saraacater--2020-12-21--Rep. Gabbard slams younger members of Congress for getting COVID-19 vaccine before the elderly

Rep. Gabbard slams younger members of Congress for getting COVID-19 vaccine before the elderly Congresswoman and former Democratic 2020 presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard ( Hawaii ) criticized her young congressional colleagues on Monday for taking the COVID-19 vaccine before the elderly as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) for not making seniors a priority .
Notably , Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-N.Y. ) , who is 31 years old , recorded herself Friday receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and posted it to her Instagram account .
Members of Congress have been taking the vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governance ” plan , which propels them to the front of the line ahead of at-risk seniors and other frontline workers .
“ Heartless , arrogant , unelected CDC bureaucrats have decided that the lives of elderly Americans don ’ t count , ” Gabbard said in a morning tweet .
“ They ’ re recommending 100 million ‘ essential workers ’ ( i.e .
healthy people working at liquor stores or phone companies ) can get the vaccine before our grandparents , ” she continued , also saying in the attached video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has “ been telling us that the elderly are the most vulnerable.
” Gabbard at one point in the minute-long video brought up her aunt , saying , “ That members of Congress , like me , we can get the vaccine before at-risk seniors can , people like my aunt who is imprisoned in her own home because of the danger that if she catches the disease , she could die.
” “ This is immoral and bad health policy , ” the 39-year-old congresswoman wrote below the video .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will now stand in solidarity with our seniors by not doing so until THEY can .
I urge my colleagues who are under 65 and healthy to join me.
” The Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) on Saturday rubber-stamped Moderna ’ s COVID-19 vaccine about a week after okaying Pfizer ’ s , which has been overwhelmingly seen as a boon for the U.S. in its effort to immunize the country from the deadly virus .
There have been concerns that many elderly Americans who need vaccine doses are not getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still in limited supply .
On top of that , many Americans have expressed wariness toward taking the vaccines due to how fast the vaccines were developed , to some reports of allergic reactions to those who took the Pfizer one , as well as to some misinformation about the vaccines that have been circling around .
Public officials have received the vaccine publicly in an effort to ease concerns .
Vice President Mike Pence already took the vaccine on Friday , with President-elect Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden receiving the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-Ky. ) got the vaccine .
President Donald Trump , on the other hand , has been on the sidelines about himself receiving the vaccine .
Earlier this month , Trump tweeted that he was “ not scheduled ” to take the vaccine , but looked “ forward to doing so at the appropriate time.
” You can follow Douglas Braff on Twitter @ Douglas_P_Braff .

Congresswoman and former Democratic 2020 presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii) criticized her young congressional colleagues on Monday for taking the COVID-19 vaccine before the elderly as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for not making seniors a priority.
Notably, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who is 31 years old, recorded herself Friday receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and posted it to her Instagram account.
Members of Congress have been taking the vaccine as part of the “continuity of governance” plan, which propels them to the front of the line ahead of at-risk seniors and other frontline workers.
“Heartless, arrogant, unelected CDC bureaucrats have decided that the lives of elderly Americans don’t count,” Gabbard said in a morning tweet.
This is immoral and bad health policy.
I had planned to get the vaccine but will now stand in solidarity with our seniors by not doing so until THEY can. I urge my colleagues who are under 65 and healthy to join me. (2/2) — Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) December 21, 2020
“They’re recommending 100 million ‘essential workers’ (i.e. healthy people working at liquor stores or phone companies) can get the vaccine before our grandparents,” she continued, also saying in the attached video that the CDC “for months” has “been telling us that the elderly are the most vulnerable.”
Gabbard at one point in the minute-long video brought up her aunt, saying, “That members of Congress, like me, we can get the vaccine before at-risk seniors can, people like my aunt who is imprisoned in her own home because of the danger that if she catches the disease, she could die.”
“This is immoral and bad health policy,” the 39-year-old congresswoman wrote below the video. “I had planned to get the vaccine but will now stand in solidarity with our seniors by not doing so until THEY can. I urge my colleagues who are under 65 and healthy to join me.”
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Saturday rubber-stamped Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine about a week after okaying Pfizer’s, which has been overwhelmingly seen as a boon for the U.S. in its effort to immunize the country from the deadly virus.
There have been concerns that many elderly Americans who need vaccine doses are not getting them, with doses in the country still in limited supply.
On top of that, many Americans have expressed wariness toward taking the vaccines due to how fast the vaccines were developed, to some reports of allergic reactions to those who took the Pfizer one, as well as to some misinformation about the vaccines that have been circling around.
Public officials have received the vaccine publicly in an effort to ease concerns.
Vice President Mike Pence already took the vaccine on Friday, with President-elect Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden receiving the vaccine on Monday. On Friday, too, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) got the vaccine.
President Donald Trump, on the other hand, has been on the sidelines about himself receiving the vaccine. Earlier this month, Trump tweeted that he was “not scheduled” to take the vaccine, but looked “forward to doing so at the appropriate time.”
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1338325735778476035
You can follow Douglas Braff on Twitter @Douglas_P_Braff.


saraacater--2020-12-21--Gov. Cuomo: Santa granted quarantine waiver, but still has to wear mask

Gov .
Cuomo : Santa granted quarantine waiver , but still has to wear mask Gov .
Andrew Cuomo ( D-N.Y. ) said Monday that the state Department of Health has granted Santa Claus a rare waiver allowing him to skip a 14-day quarantine in the state but clarified that Kris Kringle would have to still wear a mask .
At the end of his prepared statements at a midday press briefing regarding COVID-19 updates and the vaccines , but before questions from the press , Cuomo adopted a serious tone when discussing an “ unusual request ” from someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a request for a waiver of quarantine .
We normally do not do waivers of quarantine , ” he said .
“ It ’ s unfortunate that we ’ re in this situation , but people from other states that have a higher infection rate , or what we ’ re dealing with the U.K. now… as I said , no state is an island , so you have to protect yourself and that ’ s what the quarantine rules did , ” Cuomo added , referencing the new strain of the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently , causing multiple European countries to halt travel with the island nation this weekend .
“ But , we have an unusual request , ” he said , then pausing for a beat .
“ But the DOH has been considering it for the past few days and they have actually granted the request.
” “ Santa Claus asked from an exemption [ from ] the 14-day quarantine requirement , ” Cuomo revealed , then chuckling , “ because it would be impracticable for him to be in this state and then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delivered on time.
” Father Christmas , however , must wear a mask when delivering gifts .
“ The DOH was flexible , ” he continued .
“ They have granted the quarantine waiver .
But—Santa is required to wear a mask this year.
” Despite the jolly , bearded fellow wearing a mask , Cuomo thinks he will remain easily recognizable , joking about Santa ’ s appearance .
“ I think you will still be able to recognize him , even though he ’ ll be wearing a mask , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Santa “ does have a fairly distinct outfit that he wears , plus his body style is fairly distinct.
” “ So I don ’ t think there ’ ll be any issue in identifying Santa this year , ” he emphasized .
“ He ’ ll be able to do his job , but do it safely because he ’ ll be wearing a mask.
” You can follow Douglas Braff on Twitter @ Douglas_P_Braff .

Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) said Monday that the state Department of Health has granted Santa Claus a rare waiver allowing him to skip a 14-day quarantine in the state but clarified that Kris Kringle would have to still wear a mask.
RELATED: Fauci: Santa Claus is ‘immune’ from COVID-19
At the end of his prepared statements at a midday press briefing regarding COVID-19 updates and the vaccines, but before questions from the press, Cuomo adopted a serious tone when discussing an “unusual request” from someone to skip quarantine.
“We had a request for a waiver of quarantine. We normally do not do waivers of quarantine,” he said. “It’s unfortunate that we’re in this situation, but people from other states that have a higher infection rate, or what we’re dealing with the U.K. now… as I said, no state is an island, so you have to protect yourself and that’s what the quarantine rules did,” Cuomo added, referencing the new strain of the coronavirus that has spiked in the United Kingdom recently, causing multiple European countries to halt travel with the island nation this weekend.
“But, we have an unusual request,” he said, then pausing for a beat. “But the DOH has been considering it for the past few days and they have actually granted the request.”
“Santa Claus asked from an exemption [from] the 14-day quarantine requirement,” Cuomo revealed, then chuckling, “because it would be impracticable for him to be in this state and then quarantine and still get all his gifts delivered on time.”
Father Christmas, however, must wear a mask when delivering gifts.
“The DOH was flexible,” he continued. “They have granted the quarantine waiver. But—Santa is required to wear a mask this year.”
Despite the jolly, bearded fellow wearing a mask, Cuomo thinks he will remain easily recognizable, joking about Santa’s appearance.
“I think you will still be able to recognize him, even though he’ll be wearing a mask,” the governor said, pointing out that Santa “does have a fairly distinct outfit that he wears, plus his body style is fairly distinct.”
“So I don’t think there’ll be any issue in identifying Santa this year,” he emphasized. “He’ll be able to do his job, but do it safely because he’ll be wearing a mask.”
You can follow Douglas Braff on Twitter @Douglas_P_Braff.


saraacater--2020-12-21--Robert E. Lee statue removed from US Capitol

The statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee inside the U.S. Capitol was removed from the building Monday morning .
The statue had been one among 13 located in the Crypt of the Capitol , representing the 13 original colonies .
It had been there since 1909 , “ Which was 44 years after the Confederacy rebelled against the United States and was defeated , ” Gov .
Ralph Northam ’ s office said in a statement .
“ We should all be proud of this important step forward for our Commonwealth and our country , ” Northam said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Virginia ’ s racist and divisive history , and it is past time we tell our story with images of perseverance , diversity , and inclusion.
” House speaker Nancy Pelosi released a statement on Monday , calling the removal of the statue “ welcome news.
” The statue will be replaced with a statue of Barbara Rose Johns , an African-American woman and civil rights leader .
“ I look forward to seeing a trailblazing young woman of color represent Virginia in the U.S. Capitol , where visitors will learn about Barbara @ @ @ @ @ @ @ empowered to create positive change in their communities just like she did , ” Northam said .
The commission , led by state Sen. Louise Lucas ( D ) , voted unanimously to remove it .
The General Assembly must approve the replacement before a sculptor can be commissioned .
The statue will be transported to the Virginia Museum of History and Culture in Richmond , according to Northam ’ s statement .

