Wave of court orders blocking Trump’s agenda are a ‘judicial coup d’etat,’ Gingrich says
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich condemned the wave of federal judges blocking President Donald Trump’s agenda as a “judicial coup d’etat” on Tuesday. Gingrich made the comments while testifying at a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing focused on “judicial overreach” by U.S. district court judges across the country. The former lawmaker highlighted that the vast majority of judges filing injunctions or restraining orders against Trump’s executive actions have been appointed by Democrats. “Mr. Gingrich, I’m told that 92% of the judges who have issued blanket injunctions against the administration have been appointed by Democrats. That at least suggests a partisan tilt to all of this… doesn’t that undermine public confidence in our courts?” Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., asked at the hearing. “If you look at the recent reports from various polling firms, clearly a majority of Americans believe that no single district judge should be able to issue a nationwide injunction,” Gingrich responded. “Look, my judgment is as a historian. This is clearly a judicial coup d’etat. You don’t have this many different judges issue this many different nationwide injunctions – all of them coming from the same ideological and political background – and just assume it’s all random efforts of justice,” he continued. WHO IS JAMES BOASBERG, THE US JUDGE AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP’S DEPORTATION EFFORTS? “This is a clear effort to stop the scale of change that President Trump represents,” he added. ‘WOEFULLY INSUFFICIENT’: US JUDGE REAMS TRUMP ADMIN FOR DAYS-LATE DEPORTATION INFO Gingrich went on to argue that it is unacceptable for “random” judges to micromanage the president of the United States. “They put both Americans and the nation at risk when they intervene to become basically alternative presidents. You now have potentially 677 alternative presidents, none of whom won an election,” he said. The best solution for the wave of injunctions is for Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to intervene, Gingrich said. Roberts could ensure that any such rulings from lower federal courts could move straight up to the Supreme Court. At the center of the court controversy is District Judge James Boasberg, who attempted to block the Trump administration from deporting members of the Tren de Aragua gang to El Salvador. Other judges have placed injunctions on Trump’s efforts to trim down the federal government. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., met privately with Republican judiciary committee members last week for what sources called a “brainstorming” session on how to respond to judges like Boasberg. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Ideas raised by lawmakers included a fast-tracked appeals process, wielding Congress’ spending power over the judiciary, and limiting the ability to “judge shop.” And some conservatives are eager to target specific judges they believe are abusing their power via the impeachment process, but House Republican leaders are wary of that route and believe it to be less effective than other legislative avenues. Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
Musk says Social Security scammer who allegedly ripped off 400K Americans faces imminent arrest
Elon Musk said that an alleged scammer who reportedly ripped off 400,000 Americans by selling their Social Security numbers is facing imminent arrest. “I believe someone is going to be arrested tomorrow, because there’s someone who actually stole 400,000 Social Security numbers and personal information from the Social Security database,” Musk said during a tele-town hall with Wisconsin voters Monday evening. Wisconsin is holding a high-stakes state Supreme Court election Tuesday that will determine if the state’s highest court will hold a liberal or conservative majority by filing a retiring justice’s seat. The person was “selling Social Security numbers and all the identification information in order for people to basically steal money from Social Security,” he continued. Musk was responding to a phone call from a Wisconsin voter who asked if Attorney General Pam Bondi had plans to investigate and prosecute fraud surrounding Social Security. Musk is helping lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is working to uncover government overspending and fraud, and reported in March that “there’s a massive amount of fraud” related to alleged scammers submitting phony Social Security numbers in an attempt to receive federal benefits. MUSK SHARES ‘MIND BLOWING’ CHART SHOWING MILLIONS OF ‘NONCITIZENS’ GIVEN SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS UNDER BIDEN Musk did not provide any additional details on the alleged scammer during the call. Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Justice inquiring about any investigations into Social Security fraud claims and if the department was preparing to make arrests, but did not immediately receive a reply. Musk continued in the phone conversation Monday that potential fraud related to Social Security leaves the system vulnerable to illegal immigrants fraudulently obtaining identification numbers. EXPERT TURNS TABLES ON DEM CRITICS AFTER MUSK ACCUSES SOCIAL SECURITY OF BEING ‘PONZI SCHEME’ “A particular avenue of fraud for like illegal immigrants and for voter fraud, because the main way that identification is established in the United States is via Social Security,” he said. “So, if you compromise a Social Security system, you can basically get people to get de facto registered to vote, even if they’re not citizens, and to get a bunch of benefits.” Musk and members of his DOGE team joined Fox News at the end of March to discuss their operation and what they have uncovered since they began investigating federal agencies in the search of fraud and mismanagement. Musk identified Social Security as reportedly chronically vulnerable to fraud. ELON MUSK IS CORRECT THAT SOCIAL SECURITY OPERATES LIKE A ‘PONZI SCHEME’: EXPERT “They steal people’s Social Security, is what happens,” Musk said in a Thursday exclusive interview on Fox News’ “Special Report with Bret Baier.” “They call in, they claim to be a retiree, and they convince the Social Security person on the phone to change where the money is flowing. It actually goes to some fraudster. This is happening all day, every day. And then somebody doesn’t receive their Social Security, it’s because of all the fraud loopholes in the Social Security system.” DOGE engineer Aram Moghaddassi added in the interview, “At Social Security, one of the first things that we learned is that they get phone calls every day of people trying to change direct deposit information.” “So when you want to change your bank account, you can call Social Security. We learned 40% of the calls that they get are from fraudsters.” Amid DOGE’s investigation into the Social Security Administration, President Donald Trump has vowed not to cut Medicare or Social Security benefits for Americans.
Trump’s transgender military ban dealt legal blow after appeals court ruling
A U.S. appeals court on Monday rejected the Trump administration’s request to pause a lower court ruling that temporarily blocked its ban on transgender military service members – a near-term blow as the administration signals it may take the case to the Supreme Court. The three-judge panel on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals denied the administration’s request for an administrative stay, which would have allowed it to enforce the ban while a lower court weighs the case. Instead, the appellate court decision leaves in place, for now, a preliminary injunction handed down late last month by U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settle. That decision blocked the Trump administration from identifying and removing transgender service members for the near-term while the case proceeds in lower court. “The Department of Justice has vigorously defended President Trump’s executive actions, including the Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness Executive Order, and will continue to do so,” a spokesperson for the Justice Department told Fox News Digital. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ASKS SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW EL SALVADOR DEPORTATION FLIGHT CASE The Trump administration filed its appeal to the 9th Circuit last week, seeking to overturn Judge Settle’s preliminary injunction. In court filings, the government argued that the transgender military policy “furthers the government’s important interests in military readiness, unit cohesion, good order and discipline, and avoiding disproportionate costs.” However, the policy has already faced a wave of early legal challenges. Settle, who is based in Tacoma, Washington, is not the only federal judge to block the Trump administration’s transgender military ban this year. Last month, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes also temporarily blocked Trump’s ban, citing what she described as a lack of evidence to support the administration’s stated rationale for the policy. Reyes vehemently contested the government’s assertion that being transgender is “not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.” JUDGES V TRUMP: HERE ARE THE KEY COURT BATTLES HALTING THE WHITE HOUSE AGENDA Reyes noted in a scathing, 79-page ruling that transgender service members have provided a combined total of “over 130 years of military service,” have been deployed around the globe, including currently in an active combat zone, and together have earned more than 80 commendations and medals for their service. The three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit broke with Reyes’s order, however – agreeing to grant the Trump administration an administrative stay. Still, the judges stressed that the stay “should not be construed in any way as a ruling on the merits” of the case. The panel also said they reserve the right to reconsider the administrative stay if the military is found to have taken adverse action against passenger service members. President Donald Trump ordered the ban in question shortly after taking office in a January executive order. The order states that the “adoption of a gender identity inconsistent with an individual’s sex conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one’s personal life” – which plaintiffs have vigorously contested. The case is one of many that will likely be kicked up to the Supreme Court.
