Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, or AMLO, claimed during an interview that aired on Sunday that he has ended corruption in Mexico and that the hundreds of political assassinations that are carried out every year in his country are not a threat to democracy.
AMLO made the claims during a &#8220;60 Minutes&#8221; interview about the crisis on the U.S. southern border and about the Mexican drug cartels.
The left-wing news program noted that AMLO takes a &#8220;bare knuckle brawls with the press&#8221; which it said was in &#8220;sharp contrast to the softer approach he&#8217;s taken with the drug cartels.&#8221;
AMLO claimed that his &#8220;hugs not bullets&#8221; method for dealing with the cartels has worked out &#8220;very well,&#8221; even though violence remains high and the cartels have grown in size.
When asked about the more than 30,000 murders that happen in Mexico every year, AMLO claimed that the Mexican government prosecuted &#8220;all&#8221; of the cases, even though only around 5% are actually prosecuted.
AMLO deflected blame for the role his country has played in the fentanyl crisis in the United States since nearly all of the illicit fentanyl that ends up killing Americans is manufactured by cartels in Mexico.
&#8220;Fentanyl is produced in the United States, in Canada, and in Mexico,&#8221; he claimed, ignoring the fact that the illicit fentanyl used in street drugs comes from his country. &#8220;And the chemical precursors come from Asia. You know why we don&#8217;t have the drug consumption that you have in the United States? Because we have customs, traditions, and we don&#8217;t have the problem of the disintegration of the family.&#8221;
He also falsely claimed that drug consumption in Mexico was not a problem.
When asked if he has &#8220;completely&#8221; eliminated &#8220;corruption&#8221; in Mexico, AMLO claimed: &#8220;Yes, basically, because corruption in Mexico started from the top down.&#8221;
&#8220;60 Minutes&#8221; noted that independent organizations have found there has been &#8220;no improvement in the corruption problems that have plagued Mexico for decades&#8221; under AMLO.
When asked about the 355 government officials and political candidates who were murdered last year in his country, he downplayed the matter, saying there were only &#8220;some specific instances.&#8221;
He said that the assassinations posed no threat to democracy.
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador: The 60 Minutes Interview" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/04WBPile_lA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

President Lopez Obrador Meets Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

AMLO Claims He Ended Corruption In Mexico, Not Worried About Hundreds Of Political Assassinations

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador

Cartels

Corruption

Democracy

Drug Cartels

Fentanyl

Mexico

A businessman and alleged associate of Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bob-menendez" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bob Menendez</a> (D-NJ) pled guilty on Friday to seven corruption charges and agreed to testify against Menendez, the former head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who is accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes. 
Jose Uribe, 56, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/01/nyregion/menendez-bribery-defendant-guilty.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pled guilty</a> to charges of conspiracy to commit bribery, honest services wire fraud, obstruction of justice and tax evasion. Uribe admitted to giving Menendez’s wife, Nadine, a Mercedes-Benz with the expectation the Democrat senator <a href="https://apnews.com/article/menendez-uribe-federal-bribery-indictment-a7f1d893f1ee387f079161011e9dd37e?taid=65e2224817ae090001089d55&amp;utm_campaign=TrueAnthem&amp;utm_medium=AP&amp;utm_source=Twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">would</a> use “his power and influence as a United States senator to get a favorable outcome and to stop all investigations related to one of my associates.”
Uribe said that the car was given so that a “possible investigation into another person who I considered to be a member of my family,” would not be initiated. 
The businessman said that he paid for the car “in a manner to conceal my involvement because I knew it was wrong. I knew that giving a car in return for influencing a United States senator to stop a criminal investigation was wrong, and I deeply regret my actions.”
Uribe could be sentenced to 95 years in prison and has to forfeit $246,000. He will also now testify against Menendez, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-jersey-democrat-sen-bob-menendez-indicted-on-bribery-charges" target="_blank" rel="noopener">faces charges</a> of conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right.
Prosecutors allege that Menendez and his wife had a corrupt relationship with businessmen Wael Hana, Uribe, and Fred Daibes, who allegedly gave the senator bribes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. According to the DOJ, the bribes were intended to protect the businessmen and to benefit Egypt. 
“Those bribes included cash, gold, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle, and other things of value,” the indictment said. Federal authorities reportedly found gold bars and cash stuffed throughout the senator’s home that they traced back to the businessmen Menendez allegedly worked with. 
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
Menendez is also accused of ghostwriting a letter to other senators to urge them to support to end a hold on $300 million in military aid to Egypt, a letter that was reportedly written in coordination with his wife and the businessmen in question. 
The trial for Menendez and his co-defendants is scheduled to begin on May 5.

