Biden’s Secretary of State Blinken has Family Ties with George Soros

George Soros, Sali Berish, Tony Blinken

Biden’s Secretary of State Tony Blinken has ties to George Soros through his parents. Now Blinken is being brought before an international court for his actions with Albania.

Secretary of State Tony Blinken is a total disaster. His actions in Afghanistan to turn over the protection of US troops in the country to the Taliban and hand over $84 billion in arms and military equipment and airplanes was the worst surrender in US history. It is the worst because it wasn’t necessary. It was a total disaster.

Now we are expecting a horrible deal with Iran worked out by Blinken that could be even worse. The worst deal in US history is coming perhaps this week.

The Southern border is a mess. The US is getting itself into a mess in Ukraine thanks to Blinken. How could Blinken be so terrible? The reason is that it appears intentional. There really is no other explanation.

We recently discovered information on what may help explain Blinken’s actons… his parents are close to George Soros.

President Trump’s former Senior Advisor for National Security and Foreign Policy, Richard Grenell, penned an article in November of 2021 that was published by the ACLJ. This story begins with a tweet from Blinken.

There was no reason for this act by Blinken. Also, Berisha is known as a man who stood up against communism in the former communist country. Berisha fought back.

It turns out Blinken’s parents are supporters of George Soros’s Open Society. Grenell writes:

Berisha has slammed the actions by the State Department as the work of radical Left billionaire George Soros and his Open Society, an organization that claims to promote transparency and human rights in the Balkans. The ACLJ and our international affiliate, the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ), have been exposing Soros’s outsized, radical – and what some might call corrupt – influence on the world stage.

Berisha’s claims regarding Secretary Blinken and Soros should not be dismissed so quickly. The U.S. Secretary of State’s parents, Vera and Donald Blinken, have repeatedly donated to Open Society, even creating a permanent endowment at a European-based data archive that carries their name – The Vera and Donald Blinken Open Society Archives.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/03/no-wonder-us-foreign-policy-nightmare-bidens-secretary-state-blinken-family-ties-george-soros/

WA Governor Jay Inslee and Democrat Officials Served with Second Round of Affidavits Demanding an End to All Vaccine Mandates and a Forensic Audit of the 2020 Election

Last March 4, 2022, the Washington State Tea Room, a monumental state-wide movement, attempted to serve Washington state officials with over 30,000 lawful affidavits from the Citizens of Washington demanding an end to all mandates and requesting a forensic audit of the 2020 election.

Speaking to the Gateway Pundit, the founder of WA State Tea Room, Brianna Mattes said, “this recent serving is the first of two in the first phase of our mission.”

Inslee’s office refused to accept service or sign for the documents as well as the AG Fergusons office, Jinkins’ office, Murray, and Cantwell’s offices. Only Lt. Governor Heck’s office signed for the documents and took service.

On March 24, Governor Inslee’s office and others took service with the second round of affidavits after failing to respond. Speaker of the house Laurie Jinkins, and Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell continue to refuse service.

“We have now officially served the Governor of WA State, Jay Inslee, the Lt Governor, Denny Heck, and our Attorney General, Bob Ferguson with both batches of signed and notarized documents, meant for them. The holdouts continue to be our Speaker of the House, Laurie Jinkins, our US senator, Patty Murray, and our junior US senator, Maria Cantwell. But after the ease of yesterday’s servings it is now becoming quite ludicrous that these 3 government employees are still refusing to be served and doing absolutely nothing to facilitate that, which is our constitutional right,” Washington State Tea Room Founder, Brianna Mattes told the Gateway Pundit.

“I hope further publicity will grease that wheel so that we can complete this phase of the process and move on to the phases to come. But that being said, we will not blink first on this. They will be served their documents, as it is the right of the people of WA to do so, or they will be shown refusing repeatedly, which comes with consequences. Because as elected officials they do not have the right to do that,” Mattes continued.

Read their news release below:

March 24th, 2022 Brianna Mattes and Washington State Tea Room Process Servers arrived in Olympia, Washington to serve Jay Inslee, Denny Heck, and Bob Fergusons offices with the 2nd round of affidavits; the Notices of Dishonor. The 2nd round of affidavits came after Washington State leadership failed to respond to the Notices of Claim served on March 4th, 2022.

