DOJ charges 3 Russians in alleged $63M cybercrime scheme targeting Americans
Three Russian nationals allegedly scammed Americans in 21 states out of more than $63 million, according to a December 2024 indictment that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio unsealed Tuesday. The trio — Alexander Alexandrovich Volosovik, 43, Kirill Andreevich Zatolokin, 34, and Yulia Vladimirovna Pankova, 29 — conducted “malicious cyber activities against U.S. critical infrastructure” through their St. Petersburg, Russia-based companies Media Land, LLC and ML.Cloud, LLC, according to federal prosecutors. “From their overseas safe haven, these defendants ran the criminal infrastructure that powered attacks on critical institutions across our nation,” Department of Justice Criminal Division Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva said in a statement. GLOBAL SCAM CRACKDOWN LEADS TO 276 ARRESTS “Their actions put the American public at risk. We will continue to dismantle these networks and protect our critical infrastructure from cybercriminals at home and abroad.” A grand jury indicted the trio on charges of conspiracy to commit and aid and abet computer fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering in December 2024. The U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program is offering up to $10 million for information on foreign government-linked associates of the trio or for affiliates of their companies. FBI ADDS 2 FUGITIVES TO ‘MOST WANTED FRAUDSTERS’ LIST AMID HISTORIC $6.5B HEALTHCARE TAKEDOWN: PATEL The U.S. and allied countries levied sanctions on the companies in 2025. Media Land and MLCloud, according to the indictment, provided hosting services and information technology infrastructure for business both in the U.S. and abroad. Specifically, the groups offered “bulletproof hosting” services meant to be used by those trying to evade detection by law enforcement. The companies “provided infrastructure and tech support to criminal client co-conspirators with the means to infect victim computers with malware and ransomware and then extorted those victims for money and cryptocurrency,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office Tuesday announcement read. STOLEN IDS SOLD FOR ‘HAPPY MEAL’ PRICES FUEL BILLIONS IN US BENEFIT FRAUD “Other computer-based crimes facilitated by Media Land and ML.Cloud included supporting criminal marketplaces, fraudulent domain registrations, and providing the platform from which to launch phishing and brute force attacks,” the announcement added. While many U.S. residents were alleged victims of the group’s products, their organizations targeted victims across the globe, prompting U.S. authorities to collaborate with international partners, a fact the U.S. attorney and the FBI both stressed. “The victims in this case are not only in Ohio, but also in 20 other states across the country, touching every aspect of Americans’ lives. They include banks, schools, government entities, hospitals and media companies,” United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio David M. Toepfer said in a statement. “Together with our international partners, we will aggressively combat the efforts of individuals who hide behind computers anywhere in the world who seek to profit and wreak havoc by targeting the infrastructures that support our communities.” Other international organizations that Toepfer thanked included the National Police of the Netherlands and the Netherlands’ Public Prosecutor’s Office, the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, the United Kingdom Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Australian Federal Police. “Today’s announcement underscores the importance of global partnerships and international collaboration, especially in a borderless world riddled with cyber criminals,” FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge Josh DelManzo also said. “The methods used by these bad actors, including ransomware, malware, phishing and other cyber activity, serves as a reminder that whether for business or personal use, when you are online, criminal networks will stop at nothing to hack, attack, share, or sell your information for their own greed, gain, and profit. The FBI and its partners will continue to identify and cripple criminal networks and freeze their infrastructures to reduce or remove the threats to the public and further protect trusting individuals and companies.” Fox News Digital contacted the DOJ for further comment. The U.S. Attorney’s office for the Northern District of Ohio declined to comment, citing an ongoing investigation.