NJ Senator Bob Menendez Indicted In Federal Corruption Probe

Businessman Pleads Guilty To Corruption Charges, Will Testify Against New Jersey Democrat Senator

Bob Menendez

Congress

New Jersey

Politics

U.S. Senate

Former Utah GOP Congressman and House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz expressed his disgust at people refusing to acknowledge the alleged corruption of the Biden family as he discussed Hunter Biden testifying before the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees.
“This is important. Because it&#8217;s not just rhetoric, it&#8217;s actually under oath,” Chaffetz, who chaired the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform for 2 years, told Fox News’ Stuart Varney. “You can go to jail for lying before the Oversight Committee.”
“There is so much evidence,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I am sick and tired of hearing these people say, ‘Oh, is there any evidence that ties Joe Biden directly?’ They&#8217;ve got $20 million flowing into the Biden family. There are more than 80 visits from Hunter Biden&#8217;s business associates to the White House; 29,000 emails go from Hunter Biden&#8217;s business partners and associates to the White House. 29,000 of those!&#8221;
“And you have all these millions of dollars,” he continued. “You have Jason Galanis, who&#8217;s one of the associates of Hunter Biden, who told the committee in an interview that Yelena Baturina, the former mayor of Moscow, one of the Russian oligarchs, at the end of the conversation, Joe Biden comes on the phone with this Russian oligarch and says, ‘You take care of my son.&#8217; Well, guess what? There&#8217;s $100 million real estate deal that they got, there&#8217;s diamonds that flow to the Bidens. I could go on and on and on. They already have enough evidence.”
“Now it’s time to tie Hunter Biden to the allegations and say, ‘In your perspective, did Yelena Baturina and your dad, the vice-president of the United States, have that conversation? And if he denies it, then you’ve got this interesting conflict of ‘he said, she said,’ but now let’s look at the phone records. And then that’s where the Bidens really get into trouble.”
“Russian oligarch Yelena Baturina – the wealthiest woman in Russia and then married to the former mayor of Moscow — wired the Rosemont Seneca Thornton bank account $3.5 million. Rosemont Seneca Thornton’s beneficiary was Rosemont Seneca Partners, of which Hunter Biden was the chairman,” the House Oversight Committee has <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/timeline/russia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1709293736190000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3_j743AYdgcts66MbaqIuT">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
“That was a very good idea; of all the factors that are involved here, because people get confused; you can’t follow the track all over, names and places,” Varney commented.
“How about $100,000 going into Joe Biden’s grandkids’ account?” Chaffetz asked rhetorically. “What did they do for that? And we know from the documentation, the allegation at least is that it was a thank you for opening up the doors to do business in Romania. &#8230; There’s a lot of money flowing to the Bidens.”
WATCH:
<div style="width: 720px;" class="wp-video">
<video class="wp-video-shortcode" id="video-703541-1" width="720" height="406" preload="metadata" controls="controls"><source type="video/mp4" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/02/2024-02-28-Grabien-Fox_Business_Network-Varney_and_Co.-Jason_Chaffetz-2313997.mp4?_=1" /><a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/02/2024-02-28-Grabien-Fox_Business_Network-Varney_and_Co.-Jason_Chaffetz-2313997.mp4">https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/02/2024-02-28-Grabien-Fox_Business_Network-Varney_and_Co.-Jason_Chaffetz-2313997.mp4</a></video></div>

Representative Jason Chaffetz

Jason Chaffetz: ‘Sick And Tired’ Of People Saying Biden Not Involved In Alleged Corruption

Hunter Biden

Jason Chaffetz

Joe Biden

James Biden said that his brother, President Joe Biden, did not have any involvement with his business dealings during a Wednesday interview with House lawmakers.
James was questioned for eight hours as part of the impeachment inquiry into whether President Biden was involved in efforts to benefit from his power and influence around the world. The president has repeatedly denied any involvement in his family&#8217;s business dealings, though Republicans have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hunter-biden-threatened-chinese-business-partner-for-payment-i-am-sitting-here-with-my-father" target="_blank" rel="noopener">presented evidence</a> challenging those statements.
&#8220;I have had a 50-year career in a variety of business ventures. Joe Biden has never had any involvement or any direct or indirect financial interest in those activities,&#8221; James <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/02/21/congress/james-biden-interview-00142454" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;None. I never asked my brother to take any official action on behalf of me, my business associates, or anyone else.”
Republicans said that aspects of James’s testimony were contradicted by the evidence presented.
&#8220;Let me say this. So there are a lot of things that Mr. Biden is saying that are directly contradicted by documents,” Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/james-biden-contradicted-himself-testimony-brothers-involvement-family-business-gop-lawmakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. 
House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) said he didn’t think James was telling the whole story when denying business ties between the Biden family. 
&#8220;He&#8217;s certainly said some things that make me wonder if he&#8217;s &#8230; maybe conveniently forgetting something? I don&#8217;t know, but some of his answers just don&#8217;t make a whole lot of sense,” Jordan said. 
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
James reportedly said he was not involved in a deal with Hunter and associates Rob Walker, Tony Bobulinski, and James Gilliar. However, a source told Fox News that he was then shown a document showing an agreement he had signed with them, which he claimed he didn’t remember. 
During the interview, James disputed <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/18/the-biden-name-how-the-presidents-brother-became-embroiled-in-a-hospital-fiasco-00141868" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> showing that he focused on his relationship with his brother when applying to work for the hospital chain Americore. He <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/02/21/congress/james-biden-interview-00142454" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> his brother “played no role, was not involved with, and received no benefits from my work with Americore.” 
Just days before, POLITICO reported that James had told Americore executives in 2017 that his brother would promote the company during a presidential campaign if the company could successfully expand rural health care. He also reportedly said he wanted to give Joe Biden equity in the company.

