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Trump wants Gaetz confirmed “100%,” a source told CNN. He also believes Gaetz is uniquely positioned to defend the Trump administration on television, an attribute prioritized by the president-elect. Trump’s pick for deputy attorney general — his defense attorney Todd Blanche — will carry out the day-to-day work of overseeing the Justice Department’s more than 40 agencies and 115,000 employees. In recent days, Gaetz has been reaching out directly to Republican senators, according to a source familiar with the efforts. The Democratic-controlled Judiciary Committee formally requested the House Ethics Committee report already, but Democrats will lose control of the committee in January.

Persons: Donald Trump, Matt Gaetz, Trump, Gaetz, ” Trump, Trump’s, Todd Blanche —, Justice Department’s, ” Gaetz, “, ”, Sean Spicer, Gaetz’s, Pete Hegseth, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Tulsi Gabbard, Kennedy, Sen, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins of Maine, Joni Ernst, “ He’s, North Dakota Sen, Kevin Cramer, Kevin McCarthy, Oklahoma Sen, Markwayne Mullin, CNN’s Manu Raju, ” Mullin, Mullin, Mike Johnson, Mike Rounds, John Cornyn of, ” Rounds, Chuck Grassley, Grassley, John Thune, Thune Organizations: CNN, Department, Senate, Justice Department, Trump, Justice, Fox News, Hawaii Rep, Republican Senate, Republicans, Republican, North Dakota, Democratic, GOP Locations: Florida, Alaska, Iowa, Oklahoma, John Cornyn of Texas

☆ Georgia's Fulton County Jail violates rights of detainees with violence and filth, feds say
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Marlene Lenthang Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

The department on Thursday announced its findings from a civil rights investigation that had opened in July 2023 into conditions of Fulton County Jail in Georgia. Fulton County and the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment Thursday. Fulton County Jail: Home to stabbings, assaults, pests and a lack of careThe lengthy report presented a staggering portrait of violence and death at the Fulton County Jail. The report found that Fulton County Jail failed to protect detainees from the risk of harm from violence and sexual violence. Further, Fulton County Jail deputies and detention officers use force against incarcerated people without adequate justification, including deploying Tasers without reasonable cause, the document said.

Persons: Lashawn Thompson, It’s, Lashawn Thompson Thompson, WXIA, Thompson, Thompson’s, Thursday's, General Merrick Garland, ”, Kristen Clarke Organizations: Sheriff’s, NBC, Georgia Tech, Office, Justice Department’s Civil Rights, Justice, U.S, Justice Department Locations: Georgia’s Fulton County, Fulton County Jail, Georgia, Fulton, Fulton County, Atlanta

“President Trump is going to hit the Justice Department with a blowtorch, and Matt Gaetz is that torch,” Steve Bannon, Trump’s former White House strategist, told NBC News. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said she didn't think Gaetz was "a serious nomination for the attorney general." From bitter experience, Trump knows that he needs an attorney general he can trust implicitly, and it might be worth the political capital to battle for Gaetz's confirmation. Little happened in Trump’s first term that angered him as much as Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ decision to recuse himself and appoint a special counsel to investigate whether there were links between his 2016 campaign and Russia. In Gaetz, Trump would get an attorney general who has said Trump won the election that year, as well as an iconoclast who shares his willingness to upset the status quo.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Matt Gaetz, Steve Bannon, Trump’s, Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, Tom Homan, Kristi Noem, Mount Rushmore, James Mattis, Mattis, John Kelly, Kelly, who'd, Hegseth, Donald J, ”, Max Stier, Gaetz, Kamala Harris, Sen, Lisa Murkowski, Kevin Cramer, Jeff Sessions, I’m, ” Trump, Robert Mueller, William Barr Organizations: WASHINGTON, Justice Department, Defense, Justice, White, Department, White House, NBC News, Fox News, Democrat, Trump, South Dakota Gov, National Guard, Partnership for Public Service, Senate, Republicans, FBI, CDC, ATF, DOJ, NBC, Washington Locations: Afghanistan, Iraq, Alaska, Russia