Johnson scores win as conservative rebels end House floor blockade over voter ID bill
House conservatives ended their weeks-long blockade of the House floor Tuesday, handing Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., a key victory after the rebellion brought legislative business to a standstill for nearly a month. The House successfully passed a procedural vote 215-211, teeing up votes on an appropriations bill funding the State Department, legislation making daylight saving time permanent and a measure seeking to improve veterans’ benefits. Johnson also agreed to pair the State Department funding bill with the SAVE America Act, prompting several conservative holdouts to flip their votes after demanding the House increase pressure on the Senate to pass the stalled measure. Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., was the lone Republican to oppose the rule, while all Democrats voted “no” during a party-line procedural vote. The conservatives had blocked all major House legislation since late June in an effort to force GOP leaders to hold floor votes on the Trump-backed SAVE America Act and a sweeping border security bill. Given House Republicans’ slim majority, Johnson could afford to spare just a handful of GOP defections. The speaker has been under mounting pressure to get the House moving again and advance a backlog of legislation ahead of the November midterm elections. GOP leaders are racing to draft the blueprint for a third “big, beautiful bill” in addition to clearing government funding bills before the Sept. 30 deadline and a potential supplemental package covering the price tag of the Iran war. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., who was among the GOP rebels who effectively shut down the chamber to pressure the Senate to pass the SAVE America Act, agreed to unlock the floor after Johnson proposed pairing the election measure with the State Department appropriations bill. Johnson sought to attach the SAVE America Act to the House’s version of an annual defense policy bill before the July 4 recess, but Luna continued the blockade anyway. “If John Thune strips it out in the Senate, that will be on him and the entire country should be watching what he does,” Luna wrote on social media Monday. TRUMP TAKES UNUSUAL STEP, LETS BIPARTISAN HOUSING BILL BECOME LAW UNSIGNED AMID SAVE PRESSURE CAMPAIGN Thune, who is supportive of the SAVE America Act, has repeatedly insisted that the votes do not exist in the upper chamber to pass the Trump-backed legislation amid unified opposition from Democrats. That leaves House Republicans with little leverage to force Senate action on the SAVE America Act. Some of the GOP holdouts had also threatened to oppose the rule unless House Republican leadership agreed to schedule a vote on a border security package. Members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus are advocating for a vote on the Permanent Trump Secure Border Act, which would codify several Trump executive orders targeting illegal immigration, including and end to catch-and-release policies. “We need to deliver on codifying border security, deal with the birthright citizenship issue,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said. “These are all issues people that I represent care about intently and that we’ve talked about doing, and we need to deliver.” In a potential sign of trouble for GOP leadership, some holdouts criticized Johnson’s planned legislative goals for the week. “Making Daylight Saving Time permanent won’t matter at all if we don’t have election integrity,” Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, wrote on social media Monday, referring to the SAVE America Act. “Priorities.” Self voted “yes” during the procedural vote. The GOP rebels’ hardball tactics frustrated many House Republicans, who argued the strategy risked backfiring and paralyzing the conference’s legislative agenda. “There’s a small group of Republicans who are upset at the Senate, as I think all of us are,” Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., told Fox News Monday. “But I don’t know how … if you’re upset at the Senate, why do you take it out on the conservative Republican agenda in the House?” But some conservatives argued the House should do whatever it takes to get the SAVE America Act to President Donald Trump’s desk. Trump has repeatedly said the election integrity measure is his top legislative priority. He even refused to sign a bipartisan housing bill last week aiming to boost supply and lower costs in protest of the SAVE America Act. “We shouldn’t vote on anything else unless it has the SAVE [America] Act, period,” Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said Monday. “Ideally, the Senate ought to take it up every day and make them vote on it and do a talking filibuster and keep them up all night,” he continued. “That’s the best course of action. I don’t think they’ll do that.”
