Category: Politics
Newsom’s former chief of staff arrested on political corruption charges — and the governor tries to blame Trump
California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s presidential hopes hit another stumbling block after his former chief of staff was arrested for alleged political corruption Wednesday.
Dana Williamson, 53, was indicted by a federal grand jury for nearly two dozen counts, and she was arrested, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in California.
A statement from a spokesperson for Newsom suggested that President Donald Trump was abusing the legal process to punish his political opponents.
Prosecutors allege that Williamson illegally funneled approximately $225,000 from a dormant political campaign to various business entities for an associate’s personal use between Feb. 2022 and Sept. 2024.
Williamson allegedly “conspired with a business associate to create false, backdated contracts” after she was subpoenaed over Paycheck Protection Program loans to her business.
She also is accused of illegally reporting personal expenditures as business deductions on falsified tax forms. The more than $1 million in expenditures included “private jet travel, luxury hotel stays, home furnishings, and designer handbags,” according to the release.
A statement from a spokesperson for Newsom suggested that President Donald Trump was abusing the legal process to punish his political opponents.
“Ms. Williamson no longer serves in this administration. While we are still learning details of the allegations, the governor expects all public servants to uphold the highest standards of integrity,” read the statement. “At a time when the president is openly calling for his attorney general to investigate his political enemies, it is especially important to honor the American principle of being innocent until proven guilty in a court of law by a jury of one’s peers.”
However, the press release indicated that the investigation began under the Biden administration, undermining Newsom’s suggestion.
RELATED: Gavin Newsom lashes out at Joe Rogan for accusing him of ruining California: ‘He did horrible s**t!’
“This is a crucial step in an ongoing political corruption investigation that began more than three years ago,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant. “As it always has, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to protect the people of California from political corruption.”
If convicted, Williamson faces decades in prison and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.
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Task force locates 101 missing children, arrests so many suspects the Memphis jail is running out of room: Report
A task force operation in Tennessee has led to 101 missing children cases being cleared, according to the U.S. Marshals, who also said more than 1,000 warrants had been cleared.
The Memphis Safe Task Force has been in operation for only several weeks, but the operation has led to more than 2,300 arrests and the seizure of over 389 firearms.
‘While investigative work is tedious, locating missing and endangered children is one of the things we are most proud of.’
The National Guard is a part of 31 state and federal agencies contributing to the Memphis Safe State Task Force.
“We are happy that we have been able to use our fugitive hunting skills to assist local and state authorities with finding these missing children,” said U.S. Marshals spokesperson Emily Williams. “What a testament to our partnerships to be able to work these cases together. While investigative work is tedious, locating missing and endangered children is one of the things we are most proud of.”
One case involved a 15-year-old who had been reported as a runaway on Sept. 1 and had allegedly indicated suicidal feelings. A tipster said that he had witnessed the boy living in a minivan with his father on his property in Hawaii. The property owner tried to kick them out of the location, but the man refused.
Officials said the father had a long criminal history that included domestic violence, abuse, drugs, battery, and burglary, both in California as well as Hawaii. On Nov. 6, the boy was recovered by officials and will be returned to Tennessee.
The dramatic increase in arrests has led to a shortage of space at the Shelby County Jail, according to Sheriff Floyd Bonner.
“When we were notified that the surge was going to occur, we started talking to the national marshals services, telling them that we weren’t prepared for this, but we couldn’t stop it, and we couldn’t delay it, they said it was going to happen,” said Bonner to WREG-TV. “We’ve been scrambling for a month now trying to get contracts signed and going back and forth with attorneys.”
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office also confirmed that three inmates had died separately at the jail in just over a week’s time.
Other organizations involved in the task force included the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, Health and Human Services, and the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency.
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Gavin Newsom tries to hit Trump administration on energy prices — and gets humiliated online
Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom tried to criticize the rise in energy costs under the Trump administration — and then was reminded that his state pays the highest costs for power.
In a social media post published Tuesday, the liberal governor tried to blame rising energy prices on President Donald Trump’s global warming skepticism. The governor attended the COP30 climate change conference in Brazil and blasted the administration’s policies.
‘Gavin Newsom and the Democrats have NO credibility on the affordability issue.’