Trump pick for Joint Chiefs chair tells Senate ‘element of surprise’ should be guarded amid Signal chat leak
Lt. Gen. Daniel “Razin” Caine, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the U.S. top military officer, side-stepped questions from Senate Democrats about his view on the recent Signal leak controversy roiling the Trump administration, but he did say the “element of surprise” should be safeguarded as a result of the incident. Democrats, including Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, repeatedly asked Caine about how he would respond to hypothetical scenarios regarding the leak, during a Thursday confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Caine, careful with his responses, repeatedly stressed the importance of “preserv[ing] the element of surprise,” adding that he has “always” communicated sensitive information using the proper channels. Blumenthal charged that the “element of surprise was very likely lost” as a result of the leak. TRUMP’S PICK FOR JOINT CHIEFS CHAIR DANIEL ‘RAZIN’ CAINE SET FOR SENATE GRILLING While the Trump administration and its supporters have denied that anything discussed in the Signal chat amounted to war plans, critics have disagreed, citing the fact the chats included a detailed timeline about a U.S. attack on Houthi rebels in Yemen. “Because of your extraordinary service, general, I can’t imagine anyone better qualified to answer this question,” Blumenthal said to Caine. “Knowing what you do, about the substance of that conversation, how would you feel?” “Well, Senator, I stand by what I said before. I think we all can agree that we need to always protect the element of surprise,” Caine said. “And that element of surprise was very likely lost, if there had been any intercept by one of our enemies or adversaries that could be conveyed to the Houthis. Correct?” Blumenthal asked. “That’s a little bit of a hypothetical question, but, I am thankful, as always, that we we protect our servicemen and women who are going into combat operation,” Caine replied. TRUMP NOMINATES AIR FORCE LT. GEN. DAN ‘RAZIN’ CAINE FOR JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF CHAIRMAN Hirono questioned Caine with a similar hypothetical but went a step further and asked if he would “just let this matter drop,” as she claimed the Trump administration is doing. “It’s really not a hypothetical. It is what is confronting this administration,” Hirono said. “Given the fact that the chairman and ranking member have asked for an investigation, I don’t want to comment on the particulars,” Caine relented as Hirono hounded for an answer. “I do want to stay at the strategic altitude and say that we should always preserve the element of surprise.” Reed proceeded to ask Ciane if he “were on that conversation” would he have “objected to the fact that it was being conducted on Signal?” “Well, Senator, you know, I was not in that chat,” Caine responded. “I know that that’s why I asked if you were,” Reed said. Caine asserted that he has “always communicated proper information in the proper channels.” Caine was tapped by Trump to replace Biden-appointed Gen. Charles Q. “C.Q.” Brown Jr. after he was fired in February. VANCE VISITS CAPITOL HILL TO URGE SENATORS TO CONFIRM ELBRIDGE COLBY FOR PENTAGON NO. 3 POST The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is a group of senior military officials who advise the president, the Secretary of Defense and the National Security Council on military matters. The JCS consists of the highest-ranking officers from the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and National Guard, with the chairman serving as the highest principal military advisor. The chairman is typically required to have served as a four-star general in charge of a military service branch or as a combatant commander, qualifications Caine does not possess. However, the president has the authority to waive these requirements if deemed necessary for national interests. Caine’s extensive Air Force military background includes serving as a decorated F-16 combat pilot and playing critical roles in special intelligence operations. Given the slim Republican majority, his full Senate confirmation would require near-unanimous support from Republican senators.
