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Rioter Pardoned by Trump Found Guilty of Child Sex Abuse

February 11, 2026 at 4:34 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“A man who took part in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol and later pardoned by Donald Trump was found guilty on Tuesday of multiple child sexual abuse charges in Florida,” The Guardian reports.

Filed Under: Crime and Punishment

Crimes by ICE Agents Show Abuses of Power

February 11, 2026 at 9:55 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“At least two dozen U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees and contractors have been charged with crimes since 2020, and their documented wrongdoing includes patterns of physical and sexual abuse, corruption and other abuses of authority,” the AP reports.

Filed Under: Crime and Punishment, Immigration

Ghislaine Maxwell ‘Would Be Shot in the Back of the Head’

February 10, 2026 at 4:10 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) theorized that Ghislaine Maxwell, the associate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, would be “shot in the back of the head” if she was released from her 20-year prison sentence, NewsNation reports.

Said Burchett: “Maybe she gets out on good behavior and does a humongous book deal and probably ends up committing suicide by getting shot in the back of the head five times. Because I — this thing goes very deep and the people involved in it are very powerful.”

Filed Under: Crime and Punishment


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Daughter of Minnesota Candidate Fatally Stabbed

February 10, 2026 at 7:35 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A 22-year-old woman found fatally stabbed on Saturday night was the daughter of Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Jeff Jounson (R), Minnesota Public Radio reports.

Filed Under: Crime and Punishment

Pardoned Capitol Rioter Pleads Guilty

February 6, 2026 at 1:11 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“A New York man accused of threatening to kill House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries pleaded guilty Thursday, a year after President Donald Trump pardoned him for storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021,” the AP reports.

Filed Under: Crime and Punishment

Man Arrested for Trying to Murder Trump’s Budget Director

February 6, 2026 at 10:44 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Police have charged a Maryland man with attempted murder after he allegedly went to Office of Management and Budget director Russ Vought’s home,” CNN reports.

Filed Under: Crime and Punishment

FBI Chief Aiding Search for Savannah Guthrie’s Mother

February 4, 2026 at 10:20 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

FBI Director Kash Patel is heading to Tucson, Arizona, as President Trump deploys federal resources to find “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Axios reports.

Filed Under: Crime and Punishment

Man Gets Life Sentence in Trump Assassination Attempt

February 4, 2026 at 1:26 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Ryan Routh, a Honolulu man who was convicted of attempting to assassinate President Trump two months before the 2024 presidential election, was sentenced to life in prison, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Filed Under: Crime and Punishment

Jill Biden’s Ex-Husband Indicted for Murder

February 3, 2026 at 3:29 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

The ex-husband of former first lady Jill Biden has been indicted on a murder charge in the death of his current wife, CNN reports.

Filed Under: Biden Legacy, Crime and Punishment

Trump Had Unusual Call With FBI Agents After Search

February 2, 2026 at 11:56 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“By any measure, the FBI’s search of an election center in Fulton County, Ga., last week was extraordinary. Agents seized truckloads of 2020 ballots, as President Trump harnessed the levers of government to not only buttress his false claims of widespread voter fraud, but also to try to build a criminal case against those he believes wronged him,” the New York Times reports.

“What happened the next day was in some ways even more unusual.”

“Behind closed doors, Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, met with some of the same FBI agents, members of the bureau’s field office in Atlanta, which is conducting the election inquiry… Her continued presence has raised eyebrows given that her role overseeing the nation’s intelligence agencies does not include on-site involvement in criminal investigative work.”

“What occurred during the meeting was even further outside the bounds of normal law enforcement procedure. Ms. Gabbard used her cellphone to call Mr. Trump, who did not initially pick up but called back shortly after.”

Filed Under: Crime and Punishment, White House

Two Agents Identified in Alex Pretti Shooting

February 2, 2026 at 10:56 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

ProPublica published the names of the two federal agents who shot Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, with an editor’s note saying “few investigations deserve more sunlight and public scrutiny than this one.”

Filed Under: Crime and Punishment

Civil Rights Investigation Opened Into Alex Pretti Shooting

January 30, 2026 at 1:55 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The Justice Department opened a federal civil-rights probe into the death of Alex Pretti, the 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse fatally shot by Border Patrol officers last Saturday in Minneapolis,” NOTUS reports.

“Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Friday that the FBI is leading the investigation, with the involvement of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division.”

Filed Under: Crime and Punishment

Luigi Mangione Will Not Face the Death Penalty

January 30, 2026 at 10:54 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Luigi Mangione will not face the death penalty for allegedly fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, a federal judge ruled Friday, delivering a blow to prosecutors,” NBC News reports.

Filed Under: Crime and Punishment

House GOP Moves to Hold Clintons in Contempt

January 29, 2026 at 6:09 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The House Rules Committee is taking up resolutions Monday to hold Bill and Hillary Clinton in criminal contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with the Oversight Committee’s Jeffery Epstein investigation,” Punchbowl News reports.

“This could set up floor votes next week. That would be a huge political moment and put House Democrats in a difficult spot.”

“Democrats have seized on the national backlash over the Epstein files and used it to pummel President Donald Trump. But they may now have to vote on whether to hold a former president and secretary of state, both huge figures in the Democratic Party, in criminal contempt over the probe.”

Filed Under: Clinton Legacy, Crime and Punishment

Man Charged In Attack on Ilhan Omar

January 29, 2026 at 1:27 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

The Justice Department has charged a man who squirted apple cider vinegar on Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) at an event in Minneapolis, the AP reports.

Filed Under: Crime and Punishment

Fuck Around and Find Out

January 28, 2026 at 12:42 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Nine progressive prosecutors from cities around the country are launching a coalition to assist in prosecuting federal law enforcement officers who violate state laws,” the New York Times reports.

“The organization, which is called the Project for the Fight Against Federal Overreach… Its acronym, F.A.F.O., references a slang term for negative consequences…”

Filed Under: Crime and Punishment

Ilhan Omar Attacked at Town Hall

January 27, 2026 at 9:15 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A man attacked Rep. Ilhan Omar (D) while she was speaking during a Tuesday town hall meeting in Minneapolis, the Washington Post reports.

According to an initial police statement, the man used a syringe to spray an unknown liquid at Omar.

Filed Under: Crime and Punishment

Big Majority Want Federal Agents Brought to Justice

January 27, 2026 at 1:05 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A new YouGov poll finds 57% of voters, including 61% of independents and even 21% of Republicans, say the federal agents who killed Alex Pretti over the weekend should face criminal charges.

Filed Under: Crime and Punishment

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About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

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