Spanberger receives DHS plea to hold illegal immigrant repeat offender now charged in attempted rape
FIRST ON FOX: Virginia Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger has been asked not to release yet another criminal illegal immigrant as northern Virginia, a major suburb of Washington, D.C., continues to be rocked by a migrant crime spree. Fox News Digital has learned that the Department of Homeland Security has asked Spanberger and “sanctuary politicians” in Arlington, Virginia, to honor a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer on a Guatemalan illegal immigrant charged with attempted rape. The illegal immigrant, Luzvin Orvando Garcia Moran, 28, faces charges of abduction of a person with intent to defile, sodomy by force or victim helplessness and assault in an alleged attempted rape, according to DHS. Local outlet ABC7 reported that Garcia Moran allegedly approached a woman waiting on a rideshare around 6 a.m. on Sunday and attempted to force himself on her. She attempted to escape multiple times but was grabbed, shoved against a wall and assaulted. The outlet reported that two good Samaritans intervened to stop the assault but that the assailant escaped. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT RELEASED UNDER BIDEN CHARGED WITH GROPING FEMALE STUDENTS AT VIRGINIA HIGH SCHOOL Garcia Moran was arrested in the assault and is being held without bond. Since Arlington has several sanctuary policies limiting local cooperation with ICE, DHS said the agency filed a detainer request with the Arlington County Jail to ensure that Garcia Moran is not released back into the community. DHS said Garcia Moran entered the U.S. illegally on an unknown date. Citing Arlington County Court records, the agency said he has “at least” 25 prior charges dating back to 2020, including nine counts of being intoxicated in public, assault and battery, disorderly conduct, attempting to disarm a law enforcement officer and several probation violations. SPANBERGER DODGES QUESTIONS ON WHETHER SHE WOULD REVERSE SANCTUARY POLICY AS DHS TURNS UP HEAT This comes as Spanberger is facing mounting pressure from ICE and local citizens to reverse her executive order limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities in the face of a slew of attacks and a sexual assault in nearby Fairfax County. Recent crimes by illegal aliens in Fairfax County include multiple murders by stabbing, a baby killing and a string of alleged gropings by an 18-year-old of minor girls at a high school. Illegal aliens have committed 75% of the murders in Fairfax County in 2026, according to DHS. Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis claimed it was “Virginia’s sanctuary policies [that] allowed this illegal alien to go on a crime spree.” “Despite prior arrests by law enforcement, this criminal was released from jail multiple times before he went on to commit this heinous rape,” Bis said. “We are calling on Arlington County sanctuary politicians and Governor Abigail Spanberger to commit to not releasing this criminal from jail back into our communities. ICE LODGES DETAINER FOR ILLEGAL MIGRANT CHARGED WITH STRANGLING WIFE AND DUMPING BODY NEAR OKLAHOMA HIGHWAY “How many more times must they release criminals into our neighborhoods to create more innocent victims?” Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger’s office and Arlington County for comment.