“Utility costs have risen 11% in the last year as Trump has promoted fossil fuels and curbed investment in solar and wind power. Climate change is an affordability issue,” posted the X account for Newsom’s press office.
Critics quickly reminded Newsom that California has little room to criticize national energy prices.
“Electricity cost have risen 64% since 2020 as Newsom has promoted ‘green’ energy and chased away investment in cheap, reliable power. Gavin Newsom and the Democrats have NO credibility on the affordability issue,” replied Corey Uhden, a regional development officer of the California GOP.
“Gavin Newsom is in Brazil touting his failed energy agenda — the same one that’s left Californians paying some of the highest gas and electricity prices in the nation,” replied Rep. Vince Fong (R-Calif.). “After harming our state’s domestic energy production, California now relies on foreign oil — and imports from Brazil have increased to 20% of our imported supply.”
“Gavin Newsom is probably the last person on the planet who should talk about energy affordability. Under his failed leadership California has the highest electricity rates in the lower 48 [and the] highest gas prices in the country,” replied Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.).
The White House piled on through a statement from a spokesperson.
“Governor Newscum flew all the way to Brazil to tout the Green New Scam, while the people of California are paying some of the highest energy prices in the county. Embarrassing!” said Taylor Rogers. “If Gavin News[o]m’s support for the climate agenda was sincere, he would not be attending a climate summit that required chopping down thousands of acres of protected Amazon rainforest for a special purpose highway. It’s time for Newscum and other countries to drop the climate facade!”
RELATED: Gavin Newsom lashes out at Joe Rogan for accusing him of ruining California: ‘He did horrible s**t!’
Newsom seems to be trying to position himself for the presidential nomination in 2028 by criticizing Trump. When the president won his second election, Newsom declared California the leader of anti-Trump state resistance.
Aside from the cost of energy, California has also been lambasted by critics for mismanagement of the energy grid that has led to deadly and damaging forest fires.
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‘Operation Dirtbag’ nabs over 230 criminal illegal aliens — but Noem wants more
As the Department of Homeland Security’s deportation operations continue to clean up our cities and remove illegal aliens across the country, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem took a moment to celebrate a big win in Florida.
On Tuesday, the secretary shared details in a Fox News interview about Operation Criminal Return, or as she liked to call it, “Operation Dirtbag.” The DHS posted a clip of the interview on X.
‘It’s remarkable, and we need to do more of it.’
Operation Dirtbag was so called because of the more than 230 criminal illegal aliens arrested, over 150 of whom were sexual predators, many against children, Noem explained.
“These individuals were sex offenders, but not just sex offenders — they targeted children,” Noem stated.
RELATED: Illegal alien pedophile allegedly ‘physically assaulted’ ICE agent during immigration operation: DHS
Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images
“These individuals should’ve never been in our country to begin with, and the fact that they were sexual deviants and perverts and now we’ve gotten them off of our streets — it’s remarkable, and we need to do more of it,” Noem added.
Among the crimes committed by these illegal aliens were attempted premeditated murder with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery, sexual assault, sexual battery, lewd and lascivious molestation of children, possession of narcotics, possession of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance, and burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, according to the DHS’ X post.
Secretary Noem expressed her department’s appreciation for Florida’s cooperation in the operations.
“Our kids will be safer. And this partnership with Governor DeSantis in Florida is a model that we want to replicate across the country.”
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Tiananmen Scare: ‘Swagged Out’ Maoist Edgelord Trembles Like Bitch When ChiCom Thugs Plunder His Memes
Hasan Piker, the dog-abusing left-wing edgelord who identifies as a “swagged out white boy,” cowered pathetically on Tuesday when Chinese authorities disrupted his pilgrimage to the communist backwater. Livestream viewers gawked as Piker’s giddy persona gave way to trembling panic as regime security officers approached his entourage near Tiananmen Square, the site of the notorious massacre. Mercifully for Piker, the livestream was swiftly terminated; loyal fans were unable to witness his inevitable groveling in the face of authority.
The post Tiananmen Scare: ‘Swagged Out’ Maoist Edgelord Trembles Like Bitch When ChiCom Thugs Plunder His Memes appeared first on .
