thetennesseestar--2020-12-01--Crom Carmichael Outlines How to Make Elections Fair and Calls for Severe Penalties for Offenders

Live from Music Row Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the studio to outline election fraud and why it ’ s the Republicans ’ duty to prevent future instances by legislating severe penalties to offenders .
Leahy : We are joined in studio by our good friend the original all-star panelists Crom Carmichael .
Crom , in the last segment you said that if we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and fair elections the very first step is that laws must be passed that insure against fraud .
I agree with that .
Carmichael : And that includes penalties for those who commit fraud or who break the law .
So the key is how the law is written .
And to do it according to the Constitution .
So we were talking about , let ’ s use Georgia as an example .
The legislature in Georgia is controlled by the Republicans in the House and the Senate .
What law should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carmichael : What should the elements of the law include ?
Leahy : Now here ’ s where there ’ s a curveball .
There is a law about signature verification and it ’ s very clear what that process is in signature verification .
It says basically that first absentee ballot applications must follow a verification process and they must be compared against existing voter registration signatures .
That ’ s step number one .
Carmichael : Okay , and where are they ?
Carmichael : Now were they ?
Carmichael : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or they weren ’ t .
But either they were or they weren ’ t .
And if they weren ’ t then the people who did not do it should be held accountable .
So in other words you should be able to see this as it is happening .
This should not be something that ’ s done after the fact because you can ’ t solve for that .
You can ’ t fix that problem if you let all of the different things happen and then you say okay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the envelopes have been separated so that all you have is ballots and you have no way of knowing if that ballot is valid .
Leahy : Well , we ’ re going to get into the weeds on this .
Carmichael : And that is what happened in Georgia .
Leahy : Well , let me make one point which I ’ ve noticed with state legislatures and laws passed everywhere .
The state legislature will pass a law and they will think that because they ’ ve passed this law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example .
Carmichael : No , no .
What I ’ m saying is we agree .
We agree that what the Secretary of State did in Georgia was extra-legal .
We agree with that .
I think that .
We agree that the Secretary of State had no authority to enter into a consent decree .
Carmichael : Okay , we agree with that .
The Republican legislature needs to specifically take away from anyone in the government of Georgia the authority to change the law .
And if they try to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for that person .
Leahy : Well , that ’ s a good point .
But here ’ s what I ’ ve noticed though is about just in general .
Carmichael : No , no , let ’ s stick with , Georgia .
Let ’ s fix that problem .
Let ’ s fix that because if you can ’ t fix that Michael we ’ re not gon na fix anything .
So how do we fix Georgia ?
You and I agreed that the Secretary of State allowed absentee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent out without them checking because there were so many of them .
And their excuse was there were so many of them that we can ’ t check them all .
Leahy : Well , actually let ’ s talk about how this works .
This is where the Democrats are so very focused on details and the Republicans have not been .
But let ’ s take a look at that particular issue .
Supposedly there are two steps in the process .
The absentee ballot application comes in with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carmichael : That ’ s step one .
That didn ’ t happen though .
Leahy : The reason that didn ’ t happen as far as we can tell is that there has been no audit as to whether or not that happened .
But we do know that in Fulton County which had you know 100s of 1,000s of applications for vote-by-mail to come in they only rejected eight of the applications .
Only eight of them .
So like a minimum .
Carmichael : What we ought to be able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tell me what the process was that you followed ?
And what you and I are saying is it is highly likely that if an absentee ballot was requested that it was sent out without… Carmichael : Automatically .
So that should be a criminal offense .
Carmichael : So what I ’ m saying is if and everybody who is in that proof then part of that process needs to go through training .
And this needs to be part of the legislation so that nobody can claim .
Oh , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cracks .
Now if you ’ re going to accept the responsibility and if you ’ re going to get paid to do your job , then you do it according to the process .
And if you need to have two people one from each party look at that and verify it before it goes out , if the legislature wants to include that and then they sign someplace that shows that each party signed the absentee ballot .
I don ’ t care if you make it cumbersome .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ honest elections .
Leahy : Absolutely .
The element where the state legislators in Georgia fell down on this is that they didn ’ t put that penalty in the law and they didn ’ t fully fund the extensive process because they had no reason to anticipate it when they passed the law .
Carmichael : They were in session .
Leahy : In 2019 they had no idea that this this this tsunami of absentee ballots would come in .
Carmichael : Well they know it now .
Leahy : They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are still in charge .
Leahy : They are still in charge .
Carmichael : So now they can pass legislation .
And the Democrats are going to yell voter suppression .
Carmichael : And Republicans are going to say every legal vote should count .
Every legal vote should count and every illegal vote should be thrown out .
Leahy : What is interesting about this and if you look at bureaucratic overreach in this case and the consent decree signed by the Georgia Secretary of State that changed the signature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by and not reject an absentee ballot if the only match was a fraudulent absentee ballot application signature .
Who knows how many of them are like that .
Carmichael : When they rewrite the law we have what they should do .
And I ’ m answering your original question .
What can we do ?
Is there anything that we can do so that everyone believes that the elections are fair ?
Carmichael : And the answer is it has to be done legally .
And we have a legal way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s up to the elected representatives who are legally given the authority .
It doesn ’ t mean they have to exercise it .
They can still screw up .
Leahy : The other part about this that is interesting when you talk about law , I ’ ll give another example where there ’ s a breakdown here .
So in Georgia , there ’ s a law that false registration is a felony .
this whole tourist registration thing .
There ’ s a law on the books .
And so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not going to happen because there ’ s it would be a felony if you did this .
The only problem with that is you look at the enforcement of that law crime in 10 years only one person in all of Georgia has been charged and convicted of false registration .
Carmichael : And then here ’ s how to fix that .
Continue that that ’ s the law and impose a fine of $ 50,000 .
No jail time .
$ 50,000 .
And the law says that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ private companies will be allowed to go after the people who committed fraud and they ’ ll be able to examine the records and go after the people who do that on behalf of the state .
Leahy : The law in Georgia says if you are convicted of the felony of false registration , you can be put in jail for up to 10 years and pay a fine of up to $ 100,000 .
The one person in Georgia who was convicted of false registration got probation and had to pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Well , I ’ m answering your question .
If I can steal $ 10,000 .
and the law , the actual effect of that is that I have to return a thousand of it and that that ’ s how the law is adjudicated , that ’ s how it ’ s actually handled then they ’ re going to be a lot of people stealing $ 10,000 .
and returning $ 1,000 .
Leahy : I think you ’ re exactly right .
Carmichael : So if you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know you have to have severe penalties .
Leahy : And the point that you ’ re making is Republicans need to focus like a laser beam on this going forward in every state .
And we ’ ll see if they will .
Carmichael : Yeah , either that or they need to create their own boxes of ballots and that would then force the issue .
( Leahy laughs ) Listen to the full third hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .

Live from Music Row Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the studio to outline election fraud and why it’s the Republicans’ duty to prevent future instances by legislating severe penalties to offenders.
Leahy: We are joined in studio by our good friend the original all-star panelists Crom Carmichael. Crom, in the last segment you said that if we want to restore or confidence in free and fair elections the very first step is that laws must be passed that insure against fraud. I agree with that.
Carmichael: And that includes penalties for those who commit fraud or who break the law. So the key is how the law is written. And to do it according to the Constitution. So we were talking about, let’s use Georgia as an example. The legislature in Georgia is controlled by the Republicans in the House and the Senate. What law should the Republican legislature in Georgia write?
Carmichael: What should the elements of the law include?
Leahy: Now here’s where there’s a curveball. There is a law about signature verification and it’s very clear what that process is in signature verification. It says basically that first absentee ballot applications must follow a verification process and they must be compared against existing voter registration signatures. That’s step number one.
Carmichael: Okay, and where are they?
Leahy: Well, that’s the problem.
Carmichael: Now were they?
Leahy: I don’t think so.
Carmichael: Okay. Well, either they were or they weren’t. But either they were or they weren’t. And if they weren’t then the people who did not do it should be held accountable. So in other words you should be able to see this as it is happening. This should not be something that’s done after the fact because you can’t solve for that. You can’t fix that problem if you let all of the different things happen and then you say okay, let’s fix it now after the envelopes have been separated so that all you have is ballots and you have no way of knowing if that ballot is valid.
Leahy: Well, we’re going to get into the weeds on this.
Carmichael: And that is what happened in Georgia.
Leahy: Well, let me make one point which I’ve noticed with state legislatures and laws passed everywhere. The state legislature will pass a law and they will think that because they’ve passed this law, I’ll give you an example.
Carmichael: No, no. What I’m saying is we agree. We agree that what the Secretary of State did in Georgia was extra-legal. We agree with that. I think that. We agree that the Secretary of State had no authority to enter into a consent decree.
Leahy: That is correct.
Carmichael: Okay, we agree with that. The Republican legislature needs to specifically take away from anyone in the government of Georgia the authority to change the law. And if they try to change it there should be criminal penalties for that person.
Leahy: Well, that’s a good point. But here’s what I’ve noticed though is about just in general.
Carmichael: No, no, let’s stick with, Georgia. Let’s fix that problem. Let’s fix that because if you can’t fix that Michael we’re not gonna fix anything. So how do we fix Georgia? You and I agreed that the Secretary of State allowed absentee ballot requests to come in and be sent out without them checking because there were so many of them. And their excuse was there were so many of them that we can’t check them all.
Leahy: Well, actually let’s talk about how this works. This is where the Democrats are so very focused on details and the Republicans have not been. But let’s take a look at that particular issue. Supposedly there are two steps in the process. The absentee ballot application comes in with the signature, which should be checked.
Carmichael: Against what?
Leahy: Against the voter registration card.
Carmichael: Right.
Leahy: That’s step one.
Carmichael: That’s step one. That didn’t happen though.
Leahy: The reason that didn’t happen as far as we can tell is that there has been no audit as to whether or not that happened. But we do know that in Fulton County which had you know 100s of 1,000s of applications for vote-by-mail to come in they only rejected eight of the applications. Only eight of them. So like a minimum.
Carmichael: What we ought to be able to determine just by asking people. Tell me what the process was that you followed? And what you and I are saying is it is highly likely that if an absentee ballot was requested that it was sent out without…
Leahy: Automatically without checking.
Carmichael: Automatically. So that should be a criminal offense.
Leahy: I don’t disagree.
Carmichael: So what I’m saying is if and everybody who is in that proof then part of that process needs to go through training. And this needs to be part of the legislation so that nobody can claim. Oh, I was too busy only just fell through the cracks. Now if you’re going to accept the responsibility and if you’re going to get paid to do your job, then you do it according to the process. And if you need to have two people one from each party look at that and verify it before it goes out, if the legislature wants to include that and then they sign someplace that shows that each party signed the absentee ballot. I don’t care if you make it cumbersome. I don’t care. I want honest elections.
Leahy: Absolutely. The element where the state legislators in Georgia fell down on this is that they didn’t put that penalty in the law and they didn’t fully fund the extensive process because they had no reason to anticipate it when they passed the law.
Carmichael: They were in session.
Leahy: In 2019 they had no idea that this this this tsunami of absentee ballots would come in.
Carmichael: Well they know it now.
Leahy: They know it now.
Carmichael: And they are still in charge.
Leahy: They are still in charge.
Carmichael: So now they can pass legislation. And the Democrats are going to yell voter suppression.
Leahy: Absolutely.
Carmichael: And Republicans are going to say every legal vote should count. Every legal vote should count and every illegal vote should be thrown out.
Leahy: What is interesting about this and if you look at bureaucratic overreach in this case and the consent decree signed by the Georgia Secretary of State that changed the signature verification process so that you could get by and not reject an absentee ballot if the only match was a fraudulent absentee ballot application signature. Who knows how many of them are like that.
Carmichael: When they rewrite the law we have what they should do. And I’m answering your original question. What can we do? Is there anything that we can do so that everyone believes that the elections are fair?
Leahy: Here’s the thing.
Carmichael: And the answer is it has to be done legally. And we have a legal way to do it. Now it’s up to the elected representatives who are legally given the authority. It doesn’t mean they have to exercise it. They can still screw up.
Leahy: The other part about this that is interesting when you talk about law, I’ll give another example where there’s a breakdown here. So in Georgia, there’s a law that false registration is a felony. this whole tourist registration thing. There’s a law on the books. And so the governor can say well that’s not going to happen because there’s it would be a felony if you did this. The only problem with that is you look at the enforcement of that law crime in 10 years only one person in all of Georgia has been charged and convicted of false registration.
Carmichael: And then here’s how to fix that. Continue that that’s the law and impose a fine of $50,000. No jail time. $50,000. And the law says that the collection of that money will be that private companies will be allowed to go after the people who committed fraud and they’ll be able to examine the records and go after the people who do that on behalf of the state.
Leahy: The law in Georgia says if you are convicted of the felony of false registration, you can be put in jail for up to 10 years and pay a fine of up to $100,000. The one person in Georgia who was convicted of false registration got probation and had to pay a fine of $6,000.
Carmichael: Well, I’m answering your question. If I can steal $10,000. and the law, the actual effect of that is that I have to return a thousand of it and that that’s how the law is adjudicated, that’s how it’s actually handled then they’re going to be a lot of people stealing $10,000. and returning $1,000.
Leahy: I think you’re exactly right.
Carmichael: So if you’re going to have fair elections we now know you have to have severe penalties.
Leahy: And the point that you’re making is Republicans need to focus like a laser beam on this going forward in every state. And we’ll see if they will.
Carmichael: Yeah, either that or they need to create their own boxes of ballots and that would then force the issue. (Leahy laughs)
Listen to the full third hour here:
– – –
Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.


thetennesseestar--2020-12-01--The Original All-Star Panelist Crom Carmichael Explains Big Pharma and the Illusion of a Free Market

Live from Music Row Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville ’ s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the studio .
During the third hour , Carmichael referenced a recent Wall Street Journal article which eluded to the idea that Big Pharma operates within a free market structure .
He later outlined how by manipulating governmental bureaucracies these companies are able to eliminate all competition .
Leahy : In the studio with me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Tennessee is the original All-Star panelists Crom Carmichael .
Crom , it is November 30th .
The Electoral College will meet in the 50 state capitals two weeks from today .
Carmichael : Yes , I but I think that the decisions and I think all the fighting and everything has to end by December eighth .
Carmichael : I think it ’ s eight days and that the Electors are picked and then they convene on the 14th .
Leahy : So eight days , that ’ s eight days from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I don ’ t think anything ’ s gon na happen .
I think that having overwhelming evidence it ’ s not sufficient because this is not the preponderance of evidence .
You have to have proof and you have to have overwhelming proof .
Just providing the anecdotal evidence of what actually happened and the facts of what happened is insufficient .
And so so I think that Biden in my opinion is and frankly I don ’ t think there ’ s anything that actually that could ever change it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a book written .
The question is whether or not Amazon will allow it to be sold .
Carmichael : It will have the details of the data that supports it .
It ’ s a little bit like Putin who won 80 percent of the vote .
I don ’ t believe that .
Now can I prove it ?
No , I can ’ t .
But I still don ’ t believe that anyone who does believe it that we just simply will have to disagree .
Leahy : So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is more likely than not you would say that Joe Biden will have received over 270 Electoral College .
Leahy : Yeah , and if that were to happen , then he would be the president-elect .
Carmichael : Yeah , and then January fifth becomes a key day and that ’ s the elections in Georgia .
Carmichael : We know that Warnock is a flaming leftist .
I mean just crazy off the charts left .
Carmichael : And Ossoff has now embraced Bernie Sanders .
Now I am hoping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election officials and I ’ m talking about on the ground , I ’ m not talking about the Secretary of State… Leahy : You are talking about the county election officials .
Carmichael : Yeah .
I ’ m just saying that that the Republican officials will demand that they have access to the ballots as they are opened and that they get to examine them .
I hope they will do that .
We ’ ll see .
Leahy : Well Kelly Loeffler said they would do that .
Carmichael @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will do that .
They ’ re operating under the same law for January fifth that they operated under in the last election .
Leahy : You are exactly and precisely correct .
Carmichael : Now that doesn ’ t mean that they will get lacked the same way .
It just means that there have not been any Draconian penalties and there should be Draconian penalties .
I ’ m not calling for the death penalty for those who cheat .
But I am calling for excessive fines and for those fines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so that these people who commit fraud will be hounded and perhaps taken to court and bankrupted if they commit fraud .
If you commit voter fraud that is not treason but it ’ s close in my opinion .
Somebody who does that and somebody who organizes it the penalty should be excessive .
They should be bankrupted .
put in prison .
and their lives destroyed .
Because a free society can only stay free as long as you have Fair elections .
Carmichael : I want to switch to another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theme that perhaps we will have to face the fact or the likelihood of a president-elect Joe Biden on December 15th .
What happens then ?
Carmichael : He ’ ll become president at the inauguration , which I assume would be virtual because I don ’ t think that COVID-19 will have gone completely away then and so so you ’ ll have a virtual inauguration which would suit me just fine .
Leahy : I think Anthony Fauci would make a proclamation that if a Democrat is inaugurated as president COVID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let there be crowds .
Carmichael : Well , we ’ ll see they will see if they have a big whoop-de-doo , and then we can all pat ourselves on the back of those who said that this is more about politics .
I ’ m not saying that that COVID is not a problem .
But every year we have a flu season and that ’ s a problem .
And this is not multiple times greater than a flu season .
Is it worse ?
Yes , it is worse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country and put millions and millions of people out of work and destroy hundreds of thousands of small businesses ?
I think that that ’ s wrong .
But I want to talk about a Wall Street Journal article .
And it ’ s entitled and it ’ s in the opinion section and normally the opinion section is good .
But in this case , they ’ ve made a logical mistake because they assume that there is a market in pharmaceutical products and especially those that are still on patent .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s Gift to Joe Biden .
And what Donald Trump has done is he has signed an executive order that says that Medicare will not pay more for drugs than the lowest price they are charged to comparably developed countries .
So if you ’ re Great Britain or Germany or Japan and Big Pharma is selling a patented drug for $ 10 .
a unit then Medicare will not pay more than $ 10 .
a unit .
And The Wall Street Journal says that that is a bad policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Street Journal because The Wall Street Journal assumes incorrectly that there ’ s a market in Big Pharma products that are on a patent .
And there is no market .
There are behind-the-scenes negotiations .
Medicare negotiates .
Big insurance companies negotiate .
There is no market .
And so consequently Americans pay either taxpayers or consumers pay substantially more for the exact same pharmaceutical unit as the consumers in Great Britain , France Germany , and Japan .
And they shouldn ’ t .
Big Pharma should not be allowed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discount it to other markets where the standards livings are similar .
Now , here ’ s the problem .
Do you remember when Donald Trump ’ s Operation Warp Speed started ?
Leahy : Yes .
And by the way , the Operation Warp Speed vaccines apparently are ready for distribution next month .
Carmichael : Operation Warp Speed started in April and here it is December .
In eight months they apparently came up with three of them and maybe four .
Leahy : Donald Trump gets a lot of credit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does .
He gets a lot of credit .
But what ’ s more important is the story that Donald Trump told the FDA to get all that bureaucratic mumbo-jumbo out of the way that slows other drug trials down by years .
Get that out of the way .
Operation Warp Speed , do your clinical trial do your phase two , do your phase three , and get this product to market .
Now in the case of every other Big Pharma drug phase , one is not super expensive .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ And phase three is out of sight expensive .
And that ’ s the way Big Pharma likes it .
Leahy : And why is that ?
Carmichael : Because Big Pharma knows that there are very few small companies that will pass phase one and phase two who can afford phase three .
Leahy : So they ’ re using the government regulatory process as a barrier to entry for new competitors .
Carmichael : Yes , and then they buy the products and they buy the company ’ s as they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Now do the companies that get through phase two , do they get paid ?
Yes , they do .
They get well paid but Big Pharma doesn ’ t want them as competitors .
Carmichael : So what you have is you have this incestuous relationship between the bureaucracies and there are a bunch of them in the health business .
Leahy : And you are a free-market guy .
And this is basically not a free market is the argument .
Carmichael : So The Wall Street Journal is claiming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to price their product however they want to .
And that assumes that there ’ s a market and there isn ’ t .
Leahy : Okay .
It ’ s no surprise to me that The Wall Street Journal is sort of moving more towards a Biden friendly view of the world .
Carmichael : No , no , no .
Carmichael : No .
This is the opinion section and the opinion section is still very good .
Leahy : Except for that opinion .
Carmichael : Except for this opinion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rule .
Carmichael : No .
The other side that provides the news section has been anti-Trump for four years .
The opinion section has been and has continued to be just as strong .
Leahy : Until this one .
Listen to the full third hour here : Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510 .
Listen online at iHeart Radio .