Hegseth announces joint task force with DOJ to prosecute leaks to journalists ‘with the full force of the law’
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth on Monday announced the creation of a joint task force with the Department of Justice to identify and prosecute officials who leak “sensitive information” to the media. Hegseth said the Pentagon’s Office of General Counsel (OGC) may request and receive all information, support and records across the department regarding news media leak investigations. “To combat the dangers that leaks pose, effectively immediately, I have delegated tasking authority to the war department’s office of general counsel, empowering OGC to request and receive all information, records and support across the department concerning media leak investigations,” he said in a video shared on X. “Leaked information risks lives, these new tools and processes will greatly assist us in protecting our joint force,” Hegseth continued. “The security of our nation cannot be a bargaining chip for those who seek momentary headlines, access to confidential and secret information is a sacred trust, and those who betray that trust will be met with the full force of the law.” TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SUBPOENAS NY TIMES JOURNALISTS IN GRAND JURY LEAK PROBE TIED TO AIR FORCE ONE REPORT The secretary also thanked Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche for his support, adding that he was “proud that our departments are working together closer than we have ever before.” Hegseth’s announcement comes just days after the DOJ issued subpoenas to four reporters at The New York Times, attempting to force them to testify before a federal grand jury after the newspaper reported on the security concerns involving the plane gifted to President Donald Trump by Qatar that he flew on to Turkey for a recent NATO summit. The subpoenas were widely criticized by The New York Times, journalists at various news outlets and press freedom groups, arguing that the Trump administration is attempting to intimidate reporters conducting legitimate news-gathering about the government. NEW YORKER SUING ICE AFTER OFFICERS WENT TO HIS HOME TO WARN HIM OVER CRITICISM OF AGENCY “The appearance of federal law enforcement agents on the doorstep of news reporters should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects,” an attorney for the newspaper, David McCraw, said in a statement. “Our journalists report the facts and advance the American public’s right to know how their government is operating and their taxpayer dollars are being used,” McCraw added. “This brazen act should be seen as nothing more than an attempt to prevent the public from knowing what is happening in their country by intimidating journalists from doing their jobs.” Since taking over as head of the Pentagon last year, Hegseth has sought to crack down on leaks to the media. Last year, the department opened investigations into those accused of leaking classified information to the press and threatened to conduct polygraphs to identify leakers. Hegseth has also attempted to impose restrictions on reporters covering the Pentagon. He had forced them to sign a pledge stating that they would not solicit any unauthorized material, even if the information was unclassified. Most Pentagon reporters turned in their press badges rather than accept the department’s restrictions on news-gathering. That policy is facing lawsuits, and a judge last month granted a preliminary injunction, ruling that the department’s requirement that journalists be accompanied by an official chaperone at all times violated the First Amendment in response to a case brought by The New York Times.
Mamdani offers few answers as massive homeless encampment sprouts in west Manhattan
Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday offered few specifics about a sprawling homeless encampment that has grown near the Intrepid Museum despite repeated complaints from New York City residents. The encampment stretches roughly 12 blocks along Manhattan’s West Side, from 34th Street to 46th Street on 11th Avenue, according to the New York Post. The area is reportedly lined with tents, furniture, used needles and suspected stolen goods, while residents have also complained of open drug use and prostitution. Asked about the encampment, which sits near a major tourist destination as the city welcomes visitors for the FIFA World Cup, Mamdani said the city was “going to look into the details of that.” DAVID MARCUS: COMMIE DEMS WOULD DESTROY EVERYTHING WORLD CUP FANS LOVE ABOUT AMERICA He said that under city rules, homeless encampments can be cleared only after the city’s Department of Homeless Services (DHS) conducts daily outreach for seven days following an initial notice. “The goal of that outreach is to ensure that we’re building trust that we’re actually able to connect those New Yorkers with services and that we can connect them with any other things that they need, whether it be medical care or whether it be housing support. And then by the 7th day, following the notice, the encampment will be cleared,” Mamdani said. “We are focused on connecting New Yorkers to shelters and on establishing a pipeline to stable housing, not just moving New Yorkers from one place to another place,” he added. MAMDANI RIPPED OVER RECORD-HIGH NYC RENTS WITH CRITICS POINTING TO POLICY THEY SAY IS FUELING CRISIS According to The Post, the encampment has been growing for weeks, with nearby workers saying the population has steadily increased. “These people have been here forever,” one employee at the Intrepid Museum told the outlet. A maintenance supervisor at the nearby Jacob K. Javits Convention Center told the outlet that despite repeated efforts to clear sections of the encampment, the camp continues to spread. NEW YORK SHERIFFS ‘MAD AS HELL’ AS HOCHUL PUSHES TO BAN KEY LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERSHIP “This is crazy,” the worker said. “The cops and the sanitation guys and the outreach guys, they clean up one spot and after that day, the next day they’re over here. Then they’re over there. They’re kind of just spreading around.” “We kicked them out, now they’re over here,” the worker added. “One thing is for sure though, there are more today than there were last month, that’s for sure.” City records show there were 48 complaints related to homelessness along the affected stretch of the West Side through the city’s 311 system this year, including 30 filed last month alone, the Post reported.
