freebeacon--2020-02-05--Meet The Dark Money Group Behind Elizabeth Warren’s Rise

Presidential hopeful Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D. , Mass . )
has staked her campaign on doing away with the financial relationships she says have corroded government and made it a playground for the wealthy and connected .
She has pledged not to `` take a dime of PAC money '' or `` a single check from a federal lobbyist . ''
`` If you do n't have money and you do n't have connections , '' Warren said in a speech announcing her presidential campaign , `` Washington does n't want to hear from you . ''
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and her rivals on the campaign trail—where she routinely criticizes opponents for hobnobbing with wealthy donors—stands in stark contrast to the actions she took as she ascended the political ladder when she maintained a close relationship with a dark money group led by some of America 's most powerful labor unions and interest groups .
The group championed her rise from Harvard Law to the Obama administration and Senate .
As the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) , the Obama administration 's consumer watchdog , Warren rewarded Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which pressured the Obama administration to appoint her to the post in the first place .
She gave the group unparalleled access to the CFPB while she led the agency , meeting with AFR associates on twice as many occasions as she did with any other Washington , D.C. , interest group .
As a member of the Senate , she has supported bills backed by the group .
On the campaign trail , she has issued proposals that would benefit leaders of the group .
AFR , which represents more than 200 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the NAACP , is not required to disclose its donors .
In 2010 , it drummed up both grassroots and institutional support for Warren 's appointment to the CFPB .
AFR representatives went on a media blitz to support Warren and directed rank-and-file members to sign pro-Warren petitions that were submitted to the Obama administration .
One letter to the White House sent by AFR 's sister organization was signed by nearly two dozen of D.C. 's most powerful liberal interest groups .
`` Elizabeth Warren is one of the great experts in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families and supporting them and protecting them , '' Heather Booth , the former executive director of Americans for Financial Reform , told NPR in 2010 .
`` There 's no one who has a background with the depth on the issues and the willingness to stand up to those biggest banks . ''
AFR 's support for Warren continued after she left the agency .
Her campaigns have received more than $ 37,000 from the 18 organizations that form the dark money group 's steering committee .
Campaign finance records show that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ roughly $ 10,000 to her 2020 presidential bid .
The Warren campaign did not respond to a request for comment .
Warren 's dealings with AFR are at odds with the ethics proposals that she has championed on the campaign trail .
She has pledged to `` tackle the flow of dark money '' in politics , but her anti-corruption proposals feature loopholes for special interest groups that donate heavily to Democrats .
Her proposal to tax `` excessive lobbying , '' for example , exempts labor unions—a leading voice in AFR leadership @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political activities during the 2016 cycle .
While there are few publicly available details about the group 's finances , former executive director Heather Booth confirmed that every group on the 18-member steering committee pays money to the organization .
Neither AFR nor most members of its steering committee responded to requests for comment .
A spokesman for the AARP said the group supported financial reforms but has never endorsed a specific candidate for a political appointment .
AFR played a major role in the passage of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major anti-Wall Street advocacy group in Washington , D.C. Warren participated in an AFR webinar on consumer finances in April 2010 in the months leading up to the bill 's passage .
The group came to Warren 's aid when the Obama administration balked at the idea of appointing Warren to lead the agency after she reportedly clashed with the Democratic leaders .
The White House dropped its resistance following a public pressure campaign from AFR and its members .
`` Warren has shown a steadfast and tireless commitment to protecting consumers throughout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the best candidate to run the new CFPB , '' then-AFR executive director Heather Booth said in a 2010 press release .
AFR derives its influence from institutional ties to some of the most powerful liberal advocacy groups in D.C. AFR ’ s umbrella organization , the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights ( LCCHR ) , submitted a letter to President Obama in August 2010 urging him to appoint Warren .
The letter was co-signed by 21 top Democratic interest groups , including the AFL-CIO , International Brotherhood of Teamsters , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Many of these groups sit on AFR 's steering committee .
The Obama administration stopped short of officially nominating Warren but appointed her as a `` special adviser '' and de facto head of the new agency .
No group met with Warren as often as AFR , according to monthly schedules released by the CFPB .
Warren met or called with AFR or its umbrella organization on 10 separate occasions during her 11-month tenure .
She acknowledged her special relationship with AFR at a 2011 congressional hearing , singling it out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contacted AFR representatives like Executive Director Lisa Donner on seven separate occasions , hosting the group for a closed-door discussion at the CFPB headquarters and other locations .
She also had phone calls with the leadership of AFR ’ s umbrella organization , chatting with LCCHR president Wade Henderson and Executive Vice President Nancy Zirkin on three separate occasions .
Her last public appearance as the agency head came at a reception hosted by AFR on July 28 , 2011 .
AFR continues to advocate for anti-Wall Street legislation even after splitting into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 .
The two entities together raised nearly $ 11 million , according to 2018 tax forms obtained by the Washington Free Beacon .
It is now aligned with the Democracy Alliance , another liberal dark money group that counts George Soros and presidential candidate Tom Steyer as major donors .
The reorganization has not diminished the coalition 's influence on Warren .
In February 2019 , AFR co-published a report accusing private equity companies of `` manufacturing homelessness . ''
The report said that the government should act to remedy the situation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stemming predatory investments . ''
Three months after the report , Warren sent a letter demanding information from several financial institutions , many of which were singled out by AFR .
Warren 's correspondence cited AFR 's research five times .
In July , she unveiled the `` Stop Wall Street Looting Act , '' which would heavily regulate private equity .
AFR was one of the first groups to endorse the bill , saying the legislation is necessary to protect the public from interest groups that `` wield enormous influence . ''

Presidential hopeful Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) has staked her campaign on doing away with the financial relationships she says have corroded government and made it a playground for the wealthy and connected. She has pledged not to "take a dime of PAC money" or "a single check from a federal lobbyist."
"If you don't have money and you don't have connections," Warren said in a speech announcing her presidential campaign, "Washington doesn't want to hear from you."
But the purity test Warren has established for herself and her rivals on the campaign trail—where she routinely criticizes opponents for hobnobbing with wealthy donors—stands in stark contrast to the actions she took as she ascended the political ladder when she maintained a close relationship with a dark money group led by some of America's most powerful labor unions and interest groups. The group championed her rise from Harvard Law to the Obama administration and Senate.
As the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the Obama administration's consumer watchdog, Warren rewarded Americans for Financial Reform (AFR), which pressured the Obama administration to appoint her to the post in the first place. She gave the group unparalleled access to the CFPB while she led the agency, meeting with AFR associates on twice as many occasions as she did with any other Washington, D.C., interest group. As a member of the Senate, she has supported bills backed by the group. On the campaign trail, she has issued proposals that would benefit leaders of the group.
AFR, which represents more than 200 deep-pocketed liberal organizations including the AFL-CIO and the NAACP, is not required to disclose its donors. In 2010, it drummed up both grassroots and institutional support for Warren's appointment to the CFPB. AFR representatives went on a media blitz to support Warren and directed rank-and-file members to sign pro-Warren petitions that were submitted to the Obama administration. One letter to the White House sent by AFR's sister organization was signed by nearly two dozen of D.C.'s most powerful liberal interest groups.
"Elizabeth Warren is one of the great experts in the country on the economics of middle-class families and supporting them and protecting them," Heather Booth, the former executive director of Americans for Financial Reform, told NPR in 2010. "There's no one who has a background with the depth on the issues and the willingness to stand up to those biggest banks."
AFR's support for Warren continued after she left the agency. Her campaigns have received more than $37,000 from the 18 organizations that form the dark money group's steering committee. Campaign finance records show that representatives from those 18 groups have contributed roughly $10,000 to her 2020 presidential bid.
The Warren campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
Warren's dealings with AFR are at odds with the ethics proposals that she has championed on the campaign trail. She has pledged to "tackle the flow of dark money" in politics, but her anti-corruption proposals feature loopholes for special interest groups that donate heavily to Democrats. Her proposal to tax "excessive lobbying," for example, exempts labor unions—a leading voice in AFR leadership. Unions spent $1.7 billion on political activities during the 2016 cycle.
While there are few publicly available details about the group's finances, former executive director Heather Booth confirmed that every group on the 18-member steering committee pays money to the organization. Neither AFR nor most members of its steering committee responded to requests for comment. A spokesman for the AARP said the group supported financial reforms but has never endorsed a specific candidate for a political appointment.
AFR played a major role in the passage of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, which created the CFPB, and remains a major anti-Wall Street advocacy group in Washington, D.C. Warren participated in an AFR webinar on consumer finances in April 2010 in the months leading up to the bill's passage. The group came to Warren's aid when the Obama administration balked at the idea of appointing Warren to lead the agency after she reportedly clashed with the Democratic leaders. The White House dropped its resistance following a public pressure campaign from AFR and its members.
"Warren has shown a steadfast and tireless commitment to protecting consumers throughout her distinguished career and is without question the best candidate to run the new CFPB," then-AFR executive director Heather Booth said in a 2010 press release.
AFR derives its influence from institutional ties to some of the most powerful liberal advocacy groups in D.C. AFR’s umbrella organization, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights (LCCHR), submitted a letter to President Obama in August 2010 urging him to appoint Warren. The letter was co-signed by 21 top Democratic interest groups, including the AFL-CIO, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, SEIU, and NAACP, among others. Many of these groups sit on AFR's steering committee.
The Obama administration stopped short of officially nominating Warren but appointed her as a "special adviser" and de facto head of the new agency. No group met with Warren as often as AFR, according to monthly schedules released by the CFPB. Warren met or called with AFR or its umbrella organization on 10 separate occasions during her 11-month tenure. She acknowledged her special relationship with AFR at a 2011 congressional hearing, singling it out as her go-to group in D.C. Warren contacted AFR representatives like Executive Director Lisa Donner on seven separate occasions, hosting the group for a closed-door discussion at the CFPB headquarters and other locations. She also had phone calls with the leadership of AFR’s umbrella organization, chatting with LCCHR president Wade Henderson and Executive Vice President Nancy Zirkin on three separate occasions. Her last public appearance as the agency head came at a reception hosted by AFR on July 28, 2011.
AFR continues to advocate for anti-Wall Street legislation even after splitting into two separate wings—a non-lobbying and lobbying arm—in 2018. The two entities together raised nearly $11 million, according to 2018 tax forms obtained by the Washington Free Beacon. It is now aligned with the Democracy Alliance, another liberal dark money group that counts George Soros and presidential candidate Tom Steyer as major donors.
The reorganization has not diminished the coalition's influence on Warren.
In February 2019, AFR co-published a report accusing private equity companies of "manufacturing homelessness." The report said that the government should act to remedy the situation by, among other actions, "stemming predatory investments."
Three months after the report, Warren sent a letter demanding information from several financial institutions, many of which were singled out by AFR. Warren's correspondence cited AFR's research five times. In July, she unveiled the "Stop Wall Street Looting Act," which would heavily regulate private equity. AFR was one of the first groups to endorse the bill, saying the legislation is necessary to protect the public from interest groups that "wield enormous influence."


