WATCH: Chaos erupts as Florida Dem in pink jumpsuit grabs bullhorn mid-vote: ‘It’s illegal!’
Florida Democratic Rep. Angie Nixon went viral for taking a bullhorn to a legislative fight, storming down the aisle and causing confusion on the House floor during final passage of a Gov. Ron DeSantis-backed redistricting bill. Dressed in a pink jumpsuit and wielding a pink megaphone, Nixon approached the House speaker’s dais and shouted to fellow Florida representatives as the final vote was called. She shouted, “This is a violation of the Constitution! It is!” Nixon continued shouting into the bullhorn for the entirety of the vote. She insisted, “What y’all are doing is illegal!” and “I will not allow you to destroy our democracy!” As she shouted, several colleagues could be seen filming her on their phones. However, her protest was ultimately unsuccessful. While she continued shouting, “You are out of order!” and “This is a violation of the Constitution,” the Florida House granted final approval of the redistricting bill in an 83-28 vote. The Florida Senate also passed the measure this week, sending it to DeSantis’ desk for signature. DESANTIS’ REDISTRICTING FIGHT GETS MAJOR BOOST FROM HIS POTENTIAL GOP SUCCESSOR: ‘DOING THE RIGHT THING’ The new districts are expected to favor Republicans and could net the party an additional four seats. Republicans and Democrats are engaged in a nationwide redistricting battle as they vie for control of the House of Representatives ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. Texas, California and Virginia are among the states that have approved redistricting measures. Amid the controversy, DeSantis has defended the Florida redistricting push, telling Fox News Digital earlier this week that “Florida got shortchanged in the 2020 Census, and we’ve been fighting for fair representation ever since.” “Our population has since grown dramatically, and we have moved from a Democrat majority to a 1.5 million Republican advantage,” he said. DEMOCRATS WIN VIRGINIA REDISTRICTING FIGHT, THREATING REPUBLICAN HOUSE MAJORITY He asserted that the current Florida district map is “based on race,” which he called unconstitutional and said, “Should be prohibited.” “Our new map for 2026 makes good on my promise to conduct mid-decade redistricting, and it more fairly represents the makeup of Florida today,” said DeSantis. Currently, the Florida delegation to Congress is represented by 20 Republicans and seven Democrats, with an eighth Democratic seat vacant following the resignation of former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick. THOMAS LEAVES NOTHING LEFT UNSAID ON RACIAL GERRYMANDERING DECISION: ‘GO FURTHER’ The redistricting proposal comes after Virginia recently approved a constitutional amendment allowing the state to redraw its congressional districts and flip four GOP seats to the Democratic side. The proposed map was praised by Democrats, including Gov. Abigail Spanberger and former President Barack Obama. Fox News Digital reached out to Nixon for comment. Fox News Digital’s Kiera McDonald and Preston Mizell contributed to this report.
Maine Gov Janet Mills drops out of Democratic race for Senate, signaling she struggled to raise enough money
Maine Gov. Janet Mills dropped out of the race for U.S. Senate in her home state on Thursday. Mills announced the move in a statement posted on X, saying she failed to raise enough funds to support her campaign. Mills was vying with other Democrats for a chance to challenge Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. “While I have the drive and passion, commitment and experience, and above all else – the fight – to continue on, I very simply do not have the one thing that political campaigns unfortunately require today: the financial resources,” Mills wrote. Mills’ departure leaves political newcomer Graham Platner the front runner in the Democratic primary. Platner has run a deeply controversial campaign, in addition to being the subject of various scandals, including his having a “Totenkopf” Nazi SS tattoo. MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE CITES COMBAT TRAUMA WHEN CONFRONTED ON ‘TERRIBLE’ POSTS ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) declared Mills’ withdrawal as essentially a coronation for Platner in the Democratic primary. DEMOCRATIC MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE GRAHAM PLATNER CONFRONTED BY MS NOW HOST ABOUT TATTOO CONTROVERSY “Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats just coronated a phony who is too extreme for Maine. Susan Collins has always put in the work for her constituents and delivered. Washington Democrats always fall short in Maine and will again, because they just nominated a dishonest radical,” NRSC Chairman Tim Scott said in a statement on Thursday. Mills had the full backing of the Democratic machine when she entered the Senate race last year, receiving endorsements from Sen. Chuck Schumer, R-N.Y., and prominent Democratic groups. EXPERT WARNS DEMOCRATS RISK BACKLASH OVER FAILURE TO CONDEMN VIOLENT RHETORIC IN THEIR RANKS Platner, meanwhile, has received backing from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., as well as Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M. This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.
