Democrats want AG Garland to drop charges against Trump co-defendants
House Democrats are calling on Attorney General Merrick Garland to release the report on President-elect Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents. They told Garland to take all necessary steps to make sure the report is made public, even if he has to drop the charges against other defendants in the case.
“It is in the very nature of American democracy that the people have a right to know of the public actions of their public officials, and it is essential to the rule of law that Justice Department special counsel reports continue to be available and accessible to the public,” Reps. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., wrote in a letter to Garland.
Trump was charged with 40 felonies in 2023. He was accused of willfully and wrongfully retaining classified information at his Mar-a-Lago home and trying to cover it up. Those charges were dismissed by the judge after she ruled Special Counsel Jack Smith was improperly appointed.
Two of Trump’s employees, valet Walt Nauta and property manager Carlos De Oliveira, were also charged. Their criminal proceedings are pending.
Smith resigned on Jan. 10. Before he left, he wrote two reports, one on the classified documents case and the other on the transfer of power after the 2020 presidential election. The latter report was made public but the classified documents report is still under seal due to the case against Nauta and De Oliveira.
The Democrats contend this is the only chance to make the report public. They wrote President Trump will likely end the prosecutions against his employees once he takes office anyway and then instruct the DOJ to permanently bury the report.
“While we understand your honorable and steadfast adherence to Mr. Nauta’s and Mr. De Oliveira’s due process rights as criminal defendants, the practical effect of this position is that Volume 2 will almost certainly remain concealed for at least four more years if you do not release it before President-elect Trump’s inauguration on January 20,” Raskin and Goldman wrote.
There is a court hearing scheduled for Jan. 17 about the release of the classified documents report. However, with Trump taking office on Jan. 20, a decision and release would need to take place far faster than the legal process normally proceeds.
Kroger agrees to pay $110M in Kentucky opioid settlement
Kroger has agreed to pay $110 million to settle claims it helped fuel Kentucky’s opioid crisis by failing to properly monitor the distribution of painkillers in the state. The settlement, announced Thursday, Jan. 9, is part of Kentucky’s broader effort to hold businesses accountable for their role in the state’s opioid epidemic.
Kentucky’s Attorney General Russell Coleman said the grocery chain’s pharmacies in Kentucky dispensed nearly half a billion opioid doses over a 13-year period, accounting for 11% of all pills sold in the state between 2006 and 2019.
Coleman said its more than 100 doses for every man, woman and child living in the state.
He criticized Kroger, saying the company allowed the flow of opioids to continue without adequate safeguards in place.
In a statement, Coleman said Kroger “allowed the fire of addiction to spread across the commonwealth, leaving pain and leaving so much brokenness in its aftermath.”
The lawsuit alleges Kroger did not implement sufficient training for pharmacists to identify and prevent drug abuse when filling opioid prescriptions.
In response, Kroger said its pharmacies follow guidelines, and pointed to its role as the first major retail pharmacy to integrate state prescription drug monitoring programs directly into its pharmacy system.
“The company has long provided associates throughout the pharmacy with robust training, as well as tools to assist pharmacists in their professional judgement.”
Kroger spokesperson
The settlement is not Kroger’s first legal challenge related to the opioid crisis. In 2023, the company agreed to pay more than $1 billion to settle a multi-state lawsuit over its role in the nation’s opioid epidemic.
Under the terms of the Kentucky settlement, half of the $110 million will go to local organizations to support efforts to combat drug addiction, while the remaining funds will be directed to the state’s opioid drug commission.
Kentucky has been one of the states hardest hit by the opioid epidemic. In 2022, the state ranked seventh in the nation for overdose deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
However, in 2023, Kentucky saw a 10% decline in overdose deaths, thanks in part to increased investment in drug prevention programs and enforcement.
New ethics report says Matt Gaetz used drugs, paid for sex with minor
The House Ethics Committee report into former Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz is now in the eye of the public. The investigation found “substantial evidence” President-elect Donald Trump’s first pick for attorney general broke state and federal laws while in office, including statutory rape of a 17-year-old girl.
Gaetz resigned from Congress in November after Trump elected him to lead the Department of Justice. He withdrew his name for consideration once stories about his alleged misconduct were revealed. The allegations caused him to lose support with Republican senators needed for confirmation.
