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Congresswoman Val Demings Calls for Attorney General Barr to Resign

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ORLANDO, FL – Rep. Val Demings (FL-10) today said the following:

Said Rep. Demings, “I have taken four oaths of office: two as a law enforcement officer and two as a Member of Congress. However, each oath, including the one taken by Attorney General Barr, stated, “I will support, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” Our democracy will not survive without public servants who value justice, accountability, and the rule of law.

“Mr. Barr, the nation’s chief law enforcement officer, has disgraced his oath, choosing to protect the president while betraying his duty to the American people.

“Mr. Barr’s four-page summary of the Mueller report was devised to deceive the American people. Mr. Barr’s press conference imitated the deceptive talking points of the President’s lawyers instead of the honesty and integrity expected of a public servant. Mr. Barr’s congressional testimony, we now know, included at least two statements which were purposefully misleading if not outright lies. It is impossible to defend the indefensible.

“The U.S. Attorney General must be the people’s lawyer. I gave Mr. Barr the benefit of the doubt and hoped that he would follow his oath of office. He has not done so. Mr. Barr should do the last honorable thing available to him and resign.”

Background

Attorney General Barr has purposefully misled the American people regarding the conclusions of the Special Counsel.

Attorney General Barr’s letter, according to analysis by The New York Times, took Mr. Mueller’s words out of context to suggest the president had no motive to obstruct justice, omitted words suggesting that there was complicit conduct that fell short of “coordination,” truncated the special counsel explanation of what “coordination” meant, omitted the reason Mr. Mueller trumpeted the thoroughness of his factual investigation, and imprecisely portrayed Mr. Mueller as encountering “difficult issues” in reaching a decision on obstruction.

In a letter to Attorney General Barr on March 27th, three days after Barr’s four-page summary, Special Counsel Mueller wrote that Barr “did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance of this Office’s work and conclusion.” Mueller’s letter also made it clear that his team had prepared ready-to-release public summaries of the report’s findings. Barr instead chose to hide these summaries and release his own. Mueller further wrote that “This threatens to undermine a central purpose for which the Department appointed the Special Counsel.” Barr spoke to Mueller about these concerns on March 28th.

Two weeks later, on April 9th, Barr testified under oath before Congress and was asked by Rep. Charlie Crist (FL-13) whether he knew what was behind reports that members of Mueller’s team were frustrated by the attorney general’s summary. Barr said, “no I don’t.” Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland asked Barr, “did Bob Mueller support your conclusions?” Barr responded, “I don’t know whether Bob Mueller supported my conclusions.”

This was two weeks after Special Counsel Mueller wrote that Barr “did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance of this Office’s work and conclusion.”

Mr. Barr did not tell the truth.

Perhaps the most troubling example of Mr. Barr’s multiple misleading summaries is his discussion of the OLC’s guidance that a sitting president cannot be indicted—a foundational issue at the heart of the entire obstruction investigation.

Mr. Barr has attempted to claim that the OLC guidance was not a major factor for Mr. Mueller. In fact, the first page of the Mueller Report’s second volume makes it clear that the OLC guidance was the guiding factor that determined the entire approach to the obstruction of justice investigation. To quote:

Vol 2, Pg. 1: “a traditional prosecution or declination decision entails a binary determination to initiate or decline a prosecution, but we determined not to make a traditional prosecutorial judgment…The Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) has issued an opinion finding that ‘the indictment or criminal prosecution of a sitting President’ [is impermissible].”

Vol 2, Pg. 2: Therefore, “we determined not to apply an approach that could potentially result in a judgement that the President committed crimes,” because it was unfair to “potentially [reach] that judgement when no charges can be brought.”

Vol 2, Pg. 2: “if we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the President clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state. Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards, however, we are unable to reach that judgement.”

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Florida House Democratic Leader-Designate Fentrice Driskell Announces Leadership Team

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida House Democratic Leader-Designate Fentrice Driskell (D-Tampa) today announced the appointment of the following Democratic Representatives to serve on the House Democratic Caucus leadership team for the 2022-24 legislative term:

  • Leader Pro Tempore: Representative Dotie Joseph (D-Miami);
  • Policy Chair: Representative Kelly Skidmore (D-Boca Raton);
  • Floor Leader: Representative Michael “Mike” Gottlieb (D-Davie); and
  • Whip: Representative Christine Hunschofsky (D-Parkland).

“The House Democratic Caucus is made up of some of the strongest, most fierce champions of the people in the entire state,” said Leader-Designate Driskell. “It is an honor and great pleasure to work with these individuals in this new capacity, and all of them are prepared to lead the Caucus in the face of the challenges that lie ahead of us.”

As Leader Pro Tempore, Representative Joseph will assist the Democratic Leader in carrying out designated responsibilities and perform such Leadership responsibilities as are assigned, including stepping in for the Leader as needed.

