House Democrat survives left-flank challenge as Bernie volunteer mounts insurgent bid
Rep. Jake Auchincloss advanced Tuesday against Jason Poulos in Massachusetts’ 4th Congressional District. Auchincloss has held his seat since 2021 and faced his first Democratic primary challenge since winning the seat. Progressive challenger Poulos is an AI policy researcher who has been critical of Auchincloss regarding past support for military aid to Israel and ties to AIPAC while calling for an end to U.S. military assistance to Israel. PROGRESSIVE WAVE CRASHES IN SUN BELT BATTLEGROUND AS MODERATE HOLDS HIS SEAT Poulos, who previously volunteered for Bernie Sanders’ campaign, ran on Medicare-for-all, universal basic income, taxes on corporate automation, stronger unions and student debt cancellation. He also wanted to reduce military spending and end U.S. military aid to Israel. While Auchincloss is endorsed by AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, he has been critical of aspects of Israel’s conduct in Gaza by saying some Israeli actions in 2025 “crossed lines” on humanitarian conditions. AIPAC is an influential pro-Israel lobbying group that has been criticized for advocating for U.S. military aid to Israel amid the war in Gaza. HOUSE DEMOCRATS FRACTURE BADLY OVER MASSIE AMENDMENT TO CUT $3.3B IN U.S. AID TO ISRAEL In July, Auchincloss voted with more than 100 House Democrats to eliminate $3.3 billion in U.S. military financing for Israel, while maintaining his support for the U.S.-Israel alliance. Auchincloss campaigned on lowering housing and healthcare costs, promoting economic growth and positioning Democrats to better confront the economic disruption caused by AI. Auchincloss, who succeeded Joe Kennedy III, comes from a prominent Boston medical family. He had previously been a registered Republican and worked on former Gov. Charlie Baker’s campaign, a line his primary opponents used against him. He later returned to the Democratic Party.
Trump taps ‘true warrior’ Hung Cao as Navy secretary after 4 months as acting leader
President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he is nominating acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao to permanently lead the service, calling the former Navy special operations officer a “true WARRIOR” and urging the Senate to quickly confirm him. Cao has served as acting secretary for the past four months, overseeing the Navy and Marine Corps as the Trump administration pushes to expand U.S. shipbuilding and strengthen the military’s maritime capabilities. “I am pleased to nominate a true WARRIOR, Hung Cao, to become the next Secretary of the Navy,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We need Patriots like Hung leading our Navy and Marine Corps, and I can think of no one better than him to make sure our Great Navy and Marine Corps remain the FIERCEST and BEST Force the World has ever seen,” the president continued. TRUMP PRAISES OUSTED NAVY SECRETARY PHELAN AMID TENSIONS WITH PENTAGON LEADERSHIP Trump called on the Senate to move quickly on the nomination, pointing to Cao’s tenure already leading the department. SENATE REPUBLICANS CONFIRM NEARLY 50 OF TRUMP’S PICKS FOR ENERGY, LAND MANAGEMENT “The Senate needs to confirm this Warfighter, ASAP, so he can continue the fantastic work he has been doing over the past 4 months,” Trump wrote. Cao thanked Trump shortly after the announcement and said his priorities would continue to include shipbuilding and homeland defense. AS CHINA TENSIONS LOOM, US TEMPORARILY PAUSES TAIWAN WEAPONS SALES DUE TO IRAN WAR, ACTING NAVY SECRETARY SAYS “Thank you, Mr. President. It’s an honor of a lifetime to lead the great warriors of the Navy and Marine Corps team,” Cao wrote on X. “I’m grateful for your leadership and support as we continue to get after shipbuilding and ensure the defense of the homeland.” Cao is a retired Navy captain who served for 25 years in uniform after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy. His military career included service in special operations and deployments to combat zones, including Iraq and Afghanistan. The Virginia Republican later entered politics, mounting an unsuccessful bid for Congress in 2022 before challenging Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine for his Senate seat in 2024. Trump endorsed Cao during the 2024 campaign, touting his military background. Cao ultimately lost to Kaine before joining the Trump administration and taking over the Navy in an acting capacity earlier this year. TRUMP TAPS ACTING LABOR SECRETARY KEITH SONDERLING FOR PERMANENT ROLE PENDING SENATE CONFIRMATION If confirmed by the Senate, Cao would formally assume responsibility for the Department of the Navy, which includes both the Navy and Marine Corps. The White House and the U.S. Navy did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
