bonginoreport--2020-02-11--VA Passes Gun Ban Bill 51-48

VA Passes Gun Ban Bill 51-48

The Virginia House of Delegates approved HB961 Tuesday afternoon , sending the gun , magazine , suppressor , and trigger activator ban to the state Senate on a narrow 51-48 vote .
There was bipartisan opposition to the bill , with several Democrats voting against the proposal , but only Democrats supported the gun ban measure .
The bill was modified on the House floor in order to bring more Democrats on board .
The original provision making it a felony to possess a magazine that can accept more than 12-rounds of ammunition was amended to make possession a misdemeanor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sense if you truly believe that possessing this magazines is tantamount to possessing a weapon of war , but if you ’ re a Democrat who ’ s looking at this from a political angle , not public safety , it ’ s just another bargaining chip that can be used to deliver a few more votes .
In fact , I ’ m growing increasingly concerned that Virginia state senators will modify the bill even further , introducing a grandfather clause for owners of existing magazines but putting a ban in place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ magazines over 12-rounds .
The language we ’ ve seen from Democrats like Sen. Lynwood Lewis is that they can ’ t support any bill that would take guns or magazines from Virginians .
Would a grandfather clause give them the political cover to vote for the bill ?
I don ’ t know , but it worries me , and I hope every Virginia gun owner is contacting their state senator and telling them to oppose HB961 in any form .
Sen. Lewis did help to defeat one of Gov .
Northam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when he joined fellow Democrat Chap Petersen and every Republican state senator in opposing SB 67 , which would have fined gun owners who failed to report their lost or stolen firearms to police within 24 hours of their absence .
If those two senators vote against HB961 , it won ’ t get to Northam ’ s desk , and it ’ s a good sign to see them buck the governor ’ s wishes , though a similar measure passed the House and is currently in a Senate committee .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants to be able to say he got a gun ban into law in Virginia , and I suspect he ’ s willing to horsetrade a lot of the specifics in order to make it happen .
Gun owners have to understand that any ban on the future sale of specific firearms , magazines , or suppressors also amounts to a future ban on the current possession of those items .
We saw this with the original gun ban language supported by Northam , which contained no grandfather clauses whatsoever .
Northam and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and they ’ re whittling the bill down to what will pass .
If they ’ re able to get HB961 to Northam ’ s desk this year , he ’ ll happily sign it , though it doesn ’ t go nearly as far as he wants .
It ’ s much easier to add to a law than it is to take it away , and Democrats believe they can expand the legislation in 2021 , even if they don ’ t get everything they want this year .
HB961 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state Senate , and every contact gun owners can make with their state senator will help the cause .
Be polite , be civil , but be clear : there ’ s no way you can support them if they support HB961 in any form .

The Virginia House of Delegates approved HB961 Tuesday afternoon, sending the gun, magazine, suppressor, and trigger activator ban to the state Senate on a narrow 51-48 vote. There was bipartisan opposition to the bill, with several Democrats voting against the proposal, but only Democrats supported the gun ban measure.
The bill was modified on the House floor in order to bring more Democrats on board. The original provision making it a felony to possess a magazine that can accept more than 12-rounds of ammunition was amended to make possession a misdemeanor offense. This doesn’t make sense if you truly believe that possessing this magazines is tantamount to possessing a weapon of war, but if you’re a Democrat who’s looking at this from a political angle, not public safety, it’s just another bargaining chip that can be used to deliver a few more votes.
In fact, I’m growing increasingly concerned that Virginia state senators will modify the bill even further, introducing a grandfather clause for owners of existing magazines but putting a ban in place on the future purchase or sale of magazines over 12-rounds. The language we’ve seen from Democrats like Sen. Lynwood Lewis is that they can’t support any bill that would take guns or magazines from Virginians. Would a grandfather clause give them the political cover to vote for the bill? I don’t know, but it worries me, and I hope every Virginia gun owner is contacting their state senator and telling them to oppose HB961 in any form.
Sen. Lewis did help to defeat one of Gov. Northam’s gun control proposals on Tuesday, when he joined fellow Democrat Chap Petersen and every Republican state senator in opposing SB 67, which would have fined gun owners who failed to report their lost or stolen firearms to police within 24 hours of their absence. If those two senators vote against HB961, it won’t get to Northam’s desk, and it’s a good sign to see them buck the governor’s wishes, though a similar measure passed the House and is currently in a Senate committee.
There’s no doubt that Northam wants to be able to say he got a gun ban into law in Virginia, and I suspect he’s willing to horsetrade a lot of the specifics in order to make it happen. Gun owners have to understand that any ban on the future sale of specific firearms, magazines, or suppressors also amounts to a future ban on the current possession of those items. We saw this with the original gun ban language supported by Northam, which contained no grandfather clauses whatsoever.
Northam and anti-gun activists started with what they wanted, and they’re whittling the bill down to what will pass. If they’re able to get HB961 to Northam’s desk this year, he’ll happily sign it, though it doesn’t go nearly as far as he wants. It’s much easier to add to a law than it is to take it away, and Democrats believe they can expand the legislation in 2021, even if they don’t get everything they want this year.
HB961 is not assured of passage in the state Senate, and every contact gun owners can make with their state senator will help the cause. Be polite, be civil, but be clear: there’s no way you can support them if they support HB961 in any form.


bonginoreport--2020-02-11--Man Accused of Driving Van Through GOP Voter Registration Tent Told Police “Someone Had to Take a St

Man Accused of Driving Van Through GOP Voter Registration Tent Told Police “Someone Had to Take a Stand”

The man who allegedly drove his van through a Republican voter registration tent in Florida did so because he dislikes President Donald Trump , according to a copy of the police report reviewed by the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Gregory William Loel Timm , the alleged driver , showed police videos he recorded on his phone up until he plowed through the tent on Saturday , the report stated .
Timm is facing six criminal charges , including two counts of aggravated assault on a person 65 years or older , according to the police report .
The suspect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — narrowly missing two volunteers who moved out of the way — because “ someone had to take a stand , ” according to the report .
“ He willingly showed a video to us on his phone that was him talking prior to driving into the tent .
He was a few aisles over in the parking lot .
The suspect then showed another video to us of him driving towards the tent with the victims standing in front of the tent , ” the report stated .
“ The video cuts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tent … The suspect was upset that the video ended before the ‘ good part ’ as he described it , ” it added .
( RELATED : GOP Baseball Shooter ‘ Fueled By Rage Against Republican Legislators ’ ) “ The suspect advised that he does not like President Trump , ” the report stated , listing that as part of what motivated Timm .
“ The assailant ’ s own confession makes it clear that Saturday was a deliberate and politically motivated attack on supporters of President Trump , ” Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement to the DCNF .
“ What happened in Jacksonville is completely reprehensible and unacceptable .
Political violence has no place in our democratic process , and we will not bend to these thuggish acts , ” McDaniel continued .
Republicans were targeted for political violence in the run-up to the 2018 midterm elections as well .
A Republican campaign office in Wyoming was set on fire just days after it opened in September 2018 .
Three weeks after the Wyoming fire , a California man attempted to stab a Republican congressional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

The man who allegedly drove his van through a Republican voter registration tent in Florida did so because he dislikes President Donald Trump, according to a copy of the police report reviewed by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Gregory William Loel Timm, the alleged driver, showed police videos he recorded on his phone up until he plowed through the tent on Saturday, the report stated.
Timm is facing six criminal charges, including two counts of aggravated assault on a person 65 years or older, according to the police report.
The suspect told police he drove through the tent — narrowly missing two volunteers who moved out of the way — because “someone had to take a stand,” according to the report.
“He willingly showed a video to us on his phone that was him talking prior to driving into the tent. He was a few aisles over in the parking lot. The suspect then showed another video to us of him driving towards the tent with the victims standing in front of the tent,” the report stated.
“The video cuts out prior to him actually striking the tent … The suspect was upset that the video ended before the ‘good part’ as he described it,” it added. (RELATED: GOP Baseball Shooter ‘Fueled By Rage Against Republican Legislators’)
“The suspect advised that he does not like President Trump,” the report stated, listing that as part of what motivated Timm.
“The assailant’s own confession makes it clear that Saturday was a deliberate and politically motivated attack on supporters of President Trump,” Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement to the DCNF.
#JSO has arrested the suspect who drove through the voter registration tent in the area of 11900 Atlantic Boulevard. Gregory Timm has been charged with Aggravated Assault, Criminal Mischief, and Driving While Driver’s License Suspended. pic.twitter.com/zGKbR2VTg0 — Jax Sheriff’s Office (@JSOPIO) February 9, 2020
“What happened in Jacksonville is completely reprehensible and unacceptable. Political violence has no place in our democratic process, and we will not bend to these thuggish acts,” McDaniel continued.
Republicans were targeted for political violence in the run-up to the 2018 midterm elections as well.
A Republican campaign office in Wyoming was set on fire just days after it opened in September 2018. Three weeks after the Wyoming fire, a California man attempted to stab a Republican congressional candidate a local fair.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.


bonginoreport--2020-02-11--China’s Military Stole “Masses” of U.S. Data Says AG Barr

