thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-20--Trump Is Laying The Groundwork For Rejecting Election Results If He Loses

• “ It will end up being a rigged election or they will never come out with an outcome .
They ’ ll have to do it again , and nobody wants that.
” [ 8/18/20 ] • “ [ I ] f we are waiting for one state [ to count the votes ] and it is a very great , important state , big state ― if we are waiting for that state , you don ’ t know what the answer is going to be until after maybe seven days .
But it ’ s not going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s going to be months or years.
” [ 8/5/20 ] • “ Mail-In Voting is already proving to be a catastrophic disaster .
Even testing areas are way off .
The Dems talk of foreign influence in voting , but they know that Mail-In Voting is an easy way for foreign countries to enter the race .
Even beyond that , there ’ s no accurate count !
” [ 7/30/20 ] • “ With Universal Mail-In Voting ( not Absentee Voting , which is good ) , 2020 will be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It will be a great embarrassment to the USA .
Delay the Election until people can properly , securely and safely vote ?
?
?
” [ 7/30/20 ] • “ New York Mail-In voting is in a disastrous state of condition .
Votes from many weeks ago are missing - a total mess .
They have no idea what is going on .
Rigged Election .
I told you so .
Same thing would happen , but on massive scale , with USA .
Fake News refuses to report !
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Election will be totally rigged if Mail-In Voting is allowed to take place , & everyone knows it .
So much time is taken talking about foreign influence , but the same people won ’ t even discuss Mail-In election corruption .
Look at Patterson , N.J. 20 % of vote was corrupted !
” [ 7/26/20 ] • “ Mail-In Ballot fraud found in many elections .
People are just now seeing how bad , dishonest and slow it is .
Election results could be delayed for months .
No more big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even counted in 2016 .
Ridiculous !
Just a formula for RIGGING an Election ... .
... .Absentee Ballots are fine because you have to go through a precise process to get your voting privilege .
Not so with Mail-Ins .
Rigged Election !
!
!
20 % fraudulent ballots ?
” [ 7/10/20 ] • “ Mail-In Ballots will lead to massive electoral fraud and a rigged 2020 Election .
Look at all of the cases and examples that are out there right now , with the Patterson , N.J. , being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in particular , can not let this happen !
” [ 7/2/20 ] • “ If people can go out and protest , riot , break into stores , and create all sorts of havoc , they can also go out and VOTE — and keep our Election Honest .
With millions of mail-in ballots being sent out , who knows where they are going , and to whom ?
” [ 6/22/20 ] • “ Because of MAIL-IN BALLOTS , 2020 will be the most RIGGED Election in our nations history - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voted during World War One & World War Two with no problem , but now they are using Covid in order to cheat by using Mail-Ins !
” [ 6/22/20 ] • “ MAIL-IN VOTING WILL LEAD TO MASSIVE FRAUD AND ABUSE .
IT WILL ALSO LEAD TO THE END OF OUR GREAT REPUBLICAN PARTY .
WE CAN NEVER LET THIS TRAGEDY BEFALL OUR NATION .
BIG MAIL-IN VICTORY IN TEXAS COURT TODAY .
CONGRATS !
!
!
” [ 5/28/20 ] • “ So ridiculous to see Twitter trying to make the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to FRAUD .
How stupid , there are examples , & cases , all over the place .
Our election process will become badly tainted & a laughingstock all over the World .
Tell that to your hater @ yoyoel ” [ 5/28/20 ] • “ Big Tech is doing everything in their very considerable power to CENSOR in advance of the 2020 Election .
If that happens , we no longer have our freedom .
I will never let it happen !
They tried hard in 2016 , and lost .
Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuned !
!
!
” [ 5/27/20 ] • “ Republicans feel that Social Media Platforms totally silence conservatives voices .
We will strongly regulate , or close them down , before we can ever allow this to happen .
We saw what they attempted to do , and failed , in 2016 .
We can ’ t let a more sophisticated version of that ... ... ..happen again .
Just like we can ’ t let large scale Mail-In Ballots take root in our Country .
It would be a free for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theft of Ballots.
” [ 5/27/20 ] • “ There is NO WAY ( ZERO ! )
that Mail-In Ballots will be anything less than substantially fraudulent .
Mail boxes will be robbed , ballots will be forged & even illegally printed out & fraudulently signed .
The Governor of California is sending Ballots to millions of people , anyone ... .. ” [ 5/26/20 ]

“It will end up being a rigged election or they will never come out with an outcome. They’ll have to do it again, and nobody wants that.” [8/18/20]
“[I]f we are waiting for one state [to count the votes] and it is a very great, important state, big state ― if we are waiting for that state, you don’t know what the answer is going to be until after maybe seven days. But it’s not going to be seven days. It’s going to be months or years.” [8/5/20]
“In an illegal late night coup, Nevada’s clubhouse Governor made it impossible for Republicans to win the state. Post Office could never handle the Traffic of Mail-In Votes without preparation. Using Covid to steal the state. See you in Court!” [8/3/20]
“Glad I was able to get the very dishonest LameStream Media to finally start talking about the RISKS to our Democracy from dangerous Universal Mail-In-Voting (not Absentee Voting, which I totally support!).” [7/30/20]
“Must know Election results on the night of the Election, not days, months, or even years later!” [7/30/20]
“Mail-In Voting is already proving to be a catastrophic disaster. Even testing areas are way off. The Dems talk of foreign influence in voting, but they know that Mail-In Voting is an easy way for foreign countries to enter the race. Even beyond that, there’s no accurate count!” [7/30/20]
“With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???” [7/30/20]
“New York Mail-In voting is in a disastrous state of condition. Votes from many weeks ago are missing - a total mess. They have no idea what is going on. Rigged Election. I told you so. Same thing would happen, but on massive scale, with USA. Fake News refuses to report!” [7/29/20]
“The 2020 Election will be totally rigged if Mail-In Voting is allowed to take place, & everyone knows it. So much time is taken talking about foreign influence, but the same people won’t even discuss Mail-In election corruption. Look at Patterson, N.J. 20% of vote was corrupted!” [7/26/20]
“Mail-In Ballot fraud found in many elections. People are just now seeing how bad, dishonest and slow it is. Election results could be delayed for months. No more big election night answers? 1% not even counted in 2016. Ridiculous! Just a formula for RIGGING an Election.... ....Absentee Ballots are fine because you have to go through a precise process to get your voting privilege. Not so with Mail-Ins. Rigged Election!!! 20% fraudulent ballots?” [7/10/20]
“Mail-In Ballots will lead to massive electoral fraud and a rigged 2020 Election. Look at all of the cases and examples that are out there right now, with the Patterson, N.J., being the most recent example. Republicans, in particular, cannot let this happen!” [7/2/20]
“If people can go out and protest, riot, break into stores, and create all sorts of havoc, they can also go out and VOTE — and keep our Election Honest. With millions of mail-in ballots being sent out, who knows where they are going, and to whom?” [6/22/20]
“Because of MAIL-IN BALLOTS, 2020 will be the most RIGGED Election in our nations history - unless this stupidity is ended. We voted during World War One & World War Two with no problem, but now they are using Covid in order to cheat by using Mail-Ins!” [6/22/20]
“RIGGED 2020 ELECTION: MILLIONS OF MAIL-IN BALLOTS WILL BE PRINTED BY FOREIGN COUNTRIES, AND OTHERS. IT WILL BE THE SCANDAL OF OUR TIMES!” [6/22/20]
“MAIL-IN VOTING WILL LEAD TO MASSIVE FRAUD AND ABUSE. IT WILL ALSO LEAD TO THE END OF OUR GREAT REPUBLICAN PARTY. WE CAN NEVER LET THIS TRAGEDY BEFALL OUR NATION. BIG MAIL-IN VICTORY IN TEXAS COURT TODAY. CONGRATS!!!” [5/28/20]
“So ridiculous to see Twitter trying to make the case that Mail-In Ballots are not subject to FRAUD. How stupid, there are examples, & cases, all over the place. Our election process will become badly tainted & a laughingstock all over the World. Tell that to your hater @yoyoel” [5/28/20]
“Big Tech is doing everything in their very considerable power to CENSOR in advance of the 2020 Election. If that happens, we no longer have our freedom. I will never let it happen! They tried hard in 2016, and lost. Now they are going absolutely CRAZY. Stay Tuned!!!” [5/27/20]
“Republicans feel that Social Media Platforms totally silence conservatives voices. We will strongly regulate, or close them down, before we can ever allow this to happen. We saw what they attempted to do, and failed, in 2016. We can’t let a more sophisticated version of that........happen again. Just like we can’t let large scale Mail-In Ballots take root in our Country. It would be a free for all on cheating, forgery and the theft of Ballots.” [5/27/20]
“There is NO WAY (ZERO!) that Mail-In Ballots will be anything less than substantially fraudulent. Mail boxes will be robbed, ballots will be forged & even illegally printed out & fraudulently signed. The Governor of California is sending Ballots to millions of people, anyone.....” [5/26/20]
“. @Twitter is now interfering in the 2020 Presidential Election. They are saying my statement on Mail-In Ballots, which will lead to massive corruption and fraud, is incorrect, based on fact-checking by Fake News CNN and the Amazon Washington Post....” [5/26/20]
“The Democrats are trying to Rig the 2020 Election, plain and simple!” [5/24/20]
“The United States cannot have all Mail In Ballots. It will be the greatest Rigged Election in history. People grab them from mailboxes, print thousands of forgeries and “force” people to sign. Also, forge names. Some absentee OK, when necessary. Trying to use Covid for this Scam!” [5/24/20]


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-20--Steve Bannon Biographer Reacts To Arrest News: 'Like Busting Al Capone For Tax Evasion'

