Texas judge Lina Hidalgo slapped with criminal abuse of office complaint day after visit with VP Kamala Harris
More legal issues continue to plague Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo as a criminal complaint has been filed and referred to the Texas Rangers for investigation just a day after meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris. The complaint stems from a press conference Hidalgo held earlier this month on November 10, the day after news broke that the Texas Rangers would be executing search warrants in relation to an $11 million COVID-19 vaccine outreach contract the county awarded to a highly connected Democratic strategist in 2021. Hidalgo’s comments were made on county property and livestreamed on the Office of the County Judge’s official social media accounts. During the event, Hidalgo accused District Attorney Kim Ogg of leaking the new warrants to the media, although they had already been posted to the district clerk’s website and were available to the public. LEADER OF TEXAS’ LARGEST COUNTY TAKES TEMPORARY LEAVE OF ABSENCE TO SEEK DEPRESSION TREATMENT Under Texas Election Code, using an elected office to engage in political advertising is a Class A misdemeanor, and under the Penal Code, misuse of government property, services, or personnel constitutes an Abuse of Official Capacity, which could be classified as a misdemeanor or state jail felony depending on the value of the thing misused. Three of Hidalgo’s former staffers were indicted on felony charges in relation to the COVID-19 vaccine outreach contract last year, but the county judge is now under review for her alleged participation in the bid-rigging scheme that sidelined the University of Texas Health Science Center in favor of Elevate Strategies. AUTO THEFTS CONTINUE TO RISE IN AUSTIN, MORE THAN 3 YEARS AFTER CITY DEFUNDED POLICE DEPARTMENT Following the press conference, which was removed from the county’s social media pages, attorney Mark McCaig filed a civil complaint with the Texas Ethics Commission and a criminal complaint with Harris County Constable Precinct 4. In late July, Hidalgo took a leave of absence while hospitalized for depression, but she returned to office in early October. US SUSPENDS, REDUCES VEHICLE PROCESSING ALONG SOUTHERN BORDER AT SELECT TEXAS AND ARIZONA PORTS OF ENTRY On Monday, Hidalgo welcomed Vice President Kamala Harris to Houston for an event sponsored by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Hildalgo made a post on X Monday, sharing her thanks to Harris and President Biden for the support of the Latino community. PROGRESSIVE TEXAS JUDGE SUGGESTS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS COULD RECEIVE UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME “Excited to join forces with VP Harris in Harris County discussing the Biden-Harris administration’s support of the Latino community. The $1 billion received in ARP investments serves all our communities in entrepreneurship, childhood education, healthcare access and more,” Hidalgo said. The County Judge’s office has not immediately been available for comment on the new investigation.
Ramaswamy swipes ‘GOP establishment’ in Iowa for supporting CO2 pipelines as part of climate ‘hoax’
FIRST ON FOX – Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is taking the “GOP establishment” in Iowa to task, specifically calling out Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds over support of the CO2 pipeline he argues negatively impacts farmers in the Hawkeye State. In an announcement obtained by Fox News Digital, Ramaswamy teased a policy speech he’s set to give Friday in Des Moines regarding CO2 pipelines being implemented he says as part of the “climate change agenda,” knocking Republicans who are onboard with it. “The GOP establishment does NOT approve of this message & it’s pathetic I’m the only candidate with the stones to say it,” Ramaswamy’s statement began. “The climate change agenda is a hoax & it’s hurting farmers in Iowa. Here’s how: the U.S. government enacted crony subsidies to reward those who build CO2 pipelines across the Midwest to bury CO2 in the ground in North Dakota (which is senseless for many reasons, including the fact that crops require CO2).” RAMASWAMY LAUNCHES $1 MILLION AD BUY IN EARLY PRIMARY STATES BLASTING POLITICIANS ‘LEADING US INTO WORLD WAR III’ “Here’s the bigger problem: most farmers don’t want the CO2 pipeline on their land. There are real hazards & many farmers don’t want to sell their land either. But the GOP Establishment in Iowa has enacted eminent domain to *seize* these farmers’ land which is a gross violation of their property rights,” Ramaswamy wrote. He continued, “Every political consultant tells you to stay away from the CO2 pipeline issue, because it makes the likes of @GovKimReynolds look horrible for supporting it. Well, I refuse to be controlled. We’ll go deep on this on Friday at 12pm in Des Moines, with the Free Soil Coalition.” RAMASWAMY CLASHES WITH CNN ANCHOR PRESSING HIM ON TRUMP’S ‘VERMIN’ COMMENTS: ‘GIVE ME A BREAK!’ The biotech entrepreneur went on to predict that “soon you will see the other presidential candidates who have tiptoed around this issue reluctantly adopt my stance including even the one whom @GovKimReynolds endorsed.” “You can bookmark that prediction & take it to the bank,” Ramaswamy added. The candidate Reynolds endorsed is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Gov. Reynolds’ office did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment. RAMASWAMY UNVEILS ‘NO TO NEOCONS’ PLEDGE HIS APPOINTEES WILL HAVE TO SIGN IF ELECTED Ramaswamy is hoping to defy expectations in the first primary contest in the nation. According to the RealClearPolitics average of polls in Iowa, Ramaswamy is trailing at 5% behind former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley at 14.3%, DeSantis at 17.3% and former President Trump, who maintains a commanding lead at 47% among Iowan primary voters. In the most recent Fox News national poll earlier this month, Ramaswamy received 7%, Haley got 11%, DeSantis got 14% while Trump held a whopping 62% support among Republicans. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Tennessee Gov. Lee pushes for school voucher expansion, removal of income cap
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee on Tuesday backed a plan to expand beyond a three-county school voucher program for low-income kids by offering public money for private schooling statewide, regardless of family income. State lawmakers narrowly approved the so-called education savings accounts initiative for the three counties in 2019. It awards eligible families around $8,100 in public tax dollars to help cover private school tuition and other preapproved expenses. The newest initiative will also need the approval of the state Legislature, where Republicans have supermajorities in both chambers. In 2019, lawmakers agreed in a tight vote to enact the original program after receiving assurances that it would only apply to Davidson and Shelby counties, both Democratic strongholds in Tennessee. Nashville, Memphis and civil rights leaders sued to stop the program, which was tied up in the courts and only implemented starting in the summer of 2022 after the Tennessee Supreme Court cleared a key legal obstacle. PA GOV. SHAPIRO PUSHES FOR SCHOOL VOUCHERS, MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE AND GUN VIOLENCE LEGISLATION The new program Lee is proposing would make 20,000 education scholarships available next year, with half going to students who are lower income, disabled or otherwise able to participate in the current program. The remaining 10,000 would be available to any student entitled to attend a public school. “Tennessee’s Education Freedom Scholarships will empower parents with the freedom to choose the right education for their child, while also giving them a say in how their taxpayer dollars are invested,” the governor said in a news release. Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, Lee is proposing universal eligibility for any student entitled to attend a public school. If applications exceed available scholarship money, priority will go to lower income, public-school and returning scholarship students. Democrats, professional teacher groups and other opponents of the plan argued that expanding the program would further undercut public schools in Tennessee. “Taking taxpayer dollars to fund private school tuition statewide would divert much-needed resources from our already underfunded public schools and threaten the strength of our Tennessee communities. Fewer students and less funding will put beloved neighborhood schools at risk for closure,” Tennessee Education Association President Tanya Coats said in a news release. Vouchers have been a key part of Lee’s agenda. During his first State of the State address in 2019, Lee claimed that the educational savings accounts would strengthen public schools by creating competition and therefore providing them an incentive to improve. School choice also was touted as a top issue when Lee was on the campaign trail. Once in office, Lee appointed pro-voucher members to top adviser positions. Tennessee had an education savings account program previously, but it was only available for children with certain disabilities. Under the current law, participating families must provide federal income tax returns showing they do not exceed twice the federal income eligibility for free school lunch, or provide proof they can qualify for federal assistance. STATE BUDGETS ANTICIPATE RISE IN DEMAND FOR SCHOOL VOUCHERS AS MORE FAMILIES QUALIFY Tennessee consistently ranks low on per-student spending for public schools. A report from the National Education Association ranked Tennessee as 38th among the 50 states for the 2020-2021 school year. That was before a $1 billion investment last year, but state spending is still on the low end. Students first participated in the voucher program last school year. Because it was held up in the courts, the state had little time to recruit students and schools for the program and only around 400 students were approved. Since then, lawmakers have added Hamilton County, home to Chattanooga, as a third county where the vouchers can be used. The number of students approved for the vouchers increased to 2,172 this year, Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds told the governor at a recent budget hearing. There is little public data on how the first group of students has performed academically. However, voucher students at the Collegiate School of Memphis showed “significant evidence that students made less growth than expected” — the lowest measure, showing negative growth — when comparing their performance on the standardized TCAP test in math and English to previous years.
