House Oversight Chairman Comer investigating FBI over ‘quietly’ revised crime statistics
The Republican-led House Oversight Committee on Thursday launched an investigation into the FBI over its alleged “failure to report complete, accurate national crime data.” In a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said the bureau “failed to include” in its 2022 data a 4.5% increase in national crime. The FBI had initially reported a 1.7% decrease in violent crime in 2022, but later “quietly” revised those figures, Comer said. Comer alleged that the FBI failed to include in its initial count “an additional 1,699 murders, 7,780 rapes, 33,459 robberies, and 37,091 aggravated assaults.” Comer said the FBI’s failure to report this data “draws into question the veracity” of the 2023 Crime in the Nation report. TOWN’S ENTIRE POLICE FORCE, INCLUDING CHIEF, RESIGNS ON SAME DAY He noted that Vice President Kamala Harris “touted the 2023 data” and the media used it “to dispel Americans’ real concerns about crime.” “The Committee is concerned that the FBI’s recent failures to report accurate crime data are politically motivated,” Comer said. “The Committee is seeking documents and communications to understand the FBI’s failure to provide Congress and the American people with accurate crime data and whether the 2023 data is, in fact, accurate.” FBI INVESTIGATING LEAK OF CLASSIFIED DOCS ON ISRAELI PREPARATIONS FOR POSSIBLE IRAN STRIKE The FBI told Fox News Digital it stands behind each of its Crime in the Nation publications. The FBI said a “significant number of agencies” were unable to complete the transition from the bureau’s traditional Summary Reporting System (SRS) to the more comprehensive National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) for the 2021 data collection year. “Due to the lower volume of participation, the FBI was unable to produce the traditional national estimates for 2021,” the bureau said. “To provide a confident comparison of crime trends across the nation, the UCR Program performed a NIBRS estimation crime trend analysis.” The FBI said its release last month of Crime in the Nation, 2023, was the first phase in its efforts to provide the public with more timely data. The bureau said it will soon transition to monthly data releases “to promote transparency and provide an opportunity for consumers to review data based on more timely crime counts with the understanding that data will be continuously updated.”
A ‘very different scenario’ for the House of Representatives elections in 2024
The race for control of the House is tight. The classic political jumpball. It’s hard to judge which way the House will tilt. Republicans are heavily favored to win the Senate. But nearly every competitive Senate contest is razor-thin. Pennsylvania. Ohio. Michigan. Wisconsin. Texas is suddenly in play. Some observers would never rule out Florida. Montana appears to be slipping away from Democrats. Democrats seem in good shape in Arizona. But what happens if former President Trump wins Arizona? Republicans might seize the Senate majority with a robust 53 or 54 seats – even if all of these races are decided by just a percentage point or two. But, we could be talking about a very different scenario for control of the House and Senate had President Biden not withdrawn from his reelection bid in mid-July. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: THE HARD STUFF IS YET TO COME On July 21, the President said he would stand down because it was “in the best interest of my party and the country.” House and Senate Democrats breathed a collective sigh of relief. Although many wouldn’t publicly admit it – even now – they feared that Mr. Biden had lost more than a step. He appeared tired. Utterly incoherent at times during the late June debate with former President Trump. Few were excited. They fretted that another Biden candidacy would drain all enthusiasm from the Democratic side. Former President Trump would bludgeon Mr. Biden in the race for the White House. But what truly petrified them was the impact of President Biden standing for re-election on down ballot races. Competitive Senate seats in Pennsylvania and Ohio? Probably down the drain. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., prognosticated that the GOP would pick up several dozen seats in 2022. McCarthy may have been off by two years. Mr. Biden at the top of the ticket likely would have triggered a blood-letting in House contests. Now, the House is anybody’s ballgame. Biden campaign officials met with House Democrats at the Democratic National Committee on a sizzling morning in mid-July. Some senior House Democrats like Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., declared he was “ridin’ with Biden” as he entered the forum. But the ground was already shifting. WHO’S IN CHARGE: THE MUDDY HISTORY OF THE 50-50 SENATE The president stubbornly stayed in the race. But former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is always mindful of the caucus she used to lead. Pelosi understood the political catastrophe which probably awaited Democrats if the President didn’t step aside. The San Francisco Democrat couldn’t publicly call on Mr. Biden to drop out. Pelosi would be more artful than that. She would quietly urge concerned Democrats to speak out. Without directly saying anything, a groundswell of Congressional Democrats began to demand the President bow out. A group of Biden advisers huddled with moribund Senate Democrats at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) on a sweltering hot afternoon in mid-July. Almost every Senate Democrat who attended tried to avoid the press. In fact, many had drivers take them the several hundred yards from the Senate wing of the Capitol to the DSCC across the street. All to duck the press corps. Their silence spoke volumes about President Biden remaining in the race. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., even visited with President Biden in Delaware, just hours before the assassination attempt of former President Trump in Pennsylvania. News of Schumer’s audience with the president disappeared into the milieu of news coverage of the disaster in Butler, Penn. But Schumer feared a GOP blowout if Mr. Biden stuck around. The deft touch of the former Speaker was classic Pelosi. A read of the climate. No fingerprints. A wink and a nod. A green light to others to do something. Someone close to Pelosi once described to me the former Speaker’s subtlety: “You will be bleeding out and never even realize you’ve been cut.” When Pelosi served as Speaker, allies and foes alike always wondered in awe how she got the votes. Helping orchestrate the exit of President Biden from the presidential sweepstakes was no different. Just switch the improbable into the inevitable. A longtime confidante of Pelosi confided to me years ago that Pelosi knew how to gingerly prod House Democrats to move constituents in their districts. The constituents would then support the given issue – giving cover to Members to vote yes and not face blowback. The base now supported the issue. But not without some cunning engineering from Pelosi. AFGHAN CHARGED WITH ELECTION DAY TERROR PLOT RAISES QUESTIONS, FEARS FROM LAWMAKERS: ‘THIS IS REAL’ That crafty tactic was also at play in convincing Mr. Biden to withdraw. After a few weeks of massaging this behind the scenes, the President understood he had no alternative but to quit. Otherwise, he likely would likely lose. Congressional Democrats would be resigned to their fate. Vice President Harris may win. But Democrats never had a primary season to settle on their nominee. Sure. Harris likely would have been favored initially in a conventional primary process. That’s simply because she ran for president before and has served nearly four years as Vice President. But the quick pivot to Harris was in the interest of efficiency. After President Biden stepped aside, Democrats had an automatic nominee-in-waiting who was credible, qualified and whose resume resonated with the party. So, switching mid-stream to Harris was about as seamless a transition as possible. But, just as importantly, handing over the keys to Harris immediately infused congressional Democrats and the base with much-needed energy. The change buoyed Democrats in ways which were impossible under President Biden. Suddenly, congressional Democrats were back in the game. Republicans have a strong chance of winning the Senate on Tuesday night. But had Mr. Biden remained at the top of the ticket, Democrats faced a tidal wave. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., appears to be on the ropes. There are tight races involving Sens. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio and Bob Casey, D-Penn. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich.,