Steve Bannon ’ s arrest on Thursday for on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and to commit money laundering may have surprised some people , but not his biographer .
Joshua Green , author of “ Devil ’ s Bargain : Steve Bannon , Donald Trump , and the Nationalist Uprising , ” told The New Yorker shortly after the arrest that he had been anticipating that some kind of indictment would happen eventually to President Donald Trump ’ s former chief strategist .
“ I always figured that at some point they would catch him doing something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bannon , 66 , was a central figure in Trump ’ s presidential campaign four years ago , served in the White House for seven months and was under scrutiny in the probes into Russian interference in the 2016 election , Green expressed surprise “ that what would finally get him is this little immigration grift.
” Bannon and three associates allegedly used for personal expenses hundreds of thousands of dollars donated to a crowdfunding campaign they headed called We Build the Wall that aimed to privately finance a barrier on a portion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think the irony is that it is like busting Al Capone for tax evasion , isn ’ t it ?
” Green said .
“ But it ’ s not a huge surprise to me that this would be the outcome.
” It may have been a surprise to Bannon , who Green said always had a smug answer when asked about the possibility of running afoul of the law .
“ He would say , ‘ I am always smart enough not to be in the room , ’ ” Green said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying he was too clever to get caught doing anything illegal .
And , at least according to the indictment today , that turned out not to be true.
” Green said Bannon had a “ heroic vision ” of himself and at one time considered himself not only the brains of Trump ’ s political operation but a successor to lead the movement that coalesced behind the president .
That didn ’ t work out because , in Green ’ s words , Bannon ’ s “ ego blew him up , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from his White House post in August 2017 .
As a result , Green said Bannon became “ another in the long line of obsequious lackeys praising Trump on Fox News ” with little real influence except in ” these dopey , nativist extremist groups populated with shady characters like Kris Kobach ( a Kansas politician ) and Curt Schilling ( a former pro baseball pitcher ) .
” Green added : “ And I think that when that is who you are spending your time with , it ’ s not a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

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Steve Bannon’s arrest on Thursday for on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and to commit money laundering may have surprised some people, but not his biographer.
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“I always figured that at some point they would catch him doing something,” Green said. Noting that Bannon, 66, was a central figure in Trump’s presidential campaign four years ago, served in the White House for seven months and was under scrutiny in the probes into Russian interference in the 2016 election, Green expressed surprise “that what would finally get him is this little immigration grift.”
Bannon and three associates allegedly used for personal expenses hundreds of thousands of dollars donated to a crowdfunding campaign they headed called We Build the Wall that aimed to privately finance a barrier on a portion of the U.S.-Mexico border.
“I think the irony is that it is like busting Al Capone for tax evasion, isn’t it?” Green said. “But it’s not a huge surprise to me that this would be the outcome.”
It may have been a surprise to Bannon, who Green said always had a smug answer when asked about the possibility of running afoul of the law.
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“He would say, ‘I am always smart enough not to be in the room,’” Green said. ”That was his shorthand for saying he was too clever to get caught doing anything illegal. And, at least according to the indictment today, that turned out not to be true.”
Green said Bannon had a “heroic vision” of himself and at one time considered himself not only the brains of Trump’s political operation but a successor to lead the movement that coalesced behind the president.
That didn’t work out because, in Green’s words, Bannon’s “ego blew him up,” which caused him to get fired from his White House post in August 2017.
As a result, Green said Bannon became “another in the long line of obsequious lackeys praising Trump on Fox News” with little real influence except in ”these dopey, nativist extremist groups populated with shady characters like Kris Kobach (a Kansas politician) and Curt Schilling (a former pro baseball pitcher).”
Green added: “And I think that when that is who you are spending your time with, it’s not a huge shock you wind up indicted.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-20--Inside Steve Bannon’s Alleged Scheme To Fleece Trump Voters Who Wanted A Border Wall

