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BOSTON (AP) — A wealthy Russian businessman with ties to the Kremlin was sentenced Thursday to nine years in prison for his role in a nearly $100 million stock market cheating scheme that relied on secret earnings information stolen through the hacking of U.S. computer networks. Prosecutors had sought 14 years in prison, saying a stiff punishment was crucial to send a message to overseas cybercriminals. They then broke into the vendors’ computer systems to get filings before they became public, prosecutors said. Klyushin owned a Moscow-based information technology company that purported to provide services to detect vulnerabilities in computer systems. It counted among its clients the administration of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Ministry of Defense, according to prosecutors.

Persons: —, Vladislav Klyushin, Tesla, he's, Klyushin, who’s, ”, Prosecutors, Seth Kosto, ” Kosto, Maksim Nemtsev, Vladimir Putin, Klyushin's, Ivan Ermakov, Hilary Clinton’s, John Podesta, Ermakov Organizations: BOSTON, Kremlin, Authorities, Microsoft, U.S, Prosecutors, Securities and Exchange Commission, Ministry of Defense, Democratic Party, Democratic National Committee, Democratic Congressional Locations: Russian, Moscow, Boston, U.S, Switzerland, Russia

☆ Democrats Want to Flip N.Y. House Seats. But There’s a Primary Problem.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Nicholas Fandos | More About Nicholas Fandos | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

There is time for leaders like Representative Hakeem Jeffries, the top House Democrat and a New Yorker, to intervene if they want to. While the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee rarely interferes in open primaries, there is a tradition of less direct maneuvering to boost preferred candidates and edge others out. The leader’s allies argue that the competition will strengthen their nominees and brush off concerns that Democrats will be short on funds. “Leader Jeffries has no plan to endorse in any Democratic primary in New York,” said Christie Stephenson, his spokeswoman. “He is confident that whoever emerges in these competitive districts will be strongly positioned to defeat the extreme MAGA Republican crowd.”

Persons: Hakeem Jeffries, Jeffries, Michelle Hinchey, Laura Curran, Tom Suozzi, George Santos, —, ”, Christie Stephenson Organizations: Democrat, New Yorker, Democratic Congressional, Mr, Democratic, PAC, New, “, Republican Locations: New, Hudson, Nassau County, Long, New York, Torrey Pines, Calif

☆ McCarthy-aligned super PAC could spend $100 million to target blue states in 2024, internal memo says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"In 2024, the House will be won or lost in blue states," Congressional Leadership Fund president Dan Conston, wrote in the Aug, 7 memo addressed to "Interested Parties." This is the challenge facing House Republicans, wrote Conston. "These blue states exist in a vacuum outside of the competitive presidential and senate races ... meaning we must create our own infrastructure." All of those flipped New York seats are 2024 targets of the campaign arm for House Democrats, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. The Democratic rival House Majority PAC has said they are investing $45 million in New York and $35 million in California.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Joe Biden, Dan Conston, Conston Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Republican, GOP, CNBC, Republicans, House Republicans, House Democrats, Democratic Congressional, Democratic, Biden, Congressional Leadership Fund Locations: Washington, Michigan, Pennsylvania, California, Wyoming, New York, New Jersey, Washington and Oregon

☆ A conservative PAC is committing $20 million to back Lauren Boebert and GOP representatives who voted against Kevin McCarthy for speaker: Politico
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A conservative PAC is pledging $20 million to back representatives who voted against Kevin McCarthy for House Speaker. A memo from the group published by Politico explains how the PAC plans to spend its money. It says the PAC will defend its members from "moderate donors and candidates" in the primary. Once the general election comes around, McIntosh promised to financially support any of the "Patriot 20" whose seats have been targeted as vulnerable by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. These representatives include Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, and Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, David McIntosh, McIntosh, Scott Perry, Anna Paulina Luna of, Lauren Boebert, Adam Frisch, Boebert's Organizations: House, Politico, Service, Republican, Growth, Club, Growth's, Democratic Congressional, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, Federal Elections Commission Locations: Wall, Silicon, Scott Perry of, Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, Colorado

