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REUTERS/Seth Herald/File PhotoOct. 26 (Reuters) - A Michigan jury on Wednesday found three men guilty of aiding a conspiracy to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2020, a plot that prosecutors said grew out of hostility over restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The verdict was a victory for state prosecutors who argued that the men assisted two others who in August were found guilty of kidnapping conspiracy in federal court. In the earlier trial, Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. were found guilty of plotting to abduct the Democratic governor from her vacation home. Prosecutors said Morrison, Musico and Bellar were members of a militia group called the Wolverine Watchmen. Morrison and Musico were accused of hosting tactical training sessions on their property in a remote part of Michigan.

Oct 26 (Reuters) - TikTok Inc won dismissal of a lawsuit accusing it of causing the death of a 10-year-old girl by promoting a deadly "blackout challenge" that encouraged people to choke themselves on its video-based social media platform. U.S. District Judge Paul Diamond in Philadelphia ruled Tuesday that the company was immune from the lawsuit under a part of the federal Communications Decency Act that shields publishers of others' work. Jeffrey Goodman, a lawyer for the girl's mother, Tawainna Anderson, said in a statement that the family would "continue to fight to make social media safe so that no other child is killed by the reckless behavior of the social media industry." Anderson sued TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance Inc in May, saying the company's algorithm showed her daughter, Nylah Anderson, a video suggesting the blackout challenge. In December 2021, Nylah attempted the blackout challenge using a purse strap hung in her mother's closet, losing consciousness and suffering severe injuries, according to the lawsuit.

Such warnings could complicate any case the Justice Department might wish to bring, the sources said. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment. The Justice Department investigation potentially represents a more serious level of scrutiny because of the possibility of criminal charges against the company or individual executives, the people familiar with the inquiry said. As part of the latest probe, Justice Department prosecutors in Washington and San Francisco are examining whether Tesla misled consumers, investors and regulators by making unsupported claims about its driver assistance technology's capabilities, the sources said. The Justice Department’s Autopilot probe is far from recommending any action partly because it is competing with two other DOJ investigations involving Tesla, one of the sources said.

Oct 26 (Reuters) - A Wisconsin man on Wednesday was found guilty of murder and other charges for killing six people and injuring dozens of others when he drove his SUV into a Christmas parade near Milwaukee last year. The 12-person jury in Waukesha County convicted Darrell Brooks, 40, of six counts of intentional homicide. On numerous occasions during the three-week trial, Waukesha County Circuit Judge Jennifer Dorow admonished Brooks, who defended himself, for failing to follow court rules. "When you ride through a parade route and roll over children ... your intent is known, Mr. Brooks," Waukesha County District Attorney Sue Opper said during closing arguments. Brooks, a Milwaukee resident, was out on bail from a domestic abuse charge at the time of the attack.

[1/2] Golf - The Masters - Augusta National Golf Club - Augusta, Georgia, U.S. - April 6, 2021 General view of Jordan Spieth of the U.S. on the 16th green during a practice round REUTERS/Mike SegarWASHINGTON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - The Augusta National Golf Club, the PGA Tour and the U.S. Golf Association are included in the U.S. Justice Department's antitrust investigation into professional golf, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Phil Mickelson and 10 other golfers sued the PGA Tour in early August over its decision to suspend them for playing on the new Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf circuit. LIV Golf has joined a handful of its players in their antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour, according to an amended complaint that showed four golfers have now removed their names. The Augusta National, which hosts the Masters golf tournament each spring, has produced documents for the Justice Department probe, these people said.

[1/2] Associate Justice Samuel Alito poses during a group photo of the Justices at the Supreme Court in Washington, U.S., April 23, 2021. Alito, speaking at an event organized by the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank in Washington, also condemned the leak last May of his draft opinion overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide, saying it made the justices "targets." Everyone is free to strongly criticize the court's decisions or the reasoning behind them, Alito said. In blunt terms, Alito also commented on the man who was charged with attempted murder after being arrested near the Maryland home of conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh in June. The conservative majority has shown an increasing willingness to take on divisive issues as it steers the court on a rightward path.

