NationalWatch

Rep. Scott Perry Files Motion to Drop DOJ Cellphone Data Lawsuit (Newsmax)

By Nicole Wells | Thursday, 27 October 2022 01:55 PM EDT

Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., an ally of former President Donald Trump, filed a motion Wednesday to drop his lawsuit against the Department of Justice (DOJ) over his seized cellphone data.

The court filing did not give a reason for seeking the suit's dismissal, but comes after a late August request for more time to negotiate with the Justice Department, according to The Hill.

The FBI confiscated Perry's phone in August while he was on vacation with his family in an effort to determine if, or to what extent, Perry was involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the Capitol building. It was returned the same day after agents copied the data.

The Keystone State congressman maintained there was sensitive information on his phone, which was covered by the Constitution's speech and debate clause. The clause grants lawmakers legal protections for actions taken as part of their job.

He also said his phone contained information shielded by marital and attorney-client privilege, according to The Hill.

Perry rejected an offer by the DOJ to review the phone's contents jointly provided he waived any speech or debate clause protections, according to a court filing from early August. Another motion from later that month, however, requested more time to "allow the parties to further discuss the possibility of resolving" the matter.

According to NBC News, the House Jan. 6 committee has claimed it has evidence "from multiple witnesses" about Perry's involvement in an effort to appoint former DOJ official Jeffrey Clark to the position of acting attorney general during Trump's final months as president. Clark had promoted Trump's theory of a stolen 2020 presidential election and wanted the DOJ to investigate the results.

Original Article

Georgia GOP Sen. Candidate Walker Gets Texas Sen. Cruz On Campaign Trail (Newsmax)

By Solange Reyner | Thursday, 27 October 2022 12:18 PM EDT

GOP Senate candidate Herschel Walker of Georgia, plagued by allegations he pressured two women into having an abortion, will be joined on the campaign trail this week by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, reports CNN.

Walker on Thursday denied the new claim, which dropped less than two weeks before the midterm elections. He is in a tight race against incumbent Democrat Sen. Raphael Warnock.

"Anyone who believes I am coming forward because Herschel is running as a Republican candidate — that is simply not the case. I am a registered independent, and I voted for Donald Trump in both elections," the anonymous woman, who claims she met Walker in the 1980s and became pregnant in 1993, said during a press conference over Zoom. "I do not believe that Herschel is morally fit to be a U.S. senator. And that is the reason why I am speaking up."

Walker responded during a campaign stop: "I'm done with this foolishness. I've already told people this is a lie, and I'm not going to entertain, continue to carry a lie along."

Walker earlier this year was accused by a former girlfriend of encouraging her to have an abortion and then reimbursing her for the cost.

The same woman also alleged that Walker asked her to have a second abortion years later but that she refused and is now the mother of a son who, she says, rarely sees his father.

The latest accusation came Wednesday when a woman who says she was in a years-long relationship with Walker said at a press conference that he pressured her into having an abortion in 1993.

The woman, referred to as Jane Doe to protect her identity, at a press conference said Walker was not "morally fit to be a U.S. senator.

"He has publicly taken the position that he is about life and against abortion under any circumstance when in fact he pressured me to have an abortion and personally ensured that it occurred by driving me to the clinic and paying for it," said Doe.

Original Article

Arizona AG Candidate Finchem to Newsmax: Dem Hobbs Hiding From Voters Mark Finchem, Republican nominee for Arizona Secretary of State, speaks at a campaign rally attended by former President Donald Trump on Oct. 9, in Mesa, Arizona. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

By Sandy Fitzgerald | Thursday, 27 October 2022 11:53 AM EDT

Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, the Democrat running against former TV news anchor Kari Lake in Arizona's gubernatorial race, is making a mistake by employing President Joe Biden's "strategy" of campaigning from "the basement" because the public must hear where she stands on the issues, state Rep. Mark Finchem, the state's GOP candidate for Attorney General, said on Newsmax Thursday.

"You can't stay out of the public eye," Finchem told Newsmax's "Wake Up America." "You need to be engaged, and that's one of the things that I think Arizona voters have really taken notice of. She's just not willing to tell Arizona voters where she stands on anything."

Hobbs, he added, "stands for unrestricted abortion, but that's a losing issue. It's not what people are caring about."

Voters care about jobs, the economy, employment, and election integrity, "and many other things that are part of the package that Republicans represent," Finchem said. "Certainly, Kari Lake is carrying that staff."

The three issues Arizonans care about most, he also said, are the border and the increased flow of fentanyl and people; the economy; and election security and integrity.

"People are dying out here, I mean, literally, because they don't have the money for food and fuel," Finchem said. "People are losing their jobs."

The race for Arizona's U.S. Senate seat, meanwhile, is in a dead heat, according to a new poll, but Finchem said he thinks GOP candidate Blake Masters will defeat incumbent Democrat Sen. Mark Kelly.

"He's demonstrated very clearly that he has a command of the subject," said Finchem. "He's caught Mark Kelly in several well, I'll be kind, misstatements. Some people would call them lies."