Help From The Far Right

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Brian Kolfage had a problem. It was late 2018, and the triple-amputee and Air Force veteran had just started a GoFundMe page where devotees of President Donald Trump could donate money to help build a wall on the southern border, helping fulfill a long-running Trump campaign promise. The effort, called We Build the Wall, was a smashing success: It racked up $20 million in donations in its first week. But GoFundMe suspended the campaign soon after its launch, until Kolfage could prove the money was going to a legitimate nonprofit.
In stepped Steve Bannon, fresh off a seven-month stint in Trump’s White House and a key role in the president’s 2016 campaign. He provided We Build the Wall with the much-needed nonprofit organization and so much more: strategic guidance, plugs in conservative media and the stamp of approval from someone in Trumpworld. He also enlisted several prominent far-right figures for a 2019 Arizona event to promote the scheme.
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Bannon helped launch an endeavor Donald Trump Jr. called “private enterprise at its finest.” That story ended Thursday with a wide-ranging federal indictment charging Bannon, Kolfage and two alleged co-conspirators with defrauding donors to We Build the Wall.
The indictment alleges that some donors contacted Kolfage and said that, although they did not have a lot of money, “they were giving what they could because they trusted” the group to use it on a border wall. Instead, Bannon and his co-conspirators used the money to subsidize a lavish lifestyle of speedboats, cars, cosmetic surgery and travel, according to federal prosecutors. HuffPost interviewed some of the donors on Thursday who now feel “taken.”
The alleged scheme amounts to a coordinated fleecing of some of President Trump’s most loyal supporters, and the ties to the White House go much further than Bannon. Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf appears to have been in contact with We Build the Wall organizers and even visited the project site less than a year ago, as federal investigators were closing in. A powerful GOP “super lawyer” acted as the nonprofit front group’s legal counsel. A HuffPost analysis of social media and the public record shows repeated contacts between Kolfage and both of Trump’s adult sons, including during an event at Mar-a-Lago, a Trump-owned resort in Florida. And in some instances, the president himself appears to have brushed up against the scheme.
There are questions, in fact, as to whether Attorney General William Barr’s sudden and confusing attempt to help remove U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman, who oversaw the Manhattan office that just produced this indictment, earlier this summer was a failed effort to keep the public from learning of a damning accusation: that several people in Trump’s orbit were running a huge scam on his voters.
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“I Feel Taken”
The indictment from the Southern District of New York charges Bannon, Kolfage, Florida venture capitalist Andrew Badolato and Timothy Shea of Colorado with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
President Donald Trump's former chief strategist, Steve Bannon, exits the Manhattan Federal Court following his arraignment Thursday on fraud charges connected to the We Build the Wall fundraiser. BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images
At the time Kolfage launched the GoFundMe campaign, Congress was locked in a fight over government funds for the border wall, which Trump had famously pledged Mexico would pay for. Kolfage, already known for earning an income off online far-right content, told HuffPost at the time that he had no plan for what to do with the money.
Bannon and Badolato offered a lifeline, a nonprofit 501(c)(4) that Bannon controlled to satisfy GoFundMe’s demands for clarity. They also changed the mission of Kolfage’s campaign to one that would “privately” build the wall instead of just giving the funds to the government.
To further convince GoFundMe they weren’t running a scam, the group told both the platform and the donors that 100% of their contributions would go to the project and that Kolfage would earn no salary or compensation.
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“Everyone who donates right now, your money goes toward this wall — 100% of your money goes toward this wall,” Kolfage insisted in a video advertisement on Facebook. “It’s not going to line someone’s pocket. I’m taking zero dollars as a salary. No compensation. It’s going toward the wall.”
Privately, Kolfage struck a deal with Bannon and Badolato to earn $100,000 from the wall funds immediately and $20,000 per month after that, according to the indictment. “[A]s far as [the public] know[s] no one is getting paid... [s]alaries will never be disclosed,” Kolfage told Badolato in a text exchange. And in April, according to prosecutors, Kolfage and Shea, who had an earlier wall-funding scheme, set up a shell company to pay themselves tens of thousands of dollars more from the GoFundMe campaign by claiming to provide services to We Build the Wall. Badolato and Bannon also used hundreds of thousands of dollars raised for the wall for their personal expenses, the indictment contends.
As news of the fraud charges broke on Thursday, donors grappled with the realization that they may have been conned.
“I feel taken,” said 56-year-old Barbara Copeland, a Trump supporter in South Carolina who said she donated $100 to We Build the Wall last year. “I too fell for [Kolfage’s claims that he was] never going to use a dime of it for personal use.”
Copeland had spent months aggressively promoting the fundraiser on social media and said she had repeatedly encouraged her friends and family members to donate.
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“I do not donate just willy-nilly, I checked it out — or so I thought,” she added, noting that in retrospect the “lavish lifestyle” Kolfage flaunted on his Instagram account could have been a warning sign. “To say that I’m upset is a gross understatement.”
The scheme even ripped off children. One of the biggest donors to We Build the Wall was a 7-year-old in Texas who set up a hot chocolate stand so he could collect donations for the effort. Benton Stevens watched Trump’s 2019 State of the Union address and decided to help with the border wall effort — though his parents, active Republicans, told local media in 2019 that their dinner table conversations “may have rubbed off” on him.
Already having offered tours of his fossil collection for $2, Benton thought the hot chocolate sales would be a good way to help the We Build the Wall effort. So he did, and the money poured in — along with insults. People online called the second-grader a “little Hitler.” (His father told local television in Texas at the time that “If he’s going to do it, he needs to learn that there’s going to be a little backlash.”)
Bannon featured Stevens and his parents at a July 26, 2019, fundraiser, announcing that he had raised $25,000 for the effort. “Thank you to the We Build the Wall crew,” said Benton’s father, Shane Stevens. “I love what they’re doing here today.”
Stevens did not respond to requests for comment on the revelation that the campaign was a scam.
Trumpworld Connections
Trump claimed on Thursday that he doesn’t “know anything about the [We Build the Wall] project at all,” and his press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, said that he “does not know the people involved with this project.” But last August, Amanda Shea — Timothy Shea’s wife and a member of We Build the Wall’s leadership team — said on Twitter that she had met with the president and discussed the project in detail.
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“Had the pleasure of meeting with @realDonaldTrump personally last week in the Hamptons, answered very specific questions about the wall @WeBuildTheWall built,” she tweeted. “[Trump] said I really know my stuff & our group needs to bid the whole wall project.”
Trump Jr. and his girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, an adviser for the Trump reelection campaign, were prominently featured on the We Build the Wall website with quotes praising the project. They also were key speakers at a fundraising event.
“This is private enterprise at its finest,” Trump Jr. said of We Build the Wall. “What you guys are doing is pretty amazing. Started from a grassroots effort and it’s just doing some wonderful things for an important issue.”
The Trump Organization downplayed Trump Jr.’s connection to the group. Spokesperson Amanda Miller told The New York Times: “Don gave one speech at a single We Build the Wall event over a year ago with a group of angel moms and besides that, has no involvement with their organization.” He was unaware of his quote praising the group being used on its website, and that praise “was based on what he was led to believe” about its mission, Miller said.
″[I]f he and others were deceived, the group deserves to be held accountable for their actions,” Miller said.
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But that’s not true, HuffPost found. As part of a fundraising promotion, We Build the Wall offered free, autographed copies of Trump Jr.’s book, “Triggered,” to people donating at least $75. And Instagram posts from Kolfage and We Build the Wall suggest Trump Jr. directly interacted with the group again in November.
“[We Build the Wall representative] FOREMAN MIKE will be in Florida TOMORROW with Donald Trump Jr. at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort!” the organization announced in a post on Nov. 7. The next day, Kolfage posted a photo of himself with a small group of people including Trump Jr. and “Foreman Mike.” Kolfage shared the same image to his website, captioning it, “Brian Kolfage and Donald Trump Jr. During a Recent Visit to the Border Wall.”
Trump ally Kris Kobach, an immigration hard-liner and former Kansas secretary of state who led Trump’s failed investigation of alleged voter fraud, also served on We Build the Wall’s advisory board. Kobach said the plan had Trump’s personal approval.
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf visited the group’s building site just months ago, Yahoo News revealed. And in a photo of Kolfage and his wife with Trump’s second son, Eric Trump, at Mar-A-Lago in 2019, We Build the Wall claimed that Kolfage was “given American Patriot Award for his efforts in privately building the border wall.”
Eric Trump at a We Built the Wall event with Brian Kolfage. Instagram
All of these ties helped We Build the Wall promote itself as closely aligned with Trump. Along with the praise from Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle on the organization’s site, it highlights comments from Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), a Trump booster infamous for anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim statements; Corey Lewandowski, one of Trump’s 2016 campaign managers; and Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, the union that represents Border Patrol officers.
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The private wall that @WeBuildtheWall built and funded is @DHSgov @CBP ENDORSED and APPROVED. Never forget it. pic.twitter.com/LFIuQhQvhr — Brian Kolfage (@BrianKolfage) July 12, 2020
Wolf, the acting DHS secretary, also lent some legitimacy to the project by meeting with some of its board members in Washington, Yahoo News reported in November. DHS did not respond to HuffPost’s request for comment on Wolf’s interactions with the group or the federal indictment.
Rising GOP stars have been in touch with We Build the Wall recently, too. Madison Cawthorn, the Republican nominee for North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District who recently got into hot water for an Instagrammed trip to Hitler’s vacation house in Germany, appeared in a late July Instagram post from Kolfage that said: “Pumped to see @madisoncawthorn make it out to the ‘people’s wall’ he’s one of my favorite patriots, he bleeds red, white and blue.”
And the nonprofit Bannon used to funnel We Build the Wall Funds also has deep ties to the larger Republican infrastructure. The indictment alleges that Bannon received more than $1 million from We Build the Wall to something referred to only as “Non-Profit-1” but which is described as a 501(c)(4) group focused on “promoting American nationalism and economic sovereignty.” That closely matches the description of Citizens of the American Republic, a Bannon-run 501(c)(4) that “seeks to advance the ideals of Economic Nationalism and American Sovereignty,” according to the group’s website. Later in the indictment, prosecutors ask for the forfeiture of “any and all funds” held in a Wells Fargo bank account belonging to Citizens of the American Republic.
COAR was the main vehicle Bannon used in his quixotic 2018 quest to keep the House of Representatives in Republican control and protect Trump from impeachment. Bannon claimed at the time that the group would spend $3 million on digital ads to get out the vote for that year’s midterm elections. He traveled across the country to promote various Republican candidates and also plug his film “Trump@War.”
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The group’s tax returns for 2018, during a run of high publicity for the group, list slightly less than $4.5 million in contributions and grants. The 2019 tax returns are not yet public, but even if COAR matched that fundraising total that year, the $1 million it got from We Build the Wall would have constituted a sizable share of COAR’s income.
Groups designated as 501(c)(4)s, often referred to as dark money, are not required to disclose their donors or very much else about their funding sources. Bannon wanted to keep it that way. In mid-2019, CNBC reported that Bannon hired a GOP “super lawyer” named Cleta Mitchell as COAR’s legal counsel. At the time, CNBC noted Bannon was trying to “protect the identity of his contributors and works to stay in the good graces of President Donald Trump.”
Mitchell is a partner at the high-powered law firm Foley & Lardner and has served as a chair of the American Conservative Union Foundation and as president of the Republican National Lawyers Association. In 2018, she drew the attention of Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee for her work on behalf of the National Rifle Association in 2016, and they included her in a list of witnesses they hoped to interview about Russian interference in the last presidential election because they believed she “may be able to clarify for the Committee any Russian-related approaches to and interaction with the organization [NRA] and persons of interest to the Committee during the 2016 election.” She was never interviewed.
The indictment says that in October 2019, Bannon and his co-defendants “learned that We Build The Wall might be under federal criminal investigation” and began taking aggressive actions to conceal their alleged fraud. Mitchell declined to elaborate to HuffPost if Bannon shared those concerns with her, as legal counsel of the group that received $1 million from We Build the Wall, according to the indictment. “I cannot discuss anything with you about my work for COAR.” It is not clear if she is still working for the group.
But she has remained active in Republican politics. Just this week, when Trump posthumously pardoned Susan B. Anthony at a White House event, Mitchell was photographed beaming directly over his right shoulder.
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Wonderful day at the White House yesterday. Pres Trump pardoned Susan B Anthony convicted for voting in the 1872 Presidential election. Made me cry! What a great idea! Only Pres Trump would think of that. Thank you Pres Trump! #pardonSusanBAnthony pic.twitter.com/mkEbYiz7Xv — Cleta Mitchell (@CletaMitchell) August 20, 2020
Mitchell told HuffPost she has not discussed her work for COAR “with anyone else, including but not limited to the President. Any suggestion by you to the contrary would be false.”
Help From The Far Right
In “Wall-A-Thon” videos shot in front of mounds of dirt and rocks with construction workers moving in the background, Bannon came off like a downmarket Jerry Lewis, beseeching viewers to send in money while a ticker at the bottom of the screen scrolled through donor names and dollar amounts.
In July 2019, to supercharge contributions, the organization held a three-day “symposium” on private land in New Mexico near the border. Bannon and his team assembled a motley collection of far-right propagandists, white nationalists and social media “influencers” to promote the project. Many of these extremists had been instrumental in spreading agitprop and disinformation in 2016 to help Trump get elected. It was an easy network for Bannon to tap into.
One panel was headlined by Mike Cernovich, an alt-right grifter who spearheaded the Pizzagate disinformation campaign. Cernovich used his time to smear the mainstream media as “fake news.” When asked for his thoughts on the QAnon disinformation campaign, which the FBI considers a potential national security threat, said, “I’m happy that people believe in something.”
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Other speakers at the event included Michelle Malkin, who now collaborates openly with white nationalists, who ranted about communists and anarchists and warned that the resettlement of Muslim refugees could destroy America; Candace Owens, whom Republicans in Congress frequently use to whitewash the threat of far-right extremism, downplayed police brutality; and Darren Beattie, a former Trump speechwriter who lost his job after being linked to prominent white nationalists, raised the “deep state” specter as he attacked the Mueller report and branded Russian interference in the 2016 election a “hoax.”
“I could go on and on but I conclude this portion by simply saying an obvious and lamentable fact that every single institution in the United States is either actively malicious against the American people or a scam,” Beattie said.
NumbersUSA, an anti-immigration organization associated with white nationalist John Tanton, co-sponsored the event. So did Citizens United, the conservative Super PAC that opened the floodgates for unlimited corporate political spending. Another sponsor was a super PAC called Black Americans for a Better Future, which has historically been funded entirely by rich white men, with the vast majority of the money coming from billionaire Robert Mercer.
One America News Network (OAN), a favored propaganda outlet of the Trump administration, covered the symposium and had promoted Kolfage’s GoFundMe as early as Jan. 7, 2019, about a month after it began, giving him an early platform from which to lure in donors. One of OAN’s correspondents, Jack Posobiec ― a neo-Nazi sympathizer and Roger Stone protege who has spread disinformation along with Cernovich ― appears frequently on Bannon’s “War Room” podcast. Posobiec went on a “We Build the Wall Anniversary Special” episode of the podcast this June that featured Kolfage and Kobach, as well as Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, an influential associate of the Trump family.
On Thursday, the OAN website has a tag for “we build the wall,” but it doesn’t link to any actual content. GoFundMe suspended the campaign in October 2019.
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A Possible Cover-up?
The U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan is known for its independence from “Main Justice” in the nation’s capital, often jokingly referred to as the “Sovereign District of New York.” In the Trump administration, the Southern District of New York caused a number of political problems for the president by charging several of his associates with crimes. SDNY even named Trump as “Individual 1” in its case against former Trump personal attorney Michael Cohen, which implicated the president in a scheme to pay to silence a porn star and a former Playboy Playmate ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
In June, Trump wanted to remove SDNY’s top prosecutor, U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman. Barr wanted Berman to go quietly, even issuing a highly misleading statement, without Berman’s approval, that claimed Berman would be “stepping down.” Berman refused to resign, and Trump soon fired him.
But Berman’s move paid off. Regular order in the line of succession was maintained, and Berman’s deputy, Audrey Strauss, was named to take over the office instead of an acting U.S. attorney handpicked by Trump or Barr. Berman said that Strauss would “safeguard the Southern District’s enduring tradition of integrity and independence,” expressing faith that the ongoing criminal investigations he’d wanted to see through would move forward without political interference under her leadership.
It’s not entirely clear if Trump was concerned about a criminal case that would accuse his former top strategist of bilking his supporters out of cash for a cause connected to one of the chief issues of his 2016 campaign. But the president’s record of interfering in ongoing criminal investigations on behalf of his associates, as laid out in Robert Mueller’s special counsel investigation, raises questions about whether the Bannon case is linked to the ouster of Berman.
Everything Unravels
Kolfage, as The Wall Street Journal reported, recently started another fundraising scheme, purportedly to file a class-action lawsuit against a hashtag, #blacklivesmatter. Kolfage proclaimed that the Black Lives Matter movement is “a full blown racist terror group” which had been “fueled by the NBA, NFL, MLB, and the NHL.”
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The Black Lives Matter movement, of course, is largely decentralized and began long before professional sports teams lent their support, particularly since the police killing of George Floyd on May 25 in Minneapolis. The GoFundMe page, which has since been taken down, pointed to a website that claimed Black Lives Matter “is a full political scam” that funnels money to Democrats. (In fact, donations to the Black Lives Matter Global Network are routed through the online donation platform ActBlue, which is known to be associated with Democratic causes, but donations to the Black Lives Matter Global Network can’t go to political campaigns because of the tax status of its sponsoring organization.)
It is unclear how, precisely, Kolfage would sue a decentralized political movement or a hashtag. A federal judge previously ruled: “For reasons that should be obvious, a hashtag — which is an expression that categorizes or classifies a person’s thought — is not a ‘juridical person’ and therefore lacks the capacity to be sued.”
In any event, we probably won’t find out. Kolfage was taken into custody Thursday morning, along with his co-defendants.
Bannon pleaded not guilty. He is currently under federal investigation for another business venture with a Chinese tycoon, Guo Wengui, according to The Wall Street Journal. Earlier Thursday, federal agents arrested him while he was on Guo’s yacht off the coast of Connecticut.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-20--Goodyear Lets Employees Wear Pro-Police Clothes After Trump Boycott Tweet