Mark Cuban tries to ‘clarify’ after comment on ‘The View’ widely seen as insult toward pro-Trump women
Billionaire Mark Cuban appeared to try and spin him out of a mess, after making some insulting comments on “the View” about women who support former President Trump. Cuban appeared on ABC’s “The View” on Thursday morning when he made the comments. “Donald Trump, you never see him around strong, intelligent women. Ever,” Cuban said. “It’s just that simple. They’re intimidating to him. He doesn’t like to be challenged by them, and, you know, Nikki Haley will call him on his nonsense with reproductive rights and how he sees and treats and talks about women. I mean, he just can’t have her around. It wouldn’t work.” After taking a verbal beating for his remarks on social media, Cuban turned to social media on Thursday afternoon to clear up his statements. MARK CUBAN: TRUMP DOESN’T ASSOCIATE WITH ‘STRONG, INTELLIGENT WOMEN, EVER’ “This is what I said during a conversation about why Nikki Haley was not active in his campaign,” Cuban said. “I know many strong, intelligent women voting for Trump, including in my extended family. I’m certainly not saying female voters are not smart, strong and intelligent. “I know he has worked with strong, intelligent women, like Elaine Chao, Kelly Anne, Ivanka and many others,” Cuban added. “I stand by my opinion that he does not like being challenged publicly.” Jimmy Failla commented on Cuban’s post, saying, “Shoulda just told us there was an apostrophe in your statement. This is junk, babe.” ‘STRONG, CONSERVATIVE WOMEN’ STRIKE BACK AGAINST MARK CUBAN’S ‘INSULTS’ Failla was referring to the White House’s spin on President Biden’s remarks earlier this week, when he apparently described Trump supporters as “garbage” during a Zoom call with Voto Latino on Tuesday. “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” Biden said in response to comments made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” during Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden. The White House immediately denied that the president was referring directly to Trump’s supporters, but instead added an apostrophe in the word “supporter’s,” and claimed he was referring to the comedian’s garbage. TRUMP CAMPAIGN BLASTS TOP HARRIS SURROGATE MARK CUBAN FOR ‘INSULTING’ PRO-TRUMP WOMEN Failla was not the only person commenting on Cuban’s spin. “Everyone heard what you said, Mark. Now you’re trying to rewrite history. You insulted tens of millions of American women, and they won’t forget this!” one person wrote. Another wrote, “You know exactly what you said Mark. Be a man and own up to it instead of back [pedaling].” BIDEN CALLS TRUMP SUPPORTERS ‘GARBAGE’ DURING HARRIS CAMPAIGN EVENT AS VP PROMISES UNITY AT ELLIPSE RALLY Trump also responded to Cuban’s remarks on Thursday evening. “Mark Cuban, a really dumb guy, who thinks he’s ‘hot stuff’ but he’s absolutely nothing, is now out there saying that I don’t surround myself with strong women,” the former president said. “Actually, he is very wrong. I surround myself with the strongest of women – with the understanding that ALL women are great, whether strong or not strong. “This guy is such a fool, he’s constantly on television being critical, and only for the reason that I tuned him out completely while President because he called incessantly. I told him, very pointedly, ‘Look Mark, I’ve got a lot of things to do, I just can’t be taking so many pointless calls from you,’” Trump continued. “In any event, that affected him greatly, because he’s a very insecure guy, and a MAJOR LOSER, always has been and always will be! Nobody likes him, nobody respects him, and he’s unattractive both inside and out! He should go back to talk about the person he was forced to support, because I didn’t want it, Lyin’ Kamala Harris. Also, he’s got no clubhead speed! “I may, in fact, be surrounded by the strongest women in the world, including Heads of Countries, who make Mark look like a ‘baby!’ All strong women, and women in general, should be very angry about this weak man’s statement,” he concluded. Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman and Michael Lee contributed to this report.
