Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Sunday known as for Sen. Robert Menendez‘s (D-N.J.) resignation after federal prosecutors in New York filed an enormous corruption indictment in opposition to him.
The 39-page indictment accuses Menendez and his spouse of accepting bribes — within the kinds of money, gold bars, a luxurious car and extra — from 3 New Jersey businessmen to additional the passion of the Egyptian govt. The New Jersey congressman denied the allegations in a observation on Friday, including that he believes he’s the objective of a conspiracy.
Ocasio-Cortez addressed Menendez’s indictment on a Sunday episode of CBS Information’ “Face The Country.”
“The location is somewhat unlucky, however I do imagine that it’s in the most efficient passion for Senator Menendez to surrender on this second,” the New York congresswoman stated.
Whilst Ocasio-Cortez stated that it’s vital for Menendez to be assumed blameless till confirmed in charge, she maintained that the indictment is “extraordinarily critical.”
She persisted: “And whilst, , as a Latina, there are completely techniques in which there’s systemic bias, however I believe what’s right here on this indictment is somewhat transparent. And I imagine [it] is in the most efficient passion to deal with the integrity of the seat.”
Ocasio-Cortez joined the ranks of alternative Democrats, together with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), in calling for Menendez to surrender. Thus far, Menendez has refused and is anticipated to proceed resisting the pleas.
“The ones in the back of this marketing campaign merely can not settle for {that a} first-generation Latino-American from humble beginnings may just upward push to be a U.S. Senator and serve with honor and difference,” Menendez, who used to be additionally indicted on bribery fees in 2015, stated.
Menendez used to be accused of taking bribes from a Florida physician to push ahead his pursuits, however the case concluded with a hung jury and the case used to be pushed aside through a pass judgement on in 2017.
Donald Trump’s mug shot used to be launched following his arrest in Georgia on Thursday, and the social media meme device went into overdrive.
The previous president surrendered on the Fulton County Prison following his indictment previous this month via District Legal professional Fani Wallis’ administrative center in a sprawling racketeering case over an alleged conspiracy to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election effects.
He used to be processed and assigned a prisoner quantity. Within the mug shot ― the primary ever to be taken of a U.S. president ― Trump glowers on the digital camera in what some in-the-know commentators appeared to be an try at showing menacing and showing power.
Trump already made historical past in March when he was the primary American president to be indicted. He’s since been indicted 3 extra occasions, culminating in a complete of 91 prison fees around the two federal and two state-level instances.
The unparalleled mug shot used to be trending on social media prior to it used to be even taken, and issues best were given wilder as soon as it dropped:
Remaining week, a grand jury in Georgia accused former President Donald Trump and 18 co-conspirators of scheming to overturn the state’s result of the 2020 presidential election in order that he may just stay in place of business.
Within the Aug. 14 indictment are racketeering and corrupt organizations statutes that, along with Trump, have led to an extended listing of fees for his shut allies like Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows and John Eastman.
Fulton County District Lawyer Fani Willis gave all 19 defendants till midday on Friday to give up. As of Wednesday night time, 9 of the indicted co-conspirators have became themselves in to the Fulton County Sheriff’s Administrative center. Trump, whose bond has been set at $200,000, has showed he’s going to give up on Thursday.
Regardless of now being indicted in 4 legal instances, Trump has controlled to steer clear of getting his mug shot taken. However quickly after the indictment’s liberate, Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat stated the defendants ― together with Trump ― won’t obtain any particular remedy after they arrive for his or her arraignment.
“It doesn’t subject your standing. We now have a mug shot able for you,” he advised NPR. “Until somebody tells me another way, we’re following our commonplace practices.”
To this point, Labat has stayed true to his phrase. Listed below are the mug pictures of each defendant that has to this point became themselves in, equipped by means of the Fulton County Sheriff’s Administrative center.
John Eastman, former Trump lawyer
Eastman used to be instrumental in a few of Trump’s efforts to stay in energy, particularly for writing a memo that argued the previous president may just stay his seat if then-Vice President Mike Pence overturned the election effects all through a joint consultation of Congress on Jan. 6, 2021. The plan integrated enforcing “faux” electors in seven battleground states ― together with Georgia ― who would falsely certify Trump’s win.
Eastman surrendered on Tuesday, and has since been launched on a $100,000 bond.
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Administrative center mug shot of former Trump lawyer John Eastman.