Attorney General William Barr speaks during a news conference , Monday , Feb. 10 , 2020 , at the Justice Department in Washington , as Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Seth Ducharm looks on .
Four members of the Chinese military have been charged with breaking into the networks of the Equifax credit reporting agency and stealing the personal information of tens of millions of Americans , the Justice Department said Monday , blaming Beijing for one of the largest hacks in history .
( AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin ) Attorney General William Barr speaks during a news conference , Monday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Justice Department in Washington , as Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Seth Ducharm looks on .
Four members of the Chinese military have been charged with breaking into the networks of the Equifax credit reporting agency and stealing the personal information of tens of millions of Americans , the Justice Department said Monday , blaming Beijing for one of the largest hacks in history .
( AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin ) WASHINGTON ( AP ) — Four members of the Chinese military have been charged with breaking into the computer networks of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal information of tens of millions of Americans , the Justice Department said Monday , blaming Beijing for one of the largest hacks in history to target consumer data .
The hackers in the 2017 breach stole the personal information of roughly 145 million Americans , collecting names , addresses , Social Security and driver ’ s license numbers and other data stored in the company ’ s databases .
The intrusion damaged the company ’ s reputation and underscored China ’ s increasingly aggressive and sophisticated intelligence-gathering methods .
“ The scale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Attorney General William Barr said Monday in announcing the indictment .
“ This theft not only caused significant financial damage to Equifax , but invaded the privacy of many millions of Americans , and imposed substantial costs and burdens on them as they have had to take measures to protect against identity theft.
” The case is the latest U.S. accusation against Chinese hackers suspected of breaching networks of American corporations , including steel manufacturers , a hotel chain and a health insurer .
It comes as the Trump administration has warned against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and economic influence of China , and efforts by Beijing to collect data for financial and intelligence purposes and to steal research and innovation .
The indictment arrives at a delicate time in relations between Washington and Beijing .
Even as President Donald Trump points to a preliminary trade pact with China as evidence of his ability to work with the Communist government , other members of his administration have been warning against cybersecurity and surveillance risks posed by China , especially as the tech giant Huawei seeks to become part of new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ globe .
Experts and U.S. officials say the Equifax theft is consistent with the Chinese government ’ s interest in accumulating as much information about Americans as possible .
The data can be used by China to target U.S. government officials and ordinary citizens , including possible spies , and to find weaknesses and vulnerabilities that can be exploited — such as for purposes of blackmail .
The FBI has not seen that happen yet in this case , said Deputy Director David Bowdich , though he said it “ doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the future.
” “ We have to be able to recognize that as a counterintelligence issue , not a cyber issue , ” Bill Evanina , the U.S. government ’ s top counterintelligence official , said of the Equifax case .
The four accused hackers are suspected members of the People ’ s Liberation Army , an arm of the Chinese military that was blamed in 2014 for a series of intrusions into American corporations .
Prosecutors say they exploited a software vulnerability to gain access to Equifax ’ s computers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ navigate databases and review records .
They also took steps to cover their tracks , the indictment says , wiping log files on a daily basis and routing traffic through about three dozen servers in nearly 20 countries .
Besides stealing personal information , the hackers also made off with some of the company ’ s sensitive trade secrets , including database designs , law enforcement officials said .
Equifax , headquartered in Atlanta , maintains a massive repository of consumer information that it sells to businesses looking to verify identities or assess @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says , the company holds information on hundreds of millions of people in America and abroad .
None of the accused hackers is in U.S. custody .
But officials nonetheless hope criminal charges can be a deterrent to foreign hackers and a warning to other countries that American law enforcement has the capability to pinpoint individual culprits .
Even so , while China and the U.S. committed in 2015 to halt acts of cyber espionage against each other , the Equifax intrusion and others like it make clear that Beijing has continued its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Embassy in Washington did not return an email seeking comment Monday .
The case resembles a 2014 indictment that accused five members of the PLA of hacking into American corporations to steal trade secrets .
U.S. authorities also suspect China in the 2015 breach of the federal Office of Personnel Management and of intrusions into the Marriott hotel chain and health insurer Anthem .
Such hacks “ seem to deliberately cast a wide net ” so that Chinese intelligence analysts can get deep insight into the lives of Americans , said Ben Buchanan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the upcoming book “ The Hacker and the State.
” “ This could be especially useful for counterintelligence purposes , like tracking American spies posted to Beijing , ” Buchanan said .
Barr , who at an event last week warned of Beijing ’ s aspirations of economic dominance , said Monday the U.S. has long “ witnessed China ’ s voracious appetite for the personal data of Americans.
” “ This kind of attack on American industry is of a piece with other Chinese illegal acquisitions of sensitive personal data , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which include conspiracy to commit computer fraud and conspiracy to commit economic espionage , were filed in federal court in Atlanta .
Equifax last year reached a $ 700 million settlement over the data breach , with the bulk of the funds intended for consumers affected by it .
Equifax officials told the Government Accountability Office the company made many mistakes , including having an outdated list of computer systems administrators .
The company didn ’ t notice the intruders targeting its databases for more than six weeks .
Hackers exploited a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t fixed .
While company stock has recovered , Equifax ’ s reputation has not fully .
The company was dragged in front of Congress no less than four times to explain what happened .
The company is about to start paying out claims on its $ 700 million settlement , of which more claimants have opted in to getting a cash settlement than accept credit counseling .
So many claims have been made for the cash that the lawyers suing Equifax and the Federal Trade Commission have warned claimants that the chance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the settlement was unlikely .
Associated Press writers Nick Jesdanun and Ken Sweet in New York and Frank Bajak in Boston contributed to this report .

WASHINGTON (AP) — Four members of the Chinese military have been charged with breaking into the computer networks of the Equifax credit reporting agency and stealing the personal information of tens of millions of Americans, the Justice Department said Monday, blaming Beijing for one of the largest hacks in history to target consumer data.
The hackers in the 2017 breach stole the personal information of roughly 145 million Americans, collecting names, addresses, Social Security and driver’s license numbers and other data stored in the company’s databases. The intrusion damaged the company’s reputation and underscored China’s increasingly aggressive and sophisticated intelligence-gathering methods.
“The scale of the theft was staggering,” Attorney General William Barr said Monday in announcing the indictment. “This theft not only caused significant financial damage to Equifax, but invaded the privacy of many millions of Americans, and imposed substantial costs and burdens on them as they have had to take measures to protect against identity theft.”
The case is the latest U.S. accusation against Chinese hackers suspected of breaching networks of American corporations, including steel manufacturers, a hotel chain and a health insurer. It comes as the Trump administration has warned against what it sees as the growing political and economic influence of China, and efforts by Beijing to collect data for financial and intelligence purposes and to steal research and innovation.
The indictment arrives at a delicate time in relations between Washington and Beijing. Even as President Donald Trump points to a preliminary trade pact with China as evidence of his ability to work with the Communist government, other members of his administration have been warning against cybersecurity and surveillance risks posed by China, especially as the tech giant Huawei seeks to become part of new, high-speed 5G wireless networks across the globe.
Experts and U.S. officials say the Equifax theft is consistent with the Chinese government’s interest in accumulating as much information about Americans as possible.
The data can be used by China to target U.S. government officials and ordinary citizens, including possible spies, and to find weaknesses and vulnerabilities that can be exploited — such as for purposes of blackmail. The FBI has not seen that happen yet in this case, said Deputy Director David Bowdich, though he said it “doesn’t mean it will or will not happen in the future.”
“We have to be able to recognize that as a counterintelligence issue, not a cyber issue,” Bill Evanina, the U.S. government’s top counterintelligence official, said of the Equifax case.
The four accused hackers are suspected members of the People’s Liberation Army, an arm of the Chinese military that was blamed in 2014 for a series of intrusions into American corporations.
Prosecutors say they exploited a software vulnerability to gain access to Equifax’s computers, obtaining log-in credentials that they used to navigate databases and review records. They also took steps to cover their tracks, the indictment says, wiping log files on a daily basis and routing traffic through about three dozen servers in nearly 20 countries.
Besides stealing personal information, the hackers also made off with some of the company’s sensitive trade secrets, including database designs, law enforcement officials said.
Equifax, headquartered in Atlanta, maintains a massive repository of consumer information that it sells to businesses looking to verify identities or assess creditworthiness. All told, the indictment says, the company holds information on hundreds of millions of people in America and abroad.
None of the accused hackers is in U.S. custody. But officials nonetheless hope criminal charges can be a deterrent to foreign hackers and a warning to other countries that American law enforcement has the capability to pinpoint individual culprits. Even so, while China and the U.S. committed in 2015 to halt acts of cyber espionage against each other, the Equifax intrusion and others like it make clear that Beijing has continued its operations.
A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington did not return an email seeking comment Monday.
The case resembles a 2014 indictment that accused five members of the PLA of hacking into American corporations to steal trade secrets. U.S. authorities also suspect China in the 2015 breach of the federal Office of Personnel Management and of intrusions into the Marriott hotel chain and health insurer Anthem.
Such hacks “seem to deliberately cast a wide net” so that Chinese intelligence analysts can get deep insight into the lives of Americans, said Ben Buchanan, a Georgetown University scholar and author of the upcoming book “The Hacker and the State.”
“This could be especially useful for counterintelligence purposes, like tracking American spies posted to Beijing,” Buchanan said.
Barr, who at an event last week warned of Beijing’s aspirations of economic dominance, said Monday the U.S. has long “witnessed China’s voracious appetite for the personal data of Americans.”
“This kind of attack on American industry is of a piece with other Chinese illegal acquisitions of sensitive personal data,” Barr said.
The criminal charges, which include conspiracy to commit computer fraud and conspiracy to commit economic espionage, were filed in federal court in Atlanta.
Equifax last year reached a $700 million settlement over the data breach, with the bulk of the funds intended for consumers affected by it.
Equifax officials told the Government Accountability Office the company made many mistakes, including having an outdated list of computer systems administrators. The company didn’t notice the intruders targeting its databases for more than six weeks. Hackers exploited a known security vulnerability that Equifax hadn’t fixed.
While company stock has recovered, Equifax’s reputation has not fully. The company was dragged in front of Congress no less than four times to explain what happened.
The company is about to start paying out claims on its $700 million settlement, of which more claimants have opted in to getting a cash settlement than accept credit counseling. So many claims have been made for the cash that the lawyers suing Equifax and the Federal Trade Commission have warned claimants that the chance of getting the full cash value of the settlement was unlikely.
______
Associated Press writers Nick Jesdanun and Ken Sweet in New York and Frank Bajak in Boston contributed to this report.


bonginoreport--2020-02-11--The “Never Trumpers” Are Backing Biden in New Hampshire

The Joe Biden campaign is parting ways with two key ...