Self-funded CEO claims GOP nomination to challenge Massachusetts Democrat’s second-term bid
Former medical device executive Mike Minogue won the Massachusetts gubernatorial primary Tuesday, defeating Brian Shortsleeve, a former executive at the MBTA, the state-run transit agency. The winner will now face favored Democratic Gov. Maura Healey, who is running for a second term. Massachusetts has had continuous Democratic representation in Congress since 1996, but Republicans have had considerably more success in races for the governor’s mansion since the Reagan era. Minogue emphasized his business credentials in campaign materials, citing his work at GE Healthcare before leading Danvers-based Abiomed. GOP GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE FIGHTING TO FLIP BLUE STATE UNVEILS HEALTHCARE PLAN TO LOWER COSTS, EXPAND ACCESS Minogue said that, while he was at Abiomed, the company developed the world’s smallest heart pump and doubled the size of its headquarters, increasing its in-state capabilities and creating jobs. Minogue also drew attention on social media when Boston-based Canadian American investor Kevin O’Leary, better known as Shark Tank’s “Mr. Wonderful,” appeared in one of his videos and said he does not usually “show for politicians.” “Massachusetts is ‘dead-money’ now. We need a guy like this to run the show,” O’Leary said in July. TRUMP KEEPS WINNING REPUBLICAN PRIMARIES; HIS LOSSES MAY BE MORE REVEALING According to The Boston Herald, Healey launched a last-minute ad attacking Minogue as “MAGA Mike,” which the newspaper said shows the executive “has Healey’s attention” and may help Shortsleeve. Minogue won the state’s GOP convention endorsement with 70% of the vote, while Shortsleeve earned his ballot position with a fraction of a percentage point more than the required 15%, according to reports. Minogue self-funded roughly $7 million of the more than $7.5 million he raised in the first quarter, hosted a fundraiser with Vice President JD Vance and has donated to Trump and the RNC. Shortsleeve raised about $646,500 in the first quarter of 2026. Healey was formally renominated Tuesday after running unopposed. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, a fellow Democrat, also advances unopposed to the November election. Republicans, however, have no candidates in about half of the state’s congressional districts or in the races for secretary of state and state auditor. A signature problem has forced lieutenant gubernatorial candidate Anne Manning Martin to run a write-in campaign. The district in the Berkshires, the district covering much of the Massachusetts Turnpike corridor, and two exurban Boston-area districts to the north and west have no Republican candidates competing Tuesday, guaranteeing Democratic nominees will advance in those races ahead of November. Massachusetts state government has not always been as reliably Democratic in modern times despite the conditions in this year’s contests. Former Gov. Charlie Baker, a moderate Republican, preceded Healey from 2015 to 2023. Former Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, served as Massachusetts governor from 2003 to 2007 and opted against re-election before launching an unsuccessful presidential bid against President Barack Obama. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Romney was preceded by several Republican governors. From 1997 through the end of Romney’s tenure, Republicans continuously held the governor’s office. Former libertarian presidential candidate Gov. William Weld, former Gov. Paul Cellucci and former Gov. Jane Swift were consecutive Republican governors. Swift was elevated to the office when Cellucci became then-President George W. Bush’s ambassador to Canada. Weld was preceded by 1988 Democratic presidential nominee Gov. Michael Dukakis, and Democrats more often held the governor’s office in the preceding era.
