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‘Willful coverup’: Democrat in key House race hit with ethics complaint that could derail campaign

‘Willful coverup’: Democrat in key House race hit with ethics complaint that could derail campaign

FIRST ON FOX: A Democratic House candidate in one of the most closely watched races in the country was the subject of an ethics complaint alleging that she had failed to act on allegations of sexual harassment and assault against a man working with her campaign. Fox News Digital obtained a complaint filed with the state’s Legislative Equality Office against Janelle Bynum, running for Congress in Oregon’s 5th Congressional District, alleging that Bynum had failed to be a mandatory reporter of allegations against a man working for the PAC that staffed her State Representative campaign in 2022.  The complaint also alleged that when confronted about the alleged actions, Bynum was dismissive and even threatened the individual who had reached out to her. “During the 2024 primary election, I was contacted by an informant with information about Rep. Bynum and her willful coverup of a sexual assault of a minor volunteer who worked for her during the 2022 cycle,” the complaint reads.  DEM HOUSE CANDIDATE INTRODUCED ‘SOFT-ON-CRIME’ BILL BACKED BY DEFUND-POLICE GROUPS: ‘SLAP IN THE FACE’ The complainant claims to have “personally spoken” with two former staff members who alleged that they had reported inappropriate sexual behavior by a field organizer “directly” to Bynum, along with two others associated with the campaign, “only for nothing to be done.” “For me, the primary issue here is that all Legislators are mandatory reporters,” the complaint says. “Bynum received credible information regarding one of her campaign staff sexually harassing and assaulting young volunteers, and not only did she not report it, but she also threatened to report the person who blew the whistle. . . .” In a statement to Fox News Digital, a Bynum campaign spokesperson said, “This attempt to smear Rep. Bynum is not based in reality. As a mom of two young women and a legislator who has spent her career advocating for others, Rep. Bynum takes this subject personally — which is why she flagged these accusations directly to the accuser’s employer, Future PAC, as soon as she was made aware of them after the 2022 election.” “It’s also why she’s openly aided the Legislative Equity Office’s investigation into the matter. Rep. Bynum expected Future PAC to deal with these accusations fairly and swiftly and to ensure their employees’ well-being and safety. If Future PAC did anything less, that is unacceptable.”  The Bynum campaign shared an email exchange between Bynum and the Legislative Equity Office on September 20 in which the office told her she is “not being investigated” by the office. However, two sources familiar with the situation told Fox News Digital that state police have conducted interviews regarding the complaint which was recently forwarded to them in the last couple of weeks. The nature and scope of that investigation is not known at this time. Fox News Digital obtained text messages between a former Bynum campaign manager and Bynum in which Bynum appeared to show little interest in bringing attention to the alleged impropriety against her former staffer. “I asked you not to send me anything and I meant that,” Bynum says in a November 17th text in response to a warning from a former campaign manager about the staffer harassing women associated with the campaign. “I really can’t take anything else on my plate.” The former campaign manager continued pressing the issue a few days later. MCDONALD’S FRANCHISE OWNER BACKED BY TOP DEMS WINS KEY PRIMARY THAT COULD SWING CONTROL OF CONGRESS “While as unfortunate as this may be for you or [redacted] I am NOT siting (sic) by while someone like this gets off scott free treating young women abusively like that,” the former campaign manager texted Bynum on November 21, 2022. “If he gets a job down there this won’t be the last you hear of it I promise.” Bynum responds by asking, “Are you threatening me?” “Woah, easy there,” the former campaign manager responds. “I am promising you and anyone else that I am not OK with someone treating young women like that.” “I’ll consider reporting your actions,” Bynum responded. “Thank you for letting me know.” In another text thread on November 14, 2022, a FuturePAC staffer says, “It’s best we handle telling Janelle” and says we will “certainly flag” the concerns. It is unclear the exact date that Bynum flagged the concerns through the appropriate channels, but two sources familiar with the situation told Fox News Digital that the accused staffer has continued to be associated with FuturePAC in the last couple of years and held a position with the Oregon State Legislature after the 2022 campaign. FuturePAC did not respond to an inquiry related to this allegation shared with Fox News Digital. OREGON DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE PRIORITIZES LOOPHOLES OVER COMPENSATION, ADVOCATES ARGUE Fox News Digital reviewed text messages between Bynum and a FuturePAC staffer between November 22, four days after the text exchange with the former campaign manager, and November 30 where she attempted to get him on the phone about an unspecified matter.  Two sources familiar with the situation told Fox News Digital that multiple staffers at FuturePAC, a campaign arm of Oregon House Democrats that staffs local campaigns, were aware of concerns and allegations against the individual during the campaign but told staffers it would be addressed after the campaign concluded. A spokesperson for FuturePAC denied these allegations. “To our knowledge, during the 2022 cycle no official complaints that would have triggered [an] investigation under the contract were made regarding the staff assigned to Rep. Bynum’s campaign,” a FuturePAC spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “FuturePAC hires and manages the campaign staff working on campaigns that we are supporting — as such, campaign staffers are FuturePAC employees, not employees of individual candidates. We take all allegations regarding staff conduct during campaign work seriously.” “Our union contract agreement with the Campaign Workers Guild requires official complaints and investigations to be handled through FuturePAC — campaigns and candidates are not allowed to be responsible for investigations of any workplace conduct. To our

