List of All Articles with Tag 'us politics'

Georgia prosecutors have reportedly obtained text messages linking a breach of voting machines to members of Donald Trump’s team as a grand jury prepares to hear evidence in a case surrounding the former president’s attempts to overturn 2020 election results in the state. That state investigation – separate from a federal probe and indictment charging Mr Trump with three criminal conspiracies and obstruction in connection with 2020 election subversion – appears to connect Trump-linked attorneys and operatives to a breach of voting machines in Coffee County. As Mr Trump and his allies hunted for evidence of fraud to undermine Joe Biden’s definitive victory, a local elections official allegedly sent a “written invitation” to attorneys working for then-President Trump, according to text messages reportedly obtained by CNN. Last year, a former Trump official told the House select committee investigating January 6 and attempts to overturn election results said that White House officials had discussed plans to access voting machines in the state during an Oval Office meeting on 18 December 2020. While much of the attention surrounding the Georgia case has involved Mr Trump’s call to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” votes to ensure his victory, investigators have scrutinised the actions in Coffee County, and prosecutors appear prepared to argue that attempts to infiltrate sensitive voting machine software were a top-down effort from the former president. Mr Trump won the rural county in a landslide with 70 per cent of the vote. Katherine Friess, an attorney working with Trump-allied attorneys Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, among others, had shared the “invitation” to examine the county’s Dominion Voting Systems software on 1 January 2021, days before the breach, according to CNN. One month earlier, Ms Powell – who amplified false claims and conspiracy theories about Dominion that were central to a landmark defamation settlement between the company and Fox News – had previously enlisted forensics company Sullivan Strickler for $26,000 to investigate Michigan machines. Ms Friess also sent a “Letter of invitation to Coffee County, Georgia” to former New York City Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik, who was working with Mr Giuliani to bolster spurious claims of voter fraud, according to court documents in a civil case. Her texts reportedly show that she told operatives who ultimately performed the breach that Mr Trump’s team had secured written permission, CNN reported. “Just landed back in DC with the Mayor huge things starting to come together!” an employee with Sullivan Strickler reportedly wrote in a group chat on 1 January 2021. “Most immediately, we were just granted access – by written invitation! – to Coffee County’s systems. Yay!” the text reads, according to CNN. Data obtained from the Dominion Voting Systems software was uploaded to a password-protected website that could be accessed by election deniers across the country. Robert Costello, Mr Giuliani’s attorney, said that the former New York City mayor “had nothing to do with this”. “You can’t attach Rudy Giuliani to Sidney Powell’s crackpot idea,” he told CNN. A case led by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is the culmination of a wide-ranging investigation over the last two years following the former president’s pressure campaign targeting state officials to reject the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state. Her office has notified at least two witnesses to appear next week before a grand jury, the strongest indication yet that prosecutors are preparing to issue indictments in the coming days. She has previously indicated that a grand jury would vote on indictments by the end of August. Read More Trump steps up attacks on Fani Willis as Georgia probe links Trump team to voting system breach - latest Georgia grand jury to hear Trump election subversion case next week Trump, January 6 and a conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election: The federal investigation, explained Who is Fani Willis, the Georgia prosecutor who could take down Trump

It's undeniable that Justice Clarence Thomas' friendships with billionaires have given the conservative jurist a lifestyle most Americans could only dream of. But whether Thomas violated ethics rules by failing to disclose that hospitality is tricky.

Atlanta-area prosecutors investigating efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia are in possession of text messages and emails directly connecting members of Donald Trump's legal team to the early January 2021 voting system breach in Coffee County, sources tell CNN.

Former President Donald Trump is facing a potential fourth indictment, this time in Georgia, where state prosecutors may soon bring charges over his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results there.