☆ Vulnerable Republicans Take a Political Risk With Abortion Vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Annie Karni | More About Annie Karni | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The policy reimburses travel costs for personnel who must travel out of state to obtain an abortion or related services. Democrats pointed to the vote as a prime example of Republicans taking votes that could ultimately cost them their House majority. Strategists in both parties have suggested that the Supreme Court’s abortion decision, and Democrats’ subsequent efforts to spotlight Republican opposition to abortion rights, weakened the G.O.P. “It wouldn’t be the way I would run the place, but at the end of the day as long as we pass N.D.A.A. Mr. Gonzales, who voted for the abortion amendment and others barring transgender health services and limiting diversity training for military personnel, voted against amendments that sought to cut funding for Ukraine.

Persons: “ I’m, ”, “, ’, Courtney Rice, Tony Gonzales, Gonzales Organizations: Republican, Department, “, Democratic Congressional, Republicans, Democrat, Ukraine Locations: Texas

☆ Democrats are more likely to take back the House after a recent New York court decision
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A recent appeals court decision out of New York may be what pushes Democrats to win the House in 2024. The appeals court ordered the Independent Redistricting Commission to redraw the state's congressional map. The congressional map used in 2022 led four Republicans to flip previously Democratic-held seats. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries echoed DelBene, attacking the judge who appointed the special master to draw up the current congressional map of New York. "The Appellate Division decision confirms that the New York State Constitution requires congressional district lines be drawn by an independent redistricting commission.

Persons: George Santos, —, Suzan DelBene, DelBene, Hakeem Jeffries, Jeffries Organizations: Independent, Republicans, Service, New York Times, Division, Democratic, Times, Democratic Party, Republican, Republican Party, Democratic Congressional, New, New York Locations: New York, Wall, Silicon, York, Albany, —, North Carolina

☆ How Jeffrey Epstein turned the US Virgin Islands into a pedophile's playground and helped elect a sitting member of Congress
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +21 min

Court filings show how Jeffrey Epstein exerted power in the US Virgin Islands, two of which he owned. A financier worth hundreds of millions of dollars, Epstein owned two islands in the US Virgin Islands (there are roughly 50 islands overall). He had donated generously to Democratic politicians from the US Virgin Islands for years. With the assistance of the US Virgin Islands' first lady, Epstein navigated the territory's political waters unscathed. The court records show that, at least in the US Virgin Islands, he exerted influence with little friction.

Persons: Jeffrey Epstein, Stacey Plaskett, —, Plaskett, Epstein, James, Lesley Groff, Scott Applewhite, Stacey, Thomas, didn't, Groff, maxed, Shawn, Michael Malone, Gabriel Lopez Albarran, Cecile de Jongh, John de Jongh Jr, de Jongh, Malone, De Jongh, Darren Indyke, Richard Kahn, Kahn, Groff didn't, Stuart McPhail, McPhail, Jeffrey Epstein's, Erika Kellerhals, Hi Jeffrey, Rick Friedman, Corbis, de, JPMorgan Chase, Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's, Maxwell, She's, Mary Erdoes, Jamie Dimon's, Jes Staley, Epstein's thrall, Jongh, Denise George, Albert Bryan Jr, Bryan, Jed Rakoff, Emily Michot, Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, Prince Andrew, Trump's, De, Epstein doled, John de Jongh's, Kenneth Mapp, John de Jongh, John, wasn't Organizations: Virgin Islands, Service, Democratic, US, Islands, Democratic Congressional, AP, Federal, Commission, Democratic Party, Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority, Southern Trust Co, de, Indyke, Democrat, Getty Images JPMorgan, US Virgin Islands, JPMorgan, Virgin, Hyperion, Barclays, Authorities, United States Virgin Islands, Virgin Islands Senate, Gov, New York Times, US Virgin, Deutsche Bank, U.S ., Miami Herald, Tribune, Getty, Federal Government, Mapp's PAC Locations: Virgin, Washington, Puerto Rico, Little St, Palm Beach , Florida, St, Croix, Manhattan, Islands, US Virgin, New York, U.S, U.S . Virgin Islands, Jongh, Tortola

