedule since Dec. 1, showing back-to-back calls and meetings that frequently drag into the evening. The president has come under heightened scrutiny in recent months from the media over his health and age, including the New York Times reporting last month that Trump, 79, is “facing the realities of aging” while in office. The concern surrounding Trump’s stamina follows the media’s silence on the topic when the then-oldest sitting president, Joe Biden, led from the Oval Office – a health saga that has continued long after Biden dropped out of the 2024 federal election and exited 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. on Jan. 20. Over the 12 days covered in the internal schedule obtained by Fox Digital, Trump is on the books for roughly 10 hours a day, averaging around 21 separate meetings, calls or events per day – while some days pack in more than 30 such events. A copy of the president’s schedule shows Trump begins most scheduled calls and meetings around 8:30 or 9 a.m., with his days typically not wrapping up until after 8 p.m. TRUMP TORCHES BIDEN’S SHUTOUT PRESS RECORD — OPENS FLOODGATES OF MEDIA ACCESS IN FIRST YEAR BACK On Monday, Dec. 1, for example, Trump kicked off his day at 8:30 am with a phone call to his chief of staff Susie Wiles, which was followed by a 9:30 call to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, and a 9:35 a.m. call into a rally. Across 10 minutes, Trump then held a series of rapid-fire meetings with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, press secretary Karoline Leavitt and Wiles, before holding calls with a member of Congress and a political advisor. The day continued with 18 other meetings, phone calls and events, including a bill signing, remarks at a Christmas reception, additional meetings with the secretary of state, Leavitt and his trade team. According to Trump’s schedule, his busiest day so far this month was on Wednesday, Dec. 3, when he held 32 events, meetings and phone calls. He began the day at 9 a.m. with a call to senior staff members, and wrapped the day up at 7:30 p.m., when he met with a “television personality.” TRUMP’S LONG-RUNNING FEUD WITH NEW YORK TIMES ESCALATES WITH NEW INSULTS, LAWSUITS Every hour between 9 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. that day included a scheduled event or meeting or call. Trump’s longest work day this month fell on Tuesday, Dec. 9, according to the schedule, at 13 hours and 9 minutes. Trump began his day at 9:46 a.m. with a call to a Cabinet secretary, before holding five other meetings, and one other call. He wrapped up the day at 10:55 p.m. after traveling to Pennsylvania on Tuesday, where he delivered a speech focused on his economic policies. The schedule overall showed a heightened focus on foreign policy and business, including 11 separate meetings or calls with his secretary of state, eight head-of-state sessions, three meetings with a special envoy and two with an ambassador. Trump had at least one CEO or business-focused engagement on 10 of the 12 days, including 17 direct CEO calls or meetings, a call with “business leaders,” and other events on the economy or technology. One of Trump’s lightest days was on the weekend, when Saturday, Dec. 6, recorded 5 hours and 51 minutes of scheduled events, including meetings with Kennedy Center leadership and Secret Service leadership, meeting with the Kennedy Center Honorees, and taking part in the Kennedy Center’s Honors Dinner. Trump entered his second term as the oldest person ever inaugurated at 78, with the media becoming increasingly focused on his health, including when he was spotted with swollen legs in July while attending the FIFA Club World Cup final in New Jersey, as well as other photos stretching back to February showing bruising on his hand. DEMS, MEDIA CREDIBILITY IN SHAMBLES AS PRESS FIXATES ON TRUMP MRI AFTER YEARS DOWNPLAYING BIDEN HEALTH ISSUES The White House attributed the bruising to frequent handshakes and said the swelling stemmed from chronic venous insufficiency — “a benign and common condition, particularly in individuals over the age of 70,” according to previous comments from Leavitt. The media most recently focused on an MRI scan Trump received during a checkup at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland in October, which was described as routine by the administration. The checkup was Trump’s second in 2025, following an April visit that Navy Capt. Sean P. Barbabella, the physician to the president, said found Trump “remains in excellent health.” Trump pledged to release the results of the scan when pressed about it by the media, with the White House releasing the report a day after Trump’s pledge. The report found Trump was in normal and good health. SCOTT BESSENT CALLS OUT NY TIMES’ TRUMP REPORTING DURING PAPER’S SUMMIT, SAYS IT’S NOT PAPER OF RECORD “The purpose of this imaging is preventative to identify any issues early, confirm overall health, and ensure the president