For example, Kelly is "not a border guy," Finchem said. "He disdains the Border Patrol. But Blake Masters has a very solid command of the subjects that matter to Arizona residents."

Finchem also addressed concerns that debates, such as the one this week in Pennsylvania between Dr. Mehmet Oz and John Fetterman for the U.S. Senate seat, are coming too late and after many people have started casting early ballots.

"I think it's problematic, but many of the candidates have been campaigning now for at least six months, so voters have had an opportunity to review both individuals separately," he said. "Sometimes the debates are helpful. That is one problem, though, with early voting. We are now two weeks into the early voting period in Arizona, and traditionally about 51-52% of the ballots have been returned through the mail by now."

But still, Finchem said there is a significant number of people who want to wait until Election Day to vote, as they want to see all the information they can get first.

About NEWSMAX TV:

NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!

• Find NEWSMAX in over 100 million U.S. homes via cable/streaming – More Info Here
• Watch NEWSMAX TV online – See It Here
• Download the FREE NEWSMAX App on Your Smartphone to Watch Now!

Original Article

USA Today/Suffolk Poll: GOP Gains in Generic Congressional Ballot (Newsmax)

By Jeffrey Rodack | Thursday, 27 October 2022 11:36 AM EDT

As the midterm elections approach, 49% of likely voters now say they would vote for the Republican congressional candidate, compared to 45% who say they would vote for the Democrat, according to a new USA Today/Suffolk University poll.

Republicans had been down 44% to 40% in the generic ballot question in a poll taken in July.

Here are highlights from the poll results released on Thursday:

• Only 6% are still undecided, compared to 16% who had not made up their minds in the July poll.
• 37% say inflation is the top issue in the midterms, 18% say abortion, 14% say control of Congress, and 6% said immigration.
• 66% said the nation is headed in the wrong direction, compared to 24% who say it is on the right track.
• 53% disapprove of the job Joe Biden is doing as president, while 44% approve.
• 42% say they believe if Republicans take control of the House, the lawmakers will seriously consider impeaching Biden, compared to 50% who say they don’t believe lawmakers will.
• 75% say that if Republicans win control of the House, they believe the lawmakers will investigate allegations of wrongdoing by Biden’s son, Hunter. Only 16% say they don’t believe the House will conduct a probe.
• 45% say they would vote for Biden in a possible 2024 matchup with former President Donald Trump, who was backed by 42%.

The poll, conducted Oct. 19-24, surveyed 1,000 likely voters. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

Original Article

Biden Admin 'Fuming' Saudis Reneged on Secret Deal (Newsmax)

By Jeffrey Rodack | Thursday, 27 October 2022 08:35 AM EDT

White House officials were left angered that Saudi Arabia backed out of a secret deal to increase oil production through the end of the year, The New York Times is reporting.

President Joe Biden had traveled to Saudi Arabia this summer and left believing the deal was sealed. But in early October Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman led OPEC Plus in its decision to cut production by 2 million barrels per day.

The move came after U.S. lawmakers had been informed about the trip’s benefits and details of what the administration believed was an agreed upon deal. The Times noted the lawmakers are now fuming that the crowned prince duped the administration.

The Times said its information came from interviews with Americana officials and officials from Gulf Arab nations, along with Middle East experts

The newspaper reported that just days before the cuts were announced, American officials said they had received assurances from the crown prince there would be no decreases in oil production. And after learning of the cuts, American officials made an unsuccessful attempt to try to reverse it.

After the cuts, angry Biden officials said the administration was going to reassess America’s relation with the kingdom. The White House also claimed that Saudi Arabia was helping Russia in the war with Ukraine.

.The Saudi Energy Ministry said in a statement that “the kingdom rejects these allegations and stresses that such mischaracterizations made by anonymous sources are entirely false. The decisions of OPEC Plus are reached by the consensus of all members and determined solely by market fundamentals, not politics.”

Adrienne Watson, a National Security Council spokeswoman, said in a statement: “We have a disagreement with Saudi Arabia over the most recent production cut, but our energy policy has always focused on prices, not number of barrels — and that policy is succeeding with crude oil prices down over 30 percent this year alone.”

Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported that the crown prince mocked Biden after rejecting the deal

The 37-year-old Saudi prince "mocks President Biden in private, making fun of the 79-year-old’s gaffes and questioning his mental acuity," Saudi government insiders said..

The crown prince told his advisers he had not been impressed with Biden since he was vice president and that he "much preferred" former President Donald Trump.

Original Article

Biden Admin 'Fuming' Saudis Reneged on Secret Deal (Newsmax)

By Jeffrey Rodack | Thursday, 27 October 2022 09:14 AM EDT

White House officials were left angered that Saudi Arabia backed out of a secret deal to increase oil production through the end of the year, The New York Times is reporting.

President Joe Biden had traveled to Saudi Arabia this summer and left believing the deal was sealed. But in early October, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman led OPEC Plus in its decision to cut production by 2 million barrels per day.

