Jewish voices rise up with concern following ICE killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis

The voices have included both progressive Jewish groups that regularly inveigh against right-wing policies and, increasingly, mainstream groups that say they represent American Jews.

After Alex Pretti was shot and killed on Saturday by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Jewish voices were among the many that quickly rose in condemnation.

The voices have included both progressive Jewish groups that regularly inveigh against right-wing policies and, increasingly, mainstream groups that say they represent American Jews from across the political spectrum.

The American Jewish Committee, for example, issued an extensive statement expressing concern following Pretti’s death.

“In the spirit of American Jewish Committee’s (AJC) enduring commitment to advancing democratic values in the United States and around the world, we are deeply concerned by the recent violence in Minneapolis and the loss of life connected to federal immigration enforcement actions,” wrote the AJC in a statement.

The Department of Homeland Security claimed that Border Patrol officers shot Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse at a VA hospital, after he “approached” them with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. Bystander video of the shooting appears to show that Pretti held a cellphone in his hand before he was wrestled to the ground by officers. He was shot multiple times.

Pretti’s death shortly followed the shooting death of another Minneapolis resident, Renee Good, by an ICE agent earlier this month.

“Regardless of one’s views on immigration policy and enforcement operations, the deaths of two US citizens are a grave outcome that highlights the need for a full review,” continued the AJC. “Overarching demonization of either protesters or federal law enforcement officials is neither accurate nor productive.”

Following the shooting, a “Havdalah of Hope” service organized by Temple Israel of Minneapolis was moved to Zoom out of an “abundance of caution,” according to an email from the synagogue’s Senior Rabbi Marcia Zimmerman.

“This morning, another shooting involving federal officers shook our city. Even as we await more information, we cannot look away from what is unfolding around us. This violence must come to an end,” Zimmerman wrote, according to TCJewfolk. “In the face of grief and fear, we do what our tradition has always taught us to do: we draw strength from community; we care for one another; we engage in the endless work of tikkun olam, repairing the world.”

During the Zoom services, Rabbi Arielle Lekach-Rosenberg of Shir Tikvah Congregation also read the names of Good and Victor Manuel Diaz, who died in ICE custody in Texas.

“We call for justice, and we pray that their memories will be an inspiration and a blessing,” Lekach-Rosenberg said.

The Jewish Council for Public Affairs also condemned Pretti’s shooting in a statement, writing, “Our Jewish values demand we speak with moral clarity: we know where unchecked power leads, and that true safety can never come through fear, militarization, or violence.”

“From Charlottesville to January 6th to Minneapolis, this administration has made clear that extremist violence is a tactic they are willing to give license to and support,” the statement continued. “They are weaponizing federal law enforcement against immigrant communities, protesters, and Democratic-led cities based on the bigoted lie of an ‘invasion’ — the same conspiracy theory that has fueled a cycle of extremist violence targeting countless communities.”

Rabbi Nora Feinstein, the director of leadership development for the National Council of Jewish Women, wrote in a statement following Pretti’s death that, “This is unconscionable. It is intolerable. And it must end.”

Feinstein added that she had just visited Minneapolis for a few days where she convened with hundreds of clergy and faith leaders “because our faiths demand that we do not stand idly by while our neighbors suffer.”

https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-884628

>>24178295

Attacks the sauce but not the content

Glowy

>>24178292

>>24178297

Matthew 6:7

And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

"Screw your freedom"

Arnold Schwarzenegger says he turned down Pope Leo’s offer to hear his confession

Schwarzenegger recalled the Pope's invitation to make sacramental confession during a climate event in Tyrol, Austria, joking ‘it would take three hours.’

Arnold Schwarzenegger has said that Pope Leo XIV personally offered to hear his confession, but he refused.

During an event called “Dinner for Climate Change Action” in Tyrol, Austria, the former actor and governor of California recalled his meeting with the Pope in early October last year.

Speaking on stage during the dinner at the Stanglwirt restaruant, he said, “The Pope asked me if we could step aside for a few minutes so that I could confess. I said, ‘You don’t want to do that, it would take three hours.’”

According to German Newspaper BILD, the approximately 170 invited guests erupted in laughter.

Schwarzenegger said he wants to continue working with the Catholic Church and Pope Leo to fight “climate change” and environmental pollution.

“Seven million people die every year around the world because of environmental pollution,” the former body building champion said. “We have to do better. That’s why I met with Pope Leo, and we had a wonderful conversation. The Catholic Church also wants to help. They have 200,000 churches, 400,000 priests, and 650,000 nuns. Think about how much power they have. Together, we can do something big to combat environmental pollution.”

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/arnold-schwarzenegger-says-he-turned-down-pope-leos-offer-to-hear-his-confession/

>>24178310

>meditative prayer, such as the Rosary.

Satanic Catholic bullshit just like praying to the Idol Mary

Arizona Attorney General Claims “Right-Wing Media has Mischaracterized” Violent Comments Justifying Shooting ICE, Attacks ICE for “Putting Every American in Danger” in Damage Control Statement

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes released a video statement on Sunday, attempting to walk back recent comments, where she told her radical left voters they have the right to shoot and kill masked ICE agents in Arizona.

“We’re a gun culture in this state,” Mayes said in a televised interview. “You have these masked Federal officers with very little identification, sometimes no identification, wearing plain clothes and masks. And we have a stand your ground law that says that if you reasonably believe that your life is in danger, and you’re in your house or your car or on your property, that you can defend yourself with lethal force.”

“You’re not allowed to shoot peace officers,” she said. “But how do you know they’re a peace officer?”

Mayes further presented a possible legal defense for anyone who shoots an ICE agent, telling 12 News’s Brahm Resnik, “It becomes, did they reasonably know that they were a peace officer?”

But you can’t trust your own lyin’ ears, Mayes says.

“Despite how right-wing media has mischaracterized recent comments I made about ICE and the danger its actions pose to public safety, the idea that I would want the life of any member of law enforcement put in danger is wrong, it’s offensive, and it is an outright lie,” Mayes claimed in a statement slamming Republicans for twisting her words.