Democrats running to replace Platner in key Senate race call for ICE to be ‘abolished’
PORTLAND, Maine – Some of the leading contenders in the race to replace former candidate Graham Platner as the Democratic Senate nominee in Maine are amplifying calls to abolish ICE after a fatal shooting by federal immigration officers in the northern New England state. Hours after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on Monday shot and killed a man in Biddeford, which is located about 15 miles south-west of Portland, four of the candidates joined hundreds of protesters who marched by the shooting site. The shooting comes as the battle to replace Platner is heating up, and will likely boost immigration as an issue in a crucial Senate race that may determine the Senate majority. “I think we are at the point where ICE needs to be abolished,” Nirav Shah, the former director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, told Fox News Digital. “ICE in its current form has shown itself incapable of doing its job.” PLATNER EXITS SENATE RACE AMID SCANDALS AND CHORUS OF CALLS TO DROP OUT Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, speaking with reporters, said, “This is not acceptable in America. A young man, a dad, has been killed by ICE…This must stop. We need to get ICE out of the streets.” Troy Jackson, a former state Senate president, took to social media immediately after the shooting to write, “Abolish ICE.” Jackson held a sign at the protest that called for abolishing ICE, and reiterated that he’s been calling for the dismantling of the agency for months. Paige Loud, a social worker and former congressional candidate who has also launched a Senate bid, also attended the protest. “We must abolish ICE and prosecute the leaders of these operations that are destroying communities,” she said in a social media post. The incident in Maine is the second in a week when ICE agents have used deadly force, following the fatal shooting during a traffic stop in Houston, Texas. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB The latest incidents are reigniting protests and scrutiny of federal agents months after the shooting deaths in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the beginning of the year of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Those shootings drew weeks of national coverage and sharp debate over President Donald Trump’s ramped-up deportation efforts amid his administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration. The Maine attorney general’s office, which is investigating Monday’s shooting along with the FBI, said initial statements suggest the motorist who was the target of the enforcement operation was attempting to flee in the direction of an ICE agent. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Two immigration advocacy groups said the man who was killed was authorized to work in the U.S. and had a Social Security number. The shooting in Maine came three days after Platner ended his campaign amid mounting controversies and allegations of sexual misconduct that he had repeatedly denied, and a chorus of calls from top Democrats in Maine, the nation’s capital, and across the country to drop out of the race immediately. A populist Democrat who was backed last September by progressive champion Sen. Bernie Sanders, Platner was challenging longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in a high-profile, combustible and expensive race in Maine, which is one of a handful that will determine if the GOP holds onto its slim Senate majority in November’s midterm elections. Seven Democrats have filed to run for the nomination, which will be determined by roughly 600 voting delegates at a July 25 convention held by the Maine Democratic Party. Collins said in a statement following the shooting that “a full and impartial investigation of what happened” was needed. Hours later, Collins said in another statement that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin “informed me that the Boston office of the DHS Inspector General has taken over the investigation of the Biddeford shooting in cooperation with the FBI.” One of Collins’ Senate offices is located in Biddeford, and protesters marched to the office to chant, “Vote her out.”