White House puts Whitmer on notice about who is ‘actually delivering’ on US manufacturing jobs
News that a local steel manufacturing company would soon pour $43.4 million into expanding its Michigan-based operations prompted praise from the White House — but not for the state’s Democratic governor. “Democrats like Gretchen Whitmer spent decades talking about fixing broken trade deals and creating manufacturing jobs here in America for American workers,” Kush Desai, a White House spokesperson, told Fox News Digital, referring to the Michigan governor who is often floated as a potential Democratic candidate for president in 2028. “President Trump is actually delivering — and he’s delivering with the same agenda of tariffs, deregulation.” The investment underscores President Donald Trump’s recent restructuring on tariffs for steel, aluminum and copper — even as both parties claimed victory over Michigan’s expanding steel production. TRUMP’S LATEST MOVE PROVES HIS MANUFACTURING GOLDEN AGE IS JUST FOOLS’ GOLD “Michigan is on the move and open for business, competing for and winning big projects in industries like steel manufacturing,” Whitmer said in a statement. The investment, made by the Adrian Steel Company, would create at least 40 new jobs as the company expands its existing facilities in the southeast part of the state through a new 112,000-square-foot addition, according to the governor’s office. The venture is Adrian Steel’s largest expansion since 1953, Whitmer’s office claimed.. “The expansion will enhance Adrian Steel’s manufacturing capabilities with additional space dedicated to raw material storage, cutting, forming, welding, painting, assembly, office functions and shipping operations,” Whitmer’s office said in a press release. Whitmer’s office said the state had attracted the expansion, in part, through state-level incentives and added that the state will bolster Adrian Steel’s venture through a State Essential Services Assessment (SESA), a kind of tax break for manufacturers that could be worth up to $228,750. TRUMP SAYS HE’S LOOKING AT CERTAIN TARIFF EXEMPTIONS FOR AUTOMAKERS: ‘THEY NEED A LITTLE BIT OF TIME’ In the past, Whitmer has criticized Trump’s tariffs, claiming that their overall effect has hindered industry development in Michigan. “The pain of these increased costs from tariffs has not been offset by any of the promised economic gain,” Whitmer said in a press release earlier this month. “Michigan’s industries have been hit hard, with a recent analysis finding that the tariffs cost U.S. automakers $35 billion last year. Tariffs are estimated to have cost working families $1,000 per year.” Under Trump’s re-worked tariff framework announced earlier this month, products made almost entirely of aluminum, steel or copper would pay a flat 50% tariff on their full value, while derivatives made only mostly of one of those elements would only pay 25%. The new parameters also create lower rates for foreign products sourced from American materials and drop the tariffs entirely for products comprised of less than 15% steel, aluminum or copper. TRUMP SAYS THOSE AGAINST TARIFFS ‘SERVING HOSTILE FOREIGN INTERESTS,’ ‘FULL BENEFIT’ YET TO BE SEEN “This buildout — and the continued health of these vital American industries — is only possible through the continued implementation and strengthening of the President’s Section 232 tariff programs,” the White House said. Whitmer’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Federal appeals court refuses to rehear Trump appeal of $83M E Jean Carroll defamation judgment
A federal appeals court declined to take up President Donald Trump’s request to rehear his appeal of the $83 million judgment in the defamation case brought by writer E. Jean Carroll on Wednesday. Trump had sought a hearing by the full 12-judge Second Circuit Court of Appeals, but a majority of the judges denied Trump’s motion. The development now allows Trump to appeal the case directly to the Supreme Court. Lawyers for Trump argue he has presidential immunity from Carroll’s accusations. Trump’s quest for appeals began after a federal jury found that Trump defamed Carroll when he called her a liar for accusing him of sexually abusing her in the 1990s. TRUMP SHIFTS BATTLEGROUND IN FIGHT AGAINST ‘BRAZEN ELECTION INTERFERENCE’ BY IOWA POLLSTER If Trump appeals the $83 million case, it would be the second of his contests with E. Jean Carroll to appear before the justices. He also appealed a separate $5 million ruling against him to the court in November 2025. Carroll, a journalist and advice columnist, sued Trump twice after she released a book in 2019 in which she claimed that he raped her in 1996 in the dressing room of New York City’s Bergdorf Goodman department store across the street from Trump Tower. Trump has repeatedly denied Carroll’s claims and said the case was “a complete con job.” He also said that Carroll was “not my type.” “I don’t know this woman, have no idea who she is, other than it seems she got a picture of me many years ago, with her husband, shaking my hand on a reception line at a celebrity charity event,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in October 2022. BBC SAYS IT WILL FIGHT TRUMP’S $10 BILLION LAWSUIT OVER EDITED JAN 6 COMMENTS Trump’s repeated criticisms of Carroll and denial of her claims led to the journalist’s defamation allegations. In May 2023, a jury found Trump was not liable for rape but was liable for sexual abuse and defamation. Carroll was awarded a total of $5 million in damages. The Supreme Court is currently weighing whether to take up that case. Fox News’ Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.
