“Former U.S. Rep. George Santos on Friday lost a bid to get rid of part of the criminal case against him as he heads toward trial on charges that include defrauding campaign donors,” Politico reports.
Bonus Quote of the Day
“We in the Republican Party are the law and order team.”
— Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), quoted by the Shreveport Times, as Republicans gather at their convention to make a convicted felon their presidential nominee.
U.S. Begins Dropping Some Charges for Capitol Rioters
“Federal prosecutors have begun moving to drop charges accusing Jan. 6 defendants of obstructing Congress’s confirmation of the 2020 presidential election results, offering new plea deals after the Supreme Court last month restricted the government’s use of that count,” the Washington Post reports.
Don’t Make Assumptions on Political Violence
Timothy Snyder: “If a radical-right politician such as Donald Trump is the victim of an assassination attempt, should we not presume that the perpetrator is on the radical left?”
“No, we should not.”
“That sort of presumption, based on us-and-them thinking, is dangerous. It begins a chain of thinking that can lead to more violence. We are the victims, and they are the aggressors. We have been hurt, so it must have been them. No one thinking this way ever asks about the violence on one’s own side.”
“And this way of thinking is also very often erroneous. The history of the far right tells a different story, one in which violence often refracts within and around a political movement that endorses it.”
Trump Rally Shooter Was ‘Definitely Conservative’
A former classmate of the 20-year-old man who tried unsuccessfully to kill Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally recalled him being staunchly to the right on the political spectrum, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Said the classmate: “He was definitely conservative.”
GOP Candidate Charged After Bribing Challenger
“Former Republican attorney general candidate Frank Mylar was charged Wednesday for allegedly attempting to bribe opponent Trent Christensen with a job in the Utah attorney general’s office if Christensen endorsed Mylar and Mylar then won the 2024 primary election,” the Salt Lake Tribune reports.
GOP Candidate Accused of Throwing Tarantula at Woman
Marisa Christina Simonetti, a Republican candidate for the Hennepin County Board, was arrested and jailed after apparently throwing a tarantula at a woman who lived in the same house, KARE reports.
House GOP Pushes Deep Cuts to Law Enforcement
“House Republicans on Wednesday advanced legislation that would slash funding for the Department of Justice and U.S. attorneys’ offices across the country, the latest attempt by the GOP to punish federal law enforcement agencies that they claim have been weaponized against conservatives, especially former President Donald Trump,” the New York Times reports.
“The spending bill, approved along party lines by a subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, would cut funding for salaries and other expenses at the Justice Department by 20 percent, and for U.S. attorneys’ offices by 11 percent.”
Ex-GOP Lawmaker Pleads Guilty to ‘Child Sex Tourism’
Former North Dakota state Sen. Ray Holmberg (R) has signed an agreement indicating he will plead guilty to a “child sex tourism” charge, the North Dakota Monitor reports.
In the agreement, the longtime legislative leader acknowledges he repeatedly traveled to Prague, Czech Republic, for the purposes of engaging in commercial sex with adolescents under age 18, the document states.
Nevada Judge Dismisses Fake Electors Case
A Nevada judge has dismissed the charges filed against the six Nevada Republicans who submitted an invalid slate of electoral votes for Donald Trump in 2020, ruling that the county was not the appropriate jurisdiction for the case, the Nevada Independent reports.
Political Boss Attended Announcement of Indictment
“The Democratic political boss George Norcross had a front-row seat to the bombshell criminal allegations levied against him on Monday — literally,” Politico reports.
“Norcross arrived uninvited to the press conference hosted by New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin, who alleges Norcross is the leader of a longstanding criminal racket centered on South Jersey Democratic politics. The multi-millionaire political boss sat at the seat closest to the podium where Platkin spoke, staring him down alongside an entourage of defense attorneys, watching the entirety of the press conference.”
“The silver-haired Norcross has a legendary reputation in New Jersey politics. His power is concentrated in South Jersey, where for decades he has ruled Democratic politics with an iron fist, but his influence over lawmakers has the ability to make-or-break the legislative agenda of governors.”
Democratic Power Broker Charged With Racketeering
“George Norcross, New Jersey’s once-powerful Democratic kingmaker, was charged on Monday with racketeering along with five other defendants,“ the New York Times reports.
“The 13-count indictment unsealed by the attorney general accused the group of unlawfully obtaining property and property rights on the waterfront in Camden, N.J., collecting millions of dollars in government-issued tax credits, and controlling and influencing government officials.”
“The charges reinforce New Jersey’s already tarnished reputation for political corruption. The state’s senior senator, Robert Menendez, is his sixth week of trial, charged by federal prosecutors with accepting cash, gold bars and a Mercedes-Benz in exchange for his willingness to use his political clout to dole out favors for allies.”
Politico: “The charges against George Norcross are groundbreaking. He has long been the subject of scrutiny by law enforcement and a political task force, but has never been charged. The indictment, brought by Attorney General Matt Platkin, portrays years of extortion and threats.”
Families Move to Take Alex Jones’ Social Media Accounts
“Families of the Sandy Hook massacre victims moved to take over Alex Jones’ social media accounts on Thursday as a bankruptcy lawsuit over his estate moves into liquidation proceedings,” The Hill reports.
Capitol Rioters Have Paid Only a Fraction of Restitution
CBS News: “Hundreds of offenders who pleaded guilty or were convicted for their roles in the Capitol attack were ordered to pay for injuries to police officers who defended the Capitol and reimbursement to the architect of the Capitol.”
“Although the Justice Department and Capitol administrators have estimated the costs of cleanup and repairs were nearly $3,000,000, approximately 15% of the money has been paid back so far.”
Violent Crime Rate Falls Sharply
“Violent crime fell in the first quarter of 2024 by more than 15%, continuing its postpandemic decline nationwide,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“Homicides and reported rapes both declined about 26% in the first three months of 2024 compared with a year earlier, data from the FBI’s quarterly uniform crime report showed. Robberies were down about 18% and aggravated assault fell by about 13%, the FBI said. Reported property crime declined about 15%.”
The Ugly Truths About the Hunter Biden Trial
Ankush Khardori: “Almost every federal prosecutor — myself included — will at one point prosecute a case involving the unlawful purchase or possession of a firearm. Along with immigration and drug cases, gun charges are the bread and butter of federal prosecutors, for better or worse.
“These cases almost always result in convictions, but they usually end in plea deals, not jury verdicts. The statutes in this area are both broad and punitive, and the elements of the offenses are relatively easy to prove. As a result, there are very few credible lines of defense at trial, and the logic of a guilty plea — which ensures at least some time off of the ultimate sentence — tends to be inescapable.”
Politico: From a truck to a trash can to a stranger’s closet: The odd saga of Hunter Biden’s gun.
GOP Lawmakers Boo Capitol Police Over January 6
“Two former law enforcement officers who defended the U.S. Capitol from rioters during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection were jeered by state GOP lawmakers as they visited Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives on Wednesday,” the Washington Post reports.
George Santos Seeks Permission to Visit the Poconos
“George Santos, the former US congressman facing criminal charges, asked the judge in his case for permission to travel to the Poconos this summer,” Bloomberg reports.
“Santos asked US District Judge Joanna Seybert to modify his bail conditions so he can visit the Pennsylvania tourist destination without having to get prior approval from court officials. His current bail only allows him to spend time in Long Island, New York City and Washington DC.”
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