The Washington State Tea Room had set up an appointment with Governor Jay Inslee’s office for service. When the Process Servers arrived the Washington State Patrol was present to greet them and helped with the delivery of the boxes of affidavits to the Governor’s office. Lt. Governor Denny Heck’s office and Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s office also accepted service the same day.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/03/wa-governor-jay-inslee-democrat-officials-served-second-round-affidavits-demanding-end-vaccine-mandates/

Maricopa County Supervisors Refuse To Attend Meeting After Arizona State Senate Issues New 2020 Election Subpoena

Arizona State Senator Kelly Townsend issued a new subpoena to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors last week, commanding them to testify before the Senate Government Committee on Monday, March 28th at 4 pm.

The Supervisors were also commanded to produce the unfulfilled items that were recently requested by the Arizona Attorney General’s Election Integrity Unit on March 9th, 2022.

The Gateway Pundit reported that Maricopa County received a renewed request for information that was withheld from previous requests.

Last week, President Trump released a statement saying, “now is finally the time for the Arizona Attorney General to issue warrants and take his investigation to the next level.”

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich has done nothing to hold these criminals accountable.

Townsend’s subpoena requested the items withheld from Brnovich and testimony to “answer questions regarding the delay in fulfilling the Attorney General’s requests, dated March 9th, 2022.”

The subpoena states, “Upon receipt, the Senate Government Committee will immediately deliver the information to the Attorney General’s office under sealed and confidential transmission.”

The committee will also ask questions related to Dr. Shiva Ayyaduriai’s signature verification analysis which found over 200,000 ballots with signature issues that needed to be ‘cured’ but only 25,000 ‘cured’ ballots were reported in the 2020 Election results.

Maricopa County Chairman Bill Gates responded to this request stating that outside counsel will represent the County at tomorrow’s meeting. He also claimed that this subpoena was “not authorized or approved” by Senate President Karen Fann.

Arizona law authorizes the chairman of any legislative committee to issue a legal and enforceable subpoena. Senator Townsend is chairman of the Senate Government Committee.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/03/maricopa-county-supervisors-refuse-attend-meeting-arizona-state-senate-issues-new-2020-election-subpoena/

Kremlin Threatens To Halt Supplies As G7 Ministers Reject "Unacceptable" Demand To Pay For Gas In Rubles

Update(9:01ET): Russia on Monday has issued a firm and unyielding response to G-7 ministers who had dismissed as "unacceptable" its plan to only accept ruble payments for Russian gas going to "unfriendly" nations.

Earlier Monday German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said from Berlin that the Kremlin demand for natural gas contracts to be paid in rubles is a "one-sided and clear breach of contracts" - saying the contracts must be honored under prior conditions, according to Bloomberg. "That means that a payment in rubles is not acceptable and we urge the relevant companies not to comply with Putin’s demand," Habeck said. "Putin’s effort to drive a wedge between us is obvious but you can see that we won’t allow ourselves to be divided and the answer from the G-7 is clear: the contracts will be honored."

The Kremlin's quick shooting down of the German economy minister's comments and the G-7's stance on the ruble came Monday via a Russian lawmaker to state-run RIA Novosti: "Russian lawmaker Abramov says G7's refusal to pay in Russian roubles for gas will definitely lead to a halt in supplies."

Elsewhere the Kremlin said it's not running a "charity" - according to TASS:

Moscow is handling the details of its gas delivery plans to unfriendly countries for payment in rubles, but it won’t engage in charity if Europe refuses to pay in the Russian currency, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday.

…The Kremlin spokesman remained tight-lipped on what measures Russia might take if Europe refused to pay for gas in rubles, noting that these "issues should be sorted out as they develop." "But we will definitely not supply gas for free, that’s for sure. It is hardly possible and reasonable to engage in charity in our situation," he emphasized.

Putin has reportedly set a deadline for days away…

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/here-are-all-latest-news-and-developments-ukraine-war-march-28

Russia labels German state broadcaster ‘foreign agent’

Access to Deutsche Welle outlet was blocked by Moscow in February

Germany’s state-sponsored broadcaster Deutsche Welle is now considered a “foreign agent” under Russian law after the Ministry of Justice in Moscow included it on the register on Monday.