James Biden Deposed By House Oversight Committee As Impeachment Inquiry Continues

James Biden Claims President Was Not Involved In Family Business Dealings

Executive

Impeachment

James Biden

Jim Jordan

Top House Republicans are pressing Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/merrick-garland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Merrick Garland</a> on whether the Justice Department shielded Hunter Biden during the corruption trial of one of his Chinese associates. 
House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) and House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-KY) wrote <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2024-02-20%20JDJ%20JC%20to%20Garland%20re%20Ho%206%28e%29%20material.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a letter</a> to Garland on Tuesday requesting information on the DOJ’s prosecution of Chi Ping &#8220;Patrick&#8221; Ho, a Chinese businessman who was <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/patrick-ho-former-head-organization-backed-chinese-energy-conglomerate-sentenced-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sentenced</a> in 2019 to three years in prison for bribing officials in Uganda and Chad for the benefit of CEFC China Energy. In their letter, they said that the available evidence indicated that DOJ prosecutors purposely kept Hunter out of the investigation despite his ties to Ho and CEFC. 
“Information obtained by the Committees indicate that prosecutors sought to keep the Biden name out of Mr. Ho’s trial. First, as the Oversight Committee previously noted, prosecutors in Mr. Ho’s case seemingly redacted Hunter Biden’s name from evidence used at trial,” the Republicans wrote.
At Ho&#8217;s trial, Vuk Jeremic, the former president of the United Nations General Assembly, testified that he worked as a consultant for CEFC, which was headed by Chinese businessman Ye Jianming. Jeremic said he worked to link the company to prominent businessmen and politicians. 
“During the trial, a prosecutor requested that the judge redact from an email between Ho and Jeremic that DOJ intended to introduce into evidence the name of ‘an individual that Mr. Jeremic was willing to bring to a dinner with the chairman Mr. Ye,’” the letter said. 
The judge agreed to exclude the name of the individual Jeremic wanted to bring for dinner with Ye because including it “could introduce a political dimension to this case that [prosecutors] don’t think is worth dealing with,” according to the Republicans letter. 
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1700760801843000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2PQrVSrJfhxNb4LcARqniG">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
Jordan and Comer said that the evidence indicated that the redacted name was Hunter, who was linked to both Ho and CEFC in the years leading up to the trial. 
&#8220;In the years immediately preceding Mr. Ho&#8217;s trial and during his trial, Hunter Biden was closely connected to both Mr. Ho and CEFC. Mr. Biden’s business relationship with CEFC is lengthy and well-documented, and resulted in Mr. Biden receiving millions of dollars without providing an identifiable product or service,” the letter said. “Additionally, Mr. Ho paid Hunter Biden $1 million to serve as his legal counsel, though it is not clear what work Mr. Biden actually performed—especially since Mr. Biden is not a licensed attorney in New York.”
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1700760801843000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2PQrVSrJfhxNb4LcARqniG">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
The lawmakers want the DOJ to provide the unredacted email between Ho and Jeremic as well as the contents of Ho’s iPad, which was seized during the investigation.
The letter to Garland is part of House Republicans investigation into the Biden family’s business dealings abroad and impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. The president has denied ever discussing business with Hunter, a claim that has come under increasing scrutiny as the corruption probe continues.