Trump-backed Daylight Saving Time bill clears key House hurdle
A bipartisan push to make Daylight Saving Time permanent is heading for a chamber-wide vote after clearing a key House hurdle. The House Rules Committee on Monday teed up a floor vote on the Sunshine Protection Act, which would allow states to enact Daylight Saving Time year-round — with an option to opt out. The committee approved the rule in a 6-4 vote. The measure has the support of many coastal lawmakers and President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly urged Congress to make Daylight Saving Time permanent and end the twice-a-year ritual of changing clocks — a practice currently observed by every state except Hawaii and most of Arizona. Proponents argue that resetting clocks has negative health impacts, while permanent Daylight Saving Time would boost outdoor recreation, tourism and economic activity, among other benefits. CONGRESS EYES RARE BIPARTISAN HOUSING WIN WITH OR WITHOUT TRUMP’S HELP Most Americans already set their clocks forward one hour each spring to preserve more evening daylight before “falling back” one hour in November. “Americans are overwhelmingly supportive of this policy and want to end the practice of ‘springing forward’ and ‘falling back.’ Locking the clock all year long would have positive impacts on sleep schedules, energy conservation, motor vehicle safety, and our economy,” Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., said in an opening statement Monday. “In practice, this change would mean more time for people to exercise outside, visit family, attend concerts and sporting events, attract customers to their retail businesses, and more.” “Floridians and Americans across the country are tired of the biannual time change, and the evidence is clear that permanent daylight saving time can improve public health, reduce traffic accidents, lower crime and encourage more outdoor activity,” Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., who authored the measure, previously said in a May news release. “Ending the clock change is a commonsense reform that will improve everyday life for millions of Americans,” he added. The legislation’s momentum comes after the House Energy and Commerce Committee overwhelmingly passed the measure 48-1 in May. “It’s time that people can stop worrying about the ‘Clock,’ not to mention all of the work and money that is spent on this ridiculous, twice-yearly production,” Trump wrote following the Sunshine Protection Act’s advancement out of committee. “It will also be a very nice WIN for the Republican Party. Take it! We are going with the far more popular alternative, Saving Daylight, which gives you a longer, brighter Day — And who can be against that — This is an easy one!” SLEEP DOCTOR REVEALS THE BRUTAL HEALTH DOWNSIDE OF DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME Roughly 20 states have already passed legislation that would make Daylight Saving Time permanent if Congress were to authorize the practice. Alabama, South Carolina, Oregon, Maine and Florida are among those places. But opponents, including several medical organizations, argue that permanent standard time — which provides more sunlight in the morning — would be the healthier option because it would more closely align with the body’s natural circadian rhythms. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa., proposed amending the bill with language from her co-sponsored Sunshine for Our Kids Act, which would make standard time permanent nationwide. The amendment was quickly rejected. Scanlon argued that permanent daylight saving time would pose significant health and safety risks by leaving more Americans — particularly children — in darkness during morning hours. She also pointed to the nation’s brief experiment with year-round daylight saving time in 1974, which Congress abandoned after widespread public backlash. Rep. Nanette Barragán, D-Calif., was also the lone lawmaker to oppose the legislation during the Energy and Commerce Committee markup in May, citing concerns that year-round daylight saving time could negatively affect children’s health and sleep schedules. Some conservative lawmakers have also argued that GOP leadership should be focused on what they describe as more pressing legislative issues, including legislation codifying Trump’s border security executive orders and the stalled SAVE America Act. “Republicans are majoring in the minors — fiddling with the clocks while the country burns,” Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, wrote Monday. The House has already passed versions of the SAVE America Act multiple times, but the measure has struggled to overcome the Senate’s legislative filibuster. The Senate unanimously passed a version of the Sunshine Protection Act in 2022, but it died in the House amid opposition, including from lawmakers who voiced concerns about darker morning hours in parts of the country during the winter.