Former NH lawmaker facing felony, misdemeanor charges linked to out-of-district move
A former New Hampshire lawmaker who kept his seat for a year after moving out of his district was charged Tuesday with multiple crimes related to his change of address. Troy Merner, a Republican, won a fourth term representing Lancaster in the House in 2022, around the same time he moved to Carroll. He resigned in September after the attorney general’s office investigated a complaint that he had continued to vote in Lancaster after his move. On Tuesday, Merner was charged with wrongful voting, a class B felony punishable by up to seven years in prison and a permanent loss of voting privileges. He also was charged with three misdemeanors: theft by deception, unsworn falsification and tampering with public records. Those charges allege he received excessive mileage reimbursement by claiming he lived in Lancaster. FORMER NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE SENATOR ACCUSED OF USING COVID-19 RELIEF FUNDS TO BUY LUXURY CARS New Hampshire law requires lawmakers to live in the district they represent. Lawmakers are paid only $100 a year but are reimbursed for their travel to and from Concord. A phone number listed for Merner was out of service and court documents do not list an attorney representing him. He is due in court Dec. 28. In September, Merner told the Caledonian-Record he moved to Carroll in November 2022, though the attorney general’s office concluded his residency in Lancaster ended with the sale of his house that August. Until that determination, Merner said he had planned to serve out the remainder of his terms as both a state representative and member of the Lancaster Select Board. He said the arrangement made him uneasy but he had wanted to finish is work on behalf of his constituents. “I represent the people, I don’t represent myself,” he said.
Veterans Affairs lawyer faces call to resign after mocking Israelis
A U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs attorney is under investigation after posting a video to social media, mocking Israelis as they plead for the return of their hostages taken by Hamas-led terrorists. Shekeba Morrad, an appellate attorney for the Office of the General Counsel of the Department of Veterans Affairs, posted a video in which she takes a sarcastic tone and says, “We just want our hostages back. Give us our 200 hostages.” Morrad has since taken the video down, but it was picked up and shared on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, by The Canary Mission, which according to its profile “exposes hatred and antisemitism on college campuses and beyond.” CALIFORNIA GOP REP. DAVID VALADAO’S OFFICE VANDALIZED BY ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTORS Fox News Digital reached out to Morrad for an explanation about the video and did not immediately hear back from her. The Department of Veterans Affairs released a statement about the matter on Tuesday. “We are aware of this incident, are investigating the matter, and will take any appropriate action,” a spokesperson said. “There is no place at VA for anti-Semitism or any expression of bigotry or hatred.” MISS UNIVERSE JUDGE HIT WITH DEATH THREATS AFTER DEBATE AGAINST PALESTINIAN ACTIVIST: ‘YOU WILL BE KILLED’ The spokesperson also confirmed Morrad is an employee of the VA. ANTISEMITISM EXPOSED After making the rounds, the video sparked outrage by many, including Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C. “This is unacceptable,” Tillis said on X. “Antisemitism has no place at the VA and this behavior should not be tolerated. @SecVetAffairs should remove this employee immediately.”
