thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-11--Trump's Administration Secretly Took Millions From FDNY's 9/11 Health Program

The Trump administration has been quietly pulling money out of a fund for New York City firefighters and medics suffering from 9/11 related illnesses , with nearly $ 4 million channeled to the federal government , an investigation by Michael McAuliff of The New York Daily News found .
Though paperwork showed the full amount of cash had been sent to the fund by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health , the Treasury Department started quietly withholding between half a million to nearly 1.5 million dollars for several years , according to the report .
Treasury Department spokeswoman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that funds had been redirected to pay down some of the city ’ s Medicare debt , but stressed that a “ complicated ” collection system had obscured the money ’ s origin .
“ It ’ s wrong , it shouldn ’ t happen this way , and we are doing everything that we can , working with the city to try and fix this really unfortunate situation , ” Miller said .
Prezant said that despite his own incessant inquiries , he had not previously seen an explanation for why the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was no longer receiving the money promised by Congress in the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act .
( Zadroga was a New York City police officer who died in 2006 of a respiratory disease stemming from being part of the rescue and recovery efforts after the World Trade Center ’ s Twin Towers collapsed on 9/11 . )
Only after Rep. Peter King ( R-N.Y. ) intervened and asked Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin about the matter was Prezant provided what he views as an unsatisfying answer .
The feds were squabbling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in New York City ; for some reason , they decided to go after 9/11 emergency responders ’ funds .
It ’ s a surprising choice , especially given the high profile struggle of 9/11 responders to get the health bill passed in the first place .
Congressional Republicans repeatedly voted down the legislation in 2010 .
A renewed push in 2015 succeeded at the last minute ― but only after sick and dying 9/11 responders made dozens of emotional lobbying trips to Congress and former “ Daily Show ” host Jon Stewart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daily News story was swift and furious on Friday , as politicians acknowledged the 19th anniversary of the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil and reiterated the vow to ” never forget.
” “ I AM FUCKING PISSED !
” tweeted Fred Guttenberg , known nationally as the father of Jamie Gutenberg , murdered in the 2018 mass school shooting in Parkland , Florida .
Guttenberg ’ s brother died in 2017 of cancer linked to his role as a first responder on 9/11 .
“ How dare you withhold ” the funds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What would cause you to withhold money from our American heroes who need this money NOW !
!
!
I truly believe you & your boss hate America .
Everything you do leads to more dead Americans & or punishing our heroes .
GET THIS MONEY TO THOSE WHO NEED IT.
” Michael Barasch , whose law firm represents thousands of 9/11 survivors and first responders , told MSNBC on Friday that more people have now died of 9/11-related illnesses than the almost 3,000 who perished that day .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
“ They were all exposed to these carcinogens , and now with the coronavirus , the 9/11 community in particular is so vulnerable , because if you ’ ve had ( chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ) or asthma , which are two of the most common of the respiratory illnesses , or if you ’ ve been decimated by cancer and had to have chemotherapy , your immune system is shot .

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The Trump administration has been quietly pulling money out of a fund for New York City firefighters and medics suffering from 9/11 related illnesses, with nearly $4 million channeled to the federal government, an investigation by Michael McAuliff of The New York Daily News found.
Though paperwork showed the full amount of cash had been sent to the fund by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the Treasury Department started quietly withholding between half a million to nearly 1.5 million dollars for several years, according to the report.
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“This was just disappearing,” FDNY World Trade Center Health Program Director Dr. David Prezant told The News. “This is the most amazing thing. This was disappearing — without any notification.”
Treasury Department spokeswoman Rebecca Miller confirmed to The News Friday that funds had been redirected to pay down some of the city’s Medicare debt, but stressed that a “complicated” collection system had obscured the money’s origin.
“It’s wrong, it shouldn’t happen this way, and we are doing everything that we can, working with the city to try and fix this really unfortunate situation,” Miller said.
Prezant said that despite his own incessant inquiries, he had not previously seen an explanation for why the fund meant to help 9/11 emergency responders was no longer receiving the money promised by Congress in the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. (Zadroga was a New York City police officer who died in 2006 of a respiratory disease stemming from being part of the rescue and recovery efforts after the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers collapsed on 9/11.)
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Only after Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) intervened and asked Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin about the matter was Prezant provided what he views as an unsatisfying answer. The feds were squabbling over Medicare bills with a different agency in New York City; for some reason, they decided to go after 9/11 emergency responders’ funds.
An initial rerouting of about $500,000 began in 2016, under the Obama administration. Under President Donald Trump, the withdrawals have accelerated.
It’s a surprising choice, especially given the high profile struggle of 9/11 responders to get the health bill passed in the first place. Congressional Republicans repeatedly voted down the legislation in 2010. A renewed push in 2015 succeeded at the last minute ― but only after sick and dying 9/11 responders made dozens of emotional lobbying trips to Congress and former “Daily Show” host Jon Stewart amplified the cause.
A firefighter bows in grief after the World Trade Center buildings collapsed on Sept. 11, 2001. Mario Tama via Getty Images
Reaction to the Daily News story was swift and furious on Friday, as politicians acknowledged the 19th anniversary of the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil and reiterated the vow to ”never forget.”
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Uniformed Fire Officers Association President Jake Lemonda called the rerouting of the funds “despicable” and “inexcusable.”
“I AM FUCKING PISSED!” tweeted Fred Guttenberg, known nationally as the father of Jamie Gutenberg, murdered in the 2018 mass school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Guttenberg’s brother died in 2017 of cancer linked to his role as a first responder on 9/11.
In subsequent tweets, Guttenberg urged Vice President Mike Pence to “stay home today” instead of attending a ceremony at “ground zero,” the World Trade Center site.
“How dare you withhold” the funds, he tweeted at Pence. “What would cause you to withhold money from our American heroes who need this money NOW!!! I truly believe you & your boss hate America. Everything you do leads to more dead Americans & or punishing our heroes. GET THIS MONEY TO THOSE WHO NEED IT.”
Michael Barasch, whose law firm represents thousands of 9/11 survivors and first responders, told MSNBC on Friday that more people have now died of 9/11-related illnesses than the almost 3,000 who perished that day.
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“It’s because of the toxic dust,” he said. “They were all exposed to these carcinogens, and now with the coronavirus, the 9/11 community in particular is so vulnerable, because if you’ve had (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) or asthma, which are two of the most common of the respiratory illnesses, or if you’ve been decimated by cancer and had to have chemotherapy, your immune system is shot.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-11--Democrats Worried That Beating Trump In November May Not Be Enough

Add to the mix Trump ’ s incendiary claims about “ rigged ” elections and his false attacks against mail-in voting , and you have a recipe for chaos that has some elected officials worried the president will refuse to concede even if he loses outright in November .
“ There are somewhere between 15 and 20 deeply worrying scenarios that in any other year would seem paranoid , ” Sen. Richard Blumenthal ( D-Conn. ) said .
“ Trump has shown himself to be completely without scruple or ethics .
I worry about any of the above .
Name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ We ’ re building up a legal apparatus to first and foremost make sure everybody gets to cast a vote , but it won ’ t hurt to have that legal apparatus in place if we are dealing with some ridiculous contest from the president , ” said Sen. Chris Murphy ( D-Conn. ) .
In a potential preview of coming election chaos , the Wisconsin Supreme Court told election officials on Wednesday not to mail out absentee ballots until the court decides whether to add the Green Party ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though more than 370,000 ballots may have already been sent out .
The 4-3 order fell along ideological lines , with conservative justices ruling in the majority .
Wisconsin is a key battleground this year ― Trump won the state in 2016 by only about 20,000 votes .
“ It ’ s just crazy to me that we have to root for a 7 to 8 point win , ” Murphy told HuffPost .
“ In today ’ s political climate , winning by 3 to 4 points should be considered a thumping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ makes people nervous sort of by how rigged our democracy has become.
” The nonpartisan Cook Political Report this week shifted its ratings of two swing states , Florida and Nevada , in Trump ’ s favor .
Its analysis cited two factors ― the potential effect of the pandemic on traditional Democratic get-out-the-vote efforts and Biden ’ s weakness among Latino voters , who constitute a significant share of the population in each state .
Polls have shown Biden underperforming with Latinos compared to Hillary Clinton ’ s 2016 presidential campaign .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ still weigh heavily in the minds of Democrats .
Some fear it could happen all over again given the historic pandemic and the ways it might impact voting .
“ I am respectful about the polls but I do worry about whether voters are really going to mail in their ballots or go to the polls , whether they are being honest with the pollsters , whether there ’ ll be enough poll watchers , all kinds of other scenarios that could make a difference in a battleground state , ” Blumenthal said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a priority on Rust Belt states , making several visits to Michigan , Wisconsin and Pennsylvania this month .
Both candidates attended events in Shanksville , Pennsylvania , on Friday to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks .
Recent polls have shown Biden leading Trump in Pennsylvania by as many as 9 percentage points , although some have found Trump closing the gap after the Republican National Convention last month .
“ The president will do anything to win , including breaking the law , but I think the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be a convincing win ― but convincing could be 2 or 3 points , ” said Sen. Bob Casey ( D-Pa. ) .
Sen. Tim Kaine ( D-Va. ) ― who was Clinton ’ s running mate in 2016 and felt the heartbreak of the polling personally ― said he is “ not overly ” confident in the presidential polls .
He expressed concern about the ways Trump may use his powers as president in service of his reelection , pointing to Trump ’ s promotion of materials illegally obtained by Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month , Trump staged pardoning and naturalization ceremonies as part of the GOP ’ s official nominating convention , which he held in part on the grounds of the White House .
The U.S. Department of Justice also announced this week that government lawyers would take over defending the president against a defamation lawsuit by a woman who has accused him of raping her in the 1990s .