Roy quizzes DOJ on ‘coordination’ with left-wing groups over suits challenging states’ voter roll purges
FIRST ON FOX: A top House Republican is questioning the Department of Justice about what he says is “apparent coordination” with left-wing civil rights groups over its lawsuits against two Republican-led states over efforts to remove non-citizens from its voter rolls. “The Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government is conducting oversight of the apparent coordination between the Civil Rights Division and left-wing advocacy groups to impede the ability of states to ensure the accuracy of their voter rolls,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who is chairman of the subcommittee, says in a letter obtained by Fox Digital. The Department of Justice sued Alabama and Virginia in recent months over their moves to remove non-citizens from the voter rolls. The DOJ has claimed that the states have violated clauses that say states must complete their maintenance program no later than 90 days before an election under a clause known as the Quiet Period Provision. VIRGINIA AG CHEERS SUPREME COURT RULING AS ‘HUGE WIN’ FOR ELECTION INTEGRITY “This systematic voter removal program, which the State is conducting within 90 days of the upcoming federal election, violates the Quiet Period Provision,” the DOJ said as it filed suit against Virginia. Virginia has insisted that the state’s process is “individualized” and conducted in accordance with state and federal law. A lower court ordered 1,600 individuals to be restored to the voter rolls, but that has since been blocked by the Supreme Court. The DOJ sued Alabama on similar grounds, alleging that changes to the voter registration lists took place 84 days before Election Day. “The right to vote is one of the most sacred rights in our democracy,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a statement. “As Election Day approaches, it is critical that Alabama redress voter confusion resulting from its list maintenance mailings sent in violation of federal law.” But Roy says the lawsuits from the DOJ came after lawsuits by left-wing civil rights groups. In the letter, Roy says that the Sept. 27 Alabama lawsuit came weeks after a Sept. 13 lawsuit from a coalition of left-wing civil rights groups. The cases were consolidated on Sept. 28. In Virginia, a civil rights lawsuit was filed on Oct. 7, and the DOJ filed its lawsuit on Oct. 11. SUPREME COURT TEMPORARILY HALTS LOWER COURT RULING ORDERING 1,600 VOTERS BACK ON VIRGINIA VOTER ROLLS “The cases involve the same or similar plaintiffs and lawyers and follow a similar pattern with respect to the timing of each complaint. These circumstances raise questions as to whether the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division is working with these groups to file cases to keep noncitizens on voter rolls just before the 2024 election and prevent states from ensuring that only eligible citizens vote in federal elections,” Roy says. He also says the DOJ “did not object to consolidating its cases with those filed by left-wing organizations and attorneys with a public history of opposing bipartisan efforts to prevent noncitizens from voting.” Roy says many of the groups have objected to the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections. 26 REPUBLICAN ATTORNEYS GENERAL JOIN VIRGINIA IN PETITIONING SUPREME COURT TO RULE ON VOTER ROLL “The American people deserve to know whether left-wing activist groups are dictating the DOJ’s legal strategy with respect to noncitizens voting in the upcoming election,” he writes. Roy is asking for all documents and communications relating to the lawsuits and any of the civil rights groups involved in the suits, as well as documents to show whether the DOJ plans to file any additional lawsuits against the states. Virginia was handed a legal victory this week when the Supreme Court halted the lower court’s decision to reinstate 1,600 potential noncitizens to the rolls. A divided court granted the state’s stay application pending appeal in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday. Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented. The DOJ said in a statement Wednesday after the Supreme Court’s ruling, “The Department brought this suit to ensure that every eligible American citizen can vote in our elections. We disagree with the Supreme Court’s order.” Fox News’ Haley Chi-Sing contributed to this report.
Viral video shows Trump staffer berating Dem mayor for trying to take down barricade before Allentown rally
A viral video shows a Trump staffer berating the Mayor of Allentown, Pennsylvania, for trying to take down barricades ahead of former President Trump’s rally there Tuesday evening. Videos posted on TikTok show Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk arguing with the staffer about road closures and his concerns they would prevent people from dropping off ballots. The staffer continually shouts at the mayor and accused him of lying. He notes that the city had put out a public advisory days before the rally about road closures and that the campaign had been given clearance by police. “You think I’m gonna remove the barricades now? Yeah, you’re out of your f—ing mind,” the staffer says. “Don’t ever pull that s— on me again.” TRUMP, HARRIS WILL MAKE FINAL PITCH TO NORTH CAROLINA VOTERS IN OVERLAPPING RALLIES ON WEDNESDAY He told Mayor Tuerk people can simply walk around the barricade if they wish to access the ballot drop box. He also accused the mayor of being afraid people are going to vote for Trump. “The Trump-deranged Democrat Mayor of Allentown tried to disrupt the buildout of President Trump’s rally, despite the campaign having proper permitting and approved road closures,” Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital. “We appreciate local law enforcement’s assistance in ensuring the rally was a major success.” WHITE HOUSE SEEKS TO PLAY CLEANUP AFTER BIDEN CALLS TRUMP SUPPORTERS ‘GARBAGE’ Fox News Digital reached out to Mayor Tuerk for his side of the story. The mayor said he went over to see how staging was going on Monday evening and noticed that the “‘bike rack,’ as Mr. Nelson called it, appeared to restrict access to mobility-impaired voters to cast a ballot at the county government center.” Mayor Tuerk said he tried to engage with the staffer on this point, but “his frustration appears to have boiled over.” The mayor said he was eventually able to resolve the situation with the Allentown police chief and supervisor. “I’m disappointed the Trump campaign misrepresented the interaction and that various commentators have jumped on the opportunity to start hurling hateful invective my way,” Tuerk said. “Allentown did its job on Tuesday. I’m proud of the employees of the city that successfully allowed anyone to vote and also allowed anyone to participate in a political event.” Trump held a packed rally at Allentown’s PPL Center Tuesday evening.