Hunter Biden’s ex-lawyer ordered to pay $50K to former Trump aide after harassment claims crumble
FIRST ON FOX: The Superior Court of California is ordering Kevin Morris, an attorney notoriously dubbed as Hunter Biden’s “sugar brother,” to pay $50,000 to former Trump aide Garrett Ziegler and Marco Polo, the conservative nonprofit research group he founded, to cover legal expenses. The ruling ends a protracted dispute over whether Ziegler impersonated a Democratic strategist to pry sensitive information out of Morris about the Hunter Biden laptop during a conversation over the phone in 2022. To Jennifer Holliday, Ziegler’s attorney, the judgment doesn’t even begin to make up for three years of legal battles. “It’s not really how I envisioned it would play out, and I don’t think that’s how the Constitution envisions that something like this would play out — which is why we filed a petition with the Supreme Court of the United States to review,” Holliday told Fox News Digital. FLASHBACK: SWALWELL WAS DUBBED HUNTER BIDEN’S ‘BIGGEST CHEERLEADER’ “I certainly hope that they will take a really hard look at what happened here because this is not a situation that should have ever happened,” she added. Holliday is asking the Supreme Court to evaluate California’s anti-SLAPP law, arguing the state’s protections for free speech actually only worsened the case by prolonging what she believes were weak accusations. A person familiar with Morris’ case called the conclusion a formality and downplayed the Supreme Court filing as unlikely to receive a review, noting that Ziegler’s representation had requested as much as $300,000 to conclude the case. Morris’s legal battle with Ziegler began when Morris picked up the phone and spoke with someone whom he thought was a Democratic operative about the laptop back in 2022. But when, after the call, he received an image depicting a squid, the phrase “NOTHING IS BEYOND OUR REACH,” and the words “Marco Polo,” Morris realized his mistake. Morris, who reportedly loaned Hunter Biden approximately $6.5 million to bankroll his lavish lifestyle, concluded the caller must have been Ziegler, a Republican strategist who had worked on combing through the contents of the laptop and who had gone on to found Marco Polo. He also previously worked in the White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy as a policy analyst. TRUMP HOPES TO KEEP WINNING WHEN HE TAKES ABC NEWS, CBS NEWS TO COURT OVER ALLEGED ‘DISHONEST REPORTING’ Morris accused Ziegler of harassment, criminal harassment, criminal impersonation, false light and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The case soon soured for Morris when he failed to establish a connection between his phone call and Ziegler. With the suit in the rearview mirror, Holliday marveled that Morris had kept up his case for three years without ever offering evidence that the call had been linked to Ziegler. “There was no phone number that was ever presented to the court, to the Court of Appeal, to me, in discovery, anywhere,” Holliday said. Asked about whom the caller might have been, Holliday said she was not at liberty to discuss the issue. Asked about the case, Ziegler said Morris was an enabler of Hunter Biden who had knowingly brought a weak case against him. “Morris is the one responsible for all the bull—- that Hunter pulled over the last couple years,” Ziegler said, referring to funding Morris reportedly gave the younger Biden for his legal services, including paying his rent, buying his art and lending him a private jet, among other payments. Fox News Digital reported earlier this year that Morris donated $29,900 to now-former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s, D-Calif., gubernatorial campaign weeks before the campaign collapsed after several sexual assault allegations emerged. Swalwell, who was dubbed as Hunter Biden’s “biggest cheerleader” in the House, met Morris multiple times during the House Oversight Committee investigations into Hunter’s business dealings. ABC NEWS WAS WISE TO SETTLE DEFAMATION SUIT WITH TRUMP TO AVOID ‘EMBARRASSING’ DISCOVERY, LEGAL EXPERTS SAY Ziegler’s representation has secured a debtor’s exam request for Morris if he hasn’t paid the $50,000 sum ordered by the court within 30 days. Fox News Digital reached out to Morris’s attorney.