80-year-old Dem beats back generational challenge after going all-in on trans athletes
One of the only Democrats stumping for transgender rights on the campaign trail fought back a younger challenger pushing generational change in the Senate. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., withstood a challenge from Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., to again be crowned as Massachusetts’ Democratic nominee for Senate in his quest for a third full term on Tuesday night. The Associated Press projected Markey would defeat Moulton less than an hour after polls closed. Markey, who has represented Massachusetts in Congress for nearly five decades, survived Moulton’s campaign focused on generational change by leaning into his progressive bona fides. Notably, he is one of the few Democrats running this midterm cycle who is continuing to push for transgender rights, particularly in sports. TOP 5 MOST HEATED MOMENTS AS PROGRESSIVES SPAR OVER WHO IS FURTHER TO THE LEFT IN FINAL DEM SENATE DEBATE “Trans athletes should be able to play,” Markey told The New York Times. “That reflects Massachusetts and who we are. And Seth Moulton does not.” The position, which has been used by Republicans as a political rallying cry on the campaign trail and one that Democrats have largely remained quiet about as they push to flip both chambers of Congress, is one that Moulton argued played a major factor in Democrats’ losing across the board in 2024. “I have two little girls, I don’t want them getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete, but as a Democrat I’m supposed to be afraid to say that,” Moulton said at the time. DEMOCRATS STAY QUIET ON NEXT STEPS AFTER SUPREME COURT TRANSGENDER SPORTS RULING Given Massachusetts’ position as a deep-blue bastion — the Bay State hasn’t had a Republican senator since 2013; former Sen. Scott Brown lost to Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. — it’s unlikely that Markey’s position will cost him in November. And his primary victory marks another win for progressives. Markey, who co-authored the Green New Deal resolution years ago, boasted the backing of progressive titans, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. WATCH: LAWMAKERS REVEAL WHERE THEY STAND ON CONGRESSIONAL TERM LIMITS AFTER RECENT HEALTH SCARES It also serves as a blow to a broader push among Democrats across the country looking for generational change, particularly after the tumult that followed former President Joe Biden and his attempt to run for a second term in the White House. Though longtime incumbents have been defeated, including Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., 78, by the much younger Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, 47, Markey was able to hold on despite Moulton making age a key factor in his campaign. For his own part, Moulton, after losing the primary on Tuesday evening, said he viewed his campaign as a necessary challenge to even the party’s most tenured figures. “Challenging the establishment and calling for a new generation of leadership isn’t easy, but it is necessary. I will continue to push the Democratic Party — and our country — to look towards the future,” Moulton said in a statement. Markey’s victory over Moulton isn’t the first time that a younger candidate has stepped into the arena only to be felled by the octogenarian. Markey bested Massachusetts political royalty in 2020, beating former Rep. Joe Kennedy III in a primary contest that, like his contentious battle against Moulton, centered on a changing of the guard in the upper chamber.