She further attacked ICE agents, accusing them of “increasingly chaotic and dangerous activity” and “destroying the public’s trust in law enforcement and putting every American, including local law enforcement, in danger.”

“Arizonans do not want masked agents entering their homes without warrants. It is un-American, and threatens the rights and safety of everyone in our state,” she added without explaining her previous statements or noting that masked ICE agents are easily identifiable by badges and vests with their agency’s name printed in big, bold letters.

She couldn’t even film the clip in one take.

https://rumble.com/embed/v72knaa/?pub=4

https://rumble.com/embed/v72pfyk/?pub=4

Wicked Florida Nurse Announces He Will Refuse to Treat MAGA Republicans, Claims It’s His “Ethical Oath”- Florida AG James Uthmeier Responds

A male nurse in Florida will likely lose his job after posting that he will refuse to treat supporters of President Trump.

On Sunday, an anesthesiologist named Erik Martindale sparked a social media uproar after posting on his Facebook account that he would let MAGA supporters suffer and refuse to perform any anesthesia on MAGA clients.

In other words, he is saying he will refuse to do his job because he does not like their politics.

Martindale claimed he had every right to do so because he owns all of his businesses and it’s his “ethical oath.”

“I will not perform anesthesia for any surgeries or procedures for MAGA,” Martindale wrote in the now-deleted Facebook post. “It is my right, it is my ethical oath, and I stand behind my education.”

“I own all of my businesses, and I can refuse anyone!”

After being called out on social media for his vow to break his Hippocratic oath, Martindale deleted the post and claimed he had been hacked.

Martindale did not explain why anyone would bother targeting him. especially considering no one knew who he was before the post.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/01/wicked-florida-nurse-announces-he-will-refuse-treat/

>>24178342

Yeah and Patel has taken down so many ….oh wait no he hasn't done shit

Army Corps of Engineers Relieves Little Rock District Commander Amid Leadership Accountability Push

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has removed the commander of its Little Rock District, citing a loss of confidence in his ability to lead, officials announced in mid-January 2026. The move, unusual for its breadth of public commentary by senior leaders, underscores the Corps’ emphasis on accountability and efficiency as it works to accelerate civil works projects and reduce bureaucratic friction.

Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam Telle and Lt. Gen. William “Butch” Graham, commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, jointly announced the leadership change on Jan. 15, 2026, in a statement from the Little Rock District office. The release noted that the district will soon have new leadership, and that Lt. Col. Jesse Carter, the district’s deputy commander, will assume command on an interim basis until a permanent successor is named.

The statement did not name the relieved commander, but local reporting and social media accounts have proposed who the individual is.

“We have incredible, patriotic people serving in our Corps of Engineers Districts throughout the nation, including in Little Rock, but we also have entrenched bureaucracies that have unnecessarily frustrated American citizens,” Telle said in the official release.

“For the first time in decades, under the Trump Administration, commanders who fail to follow orders and overcome entrenched bureaucracy will be dealt with accordingly.”

Graham echoed that sentiment, saying the decision was made “based on a loss of confidence in his ability to command” and reflected expectations that district commanders demonstrate “effective leadership committed to rapid and continuous transformation, less red tape, and a bias for action.” He added that USACE’s highest priority remains delivering vital projects on time and within budget.

The Little Rock District’s responsibilities span Arkansas and parts of southern Missouri and include managing flood risk, maintaining infrastructure such as dams and reservoirs, restoring environmental resources, and overseeing recreation sites. It manages nearly 750,000 acres of public lands and bodies of water, including high-use sites such as Table Rock Lake, and tens of millions in infrastructure assets.

https://www.military.com/feature/2026/01/26/army-corps-of-engineers-relieves-little-rock-district-commander-amid-leadership-accountability-push.html

Navy Commodore Relieved of Duties, First In Role To Lose Job in 2026

Capt. Douglas Whimpey, the commodore of First Naval Construction Regiment (1 NCR), was relieved of his duties on Friday, Jan. 23, becoming the first individual to lose such a position this year.

He lost his role as commodore due to what the service attributed to the “loss of confidence in his ability to command,” according to a press release issued Saturday by Navy Expeditionary Combat Command Public Affairs and shared with Military.com.

Whimpey, a Navy reservist from Utah, was relieved by Capt. Angel Santiago, commander of Naval Construction Group (NCG) 1, headquartered in Port Hueneme, California. Capt. Steven Sherman, incoming commodore for 1 NCR, has assumed duties as 1 NCR’s commodore.

Capt. Whimpey was relieved due to a loss of the trust and confidence required for his position. Specific details concerning a loss of trust and confidence are not disclosed to protect privacy and due process, but such decisions are made with careful consideration of the facts known at the time, and the imperative to uphold the high standards of Navy leadership. - Lt. Cmdr. (LCDR) Katie Diener, spokesperson for Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, told Military.com.

“The decision to relieve a leader is made with the utmost care and after a thorough review by higher command leadership,” Diener added.

Cmdr. Donald J. Petersen is presented with the Meritorious Service Medal by Capt. Douglas B. Whimpey, Commander, Naval Construction Regiment One, recognition of his leadership and service as commanding officer of Naval Construction Battalion (NCB) 22. (Daniel Stevenson)

Whimpey is the first commanding officer or commodore relieved in the 2026 calendar year. While no longer commodore, the Navy reservist has been reassigned to a staff role at NCG-1.

Military.com has not yet received additional responses from the Navy to inquiries of what exactly led to Whimpey's relieving of duties, including specific details that led to the decision—as well as any timeline or history of action or inaction that may have led to Whimpey's superiors lacking confidence in his ability to lead, or his performance overall waning or dissipating.

He attained the rank of captain on Sept. 1, 2018, according to his biography and military record shared with Military.com. The Reserve Civil Engineer Corps Officer was commissioned on Aug. 15, 1997.

Whimpey’s record includes numerous awards and decorations, including Seabee Comb

at Warfare Specialist Officer; Fleet Marine Force Warfare Specialist Officer; Expeditionary Warfare Specialist Officer; Meritorious Service Medal (2); Joint Service Commendation Medal; Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medal (4); Joint Service Achievement Medal; Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal; Joint Meritorious Unit Award; and Navy Unit Commendation (2), among others.

