Donald Trump surrenders on charges of trying to overturn the 2020 election
Former President Donald Trump surrendered to Fulton County authorities Thursday on charges he tried to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. Fulton County authorities charged Trump and 18 others, including former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former state Republican Party Chair David Shafer, as part of the effort. The Fulton County indictment of Trump is the fourth against the former president and the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Trump addressed reporters on the tarmac before boarding his aircraft bound for New Jersey. “What has taken place here is a travesty of justice,” Trump said. “We did nothing wrong at all. They’re interfering with an election and there’s never been anything like it in our country before. “And we have every right, every single right to challenge an election that we think is dishonest. So we think it’s very dishonest.” Even before Trump formally surrendered to authorities at the Atlanta facility, the former president’s attorneys and prosecutors agreed to set a $200,000 bond. While Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has said she would like to see the case go to trial within six months, legal experts say that is a tall order. “The idea that this case would go to trial in six months is optimistic, and I think it’s optimistic, even if you put aside that Donald Trump is facing three other indictments,” Jonathan Entin, a professor emeritus of law and adjunct professor of political science at Case Western Reserve University, told The Center Square. Additionally, Shafer, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and former assistant U.S. Attorney General Jeffrey Clark want the case transferred to federal court. “The Georgia indictment reflects the Sergeant Joe Friday mantra of ‘just the facts, ma’am’ and could end up being easier to prove than the latest federal indictment against Trump by avoiding trying to directly blame him for the chaos of Jan. 6,” civil rights attorney V. James DeSimone, of Los Angeles-based V. James DeSimone Law, told The Center Square via email. “The task of prosecuting 19 defendants and proving acts occurring in other states may be a daunting one,” DeSimone added. “But by charging acts in other states, the indictment demonstrates how Trump and the alleged co-conspirators developed a plan to invalidate the popular vote in a sufficient number of states to alter the results of the election. “Despite its breadth and the naming of numerous co-conspirators, Georgia’s indictment is nevertheless focused on the interference with its state elections, the oath of those in office and the established protocol for the election of the electoral voters.” Additionally, Entin said it may be challenging to seat a jury in the case, but it won’t be impossible. “Just because we have one very prominent defendant, the legal system can’t work if we say, ‘well, if you’re a high enough profile person, then you can never be tried, no matter what you do,’” Entin said. “That’s just destructive of the whole idea that we have a rule of law. There’s plenty of room for reasonable minds to differ about whether Donald Trump or any of the other defendants committed any of the crimes with which they’re charged. But that’s separate from saying, ‘Well, you know, some people are too important or too prominent to be subject to the rule of law at all.’” “So, it may take a lot of work to assemble a jury that is capable of deciding the case on the basis of the evidence and put aside whatever views they bring to the table,” Entin added. Earlier Thursday, U.S. House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, sent a letter to Willis demanding all records of communication with the DOJ to determine whether it was “politically motivated.” “Turning first to the question of motivation, it is noteworthy that just four days before this indictment, you launched a new campaign fundraising website that highlighted your investigation into President Trump,” the letter said. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Mike Rogers requests GAO investigation of the U.S. SPACECOM basing process
U.S. Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL03), the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, requested that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigate the basing process for U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM) permanent headquarters. This follows Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s request for an Inspector General investigation on Wednesday. Chairman Rogers has requested that GAO investigate the process between the completion of their previous report in June 2022 and President Biden’s selection of Colorado Springs as the permanent headquarters for USSPACECOM. “National security decisions of this magnitude and significant economic interest require the process to be standardized, repeatable, transparent, and deliberate,” Rogers wrote in the letter. “Based on numerous administration officials talking to the press, the decision by President Biden appears to be anything but. Preferential decision-making by the President