WASHINGTON, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Two U.S. voter-rights organizations have asked a federal judge to temporarily stop a grassroots group from monitoring voter drop boxes in Arizona for alleged voter fraud, the week after state officials asked federal prosecutors to probe the group for possible voter intimidation. Clean Elections USA describes itself as a "grassroots organization committed to election integrity." Arizona's secretary of state last week asked the U.S. Department of Justice to probe a case of possible voter intimidation after a group of people linked to Clean Elections followed and filmed a voter dropping off a ballot. Clean Elections USA is running a "coordinated campaign of vigilante voter intimidation" that violates the Voting Rights Act and the Klu Klux Klan Act, the lawsuit said. The lawsuit asks U.S. District Judge Michael Liburdi, a Trump appointee, to impose a temporary restraining order blocking Clean Elections' ballot-monitoring activities.

☆ Trump company loses bid to toss initial jury pool in criminal trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Manhattan district attorney's office last year charged the Trump Organization and Allen Weisselberg, its then-chief financial officer, with awarding "off the books" benefits to some senior executives, enabling certain employees to understate their taxable compensation and the company to evade payroll taxes. Weisselberg in August pleaded guilty to charges including grand larceny and tax fraud while admitting to concealing $1.76 million in income. Justice Juan Merchan, the judge overseeing the trial in a New York state court, said he was closely observing the prospective jurors and disagreed with van der Veen. "I can appreciate that in your opinion the other jurors were visibly chilled," Merchan said, addressing van der Veen. Prosecutors and defense lawyers later on Tuesday were expected to begin questioning the 18 prospective jurors, the next step in what is expected to be a weeklong process to seat a 12-member panel.

REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File PhotoCompanies L'Oreal SA FollowOct 24 (Reuters) - L'Oreal SA (OREP.PA) has been sued by a Missouri woman who alleges she developed uterine cancer as a result of using the French cosmetic company's hair-straightening products. The lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court in Chicago, came days after a study from the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Safety (NIEHS) finding that hair-straightening products may significantly increase the risk of uterine cancer among frequent users. The plaintiff, Jennifer Mitchell, said she was diagnosed with uterine cancer in 2018, after using L'Oreal's products since about 2000, when she was 10. Uterine cancer is the most common gynecologic cancer in the United States, according to federal government data, with rates rising, particularly among Black women. The company "profited, significantly" from "unethical and illegal conduct that caused plaintiff to purchase and habitually use a dangerous and defective product," the lawsuit said.

Oct 25 (Reuters) - Michigan jurors on Tuesday began deliberations in the trial of three men accused of assisting in an elaborate plot two years ago to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in opposition to strict coronavirus restrictions imposed during the pandemic. Prosecutors said the plot was motivated by opposition to coronavirus restrictions imposed by the governor and grievances related to the 2020 presidential election. In August, a federal jury in Grand Rapids convicted Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. of conspiracy in the plot. Two other defendants were found not guilty in the first federal trial. read moreIn September, a federal judge reduced the sentence of Ty Garbin, who pleaded guilty to participating in the plot after his testimony helped convict Fox and Croft.

☆ U.S. basketball star Griner's lawyer tells Russian court her 9-year term is excessive, seeks acquittal
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Boies | Hausfeld Among Law Firms Reaping | Mln Windfall In Blue Cross Antitrust Case | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KRASNOGORSK, Russia, Oct 25 (Reuters) - A lawyer for U.S. WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner on Tuesday told judges hearing her appeal that her nine-year jail sentence for possession and smuggling of drugs in the form of a vape cartridge was excessive, and asked the court to acquit her. "The punishment imposed on Griner does not correspond to the gravity of the crime," Maria Blagovolina said. "Nine years in prison is a sentence that contradicts judicial practice." Three judges were presiding over the court in Krasnogorsk near Moscow, while Griner was taking part via video link from a detention centre in the town of Novoye Grishino, just outside Moscow. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Filipp Lebedev and Olesya Astakhova; Writing by Kevin Liffey; Editing by Mark TrevelyanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