Fulton County Sheriff’s Administrative center
Rudy Giuliani, former Trump lawyer
Giuliani, an established good friend of Trump’s, used to be additionally central to Trump’s scheme to overturn the election. He’s going through over a dozen fees for spreading lies about election fraud and falsely claiming that balloting machines have been tampered with to deliberately harm Trump. He additionally lied about voter fraud in a Georgia Senate listening to concerning the election.
The previous New York Town mayor surrendered on Wednesday, and has been launched on a $150,000 bond.
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Administrative center mug shot of former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani.
Fulton County Sheriff’s Administrative center
Sidney Powell, former Trump lawyer
Powell used to be proudly one in every of Trump’s maximum concerned legal professionals when it got here to submitting complaints around the nation difficult the result of the 2020 election. Prosecutors stated Powell used to be one of the who met conservative lawyer Lin Picket “for the aim of exploring choices to persuade the result of the November 2020 elections in Georgia and somewhere else.”
Powell surrendered Wednesday on a $100,000 bond.
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Administrative center mug shot of former Trump lawyer Sidney Powell.
Fulton County Sheriff’s Administrative center
Jenna Ellis, former Trump lawyer
Ellis vocally driven lies about voter fraud, even after the 2020 listening to by means of Georgia state lawmakers through which Trump allies time and again driven false claims concerning the election effects. She additionally wrote two memos arguing that Pence must forget about the electoral faculty votes from sure battleground states, like Georgia.
Ellis surrendered on Wednesday on a $100,000 bond.
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Administrative center mug shot of former Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis.
Fulton County Sheriff’s Administrative center
Kenneth Chesebro, former Trump lawyer
Chesebro, who served as recommend for the Trump marketing campaign, labored after the election to put in force a plan to have 16 Georgia Republicans signal a certificates falsely pointing out that Trump gained the race, and mentioning themselves the state’s certified electors.
Chesebro surrendered on Wednesday on a $100,000 bond.
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Administrative center mug shot of former Trump lawyer Kenneth Chesebro.
Fulton County Sheriff’s Administrative center
Ray Smith, Georgia attorney
Smith used to be thinking about a couple of complaints difficult the result of the 2020 election in Georgia. He helped acquire witnesses to testify on nonexistent voter fraud all through the 2020 Georgia legislative listening to at the election.
Smith surrendered Wednesday on a $50,000 bond.
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Administrative center mug shot of Atlanta-based lawyer Ray Smith.
Fulton County Sheriff’s Administrative center
David Shafer, former Georgia GOP chair
Shafer used to be some of the 16 state Republicans who posed as faux electors in an effort to falsely claim that Trump had gained the election in Georgia, and that they’re “duly elected and certified” electors. He additionally joined Trump in a lawsuit difficult the 2020 election’s certification in Georgia.
Shafer surrendered Wednesday on a $75,000 bond.
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Administrative center mug shot of former Georgia GOP chair David Shafer.
Fulton County Sheriff’s Administrative center
Cathleen Latham, former Espresso County GOP chair
Latham used to be some of the 16 Republicans who posed as a “faux” elector in Georgia in an effort to claim that Trump had gained the 2020 election within the state. As head of the Espresso County Republican Birthday celebration, she welcomed a pc forensics workforce into the county elections place of business so they might reproduction instrument and knowledge from balloting machines.
Latham surrendered Wednesday on a $75,000 bond.
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Administrative center mug shot of former Espresso County GOP chair Cathleen Latham.
Fulton County Sheriff’s Administrative center
Scott Corridor, Georgia bail bondsman
Corridor used to be thinking about collecting balloting information from machines in Espresso County, the place Latham allowed a pc forensic workforce to intervene with Dominion Balloting Methods apparatus on the county elections place of business.
Corridor surrendered Tuesday on a $10,000 bond.
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Administrative center mug shot of Atlanta-area bail bondsman Scott Corridor.
Donald Trump is getting mocked on social media after making two bulletins in a row on Thursday.
First, the previous president canceled his giant information convention on Monday, when he had promised to ship “irrefutable” proof of 2020 presidential election fraud in a “CONCLUSIVE” file that might result in “an entire EXONERATION.”
Trump and his allies have failed to supply this kind of proof within the just about 3 years because the 2020 election regardless of repeatedly claiming to have it.
Now Trump claims the proof will likely be offered in felony filings as a substitute.
And 2d, he fired off a message indicating he received’t take part in subsequent week’s Republican presidential debate.
“Folks know my File, probably the most BEST EVER, so why would I Debate?” he wrote.