“Following the requirements of the current legislation of the Russian Federation, the Russian Ministry of Justice included Deutsche Welle into the register of foreign media outlets acting as a foreign agent,” the ministry said in an official statement. It added that the decision had been made “on the basis of documents received from authorized state authorities.”

The branding of Deutsche Welle as a foreign agent will force the German media to put a corresponding disclaimer on all of its content. The decision also obliges the broadcaster to fully disclose information regarding its funding – and Russian authorities will now closely monitor DW’s activities in the country.

Director-General of Deutsche Welle Peter Limbourg commented on the decision on Monday, saying it was expected. Limbourg called it “another step to attack the freedom of the press and a new attempt to cut off the Russian population from free information.”

Last month, in retaliation for Berlin blocking Russia’s channel RT DE, the Kremlin imposed a ban on DW in Russia. The German channel was cut off from broadcasting on the territory of Europe’s largest country. All staff members at DW’s Russian office were stripped of their press credentials.

“Even though our website and most social media channels have been blocked by the Putin government in recent days, people in Russia can find a variety of ways to circumvent censorship,” Limbourg said.

https://www.rt.com/news/552860-deutsche-welle-foreign-agent/

Fort Hood Soldiers Sentenced in Texas Human Smuggling Operation

Two active-duty soldiers with the U.S. Army stationed at the Fort Hood base in Texas were ordered to federal prison on Friday for “conspiring to transport” undocumented immigrants within the state, U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery said in a statement

The soldiers, Isaiah Gore, 21, and Denerio Williams, 22, pleaded guilty in December 2021. They were given 30- and 24-month terms, respectively, and will have to serve three years of supervised release following their sentences, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.

An investigation found that Gore recruited people to pick up undocumented immigrants, and Williams and other co-conspirators served as drivers, who then took the immigrants elsewhere in Texas for money.

In June 2021, authorities caught soldiers wearing their U.S. Army uniforms while smuggling undocumented immigrants in the trunk of a vehicle at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint in Hebbronville, Texas, bringing the operation to light, the release said.

U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo on Friday noted that, as soldiers, Gore and Williams were “not the average citizen,” which justified a tougher sentence. She emphasized that everyone involved knew that wearing a uniform would help them evade detection or arrest.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Gore has been discharged from the Army. Both Gore and Williams remained out on bond and will be allowed to voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility “to be determined in the near future,” the release said.

https://www.ntd.com/fort-hood-soldiers-sentenced-in-texas-human-smuggling-operation_757894.html

Anthony Fauci: Americans Should Be Ready for Possibility of a ‘More Rigid Type of Restriction’

Dr. Anthony Fauci over the weekend said Americans need to be “flexible enough to pivot” back to a world with restrictions in place — “more rigid” restrictions, specifically — due to the Chinese coronavirus.

Fauci has used recent media appearances to warn Americans that while trends appear to be going in the right direction, they need to be prepared to bring back coronavirus-era restrictions if public health officials deem it necessary. President Biden’s medical adviser made the same remark during an appearance on BBC’s Sunday Morning program as well, warning that people must be prepared for “a more rigid type of restriction.”

However, he said he does not want to use the word “lockdown” as it is too controversial.

“I don’t want to use the word ‘lockdown’ as that has a charged element to it, but I believe that we must keep our eye on the pattern of what we’re seeing with infections right now,” Fauci said, adding that “we need to be prepared for the possibility that we would have another variant that would come along and then things change.”

“And if we do get a variance that does give us an uptick in cases and hospitalization, we should be prepared and flexible enough to pivot towards going back – at least temporarily – to a more rigid type of restrictions, such as requiring masks indoors,” he said, echoing the sentiments he has offered over the past months.

“You can go ahead and continue to tiptoe towards normality, which is what we’re doing, but at the same time, be aware that you may have to reverse,” Fauci said earlier this month.

Fauci’s remarks on Sunday Morning come days after Hawaii became the final state in the nation to official lift its indoor mask mandate.