Aug 20 ( Reuters ) - Goodyear Tire Chief Executive Rich Kramer said on Thursday the company had clarified its @ @ @ @ @ can wear apparel expressing support for law enforcement after it faced a boycott call from @ @ @ @ @ The Republican president , who is seeking a second term in office , told reporters @ @ @ @ @ out the Goodyear tires on his presidential limousine if there were an alternative .
Goodyear @ @ @ @ @ a longstanding policy of asking employees of refraining from working place expressions of support for @ @ @ @ @ conversations are happening now .
Add your voice !
Join HuffPost Today !

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Aug 20 (Reuters) - Goodyear Tire Chief Executive Rich Kramer said on Thursday the company had clarified its policy to make clear employees can wear apparel expressing support for law enforcement after it faced a boycott call from U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Republican president, who is seeking a second term in office, told reporters on Wednesday he would swap out the Goodyear tires on his presidential limousine if there were an alternative.
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Goodyear on Thursday said it had a longstanding policy of asking employees of refraining from working place expressions of support for any political candidates.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-20--Terry McAuliffe Files Papers To Run For Virginia Governor

Steve Helber/Associated Press Democrat Terry McAuliffe is now a step closer to running for his old job as Virginia governor .
Democrat Terry McAuliffe filed the paperwork needed to campaign for his old job as Virginia governor Wednesday , although his spokesman insisted he still has not yet made up his mind about whether he will actually run .
“ Terry McAuliffe is making no decisions on 2021 until after we defeat Donald Trump and his hateful ideology .
This represents a paperwork change suggested by our accountant and lawyer , ” spokesman Brennan Bilberry said .
There are currently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re running ― state Del .
Jennifer Carroll Foy and state Sen. Jennifer McClellan .
Both women would make history as the state ’ s first female governor and the country ’ s first Black female governor .
“ The politics of the past are not the change we need , and the politicians of the past won ’ t save us , ” Foy said in a statement .
“ Virginians are calling for change in the streets .
They want someone who understands their problems as I do —I ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who will never put corporate interests over the people ’ s interest.
” “ This election is going to be about which candidate has the vision for Virginia ’ s future , not trying to relive the past , ” she said .
“ Today , Senator McClellan is delivering on that vision for the future by passing key criminal justice reform bills out of the Senate Judiciary Committee during special session .
As Senator Kamala Harris said during her historic speech last night , ‘ we ’ ve got ta do the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from 2014-2018 and remains popular .
( Virginia prohibits governors from serving consecutive terms . )
McAuliffe ’ s candidacy would immediately shake up the race .
With his reputation statewide and his prodigious fundraising , he could be tough to beat .
At the same time , however , many in the party say they ’ d like to see someone new lead the state .
“ I would love to see Terry be an ally , ” Lisa Sales , chair of the Fairfax County Commission For Women , told the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see more men in power become allies and champions of women taking power and evening the playing field.
” Some Democrats questioned the timing of McAuliffe ’ s filing , coming on the day that the Democratic National Convention celebrated the accomplishments of women in politics and Sen. Kamala Harris ( Calif. ) accepted the vice presidential nomination .
His team , however , did not highlight the filing publicly and responded only after it was discovered by the media .
Susan Platt , who ran for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ timing “ could ’ ve been a little different.
” She said that while she has known McAuliffe for awhile and believes he ’ s a “ great guy ” and was “ a good governor , ” she is backing McClellan .
“ On the heels of Kamala Harris last night and Virginia electing all these women ― of all colors and creeds and backgrounds ― after Trump in 2016 , wouldn ’ t it be great , after the Equal Rights Amendment [ passage ] , that we ’ re the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Black woman in 2021 ?
” In January , Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment , which guarantees equal protection for women .
There will now be a legal battle about whether Virginia ’ s vote means that the ERA can be added to the U.S. Constitution .
Both Carroll Foy and McClellan were instrumental in its passage .

Democrat Terry McAuliffe is now a step closer to running for his old job as Virginia governor. Steve Helber/Associated Press
Democrat Terry McAuliffe filed the paperwork needed to campaign for his old job as Virginia governor Wednesday, although his spokesman insisted he still has not yet made up his mind about whether he will actually run.
“Terry McAuliffe is making no decisions on 2021 until after we defeat Donald Trump and his hateful ideology. This represents a paperwork change suggested by our accountant and lawyer,” spokesman Brennan Bilberry said.
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The paperwork filed with the Virginia elections office allows McAuliffe to create a campaign committee to raise money for a 2021 gubernatorial run.
There are currently two Democrats who have declared they’re running ― state Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy and state Sen. Jennifer McClellan. Both women would make history as the state’s first female governor and the country’s first Black female governor.
The campaigns of Carroll Foy and McClellan both issued statements on Thursday that threw not-so-subtle shade on the politics of the past.
“The politics of the past are not the change we need, and the politicians of the past won’t save us,” Foy said in a statement. “Virginians are calling for change in the streets. They want someone who understands their problems as I do —I’ve lived them. They want a Governor who will never put corporate interests over the people’s interest.”
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McClellan political director Nichole Wescott Hayes said McClellan is running to “lead Virginia boldly into the future.”
“This election is going to be about which candidate has the vision for Virginia’s future, not trying to relive the past,” she said. “Today, Senator McClellan is delivering on that vision for the future by passing key criminal justice reform bills out of the Senate Judiciary Committee during special session. As Senator Kamala Harris said during her historic speech last night, ‘we’ve gotta do the work.’”
McAuliffe served as governor from 2014-2018 and remains popular. (Virginia prohibits governors from serving consecutive terms.) McAuliffe’s candidacy would immediately shake up the race. With his reputation statewide and his prodigious fundraising, he could be tough to beat. At the same time, however, many in the party say they’d like to see someone new lead the state.
“I would love to see Terry be an ally,” Lisa Sales, chair of the Fairfax County Commission For Women, told the Virginia Mercury. “I want to see more men in power become allies and champions of women taking power and evening the playing field.”
Some Democrats questioned the timing of McAuliffe’s filing, coming on the day that the Democratic National Convention celebrated the accomplishments of women in politics and Sen. Kamala Harris (Calif.) accepted the vice presidential nomination. His team, however, did not highlight the filing publicly and responded only after it was discovered by the media.
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Susan Platt, who ran for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor in 2017, said McAuliffe’s timing “could’ve been a little different.” She said that while she has known McAuliffe for awhile and believes he’s a “great guy” and was “a good governor,” she is backing McClellan.
“On the heels of Kamala Harris last night and Virginia electing all these women ― of all colors and creeds and backgrounds ― after Trump in 2016, wouldn’t it be great, after the Equal Rights Amendment [passage], that we’re the first state in the country to elect a Black woman in 2021?”
In January, Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, which guarantees equal protection for women. There will now be a legal battle about whether Virginia’s vote means that the ERA can be added to the U.S. Constitution. Both Carroll Foy and McClellan were instrumental in its passage.
On the GOP side, state Sen. Amanda Chase is the only declared candidate. She’s a fervent supporter of President Donald Trump and has decried “the liberal, socialistic agenda that has taken control of the Capitol.” Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax and Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney have all been discussed as other possible Democratic entrants to the race. Virginia has seen a remarkable shift in recent years, with the former seat of the Confederacy turning bluer and more diverse. Last year, Democrats won control of both houses of the state legislature for the first time in more than two decades.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-20--Joe Biden Seeking Party, National Unity In Convention Climax