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With just eight weeks to go, Democrats are growing increasingly anxious about the 2020 election and the potential for nightmare voting scenarios that could lead to President Donald Trump’s reelection this fall.
While former Vice President Joe Biden holds a comfortable lead in national opinion surveys, Trump has closed the gap in some polls of crucial battleground states like Florida and Pennsylvania, which could decide the outcome of the presidential race.
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The coronavirus pandemic, meanwhile, may prevent Americans from learning who won on Election Day. An explosion in absentee voting coupled with delays in processing mail-in ballots is likely to delay results in both the presidential and congressional contests.
Add to the mix Trump’s incendiary claims about “rigged” elections and his false attacks against mail-in voting, and you have a recipe for chaos that has some elected officials worried the president will refuse to concede even if he loses outright in November.
“There are somewhere between 15 and 20 deeply worrying scenarios that in any other year would seem paranoid,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said. “Trump has shown himself to be completely without scruple or ethics. I worry about any of the above. Name a scenario, I’m worried.”
“My greatest fear is that President Trump will resist the verdict of democracy and call into question its honesty and integrity and make a mess of things in the courts,” added Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), who, like Blumenthal, serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
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Earlier this year, Democrats launched a massive legal campaign to fight Republican efforts to restrict voting across the nation. The multimillion-dollar strategy has paid dividends in the courts, handing the Democrats victories against state voter-registration purges, ID requirements, and rules regarding signature-matching and ballot orders.
Republicans have also ramped up their legal attacks on voting by mail. The Trump campaign recently sued Montana, New Jersey and Nevada over those states’ expansion of mail-in voting.
Democrats are hoping their legal operation, helmed by election lawyer Marc Elias in coordination with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, will act as an insurance policy if Trump tries to contest the election results.
“We’re building up a legal apparatus to first and foremost make sure everybody gets to cast a vote, but it won’t hurt to have that legal apparatus in place if we are dealing with some ridiculous contest from the president,” said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.).
In a potential preview of coming election chaos, the Wisconsin Supreme Court told election officials on Wednesday not to mail out absentee ballots until the court decides whether to add the Green Party’s presidential ticket to the ballot ― even though more than 370,000 ballots may have already been sent out. The 4-3 order fell along ideological lines, with conservative justices ruling in the majority. Wisconsin is a key battleground this year ― Trump won the state in 2016 by only about 20,000 votes.
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“It’s just crazy to me that we have to root for a 7 to 8 point win,” Murphy told HuffPost. “In today’s political climate, winning by 3 to 4 points should be considered a thumping, but that all of a sudden makes people nervous sort of by how rigged our democracy has become.”
The top congressional Democrats sent an unusual plea to their colleagues this week, advising them to urge their constituents to vote as early as possible.
“To prevent Donald Trump from stealing this election, VOTE,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) warned in a letter addressed to their members. “Americans must vote as early as they can — especially if you plan to vote by mail.”
Although in today’s polarized political climate, no one expected Biden to sustain his large lead over Trump until November, there are signs the race has become more competitive in recent weeks.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report this week shifted its ratings of two swing states, Florida and Nevada, in Trump’s favor. Its analysis cited two factors ― the potential effect of the pandemic on traditional Democratic get-out-the-vote efforts and Biden’s weakness among Latino voters, who constitute a significant share of the population in each state. Polls have shown Biden underperforming with Latinos compared to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.
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The polling misses of the 2016 election still weigh heavily in the minds of Democrats. Some fear it could happen all over again given the historic pandemic and the ways it might impact voting.
“I am respectful about the polls but I do worry about whether voters are really going to mail in their ballots or go to the polls, whether they are being honest with the pollsters, whether there’ll be enough poll watchers, all kinds of other scenarios that could make a difference in a battleground state,” Blumenthal said.
Biden and Trump have both placed a priority on Rust Belt states, making several visits to Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania this month. Both candidates attended events in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on Friday to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Recent polls have shown Biden leading Trump in Pennsylvania by as many as 9 percentage points, although some have found Trump closing the gap after the Republican National Convention last month.
“The president will do anything to win, including breaking the law, but I think the turnout is going to be strong enough to be a convincing win ― but convincing could be 2 or 3 points,” said Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.).
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) ― who was Clinton’s running mate in 2016 and felt the heartbreak of the polling personally ― said he is “not overly” confident in the presidential polls. He expressed concern about the ways Trump may use his powers as president in service of his reelection, pointing to Trump’s promotion of materials illegally obtained by Russian hackers during the 2016 election.
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Last month, Trump staged pardoning and naturalization ceremonies as part of the GOP’s official nominating convention, which he held in part on the grounds of the White House. The U.S. Department of Justice also announced this week that government lawyers would take over defending the president against a defamation lawsuit by a woman who has accused him of raping her in the 1990s.
“At that time, at least he didn’t have governmental power,” Kaine said of Trump’s 2016 bid. “Now, he’s got tools and governmental power at his disposal so there’s nothing he won’t do to win, including accepting help from a foreign adversary.”
“We have to be completely at the top of our game,” he warned.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-11--John Kasich Tells Meghan McCain Republicans Need To 'Wake Up' And Vote Biden

Meghan McCain has gone on record that she ’ s no fan of Donald Trump and loves Joe Biden as a person .
Yet , like many Republicans , she still feels torn about the upcoming election despite a whole slew of reasons why the current president is bad for the country .
On Friday ’ s episode of “ The View , ” McCain attempted to express to former Ohio governor and fellow Republican John Kasich why she ’ s hesitant to vote Trump out of office .
“ I hate President Trump , and I think everybody else @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ But there are some policies on the left , specifically with Kamala Harris right now , having to do with abortion .
She co-sponsored a bill doing away with any limits at all , also running on taxpayer funding for abortions .
“ I was surprised at this .
You ’ re pro-life , and I know that .
You were pro-life in politics , as am I.
It ’ s a big part of who I am and my platform , and I don ’ t think taxpayers should be funding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as I am right now .
How would you push back against a voter like me who ’ s concerned about things like this in a possible Biden-Harris administration ?
” Kasich gently attempted to sway McCain by first pointing out that he agreed with her stance on abortion , but then suggested the damage that Trump is doing to the country requires conservatives to make hard choices in the voting booth .
“ The issues here are dwarfed , in my opinion , by the fact that he ’ s a person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kasich said , referring to Biden .
“ So do I think that if we wins , that all of a sudden all these things are going to happen that are negative ?
No , I don ’ t believe that at all because that ’ s not his character.
” I hope this is appropriate for me to say .
As you know , your father and Joe were great friends .
Why ?
Not because they agreed on everything , but they could find common ground .
So do I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in some cataclysmic place if he wins ?
I don ’ t , but I do believe four more years of this division is wrecking the very soul of our country , and we continue down this path , I don ’ t know how we come back .
“ Franklin Roosevelt , [ Abraham ] Lincoln himself called on the power of God to help the American people to overcome crises , ” he said .
“ That is part of how we ’ re going to overcome this division , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to wake up to what ’ s happening in this country .
”

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Meghan McCain has gone on record that she’s no fan of Donald Trump and loves Joe Biden as a person.
Yet, like many Republicans, she still feels torn about the upcoming election despite a whole slew of reasons why the current president is bad for the country.
On Friday’s episode of “The View,” McCain attempted to express to former Ohio governor and fellow Republican John Kasich why she’s hesitant to vote Trump out of office.
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“I hate President Trump, and I think everybody else knows that,” McCain said. “But there are some policies on the left, specifically with Kamala Harris right now, having to do with abortion. She co-sponsored a bill doing away with any limits at all, also running on taxpayer funding for abortions.
“I was surprised at this. You’re pro-life, and I know that. You were pro-life in politics, as am I. It’s a big part of who I am and my platform, and I don’t think taxpayers should be funding abortions for women who are as pregnant as I am right now. How would you push back against a voter like me who’s concerned about things like this in a possible Biden-Harris administration?”
Kasich gently attempted to sway McCain by first pointing out that he agreed with her stance on abortion, but then suggested the damage that Trump is doing to the country requires conservatives to make hard choices in the voting booth.
“The issues here are dwarfed, in my opinion, by the fact that he’s a person that can pull us together,” Kasich said, referring to Biden. “So do I think that if we wins, that all of a sudden all these things are going to happen that are negative? No, I don’t believe that at all because that’s not his character.”
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Kasich continued by getting personal.
I hope this is appropriate for me to say. As you know, your father and Joe were great friends. Why? Not because they agreed on everything, but they could find common ground. So do I think we’re going to end up in some cataclysmic place if he wins? I don’t, but I do believe four more years of this division is wrecking the very soul of our country, and we continue down this path, I don’t know how we come back.
Kasich then suggested conservatives read an op-ed he wrote for USA Today about the power of faith.
“Franklin Roosevelt, [Abraham] Lincoln himself called on the power of God to help the American people to overcome crises,” he said. “That is part of how we’re going to overcome this division, with the inspiration from our creator animating individuals to wake up to what’s happening in this country.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-11--Prosecutor Quits Trump's Law Enforcement Commission, Saying The Fix Is In

