Politics
Bolstering impeachment case, Dems say Trump betrayed nation
Published
4 years agoon
By
FNN NEWSWASHINGTON (AP) — Bolstering its case for impeaching President Donald Trump, a House panel released a lengthy report Monday detailing its rationale for the charges and accusing Trump of betraying the nation for his own political gain.
Trump faces two articles of impeachment by House Democrats: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. They point to Trump pressuring Ukraine to investigate 2020 political rival Joe Biden while withholding as leverage military aid the country relies to counter Russia as well as his efforts to block the House investigation.
The House will vote Wednesday on the impeachment articles approved last week by the House Judiciary panel. The vote is all but certain to result in Trump’s impeachment, though he’s expected to be acquitted in a Senate trial.
The House Judiciary Committee detailed its case against the nation’s 45th president in a 650-page report released just after midnight. It said Trump “betrayed the nation by abusing his high office to enlist a foreign power in corrupting democratic elections.”
The panel summarized the evidence for impeachment compiled by the House intelligence committee, and said Trump “has demonstrated he will remain a threat to national security and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office.”
Trump, by refusing to cooperate with the House impeachment inquiry, violated the Constitution’s system of checks and balances, the report said.
In dissent, Republicans on the panel denounced the materials submitted by Democrats as “paltry.”
“The paltry record on which the majority relies is an affront to the constitutional process of impeachment and will have grave consequences for future presidents,” said Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia, the panel’s top Republican. “The quicker the majority report and the majority’s actions are forgotten, the better.”
Only the fourth U.S. president to be charged in impeachment proceedings, Trump has insisted he has done nothing wrong. Votes are set for Wednesday in the House. But already attention is turning to the Senate trial, where the Republicans are expected to acquit Trump in January.
“There ought to be a fair trial where the whole truth comes out,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters Sunday in New York. “And I’m going to work to get that done.”
The top Senate Democrat called for new evidence and testimony from former national security adviser John Bolton, acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and two others as part of a detailed proposal outlined in a letter Sunday to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to spur negotiations with the GOP.
“This trial must be one that is fair, that considers all of the relevant facts,” Schumer wrote. “The trial must be one that not only hears all of the evidence and adjudicates the case fairly; it must also pass the fairness test with the American people.”
Trump has expressed interest in a robust trial that would not only clear him of the charges in the Senate but also vindicate him, but his desire for a lengthy proceeding is something Senate Republicans are hoping to avoid.
McConnell and Schumer are expected to meet to discuss how to conduct the trial, much as the Democrats and Republicans did during Bill Clinton’s impeachment two decades ago.
The witness list will be key to the proceedings.
Despite Republican control in the Senate, McConnell’s slim 53-47 majority limits his ability to steer the impeachment trial. It takes 51 votes to approve most motions in the proceedings, even to set the rules, which means the leader can only afford to lose two Republican senators and still pass his preferred options.
Some Republican senators may feel pressure from Democrats to call additional witnesses or expand the proceedings, especially those up for reelection next year in swing states where voters are split in their views of Trump.
At the same time, Democrats face political risks if Republicans lean into Trump’s demands for a showier trial, summoning Biden or his son, Hunter Biden, or others to appear. Republicans claim without evidence that Hunter Biden’s work for a gas company in Ukraine merited the investigation Trump sought from that country’s officials.
In his letter, Schumer proposes a detailed structure and timeline for a trial to begin Jan. 7, with the swearing-in of Chief Justice John Roberts to oversee the proceedings and stretch for several weeks as Democrats subpoena witnesses and testimony, specifically around Trump’s decision to withhold military aid from Ukraine. A day of what Schumer calls “pretrial housekeeping measures” would take place Jan. 6.
Schumer additionally sets out a specific schedule that would allow for 24 hours of opening arguments by the House Democrats’ impeachment managers and then 24 hours for the White House lawyers to present their arguments, followed by days of witness testimony. He also sets time for questioning of House managers and Trump’s counsel by senators; final arguments by House managers and Trump’s counsel; and as many as 24 hours for deliberations by senators. All told, Schumer suggests as many as 126 hours of proceedings.