On Monday, Dec. 23, the committee released details into the allegations surrounding Gaetz. Investigators conducted numerous interviews, reviewed thousands of documents and submitted dozens of subpoenas.
“Rep. Gaetz violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress.”
House Ethics Committee report
The committee typically doesn’t release its findings but a vote from the majority of the members said the report should be made public.
The report found evidence to support:
From at least 2017 to 2020, Rep. Gaetz regularly paid women for engaging in sexual activity with him.
In 2017, Rep. Gaetz engaged in sexual activity with a 17-year-old girl.
From 2017 to 2019, Rep. Gaetz used or possessed illegal drugs, including cocaine and ecstasy, on multiple occasions.
Rep. Gaetz accepted gifts, including transportation and lodging in connection with a 2018 trip to the Bahamas, in excess of permissible amounts.
In 2018, Rep. Gaetz arranged for his chief of staff to assist a woman with whom he engaged in sexual activity in obtaining a passport, falsely indicating to the U.S. Department of State that she was a constituent.
Investigators interviewed women Gaetz allegedly paid for sex and obtained payment information that revealed he gave more than $90,000 to at least a dozen women while serving in Congress.
Those monetary payments also include $400 to someone who was a junior in high school at the time. She said she didn’t disclose her age and Gaetz didn’t ask.
The women who testified said the sexual activity was consensual. However, drug use could’ve impaired their thinking and overall judgment.
The House Ethics Committee said Gaetz attempted to derail its three-year investigation by refusing to be interviewed and failing to provide exonerating evidence.
Gaetz denies all allegations, calling them nothing more than “smears” from his political enemies.
The Biden/Garland DOJ spent years reviewing allegations that I committed various crimes.
I was charged with nothing: FULLY EXONERATED. Not even a campaign finance violation. And the people investigating me hated me.
Then, the very “witnesses” DOJ deemed not-credible were…
He posted on X that he was “fully exonerated” by the DOJ following a federal investigation into sex trafficking claims in 2021. He said his actions were embarrassing but not criminal and he leads a different life now.
The committee did not find any sufficient evidence of federal sex trafficking.
The report stated, “Although Representative Gaetz did cause the transportation of women across state lines for purposes of commercial sex, the Committee did not find evidence that any of those women were under 18 at the time of travel, nor did the Committee find sufficient evidence to conclude that the commercial sex acts were induced by force, fraud, or coercion.”
Several members of the ethics committee did not agree with the decision to release the report because Gaetz is no longer a member of Congress. They don’t disagree with the findings but believe it’s out of the committee’s purview.
“The decision to publish a report after his resignation breaks from the Committee’s long-standing practice, opens the Committee to undue criticism, and will be viewed by some as an attempt to weaponize the Committee’s process.”
Dissenting opinion by Ethics Committee members
Gaetz is suing the committee in federal court for releasing the report after he resigned from Congress. His lawyers argue the report will lead to irreversible damage to his reputation.
Gaetz has never been charged with a crime related to the report or any other allegations.
In a reversal, House panel votes to release report on Matt Gaetz
The public may soon find out what’s in the House Ethics Committee report about former Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz. In a rare reversal, the committee secretly voted earlier this month to publicly release it.
This comes after the committee voted in November to keep it under wraps. The report outlines the findings of an investigation looking into allegations including drug use, sexual misconduct involving a minor and campaign finance violations.
Gaetz has long denied any misconduct, calling the investigation a political “witch hunt.” He responded on X, saying the Department of Justice investigated the allegations and never charged him with a crime.
He said his 30s were an era of working hard and playing hard, adding his previous behavior was “embarrassing though not criminal.” Gaetz also denied ever having sexual contact with a minor.
The Biden/Garland DOJ spent years reviewing allegations that I committed various crimes.
I was charged with nothing: FULLY EXONERATED. Not even a campaign finance violation. And the people investigating me hated me.
Then, the very “witnesses” DOJ deemed not-credible were…
Gaetz resigned from Congress last month after President-elect Donald Trump nominated him to be attorney general. He ultimately withdrew his name from consideration.
