Oklahoma court considers whether to allow first publicly funded Catholic school in the US
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma’s Republican attorney general urged the state’s highest court on Tuesday to stop the creation of what would be the nation’s first publicly funded Catholic charter school. Attorney General Gentner Drummond argued the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board violated both the law and the state and federal constitutions when it voted 3-2 in June to approve the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City’s application to establish the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual Charter School. OKLAHOMA SCHOOL INVESTIGATED AFTER VIDEO SHOWS KIDS LICKING TOES FOR FUNDRAISER: ‘DISGUSTING’ “I think that they betrayed their oath of office,” Drummond told the nine-member court. “And they knew they betrayed their oath of office because I told them if they did that they would.” The case is being closely watched because supporters of the school believe recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions have indicated the court is more open to public funds going to religious entities. One of Oklahoma’s high court justices asked Drummond if there aren’t already examples of using taxpayer funds for religious purposes, such as Medicaid funding for patients who go to St. Anthony’s Hospital, a Catholic health care provider in Oklahoma City. Drummond said there is a distinct difference between a religious entity qualifying for state funding for a service it provides and the Catholic charter school, which became a public institution with the school board’s vote. “The state and church are intertwined as has never happened before,” Drummond said. He added that approving the school would open the door for public schools to teach Islamic doctrine or even Satanism. Michael McGinley, an attorney for St. Isidore, argued that numerous private religious organizations receive state funding for providing services to students and that it’s unconstitutional to reject the archdiocese’s application simply because it is religious. “We have a program that’s open to everybody, except religious organizations,” he argued. “You can’t do that.” McGinley said the online school already has received hundreds of applications and hopes to receive its state funding on July 1. Classes are scheduled to begin in the fall. The school would be open to students throughout Oklahoma in kindergarten through grade 12. The court did not indicate when it would rule.
Connecticut man pleads guilty to attempted sexual assault of Muslim state representative
A man who attacked a Muslim state representative outside a prayer service in Connecticut pleaded guilty Tuesday to attempted sexual assault and other crimes in a plea deal that calls for a five-year prison sentence. Andrey Desmond, 30, appeared in Hartford Superior Court in connection with the June 2023 assault on Rep. Maryam Khan, the first Muslim to serve in the state House of Representatives. He pleaded guilty to attempted third-degree sexual assault, attempted first-degree strangulation and risk of injury to a minor — all felonies, Hearst Connecticut Media Group reported. Khan’s lawyer, Aaron Romano, told a judge that Khan believed Desmond deserved a longer prison sentence given how serious the attack was. Khan attended the hearing but did not comment afterward. CONNECTICUT DAY CARE WORKER ACCUSED OF THROWING TODDLER SIX FEET IN AIR INTO WALL “Representative Khan is requesting privacy at this time to process today’s events, but she looks forward to her attacker’s sentencing on June 4,” Romano said in a statement later in the day. Desmond’s attorney, public defender John Stawicki, told Judge David Gold that Desmond wanted to apologize to Khan. Desmond held off on apologizing after Gold warned that anything he said could be used against him if the plea agreement ended up being canceled for any reason. The plea deal would also require Desmond, after the prison term, to register as a sex offender, undergo counseling and take his medication. Court records show Desmond, who was living in New Britain, has a history of mental illness. After a court-ordered evaluation, he was found competent to stand trial. Khan, a Democrat from the Hartford suburb of Windsor, had called for hate crime charges. She was attacked while attending a service at the XL Center arena in Hartford with her family to mark Eid al-Adha, the end of the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage by Muslims to Mecca. She has said she and her family, including her 15-year-old daughter, were taking photos outside the arena when Desmond approached and said he “intended to have sexual relations” with one of them. Desmond then followed them inside, and Khan said he started to pursue her in particular, grabbing at her face and shirt and demanding a kiss. He followed her back outside and tried to grab her face again, she said, and became angry when she “dodged him.” She said he slapped her across the face and later put her in a “chokehold,” holding up his hand and mimicking having a gun before slamming her into the ground. Khan said she was diagnosed with a concussion and injured her right arm and shoulder. The Associated Press doesn’t generally identify people who report attempted sexual assaults unless they publicly identify themselves, as Khan has done. Desmond was chased down and held by two bystanders until police arrived and arrested him. One of the bystanders, a military veteran, was charged with misdemeanor assault and has applied for a pretrial diversion program that could erase the charge.