“ At the very beginning of this process , President Trump said the Commission would ‘ have [ the recommendations ] soon because most of them know many of the answers before they begin.
’ It is now patently obvious that he was correct ― that this process had no intention of engaging in a thoughtful and open analysis , but was intent on providing cover for a predetermined agenda that ignores the lessons of the past , furthering failed tough-on-crime policies that led to our current mass incarceration crisis and fueling divisions between our communities and our police officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the commission never responded to a letter that he sent along with Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark A. Dupree Sr. , the first Black district attorney in the state of Kansas .
Their May 29 letter stated that there were just four locally elected prosecutors in any of the committee ’ s 17 different working groups , and among other concerns raised the issue that the final report might “ seek to erode local prosecutorial discretion.
” Barr has lashed out at progressive prosecutors , even as his own home county of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We wanted to be able to advocate for including other voices to find a way that would be more unifying as opposed to dividing , ” Choi said .
“ If the report is just going to take the perspective of the traditional law enforcement approach and ignore others , I think that ’ s going to be a huge missed opportunity .
Because the way that the country is moving right now , I think that we ’ re questioning everything that ’ s been happening in the traditional law enforcement structure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the justice system operates.
” In some ways the work of the commission is no surprise against that backdrop of an attorney general who insists there is no systemic racism , and that disparities in our criminal justice system are in no way the product of inherent or explicit bias .
Miriam Krinsky , founder and executive director , Fair and Just Prosecution One of the chairs of that working group ― Essex County , Massachusetts , District Attorney Jonathan Bloggett ― has said that he believes that the progressive prosecutor movement is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Bloggett recently got into a dispute with one of the nation ’ s best-known progressive prosecutors , Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins , also of Massachusetts , after he and three other prosecutors tried to intervene in her case involving how new research on the brain development of young adults should impact sentencing .

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An elected prosecutor who took a role in Donald Trump’s presidential commission on law enforcement has resigned, telling Attorney General William Barr that he is concerned the commission was “intent on providing cover for a predetermined agenda that ignores the lessons of the past” and will issue a final report that “will only widen the divisions in our nation.”
Trump formed the Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice late last October, announcing its formation at the International Association of Chiefs of Police’s annual meeting. Trump’s order mandated that the commission issue a report within one year ― a deadline that falls just days ahead of the 2020 presidential election.
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The commission is stacked with members of law enforcement, and the American Civil Liberties Union has questioned whether it is a “sham commission formed only for the purposes of advancing a ‘Thin Blue Line’ law and order agenda.”
John Choi, the elected prosecutor in Ramsey County, Minnesota, served as a member of the commission’s criminal justice system personnel intersection working group. But Choi, whose county includes the city of St. Paul, wrote in a letter to Barr that he was quitting his role on one of the commission’s 17 working groups because he worries the final report “will vilify local prosecutors who exercise their well settled prosecutorial discretion consistent with their community’s values and the interests of justice.”
The Justice Department struck back at Choi, with one official telling HuffPost that Choi didn’t really resign because the working groups had already completed their work. The two chairs of the working group ― former U.S. Attorney Jay Town and Cook County Judge William O’Brien ― also criticized Choi’s work in interviews with HuffPost. Town said Choi offered “very little in substance,” while O’Brien said his opinions “didn’t have a lot of depth.”
Minnesota prosecutor John Choi, right, told Attorney General William Barr in a letter that he was quitting the Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice because it "had no intention of engaging in a thoughtful and open analysis, but was intent on providing cover for a predetermined agenda that ignores the lessons of the past." Getty/AP
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Choi wrote in his letter to Barr that he previously tried to communicate to the commission that it “needed to listen to those who have been negatively impacted by policing and the criminal justice system.” But he said it is now clear that engaging communities to help bridge the divide between communities and law enforcement “was never the intended goal.”
“Rather than examine how decades of over-policing in communities of color have created that deficit of trust, the Commission was instead encouraged to study ‘underenforcement’ of criminal laws and ‘refusals by State and local prosecutors to enforce laws or prosecute categories of crimes’,” Choi wrote.
“At the very beginning of this process, President Trump said the Commission would ‘have [the recommendations] soon because most of them know many of the answers before they begin.’ It is now patently obvious that he was correct ― that this process had no intention of engaging in a thoughtful and open analysis, but was intent on providing cover for a predetermined agenda that ignores the lessons of the past, furthering failed tough-on-crime policies that led to our current mass incarceration crisis and fueling divisions between our communities and our police officers,” Choi wrote.
Choi called the commission “a missed opportunity to seriously deliberate in regard to areas for improvement in law enforcement and develop thoughtful solutions to address longstanding problems in the criminal legal system.”
In an interview with HuffPost, Choi said he joined the commission working group with the hope that he’d be able to contribute to the dialogue by sharing his experiences with drug treatment courts and issues like ending cash bail (an issue, he said, that wasn’t necessarily “received very well by the commission.”)
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Judge O’Brien, who differed with Choi on the issue of cash bail, said the commission gave Choi an opportunity to present language on cash bail to the rest of the working group, but he never did so.
Choi said that the commission never responded to a letter that he sent along with Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark A. Dupree Sr., the first Black district attorney in the state of Kansas. Their May 29 letter stated that there were just four locally elected prosecutors in any of the committee’s 17 different working groups, and among other concerns raised the issue that the final report might “seek to erode local prosecutorial discretion.” Barr has lashed out at progressive prosecutors, even as his own home county of Fairfax, Virginia elected one.
“We wanted to be able to advocate for including other voices to find a way that would be more unifying as opposed to dividing,” Choi said. “If the report is just going to take the perspective of the traditional law enforcement approach and ignore others, I think that’s going to be a huge missed opportunity. Because the way that the country is moving right now, I think that we’re questioning everything that’s been happening in the traditional law enforcement structure, as well as the way that the justice system operates.”
Choi said he was especially disturbed by the rhetoric of U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District for Pennsylvania William McSwain, who previously launched heated attacks at progressive Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner. McSwain, in his testimony before the commission, claimed that progressive prosecutors promoted anti-law enforcement culture and disrespect for the rule of law.
“I’m just really passionate about prosecutorial discretion,” Choi said. “Every prosecutor who’s elected in America should have that discretion and they should have an obligation and responsibility to think about what their communities want and apply those policies. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
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“If the report is just going to take the perspective of the traditional law enforcement approach and ignore others, I think that’s going to be a huge missed opportunity.” - John Choi, prosecutor in Ramsey County, Minnesota
Town, the Trump-nominated former top federal prosecutor in the Northern District of Alabama and co-chair of Choi’s working group, said that he found it “fairly pretentious” for Choi to request to read the final version of the report before it was released.
“The final version is up to the president of the United States,” Town said. “The fact that some study group guy ― the district attorney for a county of 400,000 ― is gonna get editorial rights on a commission report before it’s released from the president of the United States is just outlandish.”
Choi’s office said there were 550,000 people in the county.
Town also said that while he couldn’t say how diverse the commissioners’ views and experiences might be because he didn’t know all of them, he could say they took their work seriously.
“What I do know from my interaction with the commission is that the individual commissioners, unlike Choi, took their role on the commission very seriously and had genuine purpose in identifying ways in which our justice system might improve for every American,” he said.
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Town, who praised Trump’s handling of law enforcement issues, said he didn’t think Choi was “a bad guy” despite differing from him politically.
“I just think he is seizing on a moment and doing so after literally offering very little in substance,” Town said.
Miriam Krinsky, a former federal prosecutor and the founder and executive director of the group Fair and Just Prosecution, said that Trump’s commission seems fixated on building trust in law enforcement without actually addressing the fundamental issues that have driven distrust in police, prosecutors, and court systems for years.
“In some ways the work of the commission is no surprise against that backdrop of an attorney general who insists there is no systemic racism, and that disparities in our criminal justice system are in no way the product of inherent or explicit bias,” Krinsky said.
Krinsky’s group helped organize the filing of a brief in a lawsuit by the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund challenging the commission’s process and membership.
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“Trust won’t be rebuilt, and the justice system won’t regain legitimacy, if critical policing and prosecution policies are developed through a process that is not transparent, inclusive, and informed by a diverse set of viewpoints,” the briefing stated. (A hearing in the lawsuit is set for next week.)
“There’s a growing chorus of groups, of reports, and of people taking to the streets around those concerns,” Krinsky said. “But oddly, this commission and its guiding principles seem to be completely tone deaf to those issues.”
While Trump’s commission has examined issues like homelessness, addiction, mental health, and improving law enforcement training, there’s also been a heavy focus on “the trend of diminished respect for law enforcement and the laws they enforce.” The “Respect for Law Enforcement” working group is specifically evaluating how “under-enforcement of the criminal law in certain jurisdictions” affects “public safety; public perception of law enforcement and the laws they enforce; police resources and morale; the rule of law.”
“In some ways the work of the commission is no surprise against that backdrop of an attorney general who insists there is no systemic racism, and that disparities in our criminal justice system are in no way the product of inherent or explicit bias.” - Miriam Krinsky, founder and executive director, Fair and Just Prosecution
One of the chairs of that working group ― Essex County, Massachusetts, District Attorney Jonathan Bloggett ― has said that he believes that the progressive prosecutor movement is “being driven by slogans and cliches.” Bloggett recently got into a dispute with one of the nation’s best-known progressive prosecutors, Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins, also of Massachusetts, after he and three other prosecutors tried to intervene in her case involving how new research on the brain development of young adults should impact sentencing.
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The Trump commission’s final hearings focused on respect for law enforcement and featured police advocates pushing for even harsher laws against those who assault the police and prosecutors complaining about the progressive prosecutor movement. U.S. Attorney McGregor Scott of the Eastern District of California told the commission that progressive prosecutors placed “a higher value on the perpetrators of crime than on the victims of crime.”
One police advocate testified that he saw “a rise in the general disrespect for law enforcement among younger generations,” and pointed in part to search engine results.
“If you go online and search ‘disrespect for police’ there are literally over 17 million results,” testified Brian Marvel, the president of the Peace Officers Research Association of California. “I believe this points to larger societal issues in which no one is accountable for their actions.”
It’s unclear exactly when Trump’s commission will issue its report, but it is certain to come before the election and is likely to boost the president’s “law and order” campaign that feeds on Americans’ inaccurate perceptions about crime rates.
Trump’s commission took its name from another commission that issued a report on crime way back in 1967. That commission’s report, issued the year before Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, stated that crime “flourishes where the conditions of life are the worst, and that therefore the foundation of a national strategy against crime is an unremitting national effort for social justice.” The 53-year-old report said that the nation needed “forceful action” in the fields of housing, education, unemployment, welfare and health care.
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“Reducing poverty, discrimination, ignorance, disease and urban blight, and the anger, cynicism or despair those conditions can inspire, is one great step toward reducing crime,” that report stated.
The nation, in large part, went a different way, with “law-and-order” politics dumping resources into systems of incarceration. Former Attorney General Nicholas deBelleville Katzenbach, who served as chairman of that first commission, later wrote in his 2008 memoir that the 1967 report “has been ignored by politicians in recent years, when the prevailing mood has insisted on more punishment as an answer ― longer sentences (often mandatory); more power to prosecutors and less to judges; fewer efforts at education, job training and rehabilitation; and huge increases in the number of prisons and the cost of internment.”
Katzenbach’s memoir included a warning about how “law and order” politics had impacted America.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-11--Democrat Opponent To Republican QAnon Supporter Drops Out Of Race