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Embittered “Never Trump” Republicans tied to former Ohio Gov. John Kasich have secretly schemed to assist Joe Biden’s campaign — because they think he’s the only Democrat who can beat the president and help them get “revenge,” The Post has learned.
Emails obtained by The Post show that two top staffers from Kasich’s failed, 2016 primary campaign and Ohio’s former GOP chairman, a Kasich ally, were among those involved in efforts to boost support for the former vice president in last week’s botched Iowa caucus and Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary.
Funding for the plan came largely from two deep-pocketed Democratic donors — former Microsoft president Jon Shirley and his wife, Kimberly — who’ve made maximum contributions to Biden and hosted a fund-raiser for him last year, records also show.
“They think Biden is the only candidate who can beat Trump at the general election,” said a GOP source familiar with the strategy.
Documents attached to one email show the group planned to identify and target at least 5,000 Democrats “from the conservative voter base” in each of Iowa’s four congressional districts, then use that information in “suppression, persuasion and GOTV [get out the vote] efforts.”
That project failed miserably, with Biden coming in a distant fourth place last week.
In New Hampshire, documents show, the group planned to use automated “IVR technology,” or interactive voice response polling, to identify Republicans and “previously identified” Republicans willing to cross party lines and vote for Biden in the primary.
But the proposal by Michael Stroud, a Republican political operative from Michigan, wasn’t circulated until mid-November, weeks after the Oct. 25 deadline for New Hampshire voters to change their registration ahead of the primary.
In the Granite State, only Democrats and “undeclared” voters can vote in the party’s primary.
A senior GOP source called the group’s half-baked ideas “dumbfounding.”
“They’re not rational people,” the source said. “They want revenge. Trump beat them and they want revenge.”
Key figures in the effort include Jeff Polesovsky and Ben Kaiser — who were the national political director and deputy legislative director, respectively, for Kasich’s 2016 campaign — and former Ohio GOP chairman Matt Borges, who backed Kasich in the primary.
Following Trump’s victory in the general election, the president-elect personally intervened to oust Borges in January 2017.
At the time, Borges had the support of Kasich, who refused to endorse Trump following his primary loss.
Emails show the group’s pro-Biden operations would be paid for by a political action committee, Defenders PAC, which was established in September.
Defenders PAC received $75,000 — virtually all of its funding — from Jon and Kimberly Shirley, according to its most recent Federal Election Commission filing.
The PAC’s only other contributor was Borges, who kicked in $1,000, according to FEC records.
Borges told The Post that he wasn’t trying to defeat Trump, but instead wanted to ensure that Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders didn’t become the Democratic nominee.
“To some extent, it’s unclear how vulnerable President Trump might be and the last thing any of us want is to have a socialist president,” he said.
Borges also claimed that his group was only targeting anti-Trump Republicans who were likely to sit out the November election.
No one else associated with the effort returned requests for comment.
Biden has all but written off his chances in New Hampshire, admitting during Friday’s that “I took a hit in Iowa and I’ll probably take one here.”
The latest Real Clear Politics polling average has Biden tied for fourth, with Sanders the likely victor.


bonginoreport--2020-02-11--White House Touts 319 Trump Accomplishments – Voters Widely Approve

President Trump ’ s success at making good on hundreds of campaign promises is helping to drive voters to support his reelection , according to a new survey .
Key among his achievements applauded by voters has been his boost in black and Hispanic employment and making the United States an energy exporter .
In the latest Zogby Analytics poll shared with Secrets , several of the 319 achievements touted by the White House were tested , and in eight of 10 , a plurality of voters said it would make their support “ more likely.
” “ When we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accomplishments ’ touted by the Trump administration , we asked respondents if each would make them ‘ more or less likely ’ to vote for President Trump in 2020 .
Eight out of the 10 accomplishments the Trump administration has touted as a result of their doing were cause for a plurality of respondents to say they were more likely to vote for Trump in 2020 , ” said the analysis from pollster Jonathan Zogby .
“ The four most popular accomplishments were : African-American unemployment at the lowest rate in history ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less likely ) , the United States is a net natural gas exporter for the first time since 1957 ( 48 % more likely , 30 % less likely ) U.S. oil production recently reached an all-time high ( 46 % more likely , 34 % less likely ) , and President Trump 's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ( 46 % more likely , 35 % less likely ) , ” he added .
But dragging him down were the president ’ s actions on climate change , his withdrawal from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of oil pipelines .
In his latest survey , Zogby included a large sample of blacks and Hispanics to gauge their views better and found that Trump is doing better among them than he did on Election Day 2016 .
Trump ’ s job approval among Hispanics is 47 % and 26 % with blacks .
[ Related : Hidden by impeachment : One of Trump 's 'best weeks yet ' ]

President Trump’s success at making good on hundreds of campaign promises is helping to drive voters to support his reelection, according to a new survey.
Key among his achievements applauded by voters has been his boost in black and Hispanic employment and making the United States an energy exporter.
In the latest Zogby Analytics poll shared with Secrets, several of the 319 achievements touted by the White House were tested, and in eight of 10, a plurality of voters said it would make their support “more likely.”
“When we presented respondents with a list of ‘accomplishments’ touted by the Trump administration, we asked respondents if each would make them ‘more or less likely’ to vote for President Trump in 2020. Eight out of the 10 accomplishments the Trump administration has touted as a result of their doing were cause for a plurality of respondents to say they were more likely to vote for Trump in 2020,” said the analysis from pollster Jonathan Zogby.
“The four most popular accomplishments were: African-American unemployment at the lowest rate in history (48% more likely, 27% less likely), the United States is a net natural gas exporter for the first time since 1957 (48% more likely, 30% less likely) U.S. oil production recently reached an all-time high (46% more likely, 34% less likely), and President Trump's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (46% more likely, 35% less likely),” he added.
But dragging him down were the president’s actions on climate change, his withdrawal from the Paris climate accord, and his support of oil pipelines.
In his latest survey, Zogby included a large sample of blacks and Hispanics to gauge their views better and found that Trump is doing better among them than he did on Election Day 2016. Trump’s job approval among Hispanics is 47% and 26% with blacks.
[Related: Hidden by impeachment: One of Trump's 'best weeks yet']


bonginoreport--2020-02-12--Andrew Yang Immediately Fuels Speculation About NYC Mayoral Run After Exiting Dem Primary

Andrew Yang ’ s decision to drop his bid for White House Tuesday night has fueled immediate speculation that the @ @ @ @ @ on City Hall .
Shortly after Yang dropped his long-shot presidential bid , Democratic consultants @ @ @ @ @ Big Apple were buzzing about Yang potentially running for New York City mayor in 2021 @ @ @ @ @ make a very interesting candidate for NYC Mayor in 21 , ” tweeted Howard Wolfson @ @ @ @ @ presidential candidate and former Mayor Michael Bloomberg .
“ It ’ s a natural next @ @ @ @ @ Democratic consultant told The Post when asked about a potential Yang mayoral candidacy .
“ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s gathered , he has to be taken seriously.
” The field of @ @ @ @ @ de Blasio currently includes Council Speaker Corey Johnson , Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and @ @ @ @

Andrew Yang’s decision to drop his bid for the White House Tuesday night has fueled immediate speculation that the entrepreneur will set his sights on City Hall.
Shortly after Yang dropped his long-shot presidential bid, Democratic consultants and other operatives throughout the Big Apple were buzzing about him potentially running for New York City mayor in 2021.
“@AndrewYang would make a very interesting candidate for NYC Mayor in 21,” tweeted Howard Wolfson, a top adviser to presidential candidate and former Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
“It’s a natural next step,” a city-based Democratic consultant told The Post when asked about a potential Yang mayoral candidacy. “With the notoriety and following he’s gathered, he has to be taken seriously.”
Yang’s camp did not immediately return messages.
The field of candidates to replace term-limited Bill de Blasio currently includes Council Speaker Corey Johnson, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and Comptroller Scott Stringer.


bonginoreport--2020-02-12--Proposed Trump 2021 Budget Cuts Education Department’s Responsibilities in Half, Gives Power to Stat

Proposed Trump 2021 Budget Cuts Education Department’s Responsibilities in Half, Gives Power to States