Scandal-plagued ‘Squad’ rep cruises to Democratic nomination with no GOP roadblocks in view
Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., is officially the Democratic nominee for Massachusetts‘ 7th Congressional District after facing no challengers in Tuesday’s primary. But despite controversies involving Pressley’s personal finances, her husband and racially charged remarks she’s made, the “Squad member” will face no Republican candidate in the November general election. Pressley’s district encompasses roughly three-quarters of Boston, and the Cook Political Report ranks it as Solid Democrat. She was first elected to office in 2018, alongside Squad members Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich. Although Pressley faced no competition in the primary or general election, she joined other Democratic candidates on the campaign trail, including state Rep. Tram Nguyen, a Democratic candidate for District 6. Like Pressley, Nguyen is calling to abolish ICE, implement Medicare for all and end all military aid to Israel. ILHAN OMAR ON TRACK FOR FIFTH TERM AS MINNESOTA VOTERS MAINTAIN FAR-LEFT STREAK Pressley also joined Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., on the campaign trail. With no challengers from either political party, Pressley continued criticizing President Donald Trump and the conservative-majority Supreme Court this election cycle. Following the Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, which held that creating a second majority-Black district constituted unconstitutional racial gerrymandering, Pressley accused the Trump administration of being “anti-Black” and “that would rather Black Americans pick cotton than pick the president, than pick their congressperson, than pick a senator.” MASSACHUSETTS SENATE CANDIDATES TRADE SHARP ATTACKS IN FIERY DEBATE AS INCUMBENT MARKEY SKIPS EVENT A week before the primary, Pressley spoke at a campaign rally for Markey in which she said White supremacy is thriving under Trump’s presidency. “It is bigger than Trump,” Pressley said. “Because whenever we do the work of ousting the occupant of the Oval Office, the Confederacy is still alive and well,” Pressley said. “That’s all MAGA is. White supremacy is still alive and well. Anti-Blackness will still be alive and well.” VAN JONES WARNS FAR-LEFT SOCIALIST AGENDA IS ‘REGRESSIVE’ THREAT TO DEMOCRATIC PARTY When introducing a bill in April aimed at providing relief to people facing eviction, Pressley called evictions “an act of violence.” However, critics pointed to Pressley’s 2024 financial disclosure, which showed that she and her husband reported $8 million in assets from four Massachusetts rental properties. In July, Pressley’s husband, Conan Harris, also faced scrutiny after a company he partners with secured a $2 billion contract from the state to build a new courthouse in Massachusetts. John Barros, a key partner in CoJo Real Estate, divested from the company because of ethics concerns over how the contract was awarded. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER Losing bidders for the project are now suing and pointing to Barros’ departure from the company as evidence of wrongdoing. However, Pressley is not accused of wrongdoing in the suit.
DOJ lawsuit targets alleged school ‘secret gender transitions’ policies that keep parents in the dark
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating other school districts and contemplating additional lawsuits over alleged violations of federal parental rights laws, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon told Fox News Digital Tuesday, calling the DOJ’s newly filed “first-of-its-kind” case against Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools the “first of many.” The DOJ sued Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools (KCKPS) Tuesday, alleging the district violated the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) with a district policy that facilitates “secret gender transitions” for students at school without their parents’ knowledge or consent. “No, we’re not waiting. What we do is we ask for documents, we investigate and then we try to resolve cases with school districts. And if we cannot, then we file lawsuits. And, so, there are many other lawsuits contemplated here and other investigations that are ongoing,” Dhillon said when asked whether DOJ would wait for the Kansas case to conclude before pursuing other districts. Dhillon declined to identify the other districts under investigation, saying she did not want to prejudge the outcomes. EXCLUSIVE: HOUSE COMMITTEE PROBES CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS OVER HIDING ‘GENDER AFFIRMATION’ FROM PARENTS “This is a really important lawsuit for us. And the point I wanted to emphasize is that it’s the first of many,” she said. The DOJ lawsuit against KCKPS centers on internal guidance for transgender and gender non-conforming students. The DOJ alleges the district has used versions of the guidance since 2017. Under the guidance described in the complaint, students can ask that their parents be excluded from school planning meetings and that their transgender or gender non-conforming status not be disclosed to their parents. The resulting written plans can address names, pronouns, school records, restroom and locker room use, sports and other accommodations. Asked about KCKPS’ assertion that it complies with federal law, Dhillon rejected the district’s position. FIRST ON FOX: SCHOOL LIED, HID DAUGHTER’S GENDER TRANSITION UNDER DISTRICT POLICY, PARENTS ALLEGE “Well, I think you can get that from the complaint, but they had secret gender transition plans that locked parents out of knowing what was being asked of their children. So, I obviously completely reject that,” Dhillon said. KCKPS disputed DOJ’s allegations Tuesday in a news release. “Contrary to the allegations in the complaint, the district maintains that it is in full compliance with FERPA and PPRA and is disappointed by the DOJ’s decision to file the lawsuit,” the release read. The district said it would respond through the federal court process and would not comment further while the litigation is pending. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION THREATENS KANAS SCHOOL DISTRICT FUNDING OVER TRANSGEDNER STUDENT POLICY The DOJ argues the written plans constitute education records under FERPA and that excluding parents can prevent them from exercising their rights to inspect and challenge those records. The government separately alleges the district violates PPRA by allowing students to participate in meetings and evaluations that can reveal sensitive information without prior written parental consent. The Department of Education opened a FERPA investigation into KCKPS in August 2025. The federal government advised the district Aug. 12 that its guidance violated FERPA and PPRA, and the complaint states the government ultimately determined KCKPS would not voluntarily comply. The DOJ is asking a federal court to declare the district’s practices unlawful and prohibit enforcement of the guidance or similar policies that violate FERPA or PPRA. Dhillon said the DOJ intends to pursue potential violations elsewhere. “But I want there to be a very clear message to every school district in the United States. They are on notice that if they violate FERPA and PPRA, the United States Department of Justice stands ready to protect the rights of parents and the rights to pupils to privacy, dignity and parental rights in determining how children are educated in the United States,” Dhillon said. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas referred questions about the lawsuit to the DOJ’s Office of Public Affairs.
Spanberger fact-checked after Trump mail-voting warning raises military ballot fears
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger claimed the Trump administration was attempting to take away the ability of Americans serving overseas to vote by mail — despite the Postal Service’s final rule explicitly exempting military and overseas ballots from its new requirements. The Postal Service’s (USPS) final rule at the center of the dispute expressly exempts ballots covered by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) from the new federal ballot-mail requirements — though an Obama-appointed federal judge temporarily stayed key provisions of the rule Thursday. “If you are serving our country abroad, I believe that you should have the ability to cast a vote in our elections. The Trump Administration is attempting to take that ability away,” Spanberger wrote on X on Aug. 29. FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FROM RESTRICTING MAIL-IN BALLOTS AHEAD OF MIDTERMS The final rule says UOCAVA voters are excluded and explains that the separate treatment reflects the circumstances facing military personnel, their families and other overseas voters. Spanberger made a similar argument during a CNN interview after anchor Wolf Blitzer raised the possibility that Virginia military personnel overseas could be affected. CNN subsequently returned on air to clarify that UOCAVA ballots are exempt from the new USPS requirements. “The continued attacks that we’re seeing from the Trump administration [are] really just an effort to get people fearful, to get to stay home, and in many cases, to eliminate what is a valid, safe, secure way for people to be able to make their voices heard and to vote,” she said. Blitzer added that Virginia is home to “a lot of military personnel who totally rely on mail-in ballots if they want to be able to express their opinion.” Spanberger agreed, pointing to members of the military and diplomatic services, saying the administration’s actions were impacting them along with other Virginians who find vote-by-mail “a better option.” TRUMP SCORES SUPREME COURT WIN ON MAIL-IN VOTING RESTRICTIONS BEFORE MIDTERMS Spanberger did not respond to a request for comment, but when reached, a representative for CNN said Blitzer issued an on-air correction Monday. “On Friday, I interviewed the Democratic governor of Virginia, Abigail Spanberger. We discussed legal challenges to the Trump administration’s directives for the Postal Service on mail-in voting,” Blitzer said in the correction. “A comment that may’ve suggested that U.S. military and overseas voters’ ballots would be impacted by these directives — I want to be clear right now, those ballots are exempt from the Postal Service’s new rules implementing the president’s March executive order. Those groups are covered under [UOCAVA], just to be specific on that point.” An X community note added as an appendix to Spanberger’s tweet of her exchange with Blitzer also surfaced the correction. “Military and overseas voters’ UOCAVA ballots are explicitly exempt from the USPS rules implementing the March 2026 executive order; service members abroad can still register/request absentee ballots via the Federal Post Card Application,” it read. Several users also pushed back and cited federal statute as well as the USPS’ own rule. Others said the governor was allegedly “lying” and suggested she should know of UOCAVA as a former CIA officer. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, picked up on her original tweet, responding that he had personally discussed overseas military voting with Trump “many times” and said Trump had consistently made clear he did not want to interfere with Americans serving abroad voting by mail. “This is completely false,” Lee tweeted. 2028 DEM HOPEFUL SLAPS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WITH LAWSUIT OVER MAIL-IN VOTING AFTER MAJOR SCOTUS VICTORY The Supreme Court in August handed Trump a largely favorable procedural ruling, staying an earlier injunction after finding that the states’ challenge was premature at that stage. The ruling did not decide the legality of the administration’s mail-voting policies on the merits. America First Legal President Gene Hamilton previously told Fox News Digital that the court prevented the administration from being effectively “enjoined from thinking” before agencies had settled on concrete policies. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER The broader fight over Trump’s mail-voting push remains unresolved. The Supreme Court stayed a judge’s earlier injunction after concluding the administration was likely to prevail on its argument that the challenge was premature, but her latest temporary restraining order sets up yet another speed bump.