Tribes blast South Dakota governor’s claim that leaders are benefitting from drug cartels
Relations between South Dakota tribes and Republican Gov. Kristi Noem have long been strained, but they have become even more contentious recently as Noem has pointedly criticized tribal leaders, accusing some of profiting from drug dealing and questioning their commitments to children on reservations. In speeches at community forums, Noem has slammed leaders of the tribes in the state as being more interested in hurting her politically and profiting from drug cartels than improving the lives of children and others amid persistent poverty on reservations. SOUTH DAKOTA GOV NOEM BANNED FROM TRIBAL RESERVATION OVER REMARKS ON US SOUTHERN BORDER “We’ve got some tribal leaders that I believe are personally benefiting from the cartels being there and that’s why they attack me every day,” Noem said at a forum last month in Winner. “But I’m going to fight for the people who actually live in those situations, who call me and text me every day and say, ’Please, dear governor, please come help us in Pine Ridge. We are scared.” Even for tribal leaders accustomed to rocky relations with the governor, the accusations left them stunned. “How dare the Governor allege that Sioux Tribal Councils do not care about their communities or their children, and, worse, that they are involved in nefarious activities?” said Oglala Sioux Tribe President Frank Star Comes Out, whose tribe earlier this year banished Noem from the Pine Ridge Reservation and is suing the federal government for more law enforcement resources to tackle crime on the reservation. Or as Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Chairwoman Janet Alkire put it in a statement, “Governor Kristi Noem’s wild and irresponsible attempt to connect tribal leaders and parents with Mexican drug cartels is a sad reflection of her fear-based politics that do nothing to bring people together to solve problems.” In making her comments, Noem expressed frustration at persistent problems on reservations and desperation to help, but others question why the governor seems to be picking a fight now with tribes. They note members of the tribes typically favor Democratic candidates in the otherwise conservative state and speculate Noem’s tough stand is intended to impress presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who has named Noem as a potential vice presidential running mate. Michael Card, an emeritus political science professor at the University of South Dakota, speculated that Noem’s comments might go back to her view about security on the southern border and support for Trump. Noem has risen fast in her political career, having won every race she has run, said Card, who drew a “linkage” from Noem to Trump in that “we like strong people, and this is a strong woman.” Some tribal leaders also point to Noem’s support of Trump. “She’s trying to out-Trump Trump by saying something crazy about Native Americans because she knows we’ve had a long history of fighting with the state, and she figures by saying something that might go national, maybe Trump will elevate her a little higher and pick her to be on his team, which is sad,” said Democratic state Sen. Shawn Bordeaux, a former Rosebud Sioux tribal council member. No one denies drug and alcohol abuse are an endemic problem on some reservations, but Noem hasn’t provided evidence linking drug cartels to tribal leaders. Her spokesman, Ian Fury, said in an email that “drug cartel presence on Native American reservations” has been documented by the news media for years but didn’t respond to inquiries for more specifics. In response to questions about drug cartels, the South Dakota U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement that it works with tribal, local and state officials but didn’t specify whether cartels were active on reservations. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI either referred questions to the U.S. Attorney’s Office or declined to comment. In a letter to the U.S. Interior Department and other federal officials last week, Noem called for audits of federal funds given to the nine tribes in South Dakota to understand how the money had been spent. The Interior Department declined to comment. Also last week, Noem requested a meeting with the Oglala Sioux tribal officials, offering to help address problems facing their reservation. She made a similar request in February. Fury did not respond to an email asking whether the tribe has responded. The governor also has tried to reach leaders of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and Crow Creek Sioux Tribe without success, Fury said. “She continues to have no response from any of those tribes. But she is loving all the conversations that she’s having with their community members – she has appreciated their encouragement and support,” Fury said. The dispute continues a long history of contentious relations between South Dakota’s tribes and the government dating to the 1800s when some of the most intensive fighting between Native Americans and U.S. troops occurred in the state. More recently, efforts in the 1950s to “terminate” or withdraw federal responsibility and administration of tribes led to tension, though ultimately no tribe in South Dakota was terminated, said Sean Flynn, professor and chair of history at Dakota Wesleyan University, and an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. Flynn said he thinks Noem could use her voice and position to help the tribes obtain more federal support to tackle problems on reservations, instead of “scolding” tribal leaders and parents. “It doesn’t seem like a formula for addressing the issue of drug use on reservations,” he said.