Live from Music Row Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the studio.
During the third hour, Carmichael referenced a recent Wall Street Journal article which eluded to the idea that Big Pharma operates within a free market structure. He later outlined how by manipulating governmental bureaucracies these companies are able to eliminate all competition.
Leahy: In the studio with me on Music Row studios here in Nashville, Tennessee is the original All-Star panelists Crom Carmichael. Crom, it is November 30th. The Electoral College will meet in the 50 state capitals two weeks from today.
Carmichael: Yes, I but I think that the decisions and I think all the fighting and everything has to end by December eighth.
Leahy: I think you’re right.
Carmichael: I think it’s eight days and that the Electors are picked and then they convene on the 14th.
Leahy: So eight days, that’s eight days from now.
Carmichael: Yeah, and I don’t think anything’s gonna happen. I think that having overwhelming evidence it’s not sufficient because this is not the preponderance of evidence. You have to have proof and you have to have overwhelming proof. Just providing the anecdotal evidence of what actually happened and the facts of what happened is insufficient. And so so I think that Biden in my opinion is and frankly I don’t think there’s anything that actually that could ever change it. And I think they’ll be a book written. The question is whether or not Amazon will allow it to be sold.
Leahy: (Leahy laughs) They won’t.
Carmichael: It will have the details of the data that supports it. It’s a little bit like Putin who won 80 percent of the vote. I don’t believe that. Now can I prove it? No, I can’t. But I still don’t believe that anyone who does believe it that we just simply will have to disagree.
Leahy: So two weeks from tomorrow on December 15th it is more likely than not you would say that Joe Biden will have received over 270 Electoral College.
Carmichael: That’s my guess.
Leahy: Yeah, and if that were to happen, then he would be the president-elect.
Carmichael: Yeah, and then January fifth becomes a key day and that’s the elections in Georgia.
Leahy: Right.
Carmichael: We know that Warnock is a flaming leftist. I mean just crazy off the charts left.
Leahy: Crazy.
Carmichael: And Ossoff has now embraced Bernie Sanders. Now I am hoping that the Republicans in Georgia who are the election officials and I’m talking about on the ground, I’m not talking about the Secretary of State…
Leahy: You are talking about the county election officials.
Carmichael: Yeah. I’m just saying that that the Republican officials will demand that they have access to the ballots as they are opened and that they get to examine them. I hope they will do that. We’ll see.
Leahy: Well Kelly Loeffler said they would do that.
Carmichael: I understand Kelly Loeffler says they will do that. They’re operating under the same law for January fifth that they operated under in the last election.
Leahy: You are exactly and precisely correct.
Carmichael: Now that doesn’t mean that they will get lacked the same way. It just means that there have not been any Draconian penalties and there should be Draconian penalties. I’m not calling for the death penalty for those who cheat. But I am calling for excessive fines and for those fines to be collectible by private collection agencies so that these people who commit fraud will be hounded and perhaps taken to court and bankrupted if they commit fraud. If you commit voter fraud that is not treason but it’s close in my opinion. Somebody who does that and somebody who organizes it the penalty should be excessive. They should be bankrupted. put in prison. and their lives destroyed. Because a free society can only stay free as long as you have Fair elections.
Leahy: I agree.
Carmichael: I want to switch to another subject.
Leahy: Well on the theme that perhaps we will have to face the fact or the likelihood of a president-elect Joe Biden on December 15th. What happens then?
Carmichael: He’ll become president at the inauguration, which I assume would be virtual because I don’t think that COVID-19 will have gone completely away then and so so you’ll have a virtual inauguration which would suit me just fine.
Leahy: I think Anthony Fauci would make a proclamation that if a Democrat is inaugurated as president COVID cannot be passed and therefore will let there be crowds.
Carmichael: Well, we’ll see they will see if they have a big whoop-de-doo, and then we can all pat ourselves on the back of those who said that this is more about politics. I’m not saying that that COVID is not a problem. But every year we have a flu season and that’s a problem. And this is not multiple times greater than a flu season. Is it worse? Yes, it is worse. But do you destroy your whole country and put millions and millions of people out of work and destroy hundreds of thousands of small businesses?
I think that that’s wrong. But I want to talk about a Wall Street Journal article. And it’s entitled and it’s in the opinion section and normally the opinion section is good. But in this case, they’ve made a logical mistake because they assume that there is a market in pharmaceutical products and especially those that are still on patent.
And the opinion piece the title is Trump’s Gift to Joe Biden. And what Donald Trump has done is he has signed an executive order that says that Medicare will not pay more for drugs than the lowest price they are charged to comparably developed countries. So if you’re Great Britain or Germany or Japan and Big Pharma is selling a patented drug for $10. a unit then Medicare will not pay more than $10. a unit.
And The Wall Street Journal says that that is a bad policy. And I disagree with The Wall Street Journal because The Wall Street Journal assumes incorrectly that there’s a market in Big Pharma products that are on a patent. And there is no market. There are behind-the-scenes negotiations. Medicare negotiates. Big insurance companies negotiate. There is no market. And so consequently Americans pay either taxpayers or consumers pay substantially more for the exact same pharmaceutical unit as the consumers in Great Britain, France Germany, and Japan. And they shouldn’t. Big Pharma should not be allowed to charge consumers a higher price and then discount it to other markets where the standards livings are similar. Now, here’s the problem. Do you remember when Donald Trump’s Operation Warp Speed started?
Leahy: Yes. And by the way, the Operation Warp Speed vaccines apparently are ready for distribution next month.
Carmichael: Operation Warp Speed started in April and here it is December. In eight months they apparently came up with three of them and maybe four.
Leahy: Donald Trump gets a lot of credit for that.
Carmichael: Yes he does. He gets a lot of credit. But what’s more important is the story that Donald Trump told the FDA to get all that bureaucratic mumbo-jumbo out of the way that slows other drug trials down by years. Get that out of the way. Operation Warp Speed, do your clinical trial do your phase two, do your phase three, and get this product to market. Now in the case of every other Big Pharma drug phase, one is not super expensive. Phase two is much more expensive. And phase three is out of sight expensive. And that’s the way Big Pharma likes it.
Leahy: And why is that?
Carmichael: Because Big Pharma knows that there are very few small companies that will pass phase one and phase two who can afford phase three.
Leahy: So they’re using the government regulatory process as a barrier to entry for new competitors.
Carmichael: Yes, and then they buy the products and they buy the company’s as they’re coming out of phase two. Now do the companies that get through phase two, do they get paid? Yes, they do. They get well paid but Big Pharma doesn’t want them as competitors.
Leahy: Interesting.
Carmichael: So what you have is you have this incestuous relationship between the bureaucracies and there are a bunch of them in the health business.
Leahy: And you are a free-market guy. And this is basically not a free market is the argument.
Carmichael: So The Wall Street Journal is claiming that Big Pharma needs to be able to price their product however they want to. And that assumes that there’s a market and there isn’t.
Leahy: Okay. It’s no surprise to me that The Wall Street Journal is sort of moving more towards a Biden friendly view of the world.
Carmichael: No, no, no.
Leahy: That’s not it?
Carmichael: No. This is the opinion section and the opinion section is still very good.
Leahy: Except for that opinion.
Carmichael: Except for this opinion.
Leahy: The exception that proves the rule.
Carmichael: No. The other side that provides the news section has been anti-Trump for four years. The opinion section has been and has continued to be just as strong.
Leahy: Until this one.
Listen to the full third hour here:

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Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to the Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.


thetennesseestar--2020-12-01--Steve Bannon Talks Georgia Recount and the Search for Truth in Alternative Media Sources

Live from Georgia Monday morning on The John Fredericks Show – live weekdays on WNTW AM 820/ FM 92.7 – Richmond , WJFN FM 100.5 – Central Virginia , WMPH AM 1010 / FM 100.1 / FM 96.9 ( 7-9 PM ) Hampton Roads , WBRG AM 1050 / FM 105.1 – Lynchburg/Roanoke and Live Weekdays 6-10 am and 24/7 Stream – host Fredericks welcomed political analyst and host of War Room Stephen K. Bannon to the show .
Fredericks : And without further ado coming to you live from Dahlonega , Georgia at the Smith House .
10 cities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joining us now Steve Bannon is the host of the War Room .
This show has gotten internet , I got to tell you folks War Room is now the number one listened to radio-TV show around the world and in America .
10 to noon every day on The John Fredericks Show .
Monday through Saturday .
He ’ s also on Real America ’ s Voice channel 219 on the dish .
Also on Newsmax at 11 pm .
He ’ s getting all over the place .
Because look you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ except for Bannon and shows like mine .
And Steve is with us now .
Steve , great to have you with us .
Bannon : Hey , thanks for having me , John .
It ’ s fantastic that you ’ ve got this 10 city tour waking people up to how they ’ re trying to steal this down to Georgia .
Fredericks : You know steve it ’ s unbelievable .
If we don ’ t do this nobody will .
I sent you a text earlier today and thanks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve now got to get the news on a federal judge ruling from an Australian newspaper based in Sydney .
Like it ’ s blacked out in the US .
What is going on with this censorship ?
Bannon : I think it ’ s a disgrace .
but you know the truth will come out .
There ’ s a lot that has been happening overnight .
In Georgia , I think a huge win for Lin Wood .
You ’ re going to have him on your show to talk about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when people read this article is the state of Georgia actually argued against the American people to turn over and to basically freeze in place these machines because they argued about the proprietary software to try to protect the proprietary software of a vendor .
I mean it ’ s the most outrageous argument I ’ ve ever seen in my life .
This article should be read in detail .
I hope Lin goes into it when he ’ s on .
But it shows you the lengths that these bureaucrats in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect people actually getting to these machines and finding out exactly what went on .
I mean to argue that you can ’ t freeze the machines in place because it ’ s the potential of you know people finding out about their proprietary software is outrageous .
That ’ s just not a consideration when we ’ re talking about an election of the president of the united states .
And I think it shows you how far off these Georgia officials are and why people have to rise up right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we going to wipe those machines and reset .
I don ’ t know why this focus is on January fifth right now on the runoff when we have unfinished business on this presidential election .
Because if this is not sorted out they ’ re just going to cheat again and steal the Senate race .
So I think this is very important to get to the bottom of .
Fredericks : You know what ?
that what you just said is what I ’ ve been saying for two weeks here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Senate race .
steve all they ’ re going to do is steal it again .
I mean this is as plain as it knows on your face .
They ’ re going to go through the same thing .
Stacey Abrams already mailed out 850 absentee ballot applications .
They ’ re going to do the same thing .
They got the same machines .
But let me ask you this .
If you ’ re Secretary of State Republican Brad Raffensburger , Jeff Duncan , Brian Kemp by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here without Trump .
Wouldn ’ t be governor .
Why wouldn ’ t you want all this out ?
Why wouldn ’ t you want the machines to get looked at ?
Why wouldn ’ t you want the forensic study ?
Why wouldn ’ t you want the absentee ballot envelopes matched with the signatures ?
Why wouldn ’ t you want to prove that the election was clean ?
Why are you hiding it ?
Can you answer that question , Steve Bannon ?
Bannon : Well this is why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rhetoric about wanting to bring the country together .
Wanting to unify the country is complete it ’ s complete nonsense .
If you look across the country if you look from Wisconsin to Georgia and you know in Wisconsin where they ’ ve been caught red-handed .
They ’ ve been caught red-handed on this on this recount .
And they ’ re going to go into court today or tomorrow and file with over 100,000 illegal ballots .
So in Wisconsin , they got it .
And then in Georgia , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all we ’ re doing in Georgia with the second recount is recounting the same potentially fraudulent ballots .
Why are we even doing that ?
What is the purpose of this ?
Bannon : You ’ ve got to get to the signature match and you ’ ve got to get into these machines .
and it ’ s going to take probably Lin Wood or somebody or Sidney Powell or one of these other campaigns lawsuits to do it .
The reason they did it in Wisconsin you had to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up and actually get all the information you needed .
Which they got .
I mean Matt Braynard and the people working at the Amistad Project , Phil Klein , and others have been able to gather this information .
And I think what ’ s going to happen in Wisconsin is going to be pretty devastating .
Also today you ’ ve got this hearing in Arizona .
In Arizona , they ’ re going to walk through all the details .
All the details of what ’ s going on .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think it was on Wednesday before we started getting away for Thanksgiving in Pennsylvania the republicans in the Senate had a hearing .
And one of the things that I just I couldn ’ t find in the news is when Giuliani asked the question that there were 1.8 million applications for absentee ballots .
That means you mailed in an application to get a ballot back .
There were 2.5 million absentee ballots that came in .
How do you have 700,000 absentee ballots that nobody got ?
Why wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Bannon : How about a Republican to working points .
Why is it not out there being pushed every day ?
I mean this one thing ’ s in the war room we pride ourselves in is really getting down to the facts and putting that forward .
And that ’ s why I think there ’ s a huge appetite for shows like this right now because people are just not covering things .
I mean the Wednesday Gettysburg presentation I think was an inflection point that changes the dynamic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arizona hearing today .
That ’ s why you have so much activity down in Georgia .
that ’ s why but find out like today in Pennsylvania if they don ’ t extend this session or vote on this resolution to send the electors it could be off or not .
You may just have to depend upon the courts in Pennsylvania or the or the federal courts .
So this battle is a battle that ’ s going on 24 hours a day seven days a week .
And it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mainstream media .
But there are great alternative media out there that ’ s covering that non-stop .
Fredericks : Steve I want you to spend just a moment here diverge for a second and spend a moment on the complete collapse of Fox News .
I mean I can no longer watch it because it ’ s all about Joe Biden ’ s the president and all these democrats on .
his cabinet .
What he ’ s going to do ?
I mean they will not cover any of this as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I mean even last night at 10 p.m a judge rules in Georgia Judge Batton reversed himself then reversed himself again and puts the temporary injunction on wiping the Dominion voting machines clean until Wednesday when they can have a hearing with Lin Wood .
That ’ s a great victory that they got .
No coverage .
What is going on with Fox ?
Bannon : Look I think the Murdoch ’ s have made a business decision .
and you know they ’ re capitalists .
They made a good business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the unserved market of the right .
I think their logic is from CNN and MSNBC have been so radicalized they see a big opportunity in the center and that ’ s what they ’ re doing .
I mean they ’ re just not interested in covering things related to Trump or particularly things related to this to the stealing of this election .
And look people have other alternatives .
not just have one american news network and Newsmax .
You have many other alternatives to go through .
And I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now has been pretty amazing .
It ’ s been the investigative apparatus .
The scoops people are getting having to connect the dots .
People are well served .
But you have to go find these things .
It ’ s not marketed now .
I think you are seeing any interest or support because all the viewership is up .
The site traffic is up .
People are very engaged in the story and they want to get to the facts .
People need to get over the fact that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and you ’ ve just got to move on .
Listen to the full show here :