Vice Adm. John Wade (center), commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet and exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024 Combined Task Force (CTF), tours the Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief (HADR) camp with Rear Adm. Kazushi Yokota (right), commander, JMSDF Escort Flotilla Three and exercise RIMPAC 2024 CTF vice commander, and Capt. Doug Whimpey (left), commodore, First Naval Construction Regiment and deputy commander, HADR Task Force, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, July 13. (Atsushi Mashima)

“Navy leaders are expected to uphold the highest standards of responsibility, reliability, and leadership personally and professionally, and the Navy holds them accountable when they fall short of those standards,” officials said in a statement.

Naval Construction Regiments provide command and control of Naval Construction Force units while operating in a specific geographic area or supporting a specific military operation.

Officials said “there has been no impact to operations” since Whimpey lost his role.

This story was updated to reflect that Military.com has not received additional details from the Navy on what led to Whimpey's relieving of duties.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2026/01/24/navy-commodore-relieved-of-duties-first-role-lose-job-2026.html

Biotech CEO Sentenced in Securities Fraud Scheme

Nader Pourhassan, 62, of Lake Oswego, Oregon, was sentenced Friday to 30 months in prison for misleading investors about his company’s development of a new drug, then selling his personal stock in the company at artificially inflated prices.

“The defendant lied to investors about a drug to treat HIV and COVID-19 so he could engage in insider trading,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This type of fraud exploits vulnerable Americans, undermines the integrity of our financial markets, and erodes the trust that investors place in public companies. The Criminal Division remains committed to prosecuting corporate executives who deceive investors.”

“Pourhassan exploited a deadly public health crisis to intentionally deceive investors and the public out of millions – all so that he could enrich himself,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “As this sentence makes clear, executives who mislead investors and manipulate the truth for personal gain will be held accountable. Our office will continue to aggressively pursue those who put greed ahead of honesty and the rule of law.”

“Nader Pourhassan lied and schemed to selfishly line his own pockets. He betrayed the trust placed in him as a corporate executive by deceiving and misleading investors,” said Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “Not only are his actions illegal, but they also serve to undermine public confidence in our financial institutions. This sentencing shows the FBI’s commitment to rooting out fraudsters seeking to manipulate the market.”

“Today’s announcement should serve as a reminder that fraud related to medical products will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Iwanicki of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI) Los Angeles Field Office. “The FDA will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who place profits above public health.”

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Pourhassan was the Chief Executive Officer of CytoDyn, a publicly traded company based in Vancouver, Washington, that was developing an investigational drug to treat HIV and COVID-19. Between 2018 and 2021, Pourhassan intentionally misled investors about the drug’s prospects for FDA approval to artificially inflate the price of CytoDyn’s stock and attract new investors. He then sold his 4.8 million shares of CytoDyn stock after making false announcements to investors and pocketed $4.4 million.

In December 2024, Pourhassan was convicted at trial of four counts of securities fraud, two counts of wire fraud and three counts of insider trading. At sentencing, he was ordered to pay more than $5.3 million in restitution and to forfeit more than $4.4 million.

FBI, FDA-OCI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/biotech-ceo-sentenced-securities-fraud-scheme

District of Arizona Charges 150 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this Week

PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Jan.17 through Jan. 23, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 150 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 87 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 45 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 15 cases against 17 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. Protecting law enforcement officers is a key part of border vigilance, and federal prosecutors also charged one defendant for assaulting a Border Patrol agent.

These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Recent matters of interest include:

United States v. Pablo Gomez-Luvanos. Gomez-Luvanos was charged by complaint with Re-entry of Removed Alien, Jan. 19, 2026. The defendant was previously removed from the United States on June 11, 2019, after being convicted of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, a felony, in the Superior Court of Arizona, Maricopa County. In that case, Gomez Luvanos was sentenced to three-and-a-half years of imprisonment. 26-8044MJ, Phoenix.

United States v. Efrain Gutierrez-Perez. Gutierrez-Perez was charged by complaint with Re-entry of Removed Alien, Jan. 19, 2026. The defendant was previously removed from the United States on Dec. 11, 2019, after being convicted of Aggravated Driving under the Influence of Intoxicating Liquor or Drugs, a felony, in the Superior Court of Arizona, Maricopa County. In that case, Gutierrez-Perez was sentenced to four months of incarceration and two years of probation. 26-8043MJ, Phoenix.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-az/pr/district-arizona-charges-150-individuals-immigration-related-criminal-conduct-week-0

Investigation into International “ATM Jackpotting” Scheme and Tren de Aragua results in Additional Indictment and 87 Total Charged Defendants

A federal grand jury in the District of Nebraska has returned an additional indictment last week charging 31 individuals for their roles in a large conspiracy to deploy malware and steal millions of dollars from ATMs in the United States, a crime commonly referred to as “ATM jackpotting.” Fifty-six others have already been charged. Many of the defendants charged in this Homeland Security Task Force operation are Venezuelan and Colombian nationals including illegal alien Tren de Aragua (TdA) members. This indictment alleges 32 counts including conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank burglary and computer fraud, bank fraud, bank burglary, and damage to computers.

“Tren de Aragua is a complex terrorist organization that commits serious financial crimes in addition to horrific rapes, murders, and drug trafficking,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice has already prosecuted more than 290 members of Tren de Aragua and will continue working tirelessly to put these vicious terrorists behind bars after the prior administration let them infiltrate our country.”

“A large ring of criminal aliens allegedly engaged in a nationwide conspiracy to enrich themselves and the TdA terrorist organization by ripping off American citizens. After committing bank robbery, fraud, and other serious crimes, they will be vigorously prosecuted and held accountable for their crimes,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The Justice Department’s Joint Task Force Vulcan will not stop until it completely dismantles and destroys TdA and other foreign terrorists that import chaos to America.”

“This latest indictment demonstrates the Criminal Division’s commitment to dismantling cartels, including when they attack our nation’s financial systems with sophisticated malware,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The announcement of charges against a total of 87 defendants underscores both the massive scale of these alleged conspiracies and the strength and skill of our investigators and prosecutors who dismantle them. As cartels level up their criminal game, so will we.”