Massachusetts judge charges ICE agent with contempt of court
A Massachusetts judge on Monday found a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in contempt of court for detaining a Dominican man in the middle of his trial last week. Boston Municipal Court Judge Mark Summerville accused ICE Agent Brian Sullivan of violating the rights of the defendant, William Martell-Lebron. Sullivan did not appear in court for the hearing. “This is a disturbing case,” Summerville said. “It’s a case of obstruction of justice. It’s a case of violating the defendant’s right to be present at trial and confront witnesses against him. Couldn’t be more serious.” Martell-Lebron was taken into custody last week following the second day of his trial on charges that he provided false information in a driver’s license application. Summerville dismissed the charges against Martell-Lebron. MAN POSTS VIDEO URGING PEOPLE TO ‘SHOOT AT ICE AGENTS ON SIGHT’ Summerville also criticized assistant district attorneys from the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office and ordered them to investigate Sullivan. COLLEGES IN ICE’S DEPORTATION CROSSHAIRS SHELLED OUT DISCOUNTS, FINANCIAL AID TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS: GOP REP The assistant district attorney told the court he was aware ICE agents were stationed outside the courthouse but was not aware why and denied working with or providing information to federal agents. Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden was expected to hold a news conference later Tuesday.
SCOOP: Judge Boasberg impeachment push gains support despite House GOP leaders’ resistance
FIRST ON FOX: A resolution to impeach U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg is still gaining support despite House GOP leaders’ hesitation to move on such a measure. Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, introduced an article of impeachment against Boasberg last month after he issued an emergency order temporarily halting the Trump administration’s deportation flights under the Alien Enemies Act. Reps. Josh Brecheen, R-Okla., Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., and Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., signed onto the bill as co-sponsors last week, Fox News Digital was told, despite House GOP leaders signaling around the same time that they have little appetite to pursue that route. The resolution now has 22 total co-sponsors – suggesting the effort is still alive and well among conservatives in the House Republican conference. WHO IS JAMES BOASBERG, THE US JUDGE AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP’S DEPORTATION EFFORTS? President Donald Trump is using the Alien Enemies Act to deport suspected Tren De Aragua gang members to a detention facility in El Salvador. Boasberg’s standoff with the Trump administration, which includes accusations the White House ignored his initial order that the administration has denied, has sent shock waves through Capitol Hill. Republicans see it as one of the most egregious examples of “rogue judges” blocking Trump’s agenda. Trump himself singled out Boasberg and called for his impeachment over the legal showdown. ‘WOEFULLY INSUFFICIENT’: US JUDGE REAMS TRUMP ADMIN FOR DAYS-LATE DEPORTATION INFO More than a dozen injunctions have been levied against various Trump policies, with targets ranging from birthright citizenship reform to the Department of Government Efficiency. However, House GOP leaders are hesitant to support impeachment as a method to target Boasberg and other judges – believing it to be a less effective route to accountability. Several rank-and-file Republican lawmakers suggested to Fox News Digital last month that they would not support such a move, giving it long odds of success in the House. Gill’s resolution accused Boasberg of abusing his power. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP He could still force a House-wide vote on the measure by reintroducing it as a “privileged resolution,” giving leaders two legislative days to hold at least one procedural vote. As of last week, however, Gill told Fox News Digital he had no plans to do so. It comes as House Republicans coalesce around legislation by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., to limit district judges’ ability to issue nationwide injunctions. That bill is expected to get a vote on Wednesday afternoon.