Live from Georgia Monday morning on The John Fredericks Show – live weekdays on WNTW AM 820/ FM 92.7 – Richmond, WJFN FM 100.5 – Central Virginia, WMPH AM 1010 / FM 100.1 / FM 96.9 (7-9 PM) Hampton Roads, WBRG AM 1050 / FM 105.1 – Lynchburg/Roanoke and Live Weekdays 6-10 am and 24/7 Stream – host Fredericks welcomed political analyst and host of War Room Stephen K. Bannon to the show.
Fredericks: And without further ado coming to you live from Dahlonega, Georgia at the Smith House. 10 cities in 10 days. Dalton tomorrow. Joining us now
Steve Bannon is the host of the War Room. This show has gotten internet, I got to tell you folks War Room is now the number one listened to radio-TV show around the world and in America.
10 to noon every day on The John Fredericks Show. Monday through Saturday. He’s also on Real America’s Voice channel 219 on the dish. Also on Newsmax at 11 pm. He’s getting all over the place. Because look you can’t get the truth out except for Bannon and shows like mine. And Steve is with us now. Steve, great to have you with us.
Bannon: Hey, thanks for having me, John. It’s fantastic that you’ve got this 10 city tour waking people up to how they’re trying to steal this down to Georgia.
Fredericks: You know steve it’s unbelievable. If we don’t do this nobody will. I sent you a text earlier today and thanks for looking at it. I’ve now got to get the news on a federal judge ruling from an Australian newspaper based in Sydney. Like it’s blacked out in the US. What is going on with this censorship?
Bannon: I think it’s a disgrace. but you know the truth will come out. There’s a lot that has been happening overnight. In Georgia, I think a huge win for Lin Wood. You’re going to have him on your show to talk about it. I think the stunning thing when people read this article is the state of Georgia actually argued against the American people to turn over and to basically freeze in place these machines because they argued about the proprietary software to try to protect the proprietary software of a vendor.
I mean it’s the most outrageous argument I’ve ever seen in my life. This article should be read in detail. I hope Lin goes into it when he’s on. But it shows you the lengths that these bureaucrats in Georgia and these are Republicans are going to protect people actually getting to these machines and finding out exactly what went on. I mean to argue that you can’t freeze the machines in place because it’s the potential of you know people finding out about their proprietary software is outrageous.
That’s just not a consideration when we’re talking about an election of the president of the united states. And I think it shows you how far off these Georgia officials are and why people have to rise up right now and say under no circumstances are we going to wipe those machines and reset. I don’t know why this focus is on January fifth right now on the runoff when we have unfinished business on this presidential election. Because if this is not sorted out they’re just going to cheat again and steal the Senate race. So I think this is very important to get to the bottom of.
Fredericks: You know what? that what you just said is what I’ve been saying for two weeks here. because all of the focus is on the Senate race. steve all they’re going to do is steal it again. I mean this is as plain as it knows on your face. They’re going to go through the same thing. Stacey Abrams already mailed out 850 absentee ballot applications. They’re going to do the same thing. They got the same machines. But let me ask you this.
If you’re Secretary of State Republican Brad Raffensburger, Jeff Duncan, Brian Kemp by the way, who wouldn’t be here without Trump. Wouldn’t be governor. Why wouldn’t you want all this out? Why wouldn’t you want the machines to get looked at? Why wouldn’t you want the forensic study? Why wouldn’t you want the absentee ballot envelopes matched with the signatures? Why wouldn’t you want to prove that the election was clean? Why are you hiding it? Can you answer that question, Steve Bannon?
Bannon: Well this is why Joe Biden you know all this phony rhetoric about wanting to bring the country together. Wanting to unify the country is complete it’s complete nonsense. If you look across the country if you look from Wisconsin to Georgia and you know in Wisconsin where they’ve been caught red-handed. They’ve been caught red-handed on this on this recount. And they’re going to go into court today or tomorrow and file with over 100,000 illegal ballots. So in Wisconsin, they got it. And then in Georgia, they got it.
Fredericks: So all we’re doing in Georgia with the second recount is recounting the same potentially fraudulent ballots. Why are we even doing that? What is the purpose of this?
Bannon: You’ve got to get to the signature match and you’ve got to get into these machines. and it’s going to take probably Lin Wood or somebody or Sidney Powell or one of these other campaigns lawsuits to do it. The reason they did it in Wisconsin you had to do the recount to be able to set up and actually get
all the information you needed.
Which they got. I mean Matt Braynard and the people working at the Amistad Project, Phil Klein, and others have been able to gather this information. And I think what’s going to happen in Wisconsin is going to be pretty devastating. Also today you’ve got this hearing in Arizona. In Arizona, they’re going to walk through all the details. All the details of what’s going on.
Fredericks: So in the hearing, I think it was on Wednesday before we started getting away for Thanksgiving in Pennsylvania the republicans in the Senate had a hearing. And one of the things that I just I couldn’t find in the news is when Giuliani asked the question that there were 1.8 million applications for absentee ballots. That means you mailed in an application to get a ballot back. There were 2.5 million absentee ballots that came in. How do you have 700,000 absentee ballots that nobody got? Why wasn’t that a headline on Fox News?
Bannon: How about a Republican to working points. Why is it not out there being pushed every day? I mean this one thing’s in the war room we pride ourselves in is really getting down to the facts and putting that forward. And that’s why I think there’s a huge appetite for shows like this right now because people are just not covering things. I mean the Wednesday Gettysburg presentation I think was an inflection point that changes the dynamic. That’s why you have the Arizona hearing today.
That’s why you have so much activity down in Georgia. that’s why but find out like today in Pennsylvania if they don’t extend this session or vote on this resolution to send the electors it could be off or not. You may just have to depend upon the courts in Pennsylvania or the or the federal courts. So this battle is a battle that’s going on 24 hours a day seven days a week. And it’s obviously not being covered by the mainstream media. But there are great alternative media out there that’s covering that non-stop.
Fredericks: Steve I want you to spend just a moment here diverge for a second and spend a moment on the complete collapse of Fox News. I mean I can no longer watch it because it’s all about Joe Biden’s the president and all these democrats on. his cabinet. What he’s going to do? I mean they will not cover any of this as if it didn’t exist. I mean even last night at 10 p.m a judge rules in Georgia Judge Batton reversed himself then reversed himself again and puts the temporary injunction on wiping the Dominion voting machines clean until Wednesday when they can have a hearing with Lin Wood. That’s a great victory that they got. No coverage. What is going on with Fox?
Bannon: Look I think the Murdoch’s have made a business decision. and you know they’re capitalists. They made a good business decision 25 years ago to focus on the unserved market of the right. I think their logic is from CNN and MSNBC have been so radicalized they see a big opportunity in the center and that’s what they’re doing. I mean they’re just not interested in covering things related to Trump or particularly things related to this to the stealing of this election.
And look people have other alternatives. not just have one american news network and Newsmax. You have many other alternatives to go through. And I think the coverage from the radio right now has been pretty amazing. It’s been the investigative apparatus. The scoops people are getting having to connect the dots. People are well served. But you have to go find these things. It’s not marketed now. I think you are seeing any interest or support because all the viewership is up. The site traffic is up. People are very engaged in the story and they want to get to the facts. People need to get over the fact that the Murdoch’s made a business decision and you’ve just got to move on.
Listen to the full show here:


thetennesseestar--2020-12-01--Ohio Drug Sentencing Reform Receives Broad Support

A policy group says Ohio ’ s drug sentencing reform can make an impact on the state ’ s drug problem and save taxpayers money at the same time .
Robert Alt , president and CEO of The Buckeye Institute and renowned legal scholar , recently testified before the Ohio House Criminal Justice Committee in support of a bill , saying it would reform the state ’ s drug sentencing laws and treat those suffering from addiction by using sensible best practices .
Alt told , 6,238 Ohioans died of drug overdoses in 2019 , which is larger than the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 .
Alt also pointed to a 2017 report from the Ohio Criminal Justice Recodification Committee as a foundation for reform .
“ Senate Bill 3 largely adopts weight thresholds from the Recodification Committee ’ s final report , which are based upon real life scenarios and impartial university research , ” said Alt , who also pointed out the reforms will “ help ensure that Ohio treats those caught in the cycle of addiction fairly , while still holding those in the business of selling drugs accountable for their actions.
” Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the goal of the bill is to get those struggling with addiction help before offenses mean jail time .
“ Senate Bill 3 is about being smart on crime and following policies that lead to not only a second chance for Ohioans battling addiction , but also to safer communities across our state , ” Obhof said in June , when the Senate passed its version .
Andrew Geisler , a legal fellow at The Buckeye Institute , issued a policy memo in an attempt to separate what he called myth from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cited a Journal of the American Medical Association study that said a prison sentence does little to deter future drug use by nonviolent offenders .
It also reported the average cost of a prison stay is $ 22,000 .
Geisler also tackled the idea that SB 3 would weaken Ohio ’ s drug trafficking laws compared to neighboring states , making it a haven for drug dealers .
In fact , he said in his paper , Indiana , Kentucky , Michigan , Pennsylvania and West Virginia do not punish the highest level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And , according to Geisler , the bill would keep serious mandatory prison sentences for high-level trafficking offenses .
“ Evaluating the true effect of the reforms in Senate Bill 3 requires separating fact from fiction and myth from reality , ” Geisler said .
“ The commonsense reforms in Senate Bill 3 do not create the problems and concerns that the myth suggests .
And , reclassifying low-level drug possession crimes from felonies to misdemeanors will better ensure that those suffering from addiction get the treatment they need instead of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ J.D .
Davidson is a veteran journalist with more than 30 years of experience in newspapers in Ohio , Georgia , Alabama and Texas .
He has served as a reporter , editor , managing editor and publisher .

by J.D. Davidson
A policy group says Ohio’s drug sentencing reform can make an impact on the state’s drug problem and save taxpayers money at the same time.
Robert Alt, president and CEO of The Buckeye Institute and renowned legal scholar, recently testified before the Ohio House Criminal Justice Committee in support of a bill, saying it would reform the state’s drug sentencing laws and treat those suffering from addiction by using sensible best practices.
Alt told, 6,238 Ohioans died of drug overdoses in 2019, which is larger than the number of people who have died from COVID-19. Alt also pointed to a 2017 report from the Ohio Criminal Justice Recodification Committee as a foundation for reform.
“Senate Bill 3 largely adopts weight thresholds from the Recodification Committee’s final report, which are based upon real life scenarios and impartial university research,” said Alt, who also pointed out the reforms will “help ensure that Ohio treats those caught in the cycle of addiction fairly, while still holding those in the business of selling drugs accountable for their actions.”
Senate President Larry Obhof, a co-sponsor, said the goal of the bill is to get those struggling with addiction help before offenses mean jail time.
“Senate Bill 3 is about being smart on crime and following policies that lead to not only a second chance for Ohioans battling addiction, but also to safer communities across our state,” Obhof said in June, when the Senate passed its version.
Andrew Geisler, a legal fellow at The Buckeye Institute, issued a policy memo in an attempt to separate what he called myth from reality with the proposed bill.
Geisler cited a Journal of the American Medical Association study that said a prison sentence does little to deter future drug use by nonviolent offenders. It also reported the average cost of a prison stay is $22,000.
Geisler also tackled the idea that SB 3 would weaken Ohio’s drug trafficking laws compared to neighboring states, making it a haven for drug dealers. In fact, he said in his paper, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia do not punish the highest level of drug-trafficking offenders with stiff mandatory minimums.
And, according to Geisler, the bill would keep serious mandatory prison sentences for high-level trafficking offenses.
“Evaluating the true effect of the reforms in Senate Bill 3 requires separating fact from fiction and myth from reality,” Geisler said. “The commonsense reforms in Senate Bill 3 do not create the problems and concerns that the myth suggests. And, reclassifying low-level drug possession crimes from felonies to misdemeanors will better ensure that those suffering from addiction get the treatment they need instead of a prison sentence.”
– – –
An Ohio native, J.D. Davidson is a veteran journalist with more than 30 years of experience in newspapers in Ohio, Georgia, Alabama and Texas. He has served as a reporter, editor, managing editor and publisher.