ATLANTA ( AP ) — The Democratic candidate running against Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene , who has expressed support for @ @ @ @ @ been criticized for other incendiary comments , is dropping out of their race for a @ @ @ @ @ Georgia .
Democrat Kevin Van Ausdal bowed out of the race on Friday .
His @ @ @ @ @ The Associated Press that Van Ausdal was exiting the race for “ personal and family @ @ @ @ @ of videos unearthed in June , Greene complains of an “ Islamic invasion ” into @ @ @ @ @ and Hispanic men are held back by “ gangs and dealing drugs , ” and @ @ @ @ @ that billionaire philanthropist George Soros , who is Jewish , collaborated with the Nazis .
@ @ @ @ @ a growing list of candidates who have expressed support for QAnon , the far-right U.S. @ @ @ @ @ supporters of President Donald Trump .
Important conversations are happening now .
Add your voice @ @ @ @ @

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ATLANTA (AP) — The Democratic candidate running against Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has expressed support for the QAnon conspiracy theory and been criticized for other incendiary comments, is dropping out of their race for a U.S. House seat representing northwest Georgia.
Democrat Kevin Van Ausdal bowed out of the race on Friday. His campaign manager Vinny Olsziewski told The Associated Press that Van Ausdal was exiting the race for “personal and family reasons.”
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In a series of videos unearthed in June, Greene complains of an “Islamic invasion” into government offices, claims Black and Hispanic men are held back by “gangs and dealing drugs,” and pushes an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory that billionaire philanthropist George Soros, who is Jewish, collaborated with the Nazis.
Greene also is part of a growing list of candidates who have expressed support for QAnon, the far-right U.S. conspiracy theory popular among some supporters of President Donald Trump.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-11--Exasperated California Gov. Rips Climate Deniers As West Coast Burns

“ This is a climate damn emergency , ” Newsom said , standing amid the ashes of the North Complex fire in Oroville in Northern California .
The fire is one of 28 major blazes currently raging across the state — four of which are among the 10 largest wildfires in state history .
“ I ’ m a little bit exhausted that we have to continue to debate this issue , ” Newsom said of climate change , standing in Butte County , the same county that suffered the Camp fire in 2018 — the deadliest in state history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year .
Wildfires have burned through a record 3.15 million acres across the state — representing an over 2,000 % increase in acreage burned compared to this time last year .
In the past three weeks , fires across Northern California have killed at least 19 people , burned over 3,900 homes and other structures , and forced tens of thousands of residents to flee their homes .
And fire season is just getting started .
The governor described the conditions across the state as “ a climate emergency ” and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is what scientists had been predicting for decades with the “ hots getting a lot hotter , the dries getting a lot dryer.
” This past weekend , a record-breaking heat wave delivered Los Angeles County its highest temperature ever recorded , 121 degrees Fahrenheit , with temperatures in several parts of Northern California also reaching triple digits .
“ California , folks , is America fast-forward , ” the governor warned , pleading for people to “ disabuse ourselves of all the B.S .
that has been spewed ” in denying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re experiencing right here is coming to a community all across the U.S. unless we get our act together on climate change.
” Further up the coast , Oregon and Washington were also facing major fires , with tens of thousands of Oregonians forced to evacuate and entire communities leveled by the blazes .
High levels of smoke from the fires have spread along the coast in recent weeks , with the Environmental Protection Agency deeming air pollution levels “ unhealthy ” and even “ hazardous ” in parts of Northern California on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quality ranked as the worst worldwide .
Newsom heralded Western states ’ “ climate pact , ” as well as the 25 states forming the U.S .
Climate Alliance , while urging other states to “ come on board ” and commit to investing in low-carbon emissions and green jobs .
The California governor also called out the Trump administration ’ s efforts to roll back environmental regulations , saying he was “ very proud of California ’ s leadership in the absence of national leadership ” on climate change .
While Newsom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more to improve forest management , such as prescribed burns to mitigate against fire risk , he pointed to climate change , including “ mega-droughts , ” as more significant contributors to the worsening fires in recent years .
Some environmental groups have criticized Newsom for the state ’ s approval of dozens of permits for fracking wells — a process of extracting oil and natural gas from the earth that has been shown to pollute waterways and release toxins into the air .
“ Explaining this to my 4-year-old , who ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus to now talking about what ’ s going on outside and why he can ’ t play around … that ’ s not the world I want to leave to my kids ... to your kids , ” Newsom said .
“ And we don ’ t have to .
”

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) made an exasperated plea for people not to “debate” the reality of climate change, as his state experiences record-breaking heat and devastating wildfires.
“This is a climate damn emergency,” Newsom said, standing amid the ashes of the North Complex fire in Oroville in Northern California. The fire is one of 28 major blazes currently raging across the state — four of which are among the 10 largest wildfires in state history.
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“I’m a little bit exhausted that we have to continue to debate this issue,” Newsom said of climate change, standing in Butte County, the same county that suffered the Camp fire in 2018 — the deadliest in state history — only to face massive fires again this year.
“The debate is over on climate change,” Newsom added. “Just come to the state of California.”
Wildfires have burned through a record 3.15 million acres across the state — representing an over 2,000% increase in acreage burned compared to this time last year. In the past three weeks, fires across Northern California have killed at least 19 people, burned over 3,900 homes and other structures, and forced tens of thousands of residents to flee their homes. And fire season is just getting started.
The governor described the conditions across the state as “a climate emergency” and a “climate crisis,” noting that this is what scientists had been predicting for decades with the “hots getting a lot hotter, the dries getting a lot dryer.” This past weekend, a record-breaking heat wave delivered Los Angeles County its highest temperature ever recorded, 121 degrees Fahrenheit, with temperatures in several parts of Northern California also reaching triple digits.
“California, folks, is America fast-forward,” the governor warned, pleading for people to “disabuse ourselves of all the B.S. that has been spewed” in denying climate change. “What we’re experiencing right here is coming to a community all across the U.S. unless we get our act together on climate change.”
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This isn’t a “because...2020” thing. This isn’t going away January 1.
What we are experiencing is an existential climate CRISIS. pic.twitter.com/42QeAaZ353 — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) September 11, 2020
High levels of smoke from the fires have spread along the coast in recent weeks, with the Environmental Protection Agency deeming air pollution levels “unhealthy” and even “hazardous” in parts of Northern California on Friday, and Portland’s air quality ranked as the worst worldwide.
Newsom heralded Western states’ “climate pact,” as well as the 25 states forming the U.S. Climate Alliance, while urging other states to “come on board” and commit to investing in low-carbon emissions and green jobs.
The California governor also called out the Trump administration’s efforts to roll back environmental regulations, saying he was “very proud of California’s leadership in the absence of national leadership” on climate change.
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While Newsom acknowledged that the state had to do more to improve forest management, such as prescribed burns to mitigate against fire risk, he pointed to climate change, including “mega-droughts,” as more significant contributors to the worsening fires in recent years.
Some environmental groups have criticized Newsom for the state’s approval of dozens of permits for fracking wells — a process of extracting oil and natural gas from the earth that has been shown to pollute waterways and release toxins into the air.
“Explaining this to my 4-year-old, who’s moved from talking about a novel coronavirus to now talking about what’s going on outside and why he can’t play around … that’s not the world I want to leave to my kids ... to your kids,” Newsom said. “And we don’t have to.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-11--Police Forced To Debunk Rumor That Antifa Started Massive Wildfires