☆ Georgia’s Fulton County Jail subjects inmates to ‘inhumane, violent’ conditions that threaten their safety, DOJ finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Ashley R. Williams | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —The Fulton County Jail in Atlanta unconstitutionally subjects inmates to “inhumane, violent and hazardous conditions” that threaten their safety, a US Justice Department official said Thursday, announcing the results of a 16-month investigation. “We cannot turn a blind eye to the inhumane, violent and hazardous conditions that people are subjected to inside the Fulton County Jail,” Clarke said. The deaths of Thompson and other inmates in the mental health unitThe 105-page report lays out examples of the problems it alleges, including the treatment of inmates with mental health challenges. Meanwhile, around 75% of the people who have died at the jail since 2021 had a mental health diagnosis or history of mental illness, Buchanan said. “The Fulton County Jail had as many stabbings in a single month as the Miami-Dade County Jail had all year, and that’s a facility with one-and-a-half times more people,” Clarke said.

Persons: ” Kristen Clarke, Lashawn Thompson, “, ” Clarke, Thompson, Kristen Clarke, WANF, ” Ryan Buchanan, ” Buchanan, Michael Harper, ” Harper, Thompson’s, –, Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat, Buchanan, ”, CNN’s Ryan Young, Nick Valencia, Hannah Rabinowitz, Dakin Andone Organizations: CNN, Jail, US Justice Department, Justice, US, Justice Department, Sheriff’s, Northern, Northern District of, Thompson’s, Fulton County Sheriff, Miami, Department team’s Locations: Fulton, Atlanta, Northern District, Northern District of Georgia, Fulton County, Dade, Union City

Trump’s transition team includes close to 100 people, with some working at Mar-a-Lago and others at the campaign office in Palm Beach and in Washington. Andrew Harnik/Getty ImagesInside Trump’s transitionTrump’s transition effort had begun with relatively orthodox choices — including Wiles, who led Trump’s campaign, as chief of staff. Much like his defense secretary pick, Trump had also grown frustrated with his options for attorney general. The role of attorney general has long been viewed by Trump as one of, if not the, most important positions he would fill. CORRECTION: This story has been corrected to properly reflect the process by which Donald Trump considered candidates for attorney general.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, Matt Gaetz, —, Trump, firebrands —, elect’s, MAGA, ”, “, ” Trump, Joe Biden, Mike Johnson, South Dakota Sen, John Thune, Elon Musk, Tesla, he’d, strode, Chris Christie’s, Susie Wiles, Wiles, Donald Trump, Andrew Harnik, Monday Trump, Florida Sen, Marco Rubio, Gabbard, Steve Bannon, ” Bannon, Donald Trump Jr, Richard Grenell, Rubio, Tony Hinchcliffe denigrated, JD Vance, Vance, Brian Snyder, Department —, Kamala Harris, Mark Paoletta, Andrew Bailey, Justice Department —, Jeff Sessions, William Barr, Department’s, Kevin McCarthy, Todd Blanche, Blanche, Nathan Howard, Gaetz, McCarthy, ” Gaetz, Gaetz’s, “ We’re, ” Johnson, Trump’s, Alaska Sen, Lisa Murkowski, Justice Department . Maine Sen, Susan Collins, Texas Sen, John Cornyn, Thune, Sen, Mike Rounds, ” Rounds, Kaitlan Collins, Annie Grayer, Danya Gainor, Holmes Lybrand, Dana Bash, Haley Talbot, Jeremy Herb, Katie Bo Lillis, Ted Barrett, Manu Raju, Sarah Ferris, Pamela Brown Organizations: CNN, Fox News, Hawaii Democratic, Republican, “, Wednesday, Washington, Hill, South, GOP, Elon, House Republicans, DC, SpaceX, Department of Government, Trump, New, New Jersey Gov, Mar, Hyatt, Monday, Democratic, Army National Guard, US Army Reserve, America, Florida Republican, Tony Hinchcliffe denigrated Puerto Ricans, State Department, Base Andrews, Reuters, Department, Justice Department, White House, Republicans, Capitol, U.S . Capitol, Senate, Justice Department ., Texas, South Dakota Republican Locations: Florida, Washington, South Dakota, Trump’s, New Jersey, Palm Beach, Washington ,, Syria, Russia, Tony Hinchcliffe denigrated Puerto, Madison, Maryland, U.S, Missouri, Manhattan, Trump, Alaska, Justice Department . Maine