Former Indiana lawmaker pleads guilty to casino corruption charge
INDIANPOLIS (AP) — A former Indiana lawmaker pleaded guilty Tuesday to supporting a bill favoring a casino in exchange for promises of lucrative employment. Sean Eberhart, 57, was charged with conspiracy to commit honest services fraud. He had agreed to plead guilty earlier this month. The offense is punishable by a maximum sentence of five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. FORMER INDIANA LAWMAKER TO PLEAD GUILTY IN CASINO CORRUPTION SCANDAL Judge Matthew P. Brookman of the Southern District Court of Indiana said sentencing will follow at an unspecified date. He said prosecutors and Eberhart’s attorneys have not agreed on a recommended sentence but did settle on $60,000 in restitution — Eberhart’s salary as an elected official. Brookman said a $100 fee will be due at the time of sentencing. Eberhart answered the judge’s questions throughout the hearing with “yes” or “no” answers. He declined to take questions from members of the news media as he left the courthouse. The former Republican state representative represented central Indiana’s House District 57 for 16 years before leaving office in November 2022. In late 2018, a company called Spectacle Entertainment sought to purchase two casinos located on Lake Michigan in Gary, Indiana, and relocate them to Gary and Vigo County in western Indiana, according to court documents. The Legislature, whose House Committee on Public Policy oversees casinos and gaming in Indiana, passed a bill approving the move in 2019. According to prosecutors, Eberhart, a member of the committee, used his position both to successfully advocate for the relocation and to obtain other favorable terms for the company, including tax incentives. In exchange, they said, Eberhart accepted the promise of future employment at Spectacle, which included annual compensation of at least $350,000. Eberhart sent text messages regarding his efforts to secure legislation in favor of the company, according to prosecutors, who said he promised to “make it right for” the founder of Spectacle, identified only in court documents as “Individual A.” Other evidence obtained by investigators included digital images of documents, “covert recordings of conversations with Eberhart,” and “records of statements and actions in the Indiana legislature,” according to court documents. The embattled casino company has been the subject of several federal investigations in recent years. In 2022, longtime casino executive John Keeler was sentenced, along with former Indiana state Sen. Brent Waltz, for their role in a scheme to illegally funnel gambling money into the lawmaker’s unsuccessful 2016 bid for congress. Keeler, who was a Republican legislator for 16 years in the 1980s and 1990s, was sentenced to two months in federal prison and fined $55,000. The Indiana Gaming Commission forced Spectacle officials to give up their ownership stakes in Gary and Terre Haute casino projects following Keeler and Waltz’s indictments in 2020. Waltz, a Republican from Greenwood, was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison for helping route about $40,000 in illegal contributions to his campaign and making false statements to the FBI.
Jewish groups sue University of California for ‘longstanding, unchecked spread of anti-Semitism’ at Berkeley
Jewish groups are suing the University of California Regents, President Michael Drake and other school officials for what they assert is the “longstanding, unchecked spread of anti-Semitism” on UC Berkeley’s campus. In a 36-page complaint filed Tuesday, the Brandeis Center and the Jewish Americans for Fairness in Education (JAFE) allege “inaction” by UC Berkeley and Berkeley Law has allowed antisemitism to grow on campus. The groups say since the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel, antisemitism on campus “has erupted in on-campus displays of hatred, harassment, and physical violence against Jews.” The groups argue courts must now intervene to protect the civil rights of Jewish students and faculty and end “anti-Semitic discrimination and harassment.” University of California officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. UC BERKELEY TAKES FIRE AFTER EXTRA CREDIT OFFERED IN CLASS FOR ATTENDING PRO-PALESTINIAN STUDENT ‘WALKOUT’ The lawsuit points to several examples of Jewish students being harassed by pro-Palestinian protesters at UC Berkeley. During one rally, a Jewish undergrad draped in an Israeli flag was allegedly assaulted by two protesters “who struck him in the head with a metal water bottle,” the Brandeis Center said in a news release. The group also