“Tren de Aragua uses ATM jackpotting crimes committed all across America to fund its terrorist organization which is responsible for horrific crimes such as human trafficking (to include sex trafficking of children in Nebraska), kidnapping, murder and other unspeakably evil and violent acts, said U.S. Attorney Lesley A. Woods for the District of Nebraska. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska will fight TdA directly by taking every action at our disposal to shut down their financial pipeline and handicap their ability to terrorize American communities.”

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ne/pr/investigation-international-atm-jackpotting-scheme-and-tren-de-aragua-results-additional

Former Brundidge Police Chief Ordered to Forfeit Three Properties Connected to Federal Rental Assistance Fraud

MONTGOMERY, Ala, – A former Brundidge Police Chief has been ordered to forfeit three residential properties connected to a scheme to fraudulently obtain federal pandemic assistance funds.

On January 21, 2026, a federal judge entered a final order of forfeiture against Samuel Cornelius Green, 51, requiring him to forfeit his interest in three rental properties located in Troy, Alabama. The forfeiture follows Green’s guilty plea to illegally receiving funds through the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP).

The federal government implemented ERAP in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to provide financial assistance to households unable to pay rent or utilities, as well as to landlords seeking reimbursement for tenants’ unpaid rent during the pandemic.

According to Green’s plea agreement and other court records, beginning in March 2021, Green submitted multiple ERAP applications containing false and misleading information regarding tenants, rental arrangements, and payment histories in order to obtain funds to which he was not entitled. In some of the fraudulent applications, Green submitted counterfeit and altered utility bills. The scheme continued through November 2021.

In October 2025, Green pleaded guilty to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. His co-conspirator, Schemillia Levera Fenn, of Troy, Alabama, pleaded guilty to wire fraud for her role in the scheme.

At sentencing hearings held on January 14, 2026, the court ordered Green and Fenn to pay $118,175 in restitution to the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The court also imposed a $1,000 fine against Green.

The Department of the Treasury's Office of Inspector General investigated this case, with assistance from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle R. Turner, Russell T. Duraski, and J. Patrick Lamb prosecuted the case.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdal/pr/former-brundidge-police-chief-ordered-forfeit-three-properties-connected-federal

Florida Laboratory Owner Pleads Guilty to $52M Medicare Fraud Scheme Involving Genetic Tests

A Florida man pleaded guilty on Jan. 15 for his role in a scheme to defraud Medicare by submitting over $52 million in false and fraudulent claims for genetic testing that Medicare beneficiaries did not need and that were based on prescriptions purchased through illegal kickbacks and bribes.

According to court documents, Sean Alterman, 38, of Lake Worth, Florida, owned and operated two laboratories, Live Beyond Medical MGMT, LLC and Dynix Diagnostics LLC, through which he purchased doctors’ orders for expensive genetic testing from patient recruiters. The patient recruiters ran deceptive telemarketing campaigns that targeted Medicare beneficiaries and persuaded them to agree to take the tests to justify the fraudulent billing.

As part of the scheme, the patient recruiters used a tactic known as “doctor chasing” – faxing physicians false and misleading requests for prescriptions designed to trick them into signing off on tests their patients did not need. The faxes and accompanying materials falsely stated, among other things, that the prescription requests were made on behalf a mutual patient. But they were generated by call centers that deceived the Medicare beneficiaries to agree to the tests without being examined or treated by physicians for the diseases underlying the tests.

Alterman’s laboratories billed approximately $52 million to Medicare for the false and fraudulent claims, of which Medicare paid approximately $36 million. Alterman made roughly $5.5 million from the scheme, much of which he received through shell companies he owned called Shivv LLC and Shank LLC. As part of his plea agreement, Alterman agreed to forfeit his Lake Worth estate and a 2022 Rolls Royce Ghost purchased with money traceable to the scheme:

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/florida-laboratory-owner-pleads-guilty-52m-medicare-fraud-scheme-involving-genetic-tests

Former NATO Official and Turkish Defense Contractor Indicted for Bribery Scheme Related to Military Contracts

An indictment filed in the District of Columbia was unsealed on Saturday charging a Turkish national and a German national for an alleged bribery scheme involving contracts with the U.S. military and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). NATO is a military alliance of which the United States is a member nation.

“These defendants allegedly engaged in a years-long bribery scheme that tainted construction contracts with the U.S. military and our allies,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Integrity in federal contracting is vital to ensuring a fair competitive process and protecting the public fisc. These charges demonstrate the department’s mission to eliminate corruption that skews procurement contracts away from the best bidder and toward those who can bribe insiders for preferential treatment.”

“This indictment is a significant step forward in our relentless pursuit of integrity within the procurement processes that support our military and NATO operations,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven Ausfeldt of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Europe Field Office. “Our collaboration with the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the FBI, and our international partners underscores our shared commitment to combat corruption in all its forms.”>>

According to the indictment, Bahadir Hatipoglu, 50, who resides near Klaipėda, Lithuania, is the owner of companies that received construction contracts with NATO and the U.S. military. Ralf Grywnow, 70, who resides in Zagnańsk, Poland, is a former NATO procurement official. The two men allegedly engaged in a scheme in which Hatipoglu bribed Grywnow in various ways, including by providing Grywnow with cash, a romantic encounter with a woman in Dubai and assistance in constructing and furnishing a house for Grywnow in Poland. In exchange, Grywnow allegedly helped Hatipoglu get contracts with the U.S. military by providing him with falsified reviews that favorably appraised Hatipoglu’s companies’ work with NATO. Grywnow also provided Hatipoglu with preferential treatment in overseeing contracts that Hatipoglu had or sought to obtain with NATO and gave Hatipoglu confidential information related to bids for NATO construction contracts.

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-nato-official-and-turkish-defense-contractor-indicted-bribery-scheme-related-military

Justice Department Files Case to Revoke the Naturalization of Former Peruvian Army Commander

Today, the U.S. Department of Justice and the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida filed a civil denaturalization complaint in the United States District Court in Miami, Florida, against Luis Miguel Fernandez Gaviola, a native of Peru who was charged with eight extra-judicial killings in Peru.