UPDATE:
In a significant turn of events, Attorney General Merrick Garland made a surprising announcement on Friday, elevating Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss to the role of special counsel. This decision marks a shift in focus towards the investigation of the Biden family’s financial matters. The probe, which encompasses Hunter Biden’s tax affairs and any potential connections his father, President Joe Biden, might have with his foreign associates, is slated to extend into the 2024 election cycle. Interestingly, this move comes as former President Donald Trump is simultaneously facing two federal indictments from the same department.
Garland stressed that the decision to appoint Weiss as an independent prosecutor aligns with the “public interest” and adheres to departmental regulations. Importantly, this transition was initiated by Weiss himself, who, earlier this week, conveyed his belief that the investigation had reached a point where he should proceed as a special counsel.
Weiss is no stranger to this intricate landscape. He is the federal prosecutor responsible for bringing charges against President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, in Delaware. Recent times have witnessed the unfolding of legal proceedings involving Hunter Biden, including a probation-oriented plea arrangement that was ultimately rejected by a judge. In June, Hunter Biden agreed to a deal with federal prosecutors, admitting guilt in two tax-related offenses and a firearm charge, potentially leading to the dismissal of the latter charge. This latest development underscores the intensification of scrutiny into the financial affairs of the Biden family and highlights the evolving legal landscape involving prominent political figures.
—
Attorney General Merrick Garland will speak to the public Friday afternoon. It is highly anticipated because I believe, as do many others, that he may be getting ready to announce the appointment of a Special Counsel to investigate “Hunter Biden” and his financial dealings overseas. Although, welcome there are still too many concerns with the DOJ that need to be addressed and there is little faith among many Americans that anything will be done.
Americans have witnessed the makings and the result of a two tiered justice system since President Trump was elected and then the continuing targeting of Trump even after his term as president.
I’ve spoken about the need for an outside investigation into Hunter Biden and President Biden at length on my podcast, The Sara Carter Show and on Fox News. But I’ve been jaded by the failures of past investigations and the weaponization of the Justice Department to do its job. The failure of the DOJ to be blind and just has been devastating to our nation.
Will Garland appoint a special counsel? I don’t know but as Americans we must demand that our leadership, our bureaucracies and our law makers follow the rule of law without prejudice. If they do not, as we have seen over the past decade with the establishments attacks on President Donald Trump and the weaponization of the system to target him, then our foundation will not only be fractured but it will be irreparable.
Either way, the alleged crimes and obvious financial connections linked to the Biden family with adversarial nations like China and Russia must be thoroughly investigated and the investigation must be made public. The Biden connections and large sums of money taken from government connected energy companies in Ukraine must also be thoroughly vetted and any improprieties must be made public.


saraacater--2020-12-21--AG Barr says he won’t appoint a special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden

AG Barr says he won ’ t appoint a special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden Attorney General William Barr said Monday that he won ’ t appoint a special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden .
Hunter Biden , President-elect Joe Biden ’ s son , is currently under investigation by the U.S. Attorney ’ s office in Delaware for his tax affairs .
A number of bombshell reports suggest Hunter Biden ’ s business dealings overseas in countries like Ukraine may have gone unreported in his income reports .
“ To the extent that there ’ s an investigation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handled responsibly and professionally within the department , ” Barr said during a press conference on Monday .
Barr added , “ And to this point I have no seen reason to appoint a special counsel , and I see no reason to do so before I leave .
If I thought a special counsel was the right tool , I would name one , but I haven ’ t. ” Barr ’ s resignation from the Department of Justice is effective in two days .
Last week , the Wall Street Journal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal probe into Hunter Biden before the election .
President Donald Trump who has been at odds with Barr , criticized the DOJ for failing to report “ the Biden matter BEFOTE the Election , ” adding , “ Oh well , it ’ s OK , we won the Election anyway – 75,000,000 VOTES !
!
!
”

In a recent development, the Tate brothers, Andrew and Tristan, along with two associates, find themselves at the center of a high-profile case involving human trafficking allegations.
The charges leveled against them indicate the formation of an organized criminal group in 2021 with the intent to carry out human trafficking operations not only in Romania but also in the United States and the United Kingdom, according to the BBC.
The investigation, which led to their arrest in December last year, has culminated in an indictment filed with the Bucharest court. According to the indictment, the Tate brothers are accused of luring their victims with false promises of love and marriage. Seven individuals have been identified as alleged victims, who were later coerced and subjected to a harrowing ordeal.
Prosecutors contend that the victims were taken to locations in Ilfov county, Romania, where they faced constant surveillance, intimidation, and control. The defendants allegedly forced the victims into debt and coerced them into participating in pornographic activities, with the explicit material subsequently shared on social media platforms. Shockingly, one of the defendants is accused of raping a woman on two occasions in March 2022, further amplifying the gravity of the charges.
While the trial is not expected to commence immediately, as a Romanian judge is granted 60 days to inspect the case files, it is anticipated to be a protracted legal battle. The complexity of the case and the severity of the charges will undoubtedly result in a lengthy trial process, with several years potentially passing before a verdict is reached.
Representatives for the Tate brothers released a statement acknowledging the unsurprising nature of the news but maintaining their belief in their innocence.
As reported by the BBC, the Tate brothers media team stared, “While this news is undoubtedly predictable, we embrace the opportunity it presents to demonstrate their innocence and vindicate their reputation.”
They expressed their eagerness to present a comprehensive body of evidence meticulously collected over time, which they believe will substantiate their claims of innocence and restore their tarnished reputation.
However, it should be noted that additional charges, such as money laundering and trafficking of minors, are still under investigation. If evidence is uncovered to support these allegations, a separate indictment could be filed, further complicating the legal proceedings for the defendants.
Andrew Tate, who gained notoriety through his participation in the reality television show Big Brother, has a controversial past, having been removed from the show in 2016 following a video that appeared to depict him assaulting a woman.
Despite subsequent bans on social media platforms due to his contentious statements, he has managed to amass a following, particularly among young men, by promoting an ostentatious and hyper-masculine lifestyle.
As the case unfolds, public attention will undoubtedly be drawn to the trial, with many eagerly awaiting the outcome and hoping for justice to be served for the alleged victims. The complex web of charges and the high-profile nature of the defendants ensure that this trial will be closely monitored and scrutinized by the media and the public alike.
Follow Alexander Carter on Twitter @AlexCarterDC for more!


saraacater--2020-12-21--Gaetz Joining GOP Efforts to Overturn Election Results, Challenge Electoral College Votes

Rep. Matt Gaetz , a Florida Republican , announced that he is joining the efforts in Congress to overturn President-elect @ @ @ @ @ .
During a speech on Saturday at Turning Point USA ’ s Student Action Summit @ @ @ @ @ , FL , Gaetz said , “ On January 6th , I ’ m joining @ @ @ @ @ Congress and we are going to object to electors from states that didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ 6 is the day Congress is scheduled to certify the electoral college ’ s vote @ @ @ @ @ the media will breathlessly exclaim that we are attacking democracy .
That ’ s nonsense @ @ @ @ @ “ Democracy is left undefended if we accept the result of a stolen election , @ @ @ @ @ of vigor we can muster.
” “ It is time to stand and fight , @ @ @ @ @ “ The odds may be tough .
It may be the 4th and long , @ @ @ @ @ for it on January 6th .
”


saraacater--2020-12-21--CDC reports highest overdose deaths in one year

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) has released new data indicating fatal drug overdoses accelerated during @ @ @ @ @ to the data , approximately 81,230 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States in @ @ @ @ @ in May 2020 , the largest number of drug overdoses for a 12-month period ever @ @ @ @ @ during this time increased more than 20 % in 25 states and the District of @ @ @ @ @ data .
The CDC said overdoses are driven by synthetic opioid use such as substances @ @ @ @ @ the full story on TheDarkWire.com , click here .


saraacater--2020-12-21--41 shot, 8 fatally over the weekend in Chicago

41 shot , 8 fatally over the weekend in Chicago Over the weekend , 41 people were shot , 8 @ @ @ @ @ violence continues in the streets .
Six people were wounded in a single incident on @ @ @ @ @ the City ’ s South Side , the Chicago Sun-Times reports .
The gunman reportedly @ @ @ @ @ arrests were made .
The youngest victim of the weekend ’ s shootings was a @ @ @ @ @ and killed in a drive-by shooting on Saturday on the City ’ s West Side @ @ @ @ @ in the head and neck and was later pronounced dead at Mount Sinai hospital , @ @ @ @ @ to the Chicago Tribune , 744 people have been killed in Chicago this year , @ @ @ @ @ 2019 .
The numbers do not include this weekend ’ s fatalities .


saraacater--2020-12-21--Dr. Deborah Birx Traveled During Thanksgiving, Despite Urging Americans Not To