Johnson’s new push for Ukraine aid faces divided response from House, Senate Republicans
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., declared that he’s committed to opposing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for the remainder of his term, and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has pitched a novel approach to continue funding the war effort — but Republican holdouts in both chambers may still derail the efforts of leadership to secure a new aid package. “We’re funding what appears to be yet another forever war that will bankrupt future generations — all while disregarding our own security as our southern border remains open,” Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., told Fox News Digital. “It’s absurd that overnighting more tax dollars to Ukraine is even a consideration. It should be totally off the table and replaced with a push for peace talks.” Johnson revealed his intent to take action on Ukraine aid soon after lawmakers return to Washington next week during an appearance on Fox News Channel on Sunday night. It’s been a hot-button issue for conservatives, but he suggested a plan that diverges significantly from the Senate-passed $95 billion package with aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. One potential piece of the House’s forthcoming effort to provide resources to Ukraine is the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity (REPO) for Ukrainians Act. This measure would have the U.S. liquidate seized Russian assets and re-purpose those funds as more assistance for Ukraine. I WANT MY MTV (MOTION TO VACATE): SPEAKER JOHNSON FACES POTENTIAL THREAT WHEN CONGRESS RETURNS According to Johnson, this option is one of several possible alternatives that “we should do that make more sense and I think we’ll have consensus around.” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., praised the plan on Monday night, posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he is “Encouraged to hear that Speaker Johnson will take up Ukraine aid when Congress reconvenes next week.” GOP SENATE CANDIDATE LARRY HOGAN LAUNCHES MARYLAND BUS TOUR AS DEM CANDIDATES FACE OFF “This proposal or something similar, when combined with border security, would be a winning package for all concerned,” he said of the potential components of a package spearheaded by Johnson, which could also include aid in the form of a loan to the country, as well as taking steps to decrease reliance on foreign sources for energy. It’s unclear if Johnson’s plan for Ukraine would be attached to U.S. border security measures. Fox News Digital reached out to the speaker’s office for clarification. Congressional Republicans killed a $118 billion package with aid for Ukraine, Taiwan, Israel and the U.S. border earlier this year, arguing it did not go far enough to tackle the ongoing border crisis. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and President Biden have been pressuring Johnson to take up the slimmer $95 billion package without border measures. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., a staunch supporter of assistance to Ukraine, did not provide comment regarding the various potential routes being eyed by House Republicans. A spokesperson reiterated that McConnell’s primary focus is getting aid to Ukraine in the quickest fashion possible. In a Monday radio interview in Kentucky, McConnell said he plans to “put the main part of my focus in the coming years” on supporting Ukraine and pushing back against Russia’s advances. He further claimed he would continue to fight “isolationist” tendencies in his party, which have become increasingly popular among his Republican Senate colleagues. MCCONNELL PUTTING ‘MAIN PART OF MY FOCUS’ ON OPPOSING RUSSIA IN UKRAINE: ‘A WORLDWIDE PROBLEM FOR DEMOCRACIES’ A spokesperson for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Ranking Member James Risch, R-Idaho, said in a statement, “Senator Risch has had numerous conversations with his colleagues about what should be in the supplemental, like his REPO bill to seize Russian sovereign assets.” “He looks forward to reviewing all the changes Speaker Johnson makes and what passes the House,” the spokesperson continued. A House Foreign Affairs Committee aide told Fox News Digital that