☆ Lina Khan likely to be fired as FTC Chair under a Trump presidency
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-12 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Representatives for Trump’s transition team and the FTC didn’t respond to requests for comment. Wall Street, which has been on a tear since Trump’s decisive victory last week, appears to be ready to turn the page on the Khan era. Similarly, the FTC has gone after Big Tech, Big Pharma and even Big Mattress in the name of keeping competition robust. To them, Khan and her DOJ partner in trustbusting, Jonathan Kanter, represent a threat to the bottom line. Since last week’s election, both Kroger and Albertsons shares have risen sharply as investors anticipate the deal would face little resistance under Trump’s FTC.

Persons: CNN Business ’, New York CNN — Lina Khan’s, Donald Trump, Khan, she’s, Lina Khan, Jennifer Rie, kowtow, Jonathan Kanter, Elon Musk, Trump, ” Barry Diller, “, ‘, Republican “ Khanservative, JD Vance, Gail Slater, Vance, ”, David Kostin, Goldman Sachs, Kostin, Donald Trump’s, Brian Gardner, ” Gardner, Susie Wiles Organizations: CNN Business, New York CNN, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Republican, Bloomberg Intelligence, CNN, Justice, Albertsons, Big Tech, Big Pharma, IAC, Democratic, Bloomberg, Kroger, Trump’s FTC, Goldman Sachs ’, White, Trump, Federal Reserve Locations: New York, it’s, trustbusting, Washington

Prosecutors are instructed to argue that there is a societal interest in the quick administration of justice and these cases should be handled in the normal order. As for new arrests, the law enforcement official said, prosecutors will "focus on the most egregious conduct and cases until the end of the administration." "Just over 1 per day," one of the online "sedition hunters" who has dedicated hours of their life to finding the Trump supporters who brutally assaulted law enforcement officers that day, told NBC News. Existing cases against Jan. 6 defendants are expected to continue with additional trials, sentencing hearings and plea agreement hearings scheduled to take place next week. The prospect of presidential pardons for people who assaulted law enforcement is "pretty demoralizing," the former assistant U.S. attorney said.

Persons: WASHINGTON, —, Donald Trump, Trump, ”, Jan, sleuths, Michael Fanone, Daniel Hodges, Hodges, Aquilino, Kamala Harris, Gonell Organizations: The Justice Department, NBC News, U.S . Capitol, Justice Department’s Capitol, Prosecutors, Capitol, Trump, NBC, FBI, Justice Department's Capitol, Section, Former Capitol Police, Dominican Republican Locations: America

The Department of Justice sued the Mississippi Senate on Friday, alleging that it discriminated against a Black employee for years by paying her "significantly less" than her white colleagues. The DOJ said the state Senate’s Legal Services Office paid a Black staff attorney about half the salary of her white peers, in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The lawsuit said Kristie Metcalfe, who has since left her job, received compensation well below that of her white co-workers. “The Black employee at issue in this lawsuit was paid about half the salary of her white colleagues in violation of federal law. The Justice Department said it is seeking back pay and compensatory damages for Metcalfe, “in addition to injunctive and other appropriate relief.”