Harris billionaire surrogate’s suggestion Trump women are dumb comes on heels of Biden’s ‘garbage’ comment
Harris campaign surrogate Mark Cuban’s suggestion that women in Donald Trump’s orbit are weak and dumb is blowing up on her campaign even as the furor continues to rage over President Biden’s dismissal of Trump supporters as “garbage.” “Donald Trump, you never see him around strong, intelligent women. Ever,” Cuban said during an appearance on ABC’s “The View” Thursday. “It’s just that simple. They’re intimidating to him. He doesn’t like to be challenged by them and, you know, Nikki Haley will call him on his nonsense with reproductive rights and how he sees and treats and talks about women. I mean, he just can’t have her around. It wouldn’t work.” The comments resulted in a firestorm of criticism from Trump supporters – both men and women. ‘STRONG, CONSERVATIVE WOMEN’ STRIKE BACK AGAINST MARK CUBAN’S INSULTS “Obviously, I wasn’t talking about Nikki Haley, and I wasn’t talking about all Trump supporters,” Cuban told Fox News Digital. “That’s ridiculous.” Asked if he would have chosen his words differently in hindsight, Cuban said: “I would probably just add that I’m only speaking to the point that I haven’t seen [Trump] side-by-side on the campaign trail with women I consider strong and intelligent. Like Nikki Haley, Kellyanne [Conway] and Tulsi [Gabbard], among others.” Cuban also sought to add context with a post on X, formerly Twitter, shared Thursday afternoon, noting that he knows “many strong, intelligent women voting for Trump,” citing members of his “extended family” as an example. He also said that women who have worked for Trump in the past, such as Ivanka Trump and Kellyanne Conway, represent “strong, intelligent women.” MARK CUBAN DISMISSES BIDEN’S ‘GARBAGE’ GAFFE: ‘IT DOESN’T MATTER AT ALL’ Cuban stated in his post on X that he still stands by his opinion that Trump “does not like being challenged publicly.” Meanwhile, In a statement to Fox News Digital, Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt called Cuban’s comments “extremely insulting to the thousands of women who work for president Trump, and the tens of millions of women who are voting for him.” “These women are mothers, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders, and they are, indeed, strong and intelligent, despite what Mark Cuban and Kamala Harris say.” She added: “The joy at Kamala HQ has been replaced by division, vitriol, and a disturbing level of disrespect for the millions of Americans who are supporting President Trump after four years of destruction under Kamala Harris.” Biden called Trump supporters “garbage” during a Zoom call with Hispanic voters earlier this week. During Cuban’s appearance on “The View,” he argued Biden’s remarks did not “matter at all.” Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.