An underrated feature of President Trump ’ s first term has , without a doubt , been the visceral hatred directed at Education Secretary Betsy DeVos from self-interested people who defend our garbage public education system with every fiber of their being .
With her budget proposal out Monday , DeVos shows just how much it bothers her — which is to say , it doesn ’ t .
Although it ’ s certain to go nowhere with Democrats in the House , the proposal still serves as a giant middle finger to the teachers unions and lazy school administrators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ achievement would soar if they only had still more money .
DeVos proposes in the budget that the department cease overseeing nearly $ 20 billion in federal money that goes to various K-12 public school programs such as “ Indian Education ” and “ 21st Century Community Learning Centers.
” Instead , that money would roll into one block , and states would receive their share to spend on the local level .
For teachers unions , the utterance of the word `` local '' is akin to throwing holy water on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out high-level bureaucrats and shrinking the power of lobbyists .
The proposal cuts about $ 5 billion from the overall existing budget , a department official told me .
But what difference would that make ?
The Obama administration in 2009 pumped $ 3 billion into a program that awarded an extra $ 2 million to underperforming public schools , so long as they made certain reforms .
The money came from the School Improvement Grants initiative .
And yet , according to a study by the education department published at the start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all grades , we found that implementing any [ School Improvement Grant ] -funded model had no significant impacts on math or reading test scores , high school graduation , or college enrollment.
” Placing virtually all K-12 funding into the hands of states and school districts would essentially cut the department ’ s responsibilities in half — a move in the direction that DeVos has pushed for with some success .
It won ’ t happen — even under the best circumstances , Congress ignores presidential budgets .
But the signal it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we don ’ t have to keep doing things the way they are being done now and are not working .
There 's also value simply in exposing the teachers unions that keep failing students .

An underrated feature of President Trump’s first term has, without a doubt, been the visceral hatred directed at Education Secretary Betsy DeVos from self-interested people who defend our garbage public education system with every fiber of their being.
With her budget proposal out Monday, DeVos shows just how much it bothers her — which is to say, it doesn’t.
Although it’s certain to go nowhere with Democrats in the House, the proposal still serves as a giant middle finger to the teachers unions and lazy school administrators who year after year swear that academic achievement would soar if they only had still more money.
DeVos proposes in the budget that the department cease overseeing nearly $20 billion in federal money that goes to various K-12 public school programs such as “Indian Education” and “21st Century Community Learning Centers.” Instead, that money would roll into one block, and states would receive their share to spend on the local level.
For teachers unions, the utterance of the word "local" is akin to throwing holy water on the possessed. “Local” means cutting out high-level bureaucrats and shrinking the power of lobbyists.
The proposal cuts about $5 billion from the overall existing budget, a department official told me. But what difference would that make? The Obama administration in 2009 pumped $3 billion into a program that awarded an extra $2 million to underperforming public schools, so long as they made certain reforms. The money came from the School Improvement Grants initiative. And yet, according to a study by the education department published at the start of 2017, “Overall, across all grades, we found that implementing any [School Improvement Grant]-funded model had no significant impacts on math or reading test scores, high school graduation, or college enrollment.”
Placing virtually all K-12 funding into the hands of states and school districts would essentially cut the department’s responsibilities in half — a move in the direction that DeVos has pushed for with some success.
It won’t happen — even under the best circumstances, Congress ignores presidential budgets. But the signal it sends to the public has value — that we don’t have to keep doing things the way they are being done now and are not working. There's also value simply in exposing the teachers unions that keep failing students.


bonginoreport--2020-02-12--Andrew Yang Suspends Presidential Campaign

Andrew Yang dropped out of the Democratic presidential primary on Tuesday night .
Yang 's announcement came as results from @ @ @ @ @ coming out , with Bernie Sanders in the lead .
Yang had mounted a long-shot @ @ @ @ @ polling in single digits .

Andrew Yang dropped out of the Democratic presidential primary on Tuesday night. Yang's announcement came as results from New Hampshire's primary were coming out, with Bernie Sanders in the lead. Yang had mounted a long-shot bid for the nomination, polling in single digits.


bonginoreport--2020-02-12--Iowa Democrat Party Chair Resigns Following Caucus Trainwreck

Chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party Troy Price exits the stage after speaking about the technical issues that delayed the Iowa Democratic caucuses results during a news conference at the Iowa Events Center on February 4 , 2020 in Des Moines , Iowa .
The Iowa Democratic Party chairman is stepping down from his position , he announced on Wednesday , eight days after the Iowa caucuses became a national fiasco for the Democrats .
`` The fact is that Democrats deserved better than what happened on caucus night .
As chair of this party , I am deeply sorry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for any failures on behalf of the Iowa Democratic Party , '' Troy Price wrote in his resignation letter to the State Central Committee .
`` While it is my desire to stay in this role and see this process through to completion , I do believe it is time for the Iowa Democratic Party to begin looking forward , and my presence in my current role makes that more difficult . ''
The reporting totals were put out by the IDP in fits and spurts in the days after the caucus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ were `` coding issues '' with a smartphone app that was being used to help tabulate results in the contest for the first time .
That was n't the only issue .
The caucus results were also rife with potential errors and inconsistencies that could affect the outcome of the contest , according to a review by the NBC News Decision Desk .
Both Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg claimed victory in the contest , and the confusion resulted in delegates not being awarded until Friday — three days after the election .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 .
The Democratic National Committee and the Sanders and Buttigieg campaigns have asked for a recanvass of certain areas , essentially a double-checking of the vote .
The party said earlier Wednesday the recanvass would begin Sunday and last two days .
President Donald Trump has repeatedly mocked the Democrats for vote counting mess , and did again earlier on Wednesday .
`` We were actually able to quickly count our votes .
We knew within minutes after the poll how many votes we had , unlike the Democrats , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a meeting with Ecuador 's president .
While Price accepted ultimate responsibility for what happened , he said in his resignation letter that there 's plenty of blame to go around .
`` There is no doubt that the process of reporting results did not work .
It was simply unacceptable , '' he said .
`` It is why I called for an independent review of the decisions and processes that lead to this failure .
While this process is just beginning , know that the IDP is not the only party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We worked collaboratively with our partners , our vendors , and the DNC in this process , and I am confident the review will be able to determine exactly what went wrong , what went right , and how we can avoid this from ever happening again . ''
Price also defended his staff 's handling of the caucus fallout , saying that they `` worked under immense pressure '' and endured `` threats to personal safety , taunts , and anger from people around the globe . ''
`` These are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ common goal of electing Democrats in November , and I deeply regret that these dedicated employees of our party had to endure such abuse , '' he said .
The party will hold a meeting to elect an interim chair on Saturday .

Chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party Troy Price exits the stage after speaking about the technical issues that delayed the Iowa Democratic caucuses results during a news conference at the Iowa Events Center on February 4, 2020 in Des Moines, Iowa.
The Iowa Democratic Party chairman is stepping down from his position, he announced on Wednesday, eight days after the Iowa caucuses became a national fiasco for the Democrats.
"The fact is that Democrats deserved better than what happened on caucus night. As chair of this party, I am deeply sorry for what happened and bear the responsibility for any failures on behalf of the Iowa Democratic Party," Troy Price wrote in his resignation letter to the State Central Committee.
"While it is my desire to stay in this role and see this process through to completion, I do believe it is time for the Iowa Democratic Party to begin looking forward, and my presence in my current role makes that more difficult."
The reporting totals were put out by the IDP in fits and spurts in the days after the caucus. Results were delayed by what Price said were "coding issues" with a smartphone app that was being used to help tabulate results in the contest for the first time.
That wasn't the only issue. The caucus results were also rife with potential errors and inconsistencies that could affect the outcome of the contest, according to a review by the NBC News Decision Desk.
Both Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg claimed victory in the contest, and the confusion resulted in delegates not being awarded until Friday — three days after the election. Buttigieg was awarded 14 delegates and Sanders 12.
The Democratic National Committee and the Sanders and Buttigieg campaigns have asked for a recanvass of certain areas, essentially a double-checking of the vote. The party said earlier Wednesday the recanvass would begin Sunday and last two days.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly mocked the Democrats for vote counting mess, and did again earlier on Wednesday. "We were actually able to quickly count our votes. We knew within minutes after the poll how many votes we had, unlike the Democrats," he told reporters at the White House during a meeting with Ecuador's president.
While Price accepted ultimate responsibility for what happened, he said in his resignation letter that there's plenty of blame to go around.
"There is no doubt that the process of reporting results did not work. It was simply unacceptable," he said. "It is why I called for an independent review of the decisions and processes that lead to this failure. While this process is just beginning, know that the IDP is not the only party to blame for what happened last week. We worked collaboratively with our partners, our vendors, and the DNC in this process, and I am confident the review will be able to determine exactly what went wrong, what went right, and how we can avoid this from ever happening again."
Price also defended his staff's handling of the caucus fallout, saying that they "worked under immense pressure" and endured "threats to personal safety, taunts, and anger from people around the globe."
"These are people who are working hard towards our common goal of electing Democrats in November, and I deeply regret that these dedicated employees of our party had to endure such abuse," he said.
The party will hold a meeting to elect an interim chair on Saturday.


bonginoreport--2020-02-12--DOJ Files Lawsuits Against NJ and County in Washington Over “Sanctuary Policies”