☆ The District Gained Republicans. Could a Liberal Democrat Take It Back?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Tracey Tully | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Last year, redistricting shored up the odds of victory for the incumbent party in 11 of New Jersey’s 12 congressional districts. With a year and a half before the election, it is likely that additional Democratic challengers to Mr. Kean will emerge. But Ms. Altman’s early entry and name recognition gives her a clear edge in a race that even the state’s Democratic Party chairman, LeRoy J. Jones Jr., acknowledges will be an uphill fight. “Sue Altman is a formidable candidate — and so far the only candidate,” Mr. Jones said. “Without hearing from anyone else, Sue is in a position to make her case to ultimately be the Democratic nominee.”

Persons: Tom Malinowski, Tom Kean Jr, Malinowski, Kevin McCarthy’s, Mr, Kean, Donald J, Altman’s, LeRoy J, Jones, “ Sue Altman, ” Mr, Sue, ” Organizations: New, Seventh Congressional District, Republican, Democratic Congressional, Trump, Democratic, state’s Democratic Party Locations: New Jersey, Washington

☆ Former F.B.I. Agent Charged in Jan. 6 Riot
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Adam Goldman | Alan Feuer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Over the past two years, scores of rioters with military experience have been arrested in connection with the Capitol attack. Wise is the rare former federal agent to have been charged. Thomas E. Caldwell, a member of the Oath Keepers who was convicted in November of felony charges stemming from the Jan. 6 riot, had once worked with the F.B.I. And Mark S. Ibrahim, an active-duty agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration, was charged in July 2021 in connection with the riot. Wise worked on counterterrorism matters at the F.B.I.

☆ Democrats gear up for rematch against Lauren Boebert after her near-loss in the 2022 midterms: 'She's actually doubled down on crazy'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

After a close 2022 result, Democrats are hoping to knock off GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert next year. Last year, Boebert won her Republican-leaning Colorado district over Adam Frisch by only 546 votes. And as the incumbent in the state's conservative-leaning 3rd Congressional District, it appeared to many as though Boebert would be relatively safe in her reelection bid in last year's midterms. "I think it started the people in the third congressional district thinking that she wasn't paying enough attention to the district as she was paying more attention to national politics." "Extreme House Democrats lost the majority because they hammered families with crime, chaos and skyrocketing costs," National Republican Congressional Committee communications director Jack Pandol said in a statement.

☆ Democrats are betting Republicans' defense of Donald Trump's criminal charges will age like milk on the 2024 campaign trail
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Republicans facing tough 2024 races are defending Donald Trump against criminal charges. Democrats are betting their defense of Trump will hurt them in competitive 2024 races. Lauren Boebert (@RepBoebert) April 4, 2023Boebert is on House Democrats' list of 31 vulnerable Republicans and two competitive open seats that they are targeting to take back control of the House in 2024. Biden hasn't commented on Trump's charges, and Democrats in Congress are treading carefully. Democrats shouldn't get ahead of the judicial process, said Rodell Mollineau, a cofounder and partner at Rokk Solutions in Washington, DC.

☆ House Republicans in swing districts are so beholden to Trump they're not publicly opposing his pleas to defund law enforcement
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

After his arraignment, Trump called on GOP members of Congress to defund law enforcement. Following this, Punchbowl News reached out to 18 vulnerable House Republicans in swing districts. One day after his arraignment, Trump took to Truth Social in an all-caps tirade to express his desire to defund law enforcement. "REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS SHOULD DEFUND THE DOJ AND THE FBI UNTIL THEY COME TO THEIR SENSES," Trump wrote. Following the former president's plea on social media, political outlet Punchbowl News asked the 18 Republican representatives in districts where President Joe Biden won in 2020 for comment.