The move came after U.S. lawmakers had been informed about the trip's benefits and details of what the administration believed was an agreed upon deal. The Times noted the lawmakers are now fuming that the crowned prince duped the administration.

The Times said its information came from interviews with American officials and officials from Gulf Arab nations, along with Middle East experts.

The newspaper reported that just days before the cuts were announced, American officials said they had received assurances from the crown prince there would be no decreases in oil production. And after learning of the cuts, American officials made an unsuccessful attempt to try to reverse it.

After the cuts, angry Biden officials said the administration was going to reassess America's relation with the kingdom. The White House also claimed that Saudi Arabia was helping Russia in the war with Ukraine.

The Saudi Energy Ministry said in a statement that "the kingdom rejects these allegations and stresses that such mischaracterizations made by anonymous sources are entirely false. The decisions of OPEC Plus are reached by the consensus of all members and determined solely by market fundamentals, not politics."

Adrienne Watson, a National Security Council spokeswoman, said in a statement: "We have a disagreement with Saudi Arabia over the most recent production cut, but our energy policy has always focused on prices, not number of barrels — and that policy is succeeding with crude oil prices down over 30 percent this year alone."

Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported that the crown prince mocked Biden after rejecting the deal.

The 37-year-old Saudi prince "mocks President Biden in private, making fun of the 79-year-old's gaffes and questioning his mental acuity," Saudi government insiders said.

The crown prince told his advisers he had not been impressed with Biden since he was vice president and that he "much preferred" former President Donald Trump.

Original Article

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 2:59 PM PT – Wednesday, October 26, 2022

Spotify’s CEO has criticized rapper Ye, known famously as Kanye West, over his recent controversial remarks. However, he says the platform will not remove his music.

Spotify’s CEO Daniel Ek said that Ye’s comments were “just awful,” but Spotify has no plans to take down his music. This comes after Pundits Nationwide called on music streaming services to cancel Ye and pull the rapper’s music from their platforms.

Ek noted that while the comments went against Spotify’s standards, Ye’s music did not, and it would be up to his label on whether or not to remove his music.

So far, Ye has lost multiple sponsorships in light of his comments about Jews, including a deal with Adidas worth more than $1.5 billion.

Original Article Oann

Sen. Grassley Further Ahead Than Iowa Poll Suggests, Backers Say (Newsmax)

By John Gizzi Wednesday, 26 October 2022 09:12 PM EDT Current | Bio | Archive

Democrats from Des Moines, Iowa, to Washington, D.C., have been making much of the Des Moines Register's "Iowa Poll" showing Democrat Mike Franken closing in on the Hawkeye state's seven-term Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.

According to the state's most durable and famous poll, Grassley led first-time candidate and retired U.S. Navy Adm. Franken by slim margin of 46%-43% among likely voters statewide.

Since the poll was released Oct. 15, numerous national media outlets have run major pieces concluding Grassley was locked in the toughest battle of his 42 years in the Senate and could be defeated. The Washington Post headline Tuesday blared: "Has Grassley Finally Met His Match?"

But Grassley supporters dismiss the veracity of the "Iowa Poll."

"It's an outlier," former Polk County (Des Moines) GOP Chairman Kim Schmett told Newsmax. "And two other very respected polls show Chuck headed to a comfortable reelection."

Schmett specifically cited the Emerson College poll, which showed Grassley comfortably leading Franken 49%-38%, and the Cygnal Poll, which gave the senator a healthy 54%-40% edge over Franken.

Much of the press has pointed out the Iowa Poll showed more than two-thirds of the voters considered Grassley's age (89) an important factor in the race. The age factor almost certainly is related to the Iowa Poll showing, for the first time, voters disapproving of the senator's performance in office by 48%-44%.

Grassley supporters counter their man — the oldest and most senior of all 100 senators — is still maintaining the annual regiment of visiting all 99 counties in Iowa that is his signature.

John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.

Original Article

Supreme Court's Kagan Blocks Jan. 6 Panel From Getting Ariz. Republican's Records Kagan (AP)

Nate Raymond and Andrew Chung Wednesday, 26 October 2022 07:18 PM EDT

Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan on Wednesday temporarily blocked the congressional committee investigating last year's U.S. Capitol attack by then-President Donald Trump's supporters from obtaining Arizona Republican Party Chair Kelli Ward's phone records while the court further assesses the dispute.

Ward, a Trump ally, had asked the Supreme Court to intervene after lower courts declined to bar telephone carrier T-Mobile from complying with a subpoena issued by the Democratic-led House of Representatives committee seeking three months of her call records. Kagan issued an order effectively putting the litigation on hold and preventing enforcement of the subpoena pending a further order by her or the full court.

Kagan is the justice designated to handle emergency appeals from a group of states including Arizona. Kagan's order directs the committee to respond to Ward's request by Friday.

The panel sought the records as part of its investigation into events surrounding the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol by Trump supporters who sought to block Congress from certifying his election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.

The committee last week sent Trump himself a subpoena, which he is expected to contest. Trump, who is considering another run for the presidency in 2024, has accused the panel of waging unfair political attacks on him.