Rescuers in Bosnia search for people missing in deadly floods

Rescuers in Bosnia search for people missing in deadly floods

At least 13 people have been killed in the Jablanica area due to flash floods and landslides. Rescue teams are digging through rubble and searching for people missing after the worst flash floods and landslides in years hit parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, killing at least 13 people and injuring dozens. The spokesperson for the government of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, Darko Juka, said on Saturday that 13 people were killed in the Jablanica area due to the collapse of a hill, landslides and floods in the region. “On Friday, we reported a figure of 16, but after reviewing the data and assessing the situation on the ground, the number has been corrected to 13,” Juka said at a news conference. The Jablanica area is 70km (43.5 miles) southwest of the capital, Sarajevo. Earlier on Saturday, N1 TV had reported 21 people had died and dozens were missing. A spokesperson for the Mountain Rescue Service, whose teams are involved in the searches, said some villages were still inaccessible and “we don’t know what we will find there.” Heavy rain overnight halted rescue efforts before they resumed on Saturday, Bosnian media reported. Al Jazeera’s Arduana Pribinja, reporting from the village of Donja Jablanica, said people in the area were in “deep shock”, adding that the floods and landslides that hit on Friday had caught many by surprise. “People here told me that everything happened too fast and they didn’t have time to evacuate,” she said. A drone view shows a flooded residential area and mosque in Donja Jablanica on October 4, 2024 [Amel Emric/Reuters] In Donja Jablanica, many houses were under rubble. Alka Glusic, 74, lost a brother and his three immediate family members. She had stayed in another house with her sister. “That house [her brother’s] is gone now. There is no one there,” Glusic told the Reuters news agency. Pribinja said public anger is now shifting towards the government because some suspect “human factors” contributed to the tragedy. “There is a quarry here, … and it seems that the sudden rainfall stripped the stone and rubble that triggered the landslide,” she said. Bosnia’s Central Election Commission decided to postpone local elections this weekend in municipalities affected by the floods but to carry on with voting elsewhere. The Bosnian Football Association has postponed all matches across the country. Meteorologists say extreme weather can be attributed to climate change. Human-caused climate change, for example, increases the intensity of rainfall because warm air holds more moisture. This summer, the Balkans were also hit by long-lasting record temperatures, causing a drought. Scientists said the dried-out land has hampered the absorption of floodwaters. Flooding was also reported in Croatia and Montenegro this week but caused less damage and no fatalities. Adblock test (Why?)