Chairman Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, hopes a “strong version” of the REPO Act, which he helped introduce in the House, is part of the final package. Other Republicans were more hesitant to discuss specifics without a firm plan in place, and it’s clear that the issue is still driving a wedge through the GOP. “Speaker Johnson has said that a targeted bill to help Ukraine’s defense will come to the floor once we get back from recess, and I will hold him to it,” Rep. Young Kim, R-Calif., told Fox News Digital. “Failure to support Ukraine plays right into the hands of Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran.” HOUSE REPUBLICANS EYE CRACKDOWN ON FAMILY-SPONSORED IMMIGRATION Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., said, “We need to ensure that Ukraine has the weapons they need to win, and that Biden enforces sanctions on Putin.” However, a number of Republicans remained skeptical of bringing any measure to address Ukraine aid to the floor. RASHIDA TLAIB ACCUSES ISRAEL OF INTENTIONALLY KILLING 7 HUMANITARIAN AID WORKERS House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good, R-Va., told Fox News Digital, “America’s security must be our top priority. We cannot continue to borrow and spend money we don’t have for wars overseas while failing to protect Americans from the Biden border invasion here at home. At a bare minimum, any package for military aid to Ukraine should be fully offset and must include H.R.2 with performance metrics to secure our own border.” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, slammed the facilitation of “an intractable, bloody proxy war,” citing the concerns playing out on America’s southern border. “We must keep our promise to the American people and secure our borders, first and foremost,” he added. According to Lee’s office, the senator considers these alternate Ukraine measures to be gimmicks that don’t address the war’s continuing with no end in sight. The liquidation of Russian assets and assistance being offered as a loan are tactics of misdirection that aren’t likely to offset spending or be recouped in the long run, his office said. “Regardless of how Johnson tries to mask more aid to Ukraine, it’s still more aid to Ukraine,” Sen. Josh Hawley,
UT-Austin announces round of firings in latest step to comply with Texas’ DEI ban
The firings come after state leaders criticized universities for not doing enough to enforce the ban. Students say UT-Austin has already overcorrected.
Arizona congressman Raúl Grijalva says he has cancer, but plans to work while undergoing treatment
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva announced Tuesday that he has been diagnosed with cancer, but he said he is continuing to work while undergoing treatment. “A few weeks ago, I sought medical treatment for a persistent cough which was initially diagnosed as pneumonia. After further testing and imaging, my physician discovered that I have cancer,” the 76-year-old Democrat, who is the dean of Arizona’s congressional delegation, said in a statement. STAUNCH SANDERS SUPPORTER REP. RAÚL GRIJALVA URGES LATINOS TO BACK CLINTON “This diagnosis has been difficult to process, but I am confident in the vigorous course of treatment that my medical team has developed, and I’ve begun my journey to fight this cancer,” Grijalva added. It is unclear what type of cancer Grijalva has. The congressman’s office said no other information was being released at this time. “I am working hard to get healthy and return to business as usual as soon as I am able,” said Grijalva, who was first elected to the U.S. House in 2002 and is seeking a 12th term in this year’s election. Ruben Reyes, who works for Grijalva as his Southern Arizona district director, said he didn’t think the cancer treatment will affect the congressman’s ability to do his job. The district Grijalva represents spans most of the Arizona-Mexico border and includes sections of Cochise, Maricopa, Pinal, Santa Cruz and Yuma counties. “My congressional office remains open and the many services we provide for our constituents continue uninterrupted. I am in regular communication with my staff,” Grijalva said in his statement. “It is a privilege to serve as a Representative for the people of Arizona and take this responsibility very seriously.”