maintains long-term vitality and function,” Leavitt said during a press conference while reading Trump’s MRI report. “… Overall, his cardiovascular system shows excellent health.” The White House has been quick to challenge reporters’ focus on Trump’s health, pointing to his health reports and the lack of media coverage Biden received over his mental acuity concerns. Biden’s mental acuity had been under conservatives’ microscope since before the 2020 election. Concerns among the mainstream media, however, did not heighten until February 2024, when special counsel Robert Hur, who was investigating Biden’s alleged mishandling of classified documents as vice president, announced he would not recommend criminal charges against Biden for possessing classified materials after his vice presidency, calling Biden “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” “I can tell you there was certainly a lack of transparency from the former president, from the entire former administration,” Leavitt told reporters in April. “And frankly, a lot of people in this room,
Republican House leader signals plan to begin contempt proceedings against Bill and Hillary Clinton
GOP House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said he plans to commence contempt of Congress proceedings against Bill and Hillary Clinton for ignoring the committee’s subpoenas related to its ongoing probe into the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. In July, a bipartisan House Oversight Subcommittee approved motions to subpoena Bill and Hillary Clinton and a slew of other high-profile political figures to aid its investigation looking into how the federal government handled Epstein’s sex trafficking case. The subpoenas were then sent out in early August, and the Clinton’s were scheduled to testify Dec. 17-18. “It has been more than four months since Bill and Hillary Clinton were subpoenaed to sit for depositions related to our investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s horrific crimes. Throughout that time, the former president and former secretary of state have delayed, obstructed, and largely ignored the committee staff’s efforts to schedule their testimony,” Comer said in a press release issued Friday evening. DOJ CLEARED TO RELEASE SECRET JEFFREY EPSTEIN CASE GRAND JURY MATERIALS “If the Clintons fail to appear for their depositions next week or schedule a date for early January, the Oversight Committee will begin contempt of Congress proceedings to hold them accountable.” When reached for comment, the Clinton Foundation told Fox News Digital, “Ask the Chairman for the letter we sent him, and why he won’t respond to it.” The foundation did not immediately provide a copy of the letter. A spokesperson from Comer’s office told Fox News Digital that the Clintons “think they are above the law and are trying to get out of their depositions by using dilatory tactics.” “We communicated to the Clintons’ attorney today that they must appear next week or provide a date in early January to appear for their depositions or we will begin contempt of Congress proceedings,” the spokesperson added. “They’ve been dragging their feet for over four months. Time’s up.” FEDERAL JUDGE APPROVES RELEASING GHISLAINE MAXWELL CASE GRAND JURY MATERIAL Comer’s threats come as Democrats from the House Oversight Committee released a new batch of photos obtained from Epstein’s estate, which included further images of the disgraced financier with powerful figures like President Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton. Thousands of images were reportedly released, with potentially more to come. Other high-profile figures subpoenaed by the Oversight Committee include James Comey, Loretta Lynch, Eric Holder, Merrick Garland, Robert Mueller, William Barr, Jeff Sessions and Alberto Gonzales. In addition to testimony from these individuals, Comer and the Oversight Committee issued subpoenas to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for all documents and communications pertaining to the case against Epstein. In September, the committee released tens of thousands of pages of Epstein-related records in compliance with the subpoena, and the Oversight Committee indicated the DOJ would continue producing even more records as it works through needed redactions and other measures that must occur before they are released.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Omar accused of opening door to massive Minneapolis fraud