EXCLUSIVE: GOP firebrand dares Dems to condemn attacks on Elon Musk’s Tesla
EXCLUSIVE: Amid an ongoing spate of violent attacks, threats and vandalism against Tesla owners and dealerships and widespread “Tesla Takedown” protests across the country, the GOP is challenging Democrats to condemn the attacks as domestic terrorism. Republican firebrand Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., is introducing a resolution in the House of Representatives on Tuesday. The measure slams unnamed members of the Democratic Party, who it says, “have made calls for their supporters to incite and engage in domestic terrorism by attacking Tesla vehicles and facilities to protest Elon Musk,” and it condemns the wave of “domestic terrorism attacks” targeting Tesla cars and dealerships. “The definition of terrorism is the unlawful use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims. That is exactly what has been going on across the country at Tesla dealerships, and it is what innocent Americans who chose Tesla as their preferred vehicle are facing in the wake of violence from Radical Left-Wing domestic terrorists who hate President Donald Trump and Elon Musk,” Boebert told Fox News Digital. OVER 200 ‘TESLA TAKEDOWN’ PROTESTS ERUPT NATIONWIDE The resolution cites “at least” 80 incidents of arson or vandalism against Tesla vehicles and 10 incidents of vandalism against Tesla dealerships, charging stations and facilities throughout the U.S. and Canada. Incidents include individuals setting fire to cars and equipment by throwing Molotov cocktails, shooting up buildings and vehicles, and marking private property with words like “Nazi” and “Long Live Ukraine.” Among the incidents cited by the resolution is the March 18, attack in Las Vegas, in which a person dressed in black shot at Tesla cars at a Tesla collision center, ignited several of them with Molotov cocktails, and spray-painted the word “Resist” on the front doors of the shop. A suspect, Paul Hyon Kim, 36, has been arrested by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department in connection with the incident. Kim has been charged with multiple crimes ranging from destruction of property, arson and possessing a fire device, according to jail records. TIM WALZ SAYS HE WAS JOKING WHEN HE MOCKED TESLA’S FALLING STOCK: ‘THESE PEOPLE HAVE NO SENSE OF HUMOR’ The resolution also mentions the Mach 6 attack near Portland, Oregon, when at least seven gunshots were fired into a Tesla showroom in the middle of the night, shattering windows, damaging three cars and destroying equipment. Despite these incidents, few Democrats have unequivocally denounced the violence, even as the FBI has launched a task force to crack down on Tesla crime, the Justice Department announced charges against arson suspects and Attorney General Pam Bondi labeled the attacks “domestic terrorism” – an issue Democrats have railed against for years. Many Democrats have actually doubled down on their inflammatory rhetoric against DOGE-chief Musk, labeling him a “threat to democracy” and a “Nazi.” THE LOUDEST SILENCE: TOP DEMOCRATS REMAIN MUM AMID VIOLENT ATTACKS ON TESLA The measure condemning the spate of domestic terrorism against Tesla owners and dealers currently has the support of eight staunchly conservative co-sponsors, Reps. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., Byron Donalds, R-Fla., Brandon Gill, R-Texas, Nancy Mace, R-S.C., Barry Moore, R-Ala., Troy Nehls, R-Texas, Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., and Greg Steube, R-Fla. “The American people deserve to know where their representatives stand when it comes to condemning domestic terrorism,” said Boebert. “My House resolution will make clear where all members of Congress stand: Do they condemn domestic terrorism against Tesla, or do they endorse it completely?”
Trump allies scrutinize Judge Boasberg’s DC connections as high-stakes legal battles escalate
Federal Judge James Boasberg is facing mounting criticism from President Donald Trump and his allies as he presides over multiple high-profile lawsuits targeting the Trump administration – cases that have now brought the judge’s personal and professional ties under fresh scrutiny. Boasberg, who was previously appointed to the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and reportedly once roomed with Justice Brett Kavanaugh at Yale, has become a flashpoint for conservatives who accuse the judiciary of bias against the Trump administration. Now the chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Boasberg’s recent orders halting deportations of violent illegal immigrants and overseeing cases tied to leaked internal communications have amplified claims of partisanship and drawn fierce rebukes from Trump and his allies. “The Chief Justice handpicked DC Obama Judge Jeb Boasberg to serve on the FISA court,” said Mike Davis, president of the Article III Project. “The DC federal judges are in a cozy little club, and they protect their own.” His comments echo a broader sentiment on the right that Boasberg’s judicial decisions – and his close ties within the legal establishment – reflect a partisan tilt against the president. Boasberg, a Washington, D.C., native, earned an advanced degree in Modern European History from Oxford University in 1986 and later attended Yale Law School, where he lived with Kavanaugh, according to multiple reports. TRUMP UNLOADS ON JUDGE BOASBERG, ‘RADICAL LEFT JUDGES’ FOR HALTING DEPORTATIONS OF VIOLENT ILLEGAL ALIENS He graduated in 1990 and clerked for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals before joining Keker & Van Nest in San Francisco as a litigation associate from 1991 to 1994. He later worked at Kellogg, Huber, Hansen, Todd & Evans in Washington from 1995 to 1996. After serving in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, Boasberg was appointed in 2002 by then-President George W. Bush to serve as an associate judge on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, the local trial court for the District. In 2011, then-President Barack Obama nominated him to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, where he was confirmed by the Senate and received his commission on March 17, 2011. Boasberg was appointed to serve a seven-year term on the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, or FISA Court, by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. The FISA Court is made up of 11 federal judges, all of whom are hand-selected by the chief justice. After undergoing rigorous background checks, FISA Court judges are then responsible for approving surveillance requests and wiretap warrants submitted by federal prosecutors, law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Most of the court’s work remains classified. Boasberg served as the court’s presiding judge from 2020 to 2021 before returning to the D.C. District Court. After Boasberg on March 15 ordered the Trump administration to halt its deportations of illegal immigrants under a 1798 wartime authority, Trump took to Truth Social to call for his impeachment. The president’s remarks echoed a growing chorus of conservatives who have recently called for the impeachment of federal judges overseeing his administration’s legal battles. JUDGE IN CROSSHAIRS OF TRUMP DEPORTATION CASE ORDERS PRESERVATION OF SIGNAL MESSAGES “I’m just doing what the VOTERS wanted me to do. This judge, like many of the Crooked Judges’ I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED!!! WE DON’T WANT VICIOUS, VIOLENT, AND DEMENTED CRIMINALS, MANY OF THEM DERANGED MURDERERS, IN OUR COUNTRY. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!” Trump wrote in the post. In an unprecedented move by the nation’s high court, Roberts released a public statement shortly thereafter, denouncing impeachment as an appropriate response to judicial disagreements. “For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose,” he said in the statement released in mid-March. Trump once again unloaded on Boasberg in a March 30 Truth Social post after the judge extended his restraining order on March 28. The extension will run through April 12. “People are shocked by what is going on with the Court System. I was elected for many reasons, but a principal one was LAW AND ORDER, a big part of which is QUICKLY removing a vast Criminal Network of individuals, who came into our Country through the Crooked Joe Biden Open Borders Policy! These are dangerous and violent people, who kill, maim and, in many other ways, harm the people of our Country,” Trump wrote on the social media platform. WHO IS JAMES BOASBERG, THE US JUDGE AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP’S DEPORTATION EFFORTS? “The Voters want them OUT, and said so in Record Numbers. If it was up to District Judge Boasberg and other Radical Left Judges, nobody would be removed, the President wouldn’t be allowed to do his job, and people’s lives would be devastated all throughout our Country. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!,” he continued. Boasberg came under additional fire after he was randomly assigned to preside over a lawsuit involving the Trump administration’s leaked Signal chat. After Boasberg was assigned to the case, Trump again took to Truth Social and accused Boasberg of “grabbing the ‘Trump Cases’ all to himself.” Davis also took to social media, writing, “Judge Jeb Boasberg is lighting on fire his legitimacy over an unnecessary, lawless, and dangerous pissing match with the President Jeb will lose. “Let’s hope the Chief Justice doesn’t light the entire federal judiciary’s legitimacy on fire by siding with his personal buddy Jeb,” Davis wrote. At the start of the March 27 hearing, Boasberg emphasized that he was randomly assigned to the case through a docket computer system. “That’s how it works, and that’s how all cases continue to be assigned in this court,” Boasberg said during the hearing. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House, the Supreme Court, and the D.C. District Court for additional comment. Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch, Emma Colton and Alex Nitzberg
Second COVID nursing home death’s case against Cuomo tossed