The former vice president , who at 77 years old would be the oldest president ever elected , will be feted by family and former foes as he becomes the Democratic Party ’ s official standard bearer in the campaign to defeat President Donald Trump in November .
“ I knew that of all the incredible candidates we have across that platform , Joe Biden was the one who could unite us .
From Harlem to the heartland , he was the one who could unite us , ” Blunt Rochester said in a briefing previewing the final night of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected Thursday night marks a break from the dire warnings offered by former President Barack Obama and others the night before .
The 44th president of the United States warned that American democracy itself could falter if Trump is reelected , while Harris and 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton declared that Americans ’ lives and livelihoods are at risk .
Throughout their convention , the Democrats have summoned a collective urgency about the dangers of Trump as president .
In 2016 , they dismissed and sometimes trivialized him .
In the days leading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they cast him as an existential threat to the country .
The tone signals anew that the fall campaign between Trump and Joe Biden , already expected to be among the most negative of the past half century , will be filled with rancor and recrimination .
Speakers include four former rivals : Pete Buttigieg , who was trying to become the nation ’ s first openly gay president ; New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker ; New York ultra-billionaire Michael Bloomberg and entrepreneur Andrew Yang .
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sen. Tammy Duckworth , who lost both legs while serving in Iraq .
Biden ’ s Democratic Party has sought this week to put forward a cohesive vision of values and policy priorities , highlighting efforts to combat climate change , tighten gun laws and embrace a humane immigration policy .
They have drawn a sharp contrast with Trump ’ s policies and personality , portraying him as cruel , self-centered and woefully unprepared to manage virtually any of the nation ’ s mounting crises and policy challenges .
Just 75 days before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must energize the disparate factions that make up the modern Democratic Party — a coalition that spans generation , race and ideology .
And this fall voters must deal with concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic that has created health risks for those who want to vote in person — and postal slowdowns for mail-in ballots , which Democrats blame on Trump .
The silence was noticeable Wednesday night , for example , as Harris took the stage to make history in a cavernous hall inside the Chase Center in downtown Wilmington .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family , and her audience consisted of a few dozen reporters and photographers .
In the meantime , he ’ s seeking to take attention from Biden .
Trump was continuing this week ’ s swing-state tour on Thursday with a stop near Biden ’ s birthplace of Scranton , Pennsylvani a .
While he is trying to stay on offense , the president has faced a series distractions of his own this week , many of his own making .
Trump on Wednesday praised a conspiracy-theory group that believes the president ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Thursday , a federal judge ruled that prosecutors could access his long-hidden tax returns .
Also Thursday , New York prosecutors announced the indictment of Steve Bannon , Trump ’ s former campaign manager and White House chief counsel , who was charged with fraud .
“ We actually appreciate President Trump going out there because the American people will get to see a tale of two presidents tonight , ” Sanders said .
“ You will see Donald Trump doing what he always does , talking about himself .
... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talking about the American people , talking about his vision for the future , being hopeful and upbeat.
” Obama , another barrier breaker , called Biden his brother before pleading with voters to vote , to “ embrace your own responsibility as citizens — to make sure that the basic tenets of our democracy endure .
Because that ’ s what is at stake right now .
Our democracy .
”

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WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Joe Biden is poised to accept the Democratic presidential nomination Thursday night, achieving the pinnacle of his nearly five-decade political career in the climax of the most unorthodox national convention in modern history.
He’s also hoping for initial steps to not only unify the diverse Democratic Party but a deeply divided America as well.
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The former vice president, who at 77 years old would be the oldest president ever elected, will be feted by family and former foes as he becomes the Democratic Party’s official standard bearer in the campaign to defeat President Donald Trump in November.
A day after California Sen. Kamala Harris became the first Black woman to accept a major party’s vice presidential nomination, Biden campaign co-chair Lisa Blunt Rochester, a Delaware congresswoman, predicted that Thursday would be “a whole ’nother level of special.”
Above all, Biden is expected to focus on uniting the deeply divided nation as Americans grapple with the long and fearful health crisis, the related economic devastation and a national awakening on racial justice.
“I knew that of all the incredible candidates we have across that platform, Joe Biden was the one who could unite us. From Harlem to the heartland, he was the one who could unite us,” Blunt Rochester said in a briefing previewing the final night of the four-day convention.
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The positive focus expected Thursday night marks a break from the dire warnings offered by former President Barack Obama and others the night before. The 44th president of the United States warned that American democracy itself could falter if Trump is reelected, while Harris and 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton declared that Americans’ lives and livelihoods are at risk.
Throughout their convention, the Democrats have summoned a collective urgency about the dangers of Trump as president. In 2016, they dismissed and sometimes trivialized him. In the days leading up to Biden’s acceptance speech, they cast him as an existential threat to the country.
The tone signals anew that the fall campaign between Trump and Joe Biden, already expected to be among the most negative of the past half century, will be filled with rancor and recrimination.
Beyond Biden’s highly anticipated speech, Thursday’s program is designed to highlight the diversity of the Democratic Party and the nation he hopes to lead.
Speakers include four former rivals: Pete Buttigieg, who was trying to become the nation’s first openly gay president; New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker; New York ultra-billionaire Michael Bloomberg and entrepreneur Andrew Yang. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms will also be featured in addition to Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who lost both legs while serving in Iraq.
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Biden’s Democratic Party has sought this week to put forward a cohesive vision of values and policy priorities, highlighting efforts to combat climate change, tighten gun laws and embrace a humane immigration policy. They have drawn a sharp contrast with Trump’s policies and personality, portraying him as cruel, self-centered and woefully unprepared to manage virtually any of the nation’s mounting crises and policy challenges.
It’s unclear if tearing down Trump will be enough to propel Biden to victory in November.
Just 75 days before the election, the former vice president must energize the disparate factions that make up the modern Democratic Party — a coalition that spans generation, race and ideology. And this fall voters must deal with concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic that has created health risks for those who want to vote in person — and postal slowdowns for mail-in ballots, which Democrats blame on Trump.
The pandemic has also forced Biden’s team to abandon the typical pageantry and rely instead on a highly-produced, all-virtual affair that has failed to draw the same television ratings as past conventions.
The silence was noticeable Wednesday night, for example, as Harris took the stage to make history in a cavernous hall inside the Chase Center in downtown Wilmington. She was flanked by American flags but no family, and her audience consisted of a few dozen reporters and photographers.
It’s Trump’s turn next. The Republican president, who abandoned plans to host his convention in North Carolina and in Florida, is expected to break tradition and accept his nomination from the White House lawn next week.
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In the meantime, he’s seeking to take attention from Biden. Trump was continuing this week’s swing-state tour on Thursday with a stop near Biden’s birthplace of Scranton, Pennsylvani a. While he is trying to stay on offense, the president has faced a series distractions of his own this week, many of his own making.
Trump on Wednesday praised a conspiracy-theory group that believes the president’s political opponents support satanism and pedophilia. On Thursday, a federal judge ruled that prosecutors could access his long-hidden tax returns. Also Thursday, New York prosecutors announced the indictment of Steve Bannon, Trump’s former campaign manager and White House chief counsel, who was charged with fraud.
Biden adviser Symone Sanders welcomed Trump’s attempt to troll Biden by campaigning in Pennsylvania.
“We actually appreciate President Trump going out there because the American people will get to see a tale of two presidents tonight,” Sanders said. “You will see Donald Trump doing what he always does, talking about himself. ... You will see Vice President Biden tonight talking about the American people, talking about his vision for the future, being hopeful and upbeat.”
The night before, Harris, a 55-year-old California senator and the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, addressed race and equality in a personal way Biden cannot when he formally accepts his party’s presidential nomination.
“There is no vaccine for racism. We have got to do the work,” Harris declared.
“We’ve got to do the work to fulfill the promise of equal justice under law,” she added. “None of us are free until all of us are free.”
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Obama, another barrier breaker, called Biden his brother before pleading with voters to vote, to “embrace your own responsibility as citizens — to make sure that the basic tenets of our democracy endure. Because that’s what is at stake right now. Our democracy.”
Beyond the carefully scripted confines of the virtual convention, there have been modest signs of tension between the moderate and progressive wings of Biden’s Democratic Party.
In particular, some progressives complained that pro-Biden Republicans such as Ohio Gov. John Kasich have been featured more prominently than the party’s younger progressive stars like New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
___


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-20--Sergeant Who Charged Virginia Senator With Felonies Called Her Cop Criticism 'Repulsive'