World Food Program USA’s Annual McGovern-Dole Leadership Award Ceremony

Republicans Investigating Whether Hunter Biden Was Shielded By DOJ During Corruption Trial Of Chinese Associate

China

Department of Justice

James Comer

Merrick Garland

Legendary singer Barbra Streisand attempted to run defense for embattled Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, and the whole scenario quickly blew up in her face.
Streisand downplayed the accusations against Willis — namely that she was involved in an inappropriate and previously undisclosed romantic relationship with the man she hired and paid to investigate former President Donald Trump — and suggested that she was guilty of nothing more than wanting to keep her personal life private. She even implied that Willis&#8217; critics were sexist and would not hold a man to the same standards.
&#8220;How silly that the Republicans want to have Fani Willis fired. For what? Thinking a woman can’t have a private life as well as a professional one? Men do it all the time! How ridiculous is this?&#8221; Streisand said via X on Monday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
How silly that the Republicans want to have Fani Willis fired. For what? Thinking a woman can’t have a private life as well as a professional one? Men do it all the time! How ridiculous is this?
&mdash; Barbra Streisand (@BarbraStreisand) <a href="https://twitter.com/BarbraStreisand/status/1757150280087417291?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
But as Streisand&#8217;s critics were quick to point out, when Willis allegedly hired her boyfriend, it was the taxpayers who were on the hook to pay him. And when he allegedly started to use those funds to pay for lavish vacations — which she took part in as well — the water got muddier still.
&#8220;Could you genuinely be this clueless? Corruption in the pursuit of your &#8216;private life&#8217; is called a crime. A bank robber is also pursuing his &#8216;private life to build liquid equity,'&#8221; author Gad Saad posted in response.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Could you genuinely be this clueless? Corruption in the pursuit of your “private life” is called a crime. A bank robber is also pursuing his “private life to build liquid equity.” <a href="https://t.co/tpPkBTDPrL">https://t.co/tpPkBTDPrL</a>
&mdash; Gad Saad (@GadSaad) <a href="https://twitter.com/GadSaad/status/1757426753570578882?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I can’t be sure this isn’t actually Babylon Bee…&#8221; Fox Business host David Asman remarked.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I can’t be sure this isn’t actually Babylon Bee… <a href="https://t.co/VGQZdilsJX">https://t.co/VGQZdilsJX</a>
&mdash; David Asman (@DavidAsmanfox) <a href="https://twitter.com/DavidAsmanfox/status/1757388323176280456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Today I learned &#8216;having a private life&#8217; is giving your lover a million taypayer (sic) dollars,&#8221; another account commented.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Today I learned &quot;having a private life&quot; is giving your lover a million taypayer dollars
&mdash; U.S. Ministry of Truth (@USMiniTru) <a href="https://twitter.com/USMiniTru/status/1757389999744364682?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;It’s not private when you sleep with your employees and pay them more than people you aren’t sleeping with…&#8221; X user Brian Clowdus posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
It’s not private when you sleep with your employees and pay them more than people you aren’t sleeping with…
&mdash; Brian Clowdus (@BrianClowdus) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrianClowdus/status/1757416531787477034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fani-willis-could-be-disqualified-from-trump-case-over-relationship-with-fellow-prosecutor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said on Monday</a> that he would not allow Willis&#8217; motion to forgo a hearing on the accusations against her.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1707591998756000&amp;usg=AOvVaw25BBjfj8wpQhA6F0A4qnyA">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
&#8220;Because I think it’s possible that the facts alleged by the defendant could result in disqualification, I think an evidentiary hearing must occur to establish the record on those core allegations,&#8221; he said.

67th Annual Directors Guild Of America Awards – Show

Barbra Streisand Steps In It With Awkward Attempt To Defend Anti-Trump DA Fani Willis

Barbra Streisand

Celebrities

Donald Trump

Fani Willis

Georgia

House Republicans announced on Friday that they will move to hold <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hunter-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hunter Biden</a> in contempt of Congress next week after he refused to show up for a closed-door interview with Republicans as part of their <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/timeline-of-alleged-biden-family-corruption" target="_blank" rel="noopener">investigation into the Biden famil</a>y. 
House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-KY) <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/release/comer-announces-markup-of-resolution-to-hold-hunter-biden-in-contempt-of-congress/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that his committee and the House Judiciary Committee led by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) would hold markup meetings to consider a resolution to hold Hunter in contempt. Last month, Hunter <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hunter-biden-shows-up-to-capitol-defies-subpoena-for-house-deposition" target="_blank" rel="noopener">skipped a deposition</a> with congressional investigators, saying he would only answer questions publicly. 
“Our investigation has produced significant evidence suggesting President Biden knew of, participated in, and benefitted from his family cashing in on the Biden name. We planned to question Hunter Biden about this record of evidence, but he blatantly defied two lawful subpoenas, choosing to read a prepared statement outside of the Capitol instead of appearing for testimony as required,” Comer and Jordan said. 
The meeting will happen on January 10 at 10:00 a.m. EST at the Rayburn House Office Building. 
“Hunter Biden’s willful refusal to comply with our subpoenas constitutes contempt of Congress and warrants referral to the appropriate United States Attorney’s Office for prosecution. We will not provide him with special treatment because of his last name,” Comer and Jordan added. 
On the day Republican lawmakers told Hunter to appear for an interview, he showed up at the U.S. Capitol Building and challenged Comer to allow him to appear for a public hearing instead to answer “legitimate” questions. 
“What are they afraid of? I’m here. I’m ready,” he told reporters.
Since Biden’s lawyer had already made this offer multiple times, Comer has previously stated that he would only be satisfied with Biden appearing for a deposition. But the chairman has indicated that he would be open to having Biden appear for a public hearing — after the closed-door interview.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1702741302552000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0j7iIgqNi0bR5AgQ4rgPM4">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
The ranking member on the Oversight Committee, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) <a href="https://oversightdemocrats.house.gov/news/press-releases/ranking-member-raskin-s-statement-on-committee-republicans-contempt-vote" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticized</a> the announcement from Comer. 
“There is no precedent for the U.S. House of Representatives holding a private citizen in contempt of Congress who has offered to testify in public, under oath, and on a day of the Committee’s choosing,” he said. 
Comer and Jordan are also <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/release/comer-jordan-investigate-whether-president-biden-sought-to-obstruct-his-sons-cooperation-with-the-houses-impeachment-inquiry/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">investigating</a> whether President Joe Biden obstructed their investigation by encouraging Hunter not to comply with their requests for a deposition.