freebeacon--2020-02-05--Iran Supreme Leader: Middle East Peace Deal Dead on Arrival

Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei blasted the Trump administration 's newly unveiled Middle East peace plan , urging Palestinian to rise in violent jihad against Israel .
In wide-ranging remarks Wednesday in Iran , Khamenei slammed the peace proposal as a `` sign of viciousness . ''
He said the terrorism against Israel is the only way to `` force out the Zionist enemy and the U.S. '' '' You saw that the U.S. bullies and hooligans unveiled the plan of the so-called deal of the century , '' Khamenei said in remarks carried by the country 's state-controlled press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big name for it so that it may be realized , but this plan is stupid , is a sign of viciousness , and has been detrimental to them since day one . ''
`` The American plot of the deal of the century will die before Trump dies , '' the Iranian leader said .
Khamenei 's remarks came ahead of a scheduled meeting between Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas .
Violence is the only response to the peace plan , Khamenei said .
He also called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the proposal `` traitorous . ''
`` They will try to further their plot with bribes , weapons , and enticements , '' Khamenei said .
`` What 's the remedy ?
It is bold resistance by the Palestinian nation and groups in order to force out the Zionist enemy and the U.S. through Jihad .
All Muslim nations and the world of Islam must support them too . ''
`` This plan is indicative of the U.S. 's viciousness and manipulation , '' Khamenei said .
`` They have come to negotiate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Palestinians !
Palestine belongs to the Palestinians .
Who are you to make a decision on it ? ''

Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei blasted the Trump administration's newly unveiled Middle East peace plan, urging Palestinian to rise in violent jihad against Israel.
In wide-ranging remarks Wednesday in Iran, Khamenei slammed the peace proposal as a "sign of viciousness." He said the terrorism against Israel is the only way to "force out the Zionist enemy and the U.S."
"You saw that the U.S. bullies and hooligans unveiled the plan of the so-called deal of the century," Khamenei said in remarks carried by the country's state-controlled press. "They have wishfully chosen a big name for it so that it may be realized, but this plan is stupid, is a sign of viciousness, and has been detrimental to them since day one."
"The American plot of the deal of the century will die before Trump dies," the Iranian leader said.
Khamenei's remarks came ahead of a scheduled meeting between Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.
Violence is the only response to the peace plan, Khamenei said. He also called Arab nations who have expressed support for the proposal "traitorous."
"They will try to further their plot with bribes, weapons, and enticements," Khamenei said. "What's the remedy? It is bold resistance by the Palestinian nation and groups in order to force out the Zionist enemy and the U.S. through Jihad. All Muslim nations and the world of Islam must support them too."
"This plan is indicative of the U.S.'s viciousness and manipulation," Khamenei said. "They have come to negotiate with the Zionists over what belongs to the Palestinians! Palestine belongs to the Palestinians. Who are you to make a decision on it?"


freebeacon--2020-02-05--Dem Rep: Pelosi Tearing Up Trump’s Speech Was ‘Dignified’

Rep. Sean Maloney ( D. , N.Y. ) on Wednesday said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D. , Calif. ) behaved in a dignified manner when she tore pages of President Donald Trump ’ s speech during the State of the Union .
`` I think the speaker has consistently found a dignified way to make clear she is not going to normalize the president 's behavior , '' Maloney said on MSNBC .
MSNBC anchor Stephanie Ruhle asked Maloney if he believed Pelosi should have torn the speech .
Maloney said he was proud of Pelosi ’ s conduct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that what the president said was false .
`` She 's walking that line like all of us of respecting the office and trying to make sure people understand the president should be , in most all cases , respected , and that event is a dignified event and she conducted herself that way , '' Maloney said .
`` But she also has an obligation , we all do , we just spoke about it , to find a way to make clear that what the president 's saying is fake , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a lie , and I think she found a way to do that and I 'm proud of her . ''
During his speech , Trump touted the economy , choreographed a reunion between a U.S. servicemember returning from Afghanistan and his family , and honored a Tuskegee airman .

Rep. Sean Maloney (D., N.Y.) on Wednesday said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) behaved in a dignified manner when she tore pages of President Donald Trump’s speech during the State of the Union.
"I think the speaker has consistently found a dignified way to make clear she is not going to normalize the president's behavior," Maloney said on MSNBC.
MSNBC anchor Stephanie Ruhle asked Maloney if he believed Pelosi should have torn the speech.
Maloney said he was proud of Pelosi’s conduct and that her response signaled to viewers that what the president said was false.
"She's walking that line like all of us of respecting the office and trying to make sure people understand the president should be, in most all cases, respected, and that event is a dignified event and she conducted herself that way," Maloney said. "But she also has an obligation, we all do, we just spoke about it, to find a way to make clear that what the president's saying is fake, it's false, it's rooted in a lie, and I think she found a way to do that and I'm proud of her."
During his speech, Trump touted the economy, choreographed a reunion between a U.S. servicemember returning from Afghanistan and his family, and honored a Tuskegee airman.


Beacon Extra

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IMPEACHMENT UPDATE … Donald J. Trump was acquitted in the Senate on both impeachment charges .
He is still President of the United States .
DEMS FORCED TO WIN AT BALLOT BOX … `` Trump Acquitted Of Two Impeachment Charges In Near Party-Line Vote , '' via NYT : [ The ] Senate fell well short of the two-thirds margin that would have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concluding the three-week-long trial of the 45th president that has roiled Washington and threatened the presidency … [ Both ] parties conceded that voters , not the Senate , would deliver the final judgment on Mr. Trump when they cast ballots in just nine months .
SECRET WAMPUM … `` Meet The Dark Money Group Behind Elizabeth Warren ’ s Rise , '' by WFB ’ s Yuichiro Kakutani : As the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ) … Warren rewarded Americans for Financial Reform ( AFR ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her to the post in the first place … AFR 's support for Warren continued after she left the agency .
Her campaigns have received more than $ 37,000 from the 18 organizations that form the dark money group 's steering committee .
ON TO NEW HAMPSHIRE FOR A CROTCH KICK … `` Biden goes on attack , slams Buttigieg and Sanders after taking ‘ gut punch ’ in Iowa , '' via FOX NEWS : Speaking to an audience in this small southeastern New Hampshire city … former vice president [ Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m not going to sugarcoat it .
We took a gut punch in Iowa . ''
… Biden then unloaded on [ Bernie ] Sanders , warning that `` if Senator Sanders is the nominee for the party , every Democrat in America up and down the ballot … will have to carry the label that Senator Sanders has chosen for himself . ''
OLD MAN BIDEN WON ’ T TOLERATE THIS MALARKEY … `` First head rolls after Biden ’ s weak Iowa finish , '' via POLITICO : Joe Biden ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iowa field director , two days after the former vice president came in an embarrassing fourth place in the primary caucus state … '' We had precinct captains who didn ’ t know how to run a caucus .
And a few didn ’ t even show .
We lost friggin ’ people on the second ballot of voting in the caucus !
Someone ’ s head had to roll , '' said a top-level Biden campaign staffer .
FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING … `` After Disappointing Iowa Vote , Warren Says She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Money , '' via WAPO : Sen. Elizabeth Warren 's campaign is trying to conserve cash and pulled down a week of TV ads in Nevada and South Carolina after a disappointing third-place standing in Iowa that failed to provide a fundraising bump … She added that her cash comes from people who make small donations .
`` I just want to be very careful with this money , '' she said … [ A ] perceived lack of momentum can cause money to dry up quickly as low-dollar donors look elsewhere .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Pelosi Tearing Up Trump ’ s Speech Was ‘ Dignified ’ , '' by WFB ’ s Elizabeth Matamoros : `` I think the speaker has consistently found a dignified way to make clear she is not going to normalize the president 's behavior , '' [ Rep. Sean ] Maloney said on MSNBC … Maloney said he was proud of Pelosi ’ s conduct and that her response signaled to viewers that what the president said was false .
SEND THE BOMBERS … `` Iran Supreme Leader : Middle East Peace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WFB ’ s Adam Kredo : In wide-ranging remarks Wednesday in Iran , [ Supreme Leader Ali ] Khamenei slammed the peace proposal as a `` sign of viciousness . ''
He said the terrorism against Israel is the only way to `` force out the Zionist enemy and the U.S. '' '' You saw that the U.S. bullies and hooligans unveiled the plan of the so-called deal of the century , '' Khamenei said in remarks carried by the country 's state-controlled press .
PERFECT COVER … `` Exclusive : Iran-linked hackers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' via REUTERS : When Iranian-born German academic Erfan Kasraie received an email from the Wall Street Journal requesting an interview , he sensed something was amiss .
The Nov. 12 note purportedly came from Farnaz Fassihi , a veteran Iranian-American journalist who covers the Middle East … In a report published Wednesday , London-based cybersecurity company Certfa tied the impersonation of Fassihi to a hacking group nicknamed Charming Kitten , which has long been associated with Iran .
A NEW THRILL UP HIS LEG … `` Chris Matthews : Romney Speech Made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' by WFB ’ s Cameron Cawthorne : MSNBC anchor Chris Matthews on Wednesday gushed over Sen. Mitt Romney 's ( R. , Utah ) floor speech about voting to remove President Donald Trump from office .
`` I want to say something about [ Romney ] when I get back in a minute , '' Matthews said on Hardball .
`` I was romantic about politics for a couple minutes again today like I used to be .
Romance in politics means believing in guts . ''
DO WE NEED TO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Metro Angers Industry by Refusing Gun Safety Ad , '' by WFB ’ s Stephen Gutowski : The agency refused to run an ad from the National Shooting Sports Foundation ( NSSF ) that highlighted the industry 's commitment `` to make communities safer . ''
The agency told the group the ad violated its guidelines but did not elaborate on any particular violation , according to an email obtained by the Washington Free Beacon .
The trade group said the decision is politically motivated .
`` There 's nothing controversial in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` So , it 's just another blatant example of bias against the firearms industry . ''
AT HARVARD , OUR CHILDREN IS LEARNING … SHRIMP SEEKS TO DEFY HISTORY … `` Mike Bloomberg 's Historically Diminutive Stature , In Context , '' by WFB ’ s Andrew Stiles : Every woman Donald Trump has ever married is taller than Mike Bloomberg .
First Lady Melania Trump is 5-foot-11 .
Marla Maples is five-foot-eight .
Ivanna Trump is six-feet tall .
Bloomberg is shorter than Vladimir Putin .
Putin is reportedly five-foot-seven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to him ?
DAYS SINCE JOE BIDEN DID A SUNDAY SHOW : 1,152 .
Come back , Joe !
`` You know who really doesn ’ t have it ?
Joe Biden . ''
—Former President Barack Obama Thanks for reading !
Send tips to rutz @ freebeacon.com .