thetennesseestar--2020-12-01--Applications Open for Citizen Members of Virginia’s Redistricting Commission

Starting on Monday , applications for state residents to become citizen members of the Virginia Redistricting Commission are now open and available online .
Virginians have until December 28th , or just under a month , to apply for the possibility to serve alongside eight lawmakers on the commission and take part in the state ’ s new process for drawing legislative and congressional district lines .
The new method of redistricting and the 16-member commission to go with it was approved by voters back on Election Day as a constitutional amendment .
Because of delays with 2020 U.S. Census @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work under a tight schedule to create maps for the pivotal 2021 elections of governor , lieutenant governor and attorney general as well as all every seat in the Virginia House of Delegates .
There are several requirements and exemptions to be eligible to apply for one of the eight citizen commissioner spots .
Applicants must be residents of Virginia , registered to vote in the state for the last three years and have voted in two of the last three general elections .
Education level , work experience and socioeconomic status are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Three letters of recommendation are also required to be sent in with each application .
Any person who has held or ran for political office , worked for a lawmaker , campaign or political entity , or has been a registered lobbyist within the last five years can not apply for the commission .
Additionally , relatives of people who may be disqualified under those exemptions are not allowed to apply either .
The application form and all other information on the redistricting commission can be found on the Virginia Division of legislative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ applications can be submitted by email to [ email protected ] , faxed to ( 804 ) 698-1899 , or mailed to the DLS , Attn : Selection Committee , 900 E. Main St. , Richmond , VA 23219 .
Once the window is closed , legislative leaders from each party of the House and Senate will review the pool of applicants and submit lists of nominees to the selection committee – consisting of five retired circuit court judges – for the final selection , which is expected to take place in early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the selection committee must consider the racial , ethnic , geographic , and gender diversity of the Commonwealth , as mandated in the redistricting commission language passed by the General Assembly .
Four out of five members of the selection committee were chosen earlier this month by the same legislative leaders from a list provided by Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia Donald W. Lemons .
The members are the Honorable Joanne F. Alper , William C. Andrews III , Larry B. Kirksey , and David Pugh .
Those four members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the selection committee chairwoman .
On Wednesday , the committee held its first meeting electronically via teleconference , which can also be viewed on the DLS website , and approved the application process .
The panel of judges also approved the application form itself during the meeting , but with a slight change that the document asks about education instead of specific college and graduate degrees .
After the citizen and legislative members are selected , the commission will hold its first public meeting on February 1st , 2021 , but can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the maps until receiving the Census data , which is expected to happen in the spring .
Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Follow Jacob on Twitter .
Email tips to [ email protected ]

Starting on Monday, applications for state residents to become citizen members of the Virginia Redistricting Commission are now open and available online.
Virginians have until December 28th, or just under a month, to apply for the possibility to serve alongside eight lawmakers on the commission and take part in the state’s new process for drawing legislative and congressional district lines.
The new method of redistricting and the 16-member commission to go with it was approved by voters back on Election Day as a constitutional amendment. Because of delays with 2020 U.S. Census data the commission will be required to work under a tight schedule to create maps for the pivotal 2021 elections of governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general as well as all every seat in the Virginia House of Delegates.
There are several requirements and exemptions to be eligible to apply for one of the eight citizen commissioner spots. Applicants must be residents of Virginia, registered to vote in the state for the last three years and have voted in two of the last three general elections. Education level, work experience and socioeconomic status are not factored in the application process.
Three letters of recommendation are also required to be sent in with each application.
Any person who has held or ran for political office, worked for a lawmaker, campaign or political entity, or has been a registered lobbyist within the last five years cannot apply for the commission.
Additionally, relatives of people who may be disqualified under those exemptions are not allowed to apply either.
The application form and all other information on the redistricting commission can be found on the Virginia Division of legislative Services (DLS) website.
Completed applications can be submitted by email to [email protected], faxed to (804) 698-1899, or mailed to the DLS, Attn: Selection Committee, 900 E. Main St., Richmond, VA 23219.
Once the window is closed, legislative leaders from each party of the House and Senate will review the pool of applicants and submit lists of nominees to the selection committee – consisting of five retired circuit court judges – for the final selection, which is expected to take place in early January.
When choosing citizen members, the selection committee must consider the racial, ethnic, geographic, and gender diversity of the Commonwealth, as mandated in the redistricting commission language passed by the General Assembly.
Four out of five members of the selection committee were chosen earlier this month by the same legislative leaders from a list provided by Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia Donald W. Lemons.
The members are the Honorable Joanne F. Alper, William C. Andrews III, Larry B. Kirksey, and David Pugh. Those four members selected the Honorable Pamela Baskervill to serve as the selection committee chairwoman.
On Wednesday, the committee held its first meeting electronically via teleconference, which can also be viewed on the DLS website, and approved the application process. The panel of judges also approved the application form itself during the meeting, but with a slight change that the document asks about education instead of specific college and graduate degrees.
After the citizen and legislative members are selected, the commission will hold its first public meeting on February 1st, 2021, but cannot begin working on the development of the maps until receiving the Census data, which is expected to happen in the spring.
– – –
Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network. Follow Jacob on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected]


thetennesseestar--2020-12-01--Republicans Split as Giuliani, Powell Allege Fraud in Virginia

Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and elections watchdog lawyer Sidney Powell have recently spent most of their energy in states like Georgia and Pennsylvania , but the two lawyers have also alleged serious irregularities in Virginia ’ s 2020 elections .
“ I mean Virginia was called with ten percent of the vote .
I think we may actually have won Virginia , but that ’ s another battle , ” Giuliani said as an aside at a meeting last week with some Pennsylvanian Republican legislators .
“ Yes , # Virginia , You experienced serious # ElectionFraud against multiple conservative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The # KrakenOnSteroids and team will see you soon , ” she wrote .
Powell linked to commentary on the American Thinker citing an apparent late-election-night vote dump combined with a decrease in total vote numbers .
“ About 479,337 fraudulent votes were created for Biden , ” Nick Chase wrote .
“ But this fraudulent maneuver had two problems .
First , it was hard to believe , a sudden vote swing of 4.5 percent in just eight minutes ; and second , those half-million fake Biden votes might show more “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters to cast them , making the fraud immediately obvious .
So the crooks had to lower the overall vote total to bring it more into line with the 2016 and prior presidential elections.
” The lawyers ’ concerns match concerns of some Virginia Republicans .
“ There is evidence of voter fraud here in Virginia and we must investigate or 2021 won ’ t matter .
Tell your representative to join me in supporting an investigation into voter fraud here in Virginia , ” 2021 gubernatorial candidate Senator Amanda Chase ( R-Chesterfield @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for whatever reason the Trump legal team has distanced themselves from Sidney Powell , ” Chase said in a video last week .
“ But she is still fighting and she is still doing a full-out investigation to help President Trump to make sure that we [ evaluate ] this potential fraud through the use of computer software .
We have whole batches of votes that are dropped in and out of Virginia ’ s voter rolls.
” Vice Chair of the State Board of Elections ( BOE ) John O ’ Bannon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voter fraud that needs to be examined , but he doesn ’ t think the problem is big enough to swing the election .
He said that the big increase in Biden votes was caused by adding in absentee voter totals .
“ Voter fraud is always an issue .
There ’ s no evidence that voter fraud in Virginia would change any of the outcomes of these elections , ” O ’ Bannon told The Virginia Star two weeks ago .
At the time , Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Rich Anderson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asking them to delay certification because of the election irregularities .
O ’ Bannon and the other members of the board unanimously certified Virginia ’ s election results , according to ABC8 .
In a Sunday Forbes article , U.S. Representative Denver Riggleman ( R-VA-05 ) criticized Republicans for their reaction to the election .
“ The career is more important than the facts , it ’ s that simple , ” he said .
Riggleman was defeated in the Republican primary for reelection , and will be replaced by social conservative Bob @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election saying that he ’ d consider voting for Biden .
Trump Virginia Campaign Chairman John Fredericks said , “ I believe all allegations of alleged voter fraud in Virginia should be investigated and brought to conclusion.
” “ It certainly seemed odd to a lot of people on election night when an update happened and Trump ’ s votes went down .
I ’ d like somebody to explain how that happened , ” Fredericks said .
Fredericks said fraud should still be investigated to prevent problems in closer elections in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit the goal of two million Trump votes in Virginia .
“ We thought if we did that we would be very competitive .
We hit our number and got blown out .
Biden carried the state by nearly 450,000 votes and ten percent , ” Fredericks said .
“ It ’ s unfathomable to me that you could have had fraud on a scale that would have changed nearly a half a million votes , ” Fredericks said .
“ It ’ s dangerous for Republicans in Virginia to blame voter fraud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our work to do and if it was an honest vote , the Democrats turned out 2.4 million people .
That ’ s a lot of new voters that we never saw coming.
” He added , “ The danger is focusing on fraud where there might not be that much , and not coming to grips with the fact that Virginia is now a solidly blue state based on these potential results.
” Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
Email tips to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the publisher and editor-in-chief of The Virginia Star .
He is also a Trump 2020 delegate and the chairman of the Trump Virginia Delegation .

Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and elections watchdog lawyer Sidney Powell have recently spent most of their energy in states like Georgia and Pennsylvania, but the two lawyers have also alleged serious irregularities in Virginia’s 2020 elections.
“I mean Virginia was called with ten percent of the vote. I think we may actually have won Virginia, but that’s another battle,” Giuliani said as an aside at a meeting last week with some Pennsylvanian Republican legislators.
“Yes, #Virginia, You experienced serious #ElectionFraud against multiple conservative candidates,” Powell tweeted. “The #KrakenOnSteroids and team will see you soon,” she wrote.
Powell linked to commentary on the American Thinker citing an apparent late-election-night vote dump combined with a decrease in total vote numbers.
“About 479,337 fraudulent votes were created for Biden,” Nick Chase wrote. “But this fraudulent maneuver had two problems. First, it was hard to believe, a sudden vote swing of 4.5 percent in just eight minutes; and second, those half-million fake Biden votes might show more “votes” cast than there were registered voters to cast them, making the fraud immediately obvious. So the crooks had to lower the overall vote total to bring it more into line with the 2016 and prior presidential elections.”
The lawyers’ concerns match concerns of some Virginia Republicans. “There is evidence of voter fraud here in Virginia and we must investigate or 2021 won’t matter. Tell your representative to join me in supporting an investigation into voter fraud here in Virginia,” 2021 gubernatorial candidate Senator Amanda Chase (R-Chesterfield) said on Facebook.
“Apparently for whatever reason the Trump legal team has distanced themselves from Sidney Powell,” Chase said in a video last week. “But she is still fighting and she is still doing a full-out investigation to help President Trump to make sure that we [evaluate] this potential fraud through the use of computer software. We have whole batches of votes that are dropped in and out of Virginia’s voter rolls.”
Vice Chair of the State Board of Elections (BOE) John O’Bannon (R) agrees that Virginia has voter fraud that needs to be examined, but he doesn’t think the problem is big enough to swing the election. He said that the big increase in Biden votes was caused by adding in absentee voter totals.
“Voter fraud is always an issue. There’s no evidence that voter fraud in Virginia would change any of the outcomes of these elections,” O’Bannon told The Virginia Star two weeks ago.
At the time, Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Rich Anderson had mailed a letter to the BOE asking them to delay certification because of the election irregularities. O’Bannon and the other members of the board unanimously certified Virginia’s election results, according to ABC8.
In a Sunday Forbes article, U.S. Representative Denver Riggleman (R-VA-05) criticized Republicans for their reaction to the election. “The career is more important than the facts, it’s that simple,” he said.
Riggleman was defeated in the Republican primary for reelection, and will be replaced by social conservative Bob Good. Riggleman attracted attention before the election saying that he’d consider voting for Biden.
Trump Virginia Campaign Chairman John Fredericks said, “I believe all allegations of alleged voter fraud in Virginia should be investigated and brought to conclusion.”
“It certainly seemed odd to a lot of people on election night when an update happened and Trump’s votes went down. I’d like somebody to explain how that happened,” Fredericks said.
Fredericks said fraud should still be investigated to prevent problems in closer elections in the future.
He noted that his team hit the goal of two million Trump votes in Virginia. “We thought if we did that we would be very competitive. We hit our number and got blown out. Biden carried the state by nearly 450,000 votes and ten percent,” Fredericks said.
“It’s unfathomable to me that you could have had fraud on a scale that would have changed nearly a half a million votes,” Fredericks said. “It’s dangerous for Republicans in Virginia to blame voter fraud for getting blown out. We have our work to do and if it was an honest vote, the Democrats turned out 2.4 million people. That’s a lot of new voters that we never saw coming.”
He added, “The danger is focusing on fraud where there might not be that much, and not coming to grips with the fact that Virginia is now a solidly blue state based on these potential results.”
– – –
Eric Burk is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network. Email tips to [email protected].
John Fredericks is the publisher and editor-in-chief of The Virginia Star.
He is also a Trump 2020 delegate and the chairman of the Trump Virginia Delegation.


thetennesseestar--2020-12-01--Richmond Topples No.10 Kentucky on the Road

Richmond upset No .
10 Kentucky 76-64 on Sunday to win the Bluegrass Showcase and secure the first road win against a top-10 opponent in program history .
Despite a 12-point statement win in just the second game of the season , Richmond ( 2-0 ) was far from perfect .
The Spiders dealt with foul trouble , shot the ball poorly in the first half and were severely out-rebounded by the Wildcats , but were able to exert themselves defensively .
“ A tremendous win for us and I do think it started with the defense and I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Richmond head coach Chris Mooney said postgame .
“ You just get to play a team like Kentucky so rarely , ” Mooney continued .
“ I ’ ve been coaching for a long time and this is my first time playing against Kentucky .
So for us to have the opportunity to play them with a great team is great , and we seized that opportunity.
” Richmond was led in scoring by guard Blake Francis and forward Nathan Cayo with 18 points each and received valuable contributions from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jacob Gilyard who , even with poor shooting numbers , was really able impact the game with six assists , five steals and four rebounds .
After the game , Mooney specifically praised Cayo , who was named most valuable player of the showcase , for being a nearly unstoppable force on the offensive end so far this season .
During a first half that was largely back and forth between the two teams , Richmond shot 28.6 percent from the floor , making just ten of their 35 attempts , and picked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the break , however , the Spiders only trailed Kentucky 32-28 .
“ We were only down four at half time and we felt like we played horrible .
We didn ’ t make any shots , ” forward Grant Golden said postgame .
“ We knew as long as we kept running our offense , shots were going to fall eventually , but it was really all on the defensive end for us and we put two really good halves of defense together and that ’ s what ended up winning it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to find its rhythm offensively in the second half , shooting 59 percent from the floor , and eventually pulled away from the young Wildcats team .
Richmond broke off a 9-0 run to take a three-point lead early on and then a 12-2 run with just under eight minutes left to go up 58-46 .
Cayo put the finishing stamp on the game with an and-one dunk over two Kentucky defenders to give Richmond a 69-56 lead with 1:24 remaining .
One stat that went in Richmond ’ s favor and helped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and inconsistent shooting was turnovers .
Kentucky had 21 turnovers to Richmond ’ s ten .
11 of those turnovers came in the second half and resulted in 22 points for the Spiders .
For Kentucky , who started four freshman and senior transfer Olivier Sarr , their inexperience showed at times while playing the polar opposite in Richmond with its swath of experienced upperclassman and graduates .
Overall , Kentucky had a poor second half in which they did not record an assist and shot 31 percent .
The wildcats also did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Exciting freshman Brandon Boston Jr. led the Wildcats with 20 points , while Sarr had 17 points and 11 rebounds .
With a lot of hype and excitement going into the season as the project No.1 team in the Atlantic 10 Conference , Sunday ’ s win helped validate the belief that Richmond is not only one of the favorites to finish first in the league , but also has a chance to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament come March .
“ We ’ re confident .
We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ here ] , ” Gilyard said .
“ We felt coming in that we had been slighted all year .
With Nick [ Sherod ] being out we felt like people were underestimating us .
We ’ ve got guys that can play and everybody is going to step up.
” After receiving 40 votes to be in the top-25 last week , the win – one of the best ever for the program – will most likely vault Richmond into the Associated Press rankings when they are released .
On the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fall out of the top-10 after this loss .
Richmond travels to South Carolina next to play College of Charleston on Wednesday .
The Spider ’ s next matchup against a ranked opponent will come against No .
11 West Virginia on December 13 .
Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network .
I am a 2019 graduate from the University of Richmond and covered the men ’ s basketball team for the university ’ s student newspaper during my team in school .
Follow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ email protected ] .