Dozens of fires are tearing through parts of Oregon , Washington and California , casting an orange or yellow hue across darkened skies in the middle of the day .
At least 14 people have been killed , according to NPR .
While certain fires are being investigated as arson , many are thought to have been caused by drought , heat , lightning and high winds .
There is no evidence suggesting the wildfires have political origins .
“ THIS IS NOT TRUE !
” read a Facebook post by the Douglas County Police Department in southwest Oregon on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spreading this rumor and it is causing problems.
” President Donald Trump has repeatedly accused antifa , an umbrella term for anti-fascist and anti-racist activists , of starting fires and outbreaks of violence at demonstrations across the country this summer ― despite a clear lack of evidence that this is true .
The president doubled down on his fearmongering by suggesting antifa and other racial justice activists would “ destroy ” suburban America unless he ’ s reelected .
Trump ’ s attempts to demonize left-wing activists led him to threaten to designate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is likely impossible because the movement is decentralized and united mainly by common beliefs .
Failed Republican U.S. Senate candidate Paul Romero was seen pushing the theory that antifa was also somehow behind the wildfires early Wednesday over Twitter , claiming video footage “ confirmed ” it .
Romero falsely alleged that Douglas County arrested six “ ANTIFA arsonists ” and said there were still “ more to track down and arrest ” in the tweet , which was shared thousands of times .
Still , Douglas County ’ s emergency dispatchers have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people asking for information on supposed antifa-linked suspects , the department said .
In a nearby county , another department slapped a giant “ FALSE ” label over an image of a mugshot post alleging that five people had been arrested in connection with the fires .
“ We did not arrest this person for arson , nor anyone affiliated with Antifa or ‘ Proud Boys ’ as we ’ ve heard throughout the day , ” the Medford Police Department announced on Facebook .
Just south of Portland , a city where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than three months , the Molalla Police Department was forced to clarify a post asking residents to report suspicious activity .
It was about “ possible looters , not antifa or setting of fires , ” they said .
Although the Almeda fire in Oregon is being investigated as possible arson , the evidence simply does not point to left-wing political activism , Ashland Police Department Chief Tighe O ’ Meara told The Oregonian .
“ One thing I can say is that the rumor it was set by Antifa is 100 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meara told the outlet .
“ We have some leads , and none of it points in that direction.
” Officials said earlier this week that one massive blaze , California ’ s El Dorado fire , was sparked by a gender-reveal party stunt gone terribly wrong .
Experts believe that a warming climate , paired with an increasing human population , has been worsening the West Coast wildfires in recent years .

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As enormous wildfires continue to rage across the West Coast, police are now combating false social media rumors that anti-fascists conspired to set the deadly blazes.
Dozens of fires are tearing through parts of Oregon, Washington and California, casting an orange or yellow hue across darkened skies in the middle of the day. At least 14 people have been killed, according to NPR.
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While certain fires are being investigated as arson, many are thought to have been caused by drought, heat, lightning and high winds. There is no evidence suggesting the wildfires have political origins.
“THIS IS NOT TRUE!” read a Facebook post by the Douglas County Police Department in southwest Oregon on Thursday. “Unfortunately, people are spreading this rumor and it is causing problems.”
President Donald Trump has repeatedly accused antifa, an umbrella term for anti-fascist and anti-racist activists, of starting fires and outbreaks of violence at demonstrations across the country this summer ― despite a clear lack of evidence that this is true.
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The president doubled down on his fearmongering by suggesting antifa and other racial justice activists would “destroy” suburban America unless he’s reelected. Trump’s attempts to demonize left-wing activists led him to threaten to designate antifa as a terrorist organization — which is likely impossible because the movement is decentralized and united mainly by common beliefs.
Failed Republican U.S. Senate candidate Paul Romero was seen pushing the theory that antifa was also somehow behind the wildfires early Wednesday over Twitter, claiming video footage “confirmed” it. Romero falsely alleged that Douglas County arrested six “ANTIFA arsonists” and said there were still “more to track down and arrest” in the tweet, which was shared thousands of times.
Both Snopes and PolitiFact have debunked social media claims linking antifa to the wildfires this week.
Still, Douglas County’s emergency dispatchers have been “overrun” with calls from people asking for information on supposed antifa-linked suspects, the department said. In a nearby county, another department slapped a giant “FALSE” label over an image of a mugshot post alleging that five people had been arrested in connection with the fires.
“We did not arrest this person for arson, nor anyone affiliated with Antifa or ‘Proud Boys’ as we’ve heard throughout the day,” the Medford Police Department announced on Facebook.
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The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon also urged caution.
“Rumors make the job of protecting the community more difficult,” the agency said.
Just south of Portland, a city where racial justice protests have been ongoing for more than three months, the Molalla Police Department was forced to clarify a post asking residents to report suspicious activity. It was about “possible looters, not antifa or setting of fires,” they said.
Although the Almeda fire in Oregon is being investigated as possible arson, the evidence simply does not point to left-wing political activism, Ashland Police Department Chief Tighe O’Meara told The Oregonian.
“One thing I can say is that the rumor it was set by Antifa is 100% false information,” O’Meara told the outlet. “We have some leads, and none of it points in that direction.”
Officials said earlier this week that one massive blaze, California’s El Dorado fire, was sparked by a gender-reveal party stunt gone terribly wrong. Experts believe that a warming climate, paired with an increasing human population, has been worsening the West Coast wildfires in recent years.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-11--Wisconsin On The Verge Of Election Chaos Over Possible Absentee Ballot Delays

Wisconsin ’ s conservative-controlled Supreme Court told local officials Thursday to stop mailing out absentee ballots while it rules on whether to allow Hawkins on the ballot .
West is pursuing a similar lawsuit in a circuit court , after the Wisconsin Elections Commission ruled in August that both the rapper and the Green Party candidate did not properly make the filing deadline to appear on the ballot .
Election officials are just one week away from a Sept. 17 deadline when state law mandates that clerks send out requested ballots to Wisconsin voters .
The state has been in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots for weeks .
If the courts rule in favor of Hawkins or West , the state will have to start from scratch — an expensive and complicated process that could cause some localities to miss the deadline and potentially leave some voters with two versions of an absentee ballot .
Close to a million Wisconsinites have requested absentee ballots this cycle , breaking 2016 records as the coronavirus pandemic continues to pose a threat to in-person voting .
State records show that 313,598 ballots have been marked as sent , though that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ field and ballots that have just been issued mailing labels .
Wisconsin officials have no way of knowing how many ballots have actually been mailed to voters .
Wisconsin Elections Commission Chairwoman Meagan Wolfe , who was confirmed by the state ’ s Republican-controlled Senate , said in a court affidavit that any additional delays at this point would cause municipalities to miss the state deadlines for mailing out absentee ballots .
She added that for overseas and military voters , delays “ could very likely result in them not receiving a ballot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their ballot to be counted.
” The impact of the continued litigation will vary across the state because of Wisconsin ’ s decentralized election system .
In Milwaukee County , for example , there are 475 different versions of the presidential ballot that the county clerk said would take at least 10 days to print , sort , package and deliver to municipal clerks .
But what is universal across Wisconsin is a state of confusion .
Already cities are dealing with unprecedented changes due to the pandemic ― record high numbers of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polling stations and safety procedures have been occupying election officials ’ time for months .
Now there ’ s this latest challenge .
In Madison , the state ’ s capital , city Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl said already voters have called in canceling their absentee ballot requests after hearing of the court ruling , opting to vote in-person , even during the pandemic , to avoid any chaos in the courts .
Others with travel plans have called in confused about whether to change their addresses to account for any possible delays .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s going to be a matter of us being one day late on 20,000 absentees or if we are going to be a week late on everything , ” she said .
“ We don ’ t have a sense yet if we are going to meet the deadline for some of the absentee ballots or none.
” The Wisconsin Elections Commission made its decision to keep West and Hawkins off the ballot on Aug. 20 , citing improper filings and missed deadlines .
West ’ s representative was filmed entering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ p.m. , and did not actually organize and file the papers until several minutes after .
The six-person commission , which is split evenly between parties , decided on a 5-1 vote that West did not meet the statutory requirement of filing “ no later than 5 o ’ clock.
” But the case against Hawkins is more tenuous .
In early August , Mandell had filed a complaint claiming there was a discrepancy involving the listed addresses of Hawkins ’ running mate , Angela Walker .
The Hawkins campaign said Walker had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats on the commission said it wasn ’ t their job to establish that Walker had actually moved .
In the end , the commission was deadlocked 3-3 , with Republican appointees voting in favor of Hawkins appearing on the ballot and Democrats voting against .
As a result , neither West nor the Green Party candidates were certified to be on the ballot .
“ The courts are right to be skeptical of this manufactured delay caused by the Democrats , ” Hawkins ’ campaign manager Andrea Mérida said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Elections Commission avoided violating basic due process at the hearing , we would not be in this position .
Instead , the hyper-partisan Democrats on the commission denied our campaign the right to present evidence and should have dismissed the challenge from the beginning because our campaign followed the commission staff ’ s instructions to the letter regarding Angela Walker ’ s address change .
”