Allies of disgraced ex-House Dem poised for criminal charges for refusing Congress’ probe
Allies of a former House Democrat under federal indictment are now facing potential criminal charges themselves. The House of Representatives unanimously agreed to hold two people in contempt of Congress on Tuesday — North Miami Beach, Florida, Mayor Michael Joseph and Hector Roos, a former aide to ex-Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla. — for failing to work with the House Ethics Committee’s investigation into the disgraced Sunshine State Democrat. It’s now up to the Department of Justice (DOJ) whether it pursues criminal charges against both. A contempt of Congress conviction carries a fine of up to $100,000 and up to a year in jail. DISGRACED DEM CUT OFF FROM DOING BUSINESS WITH GOVERNMENT AFTER ALLEGED ‘OUTRIGHT FRAUD’ UNCOVERED “The committee cannot fulfill its obligations to safeguard the integrity of the House for witnesses, ignore its subpoenas, and the House cannot accept such willful disregard of its authorities. Mr. Roos and Mr. Joseph willfully fail to comply with multiple subpoenas issued by the committee,” Committee Chairman Michael Guest, R-Miss., said. “They impeded the investigative subcommittee’s investigations into the allegations concerning former Representative Cherfilus-McCormick. Those allegations were serious and included violations of federal law to which Mr. Roos and Mr. Joseph were party there. Their conduct warrants referrals to the United States Department of Justice for contempt of Congress.” MIKE JOHNSON SAYS HE SUPPORTS EXPELLING SHEILA CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK OVER DOZENS OF ETHICS VIOLATIONS The measure passed by voice vote on Tuesday afternoon, meaning lawmakers were not individually put on the record over where they stand. Any lawmaker can stand and object to a voice vote and call for a roll call instead, which none did. The Democrats present instead signaled they were fully in support of the bid against their fellow left-wingers. FLORIDA DEM FILED FOR RE-ELECTION DAYS BEFORE RESIGNATION AS HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE RAMPED UP PRESSURE “At a time when public confidence in Congress is at historic lows and the House’s ability to self-police member conduct is under intense scrutiny, enforcing lawful congressional process is vital to delivering swift transparency and accountability for any misconduct,” Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Calif., said. “A witness who refuses to cooperate with the Ethics Committee hinders the thoroughness and swiftness of an investigation.” Guest charged that Roos “filed inaccurate reports” with the Federal Election Commission while working for Cherfilus-McCormick. He said Roos did not provide adequate justification for not complying with the committee. “Mr. Joseph was the president of a company that improperly provided corporate funds for the congresswoman’s campaign, influenced her staff to submit community funding project requests for entities that he supported,” Guest said of the other target. He said Joseph cited attorney-client privilege in his decision not to comply with the committee, but that lawmakers argued it was not a valid justification to dodge the probe. INDICTED DEMOCRAT SHEILA CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK REFUSES TO RESIGN AS EXPULSION VOTE LOOMS Cherfilus-McCormick resigned from Congress earlier this year amid intense pressure from both the left and right. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., had been threatening to push a resolution to expel her at the time. The DOJ said she and her co-defendants “conspired to steal” $5 million in emergency federal funds and used the money to bankroll her 2021 congressional campaign. EXCLUSIVE: WOMAN WHO STOLE $1.7M MEANT FOR HURRICANE VICTIMS GETS PRISON TIME AS DHS CRACKS DOWN ON FEMA FRAUD “According to the indictment, Cherfilus-McCormick, 46, and her brother Edwin Cherfilus, 51, both of Miramar, worked through their family healthcare company on a FEMA-funded COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract in 2021. In July 2021, the company received an overpayment of $5 million in FEMA funds,” the DOJ said in November 2025. “Prosecutors allege that a substantial portion of the misappropriated funds was used as candidate contributions to Cherfilus-McCormick’s 2021 congressional campaign and for the personal benefit of the defendants.” She has pleaded not guilty.