because of certain state laws has widely been publicized as a major factor but was never included in the basing requirements.” “Long-term, permanent basing decisions should stand up to scrutiny and not be politically motivated based on social policy preferences or based on advocacy by Administration officials,” Rogers continued. “Instead, such a process should remain analytical and focused on clearly announced criteria and requirements that can be publicly scrutinized. Anything but a transparent process played out in the final decision for USSPACECOM headquarters under this Administration. The public deserves an independent review to understand how this basing process went awry and failed to follow transparent and repeatable steps which would have garnered trust in the final basing decision for USSPACECOM headquarters.” The letter is addressed to Comptroller General Gene Dodaro: “The decision to locate Space Command at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, was made in the waning days of the Trump Administration by the Pentagon, which set criteria for the possible relocation. Two independent reviews confirmed that Redstone Arsenal met those criteria better than any other possible site. Colorado finished fourth behind Nebraska and San Antonio, Texas. Colorado, however, is a swing state that voted for Biden.” “Not only is it outrageous, but also unfortunate for the American people to hear that the Secretary of the Air Force allowed politics to circumvent his, and the Department of Defense’s, own basing selection process that determined Huntsville, Alabama as the preferred location of SPACECOM,” said Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-AL04) in a statement at the time. “Over and over again, the legitimate process proved that Alabama was the right choice for SPACECOM HQ. Unfortunately for this nation, this decision is the latest chapter in the long saga of the Biden Administration’s failing national security record, and I know the majority of the American people feel the same way. As a nation, we must do better. The precedent that has been set today should sound the alarm for the future of strategic, national security decision-making processes and lands a direct hit to the future of state’s rights.” The Alabama delegation has said that this decision is not final, but at this point, it seems unlikely that they will ever have the votes in Congress to overturn the President’s decision. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Republicans hold first presidential debate – minus Donald Trump
The Republican Presidential Debate was held on Wednesday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The debate revealed some major policy differences between the candidates. Over 80 members of the combined Shelby County, St. Clair County, and Greater Birmingham Young Republicans were present at Hoover Tactical Firearms to watch the event and eat barbecue. Former President Donald Trump was conspicuous by his absence. Former Vice President Mike Pence said that Trump asked him to violate his oath to the Constitution by invalidating the Electoral College results on January 6, 2021. Pence said that he will always follow the Constitution. Trump claimed then, and still does, that the election was “stolen.” His efforts to overturn the 2020 election results have resulted in his being indicted. The other candidates said that Pence did the right thing that day. Both former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchison and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said President Trump violated his oath of office and likely cannot run again. Hutchison cited the 14th Amendment, which prevents anyone who has led an insurgency against the United States from serving. Christie said that Trump has been indicted 99 times and that lawlessness cannot be allowed. Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy said that Trump was the greatest president of the twenty-first century. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Republicans should move on from this issue as it only benefits Democrats. U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) said that he was raised in poverty by a single mother and that his success shows that the American dream is alive and well. The candidates all seemed to agree that President Joe Biden’s economic policies have led to inflation, homelessness, and a significant reduction in the quality of life of most Americans. They blamed government spending. They also agreed that Biden is in mental decline. Ramaswamy, who is 38, said that America needs a new generation of leadership to lead a new American Revolution. Pence disagreed, saying that he has been in the halls of power as a member of Congress, Governor of Indiana, and Vice President, making him the most qualified to serve as President. The United States has spent $77 billion in aid for Ukraine, and President Biden has asked for $24 billion more as it appears that Ukraine’s summer offensive has stalled. Ramaswamy objected to giving any money to Ukraine, saying he wanted to move those resources to the U.S.’s southern border. “Ukraine is not a priority for the U.S.” “We can do both at the same time,” Pence said, objecting to Ramaswamy’s isolationist foreign policy. Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley slammed Ramaswamy, saying, “You have no foreign policy experience, and it shows.” Haley said that Ramaswamy’s policies would lead to a world war. Pence agreed, saying that if Russian President Vladimir Putin is allowed to win in Ukraine, eventually, he will cross a NATO border, and the U.S. will have to send American troops to stop him. Haley said that Republicans need to tell Americans the truth and acknowledge that the GOP does not have the 60 votes required for the U.S. Senate to pass a nationwide abortion ban. Pence strongly disagreed and advocated for the passage of a nationwide abortion ban, saying that he would be a staunch defender of life as President. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum said that he represents a very pro-Life state but agreed with Haley that abortion policy should be left to the states and there should be no nationwide ban. Christie condemned the lawlessness on the U.S. southern border. Since Biden has been president, six million migrants have entered this country. Ramaswamy wanted to put troops and military forces on the border. DeSantis said that the U.S. should use deadly force and kill migrants crossing the border illegally. Pence said in his (and Trump’s) administration, illegal border crossing decreased by 90% (and they didn’t gun anyone down). Hutchison said that his tenure as the head of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) taught him how to interdict dangerous drugs like fentanyl. Hutchison noted that there also needs to be an education component to combat fentanyl. DeSantis said that the COVID lockdowns “should never have happened.” Ramaswamy said that if he had been President during the COVID-19 pandemic, he would have fired Dr. Anthony Fauci. Scott said his mother taught him to work hard, have faith, and “if God made you a man, you compete in sports against men.” Ramaswamy called the concept of manmade global warming a “hoax” and called on the U.S. to mine for coal, drill for oil and natural gas, and adopt nuclear energy. Haley said that climate change “is real” but noted that the U.S. should be focused on getting India and China to reduce their carbon emissions rather than mandating that Americans buy electric cars where half the batteries are made in China, While the other contenders for the Presidency were on Fox News debating, Trump gave a lengthy interview to Tucker Carlson. Trump will surrender to Georgia authorities on Thursday. The Alabama presidential primary will be held on Tuesday, March 5. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Candidates pledge to support, pardon Donald Trump ahead of his arrest
Nearly all of the Republican primary candidates pledged to support former President Donald Trump during the debate Wednesday, even if he is convicted of any of his myriad legal charges. Trump is expected to be arrested in Fulton County, Georgia, Thursday over charges that he conspired to change the state’s 2020 election results. Those charges are part of the fourth indictment Trump faces, raising real concern that he could be convicted and jailed even as the frontrunner for the Republican nomination for president. “NOBODY HAS EVER FOUGHT FOR ELECTION INTEGRITY LIKE PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP,” the former president wrote on social media Wednesday. “FOR DOING SO, I WILL PROUDLY BE ARRESTED TOMORROW AFTERNOON IN GEORGIA. GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!” These are the candidates who qualified for the debate Wednesday night: When asked if they would still support Trump for president if he were convicted in one of the 91 charges he faces, all of them except Hutchinson and Christie raised their hand. Christie seemed to start to raise his hand but then changed his mind. Notably, the candidates had to pledge to support the Republican nominee as a condition of participating in the debate. Christie said he would not support Trump and ended up in a sparring match with Ramaswamy, who said the indictments were politically motivated. Christie was booed for an extended period of time and had to stop speaking. That was one of multiple tense exchanges between Ramaswamy and Christie. “I’ve had enough already tonight of a guy who sounds like ChatGPT standing up here,” Christie said of Ramaswamy earlier in the debate. Ramaswamy also called out Pence, saying he was the only candidate on stage who would pardon Trump on day one. “If people at home want to see a bunch of people blindly bashing Donald Trump without an iota of vision for this country, they can just change the channel to MSNBC right now,” Ramaswamy said. Ramaswamy asked Pence to commit to pardon Trump, but Pence gave a vague answer, saying he would give a pardon “fair consideration.” “I don’t know why you assume Donald Trump will be convicted of these crimes,” Pence said. “That is the difference between you and me. I have given pardons when I was governor of the state of Indiana. It usually follows a finding of guilt and contrition by the individual that’s been convicted.” Haley and Ramaswamy went at it during a debate over the issue of the Ukraine-Russia