A federal judge has dismissed a class-action lawsuit accusing former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his administration of being responsible for the deaths of their loved ones in nursing homes during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. U.S. District Court Judge Katherine Polk Failla wrote on Monday that although what happened was heartbreaking, the families’ legal arguments didn’t meet the standard for suing in federal court. Cuomo, who was governor at the time, issued a March 2020 directive that initially barred nursing homes from refusing to accept patients who had tested positive for COVID-19. The directive was aimed at freeing up beds for overwhelmed hospitals. NYC MAYOR SAYS CUOMO SHOULD ‘ANSWER’ COVID NURSING HOME ALLEGATIONS More than 9,000 recovering coronavirus patients were released from hospitals into nursing homes under the directive, which was later rescinded amid speculation that it had accelerated outbreaks. The eight plaintiffs in the case argued that their loved ones contracted COVID-19 in nursing homes and died as a result of the directive. They accused Cuomo and his administration of being civilly liable for their deaths as well as being liable for failing to accurately report the number of nursing home deaths in New York state that resulted from the virus. Failla, an Obama appointee, said the government wasn’t directly responsible for the deaths, even if its policies had tragic consequences. “The Court’s sympathy for Plaintiffs and their loved ones simply cannot supplant governing law,” Failla wrote. She wrote that the plaintiffs’ arguments did not meet the high bar of “shocking the public conscience” which is needed for this type of lawsuit and that officials acted during a fast-moving crisis. The family members accused the defendants of violating the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment. They also brought state law claims including wrongful death and gross negligence under New York law. Failla dismissed most of the claims on jurisdictional grounds and without prejudice. “The Court does not question the sincerity or depth of Plaintiffs’ loss,” she wrote. “But the law, as it currently stands, does not permit recovery against the Defendants for the harms alleged.” She also emphasized that the case was dismissed based on legal standards, not a denial that harm occurred. FORMER GOV. ANDREW CUOMO LAUNCHES NYC MAYORAL BID Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi welcomed the ruling and noted it was the second such case to be tossed on similar grounds. “Anytime this issue gets taken out of the press or the political arena and into the courts, the truth wins,” Azzopardi said. Azzopardi said the case follows three separate probes by the Justice Department as well as the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. “Once again, justice has prevailed.” Cuomo, who is currently running for New York City Mayor, has previously said that the directive was based on Center for Diseases and Prevention (CDC) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) guidance at the time. A report released in March 2022 by the New York state comptroller found Cuomo’s Health Department “was not transparent in its reporting of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes” and it “understated the number of deaths at nursing homes by as much as 50%” during some points of the pandemic. The former governor was grilled by Republican lawmakers last year about following which House Republicans subsequently recommended the Justice Department pursue criminal charges against him. They accused him of intentionally lying to Congress during the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into the excessive number of nursing home fatalities. A state report later commissioned by Cuomo’s successor, Gov. Kathy Hochul, found that while the policies on how nursing homes should handle COVID-19 were “rushed and uncoordinated,” they were based on the best understanding of the science at the time. Cuomo ultimately resigned from office in August 2021 following sexual harassment allegations, which he denies. Fox News’ Greg Norman Bradford Betz, Maria Paronich and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump commutes prison sentence of Hunter Biden’s ‘fall guy’ Jason Galanis
President Donald Trump commuted the sentence of Jason Galanis, a convicted ex-business associate of Hunter Biden, whom Trump officials described as the “fall guy” for the former first son’s business dealings. Galanis was sentenced in 2017 to 189 months, or 14 years, in prison, after pleading guilty to securities fraud based on bonds issued by a company affiliated with a Native American tribe in South Dakota. The funds were reportedly supposed to be used for certain projects, but were instead used for his personal finances. HUNTER BIDEN: A LOOK AT HOW THE SAGA SPANNING OVER SIX YEARS UNFOLDED A Trump administration official told Fox News Digital that Galanis served eight years and eight months of his sentence and had an “unblemished record while in prison.” The official also said Galanis was sexually assaulted by a security guard while in prison. The