☆ Biden shoots down multiple questions about his predecessor's indictment: 'I have no comment on Trump'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Biden was asked multiple times Friday morning about the historic indictment of Donald Trump. Democrats have told Insider that Biden, for many reasons, needs to be quiet about it. I — I'm not going to talk about the Trump indictment," he said, when asked if he's worried about possible protests. But Democrats have told Insider that Biden, for many reasons, needs to be quiet about it. A White House aide on Thursday night told Insider that the White House would not have a comment on the indictment.

☆ Why Biden can't gloat about Trump becoming the first former president to face potential criminal charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

"Let Trump steep in his own juices." "Let Trump steep in his own juices." If Trump is indicted, Biden undoubtedly will be asked for a response in every interaction he has with reporters. Biden has been more rhetorically disciplined as president than he was as vice president and a senator, when his verbal gaffes were routinely used as punchlines. The smart move would be to say he'll let the criminal justice system take its course and let Republicans fight it out, said Bannon.

☆ 4 reasons why a Trump indictment could be gold for Biden, and 1 reason it’s worrying
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

If an indictment doesn't cost Trump the GOP primary, it would hover over his general election campaign. "Anything that's good for Trump in a Republican primary is also good for Biden," Bannon said. And it's unclear whether Trump is the weaker opponent or if he can even win enough support from GOP primary voters to become the nominee. Democrats say they also welcome a nasty Republican primary, especially when Biden is expected to run without any significant opposition. The downside: Cutting through 'noise' could be hardIt's possible that a Trump indictment would make Americans so sick of the entire political system that "they say 'Screw this,'" Bannon said.

☆ Democratic Rep. Judy Chu, the first Chinese American woman elected to Congress, blasts a Texas GOP congressman after he questioned her loyalty to the US: 'It is racist'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Judy Chu criticized Lance Gooden after he seemingly questioned her "loyalty" to the US on Fox News. "I think she has drug along the other Chinese American members to sign this letter. I very much doubt that he would be spreading these lies were I not of Chinese American descent." "Lance Gooden's slanderous accusation of disloyalty against Rep. Chu is dangerous, unconscionable and xenophobic," Jeffries said in a statement. Rep. Gooden accused Democrats of bringing up race after his criticism of Rep. Chu.

☆ Democrats target New York in 2024 battle for the House
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Bridget Bowman | Bridget Bowman Is A Deputy Editor For Nbc'S Political Unit. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Democrats are in a New York state of mind when it comes to the battle for the House, with outside groups signaling this week that they'll be targeting freshman New York Republicans in competitive seats. On Wednesday House Majority PAC, the main Democratic super PAC that spends in House races, announced it would spend $45 million in New York. The group's non-profit arm, House Majority Forward, announced Thursday that it is launching a "six-figure" digital ad and billboard campaign in more than a dozen House districts, including all six New York seats, targeting Republicans on their plans to cut Social Security and Medicare. Also on Wednesday, EMILY'S List, which backs female candidates who support abortion rights, announced it is targeting 10 House Republicans, including the six freshmen from New York. They flipped four House seats there.

☆ Republicans ignored Rep. George Santos' red flags as he propelled himself to a House victory deceiving voters, NYT reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Taiyler Simone Mitchell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

An NYT report revealed that at least some of the GOP knew of Rep. George Santos' lies. "I guess unfortunately we rely on the person to be truthful to us," the GOP Nassau County chairman told The Times. According to the Times, Santos hired an unnamed Washington research firm to conduct a vulnerability study in connection to his campaign towards the end of 2021. But the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee failed to follow up on red flags when looking into Rep. George Santos because researchers were encumbered with other researching dozens of other candidates, per the Times. Santos has faced multiple calls to resign but has remained steadfast in his conviction to complete his term despite deceiving 142,000 voters.