Welcome to the Washington Free Beacon’s morning newsletter, your comprehensive briefing on the Enemies of Freedom. To get this newsletter sent straight to your inbox every morning, sign up here.
MENSHEVIKS PREPARE FOR LAST STAND … "Democratic Leaders Willing to Risk Party Damage to Stop Bernie Sanders," via NYT: Since Mr. Sanders’s victory in Nevada’s caucuses on Saturday, the Times has interviewed 93 party officials—all of them superdelegates … and found overwhelming opposition to handing the Vermont senator the nomination if he arrived with the most delegates but fell short of a majority …
Since Mr. Sanders won Nevada’s caucuses on Saturday, four donors have approached former representative Steve Israel of New York to ask if he can suggest someone to run a super PAC aimed at blocking Mr. Sanders. He declined their offer.
THE NEW NEW DEMOCRATS … "2020 Dem Plans Reflect Party of the ‘Professional Class’," by WFB’s Charles Fain Lehman: The [Manhattan Institute] report examines the distributive impacts of major proposals, including Medicare for All, student debt forgiveness, and the repeal of key components of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). It argues that while Democratic candidates talk big about supporting workers and the poor, these programs primarily serve the interests of the wealthy …
Long branded as representatives of the working class, the Democratic Party has come to appeal primarily to the college-educated, often affluent residents of urban America, data indicate.
MIKE GOT IT DONE … "Bloomberg Locked Up Nearly Half a Million People on Marijuana Charges," by WFB’s Yuichiro Kakutani: The administrations of [Michael] Bloomberg's three predecessors … collectively arrested 226,000 people, or 25 people daily, for the same charge over a 24-year period between 1978 and 2001. During Bloomberg's tenure, approximately 471,000 people were arrested on possession charges …
The possession arrests for Bloomberg's tenure peaked in 2011 when the police hauled in more than 50,000 New Yorkers.
DOWNLOAD UNAVAILABLE IN WISCONSIN … "Coming to a podcast near you: Hillary Clinton," via POLITICO: The former first lady, secretary of State, and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee is planning to launch a new audio program in late spring, just in time for her to have a powerful new megaphone during the 2020 election …
Clinton’s show will feature her in conversation with a brand-name guest, who might be drawn from world leaders and politicians, of course, but also celebrities, authors and perhaps famous chefs.
BOOK THROWN … "Former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh sentenced to 3 years for ‘Healthy Holly’ children’s book fraud scheme," via BALTIMORE SUN: [Pugh] told reporters: "This is not the last you’ll see of Catherine Pugh" …
Pugh’s political fall began in March when the Baltimore Sun revealed she had entered into a no-bid deal with the University of Maryland Medical System, where Pugh sat on the board of directors, to buy 100,000 copies of her sloppily self-published "Healthy Holly" books for $500,000.
YANG HOLDS OUT FOR BETTER OFFER … "Michael Bloomberg’s Campaign Sought Andrew Yang’s Backing, Floated Vice- Presidential Slot," via WSJ: Aides to the former New York City mayor reached out to discuss ways the two entrepreneurs-turned-politicians could work together as Mr. Bloomberg seeks the Democratic nomination, these people said.
Mr. Yang, who dropped out of the race earlier this month, didn’t commit to join forces, as he considers his own political future, a third person familiar with the discussions said.
NO SURRENDER … "Congressional Republicans Warn Trump Against Inking Peace Deal With Taliban," by WFB’s Adam Kredo: The lawmakers … are demanding they receive assurances the administration "will not place the security of the American people into the hands of the Taliban" …
The lawmakers are also demanding the release of so-called secret annexes in the draft agreement that they claim establish a set of unknown side deals with the Taliban, a move reminiscent of the Obama administration's secret agreements with Iran when the Iran nuclear deal was being negotiated.
TEHRAN MARY … "Iran Vice President Is One of 7 Officials to Contract Coronavirus," via NYT: The disclosure came a day after a cabinet meeting in which she was in close contact with other government leaders, including [Hassan] Rouhani. A photo posted by a BBC Persia reporter on Twitter showed she had been sitting a few yards from the president.
[Masoumeh] Ebtekar, one of four vice presidents, was known to Americans as "Mary" during the Tehran hostage crisis four decades ago, when, as a young revolutionary, she was a spokeswoman for the captors of the 52 Americans held at the United States Embassy.
PICTURE OF COWARDICE … "Sony World Photography Awards Removes Hong Kong Protest Images," via HYPERALLERGIC: Since pro-democracy protests prompted by the Hong Kong government’s now-scrapped extradition bill erupted across the city in spring 2019, China has tightened its grip on the media …
Now, some speculate WPO yielded to pressure from China to take down the photographs, especially because other entries featuring arguably graphic or politically sensitive content have not faced a similar fate in past competitions.
THE REAL VICTIMS … "Mark Halperin Says Murderers Are Treated More Fairly Than Canceled People," via MOTHER JONES: "I haven’t had a job interview in two years," Halperin said, adding that he has applied to work at restaurants and Target, trying to get health insurance for his three-year-old son …
When [asked to] differentiate between appropriate and inappropriate ways that he had been held accountable for his behavior … he said victims deserve "top priority" but complained again that there isn’t a mechanism for reintegrating canceled people.
THIS IS CNN … "Sasse Criticizes CNN for Referring to a Baby as a ‘Fetus That Was Born’," via CNN: "The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act is about babies who have already been born," [Sen. Ben] Sasse said to the Washington Free Beacon. "I’m glad CNN finally made the correction, but there’s no reason this needed to take two days. Planned Parenthood desperately wants to misrepresent this bipartisan, pro-babies bill, and unfortunately too many reporters have bought their spin hook, line, and sinker."
PUNK IS DEAD … "Billy Idol is helping de Blasio take on idling cars in new campaign," via NY POST: Billy Idol has a new Rebel Yell: helping Mayor Bill de Blasio fight fume-spewing vehicles that idle on Big Apple streets …
The campaign will also publicize the city’s 2018 "Citizens Air Complaint Program," where individuals who see a bus or delivery truck idling for longer than four minutes can file a complaint and collect a 25 percent bounty off the fine, worth $87.50.
"The First Postmodern Pandemic," via WFB’s Matthew Continetti: We were better off when the media focused on impeachment. Now that it is interested in coronavirus, a familiar pattern will set in. Data will be publicized without the slightest sense of proportion. The most outrageous scenarios will receive the most attention. Speculation will be paraded as fact …
The Washington Post transcribes Democratic Party talking points when it suggests Vice President Mike Pence is incapable of overseeing the government's efforts because he opposes needle-sharing programs. Among the reasons [President Donald] Trump is said to have weakened public health? He defunded Planned Parenthood.
Thanks for reading! Send tips to rutz@freebeacon.com.


freebeacon--2020-02-06--U.S. Military Members, Families Hit With Hacks From Russia, Terror Orgs