Israel issues new evacuation order in Gaza as attacks on Nuseirat kill 12

Israel issues new evacuation order in Gaza as attacks on Nuseirat kill 12

Palestinians living near Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza told to leave as Israel prepares to use ‘great force’ against Hamas. Israel has issued a new warning to thousands of displaced Palestinians sheltering in central Gaza, saying its military is preparing to use “great force” against Hamas in the area as it continues to pummel the besieged strip with attacks that have killed at least 12 people since Saturday morning. The evacuation call issued on Saturday is the first in weeks for Gaza, signalling another possible humanitarian crisis with a new wave of mass displacement as Israel’s war approaches its one-year mark, having killed at least 41,825 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and wounded at least 96,910. A map showing the areas to be evacuated was attached to the order posted on the social media platform X by the Israeli army. They are near the Netzarim Corridor, a strip of land that Israeli forces occupy and that separates northern Gaza from southern Gaza. The area has been previously evacuated due to deadly Israeli attacks. Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary, reporting from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, said that before the warning, Israel carried out deadly bombardments of the area. In the Nuseirat refugee camp, Israel hit a home and killed six members of a family, Khoudary reported. She said another attack hit tents belonging to displaced Palestinians in Deir el-Balah, resulting in more fatalities, including a 13-year-old boy. “Beit Hanoon in the northern Gaza Strip has also been targeted by Israeli forces,” Khoudary said, adding that ground operations were also under way in the eastern part of the Palestinian territory. “Everyone here is traumatised. Everyone here is drained and exhausted. Everyone here is sad,” Khoudary said. Israeli army now ordering new forced evacuation pic.twitter.com/pE603GCdZv — Hind Khoudary (@Hind_Gaza) October 5, 2024 As the latest evacuation order was issued, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi renewed his call for ceasefires in both Gaza and Lebanon, where fighting continues to rage between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, as he held talks with officials from Iran’s ally Syria on Saturday. “The most important issue today is the ceasefire, especially in Lebanon and in Gaza,” he told reporters. “There are initiatives in this regard. There have been consultations that we hope will be successful.” Nearly all of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced at least once since Israel began its war on Gaza on October 7 after deadly Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced several times. The Israeli military has often returned to areas where it has previously conducted operations in response to reports of Hamas activity. Cultural sites in the Palestinian territory have also paid a heavy price in the war, the United Nations cultural organisation said. On Saturday, UNESCO said it has verified damage to 69 sites in Gaza over the past year: 10 religious sites, 43 buildings of historical and artistic interest, two depositories of moveable cultural property, six monuments, one museum and seven archaeological sites. Adblock test (Why?)

One Year in Gaza: Nowhere Safe

One Year in Gaza: Nowhere Safe

Palestinian stories of survival during Israel’s war on Gaza. A doctor, first responder, social media content creator and a child share their experiences of the war on Gaza. From October 2023, they survive under Israeli bombardment, revealing moments of strength and vulnerability. They are all displaced because their homes have been destroyed by Israeli air strikes. As the doctor flees south, contact is lost. For the others, impossible choices must be made under unimaginable circumstances as the months passing turn into a year. As the war intensifies, nowhere is safe. While sheltering in makeshift tents, schools and refugee compounds, they do not know if they or their loved ones will live to see another day. All of their stories reveal their humanity in times of war. Adblock test (Why?)