McGee didn ’ t like Sen. Lucas ’ criticism of his chief .
In June , he fired off a heated letter to Portsmouth ’ s mayor , city council and city manager , saying it was “ absolutely disgusting and offensive ” to “ attempt to place blame on Chief Greene or the men and women of the Portsmouth Police Department or to continue to try to use us as pawns on their political agenda ” in connection with protests in which four Confederate statues were beheaded and one was torn down .
The city council later voted unanimously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was located at a site where enslaved Black Americans were publicly punished on a whipping post .
“ Chief Greene and the members of the Portsmouth Police Department prevented property damage , saved lives , and put the City of Portsmouth in a position to make positive change , ” McGee wrote in the day after the destruction .
He said that the chief “ is the only thing holding this department together ” and that Lucas “ gave protesters the green light to do whatever they wanted to do.
” Lucas was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the destruction , and said police couldn ’ t arrest protesters for trespassing on city property or for painting a monument honoring treasonous defenders of slavery .
McGee , in an email to HuffPost early Thursday , said his June letter was sent in his “ capacity as a private citizen ” at a time when he wasn ’ t involved in any investigation into the events .
“ This department , including myself , conduct all investigations without bias and only present the facts as they are found , ” McGee wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s probable cause summary ― obtained by HuffPost despite the Portsmouth Police Department ’ s refusal to publicly release it ― theorizes that Lucas and others participated in a conspiracy to “ injure ” the monument , even though many of those charged appear to have left long before the most serious damage took place .
Lucas , who had no formal authority over the police but whose daughter Lisa Lucas-Burke is the city ’ s vice mayor , allegedly told police at the time that they couldn ’ t arrest people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do not know for sure if the Commonwealth Attorney told the protesters she would not prosecute them or not , but I have a pretty good idea , ” McGee wrote .
“ I also have a pretty good idea what would happen had one police officer used force to attempt to stop the protesters and what the reaction of some of the elected officials including the Commonwealth Attorney would have been if we attempted to intervene.
” Morales ’ office said in a previous statement that it would evaluate charges on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presented an investigative file .
Brenda Spry , the city ’ s top public defender who was among those charged , previously said that any blanket statements attributed to public defenders about how Morales ’ office would handle cases was “ based purely upon personal assumptions or opinions.
” McGee ― who listed Morales as a witness in what appears to be an attempt to disqualify her from acting as prosecutor in the case ― complained in his June letter to the city that officers across the nation had “ been charged with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their actions during anti-racism protests .
Steven Benjamin , an attorney in Richmond who used to head the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers , told The Washington Post the charges were extraordinary .
“ This is the sort of case that should have been charged , if at all , only after consultation with the commonwealth ’ s attorney and the presentment of indictments to a grand jury , ” he said .
City officials made clear they were blindsided by the charges Greene announced on Monday .
City Manager L. Pettis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mayor and city council that Greene had previously informed her that she had a conflict of interest in the investigation .
Patton wrote that she was “ surprised and troubled ” when she learned investigators were still working on the cases and swearing out warrants .
“ What were the police doing at that time ?
They were there the entire time !
They were there from the beginning to the end , they should be arresting them damn selves for dereliction of duty , ” Scott said .
“ They are extremely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to police us .
We don ’ t think they care about our community or our concerns , ” Scott said .
“ They ’ re up here spending all their energy trying to figure out how they can keep Black voices down , in a majority Black city .
Not this time .
”

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A police sergeant in Portsmouth, Virginia, who circumvented local prosecutors to bring highly unusual “injury to a monument” felony charges against a state senator, public defenders and NAACP members previously called the lawmaker’s criticism of his police chief “disgusting” and “repulsive.”
Sgt. Kevin T. McGee of the Portsmouth Police Department’s property crimes unit brought felony charges against 14 people in connection with June 10 damage to a Confederate monument, according to his probable cause summary filed with a magistrate.
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The defendants include Louise Lucas, the Democratic Virginia Senate president pro tempore. Lucas previously called on Portsmouth Police Chief Angela Greene to resign because, Lucas said, Greene “abdicated her responsibility to maintain peace and failed to uphold the law” after protesters knocked down a Confederate statue and seriously injured a demonstrator in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis.
McGee didn’t like Sen. Lucas’ criticism of his chief. In June, he fired off a heated letter to Portsmouth’s mayor, city council and city manager, saying it was “absolutely disgusting and offensive” to “attempt to place blame on Chief Greene or the men and women of the Portsmouth Police Department or to continue to try to use us as pawns on their political agenda” in connection with protests in which four Confederate statues were beheaded and one was torn down. The city council later voted unanimously to remove the Confederate monument, which was located at a site where enslaved Black Americans were publicly punished on a whipping post.
“Chief Greene and the members of the Portsmouth Police Department prevented property damage, saved lives, and put the City of Portsmouth in a position to make positive change,” McGee wrote in the day after the destruction. He said that the chief “is the only thing holding this department together” and that Lucas “gave protesters the green light to do whatever they wanted to do.” Lucas was on the scene of the protest before the destruction, and said police couldn’t arrest protesters for trespassing on city property or for painting a monument honoring treasonous defenders of slavery.
Portsmouth Police Sgt. Kevin McGee, who brought felony charges against politicians, civil rights leaders, and public defenders, previously wrote political commentary against one of those he charged. screenshot
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“For a Senator to try to inject any of us into her agenda is repulsive,” McGee wrote in his letter. “If Senator Lucas wants to place blame on anyone for this incident, she should start by looking in the mirror.”
On Monday, two months later, McGee stood behind his police chief at a press conference as she announced felony charges against Lucas, leaders of the local NAACP, and several city public defenders.
McGee, in an email to HuffPost early Thursday, said his June letter was sent in his “capacity as a private citizen” at a time when he wasn’t involved in any investigation into the events. “This department, including myself, conduct all investigations without bias and only present the facts as they are found,” McGee wrote in his email to HuffPost.
McGee’s probable cause summary ― obtained by HuffPost despite the Portsmouth Police Department’s refusal to publicly release it ― theorizes that Lucas and others participated in a conspiracy to “injure” the monument, even though many of those charged appear to have left long before the most serious damage took place. Lucas, who had no formal authority over the police but whose daughter Lisa Lucas-Burke is the city’s vice mayor, allegedly told police at the time that they couldn’t arrest people who painted the statue.
RICHMOND, VA - FEBRUARY 20: Virginia state Sen. Louise L. Lucas(D) at the statehouse, on Feb., 20, 2019, in Richmond, Virginia. The Washington Post via Getty Images
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“No state or local elected official, or any other person or entity had any legal authority to direct or allow any citizen to go upon, damage, or deface the monument,” McGee wrote in his probable cause statement.
Public defenders, who McGee also charged, didn’t escape criticism in the sergeant’s June letter. When protesters started bringing out sledgehammers, he wrote, public defenders “left after they lit the fuse and they had their photo op.” McGee also criticized Portsmouth Commonwealth’s Attorney Stephanie Morales, claiming that protesters had told him that the progressive prosecutor wouldn’t press charges.
“I do not know for sure if the Commonwealth Attorney told the protesters she would not prosecute them or not, but I have a pretty good idea,” McGee wrote. “I also have a pretty good idea what would happen had one police officer used force to attempt to stop the protesters and what the reaction of some of the elected officials including the Commonwealth Attorney would have been if we attempted to intervene.”
Morales’ office said in a previous statement that it would evaluate charges on a case-by-case basis, and that police never presented an investigative file. Brenda Spry, the city’s top public defender who was among those charged, previously said that any blanket statements attributed to public defenders about how Morales’ office would handle cases was “based purely upon personal assumptions or opinions.”
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McGee ― who listed Morales as a witness in what appears to be an attempt to disqualify her from acting as prosecutor in the case ― complained in his June letter to the city that officers across the nation had “been charged with crimes without due process,” for their actions during anti-racism protests.
Legal experts expressed shock at the lack of due process McGee and the police department afforded those slapped with felonies. Virginia officers usually secure warrants in the immediate aftermath of an incident, not months down the line.
Steven Benjamin, an attorney in Richmond who used to head the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, told The Washington Post the charges were extraordinary. “This is the sort of case that should have been charged, if at all, only after consultation with the commonwealth’s attorney and the presentment of indictments to a grand jury,” he said.
University of Virginia School of Law professor Darryl Brown told the Washingtonian that the charges against Lucas were “a very aggressive law enforcement decision, and one unlikely to result in a conviction.”
City officials made clear they were blindsided by the charges Greene announced on Monday. City Manager L. Pettis Patton wrote in an email to the mayor and city council that Greene had previously informed her that she had a conflict of interest in the investigation. Patton wrote that she was “surprised and troubled” when she learned investigators were still working on the cases and swearing out warrants.
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The Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Steering Committee held a press conference in Portsmouth to denounce the charges on Wednesday. Vice Mayor Lucas-Burke, Sen. Lucas’ daughter, condemned the charges as leaders called for Greene’s resignation.
“The city manager knew nothing about it and the city attorney knew nothing about it. Nobody knows nothing about it. Who’s running the goddamn city?” Lucas-Burke asked. “I don’t know who to trust.”
Virginia Del. Don Scott (D), who is Lucas’ defense lawyer, said people trying to hold Black leaders back were trying to “weaponize the criminal punishment system against Black leadership.” He said police didn’t step in when things got dangerous and abandoned their duty.
“What were the police doing at that time? They were there the entire time! They were there from the beginning to the end, they should be arresting them damn selves for dereliction of duty,” Scott said.
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Scott and other Black leaders want the federal government or the state attorney general to investigate the city’s police.
“They are extremely corrupt. They have lost the ability to police us. We don’t think they care about our community or our concerns,” Scott said. “They’re up here spending all their energy trying to figure out how they can keep Black voices down, in a majority Black city. Not this time.”
Public defender Spry, who McGee accused of painting the monument, said in an email to HuffPost through her attorney that the country “is now beginning to recognize the disparate impact African Americans face with respect to police accountability and racial prejudice.”
Spry said she’s “an advocate who has zealously devoted the last 31 years of my life to representing indigent citizens, primarily African Americans, charged with criminal offenses in the city of Portsmouth.” While she wouldn’t discuss the charges, she said the Confederate statute was “an overt ‘badge and incident’ to the most shameful and disgusting institution of slavery and American racism.”
Lucas-Burke said that the charges against her mother and others fit into a larger backlash against Black women in America.
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“This is not really just about the monument, this is about the rise of the Black woman that is happening with Kamala Harris,” Lucas-Burke said. “Even though people try to stop us and they try to silence our voice, there will be many more Black woman who will rise up behind us.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-20--Trump Cooks Up Wacky New Birther Slam: Joe Biden Wasn't Born In Pennsylvania