Apprentice alum joins Women for Trump, speaks out against ‘sad’ Harris-supporting contestants
One Apprentice alum and attorney has joined the campaign for Donald Trump as some alumni of the reality show have publicly endorsed Kamala Harris ahead of Tuesday’s presidential election. Erin Elmore appeared on season three of NBC’s The Apprentice in 2006 and was “fired” after nine episodes, but she says the experience was immeasurable in the impact both it and Trump have had on her career. Elmore is one of the 11 Apprentice contestants who recently penned a public letter in support of former President Trump’s re-election bid after another cohort publicly endorsed Vice President Harris. ‘APPRENTICE’ ALUMNI, INCLUDING SEASON WINNER, SUPPORT TRUMP IN ELECTION’S CLOSING DAYS: ‘GRATEFUL’ Their letter read, “it is disappointing and shameful that these contestants would use the platform that Donald Trump gave them to attack him in this manner. Is this the thanks he gets for literally changing the trajectory of our lives?” A letter obtained by Politico from six people formerly involved with The Apprentice claimed that former President Trump is a “divisive, self-interested, and erratic leader with a fragile ego.” Elmore wholeheartedly disagrees with the letter’s characterization, claiming in an interview with Fox News Digital that “every bit of success I have in this life and everything that I’m doing is because of Donald Trump.” She joined the show in 2006 as a 26-year-old who had recently graduated law school and made it nearly all the way through season 3. FORMER NBC BIGWIG LAMENTS CREATING A ‘MONSTER’ BY POPULARIZING TRUMP WITH ‘THE APPRENTICE,’ ENDORSES HARRIS “Yes, I heard the words, ‘you’re fired.’ But I was rehired on the campaign many, many years later,” said Elmore in an interview with Fox News Digital. “But before we get into that, you know, Donald Trump was someone that saw a young person who was ambitious; he gave me every opportunity in the world. After I left the show, he asked me, ‘what do you want to do?’ And I said, ‘I want to get into journalism.’ And he wrote me a letter of recommendation, handed me a folio with people that I could contact. He said, This is on you. This is your job to do it.” Elmore landed a job in news media after her time on the show in Jacksonville, Florida before going on to work at QVC. She says everything changed when Donald Trump first went down that escalator in 2015 and threw his hat in the ring for commander-in-chief. “I was there for about ten years and I was very comfortable,” said Elmore to Fox News Digital. “I had gotten married. I had had a child. And by the way, in both of those monumental situations in my life, who did I get surprise phone calls from Donald Trump saying, ‘congratulations on your wedding. I heard you had a beautiful son. Congratulations.’ So our paths were always connected.” “But when he came down that golden escalator and said he was running for president, I called his personal assistant that I kept in touch with over those ten years. I said, ‘Rona, I am quitting my job. I have a six-month-old baby at home. I am going to dedicate my life to getting this man elected.” Erin Elmore served as a deputy press secretary in 2016 for the RNC and as a Trump surrogate in the same cycle. She has stepped up again in 2024 for re-election efforts as part of the Women for Trump bus tour visiting swing states with figures like Lara Trump. She says that she finds it “sad” that other alumni from the Apprentice haven’t seen the character she sees in former president Trump. “Not only were you exposed to the American platform, you had everyone in America watching you,” said Elmore to Fox News Digital. “But Donald Trump gave us the opportunity to meet with titans of industry, business leaders, CEOs–the networking opportunities were absolutely to the moon.” “And I just don’t know how anyone could possibly say that they weren’t afforded every opportunity in the world. Yes, I approached Donald Trump after I was on the show and I said, ‘Would you write me a letter of recommendation? Would you help me with some job opportunities?’ But you know what? That’s how the world works. We have to pick ourselves up by the bootstraps and make ourselves successful. And the fact that these people can’t really see what the show has done for them is just sad and it speaks more about them than it does about us,” added Elmore. As for what’s in store after next week’s presidential election, Elmore says she plans to first focus on her family, including her son’s student council campaign. “We’re all scared. We’re all emotional. But to me, the most important thing is being a good wife and a mother,” said Elmore. “And I’ve been in this game a long time and I know so many people want so many amazing things. I think what I’m going to do is I’m going to manage my son’s student council campaign, because I know exactly what to do in politics.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “And if I, as my husband also says, ‘never say no to a job you haven’t yet been offered,” she added. “So if I am offered a position, I will once again, like I did in 2016, pick up that phone and say, ‘President Trump, whatever you need. I am there because I believe in you and I support you.”