Fernandez served as a Deputy in Charge of Infantry in the G-2 of the 31st Infantry Division of the Peruvian military. In this role, he commanded a unit that killed eight residents of the District of Pucará, Peru, in November 1989 based on the victims’ alleged membership in a certain political group, before coming to the United States in 1992 while hiding his horrific past actions.

“No one who commits atrocities like these is entitled to the precious gift of U.S. citizenship,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We owe it to the American people to protect them from human rights violators who abuse positions of power, wherever they engaged in their offensive acts.”

“United States citizenship is a profound privilege, reserved for those who obtain it honestly and in accordance with the law,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This civil action alleges that the defendant concealed material facts about his past, including involvement in grave human rights abuses, in order to obtain that privilege. While these are allegations only, our responsibility is clear: when credible evidence shows that citizenship may have been procured through fraud or concealment, the Department of Justice will act to protect the integrity of our immigration system and the rule of law.”

In 2003, when he applied for adjustment of status as a permanent resident of the United States, he falsely stated under penalty of perjury that he had no foreign military service and that he had never participated in the killing of anyone because of their political opinion. When he applied for naturalization as a U.S. citizen four years later, he falsely testified under oath that he was never involved in persecution based on political opinion and had never given false or misleading information to any U.S. government official while applying for any immigration benefit.

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-files-case-revoke-naturalization-former-peruvian-army-commander

Those you trust the most PEDO BUN 26 Jan 26

Former Highlands Ranch teacher takes deal, pleads guilty to child sex exploitation

https://www.denverpost.com/2026/01/26/highlands-ranch-child-sex-assault/

Former Rapid City Gymnastics Coach Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child Pornography

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sd/pr/former-rapid-city-gymnastics-coach-pleads-guilty-receiving-child-pornography

Alabama Daycare Worker Charged With Child Sex Abuse, Leading Parents to File Negligence Lawsuit

https://www.usmagazine.com/crime-news/news/daycare-worker-charged-with-child-sex-abuse-parents-file-negligence-lawsuit/

Vale School District teacher arrested for child sex crimes, sheriff says

https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/crime/vale-teacher-arrested-child-sex-crimes-sheriff-says/277-e1b7f7b5-bdd5-40dc-8d61-523f53cd9073

Former Nebraska neurosurgeon facing child pornography charges found competent to stand trial

https://www.ketv.com/article/nebraska-neurosurgeon-accused-child-pornography-ruled-competent-trial/70145578

Nassau County Detective Charged with Attempting to Sexually Exploit a Child

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndny/pr/nassau-county-detective-charged-attempting-sexually-exploit-child

FORMER PHYSICIAN SENTENCED TO OVER SEVEN YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR DISTRIBUTION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl/pr/former-physician-sentenced-over-seven-years-federal-prison-distribution-child

Criminal Defence Solicitor Guiseppe Bottone Busted with child porn cache

https://uknip.co.uk/news/uk/breaking/criminal-defence-solicitor-guiseppe-bottone-busted-in-online-child-abuse-sting/

Eject Elbit Is Pushing Capital One to Drop $90M Loan to Israel's Largest Weapons Manufacturer

Protesters across several cities are acting against the bank for funding Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems, as company employees face censorship for talking about the genocide in Gaza.

Last Tuesday, during the morning rush hour, 15 individuals from a group called Eject Elbit staked positions in the four-lane access road to the headquarters of banking giant Capital One Financial Corporation in McLean, Virginia. They mounted ladders in the road and climbed atop them, unfurling a banner from their perches that read “CAPITAL ONE FUNDS GENOCIDE.” They stretched across the road a second banner, fifty feet wide, that said “DIVEST FROM DEATH.” Another protestor, a disabled woman, blockaded the road while locked to her wheelchair.

Max, a former employee of the company who only used his first name for security reasons, said they flooded the streets to “shake people awake,” regarding Capital One’s $90 million loan to Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems, the largest supplier of the Israeli Defense forces. Elbit produces everything from precision-guided rockets and bombs to state-of-the-art artillery ammunition, guidance systems for aircraft and helicopters, and killer drones that have been deployed in the genocide of Gaza.

Eject Elbit launched its new campaign against Capital One earlier this month across northern Virginia, Boston, Philadelphia, DC, Seattle, and New York City. A thirty-year-old queer activist named Cassian, who was posted atop one of the ladders that blockaded the McLean site last week, helped launch the Eject Elbit campaign in Washington, DC, after years of participating in protests with pro-Palestinian groups. “If the US government was not going to stop sending weapons for the genocide, then the people were going to have to stop it,” Cassian said.

For an hour and a half, the bank’s opulent campus—with its mini-golf course, sculpture garden, baseball field, and concert hall—was inaccessible as traffic backed up and irate motorists leaned on their horns and shouted.

Last September, in a special report titled “From Economy of Occupation to Economy of Genocide,” UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese investigated the “corporate machinery sustaining Israel’s settler-colonial project of displacement and replacement of the Palestinians in the occupied territory,” in which Elbit Systems featured as a primary contractor to the Israeli state. Detailing how “the military-industrial complex has become the economic backbone” of Israel, the UN report says that Elbit Systems provides “a critical domestic supply of weaponry, and reinforce[s] Israel’s military alliances through arms exports and joint development of military technology.”

Eject Elbit’s actions at Capital One come as the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, advocating for states and companies to divest from Israel, has become a prominent expression of political agitation. Insurance companies Allianz and Aviva late last year decided they would stop insuring Elbit Systems after months of direct action and protests organized by the group Palestine Action.

“Capital One gets away with so much shit, because they’ve got slick ads—a very positive feel-good brand,” said Max. “Obviously there’s a moral repugnancy in working for a company that funds genocide. But I won’t pretend that I immediately stood up and quit my job after I learned about Capital One’s relationship with Elbit. I had to pay rent like everybody else.”