He appeared to make another flip flop over the weekend as well, as the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) director told WUSA9 that we have “actually gone beyond the pandemic phase and beyond the deceleration stage” in the pandemic, despite the fact that he said the world was just in the first phase of the pandemic mere months ago, in January 2022. What is more, last week Fauci told ABC News’s George Stephanopoulos we “have a way to go” in the pandemic:

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/03/28/anthony-fauci-americans-should-be-ready-for-possibility-of-a-more-rigid-type-of-restriction/

Remember The Pizzagate Shooter Case? Ketanji Brown Jackson Was The Judge

Edgar Maddison Welch was sentenced to roughly 4 years in prison after he reportedly fired an AR-15 inside of Comet Pizza…

The judge presiding over the case? None other than Ketanji Brown Jackson—Biden’s SCOTUS nominee.

Normally, I wouldn’t even think to mention this. While many people suspect that Comet Ping-Pong is a staging ground for child sex trafficking operations no one yet has definitive proof.

Welch’s alleged actions were therefore just too much. If we had definite proof that Comet Pizza is 100% a front for child trafficking then it would be a different story…

So what’s the big deal?

None of this would matter if Jackson did not have a troubling history of leniency towards convicted pedophiles…

Welch’s lawyer asked for a reduced sentence of 18 months, as opposed to the 4 years that Jackson gave him.

Why is she so keen on showing leniency to convicted child predators, but not for someone who tried to remedy that problem—however flawed his methods may have been?

Which one is worse, a convicted pedophile distributing child pornography, or a potentially unstable man trying to root out what he sees as a high profile pedophile ring?

Welch may be wrong in what he did, and he may even be right in what he did, but no one can call him evil or a social sickness—the most we can say is that his actions were reckless.

Contrast this with the pedophiles Jackson is letting off easy, and we really have to wonder what her actual intentions are behind an ideological position revealed by her pattern of sentencing.

Many were surprised by the recently resurfaced connection between Jackson and the Edgar Maddison Welch case:

https://libertywire.net/remember-the-pizzagate-shooter-case-ketanji-brown-jackson-was-the-judge/

CIA Officer Openly Confesses To Rigging 2020 Election For Joe Biden And Says They Would Do It Again

A CIA officer has confessed that the ‘Deep State’ rigged the 2020 election in Joe Biden’s favor, and has boldly admitted that the agency would do it again.

Former CIA officer John Sipher claimed in a stunning Twitter thread that he took “particular joy” in discrediting the Hunter Biden “laptop from hell” narrative and enthusiastically admitted to “shifting” the election away from Trump.

Sipher was among the many “intelligence experts” who falsely claimed the Hunter Biden laptop story from the New York Post back in October of 2020 was part of a “Russian disinformation campaign.”

Redvoicemedia.com reports: A March 18th report from the New York Post mentioned how Sipher was among those “officials” who’d “signed a letter saying that the laptop ‘has the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.’”

Yet, these 51 purported intelligence experts didn’t have any evidence to back up their assertions at the time – they were merely operating off a convenient hunch that happened to behoove the Biden campaign right before the election.

This letter they’d all signed on to was published on October 19th of 2020, a mere five days after the New York Post dropped the bombshell story on the laptop that has since been validated by a myriad of outlets – to include the New York Times.

Clearly, the massive cover-up and attempts to discredit a valid report by clamoring about Russia during an election year had some consequences.

Come March 27th, Grenell shared a screenshot of Sipher’s Twitter account, writing, “lol. He signed the letter saying Hunter’s laptop was Russian disinformation.”

“I take special pride in personally swinging the election away from Trump. You’re welcome. Maybe cowardly Dick forgot he blocked me for the last several years and only unblocked me to give me credit for swinging the election.”

https://en-volve.com/2022/03/28/bombshell-cia-officer-openly-confesses-to-rigging-2020-election-for-joe-biden-and-says-they-would-do-it-again/

Alaska Hands Over Elections to Corrupt Democrats – Upcoming Election Will Have All Mail-In Ballots and No Signature Check

The state of Alaska is handing over its elections to the most corrupt politicians in the state. No longer will free and fair elections exist in Alaska.