ODNI sends criminal referrals to DOJ for ex-IG, whistleblower tied to Trump impeachment
EXCLUSIVE: The Office of the Director of National Intelligence sent criminal referrals to the Justice Department for the whistleblower whose complaint helped trigger President Donald Trump’s 2019 impeachment and for the former intelligence community inspector general who notified Congress of the allegations, Fox News Digital has learned. “I want to refer information that may constitute possible criminal activity in violation of federal criminal law committed by one or more former employees of the intelligence community,” ODNI’s general counsel wrote in the referral to the Justice Department. Fox News Digital on Wednesday reviewed the referrals ODNI sent to the Justice Department. “The possible criminal activity concerns the circumstances described in the following congressional briefings: Discussion with Intelligence Community Inspector General, House Permanent Select Comm. on Intel., 116th Cong. (2019); Briefing by the Intelligence Community Inspector General, House Permanent Select Comm. on Intel., 116th Cong. (2019),” it continued. GABBARD CLAIMS ‘COORDINATED EFFORT’ BY INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY TO ADVANCE NARRATIVE TO IMPEACH TRUMP The referrals come after DNI Tulsi Gabbard released documents earlier this week exposing what was described as a “coordinated effort” by elements within the intelligence community—including then-Inspector General Michael Atkinson, to “manufacture a conspiracy” that was used as the basis to impeach Trump in 2019. An intelligence official told Fox News Digital that the language in the referral is broad, but that it’s specifically directed at Atkinson and the whistleblower who reported concerns about President Trump’s July 2019 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. FLASHBACK: NUNES THREATENS TO REFER WATCHDOG’S HANDLING OF WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINT TO DOJ ODNI directed Fox News Digital to a recent X post from Gabbard when asked for comment on the referrals. “Newly-declassified records expose how deep state actors within the Intelligence Community concocted a false narrative that Congress used to usurp the will of the American people and impeach duly-elected President @realDonaldTrump in 2019,” Gabbard posted to X on Monday. Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Justice on Wednesday afternoon regarding the referrals. The documents Gabbard released earlier this week include transcripts from Atkinson’s closed-door testimony before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, which were withheld from the House Judiciary Committee during the first impeachment trial. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rick Crawford, R-Ark., led a vote to release the transcripts in March. ODNI said the documents confirmed that Atkinson “failed to conduct basic due diligence and willfully exceeded his statutory jurisdiction to mischaracterize the president’s phone call with Zelensky as an ‘urgent concern’ to Congress.” Atkinson, during his investigation, found that the whistleblower showed indications of “political bias” and was “in favor of a rival political candidate,” while still deeming the complaint a matter of “urgent concern.” Atkinson received a complaint in August 2019 from the whistleblower, who was raising concerns about Trump’s July 2019 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, pressing him to launch investigations into the Biden family’s actions and business dealings in Ukraine. The president specifically suggested Zelensky look into Hunter Biden’s ventures with Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings and former President Joe Biden’s successful effort to have former Ukrainian prosecutor General Viktor Shokin ousted. Hunter Biden was quietly under federal investigation, beginning in 2018, at the time of the call, a probe prompted by suspicious foreign transactions. Trump’s request was regarded by Democrats as a quid pro quo because millions of dollars in U.S. military aid to Ukraine had been frozen. Democrats also said Trump was meddling in the 2020 presidential election by asking a foreign leader to look into a Democrat political opponent. Biden has acknowledged that when he was vice president, he successfully pressured Ukraine to fire Shokin. At the time, Shokin was investigating Burisma Holdings and Hunter had a highly lucrative role on the board, receiving thousands of dollars per month. The then-vice president threatened to withhold $1 billion of critical U.S. aid if Shokin was not fired. “I said, ‘You’re not getting the billion.’ … I looked at them and said, ‘I’m leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you’re not getting the money,’” Biden recalled telling then-Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. Biden recollected the conversation during an event for the Council on Foreign Relations in 2018. FLASHBACK: HOUSE INTEL REPUBLICANS INVESTIGATING ICIG HANDLING OF WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINT “Well, son of a b—-, he got fired,” Biden said during the event. “And they put in place someone who was solid at the time.” Biden allies maintain the then-vice president pushed for Shokin’s firing due to concerns the Ukrainian prosecutor went easy on corruption, and they say that his firing, at the time, was the policy position of the U.S. and international community. Meanwhile, House Republicans, back in 2019 and 2020, sought to refer Atkinson and the whistleblower to the DOJ for investigation. Republicans, at the time, complained that the whistleblower made contact with the staff of then-Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., in advance — though Schiff downplayed the nature of that contact. The White House, under Trump’s first term, released a declassified version of the whistleblower complaint, which revealed that the whistleblower’s concerns stemmed from the secondhand accounts of “more than half a dozen U.S. officials.” The declassified whistleblower complaint, though, stated: “I was not a direct witness to most of the events described. However, I found my colleagues’ accounts of these events to be credible, because, in almost all cases, multiple officials recounted fact patterns that were consistent with one another.” Trump was impeached in the House of Representatives in December 2019. He was acquitted by the Senate in February 2020. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment on the matter Wednesday.