conflict. “You have no foreign policy experience and, you know what, it shows,” Haley said. “It shows.” Her comments came after Ramaswamy said he wished Haley well in her future career on the boards of defense companies because of her support for defense funding. DeSantis avoided much of the fighting and attacks, which largely went to Ramaswamy and whoever he was sparring with at the time. The cheers and boos bolstered and opposed different candidates throughout the night, depending on the issues and their answers. The candidates came into the debate facing an uphill battle against former President Donald Trump, who leads by a significant margin. The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll, conducted in conjunction with Noble Predictive Insights in July, found that Trump is far out ahead of his Republican competitors. The survey found that 53% of surveyed Republicans support Trump, followed by 18% supporting DeSantis. Former Vice President Mike Pence and entrepreneur and author Vivek Ramaswamy came in third and fourth place with 7% and 6% support, respectively. U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley tied for fifth place at 4% support. Trump’s legal issues risk putting him behind bars, making second place in the primary more important than ever. While Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis currently holds that spot, it remains unclear how the debate may move that needle. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
AG Steve Marshall calls for inspector general investigation of Joe Biden’s SPACECOM headquarters decision
On Tuesday, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall submitted a letter to the U.S. Department of Defense’s Inspector General requesting an investigation into the sudden reversal of the decision to locate U.S. Space Command headquarters from Huntsville, Alabama, to Colorado. Marshall made the request for an investigation after news that the head of Space Command, General James Dickinson, a previous advocate for the Redstone Arsenal site in Huntsville, changed his recommendation to President Joe Biden for headquarters to be located in Colorado. Marshall said that the decision to make a change of preference occurred just as General Dickinson, in April 2023, purchased a $1.5 million, 20-acre ranch near the Colorado location. This purchase was never disclosed to members of the Alabama congressional delegation. “Since taking office, this president has targeted red states for daring to resist his radical progressive agenda. But when it comes to national security, politics must take a backseat,” said AG Marshall. “I implore the Inspector General to investigate the oddly timed investment by General Dickinson which coincided with his recommendation against the Air Force’s preferred site in Huntsville. And I will continue to use the unique power of my office to hold President Biden accountable and demand transparency into this politically motivated charade.” In January 2021, after a thorough vetting process, the Secretary of the Air Force identified the Redstone Arsenal site in Huntsville for the U.S. Space Command headquarters. The recommendation for the site was then affirmed by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Inspector General’s Office and the Government Accountability Office, finding that the Air Force had conducted an accurate analysis and Huntsville was the superior location. The Colorado congressional delegation staunchly opposed the planned move of Space Command to Alabama. On July 31, 2023, government officials reported that President Biden reversed the decision to locate Space Command’s headquarters in Huntsville and instead selected a location in Colorado. News reports credited General James Dickinson with convincing Biden to choose Colorado, stating, “General James Dickinson, who argued that moving his headquarters now would jeopardize military readiness. Dickinson’s view, however, was in contrast to Air Force leadership.” Gen. Dickinson had spoken to Alabama officials as recently as June 2023, where he confirmed with Alabama’s congressional delegation that Redstone Arsenal would be the headquarters for U.S. Space Command. “I have invited Secretary [Frank] Kendall, General Dickinson, and General [Chance] Saltzman to testify to the House Armed Services Committee in a public hearing.” Congressman Mike Rogers (R-AL03) said on Twitter. Rogers chairs the House Armed Services Committee. “Biden Administration officials have consistently evaded Congressional Oversight on the Space Command basing decision,” Rogers added. “It’s past time for them to answer the questions my colleagues and I on @HASCRepublicans have related to the matter.” The General did not disclose that in April 2023, he had registered a deed to a $1.5 million, 20-acre ranch near the Colorado headquarters location. It is still unknown whether or not he disclosed his personal interest in Colorado to President Biden or other superiors. Colorado voted largely for Biden in 2020. To win in 2024, he will need to keep Colorado in the Democratic fold. Alabama is a solid red state. Biden has no chance of carrying Alabama, even if the state were awarded Space Command. The decision to keep Space Command in Colorado is widely regarded as political. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