Persons: Kristie Metcalfe, ”, Kristen Clarke, “, ” Clarke, Metcalfe, Tate Reeves, Delbert Hosemann Organizations: of Justice, Mississippi Senate, DOJ, Legal, Civil, Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Mississippi Gov, Republican, Senate, Gov, The Justice Department Locations: Mississippi, “

☆ As Trump grasps unprecedented power, the Supreme Court’s decision on presidential immunity looms large
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-08 | by ( John Fritze | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Immune, immune, immune.”Justice Department ‘problem’But just how far that immunity extends is murky. The Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision left many questions unanswered and lower courts have not yet wrestled with them. But the Supreme Court majority ruled that a president’s power to direct the Justice Department’s investigative and prosecutorial work is within his exclusive constitutional authority. While the Supreme Court granted former presidents wide immunity, the ruling made no such promises to aides in the White House or Justice Department. Even the conservative Supreme Court and several lower courts repeatedly blocked Trump, who according to a study last year had the worst win rate at the high court of any modern president.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Jack Smith “, Joe Biden, “, ”, Neil Eggleston, Obama, John Roberts, Biden, chafed, Sonia Sotomayor, Sotomayor, Smith, It’s, Smith’s, Trump’s, Richard Painter, George W, Bush, Painter, ” Biden, Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, Mark Meadows, ” Rod Rosenstein Organizations: CNN, White, ”, Navy, Department, Trump, Justice Department, Supreme Court Locations: Georgia

☆ Big Tech CEOs send well wishes to Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-06 | by ( David Ingram | David Ingram Is A Tech Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Trump’s win came about with the help of Musk and his wealthy tech friends including investors Peter Thiel and David Sacks. They boosted Trump with financial contributions, fundraising help and public endorsements on subjects such as the economy and deregulation. Few other major tech executives publicly endorsed in the presidential race, though some of them made vague comments praising one or the other candidate. Trump has a complicated history with many tech CEOs. In their social media posts, several tech CEOs used the word “decisive” to describe Trump’s victory and they employed popular buzzwords like “innovation” in an apparent attempt to identify common ground.

Persons: Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook, Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, Sam Altman, Jeff Bezos, Andy Jassy, Trump, ” Zuckerberg, ” Trump, Zuckerberg, —, Musk, Trump’s, Peter Thiel, David Sacks, Bezos, Reid Hoffman, — wouldn’t, ”, bitcoin, Musk’s, Parler, Jeff, Mike Davis, Ivan Raiklin, Cook Organizations: Tech, Trump, titans, Meta, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, The Washington, Democratic, Trump’s, Pentagon, The Washington Post, III, Trump Tower, Google Locations: Silicon Valley, Butler , Pennsylvania, Tesla, Coinbase, County, State

Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks at the Justice Department on Sept. 27. Chip Somodevilla / Getty ImagesHow Trump’s legal jeopardy has unfolded over the past year, in terms of both the criminal charges and his sweeping election victory, is unprecedented. The immediate goal of Trump’s legal team is to get that postponed indefinitely or otherwise dismissed. The Georgia election interference case against Trump remains tied up on appeals over ethical issues surrounding the district attorney. “The American people have re-elected President Trump with an overwhelming mandate to Make America Great Again," Trump Campaign Spokesman Steven Chung said in a statement.

Persons: Donald Trump, can’t, Jack Smith, Trump, —, “, ”, Chuck Rosenberg, General Merrick Garland, Chip Somodevilla, Smith, Trump’s, Steven Chung, ‘, ’, Richard Nixon, Joyce Vance, he’s, Lester Holt Organizations: NBC, Trump, DOJ, Justice, Justice Department, Washington , D.C, Justice Department’s, FBI Locations: Washington, York, Georgia, Washington ,, United States, U.S

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, who ascended to office vowing sweeping reforms to the criminal justice system and then faced intense criticism over public safety issues, lost his bid for re-election, The Associated Press projected. In office, Gascón quickly got to work implementing his reformist agenda. San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin was recalled from office in 2022 after his critics assailed him as a soft-on-crime progressive. He then was the assistant attorney general for the U.S. Justice Department’s tax division under former President George W. Bush. Gascón, 70, previously was San Francisco attorney general — a job once held by Vice President Kamala Harris before she won the state attorney general’s office.