He has since said he will not return to Congress for the next term and instead will launch a new show on the pro-Trump One America News Network in January.
The ethics committee has not commented on its decision.
The report will likely be released after Friday, Dec. 20, when the chamber is scheduled to finish its business for the year and head home for the holidays.
Duke lacrosse accuser now admits she lied about rape claim
Nearly 20 years after she accused three Duke University lacrosse players of rape in a case that garnered national attention, the accuser has now changed her story. She now admits she lied.
Crystal Mangum, who is currently serving prison time for murder, confessed to making up the rape claim this week in an interview at the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women. Until now, she had never publicly stated that it was untrue.
Back in March 2006, Mangum claimed the lacrosse players raped her at a house party in Durham, North Carolina. The players had paid strippers, including Mangum, to attend the party.
The Durham County district attorney initially charged the three players with sexual assault and kidnapping. The case became a national spectacle with racial overtones. The suspects all being from a white, affluent school, and the accuser, an African American woman.
The DA later recused himself. The North Carolina attorney general took over the case’s prosecution and determined that unreliable witnesses, a lack of DNA and contradictions in witness statements amounted to a “rush to accuse,” and the lacrosse players were innocent. The case was dismissed in 2007.
However, the Duke lacrosse program was scarred. Two of the exonerated players ended up transferring to other universities.
In October 2008, Mangum spoke publicly and refused to admit that she made up the story. She said she intended to get justice for herself.
But, this week, in an interview with the online show called Let’s Talk with Kat, Mangum said, “I testified falsely against them by saying that they raped me when they didn’t and that was wrong, and I betrayed the trust of a lot of people who believed in me. I made up the story that wasn’t true because I wanted validation from people and not from God and that was wrong.”
Mangum hopes the men will forgive her. She won’t face perjury charges due to the statute of limitations expiring in North Carolina.
‘Risk and uncertainty’ as Syrian rebels oust Assad after decades in power
Syrian rebels oust dictator Bashar al-Assad, who has fled the country after nearly 25 years in power. And the suspected killer of a health care CEO in New York City is still at-large after eluding a massive manhunt for almost a week. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Monday, Dec. 9, 2024.
‘Risk and uncertainty’ as Syrian rebels oust Assad after decades in power
It’s the dawn of a new era in Syria. After more than a decade of civil war in the country, President Bashar al-Assad was ousted after rebel groups overtook the capital in a coup on Sunday, Dec. 8.
Now Syria and its people are left with the question of what comes next as countries around the world, including the United States, react to the changing landscape.
Syrians could be seen celebrating in the streets as word spread that Assad had fled the country. State media reported the president and his family landed in Russia Sunday evening and Assad has been granted political asylum in Moscow.
The toppled leader, who had been in power since 2000 and whose family had ruled for five decades, was forced to vacate after rebel forces quickly captured city after city leading to them taking control of Damascus.
Since the civil war broke out in the wake of the pro-democracy Arab Spring demonstrations of 2011, Assad’s forces have been accused of brutal severe human rights violations, including using chemical weapons against their people. They’ve been held responsible for the deaths of more than 5,000 people and the displacement of millions of others.
The rebels who led to Assad’s ouster were headed by Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the leader of the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Jolani called the coup “a victory for the whole Islamic nation.”
Jolani’s group used to be linked to Al Qaeda. Though it has cut those ties, the U.S. still designates it a terrorist group.
President Joe Biden spoke from the White House Sunday, calling the end of Assad’s regime a “fundamental act of justice.” Biden added the U.S. will support Syria’s neighbors Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq should any threat arise from this period of transition.
Biden referred to this as a time of “risk and uncertainty.”
“We will remain vigilante. Make no mistake, some of the rebel groups that took down Assad have their own grim record of terrorism and human rights abuses,” Biden said. “We’ve taken note of statements by the leaders of these rebel groups in recent days and they’re saying the right things now. But as they take on greater responsibility, we will assess not just their words but their actions.”
Biden said Assad’s downfall came in part due to allies Iran, Russia and Hezbollah being weaker today than when Biden began his term.
President-elect Donald Trump issued a statement on his Truth Social platform Sunday, saying Iran and Russia are in weakened states right now and calling for the end of the war in Ukraine. However, in a post on Saturday, Dec. 7, Trump said the U.S. should not get involved with Syria, saying, “This is not our fight. Let it play out.”
