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Defiant Trump claims ‘we need one more indictment’ before 2024 race in first speech since federal charges
Defiant Trump claims ‘we need one more indictment’ before 2024 race in first speech since federal charges
Donald Trump was equal turns defiant and self-pitying in his first major public event since being indicted earlier this week on charges he conspired to overturn the 2020 election and deprive voters of their civil rights in the process, claiming the charges against him were illegitimate but would help his campaign. “It’s not going to make any impact. Every time they file an indictment, we go way up in the polls,” Mr Trump said Friday at the Alabama Republican Party’s 2023 summer meeting in Montgomery. “We need one more indictment and this election is closed out, nobody has even a chance,” he added. At the same time, Mr Trump hammered the special counsel overseeing the case, accusing “deranged Jack Smith” of pursuing “an outrageous criminalisation of political speech.” “It’s not fair and it’s probably not legal what they’re doing,” Mr Trump argued. “They want to interfere in my campaign.” Prosecutors allege that Mr Trump and a group of co-conspirators knew they had lost the 2020 election, but tried to manipulate the process and be declared the winners anyway, infringing on US voter rights in the process. “The only civil rights that have been violated in this manner are my civil rights,” Mr Trump said at the event. Even though Donald Trump faces increasing legal jeopardy – two federal indictments, plus another major case from the Manhattan district attorney and a looming potential indictment in Georgia over election meddling – his campaign for the White House looks relatively unimpacted even as Mr Trump could be the first former president to be imprisoned. According to a New York Times poll on Thursday, Donald Trump and Joe Biden are at a dead heat when it comes to support from registered voters, each maintaining 43 per cent. Within the Republican field, Mr Trump has a comfortable lead over his opponents, even as rivals like Mike Pence have seized on the recent indictment to criticise the former president. A recent poll found that Donald Trump is still comfortably leading the pack of GOP hopefuls ahead of 2024, with 54 per cent support compared to his nearest rival, Florida governor Ron DeSantis, who only had 17 per cent. Read More Moment Trump’s own lawyer ‘admits’ to indictment charge live on TV Ron DeSantis says Trump’s claims of stolen 2020 election weren’t ‘true’ Trump strikes threatening tone after arraignment: ‘ IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I’M COMING AFTER YOU!’ Texas man who threatened poll workers and Arizona officials is sentenced to 3 1/2 years Trump strikes threatening tone: ‘ IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I’M COMING AFTER YOU!’ Giuliani must clarify his ‘puzzling’ court filing in Georgia defamation case
2023-08-05 09:29
Supreme Court rules against Tulsa in case over Native American man's speeding ticket
Supreme Court rules against Tulsa in case over Native American man's speeding ticket
The Supreme Court on Friday denied a request from the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, to freeze a lower court opinion that could prevent Tulsa from enforcing municipal laws -- such as speeding tickets -- against Native Americans.
2023-08-05 06:50
Trump strikes threatening tone after arraignment: ‘ IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I’M COMING AFTER YOU!’
Trump strikes threatening tone after arraignment: ‘ IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I’M COMING AFTER YOU!’