Uvalde mayor resigns citing health issues in wake of controversial report on 2022 school shooting
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — City of Uvalde Mayor Cody Smith has resigned effective immediately, vacating his post the same week the police chief of the small Texas city is expected to depart, two years after one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history. Smith said in a statement Monday that he needed to focus on his health and thanked the Uvalde community for its support during his ongoing recovery from recent “unexpected health issues.” He did not elaborate. UVALDE, TEXAS SCHOOL SHOOTING: 19 CHILDREN, 2 TEACHERS KILLED, SUSPECTED SHOOTER DEAD The decision comes weeks after an independent report commissioned by the city defended the actions of local officers during the botched response by nearly 400 local, state and federal law enforcement officials to the May 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting that left 21 people dead. Uvalde City Council members were expected to meet Tuesday afternoon and could discuss the report in a private session. Last week, the meeting was postponed with officials citing concerns for the mayor’s health. Smith’s announcement follows a recent announcement by Uvalde Police Chief Daniel Rodriguez that he would be stepping down effective April 6 after the city’s report found no wrongdoing by local officers who waited over an hour to confront the teen gunman armed with an AR-15 style weapon. Rodriguez, who was on vacation during the deadly Robb Elementary School shooting, said in a letter last month submitting his resignation that it was time for a new chapter in his career. He made no reference to the mass shooting. The controversial report was authored by private investigator Jesse Prado, an Austin-based investigator and former police detective, who was paid $97,000 for the independent investigation, according to city council records. Last month, Prado presented the findings of the report in a special city council meeting, prompting eruptions of anger from victims’ families and community members.
Gov. Evers turns to Wisconsin Supreme Court in crusade against absentee drop box restrictions
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers urged the Wisconsin Supreme Court on Tuesday to overturn a ruling that banned absentee ballot drop boxes beyond the confines of election clerks’ offices in the presidential battleground state. In a filing the day of Wisconsin’s presidential primary, Evers asked the court to overturn a 2022 ruling that limited drop box locations. Former President Donald Trump had claimed without evidence that drop boxes led to voter fraud when he lost the state in the 2020 election. Wisconsin’s high court was controlled by conservative justices at the time. It has since flipped to liberal control and the current justices agreed last month to revisit the case brought by Priorities USA, a liberal voter mobilization group, and the Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Voters. Oral arguments are May 13. WISCONSIN GOV. EVERS VETOES $3B TAX CUT, DEI CRACKDOWNS, OTHER GOP-BACKED BILLS Wisconsin law is silent on drop boxes. Liberal advocates argue that translates into it being legal to distribute them around communities. In his filing Tuesday, Evers said the 2022 court misinterpreted what it means to return a ballot to an election clerk. “Depositing a ballot into a drop box maintained by the municipal clerk is a personal delivery to the municipal clerk in much the same way as a ballot is mailed when an individual drops it in the mailbox without waiting to watch it be collected by the postal carrier,” the filing argues. Drop boxes have been used for years in Wisconsin, but they exploded in popularity during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. At least 500 drop boxes were set up in more than 430 communities that year, including more than a dozen each in Madison and Milwaukee, the state’s two most heavily Democratic cities. The rules for voting in Wisconsin are of heightened interest because it’s one of a handful of battleground presidential states. Four of the past six presidential elections in Wisconsin have been decided by less than a percentage point, including the past two. At least 29 other states allow for absentee ballot drop boxes in locations other than election offices, according to the U.S. Vote Foundation. “All across our country, election officials have chosen to use drop boxes to ensure that all eligible voters can freely cast their ballots,” Evers said in a statement. “Drop box voting is safe and secure, and there is nothing in Wisconsin’s election laws that prohibit our local clerks from using this secure option.”