McConnell has indicated in recent days his preference for a swift trial without calling witnesses in what Republicans fear could become a spectacle. At the same time, the GOP leader has said he’s taking his “cues” from the White House and will conduct the proceedings as Trump wants them.
Democrats want to hear from Bolton, who labeled the alternative foreign policy being run by Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and others as a “drug deal’’ he wanted no part of. He left the White House in September.
They also want testimony from Mulvaney, who has acknowledged the military aid to Ukraine was being held up, as well as two other White House officials: Robert Blair, a top Mulvaney aide, and Michael Duffey, a budget official who was tasked with handling the Ukraine issue. Those officials defied House Democrats’ subpoenas to appear before the inquiry.
In the House, a group of freshmen lawmakers is urging leaders to make an unusual choice by naming Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan as an impeachment manager. A libertarian-leaning conservative, Amash left the GOP and is now an independent after becoming the rare Republican to call for the president’s impeachment. Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., has been leading the effort, and talked with both the congressman and party leaders, his spokesman Bryan Doyle said
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Politics
Suspended Democratic State Attorney Andrew Warren Seeks Re-Election
Published
10 hours agoon
April 17, 2024By
FNN NEWSTAMPA, Fla. – In a video released Tuesday morning, State Attorney Andrew Warren announces he will seek re-election to a third term as State Attorney for Hillsborough County, Florida. Warren, a Democrat, points to his proven record of reduced crime, increased public safety, and improvements to the justice system as he declares his candidacy in the race, which will appear on the November 2024 general election ballot.
“Today, I’m running for election as State Attorney to serve the people—all the people—of Hillsborough County. I’m running to keep our neighborhoods safe. I’m running to fight for victims and to make our criminal justice system better,” Warren declares in the video.
Warren has twice been elected by Hillsborough County voters, in 2016 and 2020.
During his first 5 1/2 years in office, before he was illegally suspended by Gov. Ron DeSantis, Warren worked with prosecutors, law enforcement, and community partners to:
· Reduce crime in Hillsborough County by more than 30%
· Make Hillsborough the safest large county in Florida, according to state statistics
· Invest in safety through prevention and rehabilitation, and by addressing mental health and addiction
· Target child predators, convicting an average of one predator every four days the courthouse was open
· Create and expand civil citation programs, disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline
· Establish a Community Council and a Racial Justice Work Group
· Become a national leader in transparency, launching a groundbreaking public Data Dashboard
· Reduce the criminalization of poverty
· Pursue drunk drivers with aggressive sanctions to reduce repeat offenses
· Adopt the Disarming Domestic Abusers policy to protect victims of domestic violence
A native Floridian and former federal prosecutor, Warren and his wife Alex are parents of three children—their daughters Elliot and Lucy, and their late son Zack.
The announcement video is now live on Warren’s Facebook and X/Twitter pages. It encourages supporters to visit Warren’s website, AndrewWarrenFL.com, to sign up for updates or contribute to the campaign.
While outlining his successes in office, Warren also highlights the suspension that installed an unelected political appointee into his position last year—an appointment that is illegitimate, according to prominent Florida legal experts, including a former Attorney General and Supreme Court Justice.
“On August 4, 2022, Ron DeSantis threw out your vote. He illegally forced me from office under armed guard,” Warren says in the video. “My late son. My beautiful daughters. My strong wife. They inspire me to serve others—to do good. That’s why I took DeSantis to court.”
As an image in the video quotes federal Judge Robert Hinkle’s January 20, 2023 ruling that Warren “was diligently and competently performing the job he was elected to perform,” Warren says, “The judge ruled that I did my job and the suspension was unconstitutional. But our fight is not over”—referring to Judge Hinkle’s conclusion that he lacked the authority to reinstate Warren. On January 11, 2024, the appellate court affirmed Judge Hinkle’s findings regarding the constitutional violation while clearly stating that Judge Hinkle has the authority to reinstate Warren.