Persons: George Gascón, Gascón, Nathan Hochman, Erik, Lyle Menendez, George Floyd, Jeff Gritchen, Chesa Boudin, Hochman, “, ” Hochman, people’s, —, ” Gascón, George W, Bush, Kamala Harris Organizations: Angeles, Associated Press, Netflix, MediaNews, Getty, California . San, Hochman, Republican, Central, Central District of, U.S . Justice Locations: Angeles County, Minneapolis, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Buena Park, Calif, California, California . San Francisco, Angeles, County, Gascón, U.S, Central District, Central District of California, Francisco, Los Angeles, Mesa , Arizona, San Francisco

Since it is a state case, Trump does not have the power to pardon himself next year after he is sworn into office. Federal cases in DC and FloridaTrump’s election victory is poised to have the greatest impact on the two federal criminal cases brought against him by Smith in Washington, DC, and Florida. Dismissing Smith would allow the Department of Justice and Trump’s attorney general to move to drop the charges against him and end the court cases. In the DC case, Smith charged Trump over his efforts to overturn his election loss in 2020. In September, state and federal appeals courts in New York heard arguments for two of Trump’s civil appeals.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Jack Smith, ”, Jessica Levinson, Stormy Daniels, Judge Juan Merchan, Merchan, that’s, Smith, ” Trump, Hugh Hewitt, Jack Smith ”, “, Aileen Cannon, General Merrick Garland’s, Fani Willis, Willis, Will Lanzoni, Trump’s, Jean Carroll, Carroll, Bill Clinton Organizations: CNN, Loyola Law School, Department of Justice, Justice Department’s, Trump, White, Fulton, Democrat, Trump's, Georgia, Capitol, New, Democratic Locations: New York, York, DC, Florida, Washington ,, Georgia, Fulton County, Fulton, Atlanta , Georgia

The FBI identified Joseph Adams in this Jan. 6 bodycam footage. The FBI identified this man, circled in yellow, as Robert Piccirillo. Hundreds of other Jan. 6 rioters have been identified by the FBI and online sleuths investigating the Capitol attack, but have not been arrested. Trump promises pardons if re-electedThe fate of the Jan. 6 investigation hinges on the results of Tuesday’s election. Trump has repeatedly said he would “absolutely” pardon Jan. 6 rioters and denounced the Justice Department’s investigation.

Persons: WASHINGTON, Donald Trump, ”, sniffled, Troy Weeks, Aquilino, Weeks, “, ” Gonell, Weeks “, ” Troy Weeks, —, Edward Kelley, Kelley —, FBI Kelley, ” Robert Piccirillo, Bobby Pickles ”, Piccirillo, Richard Andrews, Keith Andrews, FBI Richard Andrews, FBI David Joynt, Joseph Adams, headfirst, Aaron Spanier, Robert Piccirillo, Andrew Shea, Shea, ” Shea, Trump, Jan, Department’s, Kelley, ” Jan, “ Trump, David Joynt, Ronald Reagan, Trump’s, he’d, ” Weeks, you’ve Organizations: Capitol Police, Capitol, Metropolitan Police, FBI, U.S . Capitol —, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Times, Washington , D.C, Authorities, Capitol . FBI, Trump, pitchfork, Republicans Locations: Washington, Tennessee, Florida, Palm, New Jersey, Jan, Washington ,, West Virginia, North Carolina, “, Illinois, Israel

“There’s no white knight coming,” a federal law enforcement official told NBC News, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe the posture of federal authorities in the coming weeks, after Election Day. Law enforcement officials across the country said they believe the 2024 election will have a more sustained drumbeat of partisan rhetoric and disinformation than the 2020 election. The FBI has also set up a National Election Command Post at headquarters specifically to focus on election threats, as is standard practice in an election year. Two law enforcement officials expressed some concern that a federal response to any serious election issues could be chaotic and involve a “hodgepodge” of different state, local and federal law enforcement agencies and local election entities. Four other current and former law enforcement sources said they worried that disinformation and conspiracy theories could affect some segments of the law enforcement community, especially in parts of the country where Trump has significant support.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, “ We’ve, Rebecca Weiner, —, Attorney General Merrick Garland, “, General Merrick Garland, Chip Somodevilla, Jan, — “, Garland, Department’s, ” Organizations: WASHINGTON —, U.S . Capitol, NBC News, New York Police, Democrat, FBI, Justice Department, Trump, Infrastructure Security Agency, The Justice Department, Department, Attorney, Getty, Law, Department of Homeland Security, Capitol, Force Locations: ”, U.S, ” Federal, China, Iran, Russia, stoke