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Close to a million Wisconsin voters may get their absentee ballots later than planned, as Kanye West and the Green Party fight to get on the ballot.
Two high-stakes legal battles over whether West and Green Party presidential nominee Howie Hawkins can appear on the ballot are creating havoc in the crucial swing state.
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Wisconsin’s conservative-controlled Supreme Court told local officials Thursday to stop mailing out absentee ballots while it rules on whether to allow Hawkins on the ballot. West, who pursued a similar lawsuit in a circuit court, lost his case Friday night, but is expected to appeal. The Wisconsin Elections Commission ruled in August that both the rapper and the Green Party candidate did not properly make the filing deadline to appear on the ballot.
The Supreme Court’s 4-3 decision was along ideological lines, with liberals dissenting.
Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins has taken his case straight to the Wisconsin state Supreme Court to get on the presidential ballot. AP Photo/Hans Pennink
Election officials are just one week away from a Sept. 17 deadline when state law mandates that clerks send out requested ballots to Wisconsin voters. The state has been in the process of printing and mailing out ballots for weeks. If the courts rule in favor of Hawkins, the state will have to start from scratch — an expensive and complicated process that could cause some localities to miss the deadline and potentially leave some voters with two versions of an absentee ballot.
“We are absolutely on the precipice of the courts creating a situation in which Wisconsin has a chaotic and catastrophic election,” said Jeff Mandell, a lawyer in Wisconsin representing voters who sued to keep Hawkins and West off the ballot.
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Close to a million Wisconsinites have requested absentee ballots this cycle, breaking 2016 records as the coronavirus pandemic continues to pose a threat to in-person voting. State records show that 313,598 ballots have been marked as sent, though that number includes both ballots out in the field and ballots that have just been issued mailing labels. Wisconsin officials have no way of knowing how many ballots have actually been mailed to voters.
“I don’t know if it’s going to be a matter of us being one day late on 20,000 absentees or if we are going to be a week late on everything.” - Maribeth Witzel-Behl, Madison city clerk
Wisconsin Elections Commission Chairwoman Meagan Wolfe, who was confirmed by the state’s Republican-controlled Senate, said in a court affidavit that any additional delays at this point would cause municipalities to miss the state deadlines for mailing out absentee ballots. She added that for overseas and military voters, delays “could very likely result in them not receiving a ballot or not having enough time to return their ballot to be counted.”
The impact of the continued litigation will vary across the state because of Wisconsin’s decentralized election system. In Milwaukee County, for example, there are 475 different versions of the presidential ballot that the county clerk said would take at least 10 days to print, sort, package and deliver to municipal clerks.
“If ballots had to be reprinted after they were sent to electors, municipalities would have to send a second ballot which would confuse voters and jeopardize the integrity of the election,” George Christenson, Milwaukee County clerk, told the court in his affidavit.
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Other cities, like Green Bay, usually receive their ballots from the county the day before sending them out.
But what is universal across Wisconsin is a state of confusion. Already cities are dealing with unprecedented changes due to the pandemic ― record high numbers of absentee ballot requests, and changes in polling stations and safety procedures have been occupying election officials’ time for months. Now there’s this latest challenge.
“My concern is really about voter education,” said Celestine Jeffreys, the chief of staff for Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich (D). “There’s just a lot of education we have to get through and the delay is not ideal.”
In Madison, the state’s capital, city Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl said already voters have called in canceling their absentee ballot requests after hearing of the court ruling, opting to vote in-person, even during the pandemic, to avoid any chaos in the courts. Others with travel plans have called in confused about whether to change their addresses to account for any possible delays.
Witzel-Behl said it’s “frustrating” not being able to give them answers. The city only has the capacity to put postage on 15,000 or 20,000 ballots a day and has more than 77,000 requests.
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The Wisconsin Elections Commission recommended that rapper Kanye West be kept off the battleground state's presidential ballot in November because he missed a deadline to submit nomination papers. AP Photo/Michael Wyke
“I don’t know if it’s going to be a matter of us being one day late on 20,000 absentees or if we are going to be a week late on everything,” she said. “We don’t have a sense yet if we are going to meet the deadline for some of the absentee ballots or none.”
The Wisconsin Elections Commission made its decision to keep West and Hawkins off the ballot on Aug. 20, citing improper filings and missed deadlines. West’s representative was filmed entering the Wisconsin Elections Commission building at 5:00:14 p.m., and did not actually organize and file the papers until several minutes after. The six-person commission, which is split evenly between parties, decided on a 5-1 vote that West did not meet the statutory requirement of filing “no later than 5 o’clock.”
But the case against Hawkins is more tenuous. In early August, Mandell had filed a complaint claiming there was a discrepancy involving the listed addresses of Hawkins’ running mate, Angela Walker. The Hawkins campaign said Walker had moved during the signature-gathering process. But Democrats on the commission said it wasn’t their job to establish that Walker had actually moved. In the end, the commission was deadlocked 3-3, with Republican appointees voting in favor of Hawkins appearing on the ballot and Democrats voting against. As a result, neither West nor the Green Party candidates were certified to be on the ballot.
Now, the Wisconsin Elections Commission’s argument against Hawkins is that it’s simply too late to appeal the decision.
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Hawkins and West’s legal teams didn’t request an injunction until just last week — two weeks after the commission’s ruling. Hawkins went straight to the state’s highest court on Sept. 3. West filed with the Brown County Circuit Court, which ruled against him Friday. He is expected to appeal.
The Green Party has welcomed the order to halt sending absentee ballots until a further ruling.
“The courts are right to be skeptical of this manufactured delay caused by the Democrats,” Hawkins’ campaign manager Andrea Mérida said in a statement. “Had the Democrats on the Elections Commission avoided violating basic due process at the hearing, we would not be in this position. Instead, the hyper-partisan Democrats on the commission denied our campaign the right to present evidence and should have dismissed the challenge from the beginning because our campaign followed the commission staff’s instructions to the letter regarding Angela Walker’s address change.”
Republicans in Wisconsin have openly talked about how the addition of West could sway the election in favor of Trump; West’s representative who dropped off his filing papers used to be counsel for the state GOP, and represented Trump’s reelection campaign in a state lawsuit. During the election commission hearing on Hawkins, a Republican commissioner suggested Hawkins take his case to the courts.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-11--Apparent 33% Pay Cut For Campaign Manager Hints At Money Trouble For Trump

AP Photo/Evan Vucci From left , White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany , Eric Trump and campaign manager Bill Stepien listen as President Donald Trump speaks to a crowd of supporters on Aug. 20 , 2020 , in Old Forge , Pennsylvania .
WASHINGTON — Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien appears to have taken a 33 % pay cut ― $ 5,000 a month — when he accepted his promotion this summer , another sign of money trouble for a campaign that spent over $ 1 billion only to have the incumbent president behind in the polls .
Stepien had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to the top job on July 15 — the day before his firm received $ 10,000 rather than the $ 15,000 it had been getting monthly since December 2018 , according to a HuffPost review of Federal Election Commission filings .
Neither Stepien nor others in the Trump campaign responded to numerous queries on the matter .
If $ 10,000 a month is , in fact , Stepien ’ s total new compensation , it would mean he is making far less than the communications director , the press secretary , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and possibly even the wife of one Trump son and the girlfriend of another .
“ Plainly , they have big money problems and I am guessing Stepien cut his own salary as a prelude to cutting others , ” said David Axelrod , the Democratic strategist behind former President Barack Obama ’ s successful 2008 campaign .
“ They made a big bet that they could invest early in building a small-dollar digital universe to compete with the Democrats that would pay off late .
Well , now it ’ s late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on cash.
” The possibility of a cash crunch in the final weeks of the 2020 presidential race has been swirling since the Trump campaign canceled television advertising it had previously scheduled for the final week of August , during the Republican National Convention .
The speculation heightened further when Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden announced record-breaking fundraising for that month , with $ 364 million in contributions — $ 154 million more than the Trump campaign announced some days later .
It ’ s unclear what real purpose is being served by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if it continues , save the campaign a total of $ 30,000 over the final six months of the year .
The New York Times reported earlier this week that Trump had “ gleefully ” told others about forcing Stepien to take a pay cut .
The campaign at the same time spent $ 139,000 to air commercials on CNN and Fox in the Washington , D.C. , market for the week ending Sept. 14 , according to the tracking firm Advertising Analytics .
Those dollars will not put a single ad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but can be seen by Trump personally .
In addition , Trump has not reduced the various payments from the campaign back into his own cash registers .
A payment of $ 37,542 was sent on July 27 to rent office space in Trump Tower in Manhattan , even though the campaign is based in a high-rise office building in Arlington , Virginia .
Nor has the campaign stopped using Trump hotels and restaurants , even though they tend to be considerably more expensive than nearby properties .
A HuffPost analysis of FEC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took office through July 31 , Trump ’ s various businesses — from his golf courses to his bottled water company — have taken in $ 6,979,984 from the Trump campaign , the Republican National Committee and their two joint fundraising committees .
It ’ s unclear whether Stepien ’ s pay cut is made up for somehow in the byzantine schemes the Trump campaign has set up to avoid public disclosure .
For example , the wife of one of Trump ’ s sons and the girlfriend of another were both being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign manager Brad Parscale ’ s private firm , keeping their names out of monthly filings with the FEC .
Parscale , who was demoted to the campaign ’ s digital director , did not respond to HuffPost queries on that topic .
Nor would he disclose how much of the $ 39.3 million that has gone to his companies since January 2017 has been income for him personally .
Stepien ’ s name does not appear in records of campaign salaries at all .
However , the firm “ Revolution Strategies LLC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for “ political consulting ” starting in December 2018 — when Stepien left his job as political director at the White House to join the campaign .
Revolution Strategies has a business address in Washington that coincides with a two-bedroom , one-bath condo that property records show Stepien purchased in 2017 .
Neither he nor the campaign responded to numerous queries over a period of weeks as to why the campaign has gone to such efforts to hide payments to its top staff and Trump family members .
“ I can only speculate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hide salary payments to senior staffers , ” said Brendan Fischer , a lawyer with the watchdog group Campaign Legal Center , which in July filed a complaint with the FEC accusing the Trump campaign of illegally funneling payments through private companies to conceal them .
“ Perhaps the campaign wants to avoid news stories about excessive staff salaries , or there could be some other reason .
In any case , the law requires that campaigns be transparent about their spending so that we don ’ t have to be asking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Perrine , for example , is paid $ 160,000 ― more than what Biden campaign manager Jennifer O ’ Malley Dillon , or anyone else on the Biden campaign , is paid .
Trump campaign “ senior adviser ” Katrina Pierson is paid $ 240,000 annually , while communications director Tim Murtaugh got a $ 20,000 a year raise , from $ 230,000 to $ 250,000 , the same month Stepien took a pay cut .

