This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
In a cryptic X post Saturday, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said he has been "shocked to the core" by what he has learned in ongoing investigations – but he doesn't say what that is.
"We cannot run a Republic like this," Bongino insists. "I'll never be the same after learning what I've learned."
The deputy director, a former Secret Service agent and political commentator, vowed to bring the American people "the truth," saying, "We are going to get the answers WE ALL DESERVE."
Bongino reportedly took issue with Attorney General Pam Bondi's "nothing to see here" memo regarding the Jeffrey Epstein case earlier this month, with rumors he nearly resigned his position over the decision.
Commentator Todd Starnes remarked on X, "Seems to me we need the Attorney General and FBI Director [Kash Patel] need to immediately hold a press conference and explain what the deputy director is talking about."
Former New York Congressman George Santos sent a dramatic farewell message to his "darling" fans before reporting to prison Friday to begin a seven-year sentence for fraud.
The notorious Republican and former drag queen compared himself to a "glamorous" stage performer in a post reflecting on his short, tumultuous political career.
"Well, darlings… The curtain falls, the spotlight dims, and the rhinestones are packed," he wrote on X. "From the halls of Congress to the chaos of cable news what a ride it’s been! Was it messy? Always. Glamorous? Occasionally. Honest? I tried… most days."
Santos burst onto the scene after the 2022 midterm elections, when the openly gay Republican flipped a Democrat-leaning House district on Long Island.
A vocal supporter of President Donald Trump, Santos was often seen to embrace the spotlight, from the halls of Congress to the courthouse where he pled guilty last summer to identity theft and wire fraud.
His career in Washington quickly unraveled after he was exposed for making flagrantly false claims about his life. He ultimately served less than a full term, becoming one of six House members in history to be expelled after his fellow New York Republicans pushed for his removal.
Although widely reviled, Santos embraced his infamy as he turned his scandalous career into an operatic spectacle that the media couldn't turn away from.
He was charged with a litany of fraudulent schemes, from cheating donors to bilking unemployment benefits during the COVID pandemic. Within days of leaving Congress, the outrageous politician started selling personalized messages on the website Cameo.
In his farewell message, the congressman reflected that he was "honest" on "most days" and hinted that his story is not yet over.
"To my supporters: You made this wild political cabaret worth it. To my critics: Thanks for the free press. I may be leaving the stage (for now), but trust me legends never truly exit," he wrote, adding emojis of a star, an American flag, and a pair of lips. "Forever fabulously yours, George."
The Justice Department confirmed that Santos reported to a federal prison in New Jersey, the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Fairton.
Santos has slammed his seven-year sentence as excessive and unjust, and he has urged President Trump to consider a pardon.
"I’ll take a commutation, clemency, whatever the president is willing to give me," Santos told Piers Morgan in May.
“President Trump, I’d appreciate if you can give me a consideration," he added.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A plan is being developed that would set up a new congressional panel to investigate the disturbance, a protest-turned-riot, at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
That's already been "investigated" by a committee, but it was partisan entirely. Then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi refused to let the GOP nominate any members, instead choosing "Republicans" who were in staunch opposition to President Donald Trump.
Evidence was limited, the committee hired professionals to create made-for-broadcast episodes with only some parts of the truth, to be broadcast to Americans.
While members were honored by Joe Biden for their work to create a storyline that tarnished Trump, one member, then-Rep. Liz Cheney was accused of tampering with at least one witness. And the committee was caught using some clearly unsupported "evidence," when one person claimed Trump had tried to commandeer the Beast, the presidential limousine.
The driver actually refuted the wild claim, stating, "I did not see him reach. He never grabbed the steering wheel. I didn't see him, you know, lunge to try to get into the front seat at all."
That was evidence the committee had at the time the claims about commandeering were made.
Further, the committee claimed Trump didn't ask for National Guard troops at the Capitol that day, but the evidence showed the request was the responsibility of Pelosi, and Trump actually made the offer and was refused.
Evidence shows he offered up to 10,000 for that day, and Pelosi refused.
The committee members were even accused of threatening witnesses who volunteered the truth about that day.
The committee's eventual report called for the Department of Justice to investigate and charge Trump.
The Democrats on the committee claimed he made false statements, defrauded the U.S., and participated in conspiracy and incitement, claims that were knocked down by constitutional expert Jonathan Turley, who has testified on the Constitution to Congress and represented members in court.