Dr. Deborah Birx Traveled During Thanksgiving , Despite Urging Americans Not To Dr. Deborah Birx , coordinator of the White House coronavirus response , traveled and visited with family during the Thanksgiving holiday , despite urging Americans to avoid doing the same .
AP news reported that Birx traveled the day after Thanksgiving to gather with her daughter , son-in-law and grandchildren at her vacation home on Fenwick Island in Delaware .
In a statement to the AP , Birx insisted that everyone on the trip was a member of her “ immediate household.
” However , not all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home .
In the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving , Birx warned Americans to avoid travel and gatherings to mitigate the spread of coronavirus .
While in Delaware , Birx interviewed with CBS News ’ “ Face The Nation , ” and told anyone who had traveled for the holiday to “ assume that you are exposed and you became infected ” and “ to get tested in the next week.
” Kathleen Flynn , a relative to Birx , told the AP that Birx ’ s travels had caused friction among their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own guidance , ” Flynn said .
Birx is reportedly seeking a role in the Biden administration , but many are critical of her violating her own guidelines .
“ To me this disqualifies her from any future government health position , ” said Dr. Angela Rasmussen , a virologist at the Georgetown Center for Global Health Science and Security .
“ It ’ s a terrible message for someone in public health to be sending to the American people .
”


saraacater--2020-12-23--Trump rails against COVID-19 relief package, wants more money in checks and less ‘unnecessary’ items

Trump rails against COVID-19 relief package , wants more money in checks and less ‘ unnecessary ’ items President Donald Trump criticized Congress on Tuesday for its bipartisan COVID-19 relief bill one night after both chambers passed the package that took months of negotiations to reach , throwing the future of the $ 900 billion bill into uncertainty .
Most notably , among a plethora of other changes he wants to the bill , the outgoing president wanted the amount that Americans are set to receive in stimulus checks to be increased from $ 600 per person to $ 2,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people were sent as part of the CARES Act back in March .
“ A few months ago , Congress started negotiations on a new package to get urgently needed help to the American people .
It ’ s taken forever .
However , the bill they are now planning to send back to my desk is much different than anticipated .
It really is a disgrace , ” Trump said in a video posted to Twitter on Tuesday evening .
“ Despite all of this wasteful spending and much more , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with only $ 600 each in relief payments , and not enough money is given to small businesses , and in particular restaurants , whose owners have suffered so grievously , ” he added .
“ I am asking Congress to amend this bill and increase the ridiculously low $ 600 to $ 2,000 , or $ 4,000 for a couple , ” Trump also said .
The president argued that the legislation in its present version , which is coupled with $ 1.4 trillion in omnibus spending , has “ almost nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found plenty of money for foreign countries , lobbyists and special interests while sending the bare minimum to the American people who need it , ” he said .
Here , Trump is referencing the significant amount of money from the bill being delegated toward foreign aid .
Controversially among Republicans , $ 250 million from the bill would comprise aid for Palestinians .
RELATED : COVID-19 relief bill includes hundreds of millions of dollars in Palestinian aid : report Trump remarked that small businesses , especially restaurants , have not been provided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suffered so grievously.
” “ They were only given a deduction for others to use in business , their restaurant , for two years , ” Trump added .
“ This two year period must be withdrawn , which will allow the owners to obtain financing and get their restaurants back in condition .
Congress can terminate it at a much later date , but two years is not acceptable it ’ s not enough.
” Included in the relief package are increased jobless benefits , another batch of funding for the Paycheck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business loans , a direct payment of $ 600 to individuals , and funding to help facilitate the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines .
Trump alerted Congress that if the “ wasteful and unnecessary items ” are not removed from the bill , the next administration will have to deliver a COVID-19 relief package .
“ Maybe that administration will be me , ” Trump added , still refusing to concede the election to President-elect Joe Biden .
“ And we will get it done.
” The response from Democrats to Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eagerly signaling their willingness to increase the amount of money in the stimulus checks to $ 2,000 per individual : You can follow Douglas Braff on Twitter @ Douglas_P_Braff .

President Donald Trump criticized Congress on Tuesday for its bipartisan COVID-19 relief bill one night after both chambers passed the package that took months of negotiations to reach, throwing the future of the $900 billion bill into uncertainty.
Most notably, among a plethora of other changes he wants to the bill, the outgoing president wanted the amount that Americans are set to receive in stimulus checks to be increased from $600 per person to $2,000, which is $800 more than people were sent as part of the CARES Act back in March.
“A few months ago, Congress started negotiations on a new package to get urgently needed help to the American people. It’s taken forever. However, the bill they are now planning to send back to my desk is much different than anticipated. It really is a disgrace,” Trump said in a video posted to Twitter on Tuesday evening.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1341537886315950080
“Despite all of this wasteful spending and much more, the $900 billion package provides hardworking taxpayers with only $600 each in relief payments, and not enough money is given to small businesses, and in particular restaurants, whose owners have suffered so grievously,” he added.
“I am asking Congress to amend this bill and increase the ridiculously low $600 to $2,000, or $4,000 for a couple,” Trump also said.
The president argued that the legislation in its present version, which is coupled with $1.4 trillion in omnibus spending, has “almost nothing to do with COVID.”
“Congress found plenty of money for foreign countries, lobbyists and special interests while sending the bare minimum to the American people who need it,” he said.
Here, Trump is referencing the significant amount of money from the bill being delegated toward foreign aid. Controversially among Republicans, $250 million from the bill would comprise aid for Palestinians.
RELATED: COVID-19 relief bill includes hundreds of millions of dollars in Palestinian aid: report
Trump remarked that small businesses, especially restaurants, have not been provided enough money after their owners have “suffered so grievously.”
“They were only given a deduction for others to use in business, their restaurant, for two years,” Trump added. “This two year period must be withdrawn, which will allow the owners to obtain financing and get their restaurants back in condition. Congress can terminate it at a much later date, but two years is not acceptable it’s not enough.”
Included in the relief package are increased jobless benefits, another batch of funding for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for small business loans, a direct payment of $600 to individuals, and funding to help facilitate the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.
Trump alerted Congress that if the “wasteful and unnecessary items” are not removed from the bill, the next administration will have to deliver a COVID-19 relief package.
“Maybe that administration will be me,” Trump added, still refusing to concede the election to President-elect Joe Biden. “And we will get it done.”
The response from Democrats to Trump’s comments were generally positive, with them eagerly signaling their willingness to increase the amount of money in the stimulus checks to $2,000 per individual:
We spent months trying to secure $2000 checks but Republicans blocked it
Trump needs to sign the bill to help people and keep the government open and we're glad to pass more aid Americans need
Maybe Trump can finally make himself useful and get Republicans not to block it again — Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) December 23, 2020
Republicans repeatedly refused to say what amount the President wanted for direct checks. At last, the President has agreed to $2,000 — Democrats are ready to bring this to the Floor this week by unanimous consent. Let’s do it! https://t.co/Th4sztrpLV — Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) December 23, 2020
That's great! I first introduced a bill to provide a $2,000 direct payment with @SenKamalaHarris & @EdMarkey 7 months ago. Now, Mr. President, get Mitch McConnell and your Republican friends to stop opposing it and we can provide working class Americans with $2,000. Let's do it. https://t.co/fKvqBsqM0k — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) December 23, 2020
Let’s do it. @RashidaTlaib and I already co-wrote the COVID amendment for $2,000 checks, so it’s ready to go.
Glad to see the President is willing to support our legislation.
We can pass $2k checks this week if the Senate GOP agrees to stand down. https://t.co/GprwrUPali pic.twitter.com/nFFs1ExqCK — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 23, 2020
Me and @AOC have the amendment ready. Send the bill back, and we will put in the $2,000 we’ve been fighting for that your party has been blocking. pic.twitter.com/GGXtJt77D9 — Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) December 23, 2020
You can follow Douglas Braff on Twitter @Douglas_P_Braff.


saraacater--2020-12-23--Trump pardons, commutes sentences of 20 people

With less than 30 days left in office , President Donald Trump on Tuesday evening pardoned 15 individuals and commuted the sentences of five , including two Republican congressmen , former government contractors convicted in a 2007 massacre in Baghdad , among others .
This latest slate of pardons comes after the president controversially pardoned former National Security Adviser Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn toward the end of last month , who had twice pleaded guilty to lying to FBI agents after he was accused of having contacts with Russian officials .
Months ago , Trump also commuted the sentence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was scheduled to report to prison .
According to a range of reports , the president is likely to issue more pardons before leaving office on January 20 .
This latest wave of pardons include those for former GOP Reps. Duncan Hunter ( Calif. ) and Chris Collins ( N.Y. ) , who were some of the earliest Republican lawmakers to rally behind Trump ’ s 2016 presidential campaign .
Also related to this is Trump commuting the sentences of five other individuals the same day , including former Congressman Steve Stockman ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to misusing campaign funds in 2019 , the congressman was sentenced to 26 months in federal prison .
Hunter pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud and lying to the FBI in 2019 , and was then sentenced to 11 months in federal prison .
Former Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean who shot a suspected drug smuggler fleeing custody were pardoned by Trump .
Sara A. Carter wrote of the pair in 2006 and continued to advocate for their pardons .
Click here to read her story for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Tuesday also pardoned four former Blackwater Worldwide contractors—Nicholas Slatten , Paul Slough , Evan Liberty , and Dustin Heard—who were convicted in a 2007 massacre in Baghdad that resulted in more than a dozen Iraqi civilians dead .
The news story sparked global outcry over the use of private military contractors in combat zones .
Those campaigning for pardons of the former contractors had claimed the four were excessively punished in an investigation and prosecution they said was undercut by issues and withheld exculpatory evidence .
Prior to their pardons , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Two other pardons for people involved in Robert Mueller ’ s Russia probe were also announced Tuesday .
One was for George Papadopoulos , a foreign policy adviser on Trump ’ s 2016 campaign .
He pleaded guilty to lying to FBI investigators during the Russia probe , serving 12 days in prison back in 2018 .
The second one was for the Dutch lawyer Alex van der Zwaan , who was sentenced to 30 days in prison for also lying to the FBI during Mueller ’ s Russia probe .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people ’ s sentences Tuesday .
Crystal Munoz , Tynice Nichole Hall , and Judith Negron had been convicted on drug and fraud-related charges , and had been previously granted clemency by Trump .
Moreover , calls to pardon National Security Agency ( NSA ) whistleblower Edward Snowden have been mounting astronomically in recent months and weeks as the sun sets on Trump ’ s time in the Oval Office .
During the summer , Trump himself even expressed interest in possibly pardoning the whistleblower , who has been hiding away in Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public in 2013 .
“ I ’ m going to take a look at [ Snowden ’ s case ] very strongly , ” Trump said during a news conference in August .
“ It seems to be a split decision , ” he said .
“ Many people think he should be somehow treated differently , and other people think he did very bad things.
” You can follow Douglas Braff on Twitter @ Douglas_P_Braff .