Trump official told Fox News Digital that Galanis “basically was the fall guy for Hunter Biden and Devon Archer.” The official noted Galanis was “extremely cooperative” during the 2024 House impeachment inquiry into the Biden family. “After serving eight years and eight months in prison on good behavior, the administration felt it was time for him to regain his liberty and go on into his private life,” the official told Fox News Digital. Congressional investigators interviewed Galanis while he was in prison to gather information on the Biden family’s business dealings and any “access” to then-Vice President Joe Biden. Galanis testified that Joe Biden was considering joining the board of a joint venture created by Hunter Biden and his business associates with ties to the Chinese Communist Party after he left the vice presidency. JOE BIDEN ALLEGEDLY CONSIDERED JOINING BOARD OF CCP-LINKED COMPANY, WITNESS TESTIFIES FROM PRISON Galanis said Joe Biden’s involvement would have brought “political access in the United States and around the world.” Galanis testified that he worked with Archer and Hunter Biden between 2012 and 2015. Their business together, he said, included the acquisition of Burnham & Co, a division of Drexel Burnham Lambert, combined with “other businesses in insurance and wealth management.” Galanis testified the three “owned and acquired with total audited assets of over $17 billion.” “Our objective was to build a diversified private equity platform, which would be anchored by a globally known Wall Street brand together with a globally known political name,” Galanis testified. “Our goal — that is, Hunter Biden, Devon Archer and me — was to make billions, not millions.” Galanis testified that “the entire value-add of Hunter Biden to our business was his family name and his access to his father, Vice President Joe Biden. EXCLUSIVE: BIDEN COMMITTED ‘IMPEACHABLE CONDUCT,’ ‘DEFRAUDED UNITED STATES TO ENRICH HIS FAMILY’: HOUSE GOP REPORT “Because of this access, I agreed to contribute equity ownership to them — Hunter and Devon — for no out-of-pocket cost from them in exchange for their ‘relationship capital,’” he told investigators. Hunter Biden served as vice chairman of the Burnham group “and brought strategic relationships to the venture, including from Kazakhstan, Russia and China.” Meanwhile, Archer was tied to the scheme that put Galanis in prison and was convicted in 2018 for defrauding the Native American tribal entity and various investment advisory clients of tens of millions of dollars in connection with the issuance of bonds by the tribal entity and the subsequent sale of those bonds through fraudulent and deceptive means. The president pardoned Archer in March. TRUMP PARDONS FORMER HUNTER BIDEN BUSINESS ASSOCIATE DEVON ARCHER “Many people have asked me to do this. They think he was treated very unfairly. And I looked at the records, studied the records. And he was a victim of a crime, as far as I’m concerned. So we’re going to undo that. … Congratulations, Devon,” Trump said ahead of signing the pardon. Archer thanked Trump ahead of officially receiving the pardon Tuesday, arguing he was “the victim of a convoluted lawfare effort.” “I want to extend my deepest thanks to President Trump,” Archer said in a comment to the New York Post regarding the pardon. “I am grateful to the president for recognizing that I was the victim of a convoluted lawfare effort intended to destroy and silence me. “Like so many people, my life was devastated by the Biden family’s selfish disregard for the truth and for the peace of mind and happiness of others. The Bidens talk about justice, but they don’t mean it,” he said. “I am grateful that the American people are now well aware of this reality.” Galanis and Archer testified as part of the House impeachment inquiry against Joe Biden. The House of Representatives found, after months of investigating, that Biden had engaged in “impeachable conduct.” In their nearly 300-page report, House lawmakers said he had “abused his office” and “defrauded the United States to enrich his family.” BIDEN PARDONS SON HUNTER BIDEN AHEAD OF EXIT FROM OVAL OFFICE Republicans said there is “overwhelming evidence” that Biden had participated in a “conspiracy to monetize his office of public trust to enrich his family.” They alleged that the Biden family and their business associates had received tens of millions of dollars from foreign interests by “leading those interests to believe that such payments would provide them access to and influence with President Biden.” Before leaving office, President Biden announced a blanket pardon that applied to any offenses against the U.S. that Hunter Biden “has committed or may have committed” from Jan. 1, 2014 to Dec. 1, 2024. “From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,” President Joe Biden said. “There has been an effort to break Hunter — who has been five and a half years sober, even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution. In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me — and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here.