"The committee repackaged largely the same evidence that it has previously put forward over the past year. That is not enough. Indeed, the reliance on a new videotape of former Trump aide Hope Hicks seems a case of putting 'hope over experience' in the criminal justice system," he explained.
He said there was no criminal case supported.
He noted members like Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who long claimed he had seen evidence of the "collusion" with Russia by the 2016 Trump campaign, a conspiracy theory that long since has been debunked, insist that the committee presented "new evidence" of crimes.
Instead, Turley said, "The committee continued its pattern of rehashing previously known evidence with network-quality videotapes."
In fact, classified documents that have now been released show what apparently was a grand conspiracy involving Barack Obama and a number of other top Democrats to fabricate allegations against Trump to undermine the agenda of the duly elected president.
Turley noted Cheney's comments "left the impression of actors who are refusing to leave the stage long after the audience departed."
Pelosi's committee ignored the fact that Trump told his supporters to protest "peacefully," and its conclusions were described by many as "meaningless."
The committee further showed its partisanship by refusing even to hear evidence of Pelosi's own culpability, which she later admitted in a recorded video.
It is the Independent-Sentinel that revealed House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., confirmed Republicans are seeking passage of a resolution to form a new subcommittee that would investigate events surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach.
Introduced by Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., if the resolution is approved in the House, it would set up a panel, the report said, to "look at the role of corrupt Republicans and Democrats, including Nancy Pelosi, who was responsible for protecting the Capitol building."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
After Californians experienced one of the worst fire disasters ever, the Pacific Palisades fire in Los Angeles, hundreds of homes were gone and people were left unable sometimes to even recognize their own streets.
The huge human need for help was evident.
So a benefit called FireAid was scheduled and held. Entertainers include Lady Gaga, Jelly Roll, Katy Perry and Olivia Rodrigo appeared and the five-hour event reportedly raised $100 million.
But multiple victims say they have yet to see any help, and one member of Congress is calling on Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate.
A report at Fox News said the money, even though it was promised to the victims, went instead to various nonprofit organizations.
That would amount to about $75 million; the other $25 million still is held by FireAid, the report charged.
"I have not seen any benefit from the FireAid money, and I am very involved here and neither have my neighbors," said David Howard, who lost two homes in Pacific Palisades.
The fundraiser had been billed as a benefit for "wildfire victims."
Fire victim Mark Jones of Altadena said his house was destroyed and six months later, he's heard nothing from anyone, after expecting some help.
"The fire aid was for us. So, we figured where is the money?"
Fox News asked, of FireAid and the Annenberg Foundation, which helped coordinate the event, where the money went, how much did non-profits get, how many fire victims were given aid and more.
"We have yet to receive a response, but officials acknowledged receiving our inquiry," the news agency said.
A promotional website for the fundraiser said it was for "direct relief," and actor Miles Teller, during the show, said "all the money raised will go directly to people who need it now and long-term efforts to build it back."
Then FireAid said in a statement it could not deliver help directly to individuals and never planned to do that, instead partnering with "local nonprofits."
"Fox News contacted more than 70 of those non-profits. Some replied. Others declined. Some are well known like the Boys and Girls Club, YWCA and Meals on Wheels," the report said.
One promised to use the cash to respond "to the needs and problems of disenfranchised people."
The report said at least $6.5 million went to Los Angeles County, and so far, 188 nonprofits have been given $75 million, with the last $25 million to "go out in August," the report said.
The cash is being used for "long-term wildfire mitigation, environmental resilience, and sustainable rebuilding," the report said.
The request for an investigation is from Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif.
The expenditures are being made by a FireAid board including business executives and philanthropists.
President Trump posted about the FireAid scandal Friday night.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A newly posted video online shows a police officer delivering Chick-fil-A food to a Doordash customer – because the delivery driver ignored a traffic ticket and was arrested en route.
"Hello sir, I got your Doordash. Your driver didn't take care of a traffic ticket," the officer explains.
The customer expresses gratitude and the officer continues, "He's going to jail. He's a good kid. Give him five stars."
He said, "He just didn't take care of a simple insurance ticket. He'll get out of jail real quick. Somebody's already on the way there. He'll just check in and leave."
The officer figured he would keep the situation from escalating, and deliver the food.