With less than 30 days left in office, President Donald Trump on Tuesday evening pardoned 15 individuals and commuted the sentences of five, including two Republican congressmen, former government contractors convicted in a 2007 massacre in Baghdad, among others.
This latest slate of pardons comes after the president controversially pardoned former National Security Adviser Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn toward the end of last month, who had twice pleaded guilty to lying to FBI agents after he was accused of having contacts with Russian officials.
Months ago, Trump also commuted the sentence of longtime ally Roger Stone days before he was scheduled to report to prison.
According to a range of reports, the president is likely to issue more pardons before leaving office on January 20.
This latest wave of pardons include those for former GOP Reps. Duncan Hunter (Calif.) and Chris Collins (N.Y.), who were some of the earliest Republican lawmakers to rally behind Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Also related to this is Trump commuting the sentences of five other individuals the same day, including former Congressman Steve Stockman (R-TX).
Following Collins pleading guilty to misusing campaign funds in 2019, the congressman was sentenced to 26 months in federal prison.
Hunter pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud and lying to the FBI in 2019, and was then sentenced to 11 months in federal prison.
Former Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean who shot a suspected drug smuggler fleeing custody were pardoned by Trump. Sara A. Carter wrote of the pair in 2006 and continued to advocate for their pardons.
Click here to read her story for the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin.
The president on Tuesday also pardoned four former Blackwater Worldwide contractors—Nicholas Slatten, Paul Slough, Evan Liberty, and Dustin Heard—who were convicted in a 2007 massacre in Baghdad that resulted in more than a dozen Iraqi civilians dead. The news story sparked global outcry over the use of private military contractors in combat zones.
Those campaigning for pardons of the former contractors had claimed the four were excessively punished in an investigation and prosecution they said was undercut by issues and withheld exculpatory evidence. Prior to their pardons, the four were serving out long prison sentences.
Two other pardons for people involved in Robert Mueller’s Russia probe were also announced Tuesday.
One was for George Papadopoulos, a foreign policy adviser on Trump’s 2016 campaign. He pleaded guilty to lying to FBI investigators during the Russia probe, serving 12 days in prison back in 2018.
The second one was for the Dutch lawyer Alex van der Zwaan, who was sentenced to 30 days in prison for also lying to the FBI during Mueller’s Russia probe.
The president also commuted the rest of three people’s sentences Tuesday. Crystal Munoz, Tynice Nichole Hall, and Judith Negron had been convicted on drug and fraud-related charges, and had been previously granted clemency by Trump.
Moreover, calls to pardon National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower Edward Snowden have been mounting astronomically in recent months and weeks as the sun sets on Trump’s time in the Oval Office. During the summer, Trump himself even expressed interest in possibly pardoning the whistleblower, who has been hiding away in Russia since leaking classified NSA information to the public in 2013.
“I’m going to take a look at [Snowden’s case] very strongly,” Trump said during a news conference in August. “It seems to be a split decision,” he said. “Many people think he should be somehow treated differently, and other people think he did very bad things.”
You can follow Douglas Braff on Twitter @Douglas_P_Braff.


saraacater--2020-12-23--Breaking the Silence: Convicted Border Agents Tell Their Story