Dem senator’s campaign ad touting border security features sheriff rebuked by ICE for ‘sanctuary’ policies
A sheriff prominently featured in a Sen. Sherrod Brown campaign ad touting the Ohio Democrat’s border security record essentially oversees a sanctuary county, prompting criticism from Republicans as the November election nears and polls show voters concerned about illegal immigration. Brown is “fighting to keep our communities safe,” Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin says in a recent ad that features a number of Ohio sheriffs telling voters about Brown’s bill signed by former President Trump that cracked down on illegal drugs pouring across the border. Franklin County, home to Ohio’s state capital and most populous city of Columbus, is widely regarded as a de facto “sanctuary city,” and the Columbus Dispatch wrote in 2020 that “its policies are in line with jurisdictions” that have declared to be sanctuary cities. Baldwin, a Democrat who has served as sheriff since 2017, was called out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 2020 in a press release that said his county released 29 criminal illegal aliens in the course of a few weeks despite ICE requesting a hold on those individuals. ICE ARRESTS 216 ILLEGAL MIGRANTS WITH COCAINE, FENTANYL, HEROIN CONVICTIONS “When dangerous criminal aliens are released into the community, public safety is needlessly put at risk because of the individual’s propensity to re-offend,” Rebecca Adducci, the field office director for ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in Michigan and Ohio, said at the time. “ICE remains committed to arresting and removing criminal aliens in the interest of public safety and national security, despite local decisions to not honor detainers and jeopardize the safety of its citizens.” The press release stated that one of those individuals released was 59-year-old Somali national Hajir Muhammud, a convicted sex offender for crimes involving children and was re-arrested by ICE after being released by Franklin County. “Edgar Moreno-Soto, a 25-year-old Mexican national, was arrested Nov. 6, for felony firearm charges, drugs, among other charges,” the press release said about another individual. “ICE lodged a detainer after his arrest. He was subsequently released after Franklin County declined to honor the ICE detainer. His current location is unknown.” WHITE HOUSE CALLS FOR SANCTUARY CITIES TO COOPERATE WITH ICE AMID FUROR OVER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIMES The list of criminal aliens released includes those facing charges of domestic violence, assault and gun charges. About a month after Baldwin took office in 2017, a spokesperson from his department told the Columbus Free Press the county would not arrest undocumented individuals simply for suspicion of being in the country illegally or notify ICE about those suspicions. Around the same time, the mayor of Columbus signed an executive order protecting illegal immigrants from arrest, unless a warrant had been issued, amid the Trump administration cracking down on “sanctuary cities.” “Technically, the city doesn’t decide whether to detain an undocumented immigrant. Franklin County runs the jail and sets that policy,” Fox 28 Columbus reported in March 2017. “The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office said it’s been their long-standing policy only to arrest people who have committed a crime and release them when they serve their time. At most, they’ll give a courtesy call to immigration officials when someone is being released.” Last week, an illegal migrant TikTok influencer was arrested by ICE in Franklin County after posting a viral video encouraging migrants to squat in other people’s homes. ICE AGENTS BLAST LA’S ‘FRUSTRATING’ SANCTUARY POLICIES AS THEY WORK TO NAB CRIMINAL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS The county’s stance on illegal immigration during Baldwin’s tenure prompted criticism from Brown’s Republican opposition. “After Sherrod Brown defended defunding the police and said police perpetuate institutionalized racism, it’s not surprising one of the only law enforcement officials he could find for his sham ad runs a county that refuses to cooperate with ICE,” Philip Letsou, spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told Fox News Digital. “Brown worked hand-in-hand with Joe Biden to create the border crisis that’s flooding our country with fentanyl. He’ll have to answer for that in November,” he said. Reagan McCarthy, communications director for Brown’s GOP challenger, Bernie Moreno, told Fox News Digital that President Biden and Brown’s “open-border policies, including sanctuary cities, are destroying our nation.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE “Under their failed leadership and reversal of the effective Trump-era policies, countless lawless individuals have been released into our communities,” McCarthy said. “Brown talks tough, but the border invasion and fentanyl crisis occurred under his watch. In November, Ohioans will reject his empty promises and send an outsider to the Senate to secure our border and deport illegals.” Fox News Digital reached out to Baldwin’s office for comment and did not receive a response. “Sherrod has worked with Republicans and Democrats to secure hundreds of millions for Ohio law enforcement officers, increase the number of border patrol agents at the southern border, and crack down on the chemical suppliers and traffickers of dangerous fentanyl in China and Mexico,” Reeves Oyster, Friends of Sherrod Brown campaign spokesperson, told Fox News Digital. “While Sherrod is fighting to secure the border and protect Ohioans, Bernie Moreno opposed the bipartisan border security bill backed by border patrol agents because he isn’t looking out for Ohioans.” The Brown campaign pointed Fox News Digital to several examples of Brown working across the aisle on border security, including supporting the recent Senate immigration bill that was called by some as the most “conservative in decades,” working with GOP Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina to pass the FEND Off Fentanyl Act and securing hundreds of millions of dollars for law enforcement in Ohio.