During a speech to the National Sheriffs ’ Association Winter Legislative and Technology Conference , Barr said the DOJ was filing a complaint against the state of New Jersey “ seeking declaratory and injunctive relief against its laws that forbid state and local law enforcement from sharing vital information about criminal aliens with DHS.
” “ Let us state the reality upfront and as clearly as possible : When we are talking about sanctuary cities , we are talking about policies that are designed to allow criminal aliens to escape .
These policies are not about people who came to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peaceful and productive members of society , ” he said .
“ Their express purpose is to shelter aliens whom local law enforcement has already arrested for other crimes .
This is neither lawful nor sensible.
” Barr also announced a lawsuit against King County , Washington for its policy which bans ICE agents from using the local airport to deport or transport criminal illegals .
The policy went into effect last spring .
Over eight years , the airport was a hub for the deportation of over 30,000 illegal immigrants .
Barr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how local leftist leaders have “ become even more aggressive in their attempts to interfere with federal immigration laws.
” “ Innocent people are routinely threatened and hurt by illegal aliens whom local jurisdictions have set free in the face of federal immigration detainers , ” he said .
Barr then listed examples of the dangers posed by these reckless policies , including an illegal alien who–once released from custody–went on to rape a 97-year-old woman and another who murdered and dismembered their own cousin : • “ In November , ICE filed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrested for assaulting his own father .
The local police in New York City that had the alien in custody ignored the detainer .
So the alien was released onto the streets , and last month , he allegedly raped and killed 92-year-old Maria Fuertes , affectionately known as “ abuelita , ” a fixture of her Queens neighborhood .
• In October 2017 , DHS identified a convicted criminal alien with four prior removals at a city jail in Washington State .
DHS filed a detainer .
Subsequently , the alien fought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a local medical center for treatment .
But after receiving treatment , local officials released the alien in violation of the detainer .
In January 2018 , the alien was arrested and booked for murdering and dismembering his cousin.
” Barr stated the Department of Justice was reviewing policies and laws of jurisdictions across the country and will assess whether they are compliant with criminal laws which include the statute which prohibits the harboring of illegal aliens in the U.S .

Attorney General Bill Barr announced yesterday that the Department of Justice has filed lawsuits against the sanctuary state of New Jersey and a county in Washington for policies which protect criminal illegal aliens.
During a speech to the National Sheriffs’ Association Winter Legislative and Technology Conference, Barr said the DOJ was filing a complaint against the state of New Jersey “seeking declaratory and injunctive relief against its laws that forbid state and local law enforcement from sharing vital information about criminal aliens with DHS.”
“Let us state the reality upfront and as clearly as possible: When we are talking about sanctuary cities, we are talking about policies that are designed to allow criminal aliens to escape. These policies are not about people who came to our country illegally but have otherwise been peaceful and productive members of society,” he said. “Their express purpose is to shelter aliens whom local law enforcement has already arrested for other crimes. This is neither lawful nor sensible.”
Barr also announced a lawsuit against King County, Washington for its policy which bans ICE agents from using the local airport to deport or transport criminal illegals. The policy went into effect last spring. Over eight years, the airport was a hub for the deportation of over 30,000 illegal immigrants.
Barr cited this policy as an example of how local leftist leaders have “become even more aggressive in their attempts to interfere with federal immigration laws.”
“Innocent people are routinely threatened and hurt by illegal aliens whom local jurisdictions have set free in the face of federal immigration detainers,” he said.
Barr then listed examples of the dangers posed by these reckless policies, including an illegal alien who–once released from custody–went on to rape a 97-year-old woman and another who murdered and dismembered their own cousin:
“In November, ICE filed a detainer for an alien who was arrested for assaulting his own father. The local police in New York City that had the alien in custody ignored the detainer. So the alien was released onto the streets, and last month, he allegedly raped and killed 92-year-old Maria Fuertes, affectionately known as “abuelita,” a fixture of her Queens neighborhood.
In October 2017, DHS identified a convicted criminal alien with four prior removals at a city jail in Washington State. DHS filed a detainer. Subsequently, the alien fought with jail staff and was taken to a local medical center for treatment. But after receiving treatment, local officials released the alien in violation of the detainer. In January 2018, the alien was arrested and booked for murdering and dismembering his cousin.”
Barr stated the Department of Justice was reviewing policies and laws of jurisdictions across the country and will assess whether they are compliant with criminal laws which include the statute which prohibits the harboring of illegal aliens in the U.S.
Watch his full speech below:


bonginoreport--2020-02-12--Ruth Bader Ginsburg May Have Just Killed the ERA (for Now)

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg urged supporters of the Equal Rights Amendment Monday to begin the amendment process anew , rather than reviving a ratification campaign that has been dormant since the 1980s .
The justice ’ s comments , which align with the Trump administration ’ s views , come amid late-breaking efforts to ratify a constitutional amendment guaranteeing equal rights to all citizens regardless of sex .
With Virginia ’ s ratification of the amendment in January , supporters of the renewed ERA push say the requisite number of states have approved the measure .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Ginsburg said during an event at the Georgetown University Law Center .
“ I ’ d like it to start over .
There ’ s too much controversy about late-comers.
” Litigation on the subject is pending before a federal trial judge in Washington , D.C. , and may well reach the Supreme Court , making Ginsburg ’ s comments Monday night most unusual .
Congress passed a joint resolution proposing the ERA in 1972 and gave the states seven years to approve or reject the amendment .
Three-quarters of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , must approve constitutional amendments .
When the seven-year deadline lapsed , only 35 states had ratified the ERA , so Congress extended the deadline by another three years .
Further ratification efforts proved unavailing , and five states even rescinded their prior approval of the amendment .
Virginia ’ s January ratification of the ERA followed Nevada ’ s in 2017 and Illinois ’ in 2018 .
Democratic attorneys general in those states sued the archivist of the U.S. in January , arguing the National Archives must recognize their belated ratifications and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ archivist is the government official responsible for publishing new amendments once all formal criteria have been satisfied .
The National Archives asked the Department of Justice for guidance after state officials and members of Congress asked the archivist to certify the tardy ratifications .
The department ’ s Office of Legal Counsel produced a memo advising that the states can not ratify an amendment once the congressionally imposed deadline has passed .
The Office of Legal Counsel opinion did not address the question of whether the states can rescind prior ratification .
Ginsburg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ principle how one could recognize overdue ratifications but ignore recensions during her remarks Monday night .
“ A number of states have withdrawn their ratification , ” Ginsburg said .
“ If you count a late-comer on the plus side , how can you disregard states that said , ‘ We ’ ve changed our minds ’ ?
” Ginsburg is a longtime advocate of the Equal Rights Amendment , having urged its adoption on the grounds that other provisions of the Constitution do not expressly establish the equality of men and women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my granddaughters that the equal citizenship stature of men and women is a fundamental human right , ” Ginsburg said Monday .
“ It should be right up there with free speech , freedom of religion , [ and ] bans on discrimination based on race or national origin.
” “ The union will be more perfect when that simple statement that men and women are persons of equal citizenship stature is part of our fundamental instrument of government , ” Ginsburg added .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of this original content , email [ email protected ]

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg urged supporters of the Equal Rights Amendment Monday to begin the amendment process anew, rather than reviving a ratification campaign that has been dormant since the 1980s.
The justice’s comments, which align with the Trump administration’s views, come amid late-breaking efforts to ratify a constitutional amendment guaranteeing equal rights to all citizens regardless of sex. With Virginia’s ratification of the amendment in January, supporters of the renewed ERA push say the requisite number of states have approved the measure.
“I would like to see a new beginning,” Ginsburg said during an event at the Georgetown University Law Center. “I’d like it to start over. There’s too much controversy about late-comers.”
Litigation on the subject is pending before a federal trial judge in Washington, D.C., and may well reach the Supreme Court, making Ginsburg’s comments Monday night most unusual.
Congress passed a joint resolution proposing the ERA in 1972 and gave the states seven years to approve or reject the amendment. Three-quarters of the states, or 38 of the 50, must approve constitutional amendments.
When the seven-year deadline lapsed, only 35 states had ratified the ERA, so Congress extended the deadline by another three years. Further ratification efforts proved unavailing, and five states even rescinded their prior approval of the amendment.
Virginia’s January ratification of the ERA followed Nevada’s in 2017 and Illinois’ in 2018. Democratic attorneys general in those states sued the archivist of the U.S. in January, arguing the National Archives must recognize their belated ratifications and put the ERA into effect. The archivist is the government official responsible for publishing new amendments once all formal criteria have been satisfied.
The National Archives asked the Department of Justice for guidance after state officials and members of Congress asked the archivist to certify the tardy ratifications. The department’s Office of Legal Counsel produced a memo advising that the states cannot ratify an amendment once the congressionally imposed deadline has passed.
The Office of Legal Counsel opinion did not address the question of whether the states can rescind prior ratification. Ginsburg said it is difficult to establish in principle how one could recognize overdue ratifications but ignore recensions during her remarks Monday night.
“A number of states have withdrawn their ratification,” Ginsburg said. “If you count a late-comer on the plus side, how can you disregard states that said, ‘We’ve changed our minds’?”
Ginsburg is a longtime advocate of the Equal Rights Amendment, having urged its adoption on the grounds that other provisions of the Constitution do not expressly establish the equality of men and women.
“I would like to show my granddaughters that the equal citizenship stature of men and women is a fundamental human right,” Ginsburg said Monday. “It should be right up there with free speech, freedom of religion, [and] bans on discrimination based on race or national origin.”
“The union will be more perfect when that simple statement that men and women are persons of equal citizenship stature is part of our fundamental instrument of government,” Ginsburg added.
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of this original content, email licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.