Breaking the Silence : Convicted Border Agents Tell Their Story This story was first published on ‘ Daily Bulletin ’ on August 6 , 2006 EL PASO , Texas – Border Patrol Agent Ignacio Ramos could hear his heart racing .
He could feel the dry , hot dust burning against his skin as he chased a drug trafficker trying to flee back into Mexico .
Ramos ’ fellow agent , Jose Alonso Compean , was lying on the ground behind him , banged up and bloody from a scuffle with the much-bigger smuggler moments earlier .
Suddenly the smuggler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in hand .
Ramos , his own weapon already drawn , shot at him , though the man was able to flee into the brush and escape the agents .
Now , nearly 18 months after that violent encounter , Ramos and Compean are facing 20 years in federal prison for their actions .
According to the U.S. attorney who successfully prosecuted the agents , the man they were chasing didn ’ t actually have a gun , shooting him in the back violated his civil rights , the agents didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a drug smuggler , and they broke Border Patrol rules about discharging their weapons and preserving a crime scene .
Even more broadly , Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Kanof said , Ramos and Compean had no business chasing someone in the first place .
“ It is a violation of Border Patrol regulations to go after someone who is fleeing , ” she said .
“ The Border Patrol pursuit policy prohibits the pursuit of someone.
” Her arguments , along with testimony from other agents on the scene and that of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was a crushing blow to Compean and Ramos , both of whom had pursued suspects along the border as a regular part of their job .
It also appears to fly in the face of the Border Patrol ’ s own edicts , which include “ detouring illegal entries through improved enforcement ” and “ apprehending and detouring smugglers of humans , drugs and other contraband.
” The smuggler was given full immunity to testify against the agents and complete medical care at William Beaumont Army Medical Center , in El Paso @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an interview in the almost 18 months since the shooting .
Compean ’ s attorneys have told him to not speak to anyone about the case .
But Ramos and his family say they no longer can be silent .
“ They don ’ t throw this many charges at guys they ’ ve caught with over 2,000 pounds of marijuana , ” Ramos said .
“ There ’ s murderers and child rapists that are looking at less time than me .
“ I am not guilty .
I did not do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Ramos , 37 , and Compean , 28 , are set to be sentenced Aug. 22 for shooting Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila , a Mexican citizen , on Feb. 17 , 2005 , in the small Texas town of Fabens , about 40 miles southeast of El Paso .
A Texas jury convicted the pair of assault with serious bodily injury ; assault with a deadly weapon ; discharge of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence ; and a civil rights violation .
Compean and Ramos also were convicted of four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of obstruction of justice for not reporting that their weapons had been fired .
The jury acquitted both men of assault with intent to commit murder .
But the conviction for discharge of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence requires a minimum 10-year prison sentence .
The sentences for the other convictions vary .
On July 25 , the El Paso U.S .
Probation Office recommended to Judge Kathleen Cardone that each man get 20 years .
Ramos , an eight-year veteran of the U.S .
Naval Reserve and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Year , now has but one thing on his mind : What will happen to his wife and three young sons if he spends the next two decades in prison ?
“ It ’ s ( with ) a leap of faith and my devotion to God that me and my family will make it through this , ” Ramos said as he looked at his wife , Monica , during an exclusive interview with the Daily Bulletin this past month in El Paso .
Two things were clear throughout the interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing his job when Aldrete-Davila was shot , and he is perplexed as to why he and his partner are being punished so severely .
Here ’ s Ramos ’ version of what happened that day : On Feb. 17 , 2005 , Compean was monitoring the south side of a levee road near the Rio Grande on the U.S.-Mexico border in Fabens when he spotted a suspicious van driving down the north end of the road .
He called for backup .
Ramos headed to Fabens , where he thought he could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two roads leading in and out of the small town .
Another agent was already following the van — with Aldrete-Davila at the wheel — when Ramos arrived .
Ramos and the other agent followed the van through the center of town until it turned back toward the Rio Grande , which marks the border between Mexico and the United States .
Aldrete-Davila , unable to outrun the agents , stopped his van on a levee , got out and started running .
Compean was waiting for him on the other side of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out for him to stop , but he wouldn ’ t stop , and he just kept running , ” Ramos said .
Aldrete-Davila made his way through a canal , and Ramos could hear Compean yelling for Aldrete-Davila to stop , he said .
“ At some point during the time where I ’ m crossing the canal , I hear shots being fired , ” Ramos said .
“ Later , I see Compean on the ground , but I keep running after the smuggler.
” Through the thick dust , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , pointing what appeared to be a gun .
“ I shot , ” he said .
“ But I didn ’ t think he was hit , because he kept running into the brush and then disappeared into it .
Later , we all watched as he jumped into a van waiting for him .
He seemed fine .
It didn ’ t look like he had been hit at all.
” Seven other agents were on the scene by that time .
Compean had already picked up his shell casings .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to report the shooting .
“ The supervisors knew that shots were fired , ” Ramos said .
“ Since nobody was injured or hurt , we didn ’ t file the report .
That ’ s the only thing I would ’ ve done different.
” The van later was found to have about 800 pounds of marijuana inside .
The version of events presented by the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office during the agents ’ trial differed markedly from Ramos ’ .
“ The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amendment rights to shoot them in the back while fleeing if you don ’ t know who they are and/or if you don ’ t know they have a weapon , ” said Kanof , the assistant U.S. attorney .
Ramos testified during the trial that he saw Aldrete-Davila with something “ shiny ” in his hand , she said , and though Ramos told the Daily Bulletin he thought it was a gun , he couldn ’ t be sure , she said .
Moreover , the agents “ did not know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had in the van , ” Kanof said .
“ They just decided or guessed.
” She then reiterated her contention that pursuing Aldrete-Davila or anyone else fleeing border agents is not part of the Border Patrol ’ s job .
“ Agents are not allowed to pursue .
In order to exceed the speed limit , you have to get supervisor approval , and they did not , ” she said .
The prosecutor also said the men destroyed the crime scene when Compean picked up his shell casings and attempted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ d fired their weapons .
Ramos said his pursuit of Aldrete-Davila was nothing different from what he ’ s done in the past 10 years as a Border Patrol agent .
“ How are we supposed to follow the Border Patrol strategy of apprehending terrorists or drug smugglers if we are not supposed to pursue fleeing people ?
” he continued .
“ Everybody who ’ s breaking the law flees from us .
What are we supposed to do ?
Do they want us to catch them or not ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ who were at the scene knew shots had been fired but did not file reports .
“ You need to tell a supervisor because you can ’ t assume that a supervisor knows about it , ” Kanof countered .
“ You have to report any discharge of a firearm.
” Mary Stillinger , Ramos ’ attorney , and Maria Ramirez , Compean ’ s attorney , said during the trial that every other Border Patrol agent at the scene also failed to report shots had been fired .
“ Every single witness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ramirez said , referring to the immunity granted to Aldrete-Davila and the other agents in exchange for testifying against Ramos and Compean .
According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Table of Offenses and Penalties , failure to report that a weapon has been fired in the line of duty is punishable by a five-day suspension .
Ramos also is puzzled as to why , more than two weeks after the shooting , a Department of Homeland Security investigator — acting on a tip from a Border Patrol agent in Arizona — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him immunity if he testified against the agents who shot at him .
Why the agent tipped Homeland Security to the smuggler ’ s whereabouts is partly explained in a confidential Homeland Security memo obtained by the Daily Bulletin .
Why the department and the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office in El Paso pursued the matter so aggressively is less clear .
“ Osbaldo ( Aldrete-Davila ) had told ( Border Patrol agent ) Rene Sanchez that his friends had told him they should put together a hunting party and go shoot some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Osbaldo , ” reads a memo written by Christopher Sanchez , an investigator with the department ’ s Office of Inspector General .
“ Osbaldo advised Rene Sanchez that he told his friends he was not interested in going after the BP agents and getting in more trouble.
” Neither Rene Sanchez nor Christopher Sanchez could be reached for comment .
Mike Friels , a spokesman for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection branch of the Department of Homeland Security , said he could not comment on the case , citing pending litigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Christopher Sanchez outlines how the investigation into Ramos and Compean was initiated .
On March 10 , 2005 , Christopher Sanchez received a telephone call from Border Patrol agent Rene Sanchez of Wilcox , Ariz. , who told the agent about Aldrete-Davila ’ s encounter with Ramos and Compean .
According to the document , Rene Sanchez stated “ that Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila ’ s mother , Marcadia Aldrete-Davila , contacted Rene Sanchez ’ s mother-in-law , Gregoria Toquinto , and advised her about the BP agents shooting Aldrete-Davila .
Toquinto told her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incident , and he spoke to Osbaldo via a telephone call.
” During the trial , the connection between Rene Sanchez and Aldrete-Davila confused the Ramos family , and “ we questioned how an agent from Arizona would know or want to defend a drug smuggler from Mexico , ” said Monica Ramos .
Kanof bristled when asked about the Rene Sanchez/Aldrete-Davila connection .
“ It ’ s an unconscionable accusation that Sanchez is associated with a drug dealer , ” she said .
“ Most BP agents who are Hispanic have family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. and raised in Mexico and came back to do high school and later became an agent.
” The Ramoses also contend Aldrete-Davila ’ s story changed several times .
According to the memo , Aldrete-Davila told investigators the agents shot him in the buttocks when he was trying to enter the country illegally from Mexico .
But according to Aldrete-Davila ’ s later testimony and that of the agents , he was shot after trying to evade the agents upon his re-entry into Mexico .
The memo never was disclosed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Border Patrol for $ 5 million for violating his civil rights .
As a Border Patrol agent , Ramos has been involved in the capture of nearly 100 drug smugglers and the seizure of untold thousands of pounds of narcotics .
He also was nominated for Border Patrol Agent of the Year in March 2005 , though the nomination was withdrawn after details of the Aldrete-Davila incident came out .
Ramos also had drug interdiction training from the Drug Enforcement Agency and qualified as a Task Force Officer with the Border Patrol .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as the numerous credentials he had received for taking Border Patrol field training classes — was not admissible during the trial , he said .
“ My husband is a good man , a loving father , and his devotion to his country and his job is undeniable , ” Monica Ramos said .
“ Prosecutors treated the drug smuggler like an innocent victim , refusing to allow testimony that would have helped my husband .
The smuggler was given immunity .
My husband is facing a life in prison .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it doesn ’ t seem real.
” The El Paso Sheriff ’ s Department has met with the Ramos family to discuss continued threats against them from people they believe to be associated with Aldrete-Davila .
The sheriff ’ s department also has increased patrols around the family ’ s home .
The only other organization that has responded to the Ramoses thus far , Monica Ramos said , is the Chino-based nonprofit group Friends of the Border Patrol , chaired by Andy Ramirez .
“ This is the greatest miscarriage of justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ This drug smuggler has fully contributed to the destruction of two brave agents and their families and has sent a very loud message to the other Border Patrol agents : If you confront a smuggler , this is what will happen to you.
” TJ Bonner , president of the National Border Patrol Council , the union representing border agents , said the Border Patrol ’ s official pursuit policy handcuffs agents in the field .
He also sees the prosecution of Ramos and Compean as part of a larger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The pursuit policy has negatively affected the Border Patrol ’ s mission as well as public safety .
Part of that mission is stop terrorists and drug smugglers , ” Bonner said .
“ They could be smuggling Osama bin Laden , drugs , illegal aliens , or it could have been just some drunk teenager out on a joyride .
You don ’ t know until you stop them.
” “ The administration is trying to intimidate front-line agents from doing their job , ” he added .
“ If they can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll do it with trumped-up criminal charges .
“ Moreover , the specter of improprieties in the prosecution of this case raises serious concerns that demand an immediate , thorough and impartial investigation.
” About a week ago , feeling little hope , Joe Loya , Monica Ramos ’ father , took the family on what will be Ignacio Ramos ’ last fishing trip with his sons before he is sentenced .
“ What kind of justice is this ?
” Loya asked .
“ What kind of nation do we live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means more than the word of a just man ?
” Monica Ramos says her hardest day is yet to come — the day the authorities take her husband away .
“ We just guard ( our children ’ s ) hearts right now , ” Monica Ramos said .
“ I think about the last time he ’ ll hug them as children , and maybe not get the chance to hug them again until they are grown men.
” The sons are between 8 and 13 years old .
Ignacio Ramos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emotional .
“ Less than a month left with my family , ” he said , his voice choking , as though the air had been pulled from his lungs .
“ My sons , ” he whispered .
Then silence .
It took several minutes for Ramos to summon more words .
“ All I think about at night is the day I have to leave my family .
I can ’ t sleep .
I ’ ve always been with them.
” Then he talked about the memories he would never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high school graduation , sports , ” and the tears falling from his eyes were mirrored only by those of his wife , who took his hand into hers .
Read the complete article .
Fair Use : This site contains copyrighted material , the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner .
We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of issues related to mass immigration .
We believe this constitutes a ‘ fair use ’ of any such copyrighted material as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US Copyright Law .
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C .
Section 107 , the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes .
For more information , see : www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode17/usc_sec_17_00000107—-000-.html .
In order to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘ fair use ’ , you must obtain permission from the copyright owner .