President Biden Arrives Back At The White House From Delaware

House Republicans Look To Hold Hunter Biden In Contempt After Defiance Of Subpoenas

A federal judge declined to delay the corruption trial of Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bob-menendez" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bob Menendez</a> (D-NJ) by two months, keeping the previously scheduled timeline on track. 
Menendez, who is accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes, had hoped to move jury selection for his trial from May to July. The trial for Menendez, his wife, and three New Jersey businessmen will begin on May 5, federal Judge Sidney Stein <a href="https://apnews.com/article/bob-menendez-wife-defendants-bribery-indictment-c4c9fd351251032d43b2005eabf5f6e4">ordered</a>. 
Menendez’s defense team said that it needed extra time because of the “unprecedented foreign-agent charge against a sitting Senator” and due to the 6.7 million documents that will be used in the case. The judge rejected this argument, saying that federal prosecutors had told Menendez’s lawyers what to expect, according to the Associated Press. 
“The fact that discovery has been voluminous is consistent with the parties’ stated expectations on October 2 and does not justify a two month adjournment of the schedule,” Stein <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/12/28/menendez-trial-delay-request-rejected-00133295" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “In fact, the volume of discovery material is less than defendants were concerned it was when they sought the [two month delay] on December 20.”
Menendez <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-jersey-democrat-sen-bob-menendez-indicted-on-bribery-charges" target="_blank" rel="noopener">faces charges</a> of conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right.
The <a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/23989441/us_v_menendez_et_al_indictment.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indictment says</a> that Menendez and his wife had a corrupt relationship with New Jersey businessmen Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, and Fred Daibes, who allegedly gave the senator bribes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. According to the DOJ, the bribes were intended to protect the businessmen and to benefit Egypt. 
“Those bribes included cash, gold, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle, and other things of value,” the indictment said. Federal authorities reportedly found gold bars and cash stuffed throughout the senator’s home that they traced back to the businessmen Menendez allegedly worked with. 
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
Menendez is also accused of ghost writing a letter to other senators to urge them to support to end a hold on $300 million in military aid to Egypt, a letter that was reportedly written in coordination with his wife and the businessmen in question. 
Other aspects of the indictment focus in on Menendez’s involvement with IS EG Halal, a business that prosecutors say was used to funnel bribery payments and one of the businessman’s alleged payments for a Mercedes Benz used by Nadine Menendez.
Menendez, his wife, and the three business men have all pleaded not guilty to the charges they face. He has faced <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/john-fetterman-calls-on-bob-menendez-to-resign-from-u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">calls from</a> some Democrats like Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) to step down.

HHS Secretary Becerra Testifies In Senate Hearing On 2024 Proposed Budget Requests

Judge Declines Request To Delay Corruption Trial Of Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez

Senate Democrats

Edward Burke, a former Chicago City Council member who was considered one of the city&#8217;s most powerful people, was found guilty on Thursday of racketeering, bribery, and attempted extortion.
Burke was convicted on 13 of the 14 corruption charges against him in a federal corruption trial in which prosecutors accused him of leveraging his government position to pressure private developers into hiring his law firm.
Until earlier this year, the Democrat, 79, had served on the Windy City&#8217;s council since 1969, making him the longest-serving council member.
A jury <a href="https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/ed-burke-corruption-trial-chicago-jury-reaches-verdict" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deliberated</a> for nearly 24 hours before convicting Burke on charges including racketeering, a charge originally meant for members of organized crime, demanding, accepting, or agreeing to accept things of value, attempted extortion, corruptly soliciting, and using an interstate facility to promote unlawful activity. The jury acquitted Burke on one count of conspiracy.
The corruption schemes were carried out between 2016 and 2018.
One episode prosecutors focused on was Burke&#8217;s 2017 &#8220;shakedown&#8221; of the owners of a Burger King franchise in his old ward. Prosecutors said Burke stalled the Burger King&#8217;s building and property permits as he tried to get the owners to hire his law firm for tax business.
&#8220;I will play as hard ball as I can,&#8221; a political aide said on a recorded call after Burke informed him that he was &#8220;playing nice&#8221; with the Burger King owners but that they never got back to him.
Burke was also <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/12/21/news/chicago-alderman-ed-burke-convicted-of-racketeering-bribery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused</a> of turning up the heat on others, including the developer working on a $600 million renovation of Chicago’s historic Old Post Office and a liquor store chain called Binny’s Beverage Depot.
Another former alderman, Danny Solis, wore a wire for the FBI for two years in order to avoid prosecution.
“Did we land the, uh, tuna?” Burke <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/12/21/news/chicago-alderman-ed-burke-convicted-of-racketeering-bribery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a> Solis on a call, apparently referring to getting his law firm the business of the Old Post Office developer.
Burke also threatened to block an admission fee increase for Chicago&#8217;s Field Museum after they failed to give an internship to the daughter of one of his friends, a former alderman.
&#8220;This case was about bribery and extortion occurring at the highest levels of Chicago city government,&#8221; <a href="https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/ed-burke-corruption-trial-chicago-jury-reaches-verdict" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Morris Pasqual, acting U.S. Attorney for Chicago in the wake of the verdict.
&#8220;The public voted Mr. Burke into office, and they trusted that he would be guided by and motivated by pursuing the common good. He betrayed that trust,&#8221; Pasqual said.
After the verdict, Burke left the courthouse with his wife, former Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Anne Burke, without commenting to the media.
Burke&#8217;s sentencing is <a href="https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/ed-burke-corruption-trial-chicago-jury-reaches-verdict" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scheduled</a> for June 19.
He faces potentially decades in prison. The racketeering and extortion counts are punishable by up to 20 years, while the corruptly soliciting and bribery charges are punishable by up to 10 years.

US-NEWS-CHICAGO-BURKE-TRIAL-TB

Powerful Chicago Democrat Found Guilty On Federal Racketeering, Corruption Charges

Chicago Democrat Found Guilty On Federal Racketeering, Corruption Charges

Chicago

Crime

government

Illinois

Organized crime

U.S.

New York City Mayor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/eric-adams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eric Adams</a> said the 25-year-old woman who served as his chief political fundraiser is no longer working in that position, nearly a month after federal agents raided her Brooklyn home.
Adams <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/28/nyregion/brianna-suggs-adams.html?smid=tw-nytimes&amp;smtyp=cur" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> on Tuesday that his now-former political fundraising manager Brianna Suggs was out, after previously expressing he had &#8220;full confidence&#8221; in her fundraising efforts, according to The New York Times.
&#8220;She is no longer doing fundraising for the campaign,&#8221; Adams told reporters.
The mayor declined to comment further on Suggs. However, the New York Post <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-seizes-eric-adams-phones-amid-federal-corruption-investigation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that a person close to the campaign said she remains on staff, but is moving into another role for the mayor&#8217;s 2025 reelection efforts.
Days after the raid, Adams reportedly described Suggs in an interview as a talented fundraiser.
&#8220;She led the fundraising numbers when you look at throughout the entire campaign, and I feel confidence in her integrity and how hard she works,&#8221; he reportedly <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/2023/11/28/adams-campaign-fundraiser-brianna-suggs-reassigned-to-another-role-on-his-team-after-fbi-raid-at-her-home/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on PIX11. &#8220;And often, young African-American ladies don&#8217;t get the opportunities that others received in this business of politics, and she stood up from an intern, became a good staffer, and ran our entire fundraising apparatus in this previous campaign and this one as well.&#8221;
Suggs, who has raised approximately $2.5 million for Adams&#8217; 2025 reelection campaign, has not publicly commented about the reports.
Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation&#8217;s public corruption program raided Suggs&#8217; Brooklyn residence on November 2, which set off a series of investigations into Adams and his campaign. She is at least one of two people in the mayor&#8217;s inner circle whose belongings and electronic devices have reportedly been seized by the FBI.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1700760801843000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2PQrVSrJfhxNb4LcARqniG">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
The FBI reportedly sought evidence of whether Adams&#8217; campaign conspired with the Turkish government via a Brooklyn construction company.
According to the Times, the warrant to search Suggs&#8217; home also sought proof of donations made from a D.C. college, Bay Atlantic University, whose founder is Turkish. Agents reportedly seized multiple iPhones, laptops, and numerous documents from Suggs&#8217; home, including a folder labeled &#8220;Eric Adams.&#8221;
When the news of the raid broke that morning, Adams reportedly canceled several meetings in Washington, D.C., about the historic immigration crisis in the U.S. that found its way into New York City. After several border state governors transported illegal migrants into Democrat-run sanctuary cities, Adams began vocalizing his frustrations with the Biden administration&#8217;s handling of the crisis.
Law enforcement sources told the Post that agents purposely conducted the raid while Adams was out of the city.
&#8220;As a former member of law enforcement, I expect all members of my staff to follow the law and fully cooperate with any sort of investigation—and I will continue to do exactly that,&#8221; Adams said in a statement. &#8220;I have nothing to hide.&#8221;
Federal agents also raided the home of the mayor&#8217;s personal assistant and member of the Mayor’s Office of International Affairs, Rana Abbasova, the same day authorities searched the home of Suggs, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/16/nyregion/nyc-adams-turkey-raid-aide.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Times</a>.
Abbasova was later placed on administrative leave after City Hall officials said she had “acted improperly” in connection to Adams’ campaign.
FBI agents later approached Adams while walking on a New York City street with his security detail. The agents proceeded to get into Adams&#8217; SUV with the mayor before taking two cell phones and an iPad. The devices were returned to the mayor within days, two people with knowledge of the seizure told the Times, but it was unclear whether the FBI agents&#8217; action was a part of the investigation into corruption allegations.
Authorities have not accused Adams or Suggs of any wrongdoing.
A spokeswoman for Crowell &amp; Moring, a law firm representing Suggs, told the Times they &#8220;look forward to continued cooperation with the government&#8217;s investigation, and her work in support of the mayor&#8217;s 2025 campaign.&#8221;
Zach Jewell contributed to this report.