Stephen Miller’s unlikely friendship with Lindsey Graham revealed in heartfelt White House tribute
Stephen Miller, a policy advisor for the White House, paid tribute to the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on Monday afternoon, calling him a personal “friend.” “Lindsey was of a mold that I don’t think we’re going to see for a very long time,” Miller said. “He was someone who really understood how the power of rhetoric, how the power of communication as a senator can actually change outcomes.” “Lindsey really believed you could change people’s minds through the force and persuasion of his rhetoric.” LINDSEY GRAHAM, SOUTH CAROLINA SENATOR WHO ROSE FROM SMALL-TOWN ROOTS TO GOP POWER BROKER, DIES AT 71 Miller, like many members of the Trump administration, continues to reel from Graham’s sudden death late on Saturday evening, paying homage to a key ally in the Senate. His remarks reveal a closer relationship between the two than has previously been reported. “Lindsey, I miss you, Godspeed and I’ll see you on the other side,” Miller said. While Graham and President Donald Trump had an up-and-down relationship before and after Trump’s first term, Graham was also a close friend to the president and highly influential on domestic and foreign policy. Graham consistently urged the U.S. to assume a leadership role in the international community, arguing the world was safer and more stable with American engagement. “Lindsey was the most effective, consistent advocate for the president’s agenda in the Senate,” Miller said. “That is a historical legacy that will always belong to him.” Miller added a few other details about their relationship, expressing gratitude for Graham’s readiness to work with the administration. FROM ‘DISGRACE’ TO ‘FAMILY’: TRUMP’S REMARKABLE JOURNEY WITH LINDSEY GRAHAM “Lindsay was just so fundamentally good to us, to all of us. Every time we needed everything and anything at all, we called Lindsay. Without question, without hesitation, he would help out. I think it’s important for people to see the fullness of the picture of Lindsey Graham, why people liked him as much as they did, because he was so generous in heart and in spirit,” Miller said. I still honestly almost haven’t with the process that he’s gone, because it was so complete and sudden. Lindsey Graham’s office released a preliminary cause of death on Sunday evening that found the longtime lawmaker had died from “aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.” Aortic dissection is when a tear occurs in the inner wall of the aorta, the body’s main artery, and is a life-threatening medical emergency. On Monday, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster appointed Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, to serve out the remainder of his term with Trump’s blessing. It’s unclear if Darline would consider running for a full six-year term. LINDSEY GRAHAM’S SISTER APPOINTED TO SENATE AS GOP RUSHES TO PROTECT FRAGILE MAJORITY Reps. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., and Ralph Norman, R-S.C., are both rumored to be eyeing the seat and possible bids for the GOP nomination in the forthcoming special election. According to South Carolina State law, Republicans will have to hold a primary election on Aug. 11.
‘The halls of the Senate already feel empty’: Tearful Thune honors Lindsey Graham as sister takes his seat
In the Senate, there’s a black veil covering a desk. On top there’s a bowl of striking white roses. That’s where Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., used to sit. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., pointed to that desk during an emotional tribute to the late Senator on Monday. Graham was a confidant, trusted advisor and friend to Thune. And through tears, he set about remembering the lawmaker who spent 30 years in Washington, D.C., making a mark on his state and country. “It’s difficult to believe that Lindsey Graham is no longer here with us,” Thune said. “That we won’t run into him at a meeting today or share a joke with him at this afternoon’s vote. The halls of the Senate already feel empty without him. And I know I’m not alone in that feeling.” GRAHAM’S DEATH IGNITES GOP SCRAMBLE FOR SENATE SEAT AS TRUMP HINTS HE ALREADY HAS A FAVORITE As Thune spoke about Graham, the late lawmaker’s staff sat in the Senate chamber as tears filled the room. And since Thune became the leader of the Senate GOP, you would oftentime see Graham enter his office just off the Senate floor. He was there to talk down Republican rebels who threatened to sink President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” and once earlier this year stormed into Thune’s office declaring his resistance to a deal struck by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and the president to avert a government shutdown. But he was there, and Thune noted that “Lindsey was fearless in his commitment to the causes that he espoused.” SENATE RETURNS TO PACKED AGENDA AFTER GRAHAM’S DEATH SHRINKS GOP MARGIN “It didn’t matter to him whether he would catch flak on an issue,” Thune said. “He was undaunted by the politics if he believed he was right on the principle.” “Senator. Warrior. Patriot. Statesman,” Thune continued. “Words that will be written about Lindsey. But for me, most of all, Mr. President, he was my friend.” Shortly after Thune’s tribute to Graham, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster officially tapped his sister, Darline Graham Nordone, to fill his seat for the remainder of his term. It’s a move that Thune, Trump and Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C. backed. LINDSEY GRAHAM’S SISTER APPOINTED TO SENATE AS GOP RUSHES TO PROTECT FRAGILE MAJORITY “I think this is what Lindsey would have wanted, and I plan to honor him in this way,” Nordone said at the ceremony. “Now to Lindsey, I miss you more than I can even put into words. But I’m going to do this, I got it.” Back in the Senate, Thune remembers Graham as a “staunch conservative and a fierce advocate for South Carolina,” but as a lawmaker who was willing to cross the aisle to find a solution. Through it all, Thune said that he would miss Graham’s friendship and humor. “I am comforted by the knowledge that in the end, he has just changed his address. And that one day, Mr. President,” Thune said through tears. “We will laugh together again.”