cited examples of pro-Palestinian rallies that honored Hamas terrorists who brutally massacred more than 1,200 Israelis Oct. 7 as “martyrs” and featured chants such as “intifada” and “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which are seen as calls for the elimination of Israel. But the focus of the complaint is a 2022 pledge by 23 student organizations to boycott pro-Israel speakers because of their “support of Zionism” and “the apartheid state of Israel.” The Brandeis Center argues the ban violates federal law and university policies by denying Jewish law students networking opportunities afforded to other groups and discriminates against them in other ways. “The antisemitism Berkeley’s Jewish students find themselves embroiled in today did not start on Oct. 7,” said Kenneth L. Marcus, former U.S. assistant secretary of education for the Bush and Trump administrations. He’s the founder and chairman of the Brandeis Center and a graduate of UC Berkeley’s law school. “It is a direct result of Berkeley’s leadership repeatedly turning a blind eye to unfettered Jew hatred.” US DEPT OF EDUCATION OPENS INVESTIGATION OF HARVARD OVER ANTISEMITISM ON CAMPUS “The school is quick to address other types of hatred, but why not antisemitism?” he continued. “Berkeley, once a beacon of free speech, civil rights and equal treatment of persons regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, gender and sexual preference, is heading down a very different and dangerous path from the one I proudly attended as a Jewish law student.” The Jewish groups are asking a court to require the University of California sytem to enforce its policies and prohibit discrimination against Jewish students, faculty and invited speakers. They reject arguments voiced by university leaders that punishing anti-Israel speech and actions would be “viewpoint discrimination,” arguing that “Zionist” speakers are being excluded “because of who they are,” not what they say. “Making Jews renounce that core component of their identity to participate in a student organization is no different than asking members of the LGBTQ community to remain ‘in the closet’ as the cost of membership — a cost that is not imposed on other students who are free to participate fully in those organizations without disavowing or hiding their identities,” said Rachel Lerman, vice chair and general counsel at the Brandeis Center and also a graduate of UC Berkeley Law School. The lawsuit comes during a wave of antisemitism on college campuses following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. High-profile incidents of discrimination against Jews and violent speech by pro-Palestinian activists have led the Biden administration to investigate alleged civil rights violations at the nation’s top schools. NY OFFICIAL DEMANDS RESIGNATION OF COLLEGE PRESIDENT WHO CLAIMED ‘COMPLEX HISTORY’ AFTER HAMAS TERROR ATTACK The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is opening an investigation into Harvard University, for example, to probe whether Harvard “failed to respond to alleged harassment of students based on their national origin (shared Jewish ancestry and/or Israeli) in a manner consistent with the requirements of Title VI,” according to a letter from the OCR Boston Office dated Tuesday. The investigation came in response to a complaint about a first-year Israeli student at Harvard Business School who was reportedly shoved and accosted by pro-Palestinian protesters during a “die in” demonstration in October at the Massachusetts campus to protest Israel’s retaliatory strikes against the Gaza Strip. The investigation was revealed the same day it was announced college presidents from Harvard, MIT and the University of Pennsylvania will testify on Capitol Hill about rampant antisemitism on their campuses that followed Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attacks. The Department of Education reached a settlement with the University of Vermont in April over a complaint brought by the Brandeis Center that the school failed to respond adequately to antisemitic harassment of Jewish students. The department is investigating four other Brandeis Center complaints at SUNY New Paltz, the University of Southern California (USC), Brooklyn College and the University of Illinois, the group said. The complaint was filed in the U. S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
Dem-run city expands asylum assistance to migrants amid stinging budget cuts due to raging crisis