Max worked as a software engineer for five years at Capital One before resigning in 2025, writing in a post on an employee Slack channel that he was leaving because his company was “actively aiding an arms dealer that profits off war, genocide, and the deaths of children.” He recalled that the annual message from company CEO and multimillionaire Rich Fairbank—whose total compensation in 2023 was $29 million and who received a $30 million bonus last year—typically ended with sentimentalism that “tugg[ed]at the heartstrings about when he was younger and in college, he really wanted to work with kids,” Max said. “This guy is helping to pay for drones that fly into children and blow them up.”

“This is what happens when we base our whole society on profit,” Max continued. “If you are the CEO of Capital One, you are legally obligated to make the most money for your shareholders, whether it’s through hiking credit card rates or giving a loan to a weapons manufacturer. The shareholders see what’s happening in Gaza as an opportunity to profit on the hundreds of billions of dollars churned out for the killing machine.”

More

https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/capital-one-israel-bank-elbit-systems-grassroot-activists-protests-virginia-boston-washington-dc-new-york-city-censorship-gaza-genocide

Former French Senator Joël Guerriau on Trial for Drugging Female National Assembly Member To Sexually Abuse Her

Sandrine Josso has been outspoken about the case, leading to Guerriau’s two-day trial that started today (26).

He has been charged with the ‘use and possession of drugs’, and with ‘secretly administering a discernment-altering substance to commit a rape or sexual assault’.

“According to Josso, a centrist member of parliament, the center-right senator invited her to his apartment in Paris for what she believed to be a reelection celebration. Josso had known Guerriau for years and considered him as a friend.

Josso said she started feeling unwell quickly after drinking champagne, with heart palpitations and her body shivering. She headed out, took a taxi and went to a hospital, where a substantial quantity of MDMA was found in a blood test, far higher than the level typical of recreational use.”

https://twitter.com/i/status/2015794884775456892

Maryland Jury Rules Walmart Liable For Selling Shotgun Used In Employee Suicide

There is a notable torts verdict in Maryland where a jury handed down a multi-million dollar verdict against Walmart for selling a shotgun to an employee who used it to commit suicide.

The verdict raises difficult questions over Walmart’s responsibility for the suicide of Jacob Mace, who lied to store employees, under common law torts.

The family of Mace brought the lawsuit, alleging that Walmart employees knew that he was suicidal and struggling with mental health issues. They focused on his communications with a co-worker Christina O’Shea in which he wrote about feeling “broken” and “nothing helps. I just want it to end. Goodbye.” He also wrote that he intended to “Slit wrists. Buy a gun.”

O’Shea told assistant manager, Brennan Jones, about her concerns. Jones said that police should be called and, when Mace returned to work, spoke to Mace about the company’s counseling services and asked him how he was doing. He told him that “You know, we were worried about you,” but Mace assured him that he was fine.

Neither Jones nor O’Shea was involved in selling the gun to Mace. The sale was made by Eric McLaughlin, who testified that he had no idea of Mace’s mental health struggles. Mace told McLaughlin that the gun would be a present for his wife.

The family argued that Jones should have alerted other store managers about the conversation between O’Shea and himself. Moreover, the awareness of employees like Jones was then attributed to the company as a whole.

I find the verdict concerning on a number of levels.

https://jonathanturley.org/2026/01/24/maryland-jury-rules-walmart-liable-for-selling-shotgun-used-in-employee-suicide/

"Did The White House Just Blink?" Border Patrol Boss 'Demoted' As Minneapolis Mayor Says Feds Are Leaving

On the heels of President Trump's reconciliatory statement earlier hailing his "very good call" with Governor Tim Walz, and decision to send Tom Homan to the frontlines in Minnesota…

"…we, actually, seemed to be on a similar wavelength," Trump said.

"I told Governor Walz that I would have Tom Homan call him, and that what we are looking for are any and all Criminals that they have in their possession.

The Governor, very respectfully, understood that, and I will be speaking to him in the near future.

He was happy that Tom Homan was going to Minnesota, and so am I! "

…The Atlantic reports that Gregory Bovino has been removed from his role as Border Patrol “commander at large” and will return to his former job in El Centro, California, where he is expected to retire soon, according to a DHS official and two people with knowledge of the change.

CNN's Kaitlan Collins further confirms that DHS has suspended Gregory Bovino’s access to his social media accounts effective immediately.

He spent yesterday responding to people who were criticizing him and raising questions about his unverified claims about Pretti.

This reported decision follows pressure from Senate Democrats who refused to allow the current DHS funding bill to move forward, this threatening another federal government shutdown.

Additionally, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said after speaking with President Donald Trump that he expects that some federal agents will start leaving the city on Jan. 27.

“I expressed how much Minneapolis has benefited from our immigrant communities and was clear that my main ask is that Operation Metro Surge needs to end,” Frey wrote on X.

“The president agreed the present situation can’t continue.”

Trump said that the conversation with Frey was “very good” and that progress was made.

“Tom Homan will be meeting with [Frey] tomorrow in order to continue the discussion,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

The mayor said he would continue pushing for all federal agents to leave the city.

“Minneapolis will continue to cooperate with state and federal law enforcement on real criminal investigations—but we will not participate in unconstitutional arrests of our neighbors or enforce federal immigration law,” Frey stated on X.

Walz and Frey have repeatedly encouraged the public to protest and demonstrate against immigration operations taking place in the state, at some points using profanity to tell federal officers to leave.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/did-white-house-just-blink-border-patrol-boss-demoted-minneapolis-mayor-says-feds-are

'Enough Of Washington's Orders' - Venezuela's Interim President Tells Populace

Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez has publicly pushed back against Washington in a rare first since the US military invasion and overthrow of Nicolás Maduro, assering she has had "enough" of US directives.

While President Trump initially declared that Washington would effectively "run" Venezuela, he later endorsed Rodríguez as a temporary caretaker during the transition, despite her being as hardcore a Leftist pro-Maduro figure as anyone.

"Enough already of Washington’s orders regarding politicians in Venezuela," Rodríguez told oil workers gathered in Puerto La Cruz on Sunday, in remarks broadcast on state television.