Former president Donald Trump lashed out at authorities on Friday afternoon, a day after his arraignment on four charges related to his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. On Thursday, Mr Trump pleaded not guilty to four charges: conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights. At times, Mr Trump appeared to stumble over his words during his appearance at the E Barrett Prettyman Courthouse. During his arraignment on Thursday, Mr Trump was ordered to refrain from discussing the case with any witnesses without the presence of legal counsel. The former president’s bellicose rhetoric could create additional legal headaches for him. On Friday, Mr Trump pleaded not guilty to new charges to the new 40-count superseding indictment against him for a separate case against him in South Florida. Prosecutors alleged that Mr Trump and co-defendant Walt Nauta conspired with Mar-a-Lago worker Carlos De Oliveira to have footage from the club deleted to prevent it from going to a grand jury. But Mr Trump appeared to display no contrition on Friday afternoon in an all-caps post on Truth Social. “IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I’M COMING AFTER YOU!” the former president said. Prosecutors also charged Mr Trump with specifically possessing a classified document that he allegedly showed to people at his club in Bedminster, New Jersey. Mr Trump’s campaign denounced the indictment, calling it “nothing more than a continued desperate and flailing attempt by the Biden Crime Family and their Department of Justice to harass President Trump and those around him.” -Andrew Feinberg contributed reporting Read More Trump pleads not guilty to new charges in Mar-a-Lago documents case Trump pleads not guilty twice in 24 hours in 2020 election case and to more classified docs charges - live Trump and Biden tied in hypothetical 2024 rematch, poll finds
2023-08-05 06:22
Pelosi says Trump looked like ‘a scared puppy’ during arraignment
Pelosi says Trump looked like ‘a scared puppy’ during arraignment
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said that former president Donald Trump exuded no bravado or confidence as he appeared in Washington DC for his arraignment on federal charges this week. Ms Pelosi led the House of Representatives during both of Mr Trump’s impeachments, first for his attempt to condition aid to Ukraine on newly elected President Volodymyr Zelensky investigating Joe Biden’s son Hunter, and then in 2021 for his actions during the January 6 insurrection. Mr Trump appeared at the E Barrett Prettyman Courthouse on Thursday and pleaded not guilty to four charges stemming from his attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. During his arraignment, Mr Trump appeared to stumble over his words when asked to state his full name and appeared rather sombre compared to his other arraignments in New York and Miami. Ms Pelosi, who stepped aside from Democratic House leadership earlier this year after Republicans won the majority in the House of Representatives, told Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC that Mr Trump lacked the confidence and bravado usually associated with the ex-president. “I wasn’t in the courtroom, of course, but when I saw Trump coming out of his car and this or that, I saw a scared puppy,” Ms Pelosi said on Friday. “He looked very, very, very concerned about the fate. I didn't see any bravado or confidence or anything like that. He knows the truth, that he lost the election and now he has to face the music.” Ms Pelosi has largely avoided discussing the former president since he left office. During her farewell address as House speaker, she mentioned her work with former presidents George W Bush, a Republican, and Barack Obama, a Democrat, as well as President Joe Biden. But she did not mention Mr Trump. When the indictment was unsealed on Tuesday, Ms Pelosi credited the work of the January 6 select committee that commenced under her speakership for leading to the indictment. “Now, following the Justice Department’s further investigation, a federal grand jury has indicted the former President,” she said. “As this case proceeds through the courts, justice must be done according to the facts and the law.” Read More Trump pleads not guilty to federal conspiracy charges in plot to overturn 2020 election Trump appears to stumble over his name and age at arraignment
2023-08-05 05:45
NBA players union slams Orlando Magic for $50k donation to pro-DeSantis PAC
NBA players union slams Orlando Magic for $50k donation to pro-DeSantis PAC
The players union for NBA criticised the owners of the Orlando Magic for giving money to a super PAC that supports Florida Gov Ron DeSantis’s presidential bid. A Federal Election Commission filing showed that Orlando Magic LTD donated $50,000 to Never Back Down, a super PAC that supports Mr DeSantis’s presidential bid. Campaigns cannot officially coordinate with campaigns, but Mr DeSantis has frequently blurred the lines with Never Back Down, frequently appearing as a special guest. A statement from the National Basketball Players Association said the contribution does not reflect player support for Mr DeSantis. “A political contribution from the Orlando Magic is alarming given recent comments and policies of its beneficiary,” a statement said. “NBA governors, players and personnel have the right to express their personal political views, including through donations and statements. However, if contributions are made on behalf of an entire team, using money earned through the labor of its employees, it is incumbent upon the team governors to consider the diverse values and perspectives of staff and players.” The DeVos family owns the Orlando Magic, NBC News reported. Richard DeVos, the former chairman, died in 2018 and his daughter-in-law Betsy DeVos led the Department of Education during the Trump administration. Mr DeSantis has frequently criticised politics he considers “woke,” a term previously used among Black Americans to tell one another to be aware of racism. But a vast majority of NBA players are Black, despite the fact many owners are white, and support efforts like Black Lives Matter. Last year, when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, the NBA and WNBA said in a joint statement that they “believe that women should be able to make their own decisions concerning their health and future. Commissioner Adam Silver said that he would ensure women “have access to reproductive health care, regardless of their location.” Read More Ron DeSantis says Trump’s claims of stolen 2020 election weren’t ‘true’ It has been a good week for democracy - in more ways than one Chris Christie tells Volodymyr Zelensky he wants to be America’s ‘eyes’ in surprise Kyiv visit