During a walkabout at the Iowa State Fair on Saturday, Donald Trump was asked by a reporter if he had intended to overturn the 2020 election. The former president is currently under criminal indictment at the federal level for his alleged efforts to interfere with the result of the November 2020 presidential election, and will potentially face a further indictment at the state level via a grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia as soon as next week. As he made his way through a throng of people at the fair, a voice called out: “President Trump, did you intend to overturn the 2020 election?” Half-turning toward the person who asked, Mr Trump replied: “You know the answer to that.” He then continued on his way through the crowd toward a scheduled event with allied Republican lawmakers including Rep Matt Gaetz of Florida. Online, social media users were quick to respond to the former president’s sarcastic remark, clipped by Acyn Torabi, with a chorus of: “So, that’s a yes, then?” One more erudite response expanded on Mr Trump’s legal woes, remarking: “The Court in DC and in GA will soon confirm what we all know. YES you conspired to overthrow our election system.” “Yes, we do. Yes, he did,” posted one person on X, formerly known as Twitter. “He didn’t say no,” said another. Journalist Aaron Rupar noted the similarity between Mr Trump’s remark and OJ Simpson’s book about the murder of his wife “If I did it”, calling the publication “coy by comparison” to the former president’s remark. Given his record of talking himself into deeper trouble (or raising further questions) with off-the-cuff remarks, some noted that perhaps he had been coached. “Well at least his lawyers got him to shut up and not admit out loud what we know the correct answer is,” said one poster on X. “Someone’s been practising the answer his lawyers gave him…” added another. The former president was also asked by someone else if he’ll comply with Judge Tanya Chutkan’s order regarding his access to sensitive government documents and limiting what he can say in public in regard to the federal 2020 election case. He replied: “We’ll have to take a look at the order.” Mr Trump then baselessly blamed the case being brought about on President Joe Biden as a way to interfere with the election. Mrs Betty Bowers posted: “Donald is in for a rather unpleasant surprise if he thinks a judge’s order is something that needs an RSVP.” “If a person really believed in the rule of law the only acceptable answer would be: ‘Yes, of course’,” noted another person. Not to be left out of the “saying the quiet bit out loud” party, Rep Gaetz when introducing Mr Trump on stage appeared to propose some kind of rebellion, perhaps an insurrection of some sort? “I cannot stand these people that are destroying our country ... we know that only through force can we make any change in a corrupt town like Washington DC,” he told the crowd. People were quick to note that that approach has been tried before by a Trump-supporting mob of rioters at the US Capitol on 6 January 2021. “Sure sounds like he’s inciting violence,” wrote one person in response to the video clip. “These are terrific statements to play alongside the prosecution’s evidence at Trump’s upcoming election interference trials,” said another. “Is this the kinda force he’s talking about?” said one X user alongside a picture of lawmakers taking shelter in the gallery of the House of Representatives. More than 1,100 people have been charged with offences relating to the events in Washington on January 6. A great many named Mr Trump in their statements in court. He was indicted by federal prosecutors in relation to his attempts to overturn the 2020 election and the events that led up to the Capitol riot on 1 August. The government has proposed 2 January 2024 as his trial date. Shortly before the Iowa Caucus. Read More Georgia grand jury to hear Trump election subversion case next week Trump lashes out at Fulton County DA over Atlanta crime as potential ‘CON JOB’ indictment nears Judge warns Trump that ‘inflammatory statements’ will have consequences as she grants looser protective order Judge shuts down Trump lawyer as he claims protective order would give Biden an ‘advantage’ Pro-Trump Michigan false elector said conspiracy charges could trigger ‘civil war’ The Pentagon plans to shake up DC’s National Guard, criticized for its response to protests, Jan. 6