Trump’s critics mocked him for backing down in each instances:
When former President Donald Trump and 18 others seem to be arraigned at the fees indexed Monday within the Georgia indictment over election interference, they’re anticipated to be booked at a notoriously filthy and grim Atlanta prison that the Justice Division has been investigating.
Even though Trump and his alleged accomplices had been indicted on important fees associated with the 2020 presidential vote rely within the state, it’s extraordinarily not likely that they’re going to spend really extensive time on the prison past the reserving procedure. On the other hand, that’s now not the case for plenty of different people who had been matter to the prison’s harsh stipulations, even pretrial.
The prison has noticed a minimum of 60 deaths from 2009 to October 2022, The Atlanta Charter-Magazine reported.
This yr, a minimum of 5 inmates have died whilst serving time on the prison. Two of them, 34-year-old Christopher Smith and 40-year-old Montay Stinson, died this month.
Smith, who have been held with out bond since October 2019, died on Aug. 12 after being discovered unresponsive in his mobile, The Related Press reported.
In a similar way, Stinson was once present in his mobile unresponsive with “no glaring indicators of damage” on Aug. 2, in keeping with the Fulton County Sheriff’s Administrative center.
The Justice Division is investigating whether or not the stipulations on the prison violate the U.S. Charter, in keeping with a information free up in July.
The Justice Division pointed to the dying of 35-year-old Lashawn Thompson in September 2022. Thompson died in a mobile that was once now not “are compatible for a diseased animal,” in keeping with his legal professional. His frame was once coated in bedbugs, and an impartial post-mortem discovered that he ”died because of serious forget.”
“The ones cases had been some distance from remoted,” Assistant U.S. Legal professional Common Kristen Clarke stated all over a July information convention. “Following Mr. Thompson’s dying, proof emerged that the psychological well being unit the place he died was once infested with bugs and that almost all of other people dwelling in that unit had been malnourished and now not receiving elementary care.”
Clarke added that almost 90% of the prison’s population had been Black, making this a “racial justice factor.”
“The hot allegations of filthy housing teeming with bugs, rampant violence leading to dying and accidents, and officials the usage of over the top drive are motive for grave worry and warrant an intensive investigation,” U.S. Legal professional Ryan Okay. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia stated within the July information free up.
In April, Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat took WAGA-TV in Atlanta on a excursion of the deficient stipulations on the prison. Labat believes that just a “alternative prison” can repair the problems handy.
The overpopulated facility has a number of blocked-off flooring because of flooding and human waste from bathrooms that overflowed and pipes that burst, the Fox TV associate reported. One of the incarcerated other people had been captured on WAGA pictures mendacity on plastic trays that had been serving as beds.
Trump and the opposite defendants indexed in Monday’s 98-page indictment ― together with former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former White Area leader of workforce Mark Meadows and previous Justice Division respectable Jeffrey Clark — had been given till Aug. 25 to give up on the prison however too can make the commute anytime ahead of that date.
The indictment accuses the defendants of interfering with the 2020 presidential election so that you could stay Trump in administrative center in spite of his election loss to Joe Biden. It alleges 161 legal acts and lists 41 separate counts.
“It doesn’t topic your standing,” Labat stated to journalists remaining week. “Now we have a mugshot able for you.”
The Fulton County Sheriff’s Administrative center didn’t instantly reply to HuffPost’s request for remark.
Federal prosecutors got lots of former President Donald Trump’s direct messages despatched on his Twitter account, in addition to drafts and deleted missives, in step with court docket papers unsealed Tuesday.
It’s unclear what knowledge the direct messages would possibly include or who they have been exchanged with. However the revelation, first reported by means of CNN, provides new main points to court docket paperwork from remaining week that first confirmed Justice Division particular suggest Jack Smith’s group had got a seek warrant for Trump’s Twitter account in January.
The court docket papers say that federal prosecutors sought “all content material, information and different knowledge” associated with Trump’s account protecting the duration from October 2020 to January 2021 — when his @realDonaldTrump deal with was once completely suspended — together with drafts and any messages that have been preferred or retweeted. The dates would surround the run-up to the 2020 election throughout the Jan. 6, 2021, assault at the U.S. Capitol.
The paperwork stem from court docket hearings in February after Twitter attempted to withstand the quest warrant, claiming a connected nondisclosure order would violate the corporate’s First Modification rights.
The U.S. District Courtroom for the District of Columbia later fined Twitter — now referred to as X — $350,000 after it not on time complying. The corporate later grew to become over the guidelines to Smith’s group.