Mayor Eric Adams speaks during press briefing at City Hall.

NYC Mayor Adams Says Chief Fundraiser No Longer In Position Following FBI Raid

Eric Adams

New York City

House Republicans subpoenaed additional <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hunter-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hunter Biden</a> associates on Thursday, including his art dealer, as part of their ongoing investigation into the Biden family business dealings abroad.
House Oversight Committee Chairman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/james-comer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Comer</a> (R-KY) sent subpoenas to Hunter business associates Eric Schwerin and Mervyn Yan, art dealer George Bergès, and art patron Elizabeth Naftali to appear before lawmakers for depositions. The subpoenas are part of the committee&#8217;s investigation into the high priced sales of Hunter’s artwork. According to Comer, Bergès has not responded to multiple requests by the committee to come in for interviews. 
“Given the evidence the Committees have uncovered about how Hunter Biden and other Biden family members have attempted to conceal the source of the money they received from abroad, it is particularly critical for the Committees to understand the details regarding the sale of Hunter Biden’s artwork by your client’s gallery. The Committee will also seek information about any differences between the sale of Hunter Biden’s artwork and the sale of other artwork by your client’s gallery,” Comer and Rep. Jim Jordan <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Letter-to-Berges-11.9.23.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> to a lawyer for Bergès. 
Bergès is <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Georges-Berges-Subpoena.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">requested</a> to appear before lawmakers on December 15.
Naftali, a major Democrat donor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/foreign-post-handed-to-hunter-bidens-art-buyer-is-notorious-for-corruption-used-to-buy-foreign-influence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">who paid Hunter Biden</a> for a piece of his hyper-expensive artwork, was recently appointed by President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> to the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad. She is set to appear before lawmakers on December 1.
In a letter to a lawyer for Naftali, Comer and Jordan said that her “anonymity regarding her purchase of Hunter Biden’s art is no more and her position on a prestigious commission within the Biden Administration raises the Committees’ concerns.”
Yan and Schwerin are both business associates of Hunter and also requested to appear before lawmakers in December.
“Mr. Schwerin worked closely with the Biden family members, Biden associates, and Biden corporate entities that the Committees have identified as transferring millions of dollars to the Bidens, often from foreign sources,” Comer and Jordan <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Letter-to-Schwerin-11.9.23-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. 
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
On Wednesday, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-oversight-subpoenas-hunter-biden-presidents-brother-and-ex-business-associate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Comer sent out subpoenas</a> to Hunter, the president’s brother James Biden, and Rob Walker, a former Biden family business associate.
Copies of the subpoenas, <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPoversight/status/1722327200714641654" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared</a> by the Oversight Committee’s X account, showed they demand a deposition from each individual at dates extending from the end of this month to the middle of December.
Comer also requested additional Biden family members and their associates to appear for transcribed interviews, according to the panel, including: President Biden’s daughter-in-law Hallie Biden, her sister Elizabeth Secundy, Hunter Biden’s wife Melissa Cohen, and Hunter Biden’s former business partner <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tony-bobulinski">Tony Bobulinski</a>.