Jasmine Crockett backs Colin Allred in Texas Democratic US House primary runoff
Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas has endorsed former Rep. Colin Allred ahead of the candidate’s May Democratic primary runoff against Democratic U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson in the Lone Star State’s 33rd Congressional District. “Colin has the record, the grit, and the heart to stand up for working families and communities under attack by this administration. He will fight to abolish ICE and go toe to toe with Donald Trump to stop his extreme agenda,” Crockett declared in a statement. “I’ve seen Colin’s fight firsthand. We worked together to bring hundreds of millions in federal investments to North Texas for affordable housing, health care, and transportation. Colin doesn’t just talk about fighting for the community that raised him. He wins. That’s why I’m proud to stand with him,” Crockett noted. JASMINE CROCKETT’S SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS ABOUT WHCD SHOOTING SHOW DIFFERENT TONES Sharing Crockett’s statement of support in a post on X, Allred wrote, “Proud to receive the endorsement of my friend @JasmineForUS. Jasmine has never been afraid to speak truth to power, fight for our communities, and stand up for Texans who deserve better. I’m grateful to have her support in this fight to lower costs, protect our rights, and deliver real leadership for Texas.” Crockett has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since early 2023. ‘STRAIGHT OUTTA CONGRESS’: TOP PROGRESSIVE CONCEDES RACE AFTER VIRAL MOCKERY FOR ‘EMBARRASSING’ DEFEAT Last month she lost a Democratic Texas U.S. Senate primary to state Rep. James Talarico. Allred, who had been running in the Texas Democratic U.S. Senate primary, dropped out of the contest the same day in December that Crockett jumped in. Allred had endorsed Crockett before she lost that primary race. DEMOCRAT ADMITS ‘OF COURSE’ JASMINE CROCKETT IS A FACTOR IN HIM DROPPING OUT OF TEXAS SENATE RACE “She’s tough. She speaks truth to power. She’s fearless in the face of vitriolic attacks from Donald Trump and the far right. She works day in and day out to protect our fundamental rights and strengthen our democracy. She’s a colleague, and she’s a friend. Her name is Jasmine Crockett. And I’m incredibly proud to be endorsing her in Texas’ U.S. Senate race,” he noted on Substack.