Arizona high court rules Secretary of State must turn over list of noncitizens on voter roll
Maricopa County must provide a conservative watchdog group with a list of noncitizens currently registered to vote, the Arizona Superior Court ruled on Thursday. America First Legal (AFL) filed the suit in August. “As the Court admonished the parties prior to and during the hearing, the issue for the Court to decide is whether the records that Plaintiff requested must be released pursuant to Arizona’s public records law,” the high court’s order reads. “Despite the political undertones, this is simply a public records case.” During an evidentiary hearing, Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes testified that a system error had affected approximately 218,000 registered voters, the court document states. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ON VOTER ROLLS SPURS WATCHDOG GROUP TO SUE MARICOPA COUNTY The order notes that Fontes acknowledged having a partial list of about 98,000 voters who have not confirmed their proof of citizenship but stated that no complete list of all 218,000 affected voters exists. Fontes attributed a government press release’s mention of a complete list to “hasty drafting” and unclear language. He also claimed that the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) had not provided him with any list containing personal information for the additional voters potentially lacking sufficient documentation. However, the court concluded his testimony was inconsistent; Fontes initially denied possessing the list of 98,000 voters before amending his statement. “His testimony suggested that he lacked detailed familiarity with the AZSOS’s [Arizona Secretary of State] efforts with regard to the issue and with regard to the records in the possession of the AZSOS related to the 218,000 individuals,” the court document states. Additionally, the order chides Arizona’s Department of State for presenting Professor Robert Pape, a political science professor at the University of Chicago, as an expert witness. IN ARIZONA SPEECH, VANCE SAYS NEXT PRESIDENT MUST PUT AMERICANS FIRST, SLAMS FEMA MONEY FOR MIGRANTS The court said it assigned minimal weight to his testimony and report. Much of Pape’s testimony focused on national trends in political violence, lacking specific analysis related to Arizona, according to the court document. During cross-examination, Pape acknowledged that he had conducted no research pertinent to the state. His assertion that releasing the requested information could lead to violence or harassment was largely speculative and based solely on national statistics, the court document notes. “The credibility of Professor Pape’s testimony and report was further diminished by what appeared to be gratuitous political bias in his report and in his testimony,” the high court concluded. “The Professor’s opinions regarding general political violence focused almost entirely on allegations of past and anticipated prospective violence from only one side of the political spectrum, and only related to former president Donald Trump.” Fontes and Pape “argued that producing the list of 218,000 voters to to AFL’s client would expose those individuals to the risk of harassment and violence.” FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: VOTER OUTREACH, BALLOT EFFICIENCY AND A LITTLE HOUSEKEEPING “However, the only evidence they presented was about generalized threats of elected-related political violence, most against elected officials,” the court document read. “They failed to identify any specific threats of violence or harassment.” The decision comes after AFL filed suit on behalf of the nonprofit group Strong Communities Foundation of Arizona and Yvonne Cahill, a registered voter and naturalized citizen in Maricopa County, in August. AFL had previously given Maricopa County one week to address the alleged noncitizens on its voter rolls. The lawsuit claims that, as of April 2024, more than 35,000 registered voters in Arizona had not provided proof of citizenship, limiting them to voting only in federal races, according to the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office. The lawsuit alleges that Arizona’s voter registration system creates a split between those who provide proof of citizenship (DPOC) and those who do not. Under Arizona law, DPOC is required for state and local elections, but the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the federal voter registration form does not mandate this requirement. Consequently, Arizona has a bifurcated system where voters who use the federal form – known as Federal-Only Voters – are restricted to voting only in federal elections. Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, through his attorney, stated that he would not take any action, “citing, among other things, concerns for the safety of voters, and concerns about the accuracy of the list,” and claimed his office is already complying with the law, the Arizona high court document read. On Sept. 26, Strong Communities Foundation of Arizona was informed through the secretary of state’s portal that its Public Records Request (PRR) had been “closed.” A note added to the file indicated that a response was released on Sep. 23, leading the organization to conclude that the PRR had been denied. “THE COURT FINDS specifically that the letter of September 24, 2024 and the NextRequest closure of the file with an explanatory note stating that ‘our response was released’ collectively constitute a denial of the PRR,” the high court’s Thursday order stated. Fontes told Fox News Digital that the office “is considering all of our legal options.”