To have valid election results you need to ensure that all the ballots counted in the process are valid. We learned this in the 2020 Election when millions of invalid ballots were inserted into the election for Joe Biden. Now the state of Alaska wants to hand over its election process to the most corrupt politicians out there.

In the upcoming election in Alaska, two major changes will take effect that will destroy free and fair elections in the state forever. According to Joel Davidson at Alaska Watch:

Alaska’s Division of Elections will not verify the authenticity of voter signatures on the ballots cast in the upcoming June 11 special statewide primary to replace Rep. Don Young.

“There is no statutory authority to verify signatures, but voters will have to provide witness signatures,” a March 25 email from Alaska’s Division of Elections stated.

Since this will be the first time Alaska has ever conducted a statewide mail-in election, concerns have been raised about how the state will ensure that voters are who they claim to be.

Nationally, the most common way of verifying mail-in ballots is to have elections officials verify that a voter’s signature matches the signature on file with the division of elections.

The state won’t pass bills that prevent voter fraud through the verification of signatures.

Multiple bills have been introduced in the current legislative session to address voter integrity issues, including voter signature verification, but they have languished in various House and Senate committee assignments. Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer submitted legislation to the current Legislature to address this issue, but his Senate Bill 167 has languished in the Senate State Affairs Committee since Jan. 18th with no movement. Several other bills dealing with voter signature verification have been introduced, including House Bill 96 by Gov. Mike Dunleavy. That bill has stalled in the House State Affairs Committee.

Because of this, the upcoming election will be mail-in ballots but no signatures will be checked. What could go wrong?

http://www.stationgossip.com/2022/03/alaska-hands-over-elections-to-corrupt.html

Report: Russian and Ukrainian negotiators poisoned during peace talks

Two Ukrainian negotiators and a Russian businessman assisting in the negotiations with Russia were intentionally poisoned during a round of peace talks at the start of this month, a report first revealed Monday.

The Wall Street Journal reported Russian businessman Roman Abramovich, Ukrainian lawmaker Rustem Umerov and another member of the Ukrainian delegation developed poisoning symptoms after peace talks in the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv. People familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal that after the peace talks, Abramovich and the two Ukrainian delegation members developed symptoms including red eyes, and tearing and peeling of the skin on their faces and hands — all of which are consistent with poisoning by chemical weapons.

The investigative publication Bellingcat tweeted that it had confirmed Abramovich and the two Ukrainian delegates experienced poisoning symptoms.

Bellingcat tweeted that after symptoms manifested for Abramovich and the two Ukrainians, one of the publication’s investigators “was asked to help provide an examination by chemical weapons specialists.”

“Based on remote and on-site examinations, the experts concluded that the symptoms are most likely the result of international poisoning with an undefined chemical weapon,” Bellingcat tweeted.

“An alternative less likely hypothesis was use of microwave irradiation. The symptoms gradually subsided in the course of the following week,” Bellingcat added. “The three men experiencing the symptoms consumed only chocolate and water in the hours before the symptoms appeared. A fourth member of the team who also consumed these did not experience symptoms.”

Christo Grozev, an investigator with Bellingcat told the Wall Street Journal the poisoning incident “was not intended to kill, it was just a warning.”

Sources for the Wall Street Journal blamed the potential poisoning symptoms on Russian hard-liners opposed to the peace talks. All three alleged poisoning victims have seen their symptoms improve and are no longer in danger.

Last week, the Wall Street Journal previously reported Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reportedly told U.S. President Joe Biden not to sanction Abramovich, as he was proving useful in peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Abramovich reportedly has longstanding ties to Russia’s Kremlin, but has been working to help end the fighting between Russia and Ukraine since the early days of Russia’s invasion.

Wall Street Journal’s sources said Zelenskyy, who met with Abramovich, was not harmed. A spokesman for Zelenskyy said the president had no information about any suspected poisoning.

Western experts who looked into the alleged poisoning incident said they could not yet determine if the symptoms were caused by a chemical or biological agent, or even by an electromagnetic-radiation attack.