The office of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in Georgia has notified at least two witnesses to appear next week before a grand jury investigating Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn election results in the state, the strongest indication yet that prosecutors are preparing to issue indictments in the coming days. Prosecutors will begin to present the case to jurors early next week. Former Republican Lt Governor Geoff Duncan said he has been requested to appear on Tuesday, 15 August. “I did just receive notification to appear on Tuesday morning at the Fulton County grand jury and I certainly will be there to do my part in recounting the facts,” he told CNN. “I have no expectations as to the questions, and I’ll certainly answer whatever questions are put in front of me.” Journalist George Chidi also has announced that he is preparing to testify on Tuesday. The case is the culmination of a wide-ranging investigation over the last two years following the former president’s pressure campaign targeting state officials to reject the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state. Ms Willis opened an investigation shortly after news of Mr Trump’s call to Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, the state’s top elections official, who was pressed to find “11,870 votes” – just enough needed for then-President Trump to beat Joe Biden in the state. A special grand jury previously heard testimony from 75 witnesses, including aides and former attorneys to Mr Trump. That jury concluded its report in January with recommendations for state prosecutors to bring charges that will soon be reviewed by the newly impaneled grand jury. The investigation is among several facing the former president, who was separately charged with three criminal conspiracies and obstruction in a federal case stemming from the US Department of Justice special counsel probe into his attempts to subvert the election outcome. Last year, Ms Willis’s office sent letters warning several people – including Rudy Giuliani and a slate of so-called “alternate” electors loyal to Mr Trump – that they could face charges in the case. She also may be considering a wider set of charges that Ms Willis has made a career out of bringing against dozens of others. The state’s anti-racketeering RICO statute – typically used to break up organized crime – has been used by her office in indictments against more than two dozen people connected to a sprawling Atlanta hip-hop empire, 38 alleged gang members, and 25 educators accused of cheating Atlanta’s public school system. The RICO Act allows prosecutors to bring charges against multiple people that they believe committed separate crimes while working toward a common goal. A grand jury was sworn in to hear the case last month. Jurors have convened on Mondays and Tuesdays. After a case is presented, members of the grand jury convene to deliberate the case and decide whether to vote for a “true bill” or a “no bill” indictment, the former meaning that there is probable cause to believe a person committed a crime. A “no bill” means jurors did not believe a person committed a crime or that there is not enough evidence to indict them. An indictment is then presented in open court. Mr Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, characterising the multiple criminal indictments against him in several jurisdictions as politically motivated “witch hunts” while lashing out at the Democratic elected prosecutors in Atlanta and New York City – both of whom are Black – as “racist”. News of the upcoming grand jury testimony came as Mr Trump arrived at the Iowa State Fair as he seeks the 2024 Republican nomination for president. In a brief appearance to supporters, he falsely claimed that he received “millions and millions” of more votes than Mr Biden in 2020 as a group of his congressional surrogates – including Byron Donald and Matt Gaetz – rallied alongside him in a crowded tent. This is a developing story Read More Trump hits out at Fani Willis as expected Georgia indictment looms after first Jan 6 DC case hearing - latest Trump lashes out at Fulton County DA over Atlanta crime as potential ‘CON JOB’ indictment nears Who is Fani Willis, the Georgia prosecutor who could take down Trump The Supreme Court has already rejected a key part of Trump’s defence

Former Georgia lieutenant governor to testify before Fulton County grand jury in 2020 election probe

Republican Senator Ron Johnson amplified a number of Covid-19 conspiracy theories in a Fox Business Network segment bloated with false claims about the disease amid a growing number of hospitalisations and infections. While public health officials are urging Americans to stay up to date with vaccinations, the Wisconsin senator and Fox personality Maria Bartiromo falsely refuted vaccine efficacy and safety while wrongly stating that ivermectin is an approved treatment. The senator also revived baseless conspiracy theories circulated by anti-vaccine influencers like Robert F Kennedy Jr, who has faced ongoing scrutiny for his bogus suggestion that the virus is a biological weapon used to target certain demographics and spare Jewish and Chinese people. “This was all pre-planned by an elite group of people,” Mr Johnson said on the network on 11 August. “We’re up against a very powerful group of people … We are going down a very dangerous path, but it’s a path that is being laid out and planned by an elite group of people that want to take total control over our lives, and that’s what they’re doing bit by bit.” Mr Johnson and Ms Bartiromo also falsely claimed that the US Food and Drug Administration has approved ivermectin to treat Covid-19. Their bogus claims follow a recent appeals court hearing in a lawsuit from three doctors who have accused the federal agency of overstepping its authority by telling people not to take the drug. A federal judge appointed by Donald Trump dismissed the lawsuit last year. FDA attorneys argued that the agency did not prohibit doctors from prescribing the drug but had issued guidance recommending against its use. Right-wing media falsely interpreted those statements to mean that the agency now is endorsing the drug. Ms Bartiromo also admitted to taking ivermectin – which still is not authorised or approved for use in preventing or treating Covid-19 – before falsely stating that the FDA says it’s “fine” to use. “It was hard to find my doctor to finally, you know, address this and prescribe ivermectin,” she said. “He did, my Covid was gone in a day when I took ivermectin. And now three years later, the FDA says, ‘Oh, yeah, that’s fine. Take ivermectin.’” The FDA has not said that. The segment aired as Covid-related hospitalisations begin to surge across the US, increasing 12.5 per cent over the last week to more than 9,000, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. EG.5, an offshoot of the omicron variant that sparked waves of new infections, has been circulating in the US since April, now accounting for more than 17 per cent of Covid infections, according to the CDC. Last month, Mr Kennedy – a prominent anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist who is seeking an extremely long-shot bid for the Democratic nomination for president – revived an antisemitic conspiracy that blames Jewish people for the emergence of the disease. He baselessly stated during a press event that “there is an argument to be made” that the disease is “ethnically targeted”. The Independent has requested comment from Fox and a spokesperson for Mr Johnson. Read More Everything we know about EG. 5, the Covid subvariant dominating the US Data from pharmacy chain suggests Covid cases in California have nearly doubled since June RFK Jr’s ‘horrific antisemitic and xenophobic views’ detailed in explosive report Fox News promotes conspiracy theory linking Bronny James collapse to Covid vaccine