Beware of work-study programs disguised as political activities: GOP attorneys general letter to DOE
FIRST ON FOX: The attorneys general of West Virginia and Indiana led a coalition of 16 states in sending a letter Tuesday to the Department of Education, warning that the agency’s recent guidance on work study funding may violate existing federal law. West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita took aim at a “Dear Colleague” memorandum penned in late February by Assistant Education Secretary Nasser Paydar. In the document, Paydar informed universities and colleges that federal work study funds may be used for employment by public agencies for “civic engagement work that is not associated with a particular interest or group.” The attorneys general expressed concern at the guidance’s advisement that such civic engagement work may include “broad-based get-out-the-vote activities, voter registration, providing voter assistance at a polling place or via voter hotline, or poll worker service.” They noted Congress designed the federal work study program to support community service activities for student-workers. “Your guidance effectively licenses colleges and universities to subsidize this activity – and potentially swing elections by choosing where to direct these funds – with taxpayer money,” the letter reads. “That approach violates limitations imposed by law.” LEGAL EXPERTS RAISE ALARM ON PRESIDENT BIDEN’S ‘PLAN B’ STUDENT LOAN HANDOUT It goes on to say that U.S. taxpayers shouldn’t have to “foot the bill for anyone’s political activity, regardless of who benefits.” Morrisey, Rokita and the other signatories further pointed to Education Department policy which states that student work is not in the public interest if it involves any partisan or nonpartisan political activity. They claimed Paydar’s memo forgets those limits by allowing support for a wide range of voter registration services, which the attorneys general said are both political and often the most valuable political activities in which a party or candidate can engage. BIDEN PLANS EVEN BIGGER STUDENT LOAN HANDOUT, DUMPING THE BILL ON YOU Their letter continued, arguing that the Education Department’s guidance fails to install proper guardrails to protect the program from abuse. For example, it doesn’t supply instructions on regulating voter registration activities aimed at boosting a particular party in a particular jurisdiction. “Decisions about which neighborhoods and precincts to work can pay big dividends in November,” they wrote. And the letter concluded by suggesting the Education Department’s guidance is part of a broader effort to use public initiatives to enlist favored voters. The officials urged the agency to recognize that “parties and candidates are supposed to work and fund their own election efforts.” “The Work-Study Program helps a lot of students, but this new guidance appears politically motivated and has the potential to be weaponized,” Morrisey told Fox News Digital in a statement. “The Biden administration can’t be allowed to pay college students with public dollars to deliver new voters to the Democrats. The law says that’s wrong. Voters say that’s wrong. Common sense says that’s wrong.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In addition to Morrisey and Rokita, the attorneys general from Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and Utah joined in signing it. The Department of Education did not answer multiple inquiries seeking comment for this story.