Hunter Biden now living abroad as legal troubles mount, court filing reveals
Embattled former first son Hunter Biden has reportedly moved out of the United States amid mounting legal issues, just a year after his father left the presidential office in 2025. His attorney, Barry Coburn, disclosed Biden’s current living situation in an April 6 court filing tied to a civil lawsuit over unpaid legal fees. “Mr. Biden lives abroad,” the document stated. “He cannot pay his current lawyers.” It remains unclear where the first son of former President Joe Biden has relocated. However, the 56-year-old previously indicated late last year that he had been visiting Cape Town in South Africa, where his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, is originally from. PRESIDENT BIDEN PARDONS HIS SIBLINGS JUST MINUTES BEFORE LEAVING OFFICE “When all of the political and personal stuff came to an end in the last six months, I had always promised that we would spend some time over here,” Biden said during a November appearance on The Wide Awake Podcast, based in South Africa. “We’re trying to be between Cape Town and the States, go back and forth.” “I’ve fallen madly in love with Cape Town,” he added. “You guys do not know how good you have it here. It’s the most beautiful city in the world.” Most recently, Biden was photographed with his family — alongside his parents, Joe Biden and Jill Biden — in Santa Ynez, California, over Easter weekend, according to photos shared on Instagram last week by his sister, Ashley Biden. The court document disclosing Biden’s current living situation was submitted in a Washington, D.C., civil court by Winston & Strawn LLP, which previously represented him in a series of criminal cases that drew intense national scrutiny over the years, including a felony gun trial in Delaware and a tax crimes prosecution in California. According to the filings, the former first son has not paid a “substantial portion” of the fees owed to his legal team. He reportedly has limited financial resources and also cannot afford to hire specialized professionals to assist with the lawsuit, citing instances that Biden manually “hand-searched” his own emails to locate relevant documents rather than relying on outside resources. Biden also noted during his podcast appearance that he is facing “$17 million in debt … as it relates to my legal fees.” DAVID AXELROD QUESTIONS BIDEN’S MASCULINITY AFTER LAST-SECOND FAMILY PARDONS: ‘MAN UP’ In summer 2024, Biden was found guilty of multiple criminal offenses, including the illegal purchase of a firearm in 2018. Prosecutors proved he lied on a federal form by stating he was not using illegal drugs at a time when he was struggling with a crack cocaine addiction. He also pleaded guilty to nine federal tax charges, including three felonies, in connection with a scheme to evade $1.4 million in taxes between 2016 and 2019. He was ultimately pardoned by his father on all federal charges in December 2024.