2023-08-05 04:23
Trump pleads not guilty twice in 24 hours in 2020 election case and to more classified docs charges - live
Trump pleads not guilty twice in 24 hours in 2020 election case and to more classified docs charges - live
Donald Trump pleaded not guilty in court on Thursday after being arrested and arraigned for conspiring to overturn the 2020 presidential election, the latest in his third – and potentially most serious – criminal case. The former president was indicted Monday on four charges as part of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the alleged conspiracy and the 6 January Capitol riot. The indictment also described six unnamed co-conspirators, though observers have credibly guessed most of their identities. The former president has railed against the indictment, calling for the “fake” case to be moved out of Washington DC where he claims it is “IMPOSSIBLE to get a fair trial”. The case has been assigned to US district judge Tanya Chutkan, a Barack Obama appointee. The next hearing is scheduled for 28 August. Read Trump’s full indictment from the January 6 grand jury Read More Trump appears to stumble over his name and age at arraignment Will Donald Trump go to prison? Trump was told not to talk to witnesses in 2020 election conspiracy case. That could be a challenge. What is an arraignment? Here’s what to expect following Trump’s indictment
2023-08-05 03:50
Ron DeSantis says Trump’s claims of stolen 2020 election weren’t ‘true’
Ron DeSantis says Trump’s claims of stolen 2020 election weren’t ‘true’
Florida governor and 2024 presidential candidate Ron DeSantis said on Friday that Donald Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was rigged are not true. “All those theories that were put out did not prove to be true,” Mr DeSantis told The New York Times during a campaign stop in Iowa. “It was not an election that was conducted the way I think that we want to, but that’s different than saying Maduro stole votes or something like that,” he added. “Those theories, you know, proved to be unsubstantiated.” Mr DeSantis, seen as the former president’s chief rival in the Republican primary, has in the past largely avoided direct criticisms of Mr Trump’s repeatedly disproven election claims. “We must reject the culture of losing that has impacted our party in recent years. The time for excuses is over,” Mr DeSantis said in a speech earlier this yer, before he formally announced his presidential campaign. “If we get distracted, if we focus the election on the past or on other side issues, then I think the Democrats are going to beat us again.” The former president’s repeated falsehoods are back in the spotlight, after Mr Trump was indicted this week for allegedly conspiring to overthrow the presidential election results. “The attack on our nation’s capitol on January 6, 2021, was an unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy,” special counsel Jack Smith said on Tuesday, announcing the charges. “As described in the indictment, it was fueled by lies. Lies by the defendant targeted at obstructing a bedrock function of the US government – the nation’s process of collecting, counting and certifying the results of the presidential election.” This is a breaking news story and will be updated with new information. Read More College Board shelves AP psychology class in Florida over guidance on gender content Chris Christie meets Volodymyr Zelensky in surprise Ukraine visit NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn't happen this week
2023-08-05 03:24
Gilgo Beach murders - live: Long Island police identify Jane Doe 7 but won’t comment on link to Rex Heuermann
Gilgo Beach murders - live: Long Island police identify Jane Doe 7 but won’t comment on link to Rex Heuermann
The Gilgo Beach murders victim previously known only as Jane Doe 7 has finally been identified more than 26 years after her partial remains were first discovered along the Long Island shores. In a press conference on Friday, Long Island officials announced that they had identified the victim as Karen Vergata. Vergata, a 34-year-old woman, was last seen alive in Manhattan in 1996 while working as an escort. Police refused to take any questions and would not comment on whether or not she is linked to serial killer suspect Rex Heuermann. This comes as prosecutors have asked the court to obtain a swab of DNA from Mr Heuermanna and as his wife broke her silence in her first interview since his shock arrest to reveal she is filled with “anxiety” and their two children “cry themselves to sleep” every night over the horror case. Mr Heuermann, 59, was arrested on 13 July and charged with the murders of Amber Castello, Megan Waterman and Melissa Barthelemy. He is also the main suspect in Maureen Brainard-Barnes’ killing. The women all went missing in 2009 and 2010 before their remains were found along Gilgo Beach. Read More Gilgo Beach serial killer suspect’s contact with wife revealed Daughter of Happy Face Killer launches GoFundMe for Gilgo Beach murders suspect’s wife Rex Heuermann’s defence buried in mountain of evidence as he faces court in Gilgo Beach murders case
2023-08-04 22:57
Trump moans criminal cases are keeping him from the campaign trail: ‘Must be Unconstitutional?’