New York City is expanding assistance to asylum seekers to help them complete applications for asylum, work authorization, and other programs — as the city continues to grapple with a migrant crisis that has led to massive budget cuts. Mayor Eric Adams announced the expansion of the Asylum Application Help Center — which allows illegal immigrants to apply for asylum, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and work authorization if eligible. The city will open two satellite sites to assist with applications, the city announced. It will use state funding to provide the sites. Migrants can arrange one-on-one appointments at help centers, where trained staff will provide “individualized support” based on their needs, the city said. The city has been dealing with a migrant crisis that Adams has warned could “destroy” the city. The more than 140,000 migrants the city has seen since last year represent only a fraction of the millions who have been encountered at the border since the crisis began in 2021, but it has overwhelmed the sanctuary city’s social services — with officials demanding more help from the federal government. ADAMS WARNS NEW YORKERS THAT ‘WE CANNOT STOP’ MIGRANTS FROM SLEEPING ON THE STREETS So far, the city has helped process 7,200 asylum applications, more than 2,900 work authorizations and 2,900 TPS applications. TPS allows nationals from certain countries to be protected from deportation and to apply for work permits if their country is designated for TPS by the federal government. The Biden administration recently designated Venezuela for TPS, protecting nearly 500,000 migrants. Meanwhile, a separate Resettlement Working Group will “connect with leaders of cities dealing with large influxes of asylum seekers, as well as with cities in need of people to fill vacant jobs.” It’s one of a number of moves the city has made to move migrants out of the city and elsewhere in their country. In a statement, Adams continued to blame the federal government for the crisis, despite the funding it has already received from the government and moves the administration has made to expedite work permits. “While we continue to call for a national strategy to solve a national crisis, New York City continues to do its part to support asylum seekers,” Adams said in a statement. “For over a year, we have asked the federal government to put forward a resettlement strategy, expedite work authorizations for asylum seekers, and provide New York City with much-needed and meaningful financial support. ADAMS SAYS ‘DC HAS ABANDONED US’ AS NYC SLASHES BUDGETS OVER MIGRANT CRISIS “In the absence of that national strategy, New York City continues to lead — building out the legal and resettlement infrastructure needed to address this crisis. We hope the federal government will join us in these efforts and finish the job they started.” The latest expansion comes after the city slashed budgets across multiple departments, including education, policing and sanitation, earlier this month. Adams said the cuts are due to the city having spent $1.45 billion in fiscal 2023 on the migrant crisis and nearly $11 billion expected to be spent in 2024 and 2025. NEW YORK CITY TO REDUCE POLICE NUMBERS, SLASH BUDGETS DUE TO BILLIONS SPENT ON MIGRANT CRISIS The New York Police Department will freeze hiring to bring numbers below 30,000 by the end of fiscal year 2025 from over 33,000. There will also be deep cuts to education, including the universal pre-kindergarten program, and sanitation. The budget cuts drew fury from the city’s teachers and police unions, but Adams has repeatedly said their anger should be directed elsewhere. “I tell people all the time when they stop me on the subway system, ‘Don’t yell at me, yell at DC,’” Adams said on Monday, according to Politico. “We deserve better as a city.” But the Biden administration has pointed to more than $770 million it has given out to support communities taking in migrants in the last year and recommendations its teams of experts have made. It has also deployed personnel to help with authorizing work permits and to educate migrants on the immigration system, a DHS official said recently. Separately, the White House has requested an additional $14 billion in emergency funding for border operations, which includes an additional $1.4 billion in grants to help local governments and nonprofits. Adams warned last week that New Yorkers could soon see the crisis spilling out onto the streets. “Believe it or not, there are migrant and asylum seekers who are saying, ‘We want to sleep on the streets.’ And so people have a right to do so, we need to be clear on that in New York City, because of the city council’s actions people have a right to sleep on the streets that we cannot stop. I want New Yorkers to understand that,” he said.
