National Rifle Association chief Wayne LaPierre on Thursday attacked rank-and-file FBI agents for not doing enough to undermine their own leadership -- and he called on them to mount a "resistance" to their leaders to prove their patriotism.
Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference, LaPierre said that all FBI agents should bear the blame for purported "corruption" in their ranks, seemingly referring to the FBI's investigation into whether President Donald Trump's campaign colluded with Russian officials during the 2016 presidential election.
"What is hard to understand is why nobody at the FBI stood up and called B.S. on its rogue leadership," LaPierre said. "I mean, really, where was the systemic resistance that should protect every powerful institution that serves us? The lowest ranking Marine knows to resist an unlawful order. The rank and file in every powerful institution must police its own leadership."
LaPierre then said FBI agents' purported complicity was part of a broader plot to implement socialism on the United States.
"In too much of today's Washington, nobody speaks out," he said. "Nobody challenges authority. Everyone keeps their mouth closed and their heads down, and that is exactly how socialistic societies function."
In a 129-page court filing on Monday, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg told the judge handling the case involving Donald Trump's family business that he should move forward. He's also ready to file felony charges against former Trump Organization chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg.
“This case, at its core, is ordinary,” wrote Assistant District Attorney Solomon Shinerock quoted the New York Daily News. “It arises from the fact that Allen Weisselberg violated the basic imperative that all New Yorkers faithfully report and pay tax on their income.”
In Feb. 2022 there was a motion filed by the Trump Org. to have the charges dismissed, and until now the prosecutors haven't responded. The allegations are that both dodged income taxes on more than $1.7 million for over 15 years as well as other crimes.
Michael Cohen, a former Trump lawyer, has spoken with the DA and provided documents, he tweeted earlier this year many times publicly.
Weisselberg's lawyers allege that all of the information that they're basing their facts on come from lies by Cohen told federal investigators. But Bragg's office explained none of the prosecutors had ever "seen or been briefed on the contents of Weisselberg’s testimony" against Cohen to the feds.
“Indeed, the claim that (Cohen) sparked this Investigation as part of a vendetta resulting from Weisselberg’s immunized testimony is incorrect,” the filing states. “And, regardless of (Cohen’s) feelings towards Weisselberg ... the Investigation that led to this Indictment, and the information used to obtain that Indictment, are the result of sources completely independent of (Cohen).”
“Weisselberg fails and fails miserably in his vengeful witness defense in the fact that I never testified before the grand jury against him," said Cohen in a statement to Raw Story. "Mr. Shinerock’s opposition papers clearly demonstrate that the Trump methodology of lying and blaming others only works for Trump; all others get jail time."
“This might be the right time for Weisselberg to think about cooperating," he added.
Bragg, who made it clear that he hasn't looked into whatever Cohen did or did not say to the federal government. There have been a number of people who came forward and spoke to the district attorney's office prior to Bragg taking over. One of those is Weisselberg's former daughter-in-law, who revealed that she handed over a lot of information to the DA as well.
On Monday, BET reported that parents at an Aliso Viejo, California high school are outraged after a racist prom invite mocking the murder of George Floyd went viral.
"According to KNBC, a post shows a male student holding a sign that read, 'If you went to prom with me, it would take my breath away' next to a photo of George Floyd, who was murdered by former police officer Derek Chauvin a year ago this week," said the report. "The school district said in a statement, 'The sign is disgusting, lacks cultural sensitivity, is deeply offensive, and does not reflect the values we strive for in our school district. We serve a diverse community and we value all of our students and families. This is heartbreaking and in instances such as this, we work with school leadership to address the situation.'"
Per the report, parents are demanding accountability for the incident.
"Parents Angela and Mike, who say their daughter has experienced racism at the school and alerted them of the racist invitation, are demanding action," said the report. "'We all make dumb decisions in high school and college, but at the same time he does need to be taught a lesson,' Mike said. 'We really just don't want this kid around our daughter, plain and simple.'"
The graphic Minneapolis video of Floyd begging for his life as Chauvin kneeled on his neck for nine minutes galvanized national outrage and protests all over the country. Chauvin was put on trial, with the former being found guilty of murder and sentenced to 22.5 years in prison. Three other officers on the scene were found guilty of refusing to render aid.
Meanwhile, the protests around the country became a flashpoint for partisan culture wars, with Fox News and other right-wing media outlets trying to paint the protesters as violent anarchists even when they clearly were not.
A finance report filed last week indicates Colorado secretary of state candidate Tina Peters used campaign money to fund a trip to Florida to attend a screening of a documentary focused on baseless claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
On May 5, Peters attended a screening of “2000 Mules,” a film by conservative media personality Dinesh D’Souza, at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach. The film falsely implies that rampant voter fraud compromised the 2020 presidential election, costing Trump a second term. Peters, the Mesa County Clerk and Recorder, has built her campaign around such claims of election fraud, which have been repeatedly debunked by experts, courts and election officials from both parties.
Mar-a-Lago has become a destination for conservative candidates seeking a Trump endorsement, but Peters has not received one.
Her campaign disclosed multiple expenditures apparently related to the trip on a May 16 finance report: about $473 for a Palm Beach hotel down the street from Mar-a-Lago, about $15 for a Starbucks order with the memo “FL trip,” and about $27 for an Uber ride with the memo “FL travel.” The campaign also listed about $400 for air travel and luggage fees.
Peters, currently the Mesa County clerk and recorder, is seeking the Republican nomination for secretary of state against Pam Anderson and Mike O’Donnell. Her campaign did not return a request for comment.
Colorado’s campaign and political finance manual states that “money spent on anything for the purpose of expressly advocating the election or defeat of a candidate is considered an expenditure.” Expenditures typically involve advertising costs, data acquisition, consulting costs or expenses for travel to campaign events around the state or district. Peters did not mention her candidacy when sharing photos of herself from the event on social media.
Additionally, Peters spent $800 for 40 tickets to the movie, which had a limited release in early May and is also available to watch online. Her campaign reported that expenditure on April 28, before the Florida trip.
Peters is mostly barred from leaving the state because of her recent grand jury indictment. She was allowed to travel to Florida, however, as reported by 9News.
She was indicted earlier this year on 10 counts, including seven felonies, in relation to a security breach of Mesa County’s election system. She was also recently barred from having a role in overseeing the 2022 primary and general elections.
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