Trump moans criminal cases are keeping him from the campaign trail: ‘Must be Unconstitutional?’
Donald Trump is now complaining that the myriad of criminal cases against him are keeping him from the campaign trail, claiming that it must be “unconstitutional”. On Truth Social on Friday morning, Mr Trump moaned that President Joe Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland had filed “bogus cases against me so it becomes difficult for me to campaign. Nothing like this has every happened before. Must be Unconstitutional? BUT SOMEHOW, WE WILL WIN IT ALL!!!” The investigation into Mr Trump is being led by Special Counsel Jack Smith, a role which provides the investigator with more independence. Also on Friday, Mr Trump hit out at Fox News, which he claimed was ignoring polls in which he leads President Joe Biden and primary rival Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. “Why is it that Fox & Friends refuses to put up all of the polls where I am beating Biden, and DeSanctimonious is getting clobbered? He’s also down to me by 40 plus points, and not coming back. No wonder their ratings are way down!!!” he wrote. Just before 8.30am on Friday, the morning after his arraignment in Washington, DC on four charges in relation to his attempts to overturn the 2020 election, Mr Trump wrote: “CRAZY! My political opponent has hit me with a barrage of weak lawsuits, including D.A., A.G., and others, which require massive amounts of my time & money to adjudicate.” “Resources that would have gone into Ads and Rallies, will now have to be spent fighting these Radical Left Thugs in numerous courts throughout the Country,” he added. “I am leading in all Polls, including against Crooked Joe, but this is not a level playing field. It is Election Interference, & the Supreme Court must intercede. MAGA!” More follows...
2023-08-04 22:49
Gilgo Beach murders victim Jane Doe 7 identified as Karen Vergata 26 years after remains discovered
Gilgo Beach murders victim Jane Doe 7 identified as Karen Vergata 26 years after remains discovered
The Gilgo Beach murders victim previously known only as Jane Doe 7 has finally been identified more than 26 years after her partial remains were first discovered along the Long Island shores. Karen Vergata, a 34-year-old woman who was last seen alive in Manhattan in 1996 while working as an escort, was named on Friday by Long Island officials. The huge breakthrough in the case comes almost three decades after some of her remains were first discovered – and weeks after 59-year-old father-of-two architect was arrested and charged with the murders of three other victims. It was 20 April 1996 when the woman’s legs were found wrapped in plastic at Davis Park on Fire Island’s Blue Point Beach. Almost exactly 15 years later on 11 April 2011, the woman’s skull was then found off Ocean Parkway during the search for Gilgo Beach victims. The skull was located close to the remains of another also unidentified victim – Jane Doe 3, also known as Peaches. The two sets of remains were found to belong to the same person. Before now, investigators had been unable to identify Jane Doe 7 – also dubbed Fire Island Jane Doe. She was described only as a white woman aged 18 to 50 years old who had several notable scars including evidence of surgery on her left ankle. In total, the remains of 11 victims were found dumped along the shores of Gilgo Beach back in 2010 and 2011 but, more than a decade later, several are yet to be identified. This major development comes as prosecutors are seeking to obtain a swab of DNA from Rex Heuermann, the man arrested and charged with the murders of three of the victims and suspected of a fourth killing. In a court filing this week, prosecutors said that the DNA sample would “provide further relevant evidence of the defendant’s identity as the perpetrator of the crime”. Prosecutors have so far obtained hundreds of hours of footage from the suspect’s home in Massapequa Park and his office in Midtown Manhattan, 2,500 pages of documents, crime scene photographs and autopsy reports in the high-profile case. The trove of evidence was turned over to Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice Timothy Mazzei and Mr Heuermann’s attorney Michael Brown on Tuesday as the accused killer appeared in court for a brief preliminary hearing. Suffolk County DA Tierney said last week that a “massive amount of evidence” had been recovered from the home which Mr Heuermann