☆ 2022 was the year the Overconfidence Man fell back to earth
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Maureen Tkacik | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +22 min

Naturally, Elon Musk, the platonic ideal of the peculiar self-aggrandizing, self-parodying personality type that thrived during the Trump years and peaked during the pandemic, tops this list. By 2022, the media had pronounced him variously the next Warren Buffett, J.P. Morgan and Charles Koch. "bye bye @trussliz Congrats to lettuce", tweeted Putin's one-time stand-in Dmitry Medvedev, to which Elon Musk could not resist replying, "pretty good troll tbh." Elon Musk speaks at the 2020 Satellite Conference and Exhibition in March 2020. Elon MuskIt's weird to recall now that Elon Musk once seemed like, graded on the billionaire curve anyway, a net positive for a cursed American society.

☆ Why the George Santos fiasco points to Democrats’ political malpractice
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Arick Wierson | Arick Wierson Is A Six-Time Emmy Award-Winning Television Producer | A Former Senior Aide To Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He Advises Political | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

And in the case of Santos, it appears that Democrats failed to look into not one but an entire range of allegedly dubious claims made by the congressman-elect. Even more astonishing — and indeed puzzling for Democrats — is the fact that this wasn’t Santos’ first rodeo. Moreover, what does all this say about Democrats’ overall political operation not only in New York state but nationwide? It appears that Democrats, at least in this case, have been asleep at the wheel for some time. This Santos case should force some real self-examination on the part of Democrat’s political operations.

☆ Democrats' Senate Majority PAC plans to return $3 million in donations from disgraced former FTX executives
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The pro-Democratic Senate Majority PAC plans to return $3 million in donations from former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried and the crypto exchange's ex-head of engineering, Nishad Singh, the group said Tuesday. The super PAC, which spent more than $160 million supporting Democratic bids for Senate seats, received $2 million from Singh and $1 million from Bankman-Fried during the 2022 election cycle, according to Federal Election Commission records. The Democratic National Committee and the party's Senate and House campaign arms — the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee — have made similar commitments to return donations from former FTX executives. Bankman-Fried has contributed millions toward other PACs aligned with the Democratic Party, including to the House Majority PAC, Protect Our Future and Future Forward USA. Bankman-Fried also donated $6 million in April to House Majority PAC, which raises money for Democratic candidates running for the lower chamber, according to an FEC filing.

WASHINGTON, Dec 16 (Reuters) - The Democratic Party's three top campaign groups are preparing to return over $1.1 million they have received from imprisoned cryptocurrency tycoon Sam Bankman-Fried, they said on Friday. In a statement, the Democratic National Committee said it was setting aside $815,000 in funds received from Bankman-Fried in light of "potential campaign finance violations" made by the billionaire. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee said it was setting aside $103,000, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which oversees the party's campaign arm for the House of Representatives, said it would set aside $250,000. Bankman-Fried said his pro-Republican outlays have not been disclosed to the public, an area of campaign finance known as "dark money." The Washington Post first reported on the campaign groups' decision to set aside the funds.

News of the FTX's fall first prompted questions to lawmakers about Bankman-Fried's political donations. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and John Boozman of Arkansas said they would donate Bankman-Fried’s campaign contributions, though they did not specify the charities they intended to donate the money to. Bankman-Fried also poured millions into super PACs that support candidates outside of their campaigns, including the Senate Majority PAC, or SMP, a super PAC supporting Democratic Senate candidates. The disclosed sums likely don't capture the full breadth of Bankman-Fried's political spending. "The candidates who received money from dark money organizations don't really have to answer for it," Sherman said.

For the past three cycles, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, a leadership post, had been elected by rank-and-file Democrats. But members recently voted to reinstate a rule that gives the party’s leader the power to select the chair, putting the decision in Jeffries’ hands. House Republicans last month elected Richard Hudson of North Carolina as their campaign chief for the 2024 cycle. We went 35-4 in the front-line races.”But several Democrats think a different approach is needed, and they are urging Jeffries to look outside the Democratic Caucus. “It should be someone who can really campaign well, who is familiar with the process and dynamics of the House.

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