Mamdani breaks silence on ‘perverted’ ally who helped sell Platner before scandal-plagued collapse
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that he will continue to work with Morris Katz, one of the leading political consultants behind Graham Platner’s doomed bid for Senate. “I will continue to work with Morris Katz, he remains a top advisor of mine,” Mamdani said at a news conference on Monday. Many of Katz’s fellow Democrats lambasted him after Platner withdrew from the race following a rape accusation – which Platner denied – from an ex-girlfriend, arguing that Katz failed to do his due diligence before promoting Platner to party leaders. Some in the party are now calling for him to be blacklisted from future political operations. Katz and his consulting partner, Daniel Moraff, ignored multiple requests from their own vetting team to dig deeper into Platner’s past over concerns of possible scandals, a source familiar with the early stages of the Platner campaign previously told Fox News Digital. The duo paid just over $6,000 for a three-day vetting job, something that usually takes weeks and costs tens of thousands of dollars. PLATNER’S THREE-DAY VETTING JOB COMES BACK TO HAUNT DEMS AS RAPE ALLEGATION ROCKS SENATE BID In addition to a rape accusation, Platner also attracted scrutiny over a trove of controversial deleted Reddit posts, a Nazi-linked tattoo he acquired while serving in the military and his alleged mistreatment of women. The reporter asking Mamdani about Katz cited a letter circulated by the Democratic Socialists of America urging their political allies not to work with him. KINGMAKER MAMDANI CALLS ON PLATNER TO ‘DROP OUT OF THE RACE’ AFTER RAPE ALLEGATION “Morris Katz is one of the chief parties responsible for the catastrophic campaign of scandal-ridden Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner,” the letter reads. “Billed as a top adviser to the campaign, Katz helped recruit Platner and supercharged his candidacy with slick video production, friendly media placements and political connections.” Democratic sources claim that Katz pitched Platner as a potential successor to an elderly Sen. Bernie Sanders and a potential presidential contender — a characterization he now denies. After Platner announced his intention to suspend his candidacy, Katz wrote on X that “as soon as the team became aware of the rape allegations against Graham Platner we advised he suspend his candidacy, and in the following days worked to wind down the campaign” and that he was “deeply disappointed.” PLATNER AIDE HIT WITH BRUTAL TIMELINE CHECK AFTER CAMPAIGN DENIED RAPE CLAIM, THEN FOLDED DAYS LATER A community note attached to his post points out that Platner’s campaign initially denied the rape allegation. Katz also threatened former Platner staffer Genevieve McDonald in an attempt to dissuade her from cooperating with reporters seeking to cover Platner’s alleged emotional abuse of women. “Just want to be clear on where we are right now,” Katz wrote in the message obtained by the Bangor Daily News. “If the story goes in its current iteration we’ll communicate directly on the record, and by name, that Genevieve violated the personal trust of Amy and Graham and shared explicit falsehoods to sabotage the campaign.” Katz also faced criticism earlier this year over a puberty book he previously authored. The political consultant authored a book in 2020 that bills itself as a “puberty book” for “curious boys” aged 10 to 12. Sections of the book include “Your New Penis” and “The Magic of Masturbation.” In a footnote on page 15 of the text, Katz wrote that he planned to “use images of my penis” to show children how genitalia develop during puberty, but that publishers shot the idea down for being “inappropriate.” Conservative critics swiftly condemned him over the remark, with Katz later saying the comment was joke. “Only a perverted freak would say that,” wildly popular conservative X account “Libs of TikTok,” which is operated by Chaya Raichik, posted to X in March. “Morris Katz’s musings about exposing himself to ten-year-olds are absolutely disgusting,” the National Republican Senatorial Committee said of Katz back in March as news of the footnote spread. Mamdani’s office did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Monday.
