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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.

REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina/Pool/File PhotoMOSCOW, Oct 24 (Reuters) - U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner "does not expect miracles" at her appeal hearing on Tuesday against a nine-year Russian jail term for having cannabis oil in her luggage, her lawyers said in a statement. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"She is very nervous waiting for the appeal hearing. Brittney does not expect any miracles to happen but hopes that the appeal court will hear the arguments of the defense and reduce the term," they said. Griner pleaded guilty at her trial but said she had made an "honest mistake" and not meant to break the law. Washington says Griner was wrongfully detained and has offered to exchange her for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer serving a 25-year prison sentence in the United States.

LOS ANGELES, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Opening arguments are set for Monday in the Los Angeles rape trial of Harvey Weinstein, the once-powerful Hollywood producer who became the face of #MeToo allegations five years ago. In Los Angeles, he is facing 11 charges of rape and sexual assault involving five women in the Beverly Hills and Los Angeles area between 2004 and 2013. Jennifer Siebel Newsom, a documentary filmmaker, actor and wife of California Governor Gavin Newsom, is one of Weinstein's accusers in the California case. Now in declining health, he was seated in a wheelchair during jury selection in Los Angeles Superior Court. He could face up to 140 years in prison if convicted on all 11 of the charges in Los Angeles.

Oct 24 (Reuters) - The Michigan teenager suspected of killing four classmates and wounding several other people in a school shooting last November is expected to plead guilty to terrorism and murder charges on Monday, a county prosecutor said. Ethan Crumbley, 16, is accused of discharging a semi-automatic handgun in Oxford High School in a Detroit suburb on Nov. 30. Those plans appear to have changed, according to Oakland County Chief Assistant Prosecutor David Williams. Crumbley's parents, James and Jennifer Crumbley, also face involuntary manslaughter charges connected to the shooting. Four days before the shooting, Ethan Crumbley accompanied his father to a gun shop, where James Crumbley bought a 9mm handgun, prosecutors said.

I don't think his lawyers will want him to show up because he has to testify under oath," Pelosi said in an interview with MSNBC. Nevertheless, Trump has maintained he did nothing illegal in pressing that case, including on the day of the Capitol riot. Trump and Pelosi have had a long, stormy relationship. Outside the White House following the meeting that Democrats stormed out of, Pelosi told reporters Trump had suffered a "meltdown." Cheney did not say what the panel would do if Trump refuses to cooperate with the subpoena.

An attorney for Jones, Norm Pattis, said in an email Friday that he is confident the verdict will be reversed on appeal. The families say they suffered a decade of harassment and death threats from people who believed the bogus claims. The Connecticut jury found Jones and Infowars parent company Free Speech Systems LLC should also pay punitive damages, which are set to be determined by a judge after several days of hearings next month. In their filing Friday, the families offered various methods of calculating punitive damages in similar cases. The Connecticut verdict came several months after a jury in Texas awarded two Sandy Hook parents $49.3 million in damages.

Rapper Cardi B arrives at the Queens County Criminal Court in Queens, New York, U.S., September 15, 2022. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/Oct 21 (Reuters) - A California federal jury on Friday rejected claims that musician Cardi B misused a man's image on the cover of her first 2016 mixtape album. Brophy's 2017 lawsuit sought at least $5 million in damages from Cardi B and an order blocking her from using his likeness. The New York rapper argued that the cover's use of the design qualifies as "transformative" under intellectual property law and is constitutionally protected. The tattoo was used "in an anonymous manner, as a single building block" in the complex cover image, Cardi B said in a court filing.

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