Actually similar situations have developed in multiple locations, sometimes officers deliver pizza when the driver gets caught and stopped, other times, other food.
Reports confirm officers who have made the extra effort to deliver to customers have been in Chicago, Arkansas, Arizona and several other states.
Reports said the latest video comes from body cam footage of a Rio Rancho, New Mexico, officer, Officer Steve Lucero, who "made sure the Chick-fil-A didn't get forgotten."
National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard suggested that former President Barack Obama may face a Department of Justice criminal probe for his part in the Russia collusion scam, Breitbart reported. Gabbard called Obama's conduct "treasonous," though it may be difficult to prosecute.
Information has come to light about the scandal that plagued President Donald Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign. It appears the Obama administration ignored its own intelligence information that debunked claims that Russia meddled on Trump's behalf.
Instead, they doubled down on the assertion, likely in an attempt to undermine Trump even after he was elected. Now, Gabbard suggested she would hold the former president accountable at a White House briefing on Wednesday, just before the Justice Department did just that.
In earlier remarks, Gabbard called Obama's conduct "treasonous," though neither she nor Leavitt would commit to pursuing that charge. However, it's clear she's not about to let him or his administration off the hook on this matter.
Gabbard fielded a question from a Townhall reporter, Katie Pavlich, who asked if Obama's actions were criminal. "We have referred and will continue to refer all of these documents to the Department of Justice and the FBI to investigate the criminal implications of this," Gabbard said.
"The evidence that we have found and that we have release directly point to President Obama leading the manufacturing of this intelligence assessment. There are multiple pieces of evidence and intelligence that confirm that fact," Gabbard later asserted.
However, even if Gabbard has the smoking gun linking Obama to this behavior, it may be difficult to prosecute him. Last June, Trump won his election interference case before the Supreme Court by arguing he had presidential immunity, The Hill reported.
The court decided 6-3 that a sitting president indeed has sweeping immunity while in office. "At least with respect to the President’s exercise of his core constitutional powers, this immunity must be absolute," Chief Justice John Roberts said in his majority opinion.
Even with the possibility that Obama received presidential immunity, the Justice Department announced it had formed a "strike force" on Wednesday evening to investigate. It will examine the matter and determine the legal action that may be taken from there, according to Fox News.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the collaboration with Gabbard to get this done. "The Department of Justice is proud to work with my friend Director Gabbard, and we are grateful for her partnership in delivering accountability for the American people," Bondi said.
"We will investigate these troubling disclosures fully and leave no stone unturned to deliver justice," she added. The strike force, made up of prosecutors and investigators, is in charge of pursuing "the worst offenders engaged in fraudulent activities, including, chiefly, health care fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud, money laundering offenses, false statements offenses."
This will add to a previous FBI investigation launched earlier this month against former CIA Director John Brennan for his role in the Russia collusion hoax. Current CIA Director John Ratcliffe decided to do this after a declassification of a 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment on the matter implicated Brennan.
This scandal bogged down Trump during his campaign and into his first term, and it appears the Obama administration knew it was fake all along. Even if Obama is immune, these people must be punished for attempting to undermine the will of the American people with a phony scandal.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
At least seven people have been arrested on charges related to what authorities have described as a huge Alabama child sex trafficking ring.
A report from WJTV explained the Bibb County Sheriff Jody Wade said, "I've been in law enforcement for 33 years, and this is absolutely the most horrible thing I've ever seen when it comes to the victimization of children.
"I know God's forgiveness is boundless. But if there was a limit to it, I think we reached it."
The suspects could have made up to $1,000 a night victimizing children, the report said, citing law enforcement documentation there were at least 10 victims from 3 years old to 15.
Arrested were William Chase McElroy, Dalton Terrell, Andres Trejo-Velazquez, Timothy St. John, Rebecca Brewer, Ricky Terrell and Sara Terrell, and pending charges allege rape, sodomy, sexual abuse, sexual torture, human trafficking and kidnapping, the report noted.
"No child deserves this. That's the most horrible thing you can do. The power and control of it, the stealing the innocence of a child and the horrible victimizations they went through with these monsters," Wade said.
The report said Wade believes the violence to have ties to the Sureños gang, which he said is mostly funded through child sex trafficking.
Wade explained in the report the investigation began in February when the Alabama Department of Human Resources got allegations of child abuse. Sheriff's officers eventually have the children in a bunker behind a home.