House Republicans unlock reconciliation process to fund ICE and Border Patrol without Democrats
The House of Representatives approved a budget blueprint funding immigration enforcement for the rest of President Donald Trump’s term over Democrats’ fierce objections on Wednesday. Lawmakers voted 215-211 along party lines to take a critical step toward ending the record-breaking Department of Homeland Security funding lapse that began on Feb. 14. Rep. Kevin Kiley, I-Calif., who caucuses with Republicans, voted present. House Democrats united in opposition to the immigration enforcement measure while every Republican present voted in support. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., could spare just a handful of defections with Republicans’ slim majority. REPUBLICANS CAN FUND ICE FOR AN ENTIRE DECADE WITHOUT A SINGLE DEM VOTE: SEN CRUZ The House’s approval of the Senate-passed budget framework unlocks the partisan budget reconciliation process, which Republicans are using to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection without support from congressional Democrats. Trump has given Republicans a June 1 deadline to send a budget reconciliation bill to his desk, giving GOP leadership little room for error. “We have a real sense of urgency about getting this done,” Johnson told Fox News Wednesday. The successful vote came after more than a dozen GOP lawmakers ranging from conservatives to farm-state and Midwestern Republicans withheld their votes over concerns unrelated to the budget framework. Republican leadership held the vote open for more than five hours to win over the numerous holdouts and six GOP lawmakers who voted “no” before flipping to “yes.” Those lawmakers included Reps. Max Miller, R-Ohio, Andy Harris, R-Md., Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., and Michael Cloud, R-Texas. “This is why they say lawmaking is like watching sausage be made,” Johnson told reporters Wednesday. “That’s what this is, but we’ll get it done.” The budget resolution teeing up funding for Trump’s immigration agenda is just one piece of Republicans’ DHS funding strategy. SENATE BORDER BUDGET TRIUMPHS AFTER ALL-NIGHT SESSION WHILE TRUMP-BACKED HOUSE BILL LAGS House GOP leadership has not specified when it plans to take up a Senate-passed measure funding the rest of the department. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., agreed on a two-track approach to fund DHS by steering around Democratic opposition weeks ago. But Johnson has so far declined to put the Senate’s partial DHS bill on the House floor over concerns that it zeroes out funding for immigration enforcement. Johnson said earlier this week that some “modifications” to the measure may be necessary but has not gone into detail about specific changes. The White House on Tuesday sent Hill offices an internal memo, obtained by Fox News Digital, urging passage of the Senate’s partial DHS bill, raising the pressure on Johnson to act. Many rank-and-file House Republicans want ICE and the Border Patrol funded before the rest of the department, which could mean a delay for several more weeks. “I think that there’s a serious problem with the bill in that it zeroes out, ICE and CBP,” Rep. Eric Burlison, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, told Fox News. “It’s one thing to not do the funding, but it’s a whole other thing to put zeros in the bill.” “I know that the speaker’s working on making sure that we have all the assurances and even maybe the cash in hand in terms of reconciliation being wrapped up, finalized before we take the 95% of the rest of Homeland Security,” House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, said. Meanwhile, the White House is warning that it will be short on funds to pay the department’s hundreds of thousands of employees beginning in May. “If this funding is exhausted, the Administration will be unable to pay DHS personnel beginning in May, which will once again unleash havoc on air travel, leave critical law enforcement officers—including our brave Secret Service agents—and the Coast Guard without paychecks, and jeopardize national security,” the White House memo published Tuesday states. House Republicans’ approval of the Senate blueprint also effectively shuts the door on adding other GOP priorities to the budget package. Some GOP lawmakers had floated adding affordability-focused provisions, defense supplemental funding and the SAVE America Act to the bill. GOP leadership had argued for weeks that a larger bill risked derailing the budget reconciliation process. “We’re focused on funding Homeland Security and stopping the Democrat shutdown and, in particular, using reconciliation to fund ICE and CBP because Democrats refused to fund it,” Arrington said. “Everything else is not germane to this conversation.”