☆ Special counsel Jack Smith’s office is bracing for retribution if Trump wins
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-01 | by ( Katelyn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —One year after bringing historic indictments against former President Donald Trump, the prosecutors left in special counsel Jack Smith’s office are gaming out legal options and bracing for retribution if Trump returns to the White House. In the event that Trump wins, staffers detailed to the special counsel’s office would have the option to go back to their home divisions within the Justice Department. But former prosecutors on the Trump case could face a difficult workplace, once Trump’s appointees are running the department. If Vice President Kamala Harris wins, the choices for the department and the special counsel’s office may be much simpler. “Just think of the chaos of it all – that, he [Trump] would love,” one of the former Justice Department officials said.

Persons: Donald Trump, Jack Smith’s, Trump, Smith, ”, “ He’s, I’m, Aileen Cannon’s, Smith didn’t, Cannon, David Raskin, Matt Olsen, —, Smith’s, Kamala Harris, General Merrick Garland, Tanya Chutkan, Chutkan, CNN’s Evan Perez Organizations: CNN, Justice, Justice Department’s, Trump, Justice Department, Trump’s, Smith’s, Democratic, Department, DOJ, Prosecutors Locations: Florida, Washington

Those rules were designed to prevent a repeat of the abuses of Richard Nixon, who improperly used the Justice Department to punish his political enemies. A new president appoints roughly 300 senior Justice Department officials, including the U.S. attorneys who run offices across the country. All 300 must be confirmed by the Senate, but multiple former Justice Department officials said they fear Trump would install partisans willing to do his bidding. Justice Department officials have risen to the occasion and defied presidential overreach in the past. You go in and just whack a good portion of the workforce,” the former Justice Department official said.

Persons: Donald Trump, —, Trump, don’t, Richard Nixon, “, ”, Joyce Vance, Barbara McQuade, Sen, JD Vance, Vance, Vance’s, Biden Justice Department’s, Hunter Biden, Robert Menendez, Eric Adams, Jack Smith, Aileen Cannon, Cannon, Jeffrey Clark, Clark, Mike Davis, influencer Benny Johnson’s, Davis, Joe Biden, Jan, gulag ”, ” Trump, ” Vance, “ Trump, Stephen Gillers, Gillers, Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, ” Gillers, Ilya Somin, Somin, Nixon, Archibald Cox, wouldn’t Organizations: NBC, Google, National Public Radio, NBC News, Justice Department, FBI, Trump, Department, U.S, Senate, Drug, Administration, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, DOJ, Biden Justice, Robert Menendez of New, New York, U.S . Capitol, ABC News, Republican, Politico, D.C, gulag, Service, NYU School of Law, George Mason University, senior Locations: U.S, Alabama, Ohio, Georgia, Robert Menendez of, Robert Menendez of New Jersey, New, —, acquittals

☆ CIA: Her case began the agency’s #MeToo movement. A jury found the man she accused of assault not guilty.
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-30 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Victims’ rights advocates point out that women who come forward with allegations of sexual assault are often not believed. They took frequent walks around agency grounds, and Bayatpour testified that Cuda often seemed to be going through a hard time. Cuda testified that he told her, “This is what I want to do to you,” and leaned in to kiss her. Bayatpour told her he was in love, that he thought he had found the woman he was going to marry. “In the stairwell, I was thinking, I need to do something funny to break the mood,” Bayatpour told the jury.