Even as Warren awaits reinstatement, his announcement Tuesday affirms that in addition to winning in court, Warren intends to be back on the ballot so voters can emphatically make it clear that they decide who represents them—not a governor who broke the law and abused his power for a political stunt.
“I’m running to protect our values, for a woman’s right to choose, for a fair and just system, and—above all—for freedom and democracy,” Warren says. “I’m running to do what’s right. It’s what I’ve always done, as a former federal prosecutor, as a father, and as your State Attorney. I’m Andrew Warren, and together, it’s time we reclaim the future of this community—our community. Join us in this fight.”
Politics
State Rep. Bruce Antone’s Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day Bill Signed Into Law By The Governor
Published
5 days agoon
April 12, 2024By
FNN NEWSORLANDO, Fla. – Yesterday, Governor DeSantis signed into law HB 1227, Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day. House Bill 1227 creates the 22nd state designated holiday in the State of Florida, which is the 4th Thursday in March.
The bill recognizes the Tuskegee Airmen, African American fighter pilots, who trained near Tuskegee Institute now known as Tuskegee University. The pilots formed part of the 332nd Fighter Group which was comprised of four squadrons of African American pilots in the 15th Air Force during World War II. The Airmen were also known as the “Red Tails,” a nickname acquired from the painted tails of 332nd fighter planes, which flew over 200 missions in the performance of defending heavy bombers from enemy interceptors.
“I’m pleased, and the Tuskegee Airmen are pleased, that Governor DeSantis signed HB 1227 into law which commemorates and honors the Tuskegee Airmen,” said Representative Antone.
Florida has become one of at least 10 other states to recognize a day designating the “Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day” on the fourth Thursday in March of each year as a legal holiday. This special day honors the Tuskegee Airmen, who were the first Black military pilots in the United States armed forces.
Politics
Governor DeSantis Signs 5 Pieces of Legislation to Protect Children from Predatory Grooming and Other Sexual Offenses
Published
1 week agoon
April 10, 2024By
Willie David- HB 1545, which protects children from grooming activities and other sexual offenses.
- HB 1131, which establishes a grant program within the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to create online sting operations to target sexual predators.
- HB 1235, which creates stricter guidelines for sex offender registration.
- SB 1224, which strengthens the role of the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office and implements new training requirements to ensure law enforcement properly assesses a domestic violence situation.
- HB 305, which expands the evidence that can be presented to a jury in sex-abuse cases where the victim is a minor and increases penalties on those who take part in sex trafficking of minors.
- Prohibits an adult from engaging in a pattern of communication to a minor that includes explicit and detailed verbal descriptions of sexual activity.
- Increases penalties for child exploitation crimes such as promoting sexual performances or possessing child pornography.
- Establishes this conduct as a third-degree felony, strengthening the punishments associated with child exploitation and making them more severe.
- Requires FDLE to award grant funding on an annual basis for sting operations.
- Allocates funding to be used on computers, electronics, software, and other digital assets to conduct online child predator sting operations.
- Prevents sex offenders from using a temporary residence to avoid registration.
- Requires sex offenders to register vehicles and vessels used as living quarters with the state.
- Requires international travel to be reported ahead of time.
- Makes it more difficult to qualify for registration removal.
- Creates a new role within the Guardian ad Litem Office to assist children aging out of foster care to successful independent living.
- Establishes the Fostering Prosperity grant program for youth and young adults aging out of foster care to facilitate trade school opportunities and financial literacy instruction and to provide college preparation tools.
- Creates a lethality assessment that requires responding law enforcement officers to a domestic violence incident to determine if a domestic violence victim is at risk of death or serious injury and respond appropriately. This was inspired by Gabby Petito who was tragically murdered by her fiancé Brian Laundrie.
- Allows a hearsay statement made by a minor, regardless of age, to be admitted as evidence.
- It also requires offenders convicted of human trafficking minors to be registered sex offenders on the first offense.
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