Illegal immigrant’s ‘over-the-top’ sexual assault on elderly woman sends sheriff into rage: ‘Out of control’
A sheriff in the Florida suburbs took to X to voice his outrage over a 24-year-old illegal immigrant allegedly breaking into a local home to conduct an “over-the-top,” “vicious sexual battery” on a 77-year-old woman. Polk County, Florida, Sheriff Grady Judd blasted Honduran illegal immigrant Axel Antonio Espinal Herrera, who he said is was arrested on charges of committing “one of the most horrific crimes that we’ve seen in this county in a very long time.” Though the sheriff voiced his frustration that “this couldn’t have occurred if [Herrera] was not in this country,” he promised that his office’s goal is to make sure that Herrera “will be in a United States prison for the rest of his life upon conviction.” “Sexual battery of an individual is without a doubt one of the most horrific crimes that occurs. And a violent, out-of-control sexual battery on a stranger even elevates that one more level. And then you take on top of that the suspect is in this country illegally, that pushes it over the top,” said Judd. EXCLUSIVE: DHS ASKS FLORIDA NOT TO RELEASE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ACCUSED OF DRUGGING, RAPING WOMAN AFTER CLUBBING According to the sheriff’s office, the sexual assault occurred around 4 a.m. on Saturday. A statement by the office said the elderly victim awoke after a noise and saw an unknown man who entered her bedroom, forcibly removed her clothes and sexually battered her, slapping her when she attempted to get away. The office said the victim “attempted to escape through the front door when the suspect went into the bathroom, but the suspect chased after her and dragged her back inside and choked her.” After the assault, the suspect vacated the scene, which is when the victim contacted the sheriff’s office. Sheriff’s Office detectives canvassed the neighborhood and encountered Herrera in a nearby home with two other illegal immigrants also from Honduras. WHITE HOUSE BRINGS RECEIPTS AFTER MEDIA CLAIMS NONCRIMINAL ICE ARRESTS ‘SOARING’: ‘FALSE NARRATIVES’ Herrera was in the shower when detectives first arrived at the house. The office said that Herrera matched the victim’s description and that clothing described by the victim was found in the home. During the detectives’ search, they found multiple scratches on Herrera’s body consistent with the victim’s statements. He was also found to be in possession of cocaine. Herrera was arrested and taken to the sheriff’s processing center. He is being charged with kidnapping, sexual battery by force, burglary and battery, tampering with evidence, possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia, loitering and prowling. The sheriff’s office also noted that under Florida law, each charge against Herrera is elevated by one category due to his illegal status, meaning he is facing the possibility of multiple life sentences. The office said it notified U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which placed a detainer on Herrera. The two other illegal immigrants found in the house were also taken into custody on ICE holds. DOZENS OF ILLEGAL ALIEN TRUCK DRIVERS BUSTED WITH LICENSES FROM DEEP BLUE STATES Judd did not hold back in his disgust for Herrera’s alleged crimes, calling him a “very violent, very dangerous rapist” and his actions “graphically very vile and out of control.” “He was a young man, 24 years of age, sexually battering a 77-year-old woman after he broke into her house in the middle of the night. Do I need to say more?” said the sheriff.