grew up in as a child – and which he went on to share with his family up until his sudden arrest. No human remains were discovered, but a trove of around 270 guns were seized from the home. The DA previously revealed that they believe at least some of the murders may have taken place inside the home. Mr Heuermann’s wife and two adult children were out of town at the time of each of the three murders he is charged with, according to court records. The 59-year-old architect was taken into custody on 13 July, almost 13 years after the bodies of at least 11 victims were discovered along the shores of Gilgo Beach on Long Island. He was charged with the murders of Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy and Amber Costello. He is also the prime suspect in the murder of Maureen Brainard-Barnes – who was last seen alive in early June 2007 in New York City and who, with the three other women, is known as the “Gilgo Four”. All four women worked as sex workers and disappeared after going to meet a client. They were all found in December 2010 within one-quarter mile of each other, bound by belts or tape and some wrapped in burlap – their bodies dumped along Gilgo Beach. They are among 11 victims whose remains were found along the shores of Long Island in 2010 and 2011, sparking fears of one or more serial killers. As well as looking into his connection to the murder of Brainard-Barnes and the other Gilgo Beach victims, law enforcement agencies are now also looking into unsolved murders and missing persons cases all across the country. Police in Las Vegas and South Carolina – where Mr Heuermann owns properties – and Atlantic City – where several sex workers have been found murdered – have confirmed they are eyeing the suspect in cold cases. Court records show that Mr Heuermann was linked to the “Gilgo Four” murders through a tip about his pickup truck, a stash of burner phones, “sadistic” online searches, phone calls taunting victims’ families, his wife’s hair found on the victims’ bodies – and a pizza crust. The first piece of the puzzle came when a witness in the Amber Costello case revealed details about a vehicle that a client was driving when she was last seen alive. Costello, who worked as a sex worker, was seen alive on the evening of 2 September 2010 when she left her home in West Babylon. A witness said she had gone to meet a client who was driving a first-generation Chevrolet Avalanche. Last year, a registration search showed that local man Mr Heuermann owned a first-generation model of the truck at the time of Costello’s disappearance. He also matched the witness’ description of the man believed to be the killer: a large, white “ogre”-like male in his mid-40s, around 6’4’ to 6’6” tall, with “dark bushy hair,” and “big oval style 1970’s type eyeglasses”. The discovery of the car led investigators to hone in on Mr Heuermann including executing 300 subpoenas, search warrants and other legal processes to obtain evidence to determine his potential involvement in the killings. Among this was Mr Heuermann’s alleged use of burner phones, with prosecutors saying that he used burner phones to contact the three women and arrange to meet them at the time when they went missing. He also allegedly took two of the victims’ cellphones – and used one to make taunting phone calls to one of their families where he boasted about her murder, court documents state. Mr Heuermann’s DNA was found on one of the victims, while his wife’s hair was found on three of the four women he is connected to. Following his arrest, his wife Asa Ellerup filed for divorce. She has since told The New York Post that she has been left filled with “anxiety” and their two children “cry themselves to sleep” over the horror. “I woke up in the middle of the night, shivering... anxiety,” she said. “My children cry themselves to sleep. I mean, they’re not children. They’re grown adults but they’re my children, and my son has developmental disabilities and he cried himself to sleep.” Mr Heuermann’s sudden arrest comes after the horrific serial killer case has captured the nation’s attention for more than a decade. The Gilgo Beach murders had long stumped law enforcement officials in Suffolk County who believed it could be the work of one or more serial killers who targeted sex workers and dumped their bodies along the remote beaches on Ocean Parkway. The case began in May 2010 when Shannan Gilbert vanished after leaving a client’s house on