Trump administration’s Federal Reserve HQ probe escalates with unannounced site visit by prosecutors
Deputies from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia (USADC) showed up earlier this week, unannounced, at the Federal Reserve’s construction site in Washington, D.C., which is part of an investigation tied to congressional testimony from Chairman Jerome Powell. After speaking with construction workers, two prosecutors from the USADC were reportedly turned away and told they could not be permitted access because they had not gotten preauthorized clearance, the Wall Street Journal first reported. They were then reportedly given the contact information of the appropriate Fed staff to reach out to. The visit underscores U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s view of the case the Trump administration launched in November against Powell. In January, the Trump administration’s Department of Justice served the Federal Reserve with grand jury subpoenas amid an investigation into the Federal Reserve’s $2.5 billion headquarters renovation that began in November. The investigation centers on whether Powell lied to Congress about the renovation or failed to comply with the appropriate permitting rules. BOASBERG BLOCKS SUBPOENAS AGAINST FED CHAIR JEROME POWELL A Fed spokesperson did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s inquiry and it declined to comment when contacted by the WSJ. “Any construction project that has cost overruns of almost 80% over the original construction budget deserves some serious review,” Pirro said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “And these people are in charge of monetary policy in the United States?” An outside attorney for the Federal Reserve, Robert Hur, reportedly objected to the visit in a letter to Pirro’s office. Hur, in his letter, pointed to U.S. District Judge James Boasberg’s ruling last month that threw out the subpoenas in a 27-page ruling describing them as an effort to “harass and pressure Powell.” Boasberg is an appointee of former President Barack Obama. TRUMP’S PICK TO LEAD THE FEDERAL RESERVE MEETS GOP SENATOR HOLDING UP HIS CONFIRMATION Powell has been pressured by President Donald Trump to lower interest rates and to step down as chairman of the Federal Reserve. His term as chair ends in May, but the probe also threatens Trump’s pick to replace him, Kevin Warsh. Outgoing Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., has said he would withhold his vote to confirm Warsh if the Fed investigation is not dropped. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., head of the Senate Banking Committee, proposed that Pirro’s investigation would be completed in a few weeks during an interview with Fox News. However, when pressed on whether he knew for sure the investigation would end, Scott indicated he did not have any evidence of that. President Trump, meanwhile, thanked Pirro and others for having “courage” to persevere in the investigation. “We have a moron at the Fed. Who wouldn’t be lowering interest rates right now?” Trump said last month. “I want to thank Jeanine Pirro and Pam and her group for having the courage to bring this suit. And I believe that the contractor on that job is probably one of the richest men in the country right now. I believe that it’s not possible to spend that kind of money – $3 billion, $4 billion – nobody knows, nobody has any idea what it is. But it’s over $3 billion and it’s probably going to be over $4 billion by the time they finish and it may never get finished, unless I take it over. I’ll get it finished. But it can never be what it was.”
GOP holds with Trump on Iran war, but cracks emerge as deadline nears
Republicans aren’t ready to jump ship against President Donald Trump’s Iran war, as evidenced by another failed attempt to handcuff his war powers in the Middle East, but they also aren’t lining up to support a prolonged conflict. Senate Republicans blocked another war powers resolution from Senate Democrats for a fourth time on Tuesday as Operation Epic Fury entered its 46th day. It comes as a fragile ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. is nearing its end, and talks toward a broader peace agreement remain tenuous. Democrats initially started their war powers strategy to compel Secretary of State Marco Rubio and War Secretary Pete Hegseth to testify publicly on the administration’s rationale behind the conflict. They argued that Iran posed no imminent threat, making the war unconstitutional without congressional approval under the War Powers Resolution. ROGUE DEM BUCKS PARTY ON TRUMP WAR POWERS, CALLS IRAN ‘47-YEAR-OLD WAR CRIME’ Now, they’ve loaded up six new resolutions to continue that push. “We’re going to have a debate and a vote every week in the United States Senate until either this war comes to an end or our Republican colleagues decide to do their constitutional duty,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said. Most Republicans, for now, aren’t breaking with the president. But a 60-day deadline that will require either Congress to weigh in or Trump to cease hostilities is fast approaching, and it’s raising questions among some in the GOP. Under the War Powers Resolution, Trump has 60 days until Congress is required to weigh in and either authorize or disapprove of the war. If the latter, the administration has 30 days to draw down forces in Iran. SCHUMER BLASTS TRUMP’S IRAN WAR AS FAILURE, MOVES TO REIN IN HIS WAR POWERS AMID CEASEFIRE “The president needs to come to Congress in the absence of some imminent threat to the country or an attack on the country, to seek an authorization,” Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said. “Otherwise, it’s illegal to make war as he’s doing.” Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who has bucked Trump before on Venezuela but toed the party line on Iran, is drafting an Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) on the war in Iran, describing the effort in an interview with The New York Times as a way to put parameters around Operation Epic Fury. When asked by Fox News Digital if she was still working on the AUMF, she said, “Uh huh, I’m working on so much.” Whether Republicans will support the administration and authorize the war remains an open question. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who has sided with Senate Democrats on each effort to handcuff Trump’s war powers, wouldn’t say how he’d vote on a potential AUMF. TOP GOP HAWK GRAHAM WARNS IRAN DEAL HAS ‘TROUBLING ASPECTS’ AS CEASEFIRE BEGINS “I’m not for the war in Iran, I think it’s a war of choice but not my choice,” he said. Others see an AUMF as a potentially useful tool, if successful, for Trump and his efforts in the Middle East. “I think maybe an AUMF could be an advantage for the president, to say, even Congress is here for the long time, removing the political calculation that maybe the president doesn’t have Congress’ support,” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said. Still, the economic toll at the pump and on goods is making Republicans’ constituents feel the immediate pain of the conflict. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., acknowledged the crunch that the war was having on the cost of fertilizer in his agriculture-heavy state, but he questioned the authority of the War Powers Resolution. “If you accept the war powers as being constitutional, it would be the threshold under which that law would apply,” Thune said. “But I think, you know, at least right now, the steps that have been taken so far I think have been very effective and successful. But we do, they need a plan out, how to wind this down, how to get an outcome.” Democrats still argue that the war was illegal to begin with and have no plans of letting up on their war powers push, even as the deadline nears. “If the president has a plan, he can come to Congress and ask for authorization, and we can have the debate we should have had beforehand,” Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said.
Leavitt puts Democrats on defense as ‘disgusting’ allegations against Swalwell mount
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt slammed Democrats on Wednesday over mounting sexual assault allegations against former Rep. Eric Swalwell, questioning what they knew and why no one spoke out sooner. “I think the accusations and allegations against former Rep. Swalwell are despicable and disgusting,” said Leavitt. “It’s also quite plausible that there were many other Democrats in this town on Capitol Hill who knew about his, perhaps illegal behavior, certainly his disgusting and inappropriate behavior,” said Leavitt. Swalwell announced Monday that he would step down from the House after four women came forward accusing the longtime congressman of assault. The mounting allegations, which ultimately derailed his political future, followed his decision to exit California’s 2026 gubernatorial race just a day earlier. KASH PATEL TAUNTS SWALWELL WITH FBI SIT-DOWN AS RESIGNATION FALLOUT GROWS Leavitt urged journalists to press lawmakers on why no one spoke out sooner, specifically calling out Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz. “Ask Democrats in power how they knew about such despicable behavior from one of their elected representatives for so long, but never said or did anything about it,” said Leavitt. Gallego on Monday accused his close congressional ally and longtime friend of living a double life. “I want to be clear: I had no knowledge of the allegations of assault, harassment, and predatory behavior against Eric Swalwell,” Gallego said in a statement following Swalwell dropping out of California’s 2026 gubernatorial race. 5TH ACCUSER COMES FORWARD AGAINST REP ERIC SWALWELL AHEAD OF EXPECTED RESIGNATION Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has also denied having any knowledge of Swalwell’s alleged behavior, saying “none whatsoever” in response to a reporter. Pelosi added Swalwell’s resignation announcement Monday was a “smart decision” and the “right thing to do” after a wave of allegations threatened to force his ouster. Fox News Digital reached out to Gallego’s office for comment. Fox News Digital’s Adam Pack contributed to this report.