bonginoreport--2020-02-12--Joe Biden Planning TV Blitz in Attempt to Save Campaign

Joe Biden is hoping a blitz of TV appearances will help him bounce back from disappointing finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire .
Biden campaign officials told donors in a call Wednesday they plan to have the former vice president appear on more TV news and talk shows , according to people with direct knowledge of the matter .
They spoke on condition of anonymity because the briefing was deemed private .
The call came a day after Biden failed to capture a single delegate in the New Hampshire primary .
Biden , who had been considered the front-runner for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cycle , is looking to bounce back with stronger showings in the Nevada caucuses on Feb. 22 and the South Carolina primary on Feb. 29 .
Biden himself spoke on the call with donors and expressed confidence he would do better in Nevada and South Carolina , the people added .
The former vice president landed in fourth place in the Iowa caucuses , while he came in fifth in New Hampshire .
One of the donors on Wednesday 's call noted that they had seen deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and asked whether Biden himself would be going on TV more often .
The donor remarked on the call that Bedingfield did well on TV and noticed Biden was recently getting on air more frequently , one of the people familiar with the call said .
This source noted that the donor was hoping to see that trend continue .
An advisor chimed in to say Biden has been getting on TV and that donors will be seeing him even more on air in the weeks ahead , these people added .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jill , are scheduled appear on ABC 's `` The View '' on Thursday .
Biden 's attempt to reassure donors comes as some of his loyal bundlers are becoming increasingly concerned that the campaign wo n't survive another loss like New Hampshire .
Biden has two big-money fundraising events scheduled for Thursday in New York .
Despite his recent struggles , the gatherings are expected to be at capacity , according to a person familiar with the matter .
The campaign needs the money .
Coming into 2020 , Biden had only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behind Sen. Bernie Sanders , former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Elizabeth Warren in the money race .
Since he entered the campaign in April , Biden kept his TV appearances to a minimum .
Yet he showed up on more cable news shows as the New Hampshire vote approached and unfolded .
The TV blitz shows that the Biden campaign is determined to keep the former vice president on voters ' minds as he gears up for South Carolina .
The primary in the Palmetto State is a must-win for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3 , when more than a dozen states head to the polls .
This is at least the second briefing during the past two weeks during which the Biden campaign told donors that it expects major success in Nevada and South Carolina .
Biden 's donors were briefed last week after the Iowa caucuses .
Biden , vice president under President Barack Obama , has been a consistent favorite to win the Democratic primary in South Carolina , which has a large base of African American voters .
Yet billionaire candidate Tom Steyer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his campaign aggressively canvases there .

Joe Biden is hoping a blitz of TV appearances will help him bounce back from disappointing finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Biden campaign officials told donors in a call Wednesday they plan to have the former vice president appear on more TV news and talk shows, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the briefing was deemed private. The call came a day after Biden failed to capture a single delegate in the New Hampshire primary.
Biden, who had been considered the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination for much of the cycle, is looking to bounce back with stronger showings in the Nevada caucuses on Feb. 22 and the South Carolina primary on Feb. 29.
Biden himself spoke on the call with donors and expressed confidence he would do better in Nevada and South Carolina, the people added. The former vice president landed in fourth place in the Iowa caucuses, while he came in fifth in New Hampshire.
A spokesman for Biden declined to comment.
One of the donors on Wednesday's call noted that they had seen deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield on CNN and MSNBC earlier in the day and asked whether Biden himself would be going on TV more often.
The donor remarked on the call that Bedingfield did well on TV and noticed Biden was recently getting on air more frequently, one of the people familiar with the call said. This source noted that the donor was hoping to see that trend continue.
An advisor chimed in to say Biden has been getting on TV and that donors will be seeing him even more on air in the weeks ahead, these people added. The former vice president and his wife, Jill, are scheduled appear on ABC's "The View" on Thursday.
Biden's attempt to reassure donors comes as some of his loyal bundlers are becoming increasingly concerned that the campaign won't survive another loss like New Hampshire. Biden has two big-money fundraising events scheduled for Thursday in New York. Despite his recent struggles, the gatherings are expected to be at capacity, according to a person familiar with the matter. The campaign needs the money. Coming into 2020, Biden had only $8.9 million on hand and was behind Sen. Bernie Sanders, former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Elizabeth Warren in the money race.
Since he entered the campaign in April, Biden kept his TV appearances to a minimum. Yet he showed up on more cable news shows as the New Hampshire vote approached and unfolded.
The TV blitz shows that the Biden campaign is determined to keep the former vice president on voters' minds as he gears up for South Carolina. The primary in the Palmetto State is a must-win for him prior to Super Tuesday, March 3, when more than a dozen states head to the polls.
This is at least the second briefing during the past two weeks during which the Biden campaign told donors that it expects major success in Nevada and South Carolina. Biden's donors were briefed last week after the Iowa caucuses.
Biden, vice president under President Barack Obama, has been a consistent favorite to win the Democratic primary in South Carolina, which has a large base of African American voters. Yet billionaire candidate Tom Steyer is looking to pull an upset as his campaign aggressively canvases there.


bonginoreport--2020-02-12--Gallup: Most Americans Wouldn’t Vote for a Socialist

Forget about feeling the Bern .
This was an inferno .
More ...

Americans are not happy with the prospect of a socialist candidate like Bernie Sanders for president, a new poll finds.
A majority of US residents — 53 percent — said they would vote against a socialist candidate for president, the Gallup poll released Tuesday reveals. Meanwhile, only 45 percent of respondents in the poll said they would vote for a socialist.
In fact, socialism was the only category in the poll rejected by a majority of Americans.
For example, 60 percent of Americans said they would vote for an atheist while 38 percent said they wouldn’t. And more than nine in 10 Americans said they would vote for a presidential candidate nominated by their party who is black, Catholic, Hispanic, Jewish or a woman.
The findings come as Sanders (I-Vt.) — a self-described Democratic socialist — is a top-tier candidate vying to win the Democratic nomination for president. He was leading in polls to win Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary and has surged ahead of Joe Biden in national polls.
There is a political divide over the socialist candidate question, however.
For example, 82 percent of Republicans said they wouldn’t vote for a socialist while just 17 percent said they would. By comparison, 76 percent of Democrats said they would vote for a socialist, while 21 percent wouldn’t.
Significantly, only 45 percent of key swing-state voters — self-described independents — would vote for a socialist while 51 percent said they would not.
As for other categories, 80 percent of respondents said they would for an evangelical Christian candidate, 78 percent for a gay/lesbian candidate, 70 percent for a candidate under the age of 40, 69 percent for a candidate over the age of 70 and 66 percent for a Muslim candidate.
Only about 4 in 10 Republicans said they would vote for an atheist or Muslim candidate while a majority of Democrats and independents said the same.
The question to respondents was phrased this way: “Between now and the 2020 political conventions, there will be discussion about the qualifications of presidential candidates — their education, age, religion, race and so on. If your party nominated a generally well-qualified person for president who happened to be [characteristic], would you vote for that person?”
The Gallup analysis concluded, “As the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries get underway, it may be instructive to know that little prejudice stands in the way of Democratic as well as national support for candidates who happen to be Catholic, Hispanic, Jewish or female. Being especially young or advanced in age could pose minor appeal problems,” the Gallup analysis of the survey said.
“Being gay or lesbian, Muslim, an atheist or a socialist wouldn’t cause much stir among Democrats, but these candidates could have difficulty attracting support from Republicans and, to a lesser extent, from political independents.”
Gallup has asked whether Americans would back non-Protestant white male candidates since 1937. Support for a woman as president was only 33% at that time.
Since 1958, the sharpest increase in voting tolerance has been for black candidates, followed by atheists, women, Jewish candidates and Catholics. More recently, the biggest shift of support has been for gay or lesbian candidates.
The latest Gallup poll queried 1,033 respondents between Jan. 16 and 29 has a four percentage-point margin of error.


bonginoreport--2020-02-12--Kim Foxx Blames New Jussie Smollett Charges on President Trump

Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx responded to news that an special prosecutor issued new charges against “ Empire ” actor Jussie Smollett , who allegeldy faked a hate crime back in January of 2019 , by blaming “ politics ” and the “ era of Donald Trump ” for her office ’ s woes .
Special Prosecutor Dan Webb issued the indictment against Smollett late Tuesday , charging the actor with six “ low-level felonies ” according to the Chicago Sun-Times , after investigators , rehashing the evidence against Smollett , determined that he likely faked being the victim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the morning of January 19 , outside of his apartment in Chicago ’ s tony Streeterville neighborhood .
Webb ’ s harshest words , though , weren ’ t for Smollett , but for Foxx ’ s office , which he feels gave Smollett special treatment despite the wealth of evidence linking Smollett to a series of crimes .
The Cook County State ’ s Attorney allowed Smollett to walk free without standing trial , inking an unofficial “ plea deal ” with the actor that absolved him of the charges in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and $ 10,000 , which Smollett had already submitted to the city as part of his bond .
The States Attorney ’ s office claimed the “ deal ” did not exonerate Smollett , but the actor treated it as evidence of his innocence .
But instead of taking responsibility for the mishap , Foxx lashed out at the prosecutor , accusing him of “ James Comey-like ” tactics , and suggesting that the new indictiment was the responsibility of her political rivals .
“ The Cook County State ’ s Attorney ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counts , and today the Special Prosecutor did the same , ” Foxx ’ s spokewsoman claimed in a statement .
“ What ’ s questionable here is the James Comey-like timing of that charging decision , just 35 days before an election , which can only be interpreted as the further politicization of the justice system , something voters in the era of Donald Trump should consider offensive , ” Foxx said , referencing Comey ’ s eleventh hour decision to resuscitate an investigation into Hillary Clinton and her mishandling of classified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Trump a hallmark of her re-election campaign , airing commercials touting her success in “ standing up ” to the administration on the issue of immigration .
But , Webb pointed out in his report , her troubles go far beyond a difficult campaign to keep her office .
“ In his letter , Webb said his investigators said the state ’ s attorney ’ s office was unable to show ‘ documentary evidence ’ that Smollett ’ s case was handled like similar low-level felony cases involving non-celebrity defendants , despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case was typical , ” according to the Sun-Times .
“ Webb found that the case against Smollett was strong , and that the state ’ s attorney ’ s office provided no documentation that the evidence against Smollett had somehow eroded between his arrest and when the charges were dropped.
” And it ’ s possible Webb isn ’ t done with Foxx .
According to the special prosecutor ’ s report , his team hasn ’ t finished investigating what , exactly , happened with Smollett ’ s case , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on whether there was further wrongdoing on the part of Foxx ’ s office .
Last year , in a series of FOIA results obtained by various Chicago news outlets , Foxx herself was shown dicussing the Smollett ’ s case over text with a former aide to President Barack Obama , who was communicating with and on behalf of members of Smollett ’ s family , and that communication could come into play when the special prosecutor ’ s full report is released .
Smollett , meanwhile , will have to appear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He ’ s also due to make an appearance , soon , in a separate case related to his alleged hoax hate crime : the city of Chicago is suing Smollett to recover around $ 130,000 the Chicago Police Department paid out in overtime investigating Smollett ’ s case .

Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx responded to news that a special prosecutor issued new charges against “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett, who allegedly faked a hate crime back in January of 2019, by blaming “politics” and the “era of Donald Trump” for her office’s woes.
Special Prosecutor Dan Webb issued the indictment against Smollett late Tuesday, charging the actor with six “low-level felonies” according to the Chicago Sun-Times, after investigators, rehashing the evidence against Smollett, determined that he likely faked being the victim of a racist, homophobic attack early in the morning of January 19, outside of his apartment in Chicago’s tony Streeterville neighborhood.
Webb’s harshest words, though, weren’t for Smollett, but for Foxx’s office, which he feels gave Smollett special treatment despite the wealth of evidence linking Smollett to a series of crimes. The Cook County State’s Attorney allowed Smollett to walk free without standing trial, inking an unofficial “plea deal” with the actor that absolved him of the charges in return for sixteen hours of community service and $10,000, which Smollett had already submitted to the city as part of his bond.
The States Attorney’s office claimed the “deal” did not exonerate Smollett, but the actor treated it as evidence of his innocence.
But instead of taking responsibility for the mishap, Foxx lashed out at the prosecutor, accusing him of “James Comey-like” tactics, and suggesting that the new indictiment was the responsibility of her political rivals.
“The Cook County State’s Attorney’s office charged Jussie Smollett with multiple counts, and today the Special Prosecutor did the same,” Foxx’s spokewsoman claimed in a statement.
“What’s questionable here is the James Comey-like timing of that charging decision, just 35 days before an election, which can only be interpreted as the further politicization of the justice system, something voters in the era of Donald Trump should consider offensive,” Foxx said, referencing Comey’s eleventh hour decision to resuscitate an investigation into Hillary Clinton and her mishandling of classified information.
Foxx has made her opposition to Trump a hallmark of her re-election campaign, airing commercials touting her success in “standing up” to the administration on the issue of immigration. But, Webb pointed out in his report, her troubles go far beyond a difficult campaign to keep her office.
“In his letter, Webb said his investigators said the state’s attorney’s office was unable to show ‘documentary evidence’ that Smollett’s case was handled like similar low-level felony cases involving non-celebrity defendants, despite public statements from the office that the case was typical,” according to the Sun-Times. “Webb found that the case against Smollett was strong, and that the state’s attorney’s office provided no documentation that the evidence against Smollett had somehow eroded between his arrest and when the charges were dropped.”
And it’s possible Webb isn’t done with Foxx. According to the special prosecutor’s report, his team hasn’t finished investigating what, exactly, happened with Smollett’s case, and they have reached “no conclusions” on whether there was further wrongdoing on the part of Foxx’s office.
Last year, in a series of FOIA results obtained by various Chicago news outlets, Foxx herself was shown dicussing the Smollett’s case over text with a former aide to President Barack Obama, who was communicating with and on behalf of members of Smollett’s family, and that communication could come into play when the special prosecutor’s full report is released.
Smollett, meanwhile, will have to appear in court in Chicago on February 24th. He’s also due to make an appearance, soon, in a separate case related to his alleged hoax hate crime: the city of Chicago is suing Smollett to recover around $130,000 the Chicago Police Department paid out in overtime investigating Smollett’s case.


bonginoreport--2020-02-12--Trump: The Lesson From Impeachment is that All Democrats Are Crooked and My Poll Numbers Are 10-Poin

Trump: The Lesson From Impeachment is that All Democrats Are Crooked and My Poll Numbers Are 10-Points Higher

REPORTER : “ What lesson did you learn from impeachment ? ''
TRUMP : `` That the Democrats are crooked @ @ @ @ @ lot of crooked things going , that they 're vicious , that they should not @ @ @ @ @ that my poll numbers are ten points higher because of fake news like NBC which @ @ @ @ @ , probably more inaccurately than CNN if that ’ s possible , MSDNC .
”

EXCERPT:
REPORTER: “What lesson did you learn from impeachment?"
TRUMP: "That the Democrats are crooked, they've got a lot of crooked things going, that they're vicious, that they should not have brought impeachment, and that my poll numbers are ten points higher because of fake news like NBC which reports the news very inaccurately, probably more inaccurately than CNN if that’s possible, MSDNC.”


bonginoreport--2020-02-12--Tom Steyer Spent $19 Million in New Hampshire for Zero Delegates

• Sen. Amy Klobuchar got the most bang for her buck for her third-place finish in the New Hampshire primary , spending far less on advertising per delegate than her opponents .
• Klobuchar spent $ 250,000 on television and radio ads per delegate she earned in New Hampshire , compared to $ 411,100 for Pete Buttigieg and $ 588,900 for Bernie Sanders , who came in first place .
• In addition to spending the least per delegate , Klobuchar also spent the second-least amount of money per vote , according to Decision Desk HQ .
Sen. Bernie Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but Sen. Amy Klobuchar got the most bang for her buck for her third-place finish in the state , spending far less advertising per delegate than her opponents .
New Hampshire holds 24 delegates total , with eight pledged delegates allocated to each of the state 's two congressional districts , and another eight at-large and PLEO ( party leader and elected official ) delegates allocated based on the statewide vote .
In New Hampshire and most other states , candidates must hit 15 % of the vote in a given area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislative district or statewide level , meaning only three candidates left New Hampshire with any delegates .
Klobuchar spent $ 250,000 on television and radio ads per delegate she earned in New Hampshire , compared to $ 411,100 for former Mayor Pete Buttigieg and $ 588,900 for Sanders , according to data collected by the firm Advertising Analytics .
The other remaining candidates who earned zero delegates out of New Hampshire got no return on their investment .
Despite spending an eye-popping $ 19.2 million on TV ads , billionaire Tom Steyer won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the state , carrying zero delegates .
Other top candidates including former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren , who represents the neighboring state of Massachusetts , only placed in single digits in the vote counts and won zero delegates .
Here 's how much every candidate spent per vote , according to Advertising Analytics and election returns from Decision Desk HQ , with 93 % of precincts reporting .
In addition to spending the least per delegate , Klobuchar also spent the second-least amount of money per vote : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Biden , poised to win delegates in New Hampshire primary Amy Klobuchar is giving Pete Buttigieg a surprising run for his money in New Hampshire , setting up a critical rivalry for the rest of the race Bernie Sanders wins New Hampshire primary , making him the new national frontrunner DELEGATE COUNT : Here 's who 's winning the race for the 2020 Democratic nomination

Sen. Amy Klobuchar got the most bang for her buck for her third-place finish in the New Hampshire primary, spending far less on advertising per delegate than her opponents.
Klobuchar spent $250,000 on television and radio ads per delegate she earned in New Hampshire, compared with $411,100 for Pete Buttigieg and $588,900 for Bernie Sanders, who came in first place.
In addition to spending the least per delegate, Klobuchar also spent the second-least amount of money per vote with nearly all precincts reporting, according to Decision Desk HQ.
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Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont won Tuesday's New Hampshire Democratic primary, but Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota got the most bang for her buck for her third-place finish in the state, spending far less on advertising per delegate than her opponents.
New Hampshire holds 24 delegates, with eight pledged delegates allocated to each of the state's two congressional districts and another eight at-large and PLEO (party leader and elected official) delegates allocated based on the statewide vote.
In New Hampshire and most other states, candidates must hit 15% of the vote in a given area to win any delegates, and so only three candidates left the Granite State with any delegates.
Klobuchar spent $250,000 on television and radio ads per delegate she earned in New Hampshire, compared with $411,100 for former Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, and $588,900 for Sanders, according to data collected by the firm Advertising Analytics.
The candidates who earned zero delegates out of New Hampshire got no return on their investment. Despite spending an eye-popping $19.2 million on TV ads, the billionaire businessman Tom Steyer won less than 4% of the vote in the state and carried zero delegates.
Other top candidates including former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who represents the neighboring state of Massachusetts, placed in single digits in the vote counts and won zero delegates.
Shayanne Gal/Business Insider
Here's how much every candidate spent on advertising per vote, according to Advertising Analytics and election returns from Decision Desk HQ, with 93% of precincts reporting. In addition to spending the least per delegate, Klobuchar also spent the second-least amount of money per vote:


bonginoreport--2020-02-13--DOJ Rejects IG Report as Justification to Drop Michael Flynn Case