foot near Gilgo Beach. She called 911 for help saying she feared for her life and was never seen alive again. During a search for Gilbert in dense thicket close to the beach, police discovered the remains of another woman. Within a matter of days, the remains of three more victims were found close by. By spring 2011, the remains of a total of 10 victims had been found including eight women, a man, and a toddler. Police have long thought that it could be the work of one or more serial killers. Gilbert’s body was then found in December 2011. Her cause of death is widely contested with authorities long claiming that it is not connected to the serial killer or killers but that she died from accidental drowning as she fled from the client’s home. However, an independent autopsy commissioned by her family ruled that she died by strangulation and her mother believes she was murdered. Like Gilbert, most of the victims targeted were sex workers, while some are yet to be identified. Read More Rex Heuermann press conference – live: Long Island police to give ‘update’ in Gilgo Beach murders case Gilgo Beach serial killer suspect’s contact with wife revealed Daughter of Happy Face Killer launches GoFundMe for Gilgo Beach murders suspect’s wife
2023-08-04 22:48
Trump can’t decide if he had a ‘good’ or ‘sad’ day at 2020 election arraignment
Trump can’t decide if he had a ‘good’ or ‘sad’ day at 2020 election arraignment
Donald Trump couldn’t seem to decide whether he had a “good day” or a “sad day” as he was arrested and arraigned on four criminal charges over his attempts to overthrow the 2020 presidential election. The former president appeared in court in Washington DC on Thursday afternoon, where he pleaded not guilty to all charges in what now marks his third criminal case. Following the arraignment, he returned to his Bedminster estate and took to Truth Social where, he claimed – in a full-caps late-night rant – that he had a “very good day”. “CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT I HAD TO FLY TO A FILTHY, DIRTY, FALLING APART, & VERY UNSAFE WASHINGTON, D.C., TODAY, & THAT I WAS THEN ARRESTED BY MY POLITICAL OPPONENT, WHO IS LOSING BADLY TO ME IN THE POLLS, CROOKED JOE BIDEN, IT WAS A VERY GOOD DAY!” he wrote on Truth Social. However, this positive outlook appears to jar with the mood he displayed on the tarmac as he jetted out of DC on his private plane – not to mention the mood sources said he displayed behind the scenes. “This is a very sad day for America,” Mr Trump told reporters as he embarked Trump Force One to head back to his Bedminster club. “It was also very sad driving through Washington DC and seeing the filth and the decay and all of the broken buildings and walls and the graffiti. “This is not the place that I left. It’s a very sad thing to see it.” His comments on Washington DC’s apparent deterioration came after Mr Trump left the capital in January 2021 as it was reeling from the January 6 Capitol riots – an attack which came out of the false claims he spread of 2020 election fraud. Meanwhile, sources behind the scenes of Thursday’s hearing revealed a somewhat “dejected” mood. The former president was said to be “irked” that US District Judge Moxila Upadhyaya had referred to him as “Mr Trump” and not “Mr President” during his court appearance. “I’m learning tonight that Trump left here in a sour and dejected mood,” said CNN host Kaitlan Collins. “He was, quote, ‘pissed off,’ according to someone who spoke to him.” She added: “I am told that the former president, one thing that irked him particularly, was during that hearing today that lasted about 27 minutes, was when the magistrate judge referred to him as simply ‘Mr Trump.’” Mr Trump’s alleged annoyance comes as the staff at his Mar-a-Lago and Bedminster estates typically still refer to him as “President Trump” – despite leaving the White House over two years ago. “That may not sound odd to anyone else, but he is still referred to by his former title ‘President Trump’ when he’s at his Bedminster golf club in New Jersey, as he is tonight, or at Mar-a-Lago,” revealed Ms Collins. Instead of being waited on by his staff and called “Mr President”, Mr Trump was forced to endure a court appearance similar to that of many criminal defendants. He had to wait around 15 minutes for the judge to arrive and came face to face with prosecutors pursuing charges against him – at one point having something of a stare off with special counsel