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -Waltz hails ‘night-and-day’ Middle East shift as Trump’s Gaza plan reshapes region -Duffy threatens to yank New York federal funds over illegally issued commercial driver’s licenses -Democrats ramp up calls to release Jack Smith’s special counsel report on Trump classified documents case MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Republican John Nagel, who is running against Dem. Rep. Ilhan Omar in her Minneapolis district, spoke to Fox News Digital about the responsibility she holds in the unfolding massive fraud scandal that has garnered national headlines. “Where did this actually start?” Nagel told Fox News Digital. “She passed legislation. Her legislation actually started and it allowed people to get into Feeding Our Future. If you look at where the fraud is, it’s primarily her [5th Congressional District], the district that I’m running in against her. And it’s really odd to think that you know all the fraud just happened in a particular area, and it was a bill that she, you know, particularly put together.” Nagel is referring to allegations that the free meals at the center of the massive fraud scandal were made possible by the 2020 MEALS Act, introduced by Omar and passed with bipartisan support. He told Fox News Digital the public deserves to know who helped her craft that legislation…READ MORE. ‘CHERRY-PICKED’: White House slams House Dems releasing Epstein photos showing Trump, Clinton, Woody Allen STOCKPILE SQUEEZE: Gas prices are falling — so why isn’t Trump refilling the oil reserve faster? WH blames Biden ‘damage’ DEFIANT MESSAGE: Kilmar Abrego Garcia seen for first time since release, pledges to ‘continue to fight’ Trump admin LINES DRAWN: High-stakes map fight: Here are the next battlegrounds in the Trump vs. Democrats redistricting showdown SEIZED AT SEA: Why the US could snatch a Venezuelan tanker — and not under ‘wartime’ authority used in cartel strikes SHOW THE TAPES: Bipartisan push grows in Senate to force release of unedited Caribbean strike footage TECH WAR GAMBLE: Trump’s green light for NVIDIA sales to China sparks alarm on Capitol Hill CARE CLIFF: Senate mulls next steps after dueling Obamacare fixes go up in flames ‘LOOPHOLE’: Whistleblower says massive fraud happening in Ohio Somali community, Minnesota ‘just tip of the spear’ ‘MUST-SEE TV’: ‘Must-see TV’: Texas Senate candidate challenges Jasmine Crockett to public debate DIGITAL DIRT: Latin Grammy winner and Texas Dem star recruit hits House campaign with years of porn-linked posts GAME ON: Husted files for 2026 Senate race, launching aggressive statewide re-election push ‘TOUGH ROAD’: Extreme sports star lashes out at Newsom for killing the California dream: ‘What happened?’ Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Gabbard blasts Democrat Bennie Thompson for calling National Guard shooting an ‘unfortunate accident’
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard slammed Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., Friday for referring to the shooting of two West Virginia National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C., as an “unfortunate accident” during a hearing this week. Thompson, the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, made the remarks during a “Worldwide Threats to the Homeland” hearing Thursday on Capitol Hill while speaking to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. “It is absolutely infuriating,” Gabbard said on Fox & Friends. “He cannot and refuses to directly identify this attack for what it was, a terrorist attack on our own soil against our National Guard, men and women in this case, who are putting their lives on the line.” On Thanksgiving Eve, two national guard members were shot blocks from the White House, allegedly by an Afghan refugee. Spc. Sarah Beckstrom was killed and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe was critically wounded. TOP HOMELAND SECURITY DEM BLASTED FOR CALLING WV NATIONAL GUARD SHOOTING ‘UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT’ Thompson said during the hearing, “Madam Secretary, you and the gentleman from NCTC (Joe Kent) reference the unfortunate accident that occurred with the National Guardsman being killed.” Noem responded, “You think that was an unfortunate accident? It was a terrorist attack.” Gabbard said the guard members’ “direct mission was to keep the American people safe,” and that the exchange between Thompson and Noem “points to the egregious and longstanding problem.” SEN TOM COTTON: ALLEGED AFGHAN ATTACK ON GUARDSMEN WAS PREVENTABLE. WE MUST DO BETTER NEXT TIME The director said leaders on both sides of the political aisle “have refused to identify this Islamist terrorist threat for exactly what it is, which is one of the reasons why we find ourselves in the position that we’re in today.” Thompson was asked Friday on “CNN News Central” by co-host Kate Bolduan if he stood by his assertion that the shooting was an “unfortunate accident.” “Oh, absolutely not,” the Democratic representative replied. “And obviously, let me be clear, I was moving toward the discussion that [Kristi Noem] could not blame Joe Biden on the situation because she approved this person’s asylum application and that’s where we were headed and so the issue is…” Bolduan then interrupted Thompson, asking him, “You’re saying you misspoke?” “Oh, absolutely. Absolutely,” he responded. Fox News Digital’s Marc Tamasco contributed to this report.