KRASNOGORSK, Russia, Oct 25 (Reuters) - U.S. WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner on Tuesday heard the Russian state prosecutor in her appeal hearing tell the judges that her nine-year jail sentence for possession and smuggling of drugs was "fair". Three judges were presiding over the appeals court in Krasnogorsk near Moscow, while Griner was taking part via video link from a detention centre in the town of Novoye Grishino, just outside Moscow. Wearing a black and red lumberjack shirt over a black hooded top, Griner listened to a live translation of the proceedings from behind the white bars of her cell. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Filipp Lebedev and Olesya Astakhova; Writing by Kevin Liffey; Editing by Mark TrevelyanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

REUTERS/Allison DinnerWASHINGTON, Oct 24 (Reuters) - The online liquor market Drizly settled with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over a data breach that exposed information about 2.5 million people, the agency said Monday. Under terms of the settlement, Drizly is required to destroy unnecessary data, restrict what it collects and requires Chief Executive James Rellas to follow certain data security practices. The agency said that the company and Rellas were informed about security problems long before Drizly was hacked and failed to address the problems. Drizly, which offers liquor delivery in more than 30 states, is owned by Uber (UBER.N). "Drizly & Rellas were alerted to security problems 2 years before the breach, yet they failed to act.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterChinese nationals Guochun He and Zheng Wang were charged with trying to interfere in the prosecution, the prosecutors said. Court documents did not name the company, but the complaint referenced the same dates in which the U.S. unsealed its charges against Huawei, in 2019 and 2020. In addition to the case against the two Chinese nationals accused of interfering in the Huawei prosecution, the Justice Department also announced charges in two other schemes. The second case charges four Chinese nationals out of New Jersey with running a decade-long intelligence campaign, while the third accuses seven others of waging a harassment campaign against a U.S. resident in a bid to convince him to return to China. Of the 13 people charged, 10 are Chinese intelligence officers and Chinese government officials.

Companies Cronos Group Inc FollowOct 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has charged Canadian cannabis company Cronos Group Inc (CRON.TO) and its former chief commercial officer with accounting fraud, the regulator said on Monday. Cronos and the former executive, William Hilson, offered to settle the matter, without admitting or denying the SEC's findings, by agreeing to cease and desist from future violations of the charged provisions, the SEC said. The SEC said it decided against a financial penalty for the company given "its timely self-reporting, significant cooperation, and remediation." Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Eric Beech in Washington and Ismail Shakil in Ottawa, Editing by Franklin PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Prosecutors charged Chinese nationals Guochun He and Zheng Wang with trying to interfere in prosecution of an international telecommunications company. While court documents did not name the company, a person familiar with the investigation said they were trying to interfere with the prosecution of Huawei (HWT.UL). Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterA spokesperson for Huawei could not be reached for comment on Monday. Prosecutors also unveiled charges against four Chinese nationals in what they called a long-running intelligence campaign. The complaint against He and Wang alleges they tried to obtain confidential information concerning witnesses, trial evidence and any potential new charges the company could face.

Companies Huawei Technologies Co Ltd FollowNEW YORK, Oct 24 (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors have charged two Chinese nationals with trying to obstruct the prosecution of a Chinese global telecommunications company, according to a filing in federal court in Brooklyn. The defendants Guochun He and Zheng Wang were charged in a criminal complaint dated Oct. 20 and made public on Monday. The telecommunications company is a defendant in an ongoing prosecution, where the U.S. Department of Justice announced a superseding indictment in February 2020. The complaint does not name the company, though it contains details which suggest the case pertains to Huawei Technologies Co Ltd. According to the complaint, He and Wang first started trying to access non-public information about the Justice Department's investigation when the company was initially charged in 2019.