The panel had already been in the process of seeking records concerning Ward, who the panel said participated in multiple aspects of the attempts to interfere with the electoral count.

The records of calls and text exchanges it sought spanned from Nov. 1, 2020, to Jan. 30, 2021, and covered a period when Ward was part of a group of Republicans who falsely presented themselves as Arizona's presidential electors.

Her lawyers argued that providing the panel access to her telephone and text message records would violate Republicans' constitutional rights to free association by giving the committee access to names of party members who spoke with her.

U.S. District Judge Diane Humetewa in Arizona on Sept. 22 said Ward provided no evidence to support her claims that producing the records would chill Republicans' rights or result in harassment of those who interacted with her.

The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Oct. 22 declined to put the subpoena on hold while Ward appealed.

The committee also has subpoenaed Ward herself as one in a group of people who it said had knowledge of or participated in efforts to send false "alternate electors" to Washington for Trump as Congress prepared to certify the election results.

Original Article

Trump to Host Rally for Rubio, Not DeSantis (Newsmax)

By Brian Pfail | Wednesday, 26 October 2022 07:00 PM EDT

Former President Trump will hold a third rally for Florida Sen. Marco Rubio just ahead of the midterm elections.

Through his Save America PAC, Trump announced the "Get Out the Vote Rally" in Miami on Sunday, Nov. 6, in support of his Republican colleague running against Democrat Rep. Val Demings.

"President Trump delivered a historic red wave for Florida in the 2018 midterms with his slate of endorsed candidates up and down the ballot and molded the Sunshine State into the MAGA stronghold it is today," read the release. "Thanks to President Trump, Florida is no longer a purple state; it's an America First Red State."

Trump's announcement did not include Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is running for a second term against Democrat Charlie Crist.

The Florida governor is regularly second to Trump as the most popular potential presidential contender for 2024.

DeSantis has not issued any official statement in that regard, but Trump has repeatedly hinted at his third run for the White House.

Both Rubio and DeSantis hold considerable leads against their Democrat opponents. FiveThirtyEight's polling average shows Rubio leading by about 9 points and DeSantis by about 11.

Related Stories:

• UNF Poll: DeSantis Margin Widens to 14 Points Over Crist

• Rubio Holds 6-Point Lead Over Demings in Florida Senate Race

Original Article

Trump's Legal Team Accepts Service of Subpoena From Jan. 6 Committee

(Newsmax/"Saturday Report")

By Solange Reyner | Wednesday, 26 October 2022 07:10 PM EDT

Former President Donald Trump's legal team has accepted service of a subpoena issued by the Jan. 6 House select committee investigating the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, reports Politico.

The nine-member House panel last week issued a letter to Trump's lawyers demanding his testimony under oath by Nov. 14. They also outlined a request for a series of documents, including personal communications between the former president and members of Congress as well as extremist groups.

An attorney with the Dhillon Law Group, which is representing Trump in his dealings with the House panel, accepted service of the subpoena on Monday, according to Politico.

The committee has been investigating the attack on the Capitol for the past 15 months. In a letter to Trump, it said it had assembled "overwhelming evidence" that the former president "personally orchestrated" an effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election, including by spreading false allegations of widespread voter fraud, "attempting to corrupt" the Justice Department and pressuring state officials, lawmakers and his vice president to try to change the results.

The panel — comprising seven Democrats and two Republicans — approved the subpoena for Trump in a surprise vote last week. Every member voted in support.

The day after, Trump posted a lengthy memo on Truth Social, his social media website, repeating his claims of widespread election fraud and expressing his "anger, disappointment and complaint" that the committee wasn't investigating his claims. He made no mention of the subpoena.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Original Article

Trump's Legal Team Accepts Service of Subpoena From Jan. 6 Committee

(Newsmax/"Saturday Report")

By Solange Reyner | Wednesday, 26 October 2022 07:10 PM EDT

Former President Donald Trump's legal team has accepted service of a subpoena issued by the Jan. 6 House select committee investigating the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, reports Politico.

The nine-member House panel last week issued a letter to Trump's lawyers demanding his testimony under oath by Nov. 14. They also outlined a request for a series of documents, including personal communications between the former president and members of Congress as well as extremist groups.

An attorney with the Dhillon Law Group, which is representing Trump in his dealings with the House panel, accepted service of the subpoena on Monday, according to Politico.

The committee has been investigating the attack on the Capitol for the past 15 months. In a letter to Trump, it said it had assembled "overwhelming evidence" that the former president "personally orchestrated" an effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election, including by spreading false allegations of widespread voter fraud, "attempting to corrupt" the Justice Department and pressuring state officials, lawmakers and his vice president to try to change the results.

The panel — comprising seven Democrats and two Republicans — approved the subpoena for Trump in a surprise vote last week. Every member voted in support.

The day after, Trump posted a lengthy memo on Truth Social, his social media website, repeating his claims of widespread election fraud and expressing his "anger, disappointment and complaint" that the committee wasn't investigating his claims. He made no mention of the subpoena.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 9:44 AM PT – Wednesday, October 26, 2022

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis continues to win over a critical demographic in the Sunshine State.