Persons: Rachel Cuda, “, ”, Somebody’s, Elle, Ashkan Bayatpour, Cuda, ” Bayatpour, — “, Bayatpour, ‘, ’ Cuda, emoticons, ” Cuda, “ lmao, disentangled, Bayatpour “, —, Kevin Carroll, ” Carroll, Bill Burns Organizations: CNN, Capitol, CIA, Skype, Blue Angels, “, Civil Rights Locations: Fairfax County , Virginia, Virginia, Washington, Cuda

☆ Elon Musk’s super PAC awards $1 million prizes to 2 registered voters, despite DOJ warning
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-25 | by ( Marshall Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Elon Musk’s super PAC awarded two $1 million prizes to registered voters in Michigan and Wisconsin on Thursday, after being warned by the Justice Department that the payments might be illegal. Musk, the CEO of Tesla and the richest man in the world, launched the sweepstakes on Saturday and his super PAC had named a winner each day – until Wednesday. The group has not provided any public explanation for the apparent one-day pause, and a spokesperson for the super PAC declined to comment. Federal filings show Musk has given nearly $119 million – including about $44 million in October – to America PAC, the super PAC he helped form to reelect Trump. He has said he hopes the sweepstakes will boost registration among Trump voters.

Persons: CNN — Elon, Donald Trump, Tesla, It’s, Musk, Josh Shapiro, reelect Trump, Trump, Betsy DeVos, Kamala Harris ’, CNN’s David Wright Organizations: CNN, CNN — Elon Musk’s, Justice Department, PAC, Trump, ”, Pennsylvania, Democrat, America PAC Locations: Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, –

☆ Justice Department reaches $100 million settlement with two companies in Baltimore bridge collapse
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-24 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Justice Department has reached a settlement for more than $100 million with the two corporations that owned and operated the container ship that destroyed Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge in March. The payment stemming from Thursday’s settlement will go to the US Treasury and to the budgets of several federal agencies directly affected by the crash or involved in the response, the Justice Department said Thursday. It will not cover any damages for the reconstruction of the bridge, the department said. In its filing last month, the Justice Department said that the “tragedy was entirely avoidable,” pointing to alleged failures in the ship’s infrastructure. Prosecutors wrote that, instead of fixing longstanding problems with their electrical transformer, the companies “jury-rigged their ship” with makeshift braces that repeatedly broke.

Persons: Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key, Port, “, ” Benjamin Mizer, Department’s, Grace Ocean, Mizer, ”, Prosecutors, CNN’s Kaanita Iyer Organizations: CNN, The Justice Department, Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, Grace Ocean Private Limited, Synergy Marine, FBI, Justice Department, US Treasury, Fort McHenry, Synergy, Prosecutors, Coast Guard Locations: Baltimore, Port

CNN —The Justice Department warned Elon Musk’s America PAC in recent days that his $1 million sweepstakes to registered voters in swing states may violate federal law, people briefed on the matter told CNN. Musk’s initial promise to pay prizes to registered voters immediately raised concerns from election law experts and some state officials who questioned whether it ran afoul of the law. The language of the petition currently promises $1 million prizes to people chosen at random for signing a petition in support of First and Second Amendment freedoms. But to sign the petition, you must be registered to vote in specific states. Only petition signers can win the $1 million prize, and signers “must be registered voters of Arizona, Michigan, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, or Wisconsin.”It’s not clear when Musk received the Justice Department’s letter and whether it prompted changes to messaging around the giveaway.