Russia’s Kremlin did not respond to a Wall Street Journal request for comment on the allegations.

https://americanmilitarynews.com/2022/03/report-russian-and-ukrainian-negotiators-poisoned-during-peace-talks/

How Swiss markets help pay for Russia's war in Ukraine

Commodity markets are in the spotlight as Russia keeps selling its oil and gas through specialized dealers in Switzerland. The business brings in billions of dollars that could be used to fight the war in Ukraine.

Hidden away in the Alps, Switzerland is known for being a major banking center. Commodity trading, on the other hand, makes fewer headlines, but this business is much more important. This may seem strange for a country far away from major trade routes, without access to the ocean and without former colonies or any significant raw materials of its own. Still, the country is one of the world's most important trading centers for raw materials.

"In Switzerland, the industry has a significantly larger share of gross domestic product than tourism or the machine industry," Oliver Classen, from the Swiss nongovernmental organization Public Eye, told DW.

Huge transactions are made here in near secrecy. According to a government report from 2018, the trade volume processed via Switzerland was estimated at almost $1 trillion (€906 billion). The five largest Swiss companies in terms of sales are not banks or pharmaceutical companies, but commodity traders. Most of the 900 companies active in commodity trading are based in Geneva, Zug or Lugano.

Russian commodities often go through Switzerland

About one-third of the oil traded worldwide is bought and sold in Geneva. Likewise, two-thirds of the global trade in base metals such as zinc, copper and aluminum, and two-thirds of internationally traded grains are processed in Switzerland.

Russia, with all its oil and gas, is no stranger to the country. According to a report by the Swiss embassy in Moscow, around 80% of Russian raw materials are sold via Switzerland.

Business

How Swiss markets help pay for Russia's war in Ukraine

Commodity markets are in the spotlight as Russia keeps selling its oil and gas through specialized dealers in Switzerland. The business brings in billions of dollars that could be used to fight the war in Ukraine.

A Russian oil pump in Tatarstan

Russia continues to pump and sell its oil and gas with abandon despite war in Ukraine

Hidden away in the Alps, Switzerland is known for being a major banking center. Commodity trading, on the other hand, makes fewer headlines, but this business is much more important. This may seem strange for a country far away from major trade routes, without access to the ocean and without former colonies or any significant raw materials of its own. Still, the country is one of the world's most important trading centers for raw materials.

"In Switzerland, the industry has a significantly larger share of gross domestic product than tourism or the machine industry," Oliver Classen, from the Swiss nongovernmental organization Public Eye, told DW.

Huge transactions are made here in near secrecy. According to a government report from 2018, the trade volume processed via Switzerland was estimated at almost $1 trillion (€906 billion). The five largest Swiss companies in terms of sales are not banks or pharmaceutical companies, but commodity traders. Most of the 900 companies active in commodity trading are based in Geneva, Zug or Lugano.

Russian commodities often go through Switzerland

About one-third of the oil traded worldwide is bought and sold in Geneva. Likewise, two-thirds of the global trade in base metals such as zinc, copper and aluminum, and two-thirds of internationally traded grains are processed in Switzerland.

Russia, with all its oil and gas, is no stranger to the country. According to a report by the Swiss embassy in Moscow, around 80% of Russian raw materials are sold via Switzerland.

Swiss demonstrators showing solidarity for Ukraine

Many have taken to the streets across Europe to demand an end to the war in Ukraine

Oil and gas exports are the main source of income for President Vladimir Putin. Together they make up between 30%-40% of the Russian state budget. In 2021 alone, Russian state-owned companies earned around $180 billion from oil exports.

With the war raging in Ukraine, Swiss politicians are becoming more critical. "Switzerland must now turn off the tap of Russian war financing," demanded Cedric Wermuth from the Swiss Social Democrats on SRF radio. Indeed, the country is in a unique position to cut off the commodity trade and the fortunes of rich Russians. So far, however, the sanctions imposed by the EU and the US have not affected trade in raw materials, even though American will no longer import Russian oil.

https://www.dw.com/en/russia-and-its-war-in-ukraine-how-swiss-financial-efficiency-helps-support-russia/a-61201507

Rothschild funding both sides how original

Judge rules Trump's efforts to overturn election likely criminal

Former President Trump and his legal adviser, John Eastman, likely committed multiple federal crimes in their effort to prevent Congress from certifying President Biden's 2020 election victory, a federal judge ruled on Monday in a civil case involving subpoenas from the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.