This story was first published on ‘Daily Bulletin’ on August 6, 2006
EL PASO, Texas – Border Patrol Agent Ignacio Ramos could hear his heart racing. He could feel the dry, hot dust burning against his skin as he chased a drug trafficker trying to flee back into Mexico.
Ramos’ fellow agent, Jose Alonso Compean, was lying on the ground behind him, banged up and bloody from a scuffle with the much-bigger smuggler moments earlier.
Suddenly the smuggler turned toward the pursuing Ramos, gun in hand. Ramos, his own weapon already drawn, shot at him, though the man was able to flee into the brush and escape the agents.
Now, nearly 18 months after that violent encounter, Ramos and Compean are facing 20 years in federal prison for their actions.
Why?
According to the U.S. attorney who successfully prosecuted the agents, the man they were chasing didn’t actually have a gun, shooting him in the back violated his civil rights, the agents didn’t know for a fact that he was a drug smuggler, and they broke Border Patrol rules about discharging their weapons and preserving a crime scene.
Even more broadly, Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Kanof said, Ramos and Compean had no business chasing someone in the first place.
“It is a violation of Border Patrol regulations to go after someone who is fleeing,” she said. “The Border Patrol pursuit policy prohibits the pursuit of someone.”
Her arguments, along with testimony from other agents on the scene and that of the smuggler himself, swayed a jury. It was a crushing blow to Compean and Ramos, both of whom had pursued suspects along the border as a regular part of their job.
It also appears to fly in the face of the Border Patrol’s own edicts, which include “detouring illegal entries through improved enforcement” and “apprehending and detouring smugglers of humans, drugs and other contraband.”
The smuggler was given full immunity to testify against the agents and complete medical care at William Beaumont Army Medical Center, in El Paso.
Neither Ramos nor Compean had granted an interview in the almost 18 months since the shooting. Compean’s attorneys have told him to not speak to anyone about the case.
But Ramos and his family say they no longer can be silent.
“They don’t throw this many charges at guys they’ve caught with over 2,000 pounds of marijuana,” Ramos said. “There’s murderers and child rapists that are looking at less time than me.
“I am not guilty. I did not do what they’re accusing me of.”
SPEAKING OUT
Ramos, 37, and Compean, 28, are set to be sentenced Aug. 22 for shooting Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila, a Mexican citizen, on Feb. 17, 2005, in the small Texas town of Fabens, about 40 miles southeast of El Paso.
A Texas jury convicted the pair of assault with serious bodily injury; assault with a deadly weapon; discharge of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence; and a civil rights violation. Compean and Ramos also were convicted of four counts and two counts, respectively, of obstruction of justice for not reporting that their weapons had been fired.
The jury acquitted both men of assault with intent to commit murder.
But the conviction for discharge of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence requires a minimum 10-year prison sentence. The sentences for the other convictions vary.
On July 25, the El Paso U.S. Probation Office recommended to Judge Kathleen Cardone that each man get 20 years.
Ramos, an eight-year veteran of the U.S. Naval Reserve and a former nominee for Border Patrol Agent of the Year, now has but one thing on his mind: What will happen to his wife and three young sons if he spends the next two decades in prison?
“It’s (with) a leap of faith and my devotion to God that me and my family will make it through this,” Ramos said as he looked at his wife, Monica, during an exclusive interview with the Daily Bulletin this past month in El Paso.
Two things were clear throughout the interview: Ramos is convinced he was simply doing his job when Aldrete-Davila was shot, and he is perplexed as to why he and his partner are being punished so severely.
IGNACIO’S STORY
Here’s Ramos’ version of what happened that day:
On Feb. 17, 2005, Compean was monitoring the south side of a levee road near the Rio Grande on the U.S.-Mexico border in Fabens when he spotted a suspicious van driving down the north end of the road. He called for backup.
Ramos headed to Fabens, where he thought he could intercept the van at one of only two roads leading in and out of the small town.
Another agent was already following the van — with Aldrete-Davila at the wheel — when Ramos arrived.
Ramos and the other agent followed the van through the center of town until it turned back toward the Rio Grande, which marks the border between Mexico and the United States. Aldrete-Davila, unable to outrun the agents, stopped his van on a levee, got out and started running. Compean was waiting for him on the other side of the levee.
“We both yelled out for him to stop, but he wouldn’t stop, and he just kept running,” Ramos said.
Aldrete-Davila made his way through a canal, and Ramos could hear Compean yelling for Aldrete-Davila to stop, he said.
“At some point during the time where I’m crossing the canal, I hear shots being fired,” Ramos said. “Later, I see Compean on the ground, but I keep running after the smuggler.”
Through the thick dust, Ramos watched as Aldrete-Davila turned toward him, pointing what appeared to be a gun.
“I shot,” he said. “But I didn’t think he was hit, because he kept running into the brush and then disappeared into it. Later, we all watched as he jumped into a van waiting for him. He seemed fine. It didn’t look like he had been hit at all.”
Seven other agents were on the scene by that time. Compean had already picked up his shell casings. Ramos did not, though he failed to report the shooting.
“The supervisors knew that shots were fired,” Ramos said. “Since nobody was injured or hurt, we didn’t file the report. That’s the only thing I would’ve done different.”
The van later was found to have about 800 pounds of marijuana inside.
A DIFFERENT TAKE
The version of events presented by the U.S. Attorney’s Office during the agents’ trial differed markedly from Ramos’.
“The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled it is a violation of someone’s Fourth Amendment rights to shoot them in the back while fleeing if you don’t know who they are and/or if you don’t know they have a weapon,” said Kanof, the assistant U.S. attorney.
Ramos testified during the trial that he saw Aldrete-Davila with something “shiny” in his hand, she said, and though Ramos told the Daily Bulletin he thought it was a gun, he couldn’t be sure, she said.
Moreover, the agents “did not know who this individual was or what he had in the van,” Kanof said. “They just decided or guessed.”
She then reiterated her contention that pursuing Aldrete-Davila or anyone else fleeing border agents is not part of the Border Patrol’s job.
“Agents are not allowed to pursue. In order to exceed the speed limit, you have to get supervisor approval, and they did not,” she said.
The prosecutor also said the men destroyed the crime scene when Compean picked up his shell casings and attempted to cover up their actions by not reporting they’d fired their weapons.
PUZZLING ARGUMENT
Ramos said his pursuit of Aldrete-Davila was nothing different from what he’s done in the past 10 years as a Border Patrol agent.
“How are we supposed to follow the Border Patrol strategy of apprehending terrorists or drug smugglers if we are not supposed to pursue fleeing people?” he continued. “Everybody who’s breaking the law flees from us. What are we supposed to do? Do they want us to catch them or not?”
Ramos also said that both supervisors who were at the scene knew shots had been fired but did not file reports.
“You need to tell a supervisor because you can’t assume that a supervisor knows about it,” Kanof countered. “You have to report any discharge of a firearm.”
Mary Stillinger, Ramos’ attorney, and Maria Ramirez, Compean’s attorney, said during the trial that every other Border Patrol agent at the scene also failed to report shots had been fired.
“Every single witness has a reason to lie,” Ramirez said, referring to the immunity granted to Aldrete-Davila and the other agents in exchange for testifying against Ramos and Compean.
According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Table of Offenses and Penalties, failure to report that a weapon has been fired in the line of duty is punishable by a five-day suspension.
Ramos also is puzzled as to why, more than two weeks after the shooting, a Department of Homeland Security investigator — acting on a tip from a Border Patrol agent in Arizona — tracked down Aldrete-Davila in Mexico, offering him immunity if he testified against the agents who shot at him.
Why the agent tipped Homeland Security to the smuggler’s whereabouts is partly explained in a confidential Homeland Security memo obtained by the Daily Bulletin. Why the department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in El Paso pursued the matter so aggressively is less clear.
“Osbaldo (Aldrete-Davila) had told (Border Patrol agent) Rene Sanchez that his friends had told him they should put together a hunting party and go shoot some BP agents in revenge for them shooting Osbaldo,” reads a memo written by Christopher Sanchez, an investigator with the department’s Office of Inspector General. “Osbaldo advised Rene Sanchez that he told his friends he was not interested in going after the BP agents and getting in more trouble.”
Neither Rene Sanchez nor Christopher Sanchez could be reached for comment. Mike Friels, a spokesman for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection branch of the Department of Homeland Security, said he could not comment on the case, citing pending litigation.
BEHIND THE SCENES
In the same Homeland Security memo, Christopher Sanchez outlines how the investigation into Ramos and Compean was initiated.
On March 10, 2005, Christopher Sanchez received a telephone call from Border Patrol agent Rene Sanchez of Wilcox, Ariz., who told the agent about Aldrete-Davila’s encounter with Ramos and Compean.
According to the document, Rene Sanchez stated “that Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila’s mother, Marcadia Aldrete-Davila, contacted Rene Sanchez’s mother-in-law, Gregoria Toquinto, and advised her about the BP agents shooting Aldrete-Davila. Toquinto told her son-in-law, Rene Sanchez, of the incident, and he spoke to Osbaldo via a telephone call.”
During the trial, the connection between Rene Sanchez and Aldrete-Davila confused the Ramos family, and “we questioned how an agent from Arizona would know or want to defend a drug smuggler from Mexico,” said Monica Ramos.
Kanof bristled when asked about the Rene Sanchez/Aldrete-Davila connection.
“It’s an unconscionable accusation that Sanchez is associated with a drug dealer,” she said. “Most BP agents who are Hispanic have family from Mexico. He was born in the U.S. and raised in Mexico and came back to do high school and later became an agent.”
The Ramoses also contend Aldrete-Davila’s story changed several times.
According to the memo, Aldrete-Davila told investigators the agents shot him in the buttocks when he was trying to enter the country illegally from Mexico. But according to Aldrete-Davila’s later testimony and that of the agents, he was shot after trying to evade the agents upon his re-entry into Mexico.
The memo never was disclosed to the jury.
Aldrete-Davila is suing the Border Patrol for $5 million for violating his civil rights.
MISSING HISTORY
As a Border Patrol agent, Ramos has been involved in the capture of nearly 100 drug smugglers and the seizure of untold thousands of pounds of narcotics. He also was nominated for Border Patrol Agent of the Year in March 2005, though the nomination was withdrawn after details of the Aldrete-Davila incident came out.
Ramos also had drug interdiction training from the Drug Enforcement Agency and qualified as a Task Force Officer with the Border Patrol. But Ramos’ training in narcotics — as well as the numerous credentials he had received for taking Border Patrol field training classes — was not admissible during the trial, he said.
“My husband is a good man, a loving father, and his devotion to his country and his job is undeniable,” Monica Ramos said. “Prosecutors treated the drug smuggler like an innocent victim, refusing to allow testimony that would have helped my husband. The smuggler was given immunity. My husband is facing a life in prison.
“It’s so frightening, it doesn’t seem real.”
The El Paso Sheriff’s Department has met with the Ramos family to discuss continued threats against them from people they believe to be associated with Aldrete-Davila. The sheriff’s department also has increased patrols around the family’s home.
The only other organization that has responded to the Ramoses thus far, Monica Ramos said, is the Chino-based nonprofit group Friends of the Border Patrol, chaired by Andy Ramirez.
“This is the greatest miscarriage of justice I have ever seen,” Ramirez said. “This drug smuggler has fully contributed to the destruction of two brave agents and their families and has sent a very loud message to the other Border Patrol agents: If you confront a smuggler, this is what will happen to you.”
TJ Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, the union representing border agents, said the Border Patrol’s official pursuit policy handcuffs agents in the field. He also sees the prosecution of Ramos and Compean as part of a larger effort by the federal government.
“The pursuit policy has negatively affected the Border Patrol’s mission as well as public safety. Part of that mission is stop terrorists and drug smugglers,” Bonner said. “They could be smuggling Osama bin Laden, drugs, illegal aliens, or it could have been just some drunk teenager out on a joyride. You don’t know until you stop them.”
“The administration is trying to intimidate front-line agents from doing their job,” he added. “If they can’t do it administratively, they’ll do it with trumped-up criminal charges.
“Moreover, the specter of improprieties in the prosecution of this case raises serious concerns that demand an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation.”
COUNTING THE DAYS
About a week ago, feeling little hope, Joe Loya, Monica Ramos’ father, took the family on what will be Ignacio Ramos’ last fishing trip with his sons before he is sentenced.
“What kind of justice is this?” Loya asked. “What kind of nation do we live in when the word of a smuggler means more than the word of a just man?”
Monica Ramos says her hardest day is yet to come — the day the authorities take her husband away.
“We just guard (our children’s) hearts right now,” Monica Ramos said. “I think about the last time he’ll hug them as children, and maybe not get the chance to hug them again until they are grown men.”
The sons are between 8 and 13 years old.
Ignacio Ramos was, if anything, even more emotional.
“Less than a month left with my family,” he said, his voice choking, as though the air had been pulled from his lungs. “My sons,” he whispered. Then silence.
It took several minutes for Ramos to summon more words. “All I think about at night is the day I have to leave my family. I can’t sleep. I’ve always been with them.”
Then he talked about the memories he would never have, “their first dates, high school graduation, sports,” and the tears falling from his eyes were mirrored only by those of his wife, who took his hand into hers.
Read the complete article. Fair Use: This site contains copyrighted material, the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of issues related to mass immigration. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information, see: www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode17/usc_sec_17_00000107—-000-.html.
In order to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.