Iran’s president said it is up to the Syrian people to decide the future of their country.
Amid the time of transition in Syria, the U.S. showed it will continue its efforts against ISIS in the region. U.S. Central Command said it launched a series of airstrikes Sunday targeting ISIS camps and leaders in central Syria, confirming 75 “targets” had been hit. U.S. officials said it will not allow ISIS to take advantage of the current situation in Syria.
Trump promises to pardon Jan. 6 rioters on first day in office
In his first network TV interview since winning the election, President-elect Trump touched on some of his biggest campaign promises and his plans to start following through with them immediately when he takes office in January.
In an interview with NBC News’ Kristen Welker for Sunday’s “Meet the Press,” Trump said, “A lot of it will have to do with economics. A lot’s gonna do with energy. A lot’s having to do with the border. We’re gonna immediately strengthen up the border and do a real job.”
Trump also doubled down on his promise to pardon Americans jailed for their role in the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, saying they had no other choice than to plead guilty. Department of Justice records show more than 1,500 people have been arrested or charged in connection with that attack and nearly 900 have pleaded guilty.
While Trump said he will not tell his nominees for FBI director and attorney general to go after his political rivals, he did share his opinion on what should happen to lawmakers who were on the House’s select committee to investigate January 6.
“Everybody on that committee, for what they did, honestly, they should go to jail,” he said.
After that interview, former Congresswoman Liz Cheney (R-WY), who was on the committee, issued a statement saying, “Donald Trump’s suggestion that members of congress who later investigated his illegal and unconstitutional actions should be jailed is a continuation of his assault on the rule of law and the foundations of our republic.”
Trump did reiterate multiple times during Sunday’s interview he has no plans to go after political rivals, but as we’ve reported here at Straight Arrow News, President Biden is considering preemptive pardons for Cheney and others who were part of the House Jan. 6 investigation, as well as Dr. Anthony Fauci and Special Counsel Jack Smith.
Police release new images of suspect in NYC deadly shooting
The manhunt for the killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson enters a new week.
Over the weekend, the NYPD released new images of the apparent suspect. Police identify the man in the pictures as “a person of interest” wanted for questioning for the fatal shooting outside a Hilton hotel Wednesday, Dec. 4.
One image shows the masked man in the back of a taxi. Another shows him walking on the sidewalk outside a vehicle. Police are hoping these images, along with others released last week, will help lead to the gunman.
Authorities reportedly traveled to Atlanta on Saturday, Dec. 7, and have been searching a lake near Central Park. On Friday night, Dec. 6, reports said investigators found a backpack believed to belong to the shooter. Inside they found two items: a Tommy Hilfiger jacket and Monopoly money.
Jay-Z accused of raping 13-year-old girl alongside Diddy
Music mogul Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, has been accused of raping a 13-year-old girl alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs. In a civil suit filed Sunday, the anonymous accuser claimed the assault happened in 2000 at an MTV Video Music Awards after-party.
The federal lawsuit was originally filed in October only listing Combs as a defendant, but it was refiled Sunday to include Carter.
Jay-Z, who is married to Beyonce, denied the accusation and said in a statement directed at the attorney who filed the suit, “These allegations are so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one!!”
Combs’ lawyer also responded, calling the suit a “shameless” publicity stunt.
In September, federal prosecutors in New York criminally charged Combs with racketeering, sex trafficking and other offenses. He is in jail awaiting trial, which is scheduled to start May 5.
Kennedy Center honors Coppola, Grateful Dead, The Apollo
President Biden was among those in attendance — a tradition President Trump did not continue during his first term in office, saying he did not want to be a political distraction as some attendees had threatened to boycott his appearance. As Trump gets ready to start his second term in office, there are questions about whether federal funding for the arts might be on the chopping block.
Reports: Juan Soto, Mets agree on largest contract in pro sports history
Former New York Yankees star outfielder Juan Soto is staying in the Big Apple, but moving leagues in reportedly the largest deal in professional sports history.
But should Soto decide not to opt out, his pay will reportedly go up an extra $4 million a year for the remainder of the deal — meaning in the end, this could be an over $800 million deal.