Thomas granted the Republican senator's request to halt the lower court's decision pending a further order to come, either from him or the Supreme Court. Graham, a Trump ally, filed the emergency application on Friday after a federal appeals court denied his request to block the questioning. Graham has argued that his position as a senator provides him immunity from having to appear before the grand jury. Testimony from Graham could shed further light on Trump allies coordinating to reverse the election results. Trump continues to appear at rallies repeating his false claims that the 2020 election won by Democrat Joe Biden was stolen from him through widespread voting fraud.

WASHINGTON, Oct 24 (Reuters) - The criminal trial of Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers right-wing militia group, and four associates over their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol was delayed on Monday after he tested positive for COVID-19. Rhodes remains in "total isolation" in jail, his lawyers said. Prosecutors have said the Oath Keepers planned a "quick reaction force" of armed members who waited at a hotel in northern Virginia with firearms they could transport across the Potomac River into Washington if called upon. Defense attorney Edward Tarpley said he has been unable to confer with Rhodes because the defendant remains isolated and cannot accept phone calls. It remained unclear if the jail could make such an accommodation or if Mehta would be willing to allow it.

The charges to which Weisselberg pleaded guilty included grand larceny and tax fraud, and he admitted concealing $1.76 million in income. The Trump Organization, which operates hotels, golf courses and other real estate around the world, could face up to $1.6 million in fines for the three tax fraud counts and six other counts it faces. In his guilty plea, Weisselberg admitted to scheming with the company so that "substantial portions" of his and other employees' income was unreported or misreported. Weisselberg has worked for the Trump Organization for nearly half a century. After his guilty plea, he was placed on a paid leave of absence, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The Manhattan district attorney's office charged the Trump Organization and Allen Weisselberg, its then-chief financial officer, in July 2021. Weisselberg pleaded guilty in August to 15 charges, which included grand larceny and tax fraud, and admitted concealing $1.76 million in income in an agreement with prosecutors that requires him to testify at this trial. Prosecutors accused the company of engaging in a sweeping tax fraud over a period of 15 years starting in 2005. Lawyers for the Trump Organization have called the case a "selective prosecution" based on animosity by the prosecution toward Trump for his political views, though the judge overseeing it has rejected that argument. Two other Trump Organization employees received compensation in the form of lodging and car leases, prosecutors added.

Oct 24 (Reuters) - Challenges to election results are not new in the United States. That has raised fears among election experts that 2022 will see a wave of baseless rejections of vote tallies. There are multiple points where a rogue official could disrupt the process – by refusing to certify results, for instance. THE FUTURESeveral election experts said they are more concerned about the 2024 election than 2022, given how many Trump-inspired election deniers are running for key positions this year. A Washington Post analysis found more than half of Republican candidates for Congress and key statewide offices have questioned the 2020 results.

They say Emirati sovereign wealth funds invested $374 million in Barrack's private equity firm Colony Capital, now known as DigitalBridge Group Inc (DBRG.N), in 2017 and 2018. Barrack's defense has argued his close relationship with Qatar shows he was not an Emirati agent. To prove Barrack was a UAE agent, prosecutors must prove he agreed to act under the Middle Eastern country's direction or control. In a post on his Truth Social platform on Sunday night, Trump said he did not believe Barrack was a UAE agent, and that Barrack never spoke to him about speeches or "what to say on this subject." "Tom Barrack is a highly respected businessman whose DREAM was to see PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, a very good and noble thing," Trump wrote.

Oct 24 (Reuters) - A former Minneapolis police officer charged in connection with the murder of George Floyd pleaded guilty on Monday as his trial was about to begin, a court spokesperson confirmed. Kueng and Thomas Lane helped Chauvin restrain Floyd, an unarmed Black man, while another officer, Tou Thao, kept bystanders from approaching the scene. Chauvin was convicted of murder in a state trial and sentenced to 22-1/2 years; he also pleaded guilty to related federal charges and is serving a federal sentence of 21 years concurrently. Kueng's plea agreement includes a sentence of 3-1/2 years that will be served concurrently with his federal sentence, according to Matt Lehman, a spokesperson for Hennepin County District Court. Kueng's defense attorney and the Minnesota attorney general's office, which is prosecuting the case, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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