“I have had the distinct pleasure of knowing Representative Joseph for over 20 years. From the time we were at Georgetown Law to now, she has always been a consistent champion for justice. The issues she advocates for on behalf of all Floridians makes Representative Joseph an invaluable asset in defending Floridians against extremist Republican policies,” said Leader-Designate Driskell. “I look forward to Representative Joseph’s leadership as a key member of my team over the next two years.”

In her role as the Caucus Policy Chair, Representative Skidmore will be responsible for ensuring the Caucus continues to champion legislation that positively impacts all Floridians, and will lead discussions about bills before the House at Caucus meetings.

“As the previous Policy Chair for the Caucus, I know what is needed to do this job. Appointing Representative Skidmore as Policy Chair was an easy choice,” said Leader-Designate Driskell. “She stood out as a prime member in understanding policy during the last legislative term. Representative Skidmore also brings with her a wealth of experience as both a former House and Senate staffer and House member. Applying her unique skillset to this new role will benefit the Caucus and all Floridians.”

In his role as Floor Leader, Representative Gottlieb will be responsible in interpreting the House Rules, ensuring the Caucus adheres to the agreed upon rules, and working with his Republican counterpart in advocating for fair amounts of time be allotted to the Caucus in debating different pieces of legislation.

“Two things I greatly appreciate about Representative Gottlieb are his refreshing candor and strong fortitude,” said Leader-Designate Driskell. “As the minority party in the Legislature, we’re aware of the challenges that lie ahead of us. What we need right now is someone who is unwavering under extreme pressure to help guide our Caucus during difficult moments. Representative Gottlieb is perfectly suited for this role.”

As Whip, Representative Hunschofsky will be responsible for keeping all Democratic Caucus members apprised of Caucus policy on any bills or issues before the House.

Representative Hunschofsky has an amazing ability to get things done,” said Leader-Designate Driskell. “Not only does Representative Hunschofsky possess a wealth of knowledge due to her experience as the former mayor of Parkland, Florida, she is also a champion of many initiatives close to Floridians’ hearts, such as expanding access to quality mental health care. I know Representative Hunschofsky’s knowledge and ability will help prepare our Caucus for the challenges of the next two year.”

The Florida House Democratic Caucus will convene during Organizational Session taking place Nov. 21-22, 2022 in advance of the 2023 Legislative Session scheduled to begin on March 7, 2023.

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VIDEO: State Rep. Dianne Hart elected chair of the Florida Legislative Black Caucus

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ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) – State Representative Dianne Hart (D-Tampa), incoming Chair of the Florida Legislative Black Caucus, talks briefly with Florida National News on the importance of the Florida Blue Florida Classic at Camping World Stadium in Orlando Saturday. The Florida Classic is an annual college football rivalry game between Bethune–Cookman University and Florida A&M University.

Hart’s Twitter Statement:

Hart’s statement: “I’m honored to have been elected as the Chair of the Florida Legislative Black Caucus.” “I’m grateful to my colleagues for their support and for trusting me to move this important caucus forward.”

During the 2021 and 2022 Legislative Sessions, Rep. Hart served on the following House committees, including Democratic Ranking Member of the Infrastructure and Tourism Appropriations Subcommittee, Judiciary Committee, Joint Committee on Public Counsel Oversight, Ways & Means Committee, Criminal Justice & Public Safety Subcommittee, State Legislative Redistricting Subcommittee and Select Subcommittee on Authorized Gaming Activity.

Hart was first elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2018. She is also the CEO of the East Tampa Business and Civic Association.

 

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Former State Rep. Bruce Antone Ready To Rejoin Florida House

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Former State Representative Bruce Antone respond to questions by CFABJ, NAACP, and the Florida Voters League panel during a candidates forum in Orange County, Thursday, October 19, 2022. (Photo by J Willie David, III / Florida National News)

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) – Former Florida State Representative Bruce Antone served 12 years (six terms) in the Florida House of Representatives and defeated incumbent Democratic Rep. Travaris McCurdy during the August primary election to represent Orange County in the newly draw District 41 House seat.

CFABJ, NAACP, and Florida Voters League held a candidates forum for candidates seeking county, state and Congressional seats in Orange County, Thursday, October 19, 2022. (Photo by J Willie David, III / Florida National News)

CFABJ, NAACP, and Florida Voters League held a candidates forum for candidates seeking county, state and Congressional seats in Orange County, Thursday, October 19, 2022. (Photo by J Willie David, III / Florida National News)

Antone was among eleven candidates seeking election to county, state and Congressional seats participating in a candidate forum hosted by CFABJ, NAACP and the Florida Voters League, Wednesday, October 19, 2022.

Green Party nominee Robin Denise Harris is the only potential road block in Antone’s return to Tallahassee and faces off with him in the November general election. The District 41 House seat has an overwhelmingly Democratic voter base.

During his time in the Florida House, Antone was elected by his colleagues to serve as the Chairman of the 29-member Florida Legislative Black Caucus.

The general election is Tuesday, November 8, 2022.

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