She further urged that Venezuela’s political disputes be handled internally, saying: "Let Venezuelan politics resolve our differences and our internal conflicts" - and warned that the small oil-rich country has already paid a steep price confronting what she described as fascism and extremism.

Rodríguez soon after being sworn in had vowed that no "foreign agent" would rule Venezuela or reduce it to a "colony" - despite that Trump has made clear that his appointed team of American officials would effectively run the country and its oil.

Among the first US actions has been to cut off Venezuela's oil supply to nearby ally Cuba, which threatens to sink the island-nation's economy further, after it has endured many decades of Washington sanctions.

Despite this big talk of distancing herself from American interests, Rodríguez warmly greeted CIA Director John Ratcliffe this month, and there was even a photo op. Ratcliffe, as the first top US official to meet with her in the wake of the Jan.3rd military operation, reportedly delivering Trump's conditions for resetting relations.

The fact that she has even remained in power this long suggests that she is playing ball behind the scenes, and that any anti-American public declarations are primarily for domestic consumption.

Domestic messaging: …has to pretend otherwise not to upset her support base:

https://x.com/i/status/2015486126526476421

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd may seek UN Secretary-General role after quitting as Australia's Ambassador to US

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd has been rumoured to be chasing the role of United Nations Secretary-General after quitting as Australia's Ambassador to the United States.

Former Australian prime minister and recently resigned US Ambassador Kevin Rudd has been rumoured to be chasing the role of United Nations Secretary-General.

Sky News Chief Anchor Kieran Gilbert revealed Mr Rudd’s potential run for the head of the international organisation on Tuesday.

Following conversations with various people in government, Mr Rudd was said to be considering a run for the UN's top job.

AFR Political Editor Phil Coorey told Sky News that he expected Mr Rudd would get bipartisan support if he were to run for the position.

“There's a lot of diplomacy involved. Kevin's pretty good. Maybe they'll just give it to him to stop him asking,” he said.

Mr Rudd attempted to run for the job in 2016 but was shut down by former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.

The incumbent Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will conclude his second five-year term on December 31, 2026.

Four people have been nominated to replace Mr Guterres so far, including from Chile, Argentina, Costa Rica and Bolivia.

https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/politics/former-prime-minister-kevin-rudd-may-seek-un-secretarygeneral-role-after-quitting-as-australias-ambassador-to-us/news-story/ec6324a557a16988bae9a6b3dd05f744

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke cancels Jewish influencer Sammy Yahood's visa hours before flight to Australia

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has drawn the ire of the Australian Jewish Association after he cancelled the visa of influencer Sammy Yahood just hours before his flight to Australia.

The British-born social media personality and activist has courted controversy over his claims Islam is a "murderous ideology" and "cannot be trusted to simply ‘co-exist’" with Western society.

"It’s time to ban Islam. It’s time to stop being tolerant of those that are not tolerant of us," he wrote in a November post on X.

Yahood had been travelling to Australia in order to address Jewish groups, including the Australian Jewish Association, who strongly criticised the cancellation of his visa.

"Sammy Yahood was scheduled to visit Australia to speak at major synagogues in Sydney and Melbourne and to participate in a series of events with Jewish organisations,"

https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/politics/home-affairs-minister-tony-burke-cancels-jewish-influencer-sammy-yahoods-visa-hours-before-flight-to-australia/news-story/febfccd9249697374b47eab973fcbed0

Top cops raided over alleged links to Sydney brothel owner

The homes of some of NSW’s highest-ranking police officers have been searched by investigators from the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission.

The hierarchy of the NSW Police Force is in crisis mode after several of the state’s highest-ranking officers had their houses raided over allegations that they had previously accepted the services of sex workers courtesy of a Sydney brothel owner.

The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission, which investigates allegations of serious misconduct by police officers, executed search warrants on the homes of at least three senior officers last week.

Last year, several police sources told the Herald that CCTV footage from a decade ago had emerged that shows that at least two senior officers visited Stiletto, a Camperdown brothel.

It is alleged that the officers were provided with free services.

At the time, Stiletto was owned by high-profile gambler Eddie Hayson, 57, who is now awaiting trial over the supply of large commercial quantities of prohibited drugs.

There is no suggestion Hayson has any connection to or knowledge of the LECC raids.

There is also no allegation the officers and Hayson are guilty of misconduct, only that the raids took place.

The LECC refused to comment on last week’s raids, saying it divulged its operations only “whenever it is in the public interest to do so”.

From our partners

“Disclosing information about a current complaint or investigation may jeopardise how our work progresses,” the LECC said. It was bound under confidentiality laws, it said.

“Accordingly, we are unable to let you know whether or not there is an investigation under way in the matter referred to.”

At a court hearing last April, Hayson was granted bail after a previous unsuccessful application. He’d spent a year behind bars following his arrest on the Gold Coast in February 2024.

https://archive.md/https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/top-cops-raided-over-alleged-links-to-sydney-brothel-owner-20260125-p5nwuw.html

New World Order, Solution Or Seduction? Jeremy Lee, Anatoliy Golitsyn, New Lies For Old

A 1992 lecture describing today and referring to Anatoliy Golitsyn, The Perestroika Deception which we saw unfold today.

https://youtu.be/lNrAmczMoMo

The Doyon 26 (“The Beast”), the largest land drilling rig in North America, has collapsed in Alaska.

Jan. 24—A massive drilling rig operating on ConocoPhillips’ behalf toppled over while traveling along a gravel road on Alaska’s North Slope on Friday afternoon, local and company officials said.

No one was seriously injured and all personnel were accounted for in the incident, which occurred around 4:45 p.m. Friday and involved the Doyon 26 rig, ConocoPhillips Alaska and the North Slope Borough said in a joint prepared statement.

ConocoPhillips said Saturday that eight people — two who were on the rig during the incident and six initial responders — had received medical treatment at clinics nearby and were released.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/officials-report-no-major-injuries-145100426.html

https://www.adn.com/business-economy/energy/2026/01/23/no-serious-injuries-as-massive-drilling-rig-topples-over-on-alaskas-north-slope/

https://citizenwatchreport.com/the-doyon-26-the-beast-the-largest-land-drilling-rig-in-north-america-has-collapsed-in-alaska/

Ovey - They should mention he's jewish

‘Greatest enemy’: Sydney man who gave alleged shocking anti-Semitic speech unmasked

A Sydney man who is alleged to have made an anti-Semitic speech during an anti-immigration rally on Australia Day has appeared in court for the first time.