U.S. Department of Justice has seized $1.4B in pandemic relief funds
A federal campaign to combat COVID-19 fraud resulted in 718 enforcement actions, including criminal charges against 371 defendants, for crimes related to more than $836 million in alleged COVID-19 fraud. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the results of the campaign on Wednesday. “The Justice Department has now seized over $1.4 billion in COVID-19 relief funds that criminals had stolen and charged over 3,000 defendants with crimes in federal districts across the country,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco made the announcement at a roundtable meeting of senior Justice Department officials, law enforcement partners and Office of Inspector General executives. Monaco also announced the launch of two additional COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Forces: one at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, and one at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey. Those two strike forces are in addition to the three strike forces launched in September 2022 in the Eastern and Central Districts of California, the Southern District of Florida, and the District of Maryland. “The two new Strike Forces launched today will increase our reach as we continue to pursue fraudsters and recover taxpayer funds, no matter how long it takes,” Monaco said in a statement. The 718 law enforcement actions include criminal charges, civil charges, forfeitures, guilty pleas, and sentencings, with a combined total actual loss of more than $836 million, according to the Justice Department. Criminal charges were filed against 371 defendants, and 119 defendants have pleaded guilty or were convicted at trial during the sweep. More than $57 million in court-ordered restitution was imposed. Prosecutors worked with law enforcement to secure forfeiture of more than $231.4 million. Michael Horowitz, chairman of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, said early mistakes cost taxpayers. “Agency decisions in the early months of the pandemic that prioritized speed over accuracy in delivery of relief funds led to brazen fraud and outright theft of millions of dollars,” he said in a statement. Horowitz testified in February that federal agencies failed to use some of the tools at their disposal to prevent fraud, including the Do Not Pay list. The U.S. Department of the Treasury had set up the list of suspicious payees who should trigger additional screening. He said advance screening with the U.S. Department of the Treasury Do Not Pay list could have saved taxpayer money. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Rudy Giuliani turns himself in on Georgia 2020 election charges after bond is set at $150,000
Rudy Giuliani turned himself in at a jail in Atlanta on Wednesday on charges related to efforts to overturn then-President Donald Trump’s loss in the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. The former New York mayor, was indicted last week along with Trump and 17 others. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said they participated in a wide-ranging conspiracy to subvert the will of the voters after the Republican president lost to Democrat Joe Biden in November 2020. Bond for Giuliani, who was released after booking like the other defendants, was set at $150,000, second only to Trump’s $200,000. Giuliani, 79, is accused of spearheading Trump’s efforts to compel state lawmakers in Georgia and other closely contested states to ignore the will of voters and illegally appoint electoral college electors favorable to Trump. Other high-profile defendants also surrendered Wednesday, including Jenna Ellis, an attorney who prosecutors say was involved in efforts to convince state lawmakers to unlawfully appoint presidential electors, and lawyer Sidney Powell, accused of making false statements about the election in Georgia and helping to organize a breach of voting equipment in rural Coffee County. Georgia was one of several key states Trump lost by slim margins, prompting the Republican and his allies to proclaim, without evidence, that the election was rigged in favor of his Democratic rival Biden. Giuliani is charged with making false statements and soliciting false testimony, conspiring to create phony paperwork and asking state lawmakers to violate their oath of office to appoint an alternate slate of pro-Trump electors. Outside the Fulton County Jail Wednesday afternoon, Giuliani laughed when asked if he regretted allying himself with Trump. “I am very, very honored to be involved in this case because this case is a fight for our way of life,” Giuliani told reporters. “This indictment is a travesty. It’s an attack on — not just me, not just President Trump, not just the people in this indictment, some of whom I don’t even know – this is an attack on the American people.” Trump, the early front-runner in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, has said he plans to turn himself in at the Fulton County Jail on Thursday. He and his allies have characterized the