Wade described the confinement of the children. "It depends on what appointment time the offenders had. Sometimes, the children would be there, tied to a pole that was there, bound to a bed that was there, or a chair that was there. Sometimes, there would be multiple people that would come by and victimize these children on a nightly basis."
The sheriff said his hope was that the abuse would end up a "blurry memory" for the youngest victims, but he said for the older children, "They'll carry this vividly for the rest of their lives. … You can't heal from this, but you can move on as best as you can."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
With all the evidence, from documents from his own presidency and advisers, coming out now against Barack Obama over the grand conspiracy that was launched during his presidency against then-President-elect Donald Trump, trying to undermine his agenda, the Democrat still is likely to skate.
That's according to constitutional expert Jonathan Turley, who has not only advised Congress on the Constitution but represented members in court on those issues.
He's a widely respected professor at George Washington University, as well as a popular commentator for several outlets on legal and constitutional questions.
The evidence available so far shows that it is likely Obama and his henchmen, James Clapper, James Comey and John Brennan, as well as others, suppressed information that Russia didn't impact the 2016 American elections, then rewrote some of the intel community's evaluations to suggest a link between Trump and Russia.
Of course the American media obsessed over those unsubstantiated claims for years then.
Turley wrote, "I disagree with the use of the charge of treason being thrown around with this release. Based on this evidence, it would be hard to make a criminal case against Obama, let alone the specific charge of treason.
"However, there are good-faith allegations raised about prior congressional testimony of key players in the Obama administration. There may be viable criminal allegations ranging from perjury to obstruction to making false statements to federal investigators," he warned.
"It is too early to gauge the basis for possible criminal charges. However, the release of this new evidence is both historically and legally significant. There is now a legitimate concern over a conspiracy to create this false narrative to undermine the incoming administration. It proved successful in derailing the first Trump administration. By the time the allegations were debunked, much of the first term had been exhausted. That is worthy of investigation and the public has a right to expect transparency on these long withheld documents."
He pointed to those who may be considered co-conspirators.
"The silence of the legacy media is hardly surprising, given the key role the media played in spreading these false claims. Most media outlets find themselves in an uncomfortable position, having fostered an alleged conspiracy for years. Most reporters are not keen on making a case against themselves in spreading of these false claims."
He explained what happened:
Consider this story: An outgoing president and his top officials are told that there is no evidence of Russian collusion or influence in the national election. The White House then moved to suppress the intelligence assessment and reverse the conclusions, while false claims were leaked to the press.
That is not just a major but a Pulitzer-level story, right?
Apparently not. The legacy media has largely ignored the declassified evidence and possible criminal referral on the Obama administration seeding the Russian collusion narrative just before the first Trump Administration.
It supports allegations in the real Russian conspiracy: the conspiracy to create a false Russian collusion scandal to undermine the election and administration of Donald Trump in 2016.
He noted, "Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard suggested last week that intelligence was 'manufactured and politicized' despite countervailing conclusions from American intelligence that there was no collusion or influence on the election."
It follows other scandalous confirmations:
"We previously learned that the Clinton campaign spent millions to create the infamous Steele dossier and then hid their role from the public. Attorney Marc Elias, the general counsel to the Clinton presidential campaign, pushed the false Alfa Bank conspiracy. (His fellow Perkins Coie partner, Michael Sussmann, was indicted but acquitted in a criminal trial.) During the campaign, reporters asked about the possible connection to the campaign, but Clinton campaign officials denied any involvement in the Steele Dossier. When journalists discovered after the election that the Clinton campaign hid payments for the Steele dossier as 'legal fees' among the $5.6 million paid to Perkins Coie, they met with nothing but shrugs from the Clinton staff," he charged.
Further, "Not only did Clinton reportedly spent over $10 million on the report, but Obama was briefed that she was going to create a Russian collusion narrative as part of her campaign," he said.
"Aware of that Clinton effort, these new documents suggest that Obama and his aides actively sought to affirm the allegations just before Trump's inauguration. The FBI then ramped up its own efforts despite also being told that the Steele dossier was unreliable and contradicted."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
The long-running saga of Kilmar Abrego Garcia continues, as two Obama-appointed judges on Wednesday ordered the MS-13 gang member to be released while precluding ICE from arresting him.