House GOP unveils healthcare plan ahead of vote next week as cost hike looms for millions
House Republicans have released a 111-page plan for reforming healthcare that they hope to vote on next week. House GOP leadership aides also told reporters on Friday afternoon that they expected a vote on extending enhanced Obamacare subsidies to also happen next week as part of the amendment process to the final bill, called the “Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act.” The subsidies have been the subject of fierce inter-party debate for Republicans. “We expect that there will be an amendment that I believe is being worked on, so the process will allow for that amendment,” aides said. The plan as-is includes provisions to codify association health plans, which allow small businesses and people who are self-employed to band together to purchase healthcare coverage plans, giving them access to greater bargaining power. SENATE DEMS’ OBAMACARE FIX FAILS AS SENATE LOOKS FOR OFF-RAMP FROM HEALTHCARE CLIFF Republicans also plan to appropriate funding for cost-sharing reductions beginning in 2027, which are designed to lower out-of-pocket medical costs in the individual healthcare market. House GOP leadership aides said it would bring down the cost of premiums by 12%. New transparency requirements for pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) are also in the legislation, aimed at forcing PBMs to be more upfront about costs to employers. GOP UNVEILS PLAN FOR ‘TRUMP HEALTH FREEDOM ACCOUNTS’ TO REPLACE OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES WITH STATE WAIVERS PBMs are third parties that act as intermediaries between pharmaceutical companies and those responsible for insurance coverage, often responsible for administrative tasks and negotiating drug prices. PBMs have also been the subject of bipartisan ire in Congress, with both Republicans and Democrats accusing them of being part of a broken system to inflate health costs. But the most divisive measure for Republicans is likely not yet fleshed out. A majority of House Republicans are against extending the enhanced Obamacare subsidies, which were designed to get affordable health insurance for more Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Democrats voted to pass the enhanced subsidies in 2021 and extended them through 2022 when they controlled Congress. A group of moderate House Republicans has joined Democrats now in vehemently pushing for those subsidies to be extended again, as millions of Americans face near-certain healthcare price hikes beginning in January. Two separate bipartisan efforts have been launched to force a vote on extending the subsidies in some form. But any such push would require support from virtually all House Democrats to succeed, and their leaders have not given their blessing to either plan. “We’re going to evaluate every single good faith proposal. But it has to meaningfully provide certainty to the American people who are at risk of having their health care ripped away from them,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., told reporters on Friday. But conservatives have warned they would not support any such extension unless paired with significant reforms to what they view as a long-broken system that fuels healthcare price inflation. “I think that would be a disastrous plan. I mean, we’ve clearly seen that Obamacare is the Titanic. It’s going down. I think throwing money after it is just going to be wasteful,” House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., told Fox News’ Chad Pergram on Friday.
Cruz says Rep Ilhan Omar could face jail time, deportation if marriage allegation proves true
A top Senate Republican argued that if allegations against “Squad” member Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., that she married her brother to enter the U.S. were true, she’d be breaking several laws. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, joined the long-standing scrutiny against Omar Friday after President Donald Trump revived the allegations during a rally pushing his affordability agenda in Pennsylvania earlier this week. In a post on X responding to a White House social media account that charged, “Yes, [Omar] married her brother,” Cruz listed a trio of federal and state laws the progressive lawmaker may have violated. ILHAN OMAR’S EX APPEARS ON ‘DIRTY DANDY’ SOCIAL ACCOUNT AS TRUMP REVIVES MARRIED SIBLINGS CLAIM “If this is true, then Omar faces criminal liability under three different statutes,” Cruz said. Cruz argued that Omar could have committed federal marriage fraud, which stipulates that it is a felony to knowingly enter into a marriage to evade immigration laws, and could lead to up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and deportation. Omar was born in Somalia and came to the U.S. in 1995 after her family was granted asylum. She became a citizen in 2000. Omar, who is Muslim, has been married legally three times, first in a religious marriage to Ahmed Abdisalan Hirsi in 2002, then to Ahmed Nur Said Elmi in 2009 before later divorcing and legally marrying Hirsi. In 2020, she married political aide Tim Mynett. SCOOP: ILHAN OMAR HIT WITH HOUSE ETHICS COMPLAINT OVER RESPONSE TO CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION Cruz noted that Omar could also be breaking Minnesota’s state incest law, a felony in the state punishable by jail time up to 10 years. He also contended that she could be liable for tax fraud, specifically if joint tax returns were filed while she was not legally married. That violation would levy up to a $100,000 fine and up to three years in prison. MINNESOTA HOUSE HOPEFUL CALLS MARRIAGE, FRAUD CLAIMS ‘LIES’ The Senate Republican’s legal analysis of the situation comes after Trump resurrected the unsubstantiated claims that Omar had married her brother for immigration purposes that have dogged the lawmaker since she entered politics nearly a decade ago. She has denied the allegations. Still, Trump charged, “She married her brother to get in, right?” “If I married my sister to get my citizenship, do you think I’d last for about two hours or something less than that? She married her brother to get in,” he said. “Therefore, she’s here illegally. She should get the hell out.” Fox News Digital did not immediately hear back for comment from Omar’s office.