Speaker Johnson rips ‘lack of leadership’ in Biden admin’s Helene response: ‘alarmed and disappointed’

Speaker Johnson rips ‘lack of leadership’ in Biden admin’s Helene response: ‘alarmed and disappointed’

EXCLUSIVE: Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is criticizing the Biden administration’s response to Hurricane Helene while warning the price tag for its recovery could be “one of the most expensive” the U.S. has seen. “There were some pretty ominous projections, and so Congress acted appropriately,” Johnson told Fox News Digital Friday evening, noting lawmakers freed up roughly $20 billion in immediate funding for FEMA in last month’s short-term federal funding bill. “But, so far, [President Biden, Vice President Harris and Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas] have failed in that response.” Johnson said he was “alarmed and disappointed” by Biden officials’ comments immediately after the storm suggesting FEMA was too low on funds to deal with Helene’s wrath.  Mayorkas said “we are meeting the immediate needs” of the hurricane earlier this week but said “FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season.” NORTH CAROLINA REELING FROM DEVASTATING HELENE AS DEATH TOLL CLIMBS: ‘NEVER SEEN ANYTHING QUITE LIKE THIS’ Biden suggested earlier this week he may want Congress to return for an emergency session to pass a supplemental disaster aid bill. “They are scrambling to cover their egregious errors and mistakes. And there’s an effort to blame others or blame circumstances when this is just purely a lack of leadership and response,” the speaker said. He noted Mayorkas said in July that FEMA was “tremendously prepared” for weather crises this year. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and DHS for comment. Johnson also argued lawmakers could not act until an assessment by state and local authorities produced projections of how much needs to be allocated. “I don’t think those estimates could conceivably be completed until at least 30 days — until after the election, and that’s when Congress will be back in session again,” he said. HURRICANE HELENE: NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENTS FIGHT FOR THEIR SURVIVAL AS BASIC GOODS BECOME SCARCE The Republican leader is no stranger to hurricanes. He noted his native Louisiana is still dealing with the damage from Hurricane Katrina today, but his prediction was dire when asked about the cost of recovery after Helene ravaged the Southeast, killing more than 200 people. He said it could be “one of the most expensive storms that the country has ever encountered.” “It affects at least six states — a broad swath of destruction across many, many areas — and I think that’s why it’s going to take a while to assess,” Johnson said. “As soon as those numbers are ready, Congress will be prepared to act,” Johnson vowed at another point. “I certainly hope the administration is working overtime right now to … help get them prepared.” As part of immediate response efforts, Johnson has toured areas in Georgia and Florida pummeled by the storm and is poised to visit hard-hit North Carolina in the coming days, he said. Criticism over FEMA’s response has prompted some conservatives to accuse the Biden administration of diverting disaster aid funds toward supporting illegal immigrants at the border through the Shelter and Services Program (SSP), which was allocated roughly $650 million in the last fiscal year. TRUMP TARGETS BIDEN, HARRIS OVER FEDERAL RESPONSE TO HURRICANE: ‘INCOMPETENTLY MANAGED’ Both the White House and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have vigorously denied any link between disaster aid and SSP beyond both being administered by FEMA and have said claims of any disaster relief dollars being used to support migrant housing services are false. “No disaster relief funding at all was used to support migrants’ housing and services. None. At. All,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates said in a memo on Friday. “In fact, the funding for communities to support migrants is directly appropriated by Congress to CBP, and is merely administered by FEMA. The funding is in no way related to FEMA’s response and recovery efforts.” Johnson did not give a definitive answer when asked about the concerns echoed on the right, but he accused Mayorkas of mismanaging DHS. “There is a lot of controversy about the nonsense that the Mayorkas Department of Homeland Security has engaged in. With their … dangerous open-borders policy and then the relocation efforts of taking illegal aliens and transporting them around the country,” Johnson said. “We have been working every day, House Republicans, to stop the madness. “And, so, what happened is that FEMA, because it’s a division of DHS, it’s very clear that they should be focused on helping Americans recover from disasters and not straining resources that go to other programs that are catering to illegals.” When pressed on whether DHS was able to divert congressionally appropriated funding for disaster aid into SSP, Johnson said, “There are different programs that have different funding.” He pointed out that House Republicans are seeking to defund the SSP program in the current federal funding discussions for fiscal year 2025. “We are doing everything within our power to prevent these abuses of the law and abuses of taxpayer dollars from the White House and the Democratic Party,” Johnson said. Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw contributed to this report