President Donald Trump expanded his “ birther ” conspiracy theories on Thursday to Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden , telling a crowd in Pennsylvania that Biden “ wasn ’ t born ” in the state because he moved to Delaware with his family when he was a child .
“ He ’ d say he was born here , ” Trump told listeners in Scranton .
“ But he left when he was like 8 , 9 or 10 .
So he left 68 years ago , he left — a long time ago .
So I view it differently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He abandoned Scranton !
” Trump conceded : “ His family had something to do with that , you know , his parents .
But he left Scranton.
” Biden was born in Scranton in 1942 and moved from the state to Mayfield , Delaware , with his family when he was 13 , according to his biography .
Trump didn ’ t name the state he believes counts as Biden ’ s birthplace .
Trump repeatedly pushed the false and racist conspiracy theory that former President Barack Obama was not born @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also recently questioned the citizenship of Biden ’ s running mate Kamala Harris , saying she may not “ meet the requirements ” to run as vice president because her parents were immigrants — even though she was born in California .
Everyone born in the U.S. is an American citizen under the Constitution .
Critics could hardly believe what they heard coming out of Trump ’ s mouth .
Donald Trump on Joe Biden : `` He was n't born here .
He abandoned Scranton '' You know the Trump campaign is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ birther conspiracy about a 77-year-old white man — The Hardy Report Podcast ( @ EdwardTHardy ) August 20 , 2020 He did n't really understand how he won last time , so he 's repeating everything to see if it helps .
— D. R. Dick ( @ granitevoter ) August 20 , 2020 I was born in Phoenix .
My parents left when I was 3 months old .
Pretty sure I was still born in Phoenix 🤔 — Bree Votes Blue 🌊🌈🔄 ( @ BreeintheDesert ) August 20 , 2020

President Donald Trump expanded his “birther” conspiracy theories on Thursday to Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, telling a crowd in Pennsylvania that Biden “wasn’t born” in the state because he moved to Delaware with his family when he was a child.
“He’d say he was born here,” Trump told listeners in Scranton. “But he left when he was like 8, 9 or 10. So he left 68 years ago, he left — a long time ago. So I view it differently. He wasn’t born here. He abandoned Scranton!”
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Trump conceded: “His family had something to do with that, you know, his parents. But he left Scranton.”
Biden was born in Scranton in 1942 and moved from the state to Mayfield, Delaware, with his family when he was 13, according to his biography. Trump didn’t name the state he believes counts as Biden’s birthplace.
Trump repeatedly pushed the false and racist conspiracy theory that former President Barack Obama was not born in the United States. He has also recently questioned the citizenship of Biden’s running mate Kamala Harris, saying she may not “meet the requirements” to run as vice president because her parents were immigrants — even though she was born in California. Everyone born in the U.S. is an American citizen under the Constitution.
Critics could hardly believe what they heard coming out of Trump’s mouth.
Trump’s new birther theory, Joe wasn’t really born in Scranton. No, seriously. pic.twitter.com/FbMVOCMAZX — Biff Rendar (@biffrendar) August 20, 2020
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Donald Trump on Joe Biden: "He wasn't born here. He abandoned Scranton"
You know the Trump campaign is getting desperate when he is starting a birther conspiracy about a 77-year-old white man — The Hardy Report Podcast (@EdwardTHardy) August 20, 2020
The day the @JoeBiden Birther movement conspiracy theory was born....
‘He Wasn’t Born Here’: Trump Birthers Biden Near Scranton Ahead Of DNC Acceptance Speechhttps://t.co/UwCbonuIAf — Bad Kitty 1 (@Supermom1242) August 20, 2020
One birther theory too many. Make America Sane Again? https://t.co/NtlFLWPvlW — Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) August 20, 2020
He didn't really understand how he won last time, so he's repeating everything to see if it helps. — D. R. Dick (@granitevoter) August 20, 2020
I was born in Phoenix. My parents left when I was 3 months old. Pretty sure I was still born in Phoenix 🤔 — Bree Votes Blue 🌊🌈🔄 (@BreeintheDesert) August 20, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-20--How Kerry Washington And Her Teacher Reunited Online During The DNC

As Kerry Washington opened the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night , she called on America to continue striving toward justice and equality , invoking the preamble to the Constitution .
She said she memorized it in a class in middle school .
Little did she know , the teacher who taught that class was watching at home .
“ I nearly fell off the couch when @ kerrywashington mentioned her 8th grade constitutional law class , ” she wrote in a tweet that would soon go viral .
“ I was her teacher .
So proud of her professional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she and her partner , Liz Shayne , who also taught at The Spence School in Manhattan when Washington was a student there , were blown away when Washington replied ― while she was still in the process of hosting the convention , no less .
“ I wanted them to feel that they could make change as big as New York was , and as young as they were , that they could influence their collective future , ” she said .
Washington , 43 , is known for using her celebrity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She ’ s fought for women ’ s rights , advocated for domestic violence awareness , and defended the civil liberties of disadvantaged and minority groups , among other things .
“ We say ‘ more perfect ’ because our union is not without flaws , ” Washington said in her powerful opening address .
“ When our Constitution was written , women couldn ’ t vote , Black people were considered three-fifths of a human being .
But therein lies the work .
No one is perfect .
Nothing is .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equality and truth that distinguishes us.
” The heartwarming moment between the two set off a wave of appreciation for teachers as social media users shared stories of educators who made lasting impressions on their lives .
It ’ s no surprise Washington and her teacher have provided inspiration for each other .
After teaching for six years on the Upper East Side , Bluemle , 59 , moved on to work at Outward Bound and then headed to Vermont , where she led organizations fighting for women ’ s economic parity for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she ’ s running to be a state representative in Vermont .
If elected , her priorities will be to enact paid family leave , reimagine criminal justice and achieve affordable child and health care , she said .
Part of the beauty of the moment with Washington , Bluemle said , was the stories it prompted others to share .
“ I was thrilled that so many people came forward to say , ‘ Oh , I had this great science teacher who inspired me , ’ ” she said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appreciating their teachers in that way.
” She was drawn to teaching for the same reason she sought to work in nonprofits and advocacy : “ a belief in the potential of all of us .
”

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As Kerry Washington opened the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night, she called on America to continue striving toward justice and equality, invoking the preamble to the Constitution. She said she memorized it in a class in middle school. Little did she know, the teacher who taught that class was watching at home.
Her eighth grade teacher, Tiff Bluemle, told HuffPost she couldn’t believe it when she heard the reference to her class.
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“I nearly fell off the couch when @kerrywashington mentioned her 8th grade constitutional law class,” she wrote in a tweet that would soon go viral. “I was her teacher. So proud of her professional accomplishments and political advocacy.”
The award-winning actor and activist saw the message and tweeted back “OMG!!!!”
She expressed her gratitude to her teacher for inspiring her and “sooo many other students!”
OMG!!!! Hi 😍 Thank you for watching!!!!! And thank you for inspiring me and sooo many other students!!! https://t.co/Xf9wU6jbhI — kerry washington (@kerrywashington) August 20, 2020
Bluemle said she and her partner, Liz Shayne, who also taught at The Spence School in Manhattan when Washington was a student there, were blown away when Washington replied ― while she was still in the process of hosting the convention, no less.
Be still my heart!!! @eshayne is cheering you on and says HELLO! So damned proud of you @kerrywashington !!! https://t.co/UIroZRUah9 — Tiff Bluemle (@TiffanyBluemle) August 20, 2020
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In her years as a teacher in Manhattan, Bluemle said, she tried to motivate her students to unleash their full potential.
“I wanted them to feel that they could make change as big as New York was, and as young as they were, that they could influence their collective future,” she said.
Washington, 43, is known for using her celebrity platform to support social justice causes. She’s fought for women’s rights, advocated for domestic violence awareness, and defended the civil liberties of disadvantaged and minority groups, among other things.
She hosted the third night of the DNC under the theme “A More Perfect Union.”
“We say ‘more perfect’ because our union is not without flaws,” Washington said in her powerful opening address. “When our Constitution was written, women couldn’t vote, Black people were considered three-fifths of a human being. But therein lies the work. No one is perfect. Nothing is. But it is the striving toward justice, equality and truth that distinguishes us.”
The heartwarming moment between the two set off a wave of appreciation for teachers as social media users shared stories of educators who made lasting impressions on their lives.
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It’s no surprise Washington and her teacher have provided inspiration for each other. After teaching for six years on the Upper East Side, Bluemle, 59, moved on to work at Outward Bound and then headed to Vermont, where she led organizations fighting for women’s economic parity for more than two decades.
Now, she’s running to be a state representative in Vermont. If elected, her priorities will be to enact paid family leave, reimagine criminal justice and achieve affordable child and health care, she said.
Tiff Bluemle (above) reunited online Wednesday with Kerry Washington, who was once a student in her eighth grade class. Courtesy Tiff Bluemle
Part of the beauty of the moment with Washington, Bluemle said, was the stories it prompted others to share.
“I was thrilled that so many people came forward to say, ‘Oh, I had this great science teacher who inspired me,’” she said. “It felt really good to see people appreciating their teachers in that way.”
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She said Washington’s eighth grade American government and law class was a source of “very lively discussions.”
“Her class were very discerning, thoughtful, independent thinkers,” she said. “I’ve always had a very special place for them.”
She was drawn to teaching for the same reason she sought to work in nonprofits and advocacy: “a belief in the potential of all of us.”
As for Washington, Bluemle said she’s so proud of her work on and off the screen. (She loved “Scandal” and “Little Fires Everywhere.”)
“She’s an amazing role model for young women in her field,” she said. “I have enormous regard for her. I knew she was especially talented and intelligent and committed.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-20--FBI Now Probing $300 Million Media Company Deal Linked To Steve Bannon: Report

Steve Bannon ’ s fraud indictment linked to fundraising for Donald Trump ’ s U.S.-Mexico border wall isn ’ t his only legal headache .
The Wall Street Journal reports that the FBI and Securities and Exchange Commission are also investigating a $ 300 million investment offering for a planned media company tied to Bannon and fugitive Chinese businessman Guo Wengui .
Bannon was arrested Thursday morning aboard Guo ’ s luxury yacht after he was indicted for fraud for allegedly siphoning funds from a crowdfunding campaign known as “ We Build the Wall ” that raised more than $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organization promised that 100 % of donations from hundreds of thousands of contributors would go toward building a section of Trump ’ s long-promised border wall , according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office for the Southern District of New York .
Bannon pleaded not guilty later in the day and was released on a $ 5 million bond .
On Wednesday , the Journal had reported that officials were probing the private offering to raise funds for GTV Media Group .
Bannon is listed as GTV ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fundraiser in a company fundraising document the Journal viewed .
Guo , a wanted fugitive in China , has been accused of bribery , fraud and money laundering , all of which he has denied .
Investigators are examining whether GTV Media or associates of Guo violated securities laws , according to the Journal ’ s sources .
Soon after the investment offering , people began demanding refunds , saying they never received documentation verifying their investments , the newspaper reported .
JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo have already frozen accounts tied to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sources said .
The British Columbia Securities Commission issued an “ investment caution ” in May after Canadians purchased shares of GTV Media Group Inc .
It warned that company officials “ have not registered to sell securities in BC and have not filed a prospectus with the British Columbia Securities Commission.
” The alert added : “ We urge BC residents to exercise caution when dealing with companies that are not registered to issue shares.
” A fundraising document reviewed by the Journal said GTV would be a platform for news , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serve as the “ only uncensored and independent bridge between China and the Western world.
” The document named Amazon , ByteDance ’ s TikTok and Tencent ’ s WeChat as expected competitors .
Early this month , Trump ordered the latter two companies , both Chinese , to finalize deals to sell to U.S. companies in 90 days or to stop operating in the U.S .