A Sydney man alleged to have told an anti-immigration Australia Day rally that Jewish people were the “greatest enemy to this nation” can be unmasked after he appeared in court in a bid to be released on bail.

Brandan Koschel, 31, was arrested under the state’s race hate speech laws after making an alleged anti-Semitic speech at the March for Australia at Moore Park on Monday.

Mr Koschel, who took to the stage in front of hundreds of fellow protesters during an “open mic” session, is alleged to have been aligned with a prominent neo-Nazi group.

He was stopped and arrested in Surry Hills a short time later and was charged with publicly inciting hatred on grounds of race causing fear.

In court on Tuesday, police opposed his release on bail, citing the risk of Mr Koschel committing further offences and endangering the safety of the community.

Mr Koschel’s speech was livestreamed on YouTube and X, the court was told on Tuesday.

Police have alleged that he told the crowd that the Jewish community was the “greatest enemy to this nation” and “the greatest enemy to western civilisation”.

Mr Koschel is alleged to have referenced the state’s new race hate speech laws, which came into effect in August last year, before allegedly breaching them.

His speech was described by the police prosecutor as “brazen” especially in the wake of the Bondi terrorist attack.

Mr Koschel’s solicitor Jasmine Lau told the court the Rockdale man had a limited criminal history.

She argued that in the event he is convicted, it was unlikely that he would be sentenced to fulltime custody.

The court was told that police alleged that Mr Koschel was a member of the neo-Nazi group the National Socialist Network (NSN), which earlier this month said it would disband due to federal laws.

“There is no allegation that he has any ongoing affiliations with any active groups,” Ms Lau told the court.

The prosecution has alleged that Mr Koschel was with known members and associates of the NSN during the rally.

The court was also told that Mr Koschel referenced NSN leaders Joel Davis and Thomas Sewell in his speech and told the crowd “heil White Australia”.

Mr Koschel was wearing a shirt emblazoned with the Celtic cross, but denied the image was associated with the NSN.

Magistrate Daniel Covington described the charges as serious and the prosecution case as “strong”.

“It is a serious set of facts alleged to have occurred in a situation where the community is very acute to comments of this nature,” Mr Covington told the court.

“It’s not only being made privately or on the internet, this is suggested to have occurred in public, it’s filmed and it’s streamed. And the comments, on the face of it, are concerning.

“It’s not an insignificant example of this kind of offence and it’s a serious offence.”

Mr Covington said he could not be satisfied that Mr Koschel would abide by bail conditions and dismissed his bail application.

Mr Koschel will remain in custody on remand until at least his next appearance in court on February 3.

https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/courts-law/greatest-enemy-sydney-man-who-gave-alleged-shocking-antisemitic-speech-unmasked/news-story/d3b2ca691ebd997bc01bbc4586b83cc1

No Justice = this endless loop of shit

NYT allows Strzok to mislead on watchdog’s Crossfire Hurricane findings in attack on Kash Patel

NYT published a critical story on “A Year Inside Kash Patel’s FBI.” The article contained several factual errors, but never seemed to challenge or even research Strzok's false allegations. A simple review of public records could have avoided that.

The New York Times allowed fired FBI special agent Peter Strzok to mislead about the conclusions reached years ago by the Justice Department inspector general about bias related to the bureau’s Crossfire Hurricane investigation during the paper’s critiques against FBI Director Kash Patel this week.

The outlet published an article on Thursday which parroted Strzok's claims without challenge. Strzok, who displayed significant anti-Trump bias while playing a key role in the FBI’s investigations related to Hillary Clinton’s classified information on an illicit private email server and to unproven claims of Trump-Russia collusion, told the Times “that the Justice Department’s inspector general found that political bias did not influence decision-making in the Russia investigation.” The Times provided zero pushback or fact-checking on this incorrect assertion.

Inspector General: FBI's “gross incompetence” or “intentional misconduct”

In fact, then-DOJ inspector general Michael Horowitz’s 2019 public report harshly critiquing the FBI’s handling of Crossfire Hurricane and the watchdog had repeatedly testified to Congress that he was not saying that political bias had not impacted the Russiagate inquiry. Horowitz said only that he had been unable to conclude whether it was “gross incompetence” or “intentional misconduct” which had led to the abuses of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act during the Trump-Russia inquiry.

The article by The Times also prominently republished critiques against Patel made by Michael Feinberg, who had been the assistant special agent in charge at the FBI’s Norfolk field office in Virginia. Feinberg resigned from the FBI at the end of May, saying his direct superior told him that then-FBI deputy director Dan Bongino was scrutinizing his longtime friendship with Strzok. Strozk was fired following the emergence of biased anti-Trump texts he had exchanged with FBI lawyer and paramour Lisa Page.

Even though The Times referenced Feinberg’s “firing” in its Thursday article, Feinberg himself has never claimed he was fired by the bureau. Indeed, in his own telling, rather than take a possible polygraph test about his relationship with Strzok, Feinberg says he quit the FBI instead of risking the possible demotion he says he was facing in place of the big promotion to FBI headquarters which he had been expecting.

Danielle Rhoades Ha, the senior vice president of communications for the Times, did not answer the specific questions sent to it by Just the News about Horowitz, Strzok, and Feinberg, saying only, "Editors have reviewed our article, and no update or correction is necessary. Our reporting presents a fair and accurate set of events, outlined by first-hand interviews from 45 current and former FBI employees."

Strzok did not respond to a request for comment sent to him through Georgetown University, where he is listed as an adjunct professor. A university spokesperson told Just the News that "Prof. Strzok is not available at this time, but appreciates you reaching out."

Feinberg did not respond to a request for comment sent to him through his employer, Lawfare.

https://justthenews.com/government/federal-agencies/nyt-lets-strzok-mislead-watchdogs-crossfire-hurricane-findings-papers