Former business associate of Zelenskyy allegedly nabbed in corruption investigation of Ukrainian energy company
A large-scale criminal investigation into alleged corruption among officials of a Ukrainian state-run energy company reportedly pointed to a former business associate of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to a source familiar with the probe.
Seven people were charged in the alleged $100 million kickback scheme, including Energoatom, a nuclear energy agency, according to Ukrainian officials.
Ukraine is under pressure to stamp out corruption as a part of its bid to join the European Union.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine said that five of the seven were arrested, but none were named publicly. NABU officials said they conducted 70 searches over 15 months of the investigation.
A Reuters report cited a source familiar with the matter that said Timur Mindich was among those charged. Mindich and Zelenskyy are longtime friends and business associates.
NABU said only that two of those charged were “a businessman who is the head of the criminal organization” and “a former adviser to the Minister of Energy.”
Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said an urgent audit of Energoatom would be conducted after the agency’s supervisory board was dismissed.
“We expect the audit results as soon as possible,” Svyrydenko wrote on Telegram. “The data will be handed over to law enforcement and anti-corruption bodies.”
Reuters said Mindich did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ukraine is under pressure to stamp out corruption as a part of its bid to join the European Union.
On Monday, Zelenskyy said in a video address that the integrity of the energy agency is a priority.
“Everyone who has built corrupt schemes must face a clear procedural response,” the president said. “There must be convictions. And government officials must work together with NABU and law enforcement bodies — and do it in a way that delivers real results.”
RELATED: White House hits Russia with massive sanctions, demands ‘immediate ceasefire’ in Ukraine
Critics of the ongoing U.S. support for Ukraine against the Russian invasion have pointed to accusations of corruption to bolster their calls to end military aid to the beleaguered nation.
The allegations of corruption in the energy sector would enrage many Ukrainians who are suffering widespread electricity blackouts as the bitter winter edges closer. Russian missile and drone attacks on the energy grid have also worsened the situation.
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Supreme Court rules in favor of Trump administration to extend pause in SNAP funding
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Trump administration’s request to extend the pause of an order to fully fund food aid benefits for a few days.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson previously granted the emergency pause on an order from U.S. District Judge John McConnell from Rhode Island for the government to fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Many on the left excoriated her for what they perceived as a pro-Trump order.
‘The only way to end this crisis — which the executive is adamant to end — is for Congress to reopen the government.’
Solicitor General John Sauer argued in the emergency appeal on behalf of the government.
“The core power of Congress is that of the purse, while the executive is tasked with allocating limited resources across competing priorities,” he said.
“But here, the court below took the current shutdown as effective license to declare a federal bankruptcy and appoint itself the trustee,” Sauer contined, “charged with picking winners and losers among those seeking some part of the limited pool of remaining federal funds.”
While the Trump administration had agreed to partially fund the program by about 65%, McConnell’s order called the government to use a separate pool of funding to fully support the program.
“The only way to end this crisis — which the executive is adamant to end — is for Congress to reopen the government,” Sauer said.
That effort to end the government shutdown appeared to be successful after Democrats caved to Republicans demands.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi thanked the court for the ruling.
“Our @TheJusticeDept attorneys just secured a further administrative stay through Thursday at midnight at the Supreme Court to prevent further judicial upheaval for the SNAP and Child Nutrition programs,” she wrote. “Thank you to the Court for allowing Congress to continue its swift progress to end the shutdown WITHOUT last-ditch disruption from lower courts. We will continue fighting and winning to protect President Trump’s agenda from meritless judicial activism.”
RELATED: Woman goes viral after admitting to being on SNAP benefits for 3 decades
Critics of the SNAP program point to examples on social media of recipients proudly admitting to abusing the program. In on case, a woman said she had been on SNAP for nearly three decades, though that report did not indicate whether she was suffering from disabilities.
“The first thing I did was grab my phone and call, and when I heard ‘zero dollars,’ my chest went into my throat!” said Maggie Aragon of New Mexico to KOAT-TV. “I have depended on those benefits since the 1990s, and it’s detrimental to my life if I don’t get them.”
About 42 million people rely on SNAP benefits.
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