However the court docket filings display U.S. District Pass judgement on Beryl Howell excoriated Twitter in February, accusing the corporate of taking “atypical” steps to tell Trump in regards to the seek warrant. At one level, Howell requested the corporate’s legal professionals if proprietor Elon Musk sought after to “make Donald Trump really feel like he’s a specifically welcomed new renewed person of Twitter?”
The previous president was once indicted Aug. 1 on 4 federal fees associated with more than one conspiracies surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, revolt on the Capitol and his efforts to stay in administrative center after shedding the 2020 election to Joe Biden.
Trump attacked Smith on Sunday amid studies of the quest warrant, calling the particular suggest a “lowlife prosecutor” and accusing the person of breaking into his account “with out informing me.”
“What may just he perhaps to find out that’s not already recognized,” Trump requested on Fact Social, the social media account he established after being suspended from Twitter.
A sweeping racketeering case unsealed in Georgia on Monday in opposition to former President Donald Trump and his buddies main points probably the most excessive harassment and intimidation {that a} former ballot employee says she skilled after refusing to illegally trade the 2020 election lead to Trump’s choose.
Former Fulton County election employee Ruby Freeman has stated that she was once residing in concern after being falsely dubbed “a qualified vote scammer and identified political operative” who “crammed the poll bins” with loads of 1000’s of pretend votes.
“Participants of the undertaking traveled from out of state to bother Freeman, intimidate her, and solicit her to falsely confess to election crimes that she didn’t dedicate,” states the 41-count indictment filed in opposition to Trump and 18 others.
What We Know About Ruby Freeman
Freeman volunteered along with her daughter, Shaye Moss, to function a Fulton County election employee on Election Day at State Farm Area in downtown Atlanta. She and Moss are each named as sufferers within the indictment.
Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, a former Georgia election employee, is comforted through her mom Ruby Freeman, appropriate, throughout a Area choose committee investigation into the Jan. 6 assault at the U.S. Capitol.
Former Trump lawyer Rudolph Giuliani ― who faces fees together with solicitations of violations of public oaths, conspiracy and false statements ― falsely alleged that video surveillance taken within the enviornment captured election staff ordering Republicans to go away the room whilst “suitcases” of unlawful ballots had been secretly added to the combination of felony votes, the indictment says.
Giuliani known Freeman and Moss through identify, accusing them of “passing round USB ports as though they’re vials of heroin or cocaine.” Those USB ports, he alleged with out evidence or rationalization, had been used to “infiltrate the crooked Dominion vote casting machines,” because the incident states.
Federal and state investigators reviewed the pictures and made up our minds that Giuliani’s allegations had been false. The “suitcases” that Giuliani described had been bins of felony ballots that were within the room all of the day. The thing that the mummy and daughter were filmed passing between them was once sweet, Moss testified.
Giuliani admitted in a courtroom submitting ultimate month that he made false statements in opposition to Freeman and Moss.
Freeman Was once Time and again Contacted Via Trump’s Pals
Prosecutors say Stephen Cliffgard Lee, a pastor, rallied other folks to power Freeman into converting her testimony about what took place on the State Farm Area. He in my opinion visited her house on Dec. 15, 2020, telling her that he may just lend a hand her, in keeping with the indictment.
Freeman referred to as 911 on Lee 3 times, prosecutors stated in a courtroom submitting ultimate yr.
Ruby Freeman and her daughter Shaye Moss attend an tournament on the White Area on the second one anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, assault at the U.S. Capitol.
MANDEL NGAN by means of Getty Photographs
Freeman was once additionally visited at her house through Trevian Kutti, a onetime publicist for the hip-hop artist Ye, previously referred to as Kanye West, who was once a supporter of Trump. Kutti known herself as a disaster supervisor and instructed Freeman that she was once at risk and stated she was once there to “lend a hand,” in keeping with the indictment. Freeman once more referred to as 911.
“They’re announcing that I would like lend a hand,” Freeman instructed a police dispatcher throughout Kutti’s consult with, in keeping with a police record acquired through Reuters. “That it’s only a topic of time that they’re going to pop out for me and my circle of relatives.”
Kutti instructed Freeman that she had “48 hours” ahead of other folks arrived at her house, in keeping with a responding police officer’s record of the incident.
Freeman agreed to talk with Kutti at a police precinct, the place Kutti once more instructed Freeman that she wanted coverage and that she would lend a hand her.
President Joe Biden awards the Presidential Voters Medal, the country’s second-highest civilian honor, to Ruby Freeman.