Millions tap Trump tax cuts this filing season as refunds top $3,400
More than 53 million tax filers used at least one of President Donald Trump’s signature tax breaks this filing season, as the average refund climbed above $3,400, according to Treasury Department data released on Tax Day. The figures mark the first filing season since the Republican-backed “Working Families Tax Cuts” were passed in July 2025 and implemented by the IRS, with Trump administration officials touting broad uptake and increased tax relief. Wednesday is the deadline to file taxes for the 2025 earning year, and the president promised the “largest tax refund season in U.S. history” thanks to his One Big Beautiful Bill Act. TAX EXTENSION FILERS BEWARE: PAYMENTS ARE STILL DUE TO THE IRS BY APRIL 15 As of April 14, the average refund rose 11% compared to the previous filing season, Trump’s Treasury Department claims. Filers who used at least one of the new provisions saw an average tax cut of about $800, the new report found. The data points to widespread use of several provisions in the new law. About 25 million filers claimed a deduction for overtime pay, while roughly 6 million claimed a tax break on tips. An estimated 30 million seniors took advantage of an enhanced deduction, and approximately 34 million families claimed an expanded child tax credit. TAX DAY IS TODAY: AVOID THESE 5 COMMON MISTAKES THAT CAN COST YOU MONEY Another 105 million filers used the expanded standard deduction, while about 1 million deducted interest on car loans for new American-made vehicles. Treasury also said more than 5 million “Trump Accounts” have been opened, including about 1.2 million eligible for a $1,000 pilot program contribution. The accounts, created under President Donald Trump’s sweeping One Big Beautiful Bill Act, are government-backed investment funds for children designed to grow over time. They function similarly to traditional long-term investment vehicles, but with rules tailored to protect young savers. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the results show the administration’s tax policy is delivering meaningful relief to workers and families. “Under President Trump, we uphold the foundational principle that hardworking Americans should be rewarded, not punished with tax hikes,” Bessent said in a statement included in the data release. He touted that taxpayers are “keeping more of what they earn and seeing their paychecks go further.”
Trump-Tillis tiff deepens as president says he ‘quit,’ concedes Fed fight could doom new chair confirmation
President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Federal Reserve is headed to the Senate next week, but Trump is worried that one Senate Republican could doom the confirmation process. Kevin Warsh is scheduled for his confirmation hearing before the Senate Banking Committee after his initial hearing set for this week was canceled. But his odds of moving to the next — and final — step of the process are low, given that Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., plans to block him. And Trump isn’t happy about it. LEAVITT ACCUSES SEN TILLIS OF HOLDING US ECONOMY ‘HOSTAGE’ OVER FED NOMINATION DISPUTE When asked by Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo about Warsh’s chances in the Senate, Trump said, “We’re going to have to find out.” “He might not, but that’s why Thom Tillis is no longer a senator,” Trump said. “He quit.” Tillis, despite announcing plans to retire from Congress at the end of his term this year, is still an active U.S. Senator and would have full voting rights if Warsh’s confirmation comes up for a vote before January 2027. Fox News Digital reached out to Tillis’ office for comment on the president’s latest comments. The North Carolina senator has repeatedly clashed with the Trump administration ever since Tillis bucked his fellow Republicans in their pursuit of steep Medicaid cuts last year during the creation of the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” That rebellious streak has continued as the Department of Justice probe into current Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has progressed. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ASKS JUDGE BOASBERG TO RECONSIDER ORDER QUASHING POWELL SUBPOENAS Tillis’ beef isn’t with Warsh specifically — a point he has reiterated on several occasions — but with the DOJ’s investigation into Powell’s testimony last year about the Fed’s renovation of its two historic main buildings on the National Mall. “I love the candidate. I won’t spend my five minutes [in committee] asking him about his credentials, because he has them,” Tillis said. “I’ll spend five minutes talking about a bogus investigation that’s going to cause me to vote no, unless they end the investigation.” “There’s no way to sugarcoat this,” he continued. “There’s one way out of the box, canyon, and they’ve got to decide whether or not they’re going to do it.” Prosecutors from U.S. District Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office reportedly visited the Federal Reserve’s headquarters unannounced on Tuesday. POWELL REVEALS WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO STEP DOWN FROM THE FED AS PRESSURE MOUNTS Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has spoken with the White House about halting the investigation. “I think, at some point, they’re gonna have to deal with the committee, they’re gonna have to deal with Tillis,” Thune said. “And I think it’s in everybody’s best interest to wrap up the investigation.” Meanwhile, given the uncertainty surrounding his predecessor, Powell said he would stay on temporarily until a replacement is confirmed. But Trump said he would fire Powell if he wasn’t out by next month. Trump charged that Tillis wouldn’t “want the legacy of stopping a great person who could be great.” “I think Kevin Warsh is going to be great. He doesn’t want the legacy of having an incompetent guy stay there for longer than is necessary,” Trump said. “I know Thom Tillis. He’s a good man. I don’t think he’s going to hurt — I know he said what he said, and maybe it’s true, in which case I’ll have to live with it.” Tillis is working to make sure that, until the investigation is dropped, there’s no way Warsh makes it out of committee. “I don’t think there’s any mechanism where he gets reported out of committee, but I’m already working to make sure votes will be held on the floor until we have a definitive answer,” he said.