According to a Telemundo poll, DeSantis (D-Fla.) received 51% support among Latino voters, while his challenger, Charlie Crist, trailed behind with 44% support.

Additionally, DeSantis scored a 56% approval rating among Hispanics born in another country and 48%, from Hispanics born in the United States. 50% of Latino voters support his decision to send migrants to Martha’s Vineyard.

The survey was conducted starting on October 12th until October 16th. The survey has a margin of error of +/- 3.65 percentage points. The poll highlighted a commanding lead for DeSantis as midterm elections are just two weeks away.

Original Article Oann

Arizona AG Hopeful Hamadeh to Newsmax: Dems' Border Stance 'Offensive'

(Newsmax/"John Bachman Now")

By Sandy Fitzgerald | Wednesday, 26 October 2022 03:42 PM EDT

The nation's border with Mexico is "anything but secure," despite Vice President Kamala Harris' claims otherwise, Arizona GOP attorney general candidate Abe Hamadeh said on Newsmax Wednesday, calling such statements from her and other top Democrats "offensive."

"You have migrants flocking in and they're just walking into the arms of law enforcement, and that's a real distraction to a lot of what the drug cartels' operations are doing when they're smuggling in fentanyl," Hamadeh, who has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump, commented in an interview on Newsmax's "John Bachman Now." "They're wearing the camo and they're evading law enforcement."

He also pointed out that the Biden administration has ordered the state of Arizona and Gov. Doug Ducey to remove dozens of shipping containers that it had put in gaps along its border with Mexico, saying that their placement violates federal law. The state has rejected the government's demands.

"States have to take back control because the federal government is refusing to act," said Hamadeh.

The situation, overall, is a "humanitarian disaster," he added.

"If you look at the number of migrants who have died trying to come into the country, you look at the fentanyl poisonings — I mean, here in Arizona, we had two infants with possible fentanyl overdoses, and one of them survived," he said. "But you know it's a human tragedy right now, and this is something that we have got to focus on, because the Democrats' agenda, all they've done has caused misery and chaos."

Two years ago under Trump, "we had a secure border," Hamadeh said. "How did we come to the point where you have 250,000 illegal immigrants crossing in and we have fentanyl pouring in the millions? This was all done because the Biden administration has failed to secure our border."

Hamadeh also on Wednesday fired back at reports that individuals have been watching and filming voters at ballot drop boxes in the state. Tuesday, the Arizona chapter of the League of Women Voters filed a federal lawsuit targeting groups they say are working to intimidate voters through an effort they call "Operation Drop Box," reported CNN.

Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, who is running against Republican Kari Lake for the state's governor's seat, says there were six cases of voter intimidation already, but Hamadeh accused her of being "incompetent."

But still, he said, "voter intimidation is unacceptable and undemocratic."

However, Hamadeh said he thinks it's people's "constitutional right" to watch the ballot drop boxes, "but obviously any intimidation by the media or by armed individuals is unacceptable."

Also on Wednesday, Hamadeh talked about one of his key goals for office if he defeats Democrat challenger Kris Mayes, and that is to establish a religious liberty unit to protect parental rights.

"Thank God we have President Trump's Supreme Court, so we've done a really good job fighting for religious liberties," he said. "We just saw that case with the coach praying on the football field."

Parental rights in Arizona will allow parents to push back against "school boards (that) are running rogue, teaching critical race theory and trying to shove sexual confusion on children," Hamadeh added. "We have to empower parents once again, and that's exactly what my office will do within the Civil Rights division."

About NEWSMAX TV:

NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!

• Find NEWSMAX in over 100 million U.S. homes via cable/streaming – More Info Here
• Watch NEWSMAX TV online – See It Here
• Download the FREE NEWSMAX App on Your Smartphone to Watch Now!

Original Article

Arizona AG Hopeful Hamadeh to Newsmax: Dems' Border Stance 'Offensive'

(Newsmax/"John Bachman Now")

By Sandy Fitzgerald | Wednesday, 26 October 2022 03:42 PM EDT

The nation's border with Mexico is "anything but secure," despite Vice President Kamala Harris' claims otherwise, Arizona GOP attorney general candidate Abe Hamadeh said on Newsmax Wednesday, calling such statements from her and other top Democrats "offensive."

"You have migrants flocking in, and they're just walking into the arms of law enforcement, and that's a real distraction to a lot of what the drug cartels' operations are doing when they're smuggling in fentanyl," Hamadeh, who has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump, commented in an interview on Newsmax's "John Bachman Now." "They're wearing the camo and they're evading law enforcement."

He also pointed out that the Biden administration has ordered the state of Arizona and Gov. Doug Ducey to remove dozens of shipping containers that were put in gaps along its border with Mexico, saying that their placement violates federal law. The state has rejected the government's demands.

"States have to take back control because the federal government is refusing to act," said Hamadeh.