Jack Smith in the courtroom. However, in other ways his treatment was different – as he did not have his mugshot taken and was not placed in handcuffs. Mr Trump surrendered to authorities and was arrested on four federal charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights. He then appeared for his arraignment at the E Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse where he stared down special counsel Jack Smith before pleading not guilty to all charges. The former president is accused of conspiring with his allies to overturn the 2020 election, in a bid to sabotage the vote of the American people. A grand jury, which has spent months hearing evidence in special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation, returned a federal indictment on Tuesday hitting him with four federal charges. The Justice Department alleges that Mr Trump and his circle of co-conspirators knew that he had lost the election but launched a multi-prong conspiracy to do everything they could to enable him to cling to power. This included spreading “knowingly false claims of election fraud to get state legislators and election officials to subvert the legitimate election results and change electoral votes for the Defendant’s opponent, Joseph R. Biden, Jr., to electoral votes for the Defendant”, the indictment states. Mr Trump and his allies also allegedly plotted to send slates of fake electors to seven “targeted states” of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin which President Joe Biden had won – to get them to falsely certify the election for Mr Trump. The indictment also alleges Mr Trump tried to use the DOJ to “conduct sham election crime investigations”, sending letters to the seven states claiming that “significant concerns” had been found in the elections in those states. As well as the false claims about the election being stolen from Mr Trump, the scheme also involved pushing false claims that Vice President Mike Pence had the power to alter the results – and pushing Mr Pence to “fraudulently alter the election results”. When Mr Trump’s supporters stormed the US Capitol in a violent attack that ended with five deaths, Mr Trump and his co-conspirators “exploited” the incident by “redoubling efforts to levy false claims of election fraud and convince Members of Congress to further delay the certification based on those claims,” the indictment claims. At a press conference on Tuesday, Mr Smith placed the blame for the January 6 attack on the US Capitol firmly on Mr Trump’s shoulders. “The attack on our nation’s capitol on January 6, 2021, was an unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy,” he said. “As described in the indictment, it was fueled by lies. Lies by the defendant targeted at obstructing a bedrock function of the US government – the nation’s process of collecting, counting and certifying the results of the presidential election.” The indictment marks Mr Trump’s second federal indictment, his third criminal indictment overall – and potentially his most serious. While the former president is the only person charged in the case, the indictment also refers to six co-conspirators who worked with him to try to overturn the 2020 presidential election. The six individuals – four attorneys, one Justice Department official and one political consultant – have not been named in the charging documents because they have not yet been charged with any crimes. However, based on the details in the indictment and records already known about the events leading up to the Capitol riot, the identities are apparent as Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, John Eastman, Jeffrey Clark, Kenneth Chesebro and Boris Epshteyn. This marks Mr Trump’s third indictment after he was hit with New York state charges following an investigation into hush money payments made prior to the 2016 election and then separate federal charges over his alleged mishandling of classified documents on leaving office. He has pleaded not guilty in both of those charges as well. Read More Live updates: Trump pleads not guilty at arraignment in 2020 election case Meet Jack Smith: The special prosecutor who could take down Trump Trump appears to stumble over his name and age at arraignment Watch: Donald Trump’s motorcade blocked by herd of goats Chairman of UK Republican group wishes Donald Trump would not run for president Will Trump’s alleged co-conspirators in the Jan 6 indictment turn on him?