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Steve Bannon’s fraud indictment linked to fundraising for Donald Trump’s U.S.-Mexico border wall isn’t his only legal headache. The Wall Street Journal reports that the FBI and Securities and Exchange Commission are also investigating a $300 million investment offering for a planned media company tied to Bannon and fugitive Chinese businessman Guo Wengui.
Bannon was arrested Thursday morning aboard Guo’s luxury yacht after he was indicted for fraud for allegedly siphoning funds from a crowdfunding campaign known as “We Build the Wall” that raised more than $25 million. The “volunteer” organization promised that 100% of donations from hundreds of thousands of contributors would go toward building a section of Trump’s long-promised border wall, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
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Bannon pleaded not guilty later in the day and was released on a $5 million bond.
On Wednesday, the Journal had reported that officials were probing the private offering to raise funds for GTV Media Group. Bannon is listed as GTV’s director and Guo as its adviser and fundraiser in a company fundraising document the Journal viewed. Guo, a wanted fugitive in China, has been accused of bribery, fraud and money laundering, all of which he has denied.
Former White House strategist Steve Bannon greets fugitive Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui before introducing him at a news conference on Nov. 20, 2018. DON EMMERT/AFP via Getty Images
Investigators are examining whether GTV Media or associates of Guo violated securities laws, according to the Journal’s sources. Soon after the investment offering, people began demanding refunds, saying they never received documentation verifying their investments, the newspaper reported. JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo have already frozen accounts tied to the money raised in the operation, sources said.
The British Columbia Securities Commission issued an “investment caution” in May after Canadians purchased shares of GTV Media Group Inc. It warned that company officials “have not registered to sell securities in BC and have not filed a prospectus with the British Columbia Securities Commission.” The alert added: “We urge BC residents to exercise caution when dealing with companies that are not registered to issue shares.”
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Neither Bannon nor Guo responded to requests for comment from the Journal.
A fundraising document reviewed by the Journal said GTV would be a platform for news, social media and e-commerce, and would serve as the “only uncensored and independent bridge between China and the Western world.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-08-20--Feds Once Again Seeking Death Sentence For Boston Bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

In an interview with The Associated Press , Barr said the Justice Department would appeal the court ’ s ruling last month that tossed Tsarnaev ’ s death sentence and ordered a trial to determine whether he should be executed for the attack that killed three people and wounded more than 260 others .
Barr said the Justice Department would take the matter to the U.S. Supreme Court .
“ We will do whatever ’ s necessary , ” Barr said .
“ We will take it up to the Supreme Court and we will continue to pursue the death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department has again begun carrying out federal executions , putting three men to death so far and scheduling at least three others next week and in September , despite the coronavirus pandemic and waning public support for the death penalty .
Barr has said it is the Justice Department ’ s duty to carry out the sentences imposed by the courts — including the death penalty — and to deliver justice for the families of the victims .
A three-judge panel of the 1st U.S .
Circuit court found in July that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not adequately question potential jurors about what they had read or heard about the highly publicized case .
The defense acknowledged that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and his older brother , Tamerlan Tsarnaev , carried out the attack on April 15 , 2013 , but sought to portray his brother as the radicalized mastermind who they said lured his impressionable younger brother into violence .
Tamerlan Tsarnaev , 26 , died following a gunfight with police and being run over by his brother as he fled .
Police captured a bloodied and wounded Dzhokhar Tsarnaev @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Watertown , where he was hiding in a boat parked in a backyard .
Tsarnaev , now 27 , was convicted of all 30 charges against him , including conspiracy and use of a weapon of mass destruction and the killing of an MIT police officer during the Tsarnaev brothers ’ getaway attempt .
The appeals court upheld all but a few of his convictions .
An email seeking comment was sent to David Patton , an attorney for Tsarnaev .
Patton said after the 1st Circuit ’ s decision that “ it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ determine whether to put the victims and Boston through a second trial , or to allow closure to this terrible tragedy by permitting a sentence of life without the possibility of release.
” Prosecutors told jurors that Tsarnaev was just as culpable in the attack they say was meant to punish the U.S. for its wars in Muslim countries .
In the boat where he was found hiding , he wrote , “ Stop killing our innocent people and we will stop.
” Killed in the bombing were Lingzi Lu , a 23-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Krystle Campbell , a 29-year-old restaurant manager from Medford ; and 8-year-old Martin Richard , who had gone to watch the marathon with his family .
Massachusetts Institute of Technology police Officer Sean Collier was shot to death in his cruiser days later .
The 1st Circuit also found that O ’ Toole erred in refusing to let the defense tell jurors about evidence tying Tamerlan Tsarnaev to the killings of three people in the Boston suburb of Waltham in 2011 .
“ If the judge had admitted the Waltham evidence — evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Tamerlan was predisposed to religiously-inspired brutality before the bombings and before Dzhokhar ’ s radicalization — the defense could have more forcefully rebutted the government ’ s claim that the brothers had a ‘ partnership of equals , ’ ” Judge O. Rogeriee Thompson wrote in the ruling .
President Donald Trump tweeted after the decision that the federal government “ must again seek the Death Penalty in a do-over of that chapter of the original trial.
” The ruling came as the U.S. government recently resumed federal executions following a 17-year @ @

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department will seek to reinstate a death penalty for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the man who was convicted of carrying out the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, Attorney General William Barr said Thursday.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Barr said the Justice Department would appeal the court’s ruling last month that tossed Tsarnaev’s death sentence and ordered a trial to determine whether he should be executed for the attack that killed three people and wounded more than 260 others. Barr said the Justice Department would take the matter to the U.S. Supreme Court.
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“We will do whatever’s necessary,” Barr said. “We will take it up to the Supreme Court and we will continue to pursue the death penalty.”
Under Barr, the Justice Department has again begun carrying out federal executions, putting three men to death so far and scheduling at least three others next week and in September, despite the coronavirus pandemic and waning public support for the death penalty. Barr has said it is the Justice Department’s duty to carry out the sentences imposed by the courts — including the death penalty — and to deliver justice for the families of the victims.
A three-judge panel of the 1st U.S. Circuit court found in July that the judge who oversaw the 2015 trial did not adequately question potential jurors about what they had read or heard about the highly publicized case.
The defense acknowledged that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and his older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, carried out the attack on April 15, 2013, but sought to portray his brother as the radicalized mastermind who they said lured his impressionable younger brother into violence.
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Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, died following a gunfight with police and being run over by his brother as he fled. Police captured a bloodied and wounded Dzhokhar Tsarnaev hours later in the Boston suburb of Watertown, where he was hiding in a boat parked in a backyard.
Tsarnaev, now 27, was convicted of all 30 charges against him, including conspiracy and use of a weapon of mass destruction and the killing of an MIT police officer during the Tsarnaev brothers’ getaway attempt. The appeals court upheld all but a few of his convictions.
An email seeking comment was sent to David Patton, an attorney for Tsarnaev. Patton said after the 1st Circuit’s decision that “it is now up to the government to determine whether to put the victims and Boston through a second trial, or to allow closure to this terrible tragedy by permitting a sentence of life without the possibility of release.”
Prosecutors told jurors that Tsarnaev was just as culpable in the attack they say was meant to punish the U.S. for its wars in Muslim countries. In the boat where he was found hiding, he wrote, “Stop killing our innocent people and we will stop.”
Killed in the bombing were Lingzi Lu, a 23-year-old Boston University graduate student from China; Krystle Campbell, a 29-year-old restaurant manager from Medford; and 8-year-old Martin Richard, who had gone to watch the marathon with his family. Massachusetts Institute of Technology police Officer Sean Collier was shot to death in his cruiser days later.
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Describing media attention in the case as “unrivaled in American legal history,” the appeals court said U.S. District Judge George O’Toole fell short in running a jury selection process “sufficient to identify prejudice.”
The 1st Circuit also found that O’Toole erred in refusing to let the defense tell jurors about evidence tying Tamerlan Tsarnaev to the killings of three people in the Boston suburb of Waltham in 2011.
“If the judge had admitted the Waltham evidence — evidence that shows (like no other) that Tamerlan was predisposed to religiously-inspired brutality before the bombings and before Dzhokhar’s radicalization — the defense could have more forcefully rebutted the government’s claim that the brothers had a ‘partnership of equals,’” Judge O. Rogeriee Thompson wrote in the ruling.
President Donald Trump tweeted after the decision that the federal government “must again seek the Death Penalty in a do-over of that chapter of the original trial.” The ruling came as the U.S. government recently resumed federal executions following a 17-year pause.
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