The situation, overall, is a "humanitarian disaster," he added.

"If you look at the number of migrants who have died trying to come into the country, you look at the fentanyl poisonings — I mean, here in Arizona, we had two infants with possible fentanyl overdoses, and one of them survived," he said. "But you know it's a human tragedy right now, and this is something that we have got to focus on, because the Democrats' agenda, all they've done has caused misery and chaos."

Two years ago under Trump, "we had a secure border," Hamadeh said. "How did we come to the point where you have 250,000 illegal immigrants crossing in and we have fentanyl pouring in the millions? This was all done because the Biden administration has failed to secure our border."

Hamadeh also on Wednesday fired back at reports that individuals have been watching and filming voters at ballot drop boxes in the state. Tuesday, the Arizona chapter of the League of Women Voters filed a federal lawsuit targeting groups they say are working to intimidate voters through an effort they call "Operation Drop Box," reported CNN.

Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, who is running against Republican Kari Lake for the state's governor's seat, says there were six cases of voter intimidation already, but Hamadeh accused her of being "incompetent."

But still, he said, "voter intimidation is unacceptable and undemocratic."

However, Hamadeh said he thinks it's people's "constitutional right" to watch the ballot drop boxes, "but obviously any intimidation by the media or by armed individuals is unacceptable."

Also on Wednesday, Hamadeh talked about one of his key goals for office if he defeats Democrat challenger Kris Mayes, and that is to establish a religious liberty unit to protect parental rights.

"Thank God we have President Trump's Supreme Court, so we've done a really good job fighting for religious liberties," he said. "We just saw that case with the coach praying on the football field." Joe Kennedy, the couch who was removed for praying on the Bremerton High School football team field after games, will be reinstated in March, after the Supreme Court intevened.

Parental rights in Arizona will allow parents to push back against "school boards … running rogue, teaching critical race theory and trying to shove sexual confusion on children," Hamadeh added. "We have to empower parents once again, and that's exactly what my office will do within the civil rights division."

About NEWSMAX TV:

NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!

• Find NEWSMAX in over 100 million U.S. homes via cable/streaming – More Info Here
• Watch NEWSMAX TV online – See It Here
• Download the FREE NEWSMAX App on Your Smartphone to Watch Now!

Original Article

Archives Insists Trump Referral to DOJ Unrelated to House Dems' Probe (Newsmax)

By Nicole Wells | Wednesday, 26 October 2022 01:20 PM EDT

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is insisting that its decision to refer former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago records affair to the Department of Justice (DOJ) had nothing to do with an investigation by House Democrats, according to The Hill.

Responding to Republicans on the House Oversight and Reform Committee, acting Archivist Debra Steidel Wall said, "there was, in fact, no connection between these two actions," in a Tuesday letter.

A few days after The Washington Post reported the archives had in January recovered documents from Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, Oversight Committee Democrats sent a letter to the records agency, announcing their probe.

The archives' Office of Inspector General referred the matter to the Justice Department that same day, after discovering multiple sets of classified records among the boxes, The Hill reports.

Wall said the timing was "entirely coincidental."

"At no time and under no circumstances were NARA officials pressured or influenced by Committee Democrats or anyone else," Wall wrote in the letter.

"NARA has at all times acted professionally and without regard to any political or partisan influence with respect to this matter," she continued. "Our actions were for the simple purpose of carrying out our core mission of ensuring that NARA has all Presidential records of former Presidents in our custody and control, as required by the Presidential Records Act, and our responsibilities regarding classified national security information."

House Oversight ranking member Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., requested all communications between the archives and the DOJ on the Trump records matter in an Oct. 14 letter.

"The fact that NARA transmitted to DOJ a referral that launched a criminal investigation of the former president the same day the Democrat Chairwoman of the Committee inquired whether the agency had been in contact with DOJ raises serious concerns about whether NARA made the referral after pressure from Committee Democrats," Comer wrote.

Original Article

Cook Political Report Shifts 6 House Races in Republicans' Favor (Newsmax)

By Solange Reyner | Wednesday, 26 October 2022 12:30 PM EDT

Republicans are projected to pick up 12-25 seats in the upcoming midterm elections, according to a new analysis by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, which has tracked congressional races for decades.

The GOP needs to win just five net seats to take over the House of Representatives, which Democrats control by a narrow margin 220-212.

"This week, all six of the races moving in the GOP's direction are located in states Joe Biden carried in 2020, whereas all four races moving toward Democrats are located in states Donald Trump carried in both 2016 and 2020," David Wasserman, House editor of the outlet, wrote.

The Cook Political Report changed its projection in races in Alaska, California's 49th district, Connecticut's 5th district, Iowa's 2nd district, Kansas' 3rd district, New York's 17th district, North Carolina's 1st district, Virginia's 7th and 10th district and Wisconsin's 3rd district.

The ratings of six House districts have changed in Republicans' favor, including Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., from lean Democrat to toss up, Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-Conn., from lean Democrat to toss up, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y., from lean Democrat to toss up, Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., from lean Democrat to toss up in Virginia, and Rep. Jennifer Wexton, D-Va., from solid Democrat to likely Democrat in Virginia.