In a 44-page decision about whether some of Eastman's private communications should be shielded from the panel, U.S. District Judge David Carter said that he found it "more likely than not" that the two engaged in criminal conduct.

"The illegality of the plan was obvious," Carter, who was appointed by former President Clinton, wrote. "Our nation was founded on the peaceful transition of power, epitomized by George Washington laying down his sword to make way for democratic elections. Ignoring this history, President Trump vigorously campaigned for the Vice President to single-handedly determine the results of the 2020 election."

Carter said there was enough evidence to find a likelihood that Trump committed at least two felonies: obstruction of an official proceeding, a serious charge that has been brought against hundreds of Capitol riot defendants, and conspiracy to defraud the United States.

However, the ruling has no direct bearing on whether Trump will face criminal charges over his efforts to undermine the 2020 results. Carter's decision came in a dispute over a subset of documents that the select committee had demanded in its subpoena.

The dispute centers on whether the documents are protected under attorney-client privilege. The select committee had argued that even where privilege applies, the judge should examine whether the documents in question fall under the crime-fraud exception, which exempts records that were used to further a crime or civil fraud.

Carter found that just one document in the tranche could be considered privileged if not for the crime-fraud exception.

The judge characterized that document as a draft memo that was prepared for Trump attorney and adviser Rudy Giuliani and forwarded to Eastman. Carter said the memo called for then-Vice President Pence to intervene during Congress's Jan. 6 certification to reject electors from states where the results had been contested by Trump and his allies.

"This may have been the first time members of President Trump’s team transformed a legal interpretation of the Electoral Count Act into a day-by-day plan of action," Carter wrote. "The draft memo pushed a strategy that knowingly violated the Electoral Count Act, and Dr. Eastman’s later memos closely track its analysis and proposal."

The judge ruled that ten of the documents in the subset were privileged and should be withheld, but ordered Eastman to turn over the other 101 records to congressional investigators.

https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/600020-judge-rules-trumps-efforts-to-overturn-election-likely-criminal

Biden unveils $5.8 trillion budget proposal with tax hikes, spending boosts

President Biden on Monday unveiled ambitious proposals to reduce the nation’s deficit over the next decade with tax hikes targeting the wealthy, while outlining boosts for military and domestic programs as part of a $5.8 trillion plan to fund the government for fiscal 2023.

The White House says that the fiscal 2023 budget, which includes a tax hike on billionaires and other reforms, would reduce the deficit by over $1 trillion over the next 10 years.

“Budgets are statements of values, and the budget I am releasing today sends a clear message that we value fiscal responsibility, safety and security at home and around the world, and the investments needed to continue our equitable growth and build a better America,” Biden said in a statement on the budget’s release.

Notably, the sweeping request avoids specific funding requests for Biden’s signature domestic policy proposal, Build Back Better, and instead includes a deficit neutral reserve fund as a placeholder for a future agreement between the administration and Congress.

“Because those discussions with Congress are ongoing, the budget does not include specific line items for investments associated with that future legislation,” Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young told reporters on a call Monday morning previewing the president’s request.

The budget also does not include measures to offset the costs of any future Build Back Better legislation.

Young said the budget incorporates the reserve fund and lays out Biden’s three principles for an agreement — that it slash costs for families, expand the economy’s productive capacity and reduce the deficit.

Negotiations over Biden’s domestic proposal collapsed last December when Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said he could not support the House-passed measure. The White House has been quiet about the status of negotiations with Congress since and it’s unclear whether renewed efforts to get a scaled-back package passed will be successful.

Asked about the status of talks, Young on Monday declined to get ahead of negotiations on Capitol Hill.

“The deficit neutral reserve fund is meant to leave the space, the revenue specifically, to allow congressional negotiators the room to do what President Biden has asked,” she said.

Presidential budgets are typically not passed by Congress, but they serve as a signal of the administration’s priorities for the coming fiscal year.

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/600012-biden-unveils-2023-budget-proposal-with-tax-hikes-spending-boosts