Here’s how each swing state conducts a recount of ballots
Presidential election recounts are rare, but they do occur, and the rules vary by state. Among the pivotal swing states, there are different processes for requesting and conducting recounts. Of the 6,929 statewide general elections between 2000 and 2023, only 36 statewide recounts occurred, according to FairVote, a nonpartisan election research organization. If there’s a 37th on the horizon. Here are the rules that could govern it: An automatic recount is triggered in the state if the candidate with the most votes leads his closest competitor by half of 1% or less of the total votes cast for the top two contenders, according to the Arizona secretary of state’s office. FOX NEWS DEMOCRACY ’24: THE KEYS TO THE COUNT IN EVERY BATTLEGROUND STATE A court order must be issued for the process to begin. Once a recount is initiated, the paper ballots are tabulated through electronic voting equipment. If requested, a hand count may also occur after the electronic count. The Peach State does not initiate automatic recounts for elections. But candidates can request a recount from the secretary of state within two business days of the election certification if the margin of victory is less than or equal to 0.5%, according to the Georgia state website. TRUMP CAMP TAKES VICTORY LAP FOLLOWING ELECTION CASE LEGAL WIN IN BATTLEGROUND STATE While ballots are being recounted, candidates may be present or have a representative at the site. A recount may be requested by a candidate through written demand within three business days of the results being certified. However, the candidate requesting the recount must pay an advance deposit for the estimated costs of the recount for the request to proceed. The recount must start within five days of receiving the demand, according to the Nevada secretary of state’s office. A written recount request may be submitted if a race’s margin of victory is less than or equal to half of 1% or fewer than 10,000 votes. The request must be made by noon on the second business day after the county canvass, according to the North Carolina General Assembly. Candidates in Wisconsin may file a petition for a recount with the clerk or officer with whom nomination papers were filed. In elections in which more than 4,000 votes are cast, the losing candidate may file a recount petition if the victor wins by no more than 1% of the total votes. A recount petition must state that the petitioner was a candidate for the office in question and that there is belief of a mistake or fraud. The request must be made by 5 p.m. on the third business day after the board of canvassers certifies the election results. The Badger State does not have any limits set that trigger automatic recounts. In Michigan, a candidate may request a recount on the grounds of suspected fraud or error within the precinct. The request must be submitted no later than six days after the conclusion of the canvassing process. A deposit must be paid for each precinct in advance of a recount. A recount is automatically conducted in all precincts if there are 2,000 votes or fewer separating the top two candidates. Pennsylvania law allows three types of recounts: statewide automatic recounts ordered by the secretary of the commonwealth, recounts directed by a county board of elections and court-ordered recounts. An automatic recount occurs if the margin of victory is no more than 0.5%. A recount petition must be submitted to the secretary of state by 5 p.m. on the second Thursday after the election. A petition for a court-ordered recount must be filed by at least three qualified electors within five days of the completion of canvassing. Each petition requires a deposit in advance. In the case fraud is found, an additional five days is awarded to the interested parties to count ballots. If a candidate wins by no more than 1%, state law allows a losing candidate to file a petition for a recount to the state board or the electoral board. The petition must be made within 10 days of the election being certified. The process is slightly different in the case of a presidential election. Recount petitions in a presidential race must be filed by 5 p.m. on the day after results are certified. The chief judge of the circuit court, subject to review by the full court, decides whether to initiate a recount. State law requires that only one recount of the vote will take place in each precinct. After the ballots have been recounted, a court declares the results of the race.
Colleagues condemn Tarrant County GOP leader for repeated use of slurs
It’s the latest backlash over Tarrant County GOP Chair Bo French’s online behavior.