Minnesota judge’s ‘highly unusual’ decision tossing $7.2 million fraud verdict draws mounting scrutiny
Lawmakers and the legal community are raising questions after a Minnesota judge took the uncommon step of overturning a unanimous jury verdict in a massive $7.2 million Medicaid fraud case, a move experts say is rarely seen in white-collar prosecutions. The ruling, handed down late last month by Hennepin County Judge Sarah West, comes as Minnesota is engulfed in a series of major welfare and human services fraud scandals that have drawn national attention and shaken confidence in the state’s oversight systems. West’s decision has triggered broader doubts about Minnesota’s resolve to prosecute white-collar and welfare fraud at a time when billions in public funds could be vulnerable. JaneAnne Murray, a University of Minnesota law professor who studies criminal procedure, said she was surprised by the decision. COMER TARGETS WALZ IN NEW HOUSE INVESTIGATION, CITING NEARLY $1B IN ALLEGED MINNESOTA FRAUD “It is highly unusual for a judge to reject a jury’s verdict in any case, much less a white-collar one, where issues of intent will almost always be circumstantial,” Murray told Fox News Digital. Minnesota’s circumstantial-evidence standard, she noted, is among the strictest in the country and requires prosecutors to “exclude any reasonable hypothesis of innocence.” Legal experts say Minnesota’s unusually stringent rule gives judges broader authority to vacate convictions if prosecutors cannot rule out every reasonable alternative explanation for the defendant’s conduct. The Minnesota Supreme Court is reviewing the decades-old standard, but Murray said West was applying the law as it stands today. “The judge in the Medicaid fraud case was applying the current law,” Murray said. Until now, West had maintained a low profile on the bench with no prior rulings that attracted substantial controversy. But last month’s decision was derided by Republican Minnesota Sen. Michael Holmstrom, who labeled her a “true extremist.” West, a former public defender appointed to the bench in 2018 by Gov. Mark Dayton, previously handled juvenile and child protection cases in Hennepin County. She also held leadership roles in the Hennepin County Bar Foundation, which funds legal aid and community justice programs. She presided over the prosecution of Abdifatah Yusuf, found guilty by a jury of six counts of aiding and abetting theft after he and his wife were accused of stealing $7.2 million from the state’s Medicaid program while running a home healthcare business, according to the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office. ‘SCHEMES STACKED UPON SCHEMES’: $1B HUMAN-SERVICES FRAUD FUELS SCRUTINY OF MINNESOTA’S SOMALI COMMUNITY Prosecutors said the business lacked a real office, operated “for years out of a mailbox” and that Yusuf allegedly used the money to fund a “lavish lifestyle” that included shopping sprees at luxury retailers such as Coach, Canada Goose, Michael Kors, Nike and Nordstrom. But West tossed the conviction, ruling that the state’s case relied heavily on circumstantial evidence and failed to eliminate other reasonable inferences about Yusuf’s personal involvement in the billing scheme. “There is a reasonable, rational inference that Mr. Yusuf was the owner … but that his brother, Mohamed Yusuf, was committing the fraud … without Mr. Yusuf’s knowledge or involvement,” West wrote in her ruling. She said the scale and nature of the fraud was “of great concern” but ruled the state failed to prove Yusuf knowingly participated in it. Andy McCarthy, a former assistant U.S. attorney and Fox News contributor, said the ruling veered far beyond what trial judges are normally permitted to do, underscoring how exceptional the move was. MINNESOTA FRAUD SCHEME UNEARTHS MILLIONS IN LUXURY PROPERTY, CARS: DOJ “It is highly unusual for a judge to overturn a jury verdict in a criminal case,” McCarthy told Fox News Digital, noting that a judge who believes the evidence is legally insufficient is supposed to stop the case before it ever reaches the jury. McCarthy said the reported rationale for vacating the verdict “seems untenable,” arguing circumstantial evidence is routinely strong enough to sustain convictions. “The fact that a case is circumstantial — meaning there is no central witness who saw the crime — is not a reason to overturn it,” he said. “Very often, circumstantial cases are much stronger than cases that rise or fall on the testimony of witnesses of dubious credibility.” He added that judges are required to instruct jurors to view evidence as a whole rather than in isolation. “The judge is only permitted to vacate a guilty verdict if it is obviously irrational and against the full weight of the evidence,” McCarthy said. Because West waited until after deliberations to overturn the verdict, McCarthy said the state may still have the ability to appeal, a procedural opening that does not exist when a judge tosses a case before the jury deliberates. Ben Walfoort, the jury foreperson, told KARE he was “shocked” by West’s decision and said the jury’s conclusion “was not a difficult decision whatsoever.” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has filed an appeal. The decision has also triggered a political fight, with Holmstrom sending a formal letter to Judge West demanding she unseal key exhibits — and the entire case record — arguing that the public “must know what is happening in their courts and in their welfare programs.” Holmstrom called the ruling “unprecedented” and said locking away documents produced in open court violates Minnesota’s tradition of transparency. Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller and Adam Sabes contributed to this report.