Another ActBlue leader pleads Fifth as House investigates alleged foreign donations
Kimberly Peeler-Allen, a board member of the ActBlue Democratic fundraising organization, invoked her Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate herself while testifying during a House probe into alleged foreign donations to ActBlue, sources familiar with the testimony told Fox News. Allen’s appearance on Capitol Hill came amidst a joint probe by the House Administration, Judiciary and Oversight Committees into allegations that ActBlue accepted illicit foreign donations and failed to prevent fraud. Allen’s decision to plead the Fifth follows suit with ActBlue co-founder Matt DeBergalis, who pleaded the Fifth during his closed-door deposition in front of the same three committees on Aug. 20. FAR-LEFT POLITICIANS STILL USING ACTBLUE AS 88-YEAR-OLD DISPUTES DONATING NEARLY $150,000 TO FUNDRAISING GIANT The Committee on House Administration first opened a probe into ActBlue in 2023. Chairman Bryan Steil, R-Wis., claimed the group could be potentially accepting foreign or fraudulent donations by neglecting to require a credit card CVV number for contributions. Steil, in a Tuesday interview with Fox News’ Mark Meredith, expressed consternation over the ActBlue-affiliated individuals’ refusal to cooperate with the investigation. ACTBLUE SCRUTINY FUELS NEW GOP BILLS TO TIGHTEN ELECTION DONATION RULES “I’ve been frustrated, that individuals [in] ActBlue haven’t answered our questions on the record,” he told Meredith. “We’ve had individuals come, in public testimony, and plead the Fifth. They have a right to do that. And I understand why they did that. But I think the American people deserve to know exactly what’s going on. We have an entity here with ActBlue, that has raised roughly $20 billion since its creation. And moved that into Democratic campaigns and Democratic causes. We want to make sure that they have the fraud preventions. We want to make sure that they have the fraud prevention protocols in place to make sure that foreign funds are not coming into U.S. elections,” he said. HOUSE DEM LASHES OUT AT GOP EFFORTS TO PROBE FOREIGN DONATIONS WITH STUNNING CLAIM ON MOTIVE Responding to allegations that the investigation into ActBlue is partisan in nature, Steil rebuked the notion. “This investigation began is a review of online fundraising platforms and a determination whether or not those platforms had fraud prevention programs in place to prevent foreign funds from coming into U.S. elections. One of those, ActBlue, has been called out by The New York Times [for] having misled or lied to Congress. We’re trying to get to the bottom of that exactly what has been taking place inside Act Blue, per the public reporting,” he told Meredith. KEY HOUSE COMMITTEE SCHEDULES HEARING WITH EMBATTLED ACTBLUE CEO: ‘NEEDS TO COME CLEAN’ In an April investigative report, The New York Times revealed that ActBlue’s legal counsel advised the organization that, in a letter to House Republicans, ActBlue’s chief executive Regina Wallace-Jones may have misled lawmakers. Responding to a congressional inquiry, Wallace-Jones characterized the organization’s screening process to ensure its donations were not foreign as “multilayered,” according to the report. TEXAS AG PAXTON SUES DEM FUNDRAISING PLATFORM ACTBLUE, ALLEGING ‘FRAUDULENT AND FOREIGN DONATIONS’ The Times, however, noted that ActBlue’s counsel advised them that they didn’t always follow the steps Wallace-Jones described in her letter, calling her response “a substantial risk for ActBlue.” Wallace-Jones, in her own deposition to Steil’s committee in June, also pleaded the Fifth. Fox News Digital contacted ActBlue for further comment.