Richmond upset No. 10 Kentucky 76-64 on Sunday to win the Bluegrass Showcase and secure the first road win against a top-10 opponent in program history.
Despite a 12-point statement win in just the second game of the season, Richmond (2-0) was far from perfect. The Spiders dealt with foul trouble, shot the ball poorly in the first half and were severely out-rebounded by the Wildcats, but were able to exert themselves defensively.
“A tremendous win for us and I do think it started with the defense and I think ended with the defense to be honest,” Richmond head coach Chris Mooney said postgame.
“You just get to play a team like Kentucky so rarely,” Mooney continued. “I’ve been coaching for a long time and this is my first time playing against Kentucky. So for us to have the opportunity to play them with a great team is great, and we seized that opportunity.”
Richmond was led in scoring by guard Blake Francis and forward Nathan Cayo with 18 points each and received valuable contributions from the other three starters, specifically point guard Jacob Gilyard who, even with poor shooting numbers, was really able impact the game with six assists, five steals and four rebounds.
After the game, Mooney specifically praised Cayo, who was named most valuable player of the showcase, for being a nearly unstoppable force on the offensive end so far this season.
During a first half that was largely back and forth between the two teams, Richmond shot 28.6 percent from the floor, making just ten of their 35 attempts, and picked up many early fouls. Going into the break, however, the Spiders only trailed Kentucky 32-28.
“We were only down four at half time and we felt like we played horrible. We didn’t make any shots,” forward Grant Golden said postgame. “We knew as long as we kept running our offense, shots were going to fall eventually, but it was really all on the defensive end for us and we put two really good halves of defense together and that’s what ended up winning it for us.”
The Spiders were able to find its rhythm offensively in the second half, shooting 59 percent from the floor, and eventually pulled away from the young Wildcats team. Richmond broke off a 9-0 run to take a three-point lead early on and then a 12-2 run with just under eight minutes left to go up 58-46.
Cayo put the finishing stamp on the game with an and-one dunk over two Kentucky defenders to give Richmond a 69-56 lead with 1:24 remaining.
One stat that went in Richmond’s favor and helped secure the victory even while getting out-rebounded and inconsistent shooting was turnovers. Kentucky had 21 turnovers to Richmond’s ten. 11 of those turnovers came in the second half and resulted in 22 points for the Spiders.
For Kentucky, who started four freshman and senior transfer Olivier Sarr, their inexperience showed at times while playing the polar opposite in Richmond with its swath of experienced upperclassman and graduates.
Overall, Kentucky had a poor second half in which they did not record an assist and shot 31 percent. The wildcats also did not make a three during the game.
Exciting freshman Brandon Boston Jr. led the Wildcats with 20 points, while Sarr had 17 points and 11 rebounds.
With a lot of hype and excitement going into the season as the project No.1 team in the Atlantic 10 Conference, Sunday’s win helped validate the belief that Richmond is not only one of the favorites to finish first in the league, but also has a chance to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament come March.
“We’re confident. We’re confident that we deserve to be [here],” Gilyard said. “We felt coming in that we had been slighted all year. With Nick [Sherod] being out we felt like people were underestimating us. We’ve got guys that can play and everybody is going to step up.”
After receiving 40 votes to be in the top-25 last week, the win – one of the best ever for the program – will most likely vault Richmond into the Associated Press rankings when they are released. On the other side, Kentucky will almost certainly fall out of the top-10 after this loss.
Richmond travels to South Carolina next to play College of Charleston on Wednesday. The Spider’s next matchup against a ranked opponent will come against No. 11 West Virginia on December 13.
– – –
Jacob Taylor is a reporter at The Virginia Star and the Star News Digital Network. I am a 2019 graduate from the University of Richmond and covered the men’s basketball team for the university’s student newspaper during my team in school. Follow me on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].


thetennesseestar--2020-12-01--BLM’s National Arm Gave Little to Local Chapters While Reaping Millions, Local BLM Chapters Allege i

BLM’s National Arm Gave Little to Local Chapters While Reaping Millions, Local BLM Chapters Allege in Statement

Ten local Black Lives Matter chapters issued a statement Monday accusing the movement ’ s national arm of providing little to no financial support to its local chapters , which are responsible for carrying out BLM ’ s mission .
The local chapters , including those of Washington , D.C. , Chicago and Philadelphia , said in the statement that Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation has provided no acceptable financial transparency surrounding the “ unknown millions of dollars ” it has reaped since its founding in 2013 .
The Daily Caller News Foundation reported in June that Black Lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 4.5 million on consultants , travel and compensation for its staff from July 2017 through June 2019 while at the same time providing only $ 328,000 to outside groups such as the local autonomous BLM chapters that carry out the movement ’ s work .
Former BLM Global Network Managing Director Kailee Scales told the DCNF in June that the figures from its fiscal sponsor ’ s financial statements “ do not reflect , for example , the in kind support for chapters and fundraising directed to chapters and programmatic assistance to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out by employees and consultants to BLM , ” Scales said .
However , the local BLM chapters said Monday that “ most chapters have received little to no financial support from BLMGN since the launch in 2013.
” “ For years there has been inquiry regarding the financial operations of BLMGN and no acceptable process of either public or internal transparency about the unknown millions of dollars donated to BLMGN , which has certainly increased during this time of pandemic and rebellion , ” the chapters said .
BLM Global Network announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6.5 million fund to support its local chapters after having received a windfall of donations following the May 25 death of George Floyd , who died after a white police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes .
The group told the Associated Press in mid-June it had received more than 1.1 million donations , with the average contribution clocking in at $ 33 .
But the local chapters said in their statement Monday that only “ selected chapters ” have been invited to apply for that fund , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chapters with grants up to $ 500,000 .
The statement also alleged that BLM Global Network co-founder and sole board member Patrisse Khan-Cullors recently “ became Executive Director against the will of most chapters and without their knowledge.
” Chapter organizers have also been prevented from “ establishing financial transparency , collective decision making , or collaboration on political analysis and vision ” within BLM Global Network , the signatories said .
“ We understand that these issues are not new and that some chapters left , were not acknowledged , or were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of chapters because of them , ” the statement read .
The accusation that local BLM chapters are locked out of engaging in the movement ’ s decision-making process follows a statement from Khan-Cullors in 2018 that the local , autonomous chapters are the ones responsible for carrying out the movement ’ s mission .
“ We have impacted the world ; the Black Lives Matter Global Network , a crew of mostly young Black women and femmes challenging the culture to live up to our resilience .
We evolved from a phrase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ network , ” Khan-Cullors said .
“ This work is carried out by our chapters , whose leadership spans across the country and the globe.
” Another BLM co-founder , Opal Tometi , told The New Yorker in early June that the affiliated BLM chapters “ are the ones leading ” the movement .
“ It has always been somewhat decentralized , ” Tometi said .
“ We have tried various structures , but we have always said the power goes on in the local chapter because they know what is going on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the terrain.
” The local BLM chapters urged supporters of their movement to “ donate directly to chapters , who represent the frontline of Black Lives Matter.
” BLM Global Network did not immediately return a request for comment .
Andrew Kerr is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation .
Photo “ Black Lives Matter DC ” by Black Lives Matter DC .

by Andrew Kerr
Ten local Black Lives Matter chapters issued a statement Monday accusing the movement’s national arm of providing little to no financial support to its local chapters, which are responsible for carrying out BLM’s mission.
The local chapters, including those of Washington, D.C., Chicago and Philadelphia, said in the statement that Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation has provided no acceptable financial transparency surrounding the “unknown millions of dollars” it has reaped since its founding in 2013.
The Daily Caller News Foundation reported in June that Black Lives Matter Global Network (BLMGN) spent $4.5 million on consultants, travel and compensation for its staff from July 2017 through June 2019 while at the same time providing only $328,000 to outside groups such as the local autonomous BLM chapters that carry out the movement’s work.
Former BLM Global Network Managing Director Kailee Scales told the DCNF in June that the figures from its fiscal sponsor’s financial statements “do not reflect, for example, the in kind support for chapters and fundraising directed to chapters and programmatic assistance to chapters.”
“That work was carried out by employees and consultants to BLM,” Scales said.
However, the local BLM chapters said Monday that “most chapters have received little to no financial support from BLMGN since the launch in 2013.”
“For years there has been inquiry regarding the financial operations of BLMGN and no acceptable process of either public or internal transparency about the unknown millions of dollars donated to BLMGN, which has certainly increased during this time of pandemic and rebellion,” the chapters said.
Despite millions being donated to the network, local chapters have lacked support & resources from national leadership. As a result, much of our local community work continues to be erased. #BlackLivesMatter #BLM10 pic.twitter.com/JdbJOP53op — Black Lives Matter DC (@DMVBlackLives) November 30, 2020
BLM Global Network announced in June it was launching a $6.5 million fund to support its local chapters after having received a windfall of donations following the May 25 death of George Floyd, who died after a white police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes. The group told the Associated Press in mid-June it had received more than 1.1 million donations, with the average contribution clocking in at $33.
But the local chapters said in their statement Monday that only “selected chapters” have been invited to apply for that fund, which BLM Global Network said would provide affiliated chapters with grants up to $500,000.
The statement also alleged that BLM Global Network co-founder and sole board member Patrisse Khan-Cullors recently “became Executive Director against the will of most chapters and without their knowledge.”
Chapter organizers have also been prevented from “establishing financial transparency, collective decision making, or collaboration on political analysis and vision” within BLM Global Network, the signatories said.
“We understand that these issues are not new and that some chapters left, were not acknowledged, or were pushed out of network with the community of chapters because of them,” the statement read.
The accusation that local BLM chapters are locked out of engaging in the movement’s decision-making process follows a statement from Khan-Cullors in 2018 that the local, autonomous chapters are the ones responsible for carrying out the movement’s mission.
“We have impacted the world; the Black Lives Matter Global Network, a crew of mostly young Black women and femmes challenging the culture to live up to our resilience. We evolved from a phrase, to hashtag, to a global network,” Khan-Cullors said. “This work is carried out by our chapters, whose leadership spans across the country and the globe.”
Another BLM co-founder, Opal Tometi, told The New Yorker in early June that the affiliated BLM chapters “are the ones leading” the movement.
“It has always been somewhat decentralized,” Tometi said. “We have tried various structures, but we have always said the power goes on in the local chapter because they know what is going on, and they are the ones familiar with the terrain.”
The local BLM chapters urged supporters of their movement to “donate directly to chapters, who represent the frontline of Black Lives Matter.”
BLM Global Network did not immediately return a request for comment.
– – –
Andrew Kerr is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “Black Lives Matter DC” by Black Lives Matter DC.