Kutti was once if truth be told seeking to affect Freeman’s testimony in regards to the election, the indictment states.
“I can’t say what particularly will happen,” Kutti instructed her, in keeping with police frame digital camera pictures in their trade that was once reviewed through Reuters. “I simply know that it’ll disrupt your freedom,” she persevered, “and the liberty of a number of of your members of the family.”
After asking the within sight officer for privateness, Freeman stated Kutti attached her with a person on speakerphone who attempted to get Freeman to implicate herself in committing voter fraud on Election Day. In trade, Kutti stated she would supply Freeman with felony help. If she didn’t move together with the plan, Kutti instructed her that she’d move to prison.
Trevian Kutti, former publicist for Kanye West, was once indicted as of late for her function in pressuring Fullton County election employee Ruby Freeman, as proven right here on this video.%.twitter.com/SMGUHKmxaU
Freeman stated she ended their assembly and left. The following day, she stated an FBI agent referred to as and instructed her to go away her house as it wasn’t secure. The day after this, reputedly pleasant Kutti’s caution, a mob of offended Trump supporters surrounded Freeman’s house, in keeping with a defamation lawsuit that Freeman and her daughter filed in December 2021 in opposition to a right-wing information group.
Freeman Testified She Had To Transfer And Felt Victimized Via Trump
“I stayed clear of my house for about two months,” Freeman later stated in a taped interview performed ahead of the Area Jan. 6 Committee. “It was once terrible. I felt homeless, I felt, , I will be able to’t consider this individual has led to such a lot injury to me and my circle of relatives.”
Freeman, who spoke greater than a yr after the election, stated that she continues to are living in concern, no longer short of to present her identify to strangers and feeling trepidation when any individual calls out to her in public.
“There may be nowhere I believe secure. Nowhere. Have you learnt the way it feels to have the president of america concentrated on you? The president of america is meant to constitute each and every American, to not goal somebody. However he centered me, Woman Ruby, a small industry proprietor, a mom, a proud American citizen who [stood] as much as lend a hand Fulton County run an election in the course of a deadly disease,” she stated.
Freeman And Moss Had been Commemorated For Braveness, Selflessness
In January, Freeman and her daughter had been awarded the Presidential Voters Medal through President Joe Biden. The medal, introduced on the second one anniversary of the 2021 attack at the Capitol, is the country’s second-highest civilian honor.
The mum and daughter had been identified for braveness and selflessness for doing their jobs as election staff regardless of threats to them and their circle of relatives.
“She bore witness to the trauma and tragedy of that have and as of late, we the folk, honor Woman Ruby Freeman as a part of our country’s vote casting rights historical past,” the White Area stated within the award presentation.
Historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a professional on authoritarianism, on Sunday delivered a sobering prediction about the way forward for The usa if Donald Trump returns to the White Area.
“If he will get again into energy, he’ll by no means depart,” mentioned Ben-Ghiat, a historical past professor at New York College and creator of “Strongmen: Mussolini to the Provide.”
“That’s very transparent, as a result of like every authoritarians, he must get again into energy as a result of he’s so corrupt and close down all investigations,” Ben-Ghiat instructed MSNBC’s Ali Velshi right through a dialogue on Trump’s rhetoric following his indictment for mishandling labeled paperwork.
Trump in April used to be indicted within the Stormy Daniels hush cash cost case. Final month, a civil jury discovered him answerable for sexual abuse and defamation after author E. Jean Carroll accused him of raping her within the Nineteen Nineties. He stays below legal investigation for making an attempt to overthrow the 2020 election lead to Georgia and for his function within the Jan. 6, 2021, rise up.
More than one high-profile Republicans are staunchly protecting Trump, the front-runner within the 2024 GOP race, at the same time as his felony woes mount.
Ben-Ghiat described the GOP as “an autocratic birthday party working in a democracy.”
“They’ve speaking issues similar to the Kremlin does, and we now have observed everyone use the similar language in regards to the weaponization of presidency,” she mentioned.
“The This night Display” host on Thursday edited the previous president into The Pointer Sisters’ 1982 hit “I’m So Excited.”
Within the spoof video, Trump whines about being charged within the Stormy Daniels hush-money case. “I’m so indicted, and I simply can’t disguise it, I’m about to visit prison and I don’t love it,” he seems to sing.
There also are cameos from his son Donald Trump Jr., former Vice President Mike Pence, Fox Information’ Sean Hannity and previous Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani.