Biden border officials released alleged killer of Chicago student ‘due to lack of space,’ documents show
Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee said border officials under the Biden administration released alleged illegal immigrant killer Jose Medina-Medina into the country “due to lack of space.” Judiciary Republicans criticized Democrats over Medina-Medina’s release, saying they “knew” the threat he posed. Medina-Medina, a 25-year-old illegal immigrant from Venezuela who entered the country under the Biden administration, is facing state and federal charges related to the killing of 18-year-old Chicago student Sheridan Gorman. The charges include first-degree murder, aggravated discharge of a firearm and illegal possession of a firearm. The killing, which took place on March 19, has sparked outrage and renewed calls for an end to sanctuary policies such as those in Chicago. Critics say these sanctuary policies protect illegal immigrants over innocent citizens. On Tuesday, Judiciary Committee Republicans posted on X excerpts of what appear to be court documents filed by a Border Patrol agent revealing the agency’s assessment of Medina-Medina before he was released into the country. The excerpt shows that Medina-Medina admitted to officials that he did not face a threat to his life in his home country and that the agency assessed he was “likely to abscond” if released. KAROLINE LEAVITT BLASTS MINIMAL MEDIA COVERAGE OF SHERIDAN GORMAN MURDER The excerpt shows officials encountered Medina-Medina in the El Paso sector of the southern border. The document notes, “the subject was asked and responded that they do not fear harm or persecution should they be returned to their home country.” The excerpts also note that Medina-Medina “has close family ties or roots in this country yet are likely to abscond.” Despite this, the excerpts show Medina-Medina was “processed for a Notice to Appear and released on recognizance … due to lack of space.” Committee Republicans wrote that “Democrats knew this man was dangerous and had no legitimate asylum claim. But they still released him.” DEM SENATORS DODGE CRUCIAL QUESTION ON ILLEGAL ALIEN ACCUSED OF KILLING CHICAGO COLLEGE STUDENT “The criminal alien who killed college student Sheridan Gorman: -Apprehended at the border by the Biden Administration in 2023 -Released two weeks later -Noted by officials as ‘likely to abscond’ and had no verifiable contact information,” wrote committee Republicans. Earlier this month, Fox News Digital reported that federal prosecutors added a new illegal firearm possession charge against Medina-Medina. Local criminal defense attorney Donna Rotunno told Fox News Digital that federal officials likely added the charge because they “have no faith” in the Illinois justice system. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. The firearm Medina-Medina allegedly used to kill Gorman was illegally purchased around February 6, 2008, from a Federal Firearms Licensee in Montgomery, Alabama, according to a charging document. ICE LODGES DETAINER FOR ILLEGAL MIGRANT CHARGED WITH STRANGLING WIFE AND DUMPING BODY NEAR OKLAHOMA HIGHWAY “Blue cities historically are lighter in their prosecutions. We have already heard that this person was of diminished capacity, so we are probably going to see some defense in regard to that,” said Rotunno. “My guess is the feds wanted to jump in so they can have some control over the fate of the defendant.” Fox News Digital reached out to Judiciary Democrats for comment.