"In blue states where Roe v. Wade is certain to remain law, Republicans have been much more effective in channeling voter anger towards Democrats, who are effectively ‘double incumbents' at the state/federal levels. They've had an easier time there focusing voters' attention on rising inflation and crime – aided, of course, by news footage of tent cities in Portland and people being shoved onto subway tracks in New York," Wasserman wrote.

Original Article

Democrat Sen. Mark Kelly: 'Arizonans Are Sick' of Biden's Border Policies (Newsmax)

By Brian Freeman | Wednesday, 26 October 2022 12:02 PM EDT

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., who is in a tight race against Republican challenger Blake Masters, has been trying to distance himself from the border policies of President Joe Biden as the campaign hits its closing stage, the Washington Examiner reported on Wednesday.

"The administration has at times made some decisions that are not helpful to Arizona. I call the president out on it," Kelly said in an interview with the Examiner before a campaign stop in Yuma, a city near the border with Mexico.

In a debate earlier this month on the Arizona Senate race, Kelly emphasized in his opening remarks that when fellow "Democrats are wrong, like on the border, I call them out on it, because I'm always going to stick up for Arizona," ABC News reported.

The senator specified that he disagreed with the Biden administration's decision to lift Title 42, a Trump-era policy which lessened opportunities for migrants to make legal claims to avoid deportation during the coronavirus pandemic.

"When the president decided he was going to do something dumb on this and change the rules that would create a bigger crisis … I've told him he was wrong," Kelly said at the debate. "So I've pushed back on this administration multiple times, and I've got more money on the ground."

Kelly has admitted that "the federal government needs to do more" to fix the border issue and that "Arizonans are sick of it." He told the Examiner that "I've worked to bring more money here, more technology, more money for Border Patrol agents," adding that, "border security is national security, and when there are 2 million asylum-seekers coming across the border in a year, it's incredibly difficult for Border Patrol to handle that."

Kelly's renewed emphasis on the illegal immigrant situation comes as crossings set a new record for highest ever in a fiscal year, according to Customs and Border Protection.

It also comes amidst a recent CBS News poll that showed that immigration ranks third in Arizona as being "very important," just behind the economy and inflation.

The senator touted, while speaking to voters during campaigning this week, that new funding will expand and upgrade the San Luis Port of Entry, which is funded partly by the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure and Jobs Act that passed last fall, the Examiner reported.

The improvements at the port will expand vehicle and pedestrian processing lanes and build new inspection facilities.

"This is something I've worked on since my first day in the United States Senate," Kelly said. "These ports of entry substantiate a substantial amount of revenue, and the Arizona economy will grow when we upgrade our ports of entry."

Masters slammed Kelly and other Democrats for "surrendering our southern border" during the debate earlier this month, as Republicans have stressed the border issue, particularly with the record-high number of arrivals, the Examiner reported.

Masters vowed to triple the size of the Border Patrol and complete the wall that former President Donald Trump started.

"I think the correct amount of illegal immigration is zero; that's what the federal law says," Masters said. "The problem is that Joe Biden and Mark Kelly are willfully ignoring federal law."

Original Article

Judge: Mark Meadows Must Testify in Georgia Election Probe

KATE BRUMBACK Wednesday, 26 October 2022 12:00 PM EDT

A judge on Wednesday ordered former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows to testify before a special grand jury that's investigating whether then-President Donald Trump and his allies tried to influence the state's 2020 election illegally.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis opened the investigation early last year into actions taken by Trump and others to overturn his loss to Democrat Joe Biden. Meadows is one of a number of high-profile associates and advisers of the Republican former president whose testimony Willis has sought.

Because Meadows doesn't live in Georgia, Willis, a Democrat, had to use a process that involves getting a judge where he lives in South Carolina to order him to appear. She filed a petition in August seeking to compel his testimony. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who's overseeing the special grand jury, signed off on the petition, certifying that Meadows is a “necessary and material witness” for the investigation.

Circuit Court Judge Edward Miller in Pickens County, South Carolina, honored McBurney's finding and ordered Meadows to testify, Willis spokesman Jeff DiSantis confirmed. Meadows attorney James Bannister could not immediately be reached for comment.

In the petition seeking Meadows’ testimony, Willis wrote that Meadows attended a Dec. 21, 2020, meeting at the White House with Trump and others “to discuss allegations of voter fraud and certification of electoral college votes from Georgia and other states.” The next day, Willis wrote, Meadows made a “surprise visit” to Cobb County, just outside Atlanta, where an audit of signatures on absentee ballot envelopes was being conducted. He asked to observe the audit but wasn’t allowed to because it wasn’t open to the public, the petition says.

Meadows also sent emails to Justice Department officials after the election alleging voter fraud in Georgia and elsewhere and requesting investigations, Willis wrote. And he participated in a Jan. 2, 2021, phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, during which Trump suggested the state’s top elections official, also a Republican, could “find” enough votes to overturn his narrow election loss in the state.