Lindsey Graham’s sister appointed to Senate as GOP rushes to protect fragile majority
Darline Graham Nordone, the sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., was appointed to fill her brother’s Senate seat after a push from President Donald Trump. “It’s my honor to ask his little sister, Darlene Graham, to finish his work for him now,” South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said at a ceremony on Monday afternoon. McMaster, a close Trump ally, appointed Nordone nearly 48 hours after her brother and longtime lawmaker suddenly died from an aortic dissection. McMaster’s pick comes after Trump pushed for Graham’s “wonderful sister” Nordone to get the job. “This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly,” Trump wrote in a post to Truth Social on Monday morning. HEART CONDITION TIED TO LINDSEY GRAHAM’S DEATH CAN STRIKE WITHOUT WARNING — WHAT TO KNOW Others were also initially considered, including Lt. Gov. Pam Evette, who Trump endorsed in her failed bid to clinch the GOP nomination for governor, former Rep. Trey Gowdy and former Sen. Jim DeMint, sources told Fox News Digital. Her appointment fills the seat through Jan. 3, while voters decide in November who will hold the seat for the next six-year term. At this point, it’s unclear if Nordone, 62, would consider running for a full six-year term, and there’s already private jockeying to run in the special election, set for Aug. 11, to secure the GOP nomination in the Palmetto State, with Reps. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., and Ralph Norman, R-S.C., both eyeing a bid. Graham’s death narrowed Republicans’ Senate majority and added pressure to keep every GOP vote available, especially with Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., still being treated after a fall and pneumonia. Nordone, who has largely kept out of the public eye, is married to Larry Nordone and has two daughters. She has worked with the South Carolina Commission for the Blind (SCCB) as commissioner, according to the organization’s 2026-27 budget. The SCCB provides services aimed at helping blind and low-vision South Carolina residents gain employment, independence and self-sufficiency. In the past, she has described a personal closeness with Lindsey Graham, having been raised by him after the death of their mother when she was just 11. “I have always looked up to Lindsey. He’s just always been there for me as long as I can remember. If I fell down and scraped my knee, Lindsey was the one I ran to,” she recounted in a 2014 campaign ad. Nordone has not previously held elected office. She will become South Carolina’s first female senator. GRAHAM’S DEATH IGNITES GOP SCRAMBLE FOR SENATE SEAT AS TRUMP HINTS HE ALREADY HAS A FAVORITE Following Trump’s endorsement, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), also put his support behind Nordone on Monday morning ahead of the announcement. “Lindsey Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, would be a fantastic pick to serve out the remainder of the Senate term,” Scott wrote in a post to X. “After speaking with Darline, there is no one better who understands Lindsey’s love for family, our state and our country.” McMaster also described speaking with Darline ahead of her appointment as well as with Trump. “After we spoke on the phone in the wee hours of Sunday morning and you agreed to serve through tears, I had wondered what you would say and I was humbled by your quickness to see the duty that you had to serve. And I called the president afterwards, and he thought it was a great idea,” McMaster said. GRAHAM REPORTEDLY REFUSED MEDICAL HELP BEFORE SCHEDULED TV APPEARANCE Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., also voiced his support for Nordone. He told CNN Monday afternoon that he had already spoken with both Nordone and McMaster the day before, and believed that tapping the longtime lawmaker’s sister to fill his spot, “in my view, makes a lot of sense.” “I think, in many respects, it would be a way of extending Lindsey’s legacy here, and certainly something that, if that’s what they decide to end up doing, I think there’d be a lot of support for,” Thune said. The filing period for a special primary election begins on July 21, with the special election to follow on Aug. 11. A runoff, if needed, would be held Aug. 25, leaving the candidate just two months to campaign before the Nov. 3 general election.