2023-08-04 21:26
Bryan Kohberger finally reveals vague alibi for night of Idaho murders
Bryan Kohberger finally reveals vague alibi for night of Idaho murders
Bryan Kohberger has finally offered up a vague alibi for his movements on the night that he is accused of brutally stabbing four University of Idaho students to death in their beds. The 28-year-old criminal justice PhD student claims that he was out on a solo drive throughout the night of 12 November and into the early hours of 13 November – but admits that there are no witnesses to back up his version of events. “Mr. Kohberger has long had a habit of going for drives alone. Often he would go for drives at night,” his attorney Anne Taylor wrote in a new court filing. “He did so late on November 12 and into November 13, 2022. Mr. Kohberger is not claiming to be at a specific location at a specific time; at this time there is not a specific witness to say precisely where Mr. Kohberger was at each moment of the hours between late night November 12, 2022 and early morning November 13, 2022. “He was out, driving during the late night and early morning hours of November 12-13, 2022.” The claims about Mr Kohberger’s unusual nighttime habits – and his whereabouts on the night of the murders – come after prosecutors demanded that his legal team reveal his alibi ahead of his October trial. Under Idaho law, defendants have 10 days to provide a written statement about where they claim to have been at the time of the alleged crime and offering information about any witnesses who can support their claim. On 23 May – one day after he was arraigned on four murder charges – Latah County Prosecutor’s Office put in a demand for Mr Kohberger’s notice of alibi. Back then, Mr Kohberger’s legal team asked Judge John Judge for an extension, saying that they needed more time due to the wealth of evidence in the high-profile case, and the deadline was extended to 24 July. But the deadline came and went, with Mr Kohberger’s legal team hinting that he has evidence placing him in another location at the time of the murders – but stopping short of revealing where and instead saying it may come to light at trial. The prosecution subsequently filed a motion seeking to compel an alibi. While Mr Kohberger’s attorney said that there is no specific witness to say where he was throughout the time of the murders, she wrote in the new filing that she anticipates “corroborating witnesses” will back up his explanation at trial. Mr Kohberger is facing the death penalty over the brutal 13 November murders of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. He is due to stand trial on 2 October after being indicted by a grand jury on four counts of first-degree murder and one burglary charge. His explanation that he was out on a solo drive that night comes as prosecutors tied him to the murders, in part, through surveillance footage showing his white Hyundai Elantra travelling to and from the crime scene. The affidavit, released in January, outlined some of the evidence against the accused killer – including his DNA on a knife sheath left behind at the scene of the murders, the surveillance footage and cellphone activity. The sheath – for a military or Ka-Bar style knife – was found partly under Mogen’s body after she and Goncalves were found stabbed multiple times on Mogen’s bed on the third floor of the home. DNA on the button clasp of the sheath was then found to match that of the 28-year-old accused killer. Mr Kohberger’s attorneys have sought to cast doubts on the strength of this DNA evidence, in particular the use of genetic genealogy. According to the affidavit in the case, the FBI used genetic genealogy databases to try to identify the DNA source. Trash was then collected from the suspect’s parents’ home in the Poconos Mountains and a familial match – from Mr Kohberger’s father – was made to the sheath, according to the criminal affidavit. Following Mr Kohberger’s arrest on 30 December, DNA samples were then taken directly from the suspect and came back as “a statistical match”, say prosecutors. Mr Kohberger is accused of breaking into an off-campus student home on King Road in the early hours of 13 November and stabbing the four students to death with a large, military-style knife. Two other female roommates lived with the three women at the property and were home at the time of the massacre but survived. One of the survivors – Dylan Mortensen – came face to face with the masked killer, dressed in head-to-toe black and with bushy eyebrows, as he left the home in the aftermath of the murders, according to the criminal affidavit. For more than six weeks, the college town of Moscow was plunged into fear as the accused killer remained at large with no arrests made and no suspects named. Then, on 30 December, law enforcement suddenly swooped on Mr Kohberger’s family home in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania and arrested him for the quadruple murders. The motive remains unknown and it is still unclear what connection the WSU PhD student had to the University of Idaho students – if any – prior to the murders. The murder weapon – a fixed-blade knife – has still never been found. As a criminal justice PhD student at WSU, Mr Kohberger lived just 15 minutes from the victims over the Idaho-Washington border in Pullman. He had moved there from Pennsylvania and began his studies there that summer, having just completed his first semester before his arrest. Before this, he studied criminology at DeSales University – first as an undergraduate and then finishing his graduate studies in June 2022. While there, he studied under renowned forensic psychologist Katherine Ramsland who interviewed the BTK serial killer and co-wrote the book Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer with him. He also carried out a research project “to understand how emotions and psychological traits influence decision-making when committing a crime”. Read More Bryan Kohberger claims DNA may have been planted at Idaho murders scene – as alibi deadline looms Bryan Kohberger defence hints at alibi in Idaho murders - but won’t reveal what it is as deadline passes Bryan Kohberger could face the firing squad for the Idaho murders. What would this mean?
2023-08-04 20:20
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