Melania Trump embraces AI education initiative in White House tech push: ‘She’s been a champion’
EXCLUSIVE: First lady Melania Trump is carving out a forward-looking role in the White House, positioning herself as a leading voice on artificial intelligence and education as the administration embraces emerging technology, according to an exclusive interview with her senior advisor. The first lady this week hosted an immersive event at the White House tennis pavilion, a space she designed during her husband’s first term, where students used Meta virtual reality headsets and AI-powered glasses to explore British landmarks and examine historical artifacts. The event, which coincided with a visit from Queen Camilla, highlighted Melania Trump’s broader initiative, Fostering the Future Together, a global effort focused on expanding access to technology and education for children. “She wanted to create an innovative cross-cultural educational experience,” senior advisor Marc Beckman told Fox News Digital, describing the event as part of her ongoing push to integrate artificial intelligence into learning. TRUMP, ALONGSIDE FIRST LADY, TO SIGN BILL CRIMINALIZING REVENGE PORN AND AI DEEPFAKES Students first used VR headsets to virtually visit sites, including Buckingham Palace, Stonehenge and the Giant’s Causeway before engaging directly with Queen Camilla. They later used AI-enabled glasses to examine curated artifacts from the White House collection and the National Archives, with the technology providing real-time historical context. The artifacts included a portrait of John Adams, the first U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom, a World War II-era map associated with President Franklin D. Roosevelt and a bust of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, all selected to underscore the longstanding relationship between the two nations. Beckman said the initiative reflects a broader focus by the first lady on artificial intelligence and education, which has become a central theme of her work during the administration. FOX NEWS AI NEWSLETTER: CHATGPT ‘CODE RED’ “She has been a champion of artificial intelligence and education for children,” he said. Her interest in AI predates her return to the White House. Before reentering public life, Melania Trump worked to develop an AI-powered audiobook version of her memoir, released in multiple languages and an effort Beckman said gave her firsthand experience with the technology. That background has informed her support for the Presidential AI Challenge, a program aimed at engaging students across all 50 states in technology-focused education and competition. Beckman also pointed to her recent appearance at the United Nations Security Council, where she emphasized the role artificial intelligence could play in expanding access to knowledge and education worldwide. “This theme just keeps going — children, education, technology,” he said. With additional partnerships, regional initiatives and research efforts already in development, Beckman said the first lady plans to continue expanding her AI-focused agenda in the months ahead.
Trump weighs pulling US troops from Germany amid clash with chancellor over Iran war
President Donald Trump announced Wednesday the U.S. is weighing a potential drawdown of American troops in Germany, opening a new front in his escalating feud with the country’s leadership just days after he blasted Chancellor Friedrich Merz over Iran. In a Truth Social post Wednesday afternoon, Trump said the U.S. is “studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany.” He said a determination will be made “over the next short period of time.” The announcement comes after the president on Tuesday criticized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, saying he “doesn’t know what he’s talking about” regarding Iran’s nuclear capabilities. TRUMP VOWS TO HIT IRAN ‘VERY HARD’ AFTER OBLITERATING NEARLY ’90 PERCENT’ OF REGIME MISSILES “The Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Tuesday. “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about! If Iran had a Nuclear Weapon, the whole World would be held hostage. “I am doing something with Iran, right now, that other Nations, or Presidents, should have done long ago. No wonder Germany is doing so poorly, both Economically, and otherwise!” The president’s comments were seemingly in response to Merz’s speech in Marsberg Monday, where he said the U.S. was being “humiliated by the Iranian leadership.” ECONOMIST EDITOR SAYS EUROPEAN LEADERS NOW FEAR A TRUE NATO ‘DIVORCE’ AFTER TRUMP PULLOUT THREAT Merz added he hopes the war ends “as quickly as possible.” During both of Trump’s terms, the leaders have publicly clashed on issues, including tariffs and defense. Earlier this month, Merz said he did not believe NATO should be involved in the war with Iran as Trump urged allies to secure the Strait of Hormuz. As of December 2025, there were more than 36,000 active U.S. service members stationed in Germany, more than any other European country, according to the Defense Manpower Data Center. It is unclear how much the president may slash troops. Fox News Digital’s Emma Bussey contributed to this report.