From left, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, Eric Trump and campaign manager Bill Stepien listen as President Donald Trump speaks to a crowd of supporters on Aug. 20, 2020, in Old Forge, Pennsylvania. AP Photo/Evan Vucci
WASHINGTON — Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien appears to have taken a 33% pay cut ― $5,000 a month — when he accepted his promotion this summer, another sign of money trouble for a campaign that spent over $1 billion only to have the incumbent president behind in the polls.
Stepien had been deputy campaign manager before he moved up to the top job on July 15 — the day before his firm received $10,000 rather than the $15,000 it had been getting monthly since December 2018, according to a HuffPost review of Federal Election Commission filings.
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Neither Stepien nor others in the Trump campaign responded to numerous queries on the matter. If $10,000 a month is, in fact, Stepien’s total new compensation, it would mean he is making far less than the communications director, the press secretary, a number of “senior advisers,” and possibly even the wife of one Trump son and the girlfriend of another.
“That’s a humiliating blow,” said Rick Wilson, a longtime Florida GOP consultant and Trump critic.
“Plainly, they have big money problems and I am guessing Stepien cut his own salary as a prelude to cutting others,” said David Axelrod, the Democratic strategist behind former President Barack Obama’s successful 2008 campaign. “They made a big bet that they could invest early in building a small-dollar digital universe to compete with the Democrats that would pay off late. Well, now it’s late, and they seem to be low on cash.”
The possibility of a cash crunch in the final weeks of the 2020 presidential race has been swirling since the Trump campaign canceled television advertising it had previously scheduled for the final week of August, during the Republican National Convention. The speculation heightened further when Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden announced record-breaking fundraising for that month, with $364 million in contributions — $154 million more than the Trump campaign announced some days later.
“We don’t have a money problem. We have a spending problem, or had one,” said one top informal adviser to the White House. “We were spending money more than we should have been.”
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It’s unclear what real purpose is being served by the cut in pay, which would, if it continues, save the campaign a total of $30,000 over the final six months of the year. The New York Times reported earlier this week that Trump had “gleefully” told others about forcing Stepien to take a pay cut.
The campaign at the same time spent $139,000 to air commercials on CNN and Fox in the Washington, D.C., market for the week ending Sept. 14, according to the tracking firm Advertising Analytics. Those dollars will not put a single ad in front of a single swing-state voter but can be seen by Trump personally.
In addition, Trump has not reduced the various payments from the campaign back into his own cash registers. A payment of $37,542 was sent on July 27 to rent office space in Trump Tower in Manhattan, even though the campaign is based in a high-rise office building in Arlington, Virginia. Nor has the campaign stopped using Trump hotels and restaurants, even though they tend to be considerably more expensive than nearby properties.
A HuffPost analysis of FEC filings shows that from the time he took office through July 31, Trump’s various businesses — from his golf courses to his bottled water company — have taken in $6,979,984 from the Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee and their two joint fundraising committees.
“We don’t have a money problem. We have a spending problem, or had one. We were spending money more than we should have been.” - Top informal adviser to the White House
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It’s unclear whether Stepien’s pay cut is made up for somehow in the byzantine schemes the Trump campaign has set up to avoid public disclosure. For example, the wife of one of Trump’s sons and the girlfriend of another were both being paid $15,000 a month through former campaign manager Brad Parscale’s private firm, keeping their names out of monthly filings with the FEC.
It cannot be known whether their pay has also been cut or even if they are still being paid at all.
Parscale, who was demoted to the campaign’s digital director, did not respond to HuffPost queries on that topic. Nor would he disclose how much of the $39.3 million that has gone to his companies since January 2017 has been income for him personally.
Stepien’s name does not appear in records of campaign salaries at all. However, the firm “Revolution Strategies LLC” began receiving $15,000 a month for “political consulting” starting in December 2018 — when Stepien left his job as political director at the White House to join the campaign. Revolution Strategies has a business address in Washington that coincides with a two-bedroom, one-bath condo that property records show Stepien purchased in 2017.
Neither he nor the campaign responded to numerous queries over a period of weeks as to why the campaign has gone to such efforts to hide payments to its top staff and Trump family members.
“I can only speculate as to why the campaign would want to hide salary payments to senior staffers,” said Brendan Fischer, a lawyer with the watchdog group Campaign Legal Center, which in July filed a complaint with the FEC accusing the Trump campaign of illegally funneling payments through private companies to conceal them.
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“Perhaps the campaign wants to avoid news stories about excessive staff salaries, or there could be some other reason. In any case, the law requires that campaigns be transparent about their spending so that we don’t have to be asking these questions.”
Stepien’s pay cut is out of character for the Trump campaign, which has been paying lavish salaries and consulting fees compared to previous Republican presidential campaigns as well as the Biden campaign.
Deputy communications director Erin Perrine, for example, is paid $160,000 ― more than what Biden campaign manager Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, or anyone else on the Biden campaign, is paid. Trump campaign “senior adviser” Katrina Pierson is paid $240,000 annually, while communications director Tim Murtaugh got a $20,000 a year raise, from $230,000 to $250,000, the same month Stepien took a pay cut.
And thanks to his newfound wealth, Parscale, who just a few years ago was designing websites in San Antonio for Trump’s properties, has been able to buy a $2.4 million waterfront house in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a pair of million-dollar condos, a brand new $400,000 boat, and another half-million dollars in luxury cars, including a Range Rover and a Ferrari.
“It’s breathtaking the amount of money raised and spent by team Trump, but even more shocking is how little they have to show for it,” said Rick Tyler, a Republican consultant who worked for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s presidential campaign in 2016.
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-11--California Removes Barriers For Formerly Incarcerated To Become Firefighters

California Gov .
Gavin Newsom signed a bill Friday making it easier for formerly incarcerated people who served on inmate firefighting squads to turn that experience into a career when they ’ re freed from prison .
His approval of the measure comes after more than 2 million acres have burned across the state , overwhelming the state ’ s emergency responders and underscoring the need for more firefighters .
But there ’ s a whole pool of already trained candidates that the state hasn ’ t been able to draw from .
Many formerly incarcerated people who once worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as $ 3 a day have been ineligible to apply for an EMT license , which is required by the vast majority of California ’ s fire agencies , simply because they have a felony conviction .
“ This bill that I ’ m about to sign will give those prisoners hope of actually getting a job in the profession that they ’ ve been trained , ” Newsom said during a press conference moments before signing the bill .
CA ’ s inmate firefighter program is decades-old and has long needed reform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frontlines , battling historic fires should not be denied the right to later become a professional firefighter .
Today , I signed # AB2147 that will fix that .
pic.twitter.com/15GJ7Gijt7 — Gavin Newsom ( @ GavinNewsom ) September 11 , 2020 With Newsom ’ s signature , the state will now speed up the process by which those former inmates can request that their criminal records be expunged and clear the way for them to pursue a new career on the front lines of California ’ s fires .
The bill will help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the front lines , that are near the end of their time in prison , that are getting credits , and want the opportunity , ” Newsom said .
There are roughly 2,500 inmates currently trained in fighting fires .
Last year , more than 400 helped battle the massive Kincade Fire in Sonoma County .
The low pay those inmates earn coupled with the barriers they ’ ve faced when seeking firefighting work outside prison have long made the program controversial .
The bill was proposed by Assemblymember Eloise Reyes , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have already put their trust in .
“ These individuals are vetted by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation , under CDCR ’ s strict criteria , and they assist with protecting communities all across this state during our fire seasons which have become more frequent and more deadly , ” she said in a statement earlier this summer .
“ If we are willing to allow an incarcerated person to volunteer and help fight fires - protecting lives and property while putting their lives at risk ; then we should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opportunity to receive an expungement which can be granted after judicial review .
”