Russian and other state-backed hackers continue to target U.S. military members and their families , holding their personal information hostage and threatening , among other things , to attack service members and their families in their homes .
Lori Volkman , the wife of a now-retired U.S. Marine , traveled to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to warn lawmakers that bad actors , such as Russia and terror groups operating in the Middle East , still pose a threat to active military members and their families .
Volkman 's family was attacked in 2015 by Russian-backed hackers posing as ISIS terrorists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ credit card information—and sent her family threats via social media .
Volkman is now driving an effort to force Congress to enact legislation that would protect families like hers from similar cyber attacks .
`` I 'm remembering how my safety net was shattered that day '' upon `` realizing military families were not untouchable , '' Volkman told the Washington Free Beacon on Wednesday between meetings on Capitol Hill .
Volkman 's experience has become increasingly common among military families with members stationed abroad .
While the Pentagon routinely warns active personnel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often unfamiliar with the possibility of a state-backed hack .
Bad actors such as Russia and Iran view family members as softer targets and use the information gleaned from their personal data as leverage against U.S. troops abroad .
`` You can see the increase and rise in this happening , '' Volkman said .
`` That 's the big issue .
You would expect combatants to be targeted .
Cyber hacking goes to the military family member .
That 's what 's so unusual .
We 're not combatants that have anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We 're civilians . ''
Some of the messages she received stated , `` Bloody Valentine 's Day '' and `` Lori Volkman !
You think you 're safe but the IS is already here , # CyberCaliphate got into your PC and smartphone . ''
Volkman recalled the terror she felt upon discovering her personal information had been stolen by unknown , potentially violent entities .
`` I was standing in the upstairs of my house and read this tweet that said , ‘ We 're closer than you think , ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a car that drove up in front of my house and stopped .
There was a man in it and he sat there for a long period of time .
I was thinking to myself , ‘ This is it .
They 've come for me .
What am I going to do ? '
'' `` My husband was traveling , so I was alone with two young children , '' Volkman recalled .
`` You ca n't run .
Your children are here in the house .
What am I going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I did n't know was a threat . ''
While the attack on Volkman 's family was orchestrated by Russian hackers , terrorist groups operating on behalf of Iran and other rogue nations have also targeted American military families .
As recently as 2019 , cybersecurity experts found that Iranian-backed cyber terrorists had placed malware on computers belonging to U.S. military veterans .
The goal of these hackers is to infiltrate computers belonging to current military members on the chance that they could gain access to Pentagon networks , where they could then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislation making its way through Congress could provide a safety net for those American military families—as well as other citizens—who have fallen victim to these cyber attacks .
Reps. Jack Bergman ( R. , Mich. ) and Andy Kim ( D. , N.J. ) are pushing legislation known as the Homeland And Cyber Threat Act ( HACT Act ) , which would hold foreign governments accountable for cyber crimes committed on their behalf .
A companion version in the Senate is expected to be introduced in the coming weeks .
Volkman urged congressmen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevent families like hers from holding their hackers accountable .
Under current U.S. law , it is impossible to sue foreign governments in court over such behavior due to a regulation called the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act ( FSIA ) .
This law shields rogue nations from facing penalties for crimes such as hacking .
`` The concept of someone assaulting me from overseas was not really thought of , '' Volkman said of FSIA 's shortcoming .
Lawmakers backing the new legislation also argue that the FSIA is outdated and does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has spread with the growth of the Internet .
The HACT Act would amend current law so that foreign states are no longer immune in the U.S. court system , meaning that foreign officials , employees , or agents could be brought to justice under the new bill .

Russian and other state-backed hackers continue to target U.S. military members and their families, holding their personal information hostage and threatening, among other things, to attack service members and their families in their homes.
Lori Volkman, the wife of a now-retired U.S. Marine, traveled to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to warn lawmakers that bad actors, such as Russia and terror groups operating in the Middle East, still pose a threat to active military members and their families.
Volkman's family was attacked in 2015 by Russian-backed hackers posing as ISIS terrorists. The hackers stole her personal information—including credit card information—and sent her family threats via social media.
Volkman is now driving an effort to force Congress to enact legislation that would protect families like hers from similar cyber attacks.
"I'm remembering how my safety net was shattered that day" upon "realizing military families were not untouchable," Volkman told the Washington Free Beacon on Wednesday between meetings on Capitol Hill.
Volkman's experience has become increasingly common among military families with members stationed abroad. While the Pentagon routinely warns active personnel about cyber vulnerabilities, their families are often unfamiliar with the possibility of a state-backed hack. Bad actors such as Russia and Iran view family members as softer targets and use the information gleaned from their personal data as leverage against U.S. troops abroad.
"You can see the increase and rise in this happening," Volkman said. "That's the big issue. You would expect combatants to be targeted. Cyber hacking goes to the military family member. That's what's so unusual. We're not combatants that have anything to do with the military action. We're civilians."
Some of the messages she received stated, "Bloody Valentine's Day" and "Lori Volkman! You think you're safe but the IS is already here, #CyberCaliphate got into your PC and smartphone."
Volkman recalled the terror she felt upon discovering her personal information had been stolen by unknown, potentially violent entities.
"I was standing in the upstairs of my house and read this tweet that said, 'We're closer than you think,'" she recalled. "There was a car that drove up in front of my house and stopped. There was a man in it and he sat there for a long period of time. I was thinking to myself, 'This is it. They've come for me. What am I going to do?'"
"My husband was traveling, so I was alone with two young children," Volkman recalled. "You can't run. Your children are here in the house. What am I going to do? At that moment everyone I didn't know was a threat."
While the attack on Volkman's family was orchestrated by Russian hackers, terrorist groups operating on behalf of Iran and other rogue nations have also targeted American military families.
As recently as 2019, cybersecurity experts found that Iranian-backed cyber terrorists had placed malware on computers belonging to U.S. military veterans. The goal of these hackers is to infiltrate computers belonging to current military members on the chance that they could gain access to Pentagon networks, where they could then siphon off sensitive military information.
New legislation making its way through Congress could provide a safety net for those American military families—as well as other citizens—who have fallen victim to these cyber attacks.
Reps. Jack Bergman (R., Mich.) and Andy Kim (D., N.J.) are pushing legislation known as the Homeland And Cyber Threat Act (HACT Act), which would hold foreign governments accountable for cyber crimes committed on their behalf. A companion version in the Senate is expected to be introduced in the coming weeks.
Volkman urged congressmen and their staff to fix loopholes that prevent families like hers from holding their hackers accountable.
Under current U.S. law, it is impossible to sue foreign governments in court over such behavior due to a regulation called the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA). This law shields rogue nations from facing penalties for crimes such as hacking.
"The concept of someone assaulting me from overseas was not really thought of," Volkman said of FSIA's shortcoming.
Lawmakers backing the new legislation also argue that the FSIA is outdated and does not account for the proliferation of malicious behavior that has spread with the growth of the Internet. The HACT Act would amend current law so that foreign states are no longer immune in the U.S. court system, meaning that foreign officials, employees, or agents could be brought to justice under the new bill.


Beacon Extra 2/5/20

Welcome to the Washington Free Beacon ’ s morning newsletter , your comprehensive briefing on the Enemies of Freedom .
To get this newsletter sent straight to your inbox every morning , sign up here .
IMPEACHMENT UPDATE … Donald J. Trump is still President of the United States .
TRUMP DELIVERS … `` A newly emboldened Trump gives Democrats a reason to fret , '' via REUTERS : President Donald Trump took the stage for his State of the Union speech in an unfamiliar position : With the wind at his back … All of it brought out the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during his State of the Union speech on Tuesday night .
At one point , he choreographed a reunion between a U.S. servicemember returning from Afghanistan and his family to cheers from lawmakers .
Along that line , for much of the speech , Trump appeared to be making an overt appeal to suburban voters who could decide his fate .
OWNED … `` Pelosi rips up Trump speech at conclusion of State of the Union , '' via THE HILL : As Trump finished speaking and most lawmakers stood to applaud , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took the printed copy of Trump 's speech and tore it in half .
She placed the shredded copy in a stack on the dais as Trump made his way to greet members of Congress .
BIDEN ’ S SECRET STASH … `` At Biden Institute , Mystery Donors Support Potential Cabinet in Waiting , '' by WFB ’ s Eliana Johnson : The institute has served as a landing spot for some of [ Joe ] Biden 's former—and potentially future—White House advisers … There is Biden 's sister , Valerie Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Biden 's former senior adviser , Michael Donilon , who serves as managing director … But unlike similar institutions housed at public universities , the Biden Institute does not disclose the sources of its funding or its staff and executive salaries .
FRONTRUNNER FINISHES FOURTH … `` IOWA RESULTS : Buttigieg ( Kind of ) Won .
So Did Bernie .
Warren Persisted .
Biden Definitely Lost.
, '' by WFB ’ s Andrew Stiles : The Iowa Democratic Party finally announced a winner of the state 's caucus Tuesday afternoon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difficult to draw any meaningful conclusions from the partial results unveiled Tuesday , it is certainty an embarrassing outcome for [ Joe ] Biden , who has time and again proven himself unworthy of the `` frontrunner '' status suggested by his strength in national polling .
FAILING UP … `` App blamed for botched Iowa caucus created by Hillary Clinton campaign alum , '' via NY POST : Gerard Niemira , CEO of Shadow Inc.—the company tapped by the Iowa Democratic Party ( IDP ) to build an app for reporting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as director of product on Clinton ’ s 2016 campaign … Precinct chairs across the state experienced problems downloading or logging into the app , one of the ways they were supposed to be able to send the results from their smaller , individual caucuses to the IDP , Bloomberg News reported .
LOW ENERGY … `` The biggest problem for Democrats wasn ’ t the vote count , '' via POLITICO : In their first test of the year , early data suggested Tuesday that turnout was `` on pace for 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , far below levels many observers predicted … Looking at the low turnout estimate in Des Moines late Monday night , an adviser to one candidate said simply , `` Wow . ''
MESSAGE TO MADURO … `` Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó honored by Trump at State of the Union , '' via FOX NEWS : The invite to the State of the Union gives Guaidó , the Venezuelan National Assembly leader and fierce critic of contested Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro , a big political bump as he seeks to rally international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country ’ s strongman leader .
Before receiving a thunderous applause from the crowd of lawmakers and other dignitaries gathered on the House floor , Trump praised Guaidó — calling him Venezuela 's `` true leader '' and offering U.S. support in his fight .
SEND THE BOMBERS … `` Iran Issues Death Sentence for Alleged CIA Spy , '' by WFB ’ s Adam Kredo : Iran 's supreme court signed off on a death sentence for Amir Rahimpour , whom the regime accuses of providing sensitive nuclear secrets to the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judiciary spokesman , said .
`` Rahimpour , a CIA spy who had been paid substantially for disclosing Iran 's nuclear data to the American intelligence agency , had been already identified and sentenced to death , '' Esmaeili was quoted as saying in the country 's state-controlled press .
NASTY WOMAN … `` Democrat Claire McCaskill , NYT Reporter Blasted For ‘ Racist ’ Ben Carson Tweets , '' via DAILY WIRE : The tweet that generated the most reaction came from former Missouri Democratic senator [ and MSNBC contributor ] Claire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , writing : `` One of these things is not like the others .
Hint : they made [ Carson ] squat in the aisle so he was visible . ''
MATTHEWS PREFERS THE GERMAN CHANCELLOR … `` MSNBC Anchor Says Netanyahu is One of the World ’ s ‘ Bad Guys , ’ Puts Jewish Leader in List With Putin , '' by WFB ’ s Brent Scher : `` He does seem to be a guy who does n't like the good guys of the world , he seems to like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] Matthews said … As MSNBC commentator Steve Schmidt responded by saying Trump `` fetishizes the Erdogans , and the Putins , and the dictators , '' he was interrupted by Matthews , who wanted to add Israel 's Netanyahu to the list .
DULY NOTED … `` PETA Says Word ‘ Pet ’ Is Patronising to Animals , '' via INDEPENDENT : Instead , PETA is calling on people to use words like `` companion '' to refer to their animals .
`` A lot of people at home who have dogs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refer to themselves as owners and this implies that the animals are a possession , like a car for example , '' [ PETA ’ s Jennifer ] White said .
IMPEACHMENT BOUNCE … `` Tired of Winning ?
Donald Trump Breaks Obama Approval Record , '' by WFB ’ s Andrew Stiles : Trump has a job approval rating of 49 percent , according to the most recent Gallup survey .
That 's the highest figure reported by Gallup since Trump took office in 2017 , and it comes as the Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iowa … Trump 's victory in the Iowa GOP caucus means that he has now won more caucuses or primaries in 2020 than [ Joe ] Biden has won over the course of his entire political career , which includes two previous failed presidential campaigns .
DAYS SINCE JOE BIDEN DID A SUNDAY SHOW : 1,151 .
Come back , Joe !
`` You know who really doesn ’ t have it ?
Joe Biden . ''
—Former President Barack Obama Thanks for reading !
Send tips to rutz @ freebeacon.com .