The agreement also reportedly includes a $75 million signing bonus. Soto’s deal surpasses the record set just last year by Shohei Ohtani’s 10-year, $700 million contract.
Note: The headline has been corrected to Assad. A previous version had the incorrect name.
Three U.S. Army soldiers stationed at Fort Cavazos, Texas, face federal charges for an alleged human smuggling operation near the southern border. The soldiers allegedly conspired to transport undocumented individuals from Mexico and Guatemala into the United States.
U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested Emilio Mendoza Lopez, Angel Palma, 20, and Enrique Jauregui, 25, after a November incident in Presidio, Texas, court documents revealed.
On Nov. 27, agents attempted to stop a vehicle near the U.S.-Mexico border. The driver, allegedly Palma, fled the scene after striking a CBP vehicle and injuring an agent inside. Authorities later stopped the vehicle and detained four individuals, including Mendoza Lopez and three undocumented individuals — a Mexican national and two Guatemalan nationals.
Investigators said Mendoza Lopez and Palma traveled from Fort Cavazos to Presidio to pick up and transport the noncitizens.
Jauregui allegedly recruited and facilitated the smuggling operation. Evidence extracted from Palma’s phone reportedly showed messages indicating collaboration among the three soldiers.
Mendoza Lopez attended an initial court appearance on Dec. 2 in Alpine, Texas. Officials charged him with one count of bringing in and harboring noncitizens. Palma and Jauregui, who were arrested on Dec. 3 at Fort Cavazos, face the same charge, along with an additional count of assaulting a federal agent. Both are scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 6 in Waco, Texas.
If convicted, the soldiers face significant penalties.
Fort Cavazos officials confirmed the arrests and stated they are cooperating fully with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The investigation remains ongoing by Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division.
DC accuses Amazon of ‘secretly’ excluding zip codes from 2-day delivery
Amazon is accused of “secretly” excluding “historically underserved” areas of Washington, D.C., from high-speed delivery with Prime. The lawsuit brought by Attorney General Brian Schwalballeges the e-commerce giant kept two zip codes from getting the fastest delivery service promoted with Amazon Prime while still charging those residents the full-price fee.
This lawsuit claimed the company stopped using its Amazon trucks to service Wards 7 and 8 in June 2022. Instead, the company used outside carriers like USPS and UPS.
The nation’s capital is divided into eight wards, each with roughly 75,000 residents. Wards 7 and 8 consist of areas mostly east of the Anacostia River. Those two wards traditionally have the most violent crime in the city, according to Washington government data analyzed by CrimeDataDC.com.
The lawsuit said before Amazon made the decision, more than 72% of Prime deliveries in the two wards reached their destination within two days. That number fell to 24% by 2023 after the company started restricting drivers in the area. Meanwhile, the rest of Washington D.C. maintained a rate of 74% for two-day deliveries.
The lawsuit said Amazon never notified Prime members in the affected areas that they were excluded from two-day deliveries. The attorney general said when users in the affected wards complained to Amazon about slow delivery times, representatives would say it was “never on purpose” or imply they were one-time occurrences caused by circumstances outside Amazon’s control.
“Amazon is charging tens of thousands of hard-working Ward 7 and 8 residents for an expedited delivery service it promises but does not provide,” Schwalb said in a statement. “While Amazon has every right to make operational changes, it cannot covertly decide that a dollar in one zip code is worth less than a dollar in another.”
In response to the suit, Amazon said it is “categorically false” that its actions are “discriminatory or deceptive.”
“We want to be able to deliver as fast as we possibly can to every zip code across the country, however, at the same time we must put the safety of delivery drivers first,” Amazon Spokesperson Kelly Nantel said in a statement to Straight Arrow News. “In the zip codes in question, there have been specific and targeted acts against drivers delivering Amazon packages. We made the deliberate choice to adjust our operations, including delivery routes and times, for the sole reason of protecting the safety of drivers.”
Wards 7 and 8 have large Black populations. Back in 2016, a Bloomberg investigation found Black residents were “about half as likely” to be eligible for Amazon same-day delivery. In response to that investigation, Amazon expanded same-day delivery in cities including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and Washington.