saraacater--2020-12-22--Trump should ‘probably’ attend Biden’s inauguration, says Newt Gingrich

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich on Tuesday said that President Donald Trump should “ probably ” attend the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden on January 20 .
Since the November 3 general election , a variety of reports have been circulating that Trump will skip his successor ’ s inauguration , possibly holding some sort of political rally on the same day .
Trump would be the fourth president in U.S. history to not attend his successor ’ s inauguration .
The last time that happened was in 1869 , when outgoing President Andrew Johnson , who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , decided not to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Civil War general-turned-president Ulysses S. Grant .
In an early Tuesday interview on the “ Hugh Hewitt Show ” radio program , Gingrich said , “ I think that we ’ ve only had a couple of presidents in history who didn ’ t ” attend their successors ’ inauguration .
“ John Quincy Adams didn ’ t .
And the Republican in1868 didn ’ t .
But other than those two , it ’ s a routine.
” It should be noted that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ father and second U.S. president John Adams , did not attend the inauguration of his successor , Thomas Jefferson , after the bitter and divisive election of 1800 .
“ If [ Trump ] does not go , I think he has to explain why , ” Gingrich added .
“ So I think Trump ’ s got to decide , you know , what best communicates his message .
I think his instinct is not to go , because he ’ s convinced the election was stolen.
” Since the 2020 presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports have stated , that the outgoing president is considering a 2024 bid for a seat in the Oval Office , with some reports saying that Trump is contemplating announcing such a bid on Inauguration Day .
Hewitt also asked Gingrich if he thinks Trump ’ s refusal to accept the result of the 2020 election could damage a potential 2024 bid .
“ No .
I think in 2024 , if Biden has done an amazing job , and everything ’ s working , Biden will be hard to beat , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if , as I suspect will happen , all of the various left-wing policies fail , and we ’ re in a total mess , nobody ’ s going to look back and worry about this period.
” Trump himself has hinted that he might forgo the inauguration .
Earlier this month , the president told Brian Kilmeade of “ Fox & Friends ” that he “ [ didn ’ t ] want to talk about ” if he would attend Biden ’ s inauguration , while continuing to allege that Biden “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , the Electoral College confirmed Biden ’ s victory and , following which , a large number of Republicans congratulated Biden on his victory .
Since November 3 , and also after the Electoral College vote , dozens of world leaders have publicly congratulated Biden too , such as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Russian President Vladimir Putin .
RELATED : McConnell congratulates Biden on election victory , draws criticism from some conservatives Trump still refuses to concede the election , claiming that it was “ rigged ” and “ stolen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of legal challenges against the results falling flat in federal and state courts , as well as in the U.S. Supreme Court .
You can follow Douglas Braff on Twitter @ Douglas_P_Braff .

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich on Tuesday said that President Donald Trump should “probably” attend the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden on January 20. Since the November 3 general election, a variety of reports have been circulating that Trump will skip his successor’s inauguration, possibly holding some sort of political rally on the same day.
RELATED: Trump plans competing rally on Inauguration Day: report
Trump would be the fourth president in U.S. history to not attend his successor’s inauguration. The last time that happened was in 1869, when outgoing President Andrew Johnson, who was also the first president to be impeached, decided not to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Civil War general-turned-president Ulysses S. Grant.
In an early Tuesday interview on the “Hugh Hewitt Show” radio program, Gingrich said, “I think that we’ve only had a couple of presidents in history who didn’t” attend their successors’ inauguration. “John Quincy Adams didn’t. And the Republican in1868 didn’t. But other than those two, it’s a routine.”
It should be noted that John Quincy Adams’ father, founding father and second U.S. president John Adams, did not attend the inauguration of his successor, Thomas Jefferson, after the bitter and divisive election of 1800.
“If [Trump] does not go, I think he has to explain why,” Gingrich added. “So I think Trump’s got to decide, you know, what best communicates his message. I think his instinct is not to go, because he’s convinced the election was stolen.”
Since the 2020 presidential election, Trump has hinted, and reports have stated, that the outgoing president is considering a 2024 bid for a seat in the Oval Office, with some reports saying that Trump is contemplating announcing such a bid on Inauguration Day.
Hewitt also asked Gingrich if he thinks Trump’s refusal to accept the result of the 2020 election could damage a potential 2024 bid.
“No. I think in 2024, if Biden has done an amazing job, and everything’s working, Biden will be hard to beat,” Gingrich answered. “In 2024, if, as I suspect will happen, all of the various left-wing policies fail, and we’re in a total mess, nobody’s going to look back and worry about this period.”
Trump himself has hinted that he might forgo the inauguration.
Earlier this month, the president told Brian Kilmeade of “Fox & Friends” that he “[didn’t] want to talk about” if he would attend Biden’s inauguration, while continuing to allege that Biden “lost and lost badly.”
Monday last week, the Electoral College confirmed Biden’s victory and, following which, a large number of Republicans congratulated Biden on his victory. Since November 3, and also after the Electoral College vote, dozens of world leaders have publicly congratulated Biden too, such as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
RELATED: McConnell congratulates Biden on election victory, draws criticism from some conservatives
Trump still refuses to concede the election, claiming that it was “rigged” and “stolen” from him, despite his dozens of legal challenges against the results falling flat in federal and state courts, as well as in the U.S. Supreme Court.
You can follow Douglas Braff on Twitter @Douglas_P_Braff.


saraacater--2020-12-22--Biden: The U.S. attorney general ‘is not the president’s lawyer’

Biden : The U.S. attorney general ‘ is not the president ’ s lawyer ’ President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday said the “ attorney general of the United States of America is not the president ’ s lawyer , ” when asked if the federal investigation into his son Hunter Biden was brought up during discussions with his team and in meetings with candidates for U.S. attorney general .
“ No , no .
I guarantee you I ’ m going to do what I said , ” when asked by a reporter about if the ongoing investigation into Hunter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those talks related to picking who will eventually become his U.S. attorney general .
“ The attorney general of the United States of America is not the president ’ s lawyer , ” the president-elect said .
“ I will appoint someone who I expect to enforce the law as the law is written , not guided by me.
” Biden , however , is unlikely to pick his attorney general before Christmas , a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Tuesday .
A person often cited as the leading contender @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the job is recently ousted Sen. Doug Jones ( D-Ala. ) , who is also the former U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Alabama .
Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez and former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates have also been cited as being in contention for the role .
The outgoing attorney general , William Barr , who recently resigned , has been a source of controversy for the Trump administration by critics for engaging in conduct seen as being overly protective of President Donald Trump and his administration .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barr for failing to complete the Durham probe into the FBI ’ s conduct during Robert Mueller ’ s Russia probe .
before the end of his term and for failing to fully investigate the 2020 election .
RELATED : AG William Barr is OUT , stepping down before Christmas Monday this week , in the lead-up to his departure , Barr said he would not appoint a special counsel to investigate neither Hunter Biden nor Trump ’ s so far unsubstantiated allegations of widespread election fraud in the 2020 presidential election .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t appoint a special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden You can follow Douglas Braff on Twitter @ Douglas_P_Braff .


saraacater--2020-12-22--Grassley Demands Pentagon’s IG preform AGGRESSIVE overview of secret office connected to FBI’s Trump

Grassley Demands Pentagon’s IG preform AGGRESSIVE overview of secret office connected to FBI’s Trump Russia probe