The State of the Union is awesome, and Iowa sort of picks a winner
Welcome to the Washington Free Beacon’s morning newsletter, your comprehensive briefing on the Enemies of Freedom. To get this newsletter sent straight to your inbox every morning, sign up here.
IMPEACHMENT UPDATE … Donald J. Trump is still President of the United States.
TRUMP DELIVERS … "A newly emboldened Trump gives Democrats a reason to fret," via REUTERS: President Donald Trump took the stage for his State of the Union speech in an unfamiliar position: With the wind at his back … All of it brought out the showman in the former reality TV star during his State of the Union speech on Tuesday night.
At one point, he choreographed a reunion between a U.S. servicemember returning from Afghanistan and his family to cheers from lawmakers.
Along that line, for much of the speech, Trump appeared to be making an overt appeal to suburban voters who could decide his fate.
OWNED … "Pelosi rips up Trump speech at conclusion of State of the Union," via THE HILL: As Trump finished speaking and most lawmakers stood to applaud, [Speaker Nancy] Pelosi stood, took the printed copy of Trump's speech and tore it in half. She placed the shredded copy in a stack on the dais as Trump made his way to greet members of Congress.
BIDEN’S SECRET STASH … "At Biden Institute, Mystery Donors Support Potential Cabinet in Waiting," by WFB’s Eliana Johnson: The institute has served as a landing spot for some of [Joe] Biden's former—and potentially future—White House advisers … There is Biden's sister, Valerie Biden Owens, the institute's vice chair, and Biden's former senior adviser, Michael Donilon, who serves as managing director …
But unlike similar institutions housed at public universities, the Biden Institute does not disclose the sources of its funding or its staff and executive salaries.
FRONTRUNNER FINISHES FOURTH … "IOWA RESULTS: Buttigieg (Kind of) Won. So Did Bernie. Warren Persisted. Biden Definitely Lost.," by WFB’s Andrew Stiles: The Iowa Democratic Party finally announced a winner of the state's caucus Tuesday afternoon. Sort of …
While it is difficult to draw any meaningful conclusions from the partial results unveiled Tuesday, it is certainty an embarrassing outcome for [Joe] Biden, who has time and again proven himself unworthy of the "frontrunner" status suggested by his strength in national polling.
FAILING UP … "App blamed for botched Iowa caucus created by Hillary Clinton campaign alum," via NY POST: Gerard Niemira, CEO of Shadow Inc.—the company tapped by the Iowa Democratic Party (IDP) to build an app for reporting the results of the crucial, first-in-the-nation caucus—served as director of product on Clinton’s 2016 campaign …
Precinct chairs across the state experienced problems downloading or logging into the app, one of the ways they were supposed to be able to send the results from their smaller, individual caucuses to the IDP, Bloomberg News reported.
LOW ENERGY … "The biggest problem for Democrats wasn’t the vote count," via POLITICO: In their first test of the year, early data suggested Tuesday that turnout was "on pace for 2016," the Iowa Democratic Party said, far below levels many observers predicted …
Looking at the low turnout estimate in Des Moines late Monday night, an adviser to one candidate said simply, "Wow."
MESSAGE TO MADURO … "Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó honored by Trump at State of the Union," via FOX NEWS: The invite to the State of the Union gives Guaidó, the Venezuelan National Assembly leader and fierce critic of contested Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a big political bump as he seeks to rally international support for his bid to oust his country’s strongman leader.
Before receiving a thunderous applause from the crowd of lawmakers and other dignitaries gathered on the House floor, Trump praised Guaidó -- calling him Venezuela's "true leader" and offering U.S. support in his fight.
SEND THE BOMBERS … "Iran Issues Death Sentence for Alleged CIA Spy," by WFB’s Adam Kredo: Iran's supreme court signed off on a death sentence for Amir Rahimpour, whom the regime accuses of providing sensitive nuclear secrets to the United States, Gholamhossein Esmaeili, Iran's judiciary spokesman, said.
"Rahimpour, a CIA spy who had been paid substantially for disclosing Iran's nuclear data to the American intelligence agency, had been already identified and sentenced to death," Esmaeili was quoted as saying in the country's state-controlled press.
NASTY WOMAN … "Democrat Claire McCaskill, NYT Reporter Blasted For ‘Racist’ Ben Carson Tweets," via DAILY WIRE: The tweet that generated the most reaction came from former Missouri Democratic senator [and MSNBC contributor] Claire McCaskill, who tweeted the same photograph, writing: "One of these things is not like the others. Hint: they made [Carson] squat in the aisle so he was visible."
MATTHEWS PREFERS THE GERMAN CHANCELLOR … "MSNBC Anchor Says Netanyahu is One of the World’s ‘Bad Guys,’ Puts Jewish Leader in List With Putin," by WFB’s Brent Scher: "He does seem to be a guy who doesn't like the good guys of the world, he seems to like the bad guys," [Chris] Matthews said …
As MSNBC commentator Steve Schmidt responded by saying Trump "fetishizes the Erdogans, and the Putins, and the dictators," he was interrupted by Matthews, who wanted to add Israel's Netanyahu to the list.
DULY NOTED … "PETA Says Word ‘Pet’ Is Patronising to Animals," via INDEPENDENT: Instead, PETA is calling on people to use words like "companion" to refer to their animals.
"A lot of people at home who have dogs or cats will call them pets and refer to themselves as owners and this implies that the animals are a possession, like a car for example," [PETA’s Jennifer] White said.
IMPEACHMENT BOUNCE … "Tired of Winning? Donald Trump Breaks Obama Approval Record," by WFB’s Andrew Stiles: Trump has a job approval rating of 49 percent, according to the most recent Gallup survey. That's the highest figure reported by Gallup since Trump took office in 2017, and it comes as the Democratic Party reels from an embarrassing debacle in Iowa …
Trump's victory in the Iowa GOP caucus means that he has now won more caucuses or primaries in 2020 than [Joe] Biden has won over the course of his entire political career, which includes two previous failed presidential campaigns.
DAYS SINCE JOE BIDEN DID A SUNDAY SHOW: 1,151. Come back, Joe!
"You know who really doesn’t have it? Joe Biden." —Former President Barack Obama
Thanks for reading! Send tips to rutz@freebeacon.com.


freebeacon--2020-02-06--Chris Matthews: Romney Speech Made Me ‘Romantic About Politics’ Again

MSNBC anchor Chris Matthews on Wednesday gushed over Sen. Mitt Romney 's ( R. , Utah ) floor speech about voting to remove President Donald Trump from office .
`` I want to say something about [ Romney ] when I get back in a minute , '' Matthews said on Hardball .
`` I was romantic about politics for a couple minutes again today like I used to be .
Romance in politics means believing in guts . ''
Romney slammed Trump 's conduct toward Ukraine that launched impeachment proceedings against him , calling him `` guilty of an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The only Senate Republican to do so , he announced he would vote to convict Trump on abuse of power .
He voted `` not guilty '' on the count of obstructing Congress .
Matthews , a frequent Trump critic , concluded one of his segments by asking Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus whether she believed Romney 's speech was great .
`` Romney was awesome .
I loved the strength of his language , '' Marcus said .
Matthews also tweeted , `` It takes no courage to hide in a pack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around you .
What takes bravery , what merits regard , is the voice that speaks out and tells the brave truth through the sad chorus of silence and submission . ''
While Matthews lavished praise on Romney 's speech , he repeatedly criticized him throughout his 2012 presidential campaign .
Matthews often accused Romney of playing the race card against then-President Barack Obama and compared him to a failed organ transplant .
He was also critical of Romney 's appearance , and he memorably erupted on the air after Obama 's first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't have `` let Romney get away with the crap he threw at him tonight about Social Security . ''
Romney 's vote surprised some observers , but Trump 's acquittal was never in doubt , as two-thirds of the Senate was required to convict him and remove him from office .
He was the third president to be impeached and then acquitted in U.S. history .