Bill Melugin of Fox News reported: "Maryland federal judge Paula Xinis has just issued an order that will block ICE from arresting 'Maryland man' Kilmar Abrego Garcia upon his release on bail in Tennessee for his federal human trafficking charges.
"Judge Xinis is also ordering a 72 hour pause on any effort to deport him to a third party country without 'sufficient notice' and 'due process.'
"Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran illegal alien alleged MS-13 gang member and alleged repeat wife beater, is facing federal human smuggling charges in Tennessee, and a judge there is deciding whether to release him pending trial. The government had indicated it would take him into ICE custody in Tennessee if he was released pending his federal case.
"Judge Xinis has now blocked the Trump administration from taking him into ICE custody upon his release."
"WTF?!" exclaimed online journalist Nick Sortor in reaction to the news.
"They're forcing a FOREIGN MS-13 WIFE BEATER back onto our streets. IGNORE THE COURT! ARREST HIM!"
CBS News reported: "The Tennessee judge, Waverly Crenshaw, denied the Justice Department's request to revoke the magistrate judge's order allowing Abrego Garcia to be released while awaiting a criminal trial, writing that the government 'failed to carry its burden of showing that no condition or combination of conditions will reasonably assure Abrego's appearance or the safety of others.'"
"These rulings are a powerful rebuke of the government's lawless conduct and a critical safeguard for Kilmar's due process rights," Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, an attorney for Abrego Garcia, said.
"A federal judge has now barred ICE from taking him back into custody and ordered that any future deportation attempt must come with advance notice. After the government unlawfully deported him once without warning, this legal protection is essential."
A federal grand jury in Tennessee had indicted Garcia for "transporting undocumented migrants within the United States."
He and co-conspirators from El Salvador, Mexico, Guatemala and America are accused of trafficking illegal immigrants from 2016 through 2025.
Garcia pleaded not guilty last month to charges of human trafficking.
President Donald Trump has forcefully criticized the policy of cashless bail, attributing an increase in crime to its implementation, Breitbart reported.
Trump has urgently called for the abolition of cashless bail, linking it directly to rising crime and compromised public safety.
On Monday, via Truth Social, Trump expressed his concerns regarding cashless bail policies, which he holds responsible for the rising crime rates and threats to public safety across cities in the United States.
In previous campaign speeches and notably at a Bronx rally last year, Trump derided what he termed "radical left pro-crime policies" like cashless bail, highlighting their negative impact on urban areas such as New York.
He also referred to the tragic death of NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller, who was killed by an individual previously arrested 21 times, to articulate the consequences of failing cashless bail policies.
Illinois' move to abolish cash bail for most non-violent offenses in 2023, driven by a Democrat-controlled legislature and Governor J.B. Pritzker, also drew Trump's ire.
Patrick Kenneally, McHenry County State’s Attorney, has openly condemned Illinois' cashless bail system, describing its outcomes as "absurd" and "incoherent," reflecting widespread dissatisfaction with the policy’s results.
Illustrative cases in Illinois, such as James Tolbert and Juvenal Coronel, who continued to commit crimes after their releases, underscore the dysfunctional reoffending pattern under this system.
A study in Yolo County, California, showed over 70% of suspects released without bail reoffended, clearly supporting the arguments against the cashless bail system by showing significant hikes in crime rates.
"Crime in American Cities started to significantly rise when they went to CASHLESS BAIL," Trump has stated, emphasizing a direct correlation between the policy and increasing crime rates.
"The WORST criminals are flooding our streets and endangering even our great law enforcement officers. It is a complete disaster, and must be ended, IMMEDIATELY!" Trump accentuated the urgent need for policy overhaul.
In detailing the failures at a Bronx rally, Trump lamented the loss of NYPD Officer Diller, citing the repeated release of known offenders: "These dangerous and violent repeat offenders should never have been on our streets. Jonathan should be alive today, but they were released again and again and again."
The contention surrounding cashless bail policies is intensifying, with proponents arguing for its necessity to avoid income-based discrimination in the justice system, while detractors like Trump insist it fosters continuous crime.
His viewpoints resonate with many concerned about urban safety, particularly as national elections approach and public safety policies are hotly debated.
This ongoing discussion sees both supporters and detractors of cashless bail scrutinizing data and arguing over its implications, keeping it at the forefront of national discussions about criminal justice reform in America.