investigation as politically motivated and have heavily criticized District Attorney Willis, a Democrat. Also Wednesday, Willis’ team urged a judge to reject requests from two of the people indicted — former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark — to avoid having to be booked in jail while they fight to move the case to federal court. Willis has set a deadline of noon on Friday for the people indicted last week in the election subversion case to turn themselves in. Her team has been negotiating bond amounts and conditions with the lawyers for the defendants before they surrender at the jail. Misty Hampton, who was the Coffee County elections director when a breach of election equipment happened there, had her bond set at $10,000. David Shafer, who’s a former Georgia Republican Party chair and served as one of 16 fake electors for Trump, and Cathy Latham, who’s accused in the Coffee County breach and was also a fake elector, turned themselves in Wednesday morning. Also surrendering Wednesday were lawyers Ray Smith and Kenneth Chesebro, who prosecutors said helped organize the fake electors meeting at the state Capitol in December 2020. Attorney John Eastman, who pushed a plan to keep Trump in power, and Scott Hall, a bail bondsman who was accused of participating in the breach of election equipment in Coffee County, turned themselves in Tuesday. The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office has said it will release booking photos at 4 p.m. each day, but Shafer appeared to post his on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, just after 7 a.m. Wednesday with the message, “Good morning! #NewProfilePicture.” While Republicans in Georgia and elsewhere are calling for Willis to be punished for indicting Trump, a group of Black pastors and community activists gathered outside the state Capitol in Atlanta Wednesday to pray for and proclaim their support for the Democratic prosecutor. Bishop Reginald Jackson, who leads Georgia’s African Methodist Episcopal churches, said that Willis is under attack “as a result of her courage and determination.” Former White House chief of staff Meadows and former Justice Department official Clark are seeking to move their cases from Fulton County Superior Court to federal court. Both argue the actions that gave rise to the charges in the indictment were related to their work as federal officials and that the state charges against them should be dismissed. While those motions are pending, they argue, they should not have to turn themselves in for booking at the Fulton County Jail. In a filing Wednesday, Willis’ team argued that Meadows has failed to demonstrate any hardship that would authorize the judge to prevent his arrest. The filing notes that other defendants, including Trump, had agreed to voluntarily surrender by the deadline. In a second filing, Willis’ team argued that Clark’s effort to halt any Fulton County proceedings while his motion is pending amounts to an attempt “to avoid the inconvenience and unpleasantness of being arrested or subject to the mandatory state criminal process.” Republished with the permission of The Associate Press.
Alabama, New Jersey and other states to require free period products in schools for grades 6 through 12
New Jersey will require school districts to offer free menstrual products for grades six through 12 under a new law Gov. Phil Murphy signed Wednesday. Murphy, a Democrat, said in a statement that the measure is aimed at promoting equity “at every level” in the state. “When students can’t access the menstrual products they need for their reproductive health, the potential stress and stigma too often distracts them from their classes or forces them to skip school entirely,” he said. Under the bill, school districts are required to ensure that students in schools with students from grade six through 12 have access to free menstrual products in at least half of the female and gender-neutral bathrooms. The state will bear any costs incurred by schools under the legislation. The legislature’s nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services estimated the requirement will cost between $1.8 million and $3.5 million for the first full school year and from $1.4 million to $2.9 million in subsequent years. The cost is a fraction of the state’s $54.3 billion budget. The requirement will affect about 1,400 schools. The total enrollment of female students in grades six through 12 in these schools approximated 354,497, according to the Legislature. New Jersey joins at least 10 other states and the District of Columbia that have established or expanded requirements for free menstrual products in schools since 2010, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Among the states that passed similar measures recently include Alabama, Delaware, and Utah. The bill passed the Democrat-led Legislature nearly unanimously, with only one “no” vote. “Menstrual hygiene products are a necessity, not a luxury. When this becomes an obstacle and decisions are made to not attend school, the loss is greater than just the one day,” Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz said. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