MSNBC anchor Chris Matthews on Wednesday gushed over Sen. Mitt Romney's (R., Utah) floor speech about voting to remove President Donald Trump from office.
"I want to say something about [Romney] when I get back in a minute," Matthews said on Hardball. "I was romantic about politics for a couple minutes again today like I used to be. Romance in politics means believing in guts."
Romney slammed Trump's conduct toward Ukraine that launched impeachment proceedings against him, calling him "guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust." The only Senate Republican to do so, he announced he would vote to convict Trump on abuse of power. He voted "not guilty" on the count of obstructing Congress.
Matthews, a frequent Trump critic, concluded one of his segments by asking Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus whether she believed Romney's speech was great.
"Romney was awesome. I loved the strength of his language," Marcus said.
Matthews also tweeted, "It takes no courage to hide in a pack, to speak in unison with those around you. What takes bravery, what merits regard, is the voice that speaks out and tells the brave truth through the sad chorus of silence and submission."
It takes no courage to hide in a pack, to speak in unison with those around you. What takes bravery, what merits regard, is the voice that speaks out and tells the brave truth through the sad chorus of silence and submission. https://t.co/hRJ0nCtjGI — Chris Matthews (@HardballChris) February 6, 2020
While Matthews lavished praise on Romney's speech, he repeatedly criticized him throughout his 2012 presidential campaign.
Matthews often accused Romney of playing the race card against then-President Barack Obama and compared him to a failed organ transplant. He was also critical of Romney's appearance, and he memorably erupted on the air after Obama's first 2012 debate performance, shouting he shouldn't have "let Romney get away with the crap he threw at him tonight about Social Security."
Romney's vote surprised some observers, but Trump's acquittal was never in doubt, as two-thirds of the Senate was required to convict him and remove him from office. He was the third president to be impeached and then acquitted in U.S. history.


freebeacon--2020-02-06--Dem Sen: Romney’s Speech on Voting to Convict Trump Put ‘Tears in My Eyes’

Sen. Richard Blumenthal ( D. , Conn. ) got choked up Wednesday while reflecting on Sen. Mitt Romney 's ( R. , Utah ) floor speech about voting to remove President Donald Trump from office .
`` There were tears in my eyes , and there are again as I hear him say those words , but what I thought is I would really like my four children to be like that , '' he said on CNN 's Erin Burnett OutFront .
Earlier in the day , Romney argued Trump was `` guilty of an appalling abuse of public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remove him from office , although their combined 48 votes were well below the two-thirds supermajority needed to convict in the Senate .
Blumenthal also told anchor Erin Burnett that it was a powerful moment when he himself voted in favor of removing Trump .
`` It was a time , a moment when the full weight of my decision , conscience and conviction hit me as well , '' Blumenthal said .
`` So when I watched Senator Romney say those words , I felt sincerity from him that I have rarely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Senate or in many other places from people in public life . ''
Romney was the only Republican senator to vote `` guilty '' on abuse of power , the first article of impeachment against Trump .
The final vote on that article was 52 to 48 , while Romney joined Republicans in shooting down the second article by a vote of 53 to 47 .

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.) got choked up Wednesday while reflecting on Sen. Mitt Romney's (R., Utah) floor speech about voting to remove President Donald Trump from office.
"There were tears in my eyes, and there are again as I hear him say those words, but what I thought is I would really like my four children to be like that," he said on CNN's Erin Burnett OutFront.
Earlier in the day, Romney argued Trump was "guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust" and voted with Democrats to remove him from office, although their combined 48 votes were well below the two-thirds supermajority needed to convict in the Senate.
Blumenthal also told anchor Erin Burnett that it was a powerful moment when he himself voted in favor of removing Trump.
"It was a time, a moment when the full weight of my decision, conscience, and conviction hit me as well," Blumenthal said. "So when I watched Senator Romney say those words, I felt sincerity from him that I have rarely seen, unfortunately, on the floor of the Senate or in many other places from people in public life."
Romney was the only Republican senator to vote "guilty" on abuse of power, the first article of impeachment against Trump. The final vote on that article was 52 to 48, while Romney joined Republicans in shooting down the second article by a vote of 53 to 47.


freebeacon--2020-02-06--Sanders Campaign Co-Chair Doubts Reliability of Iowa Results

Nina Turner , the co-chair of Sen. Bernie Sanders 's ( I. , Vt. ) presidential campaign , on Wednesday questioned the accuracy of the Iowa caucus results .
`` The Iowa Democratic Party , this is—it is insanity , '' Turner said .
`` I really feel sad for the voters of Iowa . ''
In light of the technical failures that have delayed the results , Turner told CNN anchor Erin Burnett that `` God only knows what they would be saying '' if Sanders had not gotten the party to commit to having a paper trail .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ people counting the votes .
`` We 're keeping an open mind about this because of the paper trail—now , the people handling the paper trail , in terms of the Iowa Democratic Party , that is something that we have to deal with , '' Turner said .
`` Are you thinking it 's just incompetence or are you implying something else when you talk about the people counting ? ''
Burnett asked .
`` It 's obvious that something is going on , Erin , '' Turner responded .
`` There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iowa who volunteer their time to be part of this , as they do year after year after year , but there is certainly something that is going on , '' Turner continued .
`` And whether or not people were trained properly or what , I do n't know exactly what it is .
But this is really at the feet of the Iowa Democratic Party .
I do n't want to hear them blaming the people who come to help those caucuses .
This is really at their feet . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Symone Sanders repeatedly refused to say the campaign would accept the results of the caucus .
Turner took credit for the decision to have paper records of the caucus results , saying she and Sen. Sanders demanded it in the name of transparency during the Unity Reform Commission 's negotiations .
The commission was a panel put together prior to the Iowa caucus to recommend ways to increase voter involvement and produce more transparency .
`` Thank God we had a paper trail , and that was something that Senator Sanders on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of those members appointed by him , we were able to negotiate a paper trail , '' she said .

Nina Turner, the co-chair of Sen. Bernie Sanders's (I., Vt.) presidential campaign, on Wednesday questioned the accuracy of the Iowa caucus results.
"The Iowa Democratic Party, this is—it is insanity," Turner said. "I really feel sad for the voters of Iowa."
In light of the technical failures that have delayed the results, Turner told CNN anchor Erin Burnett that "God only knows what they would be saying" if Sanders had not gotten the party to commit to having a paper trail. But then she expressed doubts about the people counting the votes.
"We're keeping an open mind about this because of the paper trail—now, the people handling the paper trail, in terms of the Iowa Democratic Party, that is something that we have to deal with," Turner said.
"Are you thinking it's just incompetence or are you implying something else when you talk about the people counting?" Burnett asked.
"It's obvious that something is going on, Erin," Turner responded.
"There's a lot of volunteers there in Iowa who volunteer their time to be part of this, as they do year after year after year, but there is certainly something that is going on," Turner continued. "And whether or not people were trained properly or what, I don't know exactly what it is. But this is really at the feet of the Iowa Democratic Party. I don't want to hear them blaming the people who come to help those caucuses. This is really at their feet."
Earlier Wednesday, Joe Biden's campaign spokeswoman Symone Sanders repeatedly refused to say the campaign would accept the results of the caucus.
Turner took credit for the decision to have paper records of the caucus results, saying she and Sen. Sanders demanded it in the name of transparency during the Unity Reform Commission's negotiations. The commission was a panel put together prior to the Iowa caucus to recommend ways to increase voter involvement and produce more transparency.
"Thank God we had a paper trail, and that was something that Senator Sanders on the Unity Commission, of which I was one of those members appointed by him, we were able to negotiate a paper trail," she said.


freebeacon--2020-02-06--After Claiming Victory in Iowa, Buttigieg Takes Heat for Alleged Campaign Finance Violations

Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg has been accused of breaking campaign finance law in the wake of his self-proclaimed victory in the controversial Iowa caucuses .
Buttigieg campaign strategist Michael Halle touted the candidate 's veteran status in a tweet , writing that `` Pete 's military experience and closing message work everywhere especially in Nevada where it 's critical they see this on the air through the caucus . ''
Sen. Elizabeth Warren 's ( D. , Mass . )
campaign raised concerns that the message was an attempt from the Buttigieg campaign to coordinate with VoteVets , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hundreds of thousands of dollars supporting the former South Bend mayor in early primary states .
`` Was this meant to be a DM or did you mean to tweet out this instruction to your super PAC ? ''
Warren campaign manager Roger Lau tweeted in response to Halle .
Warren doubled down in a fundraising email Thursday , calling out Buttigieg by name and citing Halle 's tweet as `` a prime example of just how easy it is for campaigns to exploit our broken campaign finance laws . ''
Liberal critics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the controversial Iowa caucus after the former mayor declared victory in the state before data errors prevented a single vote from being officially counted .
Though Buttigieg claimed his campaign was `` going on to New Hampshire victorious , '' he is now in a virtual tie with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I . )
with 97 percent of the vote released .
The Buttigieg campaign did not respond to a request for comment .
Under campaign finance law , candidates are prohibited from coordinating with outside groups , including super @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limits .
The mention of Buttigieg 's military career ruffled feathers among Democrats who saw it as potential outreach to the veteran group .
`` Pete Buttigieg 's campaign , and a few other campaigns in this race , are being boosted by the support of Super PACs and the bigwig donors who can donate millions to them , '' Warren 's fundraising email says before highlighting Halle 's tweet .
`` It 's illegal for candidates and Super PACs to coordinate strategy with one another .
But we saw this tweet from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and we wanted to make sure you saw it . ''
The Warren fundraising email said Halle 's tweet `` will be picked up by outside groups working on Pete 's behalf . ''
Andrew Yang campaign manager Zach Graumann also took issue with Halle 's tweet , replying `` Yikes . ''
VoteVets denied coordinating with the Buttigieg campaign , but Buttigieg spokesman Chris Meagher welcomed the group 's support .
`` If the largest progressive veterans group wants to help spread the word about his service , we welcome it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made criticism of money in politics a fixture of her campaign , touting her `` 100 % grassroots '' funding and ban on `` private closed-door fundraisers . ''
Though the Massachusetts senator claimed in her email that she `` does n't accept help from Super PACs—or PACs of any kind , '' Warren is backed by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee .
The group , which has supported Warren since her 2012 Senate race , accused the former South Bend mayor of tarnishing his image by accepting VoteVets 's support .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scout but has corrupted his brand by becoming the candidate of big-money corporate donors , '' co-founder Adam Green said in a statement .
`` It 's a slap in the face of campaign finance law to so brazenly and unethically direct a Super PAC how to spend on his behalf—all while leaving New Hampshire to do big-money New York fundraisers . ''
The Warren campaign did not respond to a request for comment .

Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg has been accused of breaking campaign finance law in the wake of his self-proclaimed victory in the controversial Iowa caucuses.
Buttigieg campaign strategist Michael Halle touted the candidate's veteran status in a tweet, writing that "Pete's military experience and closing message work everywhere especially in Nevada where it's critical they see this on the air through the caucus." Sen. Elizabeth Warren's (D., Mass.) campaign raised concerns that the message was an attempt from the Buttigieg campaign to coordinate with VoteVets, a progressive dark money group that has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars supporting the former South Bend mayor in early primary states.
"Was this meant to be a DM or did you mean to tweet out this instruction to your super PAC?" Warren campaign manager Roger Lau tweeted in response to Halle. Warren doubled down in a fundraising email Thursday, calling out Buttigieg by name and citing Halle's tweet as "a prime example of just how easy it is for campaigns to exploit our broken campaign finance laws."
Liberal critics have taken issue with Buttigieg's handling of the controversial Iowa caucus after the former mayor declared victory in the state before data errors prevented a single vote from being officially counted. Though Buttigieg claimed his campaign was "going on to New Hampshire victorious," he is now in a virtual tie with Vermont senator Bernie Sanders (I.) with 97 percent of the vote released.
The Buttigieg campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
Under campaign finance law, candidates are prohibited from coordinating with outside groups, including super PACs that are not bound by fundraising limits. The mention of Buttigieg's military career ruffled feathers among Democrats who saw it as potential outreach to the veteran group.
"Pete Buttigieg's campaign, and a few other campaigns in this race, are being boosted by the support of Super PACs and the bigwig donors who can donate millions to them," Warren's fundraising email says before highlighting Halle's tweet. "It's illegal for candidates and Super PACs to coordinate strategy with one another. But we saw this tweet from one of our opponents' senior strategists, and we wanted to make sure you saw it."
The Warren fundraising email said Halle's tweet "will be picked up by outside groups working on Pete's behalf."
Andrew Yang's campaign manager Zach Graumann also took issue with Halle's tweet, replying "Yikes."
VoteVets denied coordinating with the Buttigieg campaign, but Buttigieg spokesman Chris Meagher welcomed the group's support.
"If the largest progressive veterans group wants to help spread the word about his service, we welcome it," Meagher said.
Warren has made criticism of money in politics a fixture of her campaign, touting her "100% grassroots" funding and ban on "private closed-door fundraisers." Though the Massachusetts senator claimed in her email that she "doesn't accept help from Super PACs—or PACs of any kind," Warren is backed by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. The group, which has supported Warren since her 2012 Senate race, accused the former South Bend mayor of tarnishing his image by accepting VoteVets's support.
"Pete entered the race as a Boy Scout but has corrupted his brand by becoming the candidate of big-money corporate donors," cofounder Adam Green said in a statement. "It's a slap in the face of campaign finance law to so brazenly and unethically direct a Super PAC how to spend on his behalf—all while leaving New Hampshire to do big-money New York fundraisers."
The Warren campaign did not respond to a request for comment.


freebeacon--2020-02-06--Virginia Gun Sales Soar as Dems Push New Restrictions

The number of gun sales in Virginia nearly doubled last month as the Democrat-controlled state government advanced several new gun-control bills .
There were 67,699 gun purchase-related background checks in the state during January , an 84.6 percent increase over January 2019 , according to an analysis of FBI data .
The number of background checks continued a three-month upward trend , according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation ( NSSF ) .
The surge in sales has coincided with a push from a newly empowered Democratic majority to pass new gun-control laws supported by Governor Ralph Northam ( D @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Virginians are purchasing the firearms they want while they can , '' NSSF spokesman Mark Oliva told the Washington Free Beacon .
Pro-Second Amendment Virginians are concerned about state Democrats ' efforts to tighten gun laws .
Virginia Democrats have proposed banning or even confiscating popular firearms , such as the AR-15 .
Gun-control legislation has advanced despite months of protest from Second Amendment supporters , which culminated in a January rally at the state capital that attracted tens of thousands of gun-rights advocates .
Virginia Democrats have dropped some of their most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in response to the backlash .
They are now weighing proposals for universal background checks , a red flag law , one-gun-per-month purchase restrictions , and expanded power for localities to create gun-free zones .
The state senate has passed moderated versions of each proposal , while the House of Delegates has passed more expansive bills .
Democrats enjoy slim majorities in both houses of the state legislature after record levels of outside spending from liberal groups , including millions of dollars from gun-control groups linked to 2020 presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporters to contact lawmakers about an assault weapons sale ban and magazine confiscation bill that will be debated at a state house Public Safety Committee hearing on Friday .
NSSF said backers of those bills are serving their donors rather than their constituents .
`` Gov .
Northam and the General Assembly , that was bought and paid for by Michael Bloomberg , is fulfilling their bargain for the funding of their election and rushing head-long to restricting the rights of law-abiding citizens , '' Oliva said .
`` Virginians showed up in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their opinions on gun control legislation .
The General Assembly ignored them .
They gathered in Richmond by the tens of thousands to make their elected representative see their opposition to legislation that denies their rights .
The General Assembly ignored them again . ''
Everytown for Gun Safety , which poured $ 2.5 million into the 2019 state elections , did not respond to a request for comment on the surge in gun sales .
The FBI 's National Instant Criminal Background Check System conducts checks on all sales done through licensed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on gun-carry permits required by some states .
The NSSF analysis subtracts the permit checks in order to find the total related to gun sales .
The vast majority of gun sales in Virginia require background checks , making the NSSF analysis the closest available measure .
The NSSF analysis found that gun checks increased nationwide in January .
There were 1,171,478 gun checks across the country in January 2020 , an 18.6 percent surge from the same month in 2019 .
The group said it was the third best January on record @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2013 and 2016 .
Oliva said NSSF views the increased sales as an indictment on lawmakers for ignoring the wishes of residents .
`` Virginians now are voting with their wallets and taking into their own hands their rights and responsibility before the General Assembly would steal them away , '' he said .

The number of gun sales in Virginia nearly doubled last month as the Democrat-controlled state government advanced several new gun-control bills.
There were 67,699 gun purchase-related background checks in the state during January, an 84.6 percent increase over January 2019, according to an analysis of FBI data. The number of background checks continued a three-month upward trend, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). The surge in sales has coincided with a push from a newly empowered Democratic majority to pass new gun-control laws supported by Governor Ralph Northam (D).
"It's clear that Virginians are purchasing the firearms they want while they can," NSSF spokesman Mark Oliva told the Washington Free Beacon.
Pro-Second Amendment Virginians are concerned about state Democrats' efforts to tighten gun laws. Virginia Democrats have proposed banning or even confiscating popular firearms, such as the AR-15. Gun-control legislation has advanced despite months of protest from Second Amendment supporters, which culminated in a January rally at the state capital that attracted tens of thousands of gun-rights advocates.
Virginia Democrats have dropped some of their most controversial proposals, including AR-15 confiscation, in response to the backlash. They are now weighing proposals for universal background checks, a red flag law, one-gun-per-month purchase restrictions, and expanded power for localities to create gun-free zones. The state senate has passed moderated versions of each proposal, while the House of Delegates has passed more expansive bills.
Democrats enjoy slim majorities in both houses of the state legislature after record levels of outside spending from liberal groups, including millions of dollars from gun-control groups linked to 2020 presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg. Gun-rights and gun-control groups are urging their supporters to contact lawmakers about an assault weapons sale ban and magazine confiscation bill that will be debated at a state house Public Safety Committee hearing on Friday.
NSSF said backers of those bills are serving their donors rather than their constituents.
"Gov. Northam and the General Assembly, that was bought and paid for by Michael Bloomberg, is fulfilling their bargain for the funding of their election and rushing head-long to restricting the rights of law-abiding citizens," Oliva said. "Virginians showed up in county meetings across the state to voice their opinions on gun-control legislation. The General Assembly ignored them. They gathered in Richmond by the tens of thousands to make their elected representative see their opposition to legislation that denies their rights. The General Assembly ignored them again."
Everytown for Gun Safety, which poured $2.5 million into the 2019 state elections, did not respond to a request for comment on the surge in gun sales.
The FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System conducts checks on all sales done through licensed gun dealers, as well as checks on gun-carry permits required by some states. The NSSF analysis subtracts the permit checks in order to find the total related to gun sales. The vast majority of gun sales in Virginia require background checks, making the NSSF analysis the closest available measure.
The NSSF analysis found that gun checks increased nationwide in January. There were 1,171,478 gun checks across the country in January 2020, an 18.6 percent surge from the same month in 2019. The group said it was the third best January on record for the gun industry, behind just 2013 and 2016.
Oliva said NSSF views the increased sales as an indictment on lawmakers for ignoring the wishes of residents.
"Virginians now are voting with their wallets and taking into their own hands their rights and responsibility before the General Assembly would steal them away," he said.