Persons: Elon, Musk, Donald Trump, ” Musk, Josh Shapiro, ”, America PAC ” – Organizations: CNN, The, Department, Elon Musk’s America PAC, Justice, Trump, ”, Pennsylvania Gov, Democrat, America PAC ” Locations: Harrisburg , Pennsylvania, Arizona , Michigan, Georgia, Nevada , North Carolina , Pennsylvania, Wisconsin

☆ American Airlines fined $50 million for numerous disabled passenger rules violations
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-23 | by ( Pete Muntean | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The federal government is slapping American Airlines with a $50 million fine after a multi-agency investigation uncovered repeat violations of the rules designed to protect airline passengers who use wheelchairs. The investigation by the Department of Transportation aided by the Justice Department’s civil rights division found that American made “numerous serious violations” of disabled passenger rules between 2019 and 2023. “These problems are not unique to American Airlines, and allegations of wheelchair mishandling and inadequate wheelchair assistance are far too common,” said the Department of Transportation announcement. “DOT has active investigations into similar violations at other US airlines.”Buttigieg said the fine is the largest ever of its type. If the agency finds that American does not meet that requirement, it will fine it the airline the remaining $25 million.

Persons: Pete Buttigieg, ” Buttigieg, ” Organizations: CNN, American Airlines, Department of Transportation, Justice, Transportation, American

Elon Musk’s daily $1 million lottery for registered swing state voters who sign his super PAC’s petition falls into a legal gray area and could potentially violate election law, three experts told NBC News. Paying someone to vote or to register to vote is explicitly illegal under federal law. “This is at best very questionable legally,” said Michael Morse, an assistant professor of law at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. But none of the experts who spoke with NBC News believed law enforcement is likely to stop the lottery or fine Musk before the election. “You can only register to vote in Pennsylvania until today.

Persons: “, ”, John Fortier, Elon Musk, Michael Swensen, Michael Morse, ” “ I’ve, Nate Persily, it’s, Musk, Rick Hasen, Hasen, Justice Department’s, it’s “, Josh Shapiro, Morse, Trump, Kristine Fishell, Penn Organizations: Elon, NBC News, Musk’s America PAC, America PAC, American Enterprise Institute, NBC, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, “, Stanford Law School, Musk’s PAC, UCLA School of, Democracy, Justice, ”, ” Pennsylvania Gov, Press Sunday, Department, Justice Department, Pennsylvania, Federal, Trump, Republican, New York Times Locations: Pittsburgh, ” Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, Michigan

☆ Elon Musk’s daily $1 million giveaway to registered voters could be illegal, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-20 | by ( Marshall Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“We want to try to get over a million, maybe 2 million voters in the battleground states to sign the petition in support of the First and Second Amendment. … We are going to be awarding $1 million randomly to people who have signed the petition, every day, from now until the election,” Musk said at a campaign event in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. “This is a one-time ask,” Musk told the crowd shortly after announcing the $1 million prize. “When you start limiting prizes or giveaways to only registered voters or only people who have voted, that’s where bribery concerns arise,” said Derek Muller, an election law expert who teaches at Notre Dame Law School. Regardless of the long odds of a Musk prosecution, other respected election law experts strongly condemned the billionaire’s behavior.

Persons: Donald Trump, Elon Musk, ” Musk, “, ”, Trump, Josh Shapiro, ” Shapiro, Derek Muller, Muller, David Becker, Becker, ” Becker, Rick Hasen, Jocelyn Benson Organizations: Washington CNN, Trump, PAC, Press, ”, Democrat, Notre Dame Law School, CNN, Justice Department, Election Innovation, Research, “, UCLA School of Law, Democratic Locations: Harrisburg , Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania , Georgia, Nevada , Arizona , Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, ” Pennsylvania, Michigan

A South Carolina man was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for the murder of a Black transgender woman. Ritter was the first person tried and convicted under federal hate crime law for fatal violence against a trans person. Dime Doe was fatally stabbed in 2019. “With today’s sentencing, the defendant is being held accountable for the senseless murder of Dime Doe, a transgender woman of color. Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, which expanded the federal hate crime statute to include gender, gender identity, sexual orientation and disability.

Persons: Daqua Lameek Ritter, Ritter, Doe, ” Benjamin C, Doe’s, ” Doe, Kristen Clarke, Clarke, Matthew Shepard, James Byrd Jr, Shepard, ” Clarke Organizations: Justice Department, Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, University of Wyoming, Human Rights, HRC Locations: Carolina, South Carolina, Laramie, Texas

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