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Friday making it easier for formerly incarcerated people who served on inmate firefighting squads to turn that experience into a career when they’re freed from prison.
His approval of the measure comes after more than 2 million acres have burned across the state, overwhelming the state’s emergency responders and underscoring the need for more firefighters.
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But there’s a whole pool of already trained candidates that the state hasn’t been able to draw from. Many formerly incarcerated people who once worked on inmate firefighting squads for as little as $3 a day have been ineligible to apply for an EMT license, which is required by the vast majority of California’s fire agencies, simply because they have a felony conviction.
“This bill that I’m about to sign will give those prisoners hope of actually getting a job in the profession that they’ve been trained,” Newsom said during a press conference moments before signing the bill.
CA’s inmate firefighter program is decades-old and has long needed reform.
Inmates who have stood on the frontlines, battling historic fires should not be denied the right to later become a professional firefighter.
Today, I signed #AB2147 that will fix that. pic.twitter.com/15GJ7Gijt7 — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) September 11, 2020
With Newsom’s signature, the state will now speed up the process by which those former inmates can request that their criminal records be expunged and clear the way for them to pursue a new career on the front lines of California’s fires.
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The bill will help thousands of prisoners “that are on the front lines, that are near the end of their time in prison, that are getting credits, and want the opportunity,” Newsom said.
There are roughly 2,500 inmates currently trained in fighting fires. Last year, more than 400 helped battle the massive Kincade Fire in Sonoma County. The low pay those inmates earn coupled with the barriers they’ve faced when seeking firefighting work outside prison have long made the program controversial.
The bill was proposed by Assemblymember Eloise Reyes, who noted the policy will help people Californians have already put their trust in.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-11--Court Rules Florida Residents With Felonies Can't Vote Until They Pay Fines, Fees

ST. PETERSBURG , Fla. ( AP ) — Florida felons must pay all fines , restitution and legal fees before they can regain their right to vote , a federal appellate court ruled Friday in a case that could have broad implications for the November elections .
Reversing a lower court judge ’ s decision that gave Florida felons the right to vote regardless of outstanding legal obligations , the order from the 11th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the position of Republican Gov .
Ron DeSantis and the GOP-led state Legislature , leaving voting rights activists aghast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters passed overwhelmingly in 2018 , felons who have completed their sentences would have voting rights restored .
But the legal dispute arose after lawmakers the next year moved to define what it means to complete a sentence .
In addition to prison time served , lawmakers directed that all legal financial obligations , including unpaid fines and restitution , would also have to be settled before a felon could be eligible to vote .
“ This ruling runs counter to the foundational principle that Americans do not have to pay to vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union ’ s Voting Rights Project .
“ The gravity of this decision can not be overstated .
It is an affront to the spirit of democracy.
” “ States are constitutionally entitled to set legitimate voter qualifications through laws of general application and to require voters to comply with those laws through their own efforts , ” Chief U.S .
Circuit Judge William Pryor wrote in the majority opinion .
“ So long as a state provides adequate procedures to challenge individual determinations of ineligibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requires nothing more.
” Four judges issued a dissenting opinion .
They argued in part that it is sometimes extremely difficult for returning felons to know what outstanding financial obligations they may still have and that the state should create a mechanism to provide that information .
“ In light of the chaos created by the majority ’ s holding that ( financial obligations ) must be satisfied according to the ‘ every-dollar ’ method , countless scores of individuals will be uncertain of their eligibility to vote , ” wrote U.S .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ With its constitution amended in this way , Florida gained an obligation to establish procedures sufficient to determine the eligibility of returning citizens to vote , and to notify them of their eligibility in a prompt and reliable manner , ” the dissenters added .
The amendment permanently bars convicted murderers and rapists from voting , regardless of financial debts .
Still , other felons in Florida who have completed prison sentences and would otherwise be eligible but have not paid fines and other legal obligations — estimated in March to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bloc of voters , should they be allowed to cast ballots .
Some of them may have settled their debts since that initial March estimate .
The state does not track how many felons have registered to vote since Amendment 4 passed , but its backers estimate that the monetary requirement and the coronavirus pandemic have limited the number to 100,000 , far less than those potentially eligible .
The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition has raised more than $ 4 million to help pay court costs .
Donations have come from retired basketball @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Than a Vote , an organization dedicated to maximizing Black turnout that counts basketball star LeBron James and comedian Kevin Hart among its backers .
Still , the total owed could be as high as $ 3 billion .
The ruling could influence the election outcome in November .
Florida is considered a must-win state in President Donald ’ s Trump ’ s bid for reelection and is famed for its razor-thin statewide election results .
Democrats had hopes of gaining support from thousands of former felons in Florida .
“ This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Smith .
“ While the full rights restoration envisioned by Amendment 4 has become less likely to be realized this fall , we will continue this fight for all Florida voters , so the full benefits of Amendment 4 will someday be realized .
”

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Florida felons must pay all fines, restitution and legal fees before they can regain their right to vote, a federal appellate court ruled Friday in a case that could have broad implications for the November elections.
Reversing a lower court judge’s decision that gave Florida felons the right to vote regardless of outstanding legal obligations, the order from the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the position of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and the GOP-led state Legislature, leaving voting rights activists aghast.
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Under Amendment 4, which Florida voters passed overwhelmingly in 2018, felons who have completed their sentences would have voting rights restored. But the legal dispute arose after lawmakers the next year moved to define what it means to complete a sentence.
In addition to prison time served, lawmakers directed that all legal financial obligations, including unpaid fines and restitution, would also have to be settled before a felon could be eligible to vote.
The appeals court agreed with the Republican lawmakers, a decision that voting rights advocates called an affirmation of a “pay-to-vote” system in Florida that primarily disenfranchises minorities and poor people.
“This ruling runs counter to the foundational principle that Americans do not have to pay to vote,” said Julie Ebenstein, senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union’s Voting Rights Project. “The gravity of this decision cannot be overstated. It is an affront to the spirit of democracy.”
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In a 200-page ruling on a 6-4 vote, the full 11th Circuit said the Constitution’s due process clause was not violated by the passage of the law implementing Amendment 4.
“States are constitutionally entitled to set legitimate voter qualifications through laws of general application and to require voters to comply with those laws through their own efforts,” Chief U.S. Circuit Judge William Pryor wrote in the majority opinion. “So long as a state provides adequate procedures to challenge individual determinations of ineligibility — as Florida does — due process requires nothing more.”
Four judges issued a dissenting opinion. They argued in part that it is sometimes extremely difficult for returning felons to know what outstanding financial obligations they may still have and that the state should create a mechanism to provide that information.
“In light of the chaos created by the majority’s holding that (financial obligations) must be satisfied according to the ‘every-dollar’ method, countless scores of individuals will be uncertain of their eligibility to vote,” wrote U.S. Circuit Judge Beverly Martin in the dissent.
“With its constitution amended in this way, Florida gained an obligation to establish procedures sufficient to determine the eligibility of returning citizens to vote, and to notify them of their eligibility in a prompt and reliable manner,” the dissenters added.
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DeSantis spokesman Fred Piccolo said in an email that the decision affirms that “all terms of a sentence means all terms.”
“There are multiple avenues to restore rights, pay off debts, and seek financial forgiveness from one’s victims,” Piccolo added. “Second chances and the rule of law are not mutually exclusive.”
The amendment permanently bars convicted murderers and rapists from voting, regardless of financial debts. Still, other felons in Florida who have completed prison sentences and would otherwise be eligible but have not paid fines and other legal obligations — estimated in March to number about 774,000 — represent a significant bloc of voters, should they be allowed to cast ballots. Some of them may have settled their debts since that initial March estimate.
The state does not track how many felons have registered to vote since Amendment 4 passed, but its backers estimate that the monetary requirement and the coronavirus pandemic have limited the number to 100,000, far less than those potentially eligible.
The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition has raised more than $4 million to help pay court costs. Donations have come from retired basketball star Michael Jordan as well as More Than a Vote, an organization dedicated to maximizing Black turnout that counts basketball star LeBron James and comedian Kevin Hart among its backers. Still, the total owed could be as high as $3 billion.
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The ruling could influence the election outcome in November. Florida is considered a must-win state in President Donald’s Trump’s bid for reelection and is famed for its razor-thin statewide election results. Democrats had hopes of gaining support from thousands of former felons in Florida.
Paul Smith, vice president at the Campaign Legal Center which is pushing for full voting rights for most felons, slammed the ruling.
“This is a deeply disappointing decision,” said Smith. “While the full rights restoration envisioned by Amendment 4 has become less likely to be realized this fall, we will continue this fight for all Florida voters, so the full benefits of Amendment 4 will someday be realized.”
U.S. Rep. Val Demings, a Democrat from Orlando who was considered as a vice presidential nominee by Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, said she is introducing a bill in Congress to prohibit states from denying voting rights to American citizens, regardless of prior criminal convictions.
“A criminal conviction does not erase a person from our communities or our country,” said Demings, who is Black and a former Orlando police chief.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-09-11--The Unethical Entanglement Of William Barr

The Department of Justice is stepping in to argue for President Donald Trump in a defamation lawsuit going back to @ @ @

The Unethical Entanglement Of William Barr
The Department of Justice is stepping in to argue for President Donald Trump in a defamation lawsuit going back to the 1990s.