On filing deadline, GOP blasts Democrats for opposing Trump tax cuts, ‘making life more expensive’
FIRST ON FOX: On the deadline for Americans to file their taxes, Senate Republicans are targeting Democrats for voting against tax cuts the GOP passed and President Donald Trump signed into law last summer. The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), the Senate GOP’s campaign arm, on Wednesday launched ads in seven key Senate battleground races highlighting how “Democrat candidates opposed the Working Families Tax Cuts that led to an 11% increase in Americans’ tax refunds this year.” The spots, released on Tax Day 2026, were first shared with Fox News Digital. The digital ads come as the GOP works to protect its slim 53-47 Senate majority in the midterms when the party in power typically faces political headwinds and loses congressional seats. The GOP also faces a rough political climate fueled by persistent inflation, rising gas prices tied to what polls show is an unpopular war with Iran, and Trump’s underwater approval ratings. EXCLUSIVE: HOUSE REPUBLICANS TARGET ‘VULNERABLE’ DEMOCRATS FOR VOTING AGAINST TAX CUTS But Republicans have for weeks spotlighted the tax cuts, which they insist will give them a political boost with voters in the midterms. “Working families across the country have enough on their plates, but Democrats like Jon Ossoff go to Washington and fight to take more money out of their pockets,” NRSC Communications Director Joanna Rodriguez argued, as she pointed to Ossoff, the first-term senator from Georgia whom Republicans view as the most vulnerable Democrat seeking re-election this year. Rodriguez also emphasized that “President Trump and Senate Republicans are working tirelessly to deliver for working families, including higher take-home pay and lower taxes.” DEMOCRATS BUILD MOMENTUM, BUT SENATE REPUBLICANS STILL IN DRIVER’S SEAT IN BATTLE FOR MAJORITY The spots, backed by a modest buy, will also run in Alaska, Iowa, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Ohio. The narrator in the ads emphasized that “President Trump and Senate Republicans delivered real savings for hard-working families” and accused Democrats of “opposing tax cuts for first responders, rejecting tax savings for service workers, and denying more money for senior citizens.” The tax cuts were a key component of Republicans’ massive domestic policy measure, which passed nearly entirely along party lines in the GOP-controlled House and Senate. The law is stuffed full of Trump’s 2024 campaign trail promises and second-term priorities, including extending the president’s signature 2017 tax cuts and eliminating taxes on tips and overtime pay. Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota, speaking on the Senate floor Wednesday morning, said, “I suspect Tax Day doesn’t rank high on Americans’ favorite days of the year, but I’d wager that a lot more Americans were pleasantly surprised this year when they went to file their taxes because thanks to Republicans Working Families Tax Cuts bill, a lot more Americans kept a lot more of their hard-earned money this year.” Democrats have criticized the tax cuts, arguing they disproportionately benefit the wealthy and corporations. Earlier this year, DSCC Chair Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand told Fox News Digital that due to the “very harmful climate that President Trump is creating, we have all the makings of a blue wave.” The NRSC’s ads targeting Democrats follow positive spots it released last month spotlighting “the success of the Working Families Tax Cuts.” And the NRSC points to internal polling that it says shows that an overwhelming majority of voters are more likely to support candidates that fight for Republican economic initiatives. But other surveys indicate that Americans are far from pleased with the amount they pay in taxes. A record 70% of voters questioned in a Fox News national poll conducted late last month said the taxes they pay are “too high,” marking an 11-point increase from a year earlier, and the highest level of dissatisfaction since the question was first asked in 2004. The new ads from the NRSC are part of a major push by the GOP this week to spotlight the tax cuts. On Tuesday, as Fox News Digital first reported, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), the House GOP’s campaign arm, launched ads targeting 28 potentially vulnerable Democrats in the midterms for voting against the tax cuts. Speaker Mike Johnson held a tax cut event on the Capitol steps on Wednesday morning. And hours earlier, in an interview on Fox Business’ “Mornings with Maria,” Trump touted to host Maria Bartiromo that “the refunds are really significant, and it makes it less complicated to do your tax return. Much less complicated.”