Former president Donald Trump has again lashed out at Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis on Truth Social, ahead of a week in which it is expected he will be indicted for 2020 election interference in the Atlanta, Georgia area. Returning to themes of attack he has deployed before, he called Ms Willis “RACIST” and criticised her professional record combating crime in Atlanta. He called the city “one of the deadliest communities in the US” with “gang members roaming the streets”, adding that they are treated with “kid gloves”. Toward the end of the rambling sentence, the former president got to his point, saying he had heard — without providing evidence — that Ms Willis is using the potential indictment against him as a “campaign and fundraising CON JOB”. Mr Trump has attacked Ms Willis on numerous occasions — with an increasingly desperate tone — including a recent baseless allegation of an extramarital affair with a gang member. In response, the district attorney has issued a memorandum to staff about the new lie told about her instructing them not to comment publicly on the matter. The former president rounded out his latest diatribe by yet again describing his 2 January 2021 phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger as “perfect” and that it was his “duty and right” to challenge election fraud as president. Mr Trump wrote in full on his social media platform on Saturday morning: “I hear that RACIST Fulton County (Atlanta) District Attorney ‘Phoney’ Fani Willis, who weakly presides over one of the deadliest communities in the US, with thousands of murderers, violent criminals & gang members roaming the streets while going untried, free, & are treated with ‘kid gloves’, is using a potential Indictment of me, and other innocent people, as a campaign and fundraising CON JOB, all based on a PERFECT PHONE CALL, AS PRESIDENT, CHALLENGING ELECTION FRAUD - MY DUTY & RIGHT!” In a publicly released recording of the call, Mr Trump attempts to pressure Mr Raffensperger into “finding him votes” despite there being no evidence of electoral fraud or other issues. The then-president insisted he had won the state but still said he wanted to find 11,780 votes to clear the margin by which Joe Biden had triumphed in the November 2020 election. The call is expected to be just one part of a multi-faceted indictment handed down by the Fulton County grand jury which has heard evidence of the multiple ways in which the former president and his allies attempted to overturn the results of the election. Late on Friday night, Mr Trump broke an unusually prolonged silence on Truth Social — in which he had predominantly only reposted videos — by sharing his two cents on the naming of David Weiss as special counsel in the Justice Department’s investigation of Hunter Biden. The former president wrote: “David Weiss was picked by the two Democrat Senators from Delaware under “Blue Slip.” He would not have been picked by me. But I have a great idea. Why don’t they use Deranged Jack Smith[?].” Mr Trump continued: “Weiss has been investigating Hunter for 4 years, giving him the ‘sweetheart’ deal of all sweetheart deals. But a brilliant Judge in Delaware saw through it all. Now, I read, the Department of Injustice wants a new Judge and Jurisdiction. But so do I, with far stronger reasons than Hunter & Crooked Joe. MAGA!!!” Mr Weiss was nominated to the post of US Attorney for the US District Court for the District of Delaware by Mr Trump. The former president has tried to get his federal election interference case moved out of the District of Columbia and over to West Virginia to what he sees as a chance to get a better jury. Many of the more than 1,000 people charged with crimes relating to the Capitol riot of 6 January 2021 have tried this and all have been denied as their crimes took place in Washington, DC. Read More Georgia DA Fani Willis tells staff to ignore Trump’s ‘derogatory and false’ attacks Rising political threats take US into uncharted territory as 2024 election looms Prosecutors seek Jan. 2 trial date for Donald Trump in his 2020 election conspiracy case Prosecutor in Hunter Biden case is given special counsel status by attorney general

Nevada Republican Senate candidate Sam Brown created a political action committee to "help elect Republicans" but most of its funds were spent paying down debt from his failed previous campaign. The group donated less than 7% of its funds to the candidates it was set up to support, according to campaign finance records -- a move one campaign finance expert likened to using the PAC as a "slush fund."

Closing in on a deal to free five Americans detained in Iran, US and Iranian delegations gathered in separate hotels in Doha -- within sight of each other, but not within earshot -- as Qatari diplomats shuttled back and forth trying feverishly to broker an elusive agreement between the two.

The 2024 Republican presidential race is playing out in close quarters Saturday at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, as former President Donald Trump and his top-polling rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, join the crowd of thousands of potential caucus-goers.