The Justice Department rejected claims by retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn ’ s lawyers that the agency watchdog ’ s recent surveillance abuse report contained evidence that would justify dismissing the case against him .
Prosecutors argued on Wednesday that DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz ’ s Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act abuse report bore “ no relevance ” to Flynn ’ s guilt .
“ The errors and misconduct described in the OIG report … do not amount to ‘ egregious government misconduct ' necessitating the dismissal of the charge against the defendant for making material false statements to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2017 , ” wrote Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Van Grack in a court filing .
Flynn ’ s defense team , led by former federal prosecutor Sidney Powell , argued in January that Horowitz ’ s report revealed Flynn had been unfairly targeted by the FBI .
“ Even though the investigation pertains to the abuses of the FISA process , not the FBI and DOJ ’ s misconduct regarding Mr. Flynn , the IG report simultaneously documents at least some of [ the ] FISA process abuses and misconduct against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court .
“ The IG report is replete with exculpatory evidence that , had it been known to Mr. Flynn , he never would have pled guilty.
” Flynn , 61 , pleaded guilty in December 2017 for lying to investigators in January 2017 about his conversations with Sergey Kislyak , who was at the time the Russian ambassador to the United States , but , early this year , he told the U.S. District Court in Washington , D.C. , “ In truth , I never lied , ” and , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Powell said that “ the case against Mr. Flynn should be dismissed immediately for this egregious abuse of power and trust ” laid out in Horowitz ’ s findings .
She pointed to a part of the report that showed the intelligence briefing the FBI gave to Trump ’ s team in August 2016 during the presidential campaign was actually a “ pretext ” to gather evidence to help in the counterintelligence investigation into Trump ’ s campaign .
The FBI agent who led that briefing , known as “ SSA 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believed to be FBI supervisory special agent Joseph Pientka , was the same official who accompanied FBI special agent Peter Strzok in their controversial interview of Flynn in January 2017 .
“ The fact of the briefing is neither exculpatory nor impeaching , ” the Justice Department said Wednesday .
“ SSA 1 ’ s participation in a briefing of the defendant in August 2016 has no impact on whether the defendant lied to SSA 1 five months later.
” Flynn ’ s defense team considered the January 2017 interview to be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disputed the accuracy of the FBI interview notes from the meeting , claims the DOJ has rejected as “ conspiracy theories.
” “ From the FBI ’ s insertion of SSA 1 into the August 17 , 2016 , presidential briefing of candidate Trump and Mr. Flynn , to the former director of the FBI bragging and laughing on national television about his own cleverness and violations of FBI/DOJ rules in dispatching agents to the White House … everything about this prosecution has violated long-standing standards and policy for the FBI and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's report , released in December , identified at least 17 `` significant errors or omissions '' in the DOJ and the FBI ’ s use of British ex-spy Christopher Steele ’ s salacious and unverified dossier when pursuing FISA warrants to wiretap Trump campaign associate Carter Page in 2016 and 2017 .
According to the FBI , four members of Trump 's campaign , including Flynn , were initially being scrutinized as part of the Trump-Russia inquiry .
At the conclusion of his investigation , special counsel Robert Mueller did not establish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Kremlin .
The FBI never told Trump ’ s campaign about its fear that Russians might be attempting to infiltrate his campaign , but Horowitz said the bureau used an intelligence briefing to gather evidence against Trump and Flynn , and he criticized the FBI ’ s decision to use a defensive briefing in this way .
The Justice Department said on Wednesday that Horowitz 's report `` does not allege that SSA 1 ’ s participation in the briefing amounted to misconduct '' and argued Flynn 's legal team failed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this case . ''
Horowitz ’ s report stated , `` We concluded that the FBI 's use of this briefing for investigative reasons could potentially interfere with the expectation of trust and good faith among participants in strategic intelligence briefings , thereby frustrating their purpose.
” As part of his plea deal , Flynn agreed to cooperate with Mueller , admitting , then reaffirming his guilt in 2017 and 2018 .
Flynn filed to withdraw his guilty plea in January after the DOJ asked Judge Emmet Sullivan to sentence Flynn to up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Justice Department now says it believes probation would also be an appropriate punishment .
The Justice Department has also changed its tune on sentencing for another Trump associate caught up in Mueller 's investigation : Roger Stone .
The sentencing hearing for Flynn scheduled for the end of the month was canceled by the judge amid legal battles over whether Flynn ’ s previous attorneys provided him adequate representation .

The Justice Department rejected claims by retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn’s lawyers that the agency watchdog’s recent surveillance abuse report contained evidence that would justify dismissing the case against him.
Prosecutors argued on Wednesday that DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act abuse report bore “no relevance” to Flynn’s guilt.
“The errors and misconduct described in the OIG report … do not amount to ‘egregious government misconduct' necessitating the dismissal of the charge against the defendant for making material false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation on January 24, 2017,” wrote Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Van Grack in a court filing.
Flynn’s defense team, led by former federal prosecutor Sidney Powell, argued in January that Horowitz’s report revealed Flynn had been unfairly targeted by the FBI.
“Even though the investigation pertains to the abuses of the FISA process, not the FBI and DOJ’s misconduct regarding Mr. Flynn, the IG report simultaneously documents at least some of [the] FISA process abuses and misconduct against Mr. Flynn,” Powell told the court. “The IG report is replete with exculpatory evidence that, had it been known to Mr. Flynn, he never would have pled guilty.”
Flynn, 61, pleaded guilty in December 2017 for lying to investigators in January 2017 about his conversations with Sergey Kislyak, who was at the time the Russian ambassador to the United States, but, early this year, he told the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., “In truth, I never lied,” and, “I am innocent of this crime."
Powell said that “the case against Mr. Flynn should be dismissed immediately for this egregious abuse of power and trust” laid out in Horowitz’s findings.
She pointed to a part of the report that showed the intelligence briefing the FBI gave to Trump’s team in August 2016 during the presidential campaign was actually a “pretext” to gather evidence to help in the counterintelligence investigation into Trump’s campaign. The FBI agent who led that briefing, known as “SSA 1” in Horowitz’s report but believed to be FBI supervisory special agent Joseph Pientka, was the same official who accompanied FBI special agent Peter Strzok in their controversial interview of Flynn in January 2017.
“The fact of the briefing is neither exculpatory nor impeaching,” the Justice Department said Wednesday. “SSA 1’s participation in a briefing of the defendant in August 2016 has no impact on whether the defendant lied to SSA 1 five months later.”
Flynn’s defense team considered the January 2017 interview to be a setup by then-FBI Director James Comey and disputed the accuracy of the FBI interview notes from the meeting, claims the DOJ has rejected as “conspiracy theories.”
“From the FBI’s insertion of SSA 1 into the August 17, 2016, presidential briefing of candidate Trump and Mr. Flynn, to the former director of the FBI bragging and laughing on national television about his own cleverness and violations of FBI/DOJ rules in dispatching agents to the White House … everything about this prosecution has violated long-standing standards and policy for the FBI and the DOJ,” Powell said.
Horowitz's report, released in December, identified at least 17 "significant errors or omissions" in the DOJ and the FBI’s use of British ex-spy Christopher Steele’s salacious and unverified dossier when pursuing FISA warrants to wiretap Trump campaign associate Carter Page in 2016 and 2017. According to the FBI, four members of Trump's campaign, including Flynn, were initially being scrutinized as part of the Trump-Russia inquiry. At the conclusion of his investigation, special counsel Robert Mueller did not establish a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin.
The FBI never told Trump’s campaign about its fear that Russians might be attempting to infiltrate his campaign, but Horowitz said the bureau used an intelligence briefing to gather evidence against Trump and Flynn, and he criticized the FBI’s decision to use a defensive briefing in this way.
The Justice Department said on Wednesday that Horowitz's report "does not allege that SSA 1’s participation in the briefing amounted to misconduct" and argued Flynn's legal team failed to identify "any government misconduct in this case."
Horowitz’s report stated, "We concluded that the FBI's use of this briefing for investigative reasons could potentially interfere with the expectation of trust and good faith among participants in strategic intelligence briefings, thereby frustrating their purpose.”
As part of his plea deal, Flynn agreed to cooperate with Mueller, admitting, then reaffirming his guilt in 2017 and 2018.
Flynn filed to withdraw his guilty plea in January after the DOJ asked Judge Emmet Sullivan to sentence Flynn to up to six months in prison, though the Justice Department now says it believes probation would also be an appropriate punishment. The Justice Department has also changed its tune on sentencing for another Trump associate caught up in Mueller's investigation: Roger Stone.
The sentencing hearing for Flynn scheduled for the end of the month was canceled by the judge amid legal battles over whether Flynn’s previous attorneys provided him adequate representation.