Florida elections official’s death outside Capitol meeting room went unnoticed for 24 minutes, report claims
A Florida official was dead or dying in a hallway in the governor’s office complex for 24 minutes before anyone noticed he had collapsed after leaving a meeting last year. Peter Antonacci, 74, had held several government positions before Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed him to serve as the first director of the Office of Election Crimes and Security. DeSantis created the office last year. SUPREME COURT DENIES DESANTIS IN LEGAL BATTLE OVER DRAG QUEEN BAN But two months into the job, Antonacci attended a meeting in a conference room at the Capitol. He left early and the meeting room door closed behind him, according to a Florida Department of Law Enforcement report on the death. More than 20 minutes later, Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass stepped into the hallway to have a conversation with another meeting attendee when Antonacci’s body was found. Glass began chest compressions and an effort to use an automatic defibrillator failed to revive him, according to the report. DeSantis wasn’t at the meeting, said his spokesman Jeremy Redfern. The only two doorways into the room lead to a non-public entrance into the governor’s office and a public entrance leading to the Capitol’s first floor. The hallway is windowless and doors are usually kept shut during meetings. Typically, people do not use the hallway unless going to or from a meeting. The Capitol Bulldog last weekend reported details of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s report on the death. The Associated Press independently reviewed the report, which states Antonacci had a long history of heart disease and surgery.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Democrats’ gambit to expel Santos – or embarrass the GOP
FOX is told that the House Republican leadership has not made a decision about how to handle efforts to expel Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) this week. Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) is essentially calling the GOP’s bluff to either vote to expel Santos – or make it look like Republicans are protecting the New York Republican. Garcia re-introduced a terse, privileged resolution to expel Santos. The resolution simply states that “Pursuant to Article I, Section 5, Clause 2 of the Constitution of the United States, Representative George Santos, be, and he hereby is, expelled from the House of Representatives.” The Garcia resolution is “privileged.” That means the House must consider it by Thursday at the latest. A similar resolution calling for the expulsion of Santos – authored by Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest (R-Miss.) – is not privileged. Guest’s resolution is much more detailed, citing the House Ethics Committee report on Santos. By not crafting his resolution in a manner that is “privileged,” the House is not compelled to bring up Guest’s measure right away. Moreover, the House GOP leadership has not scheduled any action on Guest’s plan. One senior House GOP leadership source indicated to FOX that the House may tangle with Guest’s resolution on Friday. But the Garcia gambit may supersede that. And it could put GOP members in a pickle. THIRD TIME THE CHARM: WILL GEORGE SANTOS SURVIVE THE LATEST MOVE TO OUST HIM FROM THE HOUSE? Scores of Republicans were unwilling to expel Santos before there was an Ethics Committee report. The Ethics panel produced a scathing report before Thanksgiving. That increased the number of members who were willing to expel Santos. But Santos has not been convicted in a court of law. The House has only expelled five members in history: three for siding with the Confederacy. The other two – former Rep. Ozzie Myers (D-Pa.) and the late Rep. Jim Traficant (D-Ohio) – were convicted. FOX is told there is still consternation among some Republican leaders and rank-and-file GOP members about expelling Santos. They cite the fact that Santos has yet to be convicted. A number of Republicans are worried about the precedent that expelling Santos would set – sans a conviction in a court of law. HUNTER BIDEN AGREES TO HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE TESTIMONY FOX is also told there is increasing concern about the GOP’s dwindling majority if the House were to expel Santos. That comes even as Republicans add a new member to their ranks tonight: Rep.-elect Celeste Maloy (R-Utah). Democrats would enjoy nothing more than watching Republicans sweat over how to handle another vote to expel Santos. The House has already killed two resolutions to expel Santos this year. It’s possible Republicans could move to table or kill a resolution to expel Santos. So, the actual roll call vote would be one step removed from expulsion. Democrats would point to that vote as Republicans using the motion to table as a fig leaf, trying to protect Santos. Democrats will document that roll call vote and use it against Republicans on the campaign trail in 2024. However, if the House votes to expel Santos, the deed is done. And Democrats can crow that it took Democrats to expel Santos. They will argue that the House Republican leadership lacked the moral fiber to call a vote to expel Santos. The worst possible scenario for Republicans – and it may be in play – is for the House to actually hold a straight up or down vote on expelling Santos – and have it fail. CALIFORNIA DEM TO INTRODUCE PRIVILEGED RESOLUTION TO EXPEL GEORGE SANTOS FROM CONGRESS Democrats certainly don’t believe Santos ought to be a member of the House. But Democrats would highlight a failed expulsion vote as a GOP effort to protect Santos. The reason a failed expulsion vote is in play? The bar for expulsion is high. It takes a two-thirds vote to expel. It’s about the math: 290 yeas if all 435 House members (once Maloy is sworn-in) cast ballots. Failed expulsion votes are even more rare than actual expulsions. There have only been three failed expulsions in House history. The House failed to kick out Rep. Preston Brooks (D-S.C.) after he nearly caned to death Sen. Charles Sumner (R-Mass.) in the Old Senate Chamber of the Capitol in 1856. The House also failed to expel Rep. Lovell Rosseau (D-Ky.) after he assaulted Rep. Josiah Grinnell (R-Iowa) in 1866. The House then failed to bounce former Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) from the House in 1990 for his connection with a gay, male prostitute.