Hunter Biden Goes To Court To Plead Guilty To Tax Violations

Republicans Issue Subpoenas Over Hunter Biden Art Sales

House Oversight Committee

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/white-house" target="_blank" rel="noopener">White House</a> dismissed a request by House Oversight Chairman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/james-comer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Comer</a> (R-KY) seeking proof of President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> providing a loan to his brother James Biden amid concerns that the commander-in-chief may have profited off his family&#8217;s influence-peddling schemes.
Richard Sauber, special counsel to the president, wrote back to Comer on Friday in response to a letter from October 26 that sought documentation underlying a $200,000 check James Biden wrote to Joe Biden that was labeled as a &#8220;loan repayment&#8221; in 2018.
The letter &#8220;concerns a financial transaction between two family members at a time when both individuals were private citizens,&#8221; Sauber stated curtly in his reply, which was <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/white-house-refuses-proof-biden-family-payments-china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first reported by the Washington Examiner</a> on Monday and later obtained by The Daily Wire.
Comer, who is leading a corruption-focused impeachment inquiry against Biden, is trying to get more information about a $200,000 check dated March 1, 2018, which he said bank records show James Biden issued from his personal account on the same day he received the same amount of money from Americore Health LLC.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Read more about our findings 👇 <a href="https://t.co/UUqun7lrpE">https://t.co/UUqun7lrpE</a>
&mdash; Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPoversight/status/1715436506481901913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
That company, according to Comer, was going through bankruptcy proceedings to which James Biden made “representations that his last name, ‘Biden,’ could ‘open doors’ and that he could obtain a large investment from the Middle East based on his political connections.&#8221;
Comer insisted his committee has no records supporting the claim that Joe Biden provided a loan to his brother and the chairman <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Letter-to-WHCO-re-alleged-Joe-Biden-loan-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">requested</a> &#8220;documentation clarifying the nature of this payment and whether all applicable documentation and IRS filings were properly made.&#8221;
Sauber disputed the assertion that there were no relevant documents in the panel&#8217;s possession as &#8220;incorrect,&#8221; pointing to a letter House Oversight ranking member Jamie Raskin (D-MD) wrote to Comer, and concludes by saying Comer&#8217;s &#8220;letter makes other statements that I will not address here except to express my strong disagreement with your factual assertions and characterizations.&#8221;
Raskin said the panel has documents that &#8220;clearly show that President Biden had $200,000 wired to his brother on January 12, 2018.&#8221; A <a href="https://oversightdemocrats.house.gov/sites/democrats.oversight.house.gov/files/2023-10-20%20Bank%20Record%20Fact%20Sheet%20Final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;fact sheet&#8221;</a> from House Oversight Democrats says bank records obtained via subpoena &#8220;show that in 2017 and 2018, while President Biden was not in office, he provided two short-term loans to his brother, James, who repaid each loan within two months.&#8221;
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-8890">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
But a GOP congressional aide told The Daily Wire that &#8220;contrary to the White House’s and Ranking Member Raskin’s claims, nothing within the Oversight Committee’s possession clearly shows that Joe Biden did indeed loan his brother large sums of money. The White House and Democrats have peddled a false narrative instead of providing the loan documents.&#8221;
Another payment that has attracted scrutiny is a $40,000 check from James Biden&#8217;s wife, Sarah, sent to Joe Biden that was also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-republicans-say-biden-stonewalling-over-loan-repayment-docs-funded-by-laundered-chinese-money" target="_blank" rel="noopener">labeled</a> as a loan repayment. Comer suspects that the money came from a Chinese enterprise. The foreign business dealings of President <a href="https://twitter.com/RepLaTurner/status/1721622555805499641" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden&#8217;s son, Hunter, </a>are also a significant area of inquiry for House GOP investigators.
&#8220;The White House today made clear to us that President Biden is refusing to hand over loan documents for any &#8216;loans&#8217; he provided to his brother, James Biden,&#8221; the House Oversight Committee <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPoversight/status/1720587680189222989" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in response to Sauber&#8217;s letter on Friday.
&#8220;We’ve exposed nearly a quarter of a million of dollars that James Biden sent to Joe Biden as &#8216;loan repayments&#8217; that were funded by laundered China money and influence peddling schemes,&#8221; the panel added. &#8220;Is this what &#8216;the most transparent administration in history&#8217; is supposed to look like? We won’t be stopped by the President’s stonewalling. We’ll continue to follow the money, expose President Biden’s corruption, and deliver accountability.&#8221;

President Joe Biden

White House Rebuffs Biden Family ‘Loan Repayment’ Inquiry

White House Rebuffs Biden Family 'Loan Repayment' Inquiry

White House

Menu