Sen. Chuck Grassley , R-Iowa , said Tuesday that he is demanding that the Pentagon ’ s inspector general answer questions and update Congress on its ongoing investigation into the highly secretive office that provided more than a million dollars in questionable contracts to an FBI informant critically involved in the now debunked probe into President Donald Trump ’ s alleged connections to Russia .
Grassley , now Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee , had sent a letter in January to the Department of Defense ’ s ONA director requesting detailed information on contracts provided to FBI informant Stefan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of President Trump ’ s campaign aides during the 2016 election probe .
The expansive nature of Grassley ’ s investigation is significant and he is now asking ONA , which sources have told me is used as a cover for classified contracts and investigations , to “ determine why it failed to perform a formal net assessment since 2007 and whether its purpose is still necessary in light of its wayward performance.
” “ I appreciate your efforts ; however , generalized evaluations such as the one you plan to perform will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you perform an aggressive evaluation of ONA ’ s contract activities and compliance with both law and regulation , ” said Grassley in a letter to the Pentagon ’ s Acting Inspector General Sean O ’ Donnell .
“ The failure to do so will result in work product less than what the taxpayer deserves.
” Grassley is demanding answers to the following questions : Moreover , ONA is an office that is originally “ tasked with researching and comparing trends in military capabilities to identify future threats and opportunities.
” However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opaque contracting practices raise questions about whether it is appropriately and efficiently using taxpayer dollars .
In October , the DoD inspector general announced it would examine whether ONA had necessary procedures in place to conduct its mission.
” Grassley ’ s office told me in January that its investigation is focused on the ONA ’ s “ contract compliance after reviewing troubling documents related to contracts awarded to Professor Stefan Halper.
” Grassely ’ s team of investigators were calling into question documents of ONA ’ s stewardship of taxpayer dollars , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and internal controls , ” the office stated .
This is where Halper ’ s role with ONA “ becomes highly suspicious and his contracts coincide with his spying on the Trump campaign , ” said one former government official in January , who was familiar with the matter .
Halper was an integral part of the FBI ’ s investigation in 2016 into short-term Trump campaign volunteer , Carter Page and George Papadopolous .
Halper ’ s Cambridge Intelligence Seminar was also connected to Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn , when in April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head of the Defense Intelligence Agency , was invited as a guest to London , England .
Flynn would later be at the center of false stories accusing him of being a Russian asset and wrapping Russian born British academic Svetlana Lokhova into the false stories .
In 2016 , Bill Gertz , a Washington Times investigative Columnist , published the concern mounting regarding the DOD ’ s office and its failure to produce a Net Assessment as directed by its mandate .
“ Halper has been identified as a confidential human source @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members of President Trump ’ s 2016 election campaign for the FBI ’ s Crossfire Hurricane investigation , ” states Grassely ’ s press release .
You can follow Sara A. Carter on Parler @ SaraCarterOfficial or on Twitter @ SaraCarterDC

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said Tuesday that he is demanding that the Pentagon’s inspector general answer questions and update Congress on its ongoing investigation into the highly secretive office that provided more than a million dollars in questionable contracts to an FBI informant critically involved in the now debunked probe into President Donald Trump’s alleged connections to Russia.
Grassley, now Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, had sent a letter in January to the Department of Defense’s ONA director requesting detailed information on contracts provided to FBI informant Stefan Halper, who was spying on three of President Trump’s campaign aides during the 2016 election probe.
The expansive nature of Grassley’s investigation is significant and he is now asking ONA, which sources have told me is used as a cover for classified contracts and investigations, to “determine why it failed to perform a formal net assessment since 2007 and whether its purpose is still necessary in light of its wayward performance.”
“I appreciate your efforts; however, generalized evaluations such as the one you plan to perform will do no good for the taxpayer unless you perform an aggressive evaluation of ONA’s contract activities and compliance with both law and regulation,” said Grassley in a letter to the Pentagon’s Acting Inspector General Sean O’Donnell. “The failure to do so will result in work product less than what the taxpayer deserves.”
Grassley is demanding answers to the following questions:
1.Why has ONA failed to perform net assessments since 2007?
2.Are other offices within DoD performing net assessments separate from ONA?
3.If so, please provide a complete list of those offices and the total cost of those assessments for each office for each of the past five years.
4.Are other offices within DoD performing generic research as described in the new DoD Directive 5111.11?
5. If so, please provide a complete list of those offices and the total cost of that research for each office for each of the past five years.
6. Since ONA no longer performs net assessments, is ONA’s existence duplicative and wasteful in light of other DoD offices performing the same work? A description and assessment of the extent to which ONA has failed to comply with laws and regulations in contracting for research projects during the five-year period ending on September 30, 2020.
7. An assessment to determine whether all supporting documentation for ONA’s contracting comports with the Statement of Work agreed to between the contractors and DoD during the five-year period ending on September 30, 2020.
8. The steps ONA must take to ensure that all contract documents are collected and recorded as required by all relevant law and regulation.What is the total cost to perform an annual net assessment?
9. An analysis as to whether or not an annual net assessment can be performed by ONA at a cost less than $10,000,000. From Grassely’s Letter to the Pentagon Inspector General
Moreover, ONA is an office that is originally “tasked with researching and comparing trends in military capabilities to identify future threats and opportunities.” However, its evaluations are long overdue and its opaque contracting practices raise questions about whether it is appropriately and efficiently using taxpayer dollars. In October, the DoD inspector general announced it would examine whether ONA had necessary procedures in place to conduct its mission.”
Grassley’s office told me in January that its investigation is focused on the ONA’s “contract compliance after reviewing troubling documents related to contracts awarded to Professor Stefan Halper.”
Grassely’s team of investigators were calling into question documents of ONA’s stewardship of taxpayer dollars, “as well as its contract management and internal controls,” the office stated.
This is where Halper’s role with ONA “becomes highly suspicious and his contracts coincide with his spying on the Trump campaign,” said one former government official in January, who was familiar with the matter.
Halper was an integral part of the FBI’s investigation in 2016 into short-term Trump campaign volunteer, Carter Page and George Papadopolous. Halper’s Cambridge Intelligence Seminar was also connected to Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, when in April, 2014 Flynn, who was then head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, was invited as a guest to London, England. Flynn would later be at the center of false stories accusing him of being a Russian asset and wrapping Russian born British academic Svetlana Lokhova into the false stories.
In 2016, Bill Gertz, a Washington Times investigative Columnist, published the concern mounting regarding the DOD’s office and its failure to produce a Net Assessment as directed by its mandate.
“Instead, the office, whose director reports directly to Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, has focused its $20 million annual budget mainly on producing outside research projects, some of them of questionable value, according to critics. Net assessments are very secret, in-depth analyses that compare U.S. weapons, forces and policies with those of other countries. The assessments, usually running 100 pages or more, also seek to forecast military and strategic trends.” Bill Gertz, The Washington Times Grassley’s committee, as well as his former Senate Judiciary Committee, has been investigating Halper and the ONA since 2019. The main focus of those investigations are concerning the large sum of money the ONA paid to Halper for questionable contracts and reports.
“Halper has been identified as a confidential human source tasked by U.S. authorities to surreptitiously record members of President Trump’s 2016 election campaign for the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation,” states Grassely’s press release.
Grassley’s letter follows exchanges with the Director of the Office of Net Assessment regarding its contracting practices and Halper’s questionable work for the office. In July, ONA Director James Baker provided responses to Grassley’s inquiries from June of this year. Text of Grassley’s letter to the DoD inspector general follows: Grassley’s press release
You can follow Sara A. Carter on Parler @SaraCarterOfficial or on Twitter @SaraCarterDC


saraacater--2020-12-22--Twitter will clear POTUS account followers: Biden campaign

President-elect Joe Biden ‘ s campaign digital director on Tuesday said that the accounts which the official POTUS and White House Twitter accounts follow will all be unfollowed by Twitter when Biden becomes president in January , Twitter reportedly told Biden ’ s team , The Hill reports .
Retweeting the Wall Street Journal ’ s Emily Glazer , who herself shared an article she wrote about how President Donald Trump will be held to different Twitter rules once he ’ s no longer in office , Rob Flaherty , Biden ’ s Digital Director , on Tuesday morning made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House accounts .
MORE INFO : Will Pres .
Trump lose his Twitter account when he leaves office ?
“ In 2016 , the Trump admin absorbed all of President Obama ’ s Twitter followers on @ POTUS and @ WhiteHouse — at Team 44 ’ s urging , ” Flaherty tweeted , referencing Barack Obama ’ s role as the 44th president .
“ In 2020 , Twitter has informed us that as of right now the Biden administration will have to start from zero.
” Twitter spokesperson Nicholas Pacilio would not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the social media platform is still talking with the Biden transition team about the transfer of the accounts .
“ Twitter has been in ongoing discussions with the Biden transition team on a number of aspects related to White House account transfers , ” Pacilio said in a statement .
In response to Pacilio , Flaherty reaffirmed his earlier statement , saying , “ Hey @ NickPacilio — happy to share the email thread where we pushed back and we were told this was unequivocal.
” Following this fiery retort , Pacilio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , no need i ’ m familiar with it !
” According to the Biden transition team , per The Hill , the social media platform will send out a one-time notification suggesting users who follow Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on Twitter follow the “ transition46 ” account which will be rebranded as the White House account .
However , the POTUS , FLOTUS , and “ PressSec ” accounts will start with following zero accounts .
Both accounts together have 59.2 million followers , with the POTUS account having 33.2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 26 million .
Nonetheless , their total doesn ’ t even come close to the 88.5 million who follow President Trump ’ s personal account .
You can follow Douglas Braff on Twitter @ Douglas_P_Braff .