In a court filing this week, Bannister argued that executive privilege and other rights shield his client from testifying.

Bannister asserted in the filing that Meadows has been instructed by Trump “to preserve certain privileges and immunities attaching to his former office as White House Chief of Staff.” Willis' petition calls for him “to divulge the contents of executive privileged communications with the President," Bannister wrote.

Meadows previously invoked that privilege in a fight against subpoenas issued by the U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The House held Meadows in contempt of Congress for defying the subpoena, but the Justice Department declined to prosecute.

Special grand juries in Georgia cannot issue indictments. Instead, they can gather evidence and compel testimony and then can recommend further action, including criminal charges, in a final report. But it is ultimately up to the district attorney to decide whether to seek an indictment from a regular grand jury.

Bannister argued that the special grand jury proceedings do not qualify as a criminal proceeding under the South Carolina law that governs out-of-state subpoena requests and that Meadows cannot be compelled to testify in a civil inquiry. Because he has no testimony to offer, he cannot be considered a “material witness," the filing argues.

Grand jury secrecy is “paramount” in South Carolina, Bannister wrote. Because the special grand jury is expected to ultimately issue a public report and the paperwork seeking Meadows' testimony was publicly filed, it is contrary to South Carolina grand jury secrecy provisions and that would violate his state right to privacy, Bannister argued.

McBurney, the Fulton County Superior Court judge, has made clear in ruling on other attempts by potential witnesses to avoid or delay testimony that he considers the special grand jury's investigation to be a criminal proceeding. He has also stressed the need for the secrecy of the panel's workings.

Original Article

Judge: Mark Meadows Must Testify in Georgia Election Probe

KATE BRUMBACK Wednesday, 26 October 2022 12:00 PM EDT

A judge on Wednesday ordered former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows to testify before a special grand jury that's investigating whether then-President Donald Trump and his allies tried to influence the state's 2020 election illegally.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis opened the investigation early last year into actions taken by Trump and others to overturn his loss to Democrat Joe Biden. Meadows is one of a number of high-profile associates and advisers of the Republican former president whose testimony Willis has sought.

Because Meadows doesn't live in Georgia, Willis, a Democrat, had to use a process that involves getting a judge where he lives in South Carolina to order him to appear. She filed a petition in August seeking to compel his testimony. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who's overseeing the special grand jury, signed off on the petition, certifying that Meadows is a “necessary and material witness” for the investigation.

Circuit Court Judge Edward Miller in Pickens County, South Carolina, honored McBurney's finding and ordered Meadows to testify, Willis spokesman Jeff DiSantis confirmed. Meadows attorney James Bannister could not immediately be reached for comment.

In the petition seeking Meadows’ testimony, Willis wrote that Meadows attended a Dec. 21, 2020, meeting at the White House with Trump and others “to discuss allegations of voter fraud and certification of electoral college votes from Georgia and other states.” The next day, Willis wrote, Meadows made a “surprise visit” to Cobb County, just outside Atlanta, where an audit of signatures on absentee ballot envelopes was being conducted. He asked to observe the audit but wasn’t allowed to because it wasn’t open to the public, the petition says.

Meadows also sent emails to Justice Department officials after the election alleging voter fraud in Georgia and elsewhere and requesting investigations, Willis wrote. And he participated in a Jan. 2, 2021, phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, during which Trump suggested the state’s top elections official, also a Republican, could “find” enough votes to overturn his narrow election loss in the state.

In a court filing this week, Bannister argued that executive privilege and other rights shield his client from testifying.

Bannister asserted in the filing that Meadows has been instructed by Trump “to preserve certain privileges and immunities attaching to his former office as White House Chief of Staff.” Willis' petition calls for him “to divulge the contents of executive privileged communications with the President," Bannister wrote.

Meadows previously invoked that privilege in a fight against subpoenas issued by the U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The House held Meadows in contempt of Congress for defying the subpoena, but the Justice Department declined to prosecute.

Special grand juries in Georgia cannot issue indictments. Instead, they can gather evidence and compel testimony and then can recommend further action, including criminal charges, in a final report. But it is ultimately up to the district attorney to decide whether to seek an indictment from a regular grand jury.

Bannister argued that the special grand jury proceedings do not qualify as a criminal proceeding under the South Carolina law that governs out-of-state subpoena requests and that Meadows cannot be compelled to testify in a civil inquiry. Because he has no testimony to offer, he cannot be considered a “material witness," the filing argues.

Grand jury secrecy is “paramount” in South Carolina, Bannister wrote. Because the special grand jury is expected to ultimately issue a public report and the paperwork seeking Meadows' testimony was publicly filed, it is contrary to South Carolina grand jury secrecy provisions and that would violate his state right to privacy, Bannister argued.

McBurney, the Fulton County Superior Court judge, has made clear in ruling on other attempts by potential witnesses to avoid or delay testimony that he considers the special grand jury's investigation to be a criminal proceeding. He has also stressed the need for the secrecy of the panel's workings.