freebeacon--2020-02-06--Lawmakers Demand Investigation Into Chinese Propaganda Published in NYT, WaPo

Lawmakers are calling on the Justice Department to launch a `` full-fledged investigation '' into China Daily after the Washington Free Beacon found that the propaganda outlet ignored federal law .
China Daily has spent millions to publish state-sanctioned propaganda in top American newspapers without complying with disclosure requirements for foreign agents , prompting Rep. Jim Banks ( R. , Ind . )
, Sen. Tom Cotton ( R. , Ark . )
, and 33 other members of Congress to demand a probe into the outlet 's activities .
On Thursday , the group sent a letter to Attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department `` promptly review and produce a report on China Daily ’ s compliance '' with federal disclosure laws .
`` Propaganda that seeks to obfuscate communist atrocities deserves to be counteracted , '' the letter says .
`` [ The Foreign Agents Registration Act ] already arms the federal government with tools to fight pernicious foreign influence .
The DOJ should use them to clamp down on Chinese propaganda . ''
The Free Beacon previously found that China Daily ran hundreds of propaganda articles designed to resemble authentic news reports in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wall Street Journal , and Washington Post .
The propaganda outlet , which serves as the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party , failed to report these ad purchases to the U.S. government for more than 30 years .
Banks compared tensions with China to the Cold War in an email to the Free Beacon .
`` We convinced the world that democracy was superior to communist authoritarianism .
Well , it looks like we have to fight that battle again—this time against a far wealthier and equally determined adversary , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use every weapon in its arsenal to ensure the triumph of our values—the consequences of failure are unspeakable . ''
The letter , signed by eight senators and 27 representatives , is not the first time Congress has pushed the Justice Department to take action against a Chinese state entity for violating FARA requirements .
In 2019 , the department ordered Chinese propaganda outlets Xinhua News Agency and CGTN America to register as a foreign agent after a bipartisan group of senators demanded an investigation into their activities .
CGTN America has complied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Agency has yet to register as a foreign agent .
Banks requested that the Justice Department look into Xinhua News Agency ‘ s registration status in January .
China Daily first registered as a foreign agent in 1983 and has published pro-China propaganda in the United States ever since .
The Chinese mouthpiece has drastically expanded operations in recent years , spending more than $ 35 million since 2017 .
China Daily has run more than 500 print advertorials and 700 online articles in six U.S. newspapers since 2012 .
Some of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whitewashed Chinese oppression .
One propaganda piece published in the Wall Street Journal called China 's detention of more than one million Muslim Uyghurs as a `` law-based campaign of de-radicalization . ''
China Daily did not respond to a request for comment .
`` Some of the articles are harmless—and tout subjects like the Chinese government 's fitness initiative—but some are not , '' the letter said .
`` Such articles serve as cover for China 's atrocities , including its crimes against humanity against Uyghurs in the Xinjiang region and its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
China Daily , which has a total circulation of 600,000 outside mainland China , has penetrated the highest halls of power .
Banks previously tried to restrict the newspaper 's distribution on Capitol Hill after he learned that the propaganda outlet delivered copies to the office of nearly every member of Congress .
The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment .

Lawmakers are calling on the Justice Department to launch a "full-fledged investigation" into China Daily after the Washington Free Beacon found that the propaganda outlet ignored federal law.
China Daily has spent millions to publish state-sanctioned propaganda in top American newspapers without complying with disclosure requirements for foreign agents, prompting Rep. Jim Banks (R., Ind.), Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.), and 33 other members of Congress to demand a probe into the outlet's activities. On Thursday, the group sent a letter to Attorney General William Barr asking that the Justice Department "promptly review and produce a report on China Daily’s compliance" with federal disclosure laws.
"Propaganda that seeks to obfuscate communist atrocities deserves to be counteracted," the letter says. "[The Foreign Agents Registration Act] already arms the federal government with tools to fight pernicious foreign influence. The DOJ should use them to clamp down on Chinese propaganda."
The Free Beacon previously found that China Daily ran hundreds of propaganda articles designed to resemble authentic news reports in the pages of the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post. The propaganda outlet, which serves as the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, failed to report these ad purchases to the U.S. government for more than 30 years.
Banks compared tensions with China to the Cold War in an email to the Free Beacon. "We convinced the world that democracy was superior to communist authoritarianism. Well, it looks like we have to fight that battle again—this time against a far wealthier and equally determined adversary," he said. "The federal government must use every weapon in its arsenal to ensure the triumph of our values—the consequences of failure are unspeakable."
The letter, signed by 8 senators and 27 representatives, is not the first time Congress has pushed the Justice Department to take action against a Chinese state entity for violating FARA requirements. In 2019, the department ordered Chinese propaganda outlets Xinhua News Agency and CGTN America to register as a foreign agent after a bipartisan group of senators demanded an investigation into their activities.
CGTN America has complied with the federal order but Xinhua News Agency has yet to register as a foreign agent. Banks requested that the Justice Department look into Xinhua News Agency's registration status in January.
China Daily first registered as a foreign agent in 1983 and has published pro-China propaganda in the United States ever since. The Chinese mouthpiece has drastically expanded operations in recent years, spending more than $35 million since 2017. China Daily has run more than 500 print advertorials and 700 online articles in six U.S. newspapers since 2012.
Some of the advertorials that ran in mainstream American outlets whitewashed Chinese oppression. One propaganda piece published in the Wall Street Journal called China's detention of more than one million Muslim Uyghurs a "law-based campaign of de-radicalization." China Daily did not respond to a request for comment.
"Some of the articles are harmless—and tout subjects like the Chinese government's fitness initiative—but some are not," the letter said. "Such articles serve as cover for China's atrocities, including its crimes against humanity against Uyghurs in the Xinjiang region and its support for the crackdown in Hong Kong."
China Daily, which has a total circulation of 600,000 outside mainland China, has penetrated the highest halls of power. Banks previously tried to restrict the newspaper's distribution on Capitol Hill after he learned that the propaganda outlet delivered copies to the office of nearly every member of Congress.
The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment.


freebeacon--2020-02-06--Sanders Declares Victory in Iowa, Claims Media Are Distorting Results

Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I. , Vt. ) on Thursday declared victory in the Iowa caucus before the final results were published , saying the media are wrong to treat Pete Buttigieg as the winner .
`` I think it is fair to say that we won the caucus , '' the presidential candidate said , claiming a `` very significant victory '' after being projected to win the popular vote of Monday night 's caucus .
A reporter in the audience asked Sanders why he was not waiting for the final votes to be counted , saying the announcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party and confuse an already chaotic process .
`` Well , I would hope , given the fact that we have waited three days and now there 's the talk of another recount , maybe we might want the decisions of the Iowa caucus before the November election , '' Sanders said .
`` What is not going to change is that we won a very significant victory in the popular vote .
We won a very significant victory in the realignment vote . ''
`` If you ask people , ‘ How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ? '
'' Sanders continued , `` well , from where I come from and where everybody else comes from , the person who gets the most votes wins . ''
The Vermont senator also said the media were distorting the caucus results .
`` You guys have been putting too much emphasis on these SDEs [ state delegate equivalents ] .
There 's a confusion that SDEs will determine the number of national delegates .
National delegates are important .
SDEs do not determine—they determine who the party chair is , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state delegate equivalents has Buttigieg with a slight lead , while Sanders leads slightly among caucus-goers ' final vote preferences .
Earlier in the press conference Sanders denounced the delay in the caucus results , calling it a `` screw up '' on the part of the Iowa Democratic Party .
`` That screw up , '' Sanders said , `` has been extremely unfair to the people of Iowa .
It has been unfair to the candidates—all of the candidates—and all of their supporters . ''

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) on Thursday declared victory in the Iowa caucus before the final results were published, saying the media are wrong to treat Pete Buttigieg as the winner.
"I think it is fair to say that we won the caucus," the presidential candidate said, claiming a "very significant victory" after being projected to win the popular vote of Monday night's caucus.
A reporter in the audience asked Sanders why he was not waiting for the final votes to be counted, saying the announcement might frustrate some members of the Democratic Party and confuse an already chaotic process.
"Well, I would hope, given the fact that we have waited three days and now there's the talk of another recount, maybe we might want the decisions of the Iowa caucus before the November election," Sanders said. "What is not going to change is that we won a very significant victory in the popular vote. We won a very significant victory in the realignment vote."
"If you ask people, 'How do you determine who wins an election?'" Sanders continued, "well, from where I come from and where everybody else comes from, the person who gets the most votes wins."
The Vermont senator also said the media were distorting the caucus results.
"You guys have been putting too much emphasis on these SDEs [state delegate equivalents]. There's a confusion that SDEs will determine the number of national delegates. National delegates are important. SDEs do not determine—they determine who the party chair is," he said.
The current count of state delegate equivalents has Buttigieg with a slight lead, while Sanders leads slightly among caucus-goers' final vote preferences.
Earlier in the press conference Sanders denounced the delay in the caucus results, calling it a "screw up" on the part of the Iowa Democratic Party.
"That screw up," Sanders said, "has been extremely unfair to the people of Iowa. It has been unfair to the candidates—all of the candidates—and all of their supporters."