GOP gubernatorial hopeful blasted by critics for ‘lying’ on stage about illegal immigrant hires
Rick Jackson, a Republican gubernatorial hopeful in Georgia, is facing heat from critics calling him a “fraud” and claiming he lied during a debate earlier this week when the candidate struggled to answer whether he has illegal aliens working for him. “I don’t know,” Jackson replied when his fellow Republican frontrunner in the race, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, asked him point-blank whether he has any illegal aliens working for him. Jackson explained he was not directly involved in the hiring process in question, but he also said on the debate stage that anyone making hires for him “obey[ed] the laws,” including verifying employment eligibility using the appropriate federal “verification” measures despite saying the opposite during a sworn deposition. After his contradictory remarks on the debate stage Monday night, Jackson’s critics leaped at the opportunity to call him out, pointing to his sworn remarks from a worker’s compensation case, during which Jackson admitted that new hires were not vetted using mandatory federal I-9 forms meant to ensure employees are eligible to work. FLORIDA GOV DESANTIS TANGLES WITH REPORTER OVER ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, TELLS HER ‘YOU SEEM TO HAVE NO SYMPATHY’ “Rick Jackson is lying to someone. Either he lied in his deposition under oath or he lied to Georgians on the debate stage,” political strategist Phil Vangelakos said after the debate. “It’s pretty clear that he knows he’s employed illegal immigrants.” “Richie Rick Jackson is a fraud that will say what he needs to in order to win and is pretending to be a Trump Conservative, when in fact, he is a Bush moderate,” said Georgia Tea Party activist Debbie Dooley, who is unrelated to the football coach turned Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Georgia, Derek Dooley. “He campaigns against illegals, yet he hires them.” The criticism against Jackson stems from a worker’s compensation lawsuit Jackson found himself embroiled in, which included documents and records indicating he was paying at least one landscaper at his mansion who is undocumented, possibly more. The story was first reported by the New York Post ahead of Monday night’s debate. The suit was filed against Jackson Investment Group, LLC, and JIG Real Estate, LLC, which is owned by the former firm. Jackson is publicly listed as the CEO of both companies as well. SCOOP: TRUMP ALLY TO LAUNCH KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE CAMPAIGN IN BID TO FLIP DEMOCRAT-HELD SENATE SEAT According to the case’s filings, Jackson “maintained a long-standing workforce of multiple laborers performing landscaping and property maintenance work for decades, including individuals without work authorization who nonetheless performed continuous employment for the employer.” Jackson was deposed as part of the case, during which Jackson indicated he was unaware that his hires were undocumented immigrants. However, according to the deposition, Jackson was aware that his new hires were not being vetted using mandatory I-9 verification forms. “No,” Jackson replied when asked in the deposition if he does any employment verification through the I-9 system. In other parts of the deposition, Jackson echoed what he said Monday night, that he was not directly involved with the hiring of workers and only engaged with the landscaping superintendent. DEMOCRATS VYING FOR NYC MAYOR SPAR OVER DEFUNDING POLICE, COMBATING ICE “I know that sounds confusing,” Jackson explained in his deposition. “But most of our — if we have other employees, we usually hire them through JIG or another entity. I’m talking about if JIG has employees, we hire them through another entity. I’m not sure that we have any direct employees, from a payroll standpoint, out of JIG Real Estate.” Greg Bluestein, a reporter with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, pointed out Wednesday that it “didn’t take long” after Monday night’s debate for one of Jackson’s leading opponents in the GOP primary battle, which will culminate with a May 19 primary election, to attack Jackson over the inconsistency of his statements. “No I-9’s, no background checks for decades,” says a narrator in an attack ad from the Jones campaign. The ad then cuts to Jones asking Jackson on the debate stage whether he has any illegal immigrants working for him, to which Jackson responds, “I don’t know.” TRUMP FRONT-AND-CENTER AS NATION’S BIGGEST CITY HOLDS PRIMARY ELECTION FOR MAYOR “He knew,” the narrator chimes in. “He’s not just hiring illegal immigrants, he’s lying to Georgians.” When asked for a response to the backlash, Jackson’s team said the takeaway from the debate “is the universal agreement that Burt Jones has used his office corruptly to enrich himself and attack his political opponents.” The campaign spokesperson also alleged that much of the criticism targeting Jackson stems from people from the Jones campaign. “It’s like a corrupt politician to attack Rick over someone hired by his landscaper,” the spokesperson added. “In the debate exchange, Rick talked about hiring thousands of people per year, a reference that could only be about Jackson Healthcare, which has used E-Verify since 2012. “Rick would never knowingly hire someone in the country illegally and, as governor, he’ll make Georgia No. 1 in criminal illegal deportations.” The primary election on May 19 will also include GOP frontrunners Attorney General Chris Carr and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.