Just days ago, Rudy Giuliani <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rudy-giuliani-hospitalized-after-vehicle-struck-from-behind-at-high-speed?author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Rudy+Giuliani+Hospitalized+After+Vehicle+%E2%80%98Struck+From+Behind+At+High+Speed%E2%80%99">made headlines</a> for surviving a car accident after stopping on the side of a highway to help a woman reporting domestic violence.
This recent act of public service from &#8220;America’s Mayor&#8221; reflects a lifetime of public service, from taking down the Mafia in the Southern District of New York’s famed 1980s &#8220;Commission Trial,&#8221; to prosecuting high-profile terrorism cases that were tied to the first World Trade Center bombing in the 1990s with Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew McCarthy.
Unfortunately, that history of fearless, nonpartisan justice stands in sharp contrast to the SDNY’s posture today, where partisan lawfare seems to dominate.
That’s why it’s so encouraging that a group of judges <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/08/18/us-news/judges-approve-trump-pick-jay-clayton-to-remain-interim-us-attorney-for-southern-district-of-new-york/">ruled</a> in late August that Trump appointee Jay Clayton can remain in place as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.
Clayton has the potential to restore the SDNY back to its former glory during the Giuliani years.
He is a longtime Republican who clerked for a Reagan-appointed judge and served as head of the Securities and Exchange Commission during the first Trump administration.
For far too long, the SDNY has seemed to specialize in partisan lawfare.
For example, SDNY Judge Lewis Kaplan presided over journalist E. Jean Carroll’s 2019 civil <a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/01/26/1226626397/trump-defamation-trial#:~:text=What%20this%20case%20is%20about,former%20president%20was%20also%20liable.">lawsuit</a> against Trump, which accused the sitting president of rape and defamation.
Carroll <a href="https://dailydodge.com/e-jean-carroll-testifying-in-civil-case-says-she-cant-recall-date-of-alleged-trump-attack/">couldn’t remember</a> what year the alleged assault took place, never mentioned it in her diary, and claimed that the numerous similarities between her account and a 2012 &#8220;Law and Order&#8221; episode were an “astonishing” coincidence.
But despite all these holes in Carroll’s story, the Left saw a chance to undermine Trump and leaped at it. Democrat billionaire megadonor Reid Hoffman <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/anafaguy/2023/05/10/what-was-reid-hoffmans-role-in-funding-e-jean-carrolls-case/">funded</a> the entire lawsuit through his nonprofit American Future Republic, and it was anti-Trump commentator George Conway who <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usxxlZosnNs">urged</a> Carroll to sue in the first place.
Kaplan not only oversaw this farce but also put his thumb on the scale for Carroll. He <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-rape-case-lawyers-banned-from-speaking-about-dna-judge-rules-2023-3">ruled</a> male DNA found on Carroll’s dress inadmissible, even after Trump offered to provide a sample. He <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/trump-fails-narrow-rape-accusers-case-trial-looms-2023-03-28/">admitted</a> additional defamation charges that punished Trump for defending himself on social media. He even <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23793781-tacopina-mistrial-filing/">interrupted</a> a line of questioning from Trump’s lawyer in a way that signaled clearly to the jury where his sympathies lay.
<div id="attachment_968215" style="width: 875px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-968215" class="size-large wp-image-968215" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2173736897-865x576.jpg" alt="Jocelyn Strauber, commissioner of New York City's Department of Investigation, speaks during a new conference at the US Attorney's Office-Southern District of New York (SDNY) in New York, US, on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. New York City Mayor Eric Adams was indicted on bribery and fraud charges following a federal corruption investigation, calling into question the political future of the man in charge of running the biggest US city. Photographer: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images" width="865" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2173736897-865x576.jpg 865w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2173736897-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2173736897-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-2173736897.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 865px) 100vw, 865px" />Photographer: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images</div>
The SDNY also conveniently <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/new-york-city-mayor-eric-adams-charged-bribery-and-campaign-finance-offenses">charged</a> New York City Mayor Eric Adams with bribery shortly after he started <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/15/nyregion/eric-adams-mexico-border-migrants.html">speaking out</a> against the Biden administration’s open border policies.
When the Trump administration ordered the charges dropped, multiple prosecutors <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/02/13/nx-s1-5297120/eric-adams-federal-prosecutors-resignations">resigned</a> in outrage after failing to make a single peep about the lawfare campaign against Trump.
These partisan prosecutions even extend to the realm of antitrust enforcement. 
 
The SDNY is currently <a href="https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/video/justice-department-sues-visa-monopolizing-debit-markets#:~:text=Description:%20Today%2C%20the%20Justice%20Department,developing%20new%20and%20innovative%20alternatives.&amp;text=Review%20the%20YouTube%20Terms%20of%20Service%20and%20the%20Google%20Privacy%20Policy%20.">playing host</a> to a Biden-era Justice Department lawsuit against Visa. Biden Attorney General Merrick Garland accused the company of driving up “the price of nearly everything” by monopolizing the debit transaction market.
In fact, it was Biden’s own inflationary policies that were driving up prices. Visa, which has a high market share because of its popularity but nothing close to a monopoly, just provided a handy scapegoat.
Meanwhile, the district always seems to drop the ball when it comes to getting actual justice for actual victims.
They <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/27/business/sam-bankman-fried-campaign-finance-charge.html#:~:text=Federal%20prosecutors%20pursuing%20the%20criminal,The%20authorities%20have%20said%20Mr.">failed</a> to charge crypto fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried until his whole fraudulent empire was collapsing around him, even though the writing was on the wall long before the crash.
By that point, it was already too late. Bankman-Fried was the <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ftx-sam-bankman-fried-political-donations-2022/">largest single donor</a> to Democrats in the 2022 midterms, ploughing <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/12/14/sbf-ftx-political-donations/">over $40 million</a> into PACs that helped Democrats keep the Senate and hold Republican gains in the House to historic lows.
Damian Williams, then the U.S. attorney for the SDNY, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/united-states-attorney-announces-charges-against-ftx-founder-samuel-bankman-fried#:~:text=BANKMAN%2DFRIED%20was%20arrested%20yesterday,fraud%2C%20plain%20and%20simple.%E2%80%9D">made it clear</a> that these donations from SBF and his cronies were funded with “stolen customer money.” The people SBF defrauded might get their money back, but voters have no such remedy. There’s no way to un-air the ads his ill-gotten gains bankrolled.
The sex trafficking case against rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs provides another example of the SDNY’s failure. Maurene Comey, the lead prosecutor on the case, botched it so badly that the Justice Department <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrxDE8izOUc">fired</a> her just weeks after the verdict came down.
Although Combs was <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/07/03/nx-s1-5454769/sean-combs-found-guilty-on-2-counts-but-acquitted-on-most-serious-charges">convicted</a> of prostitution offenses and faces up to 20 years in prison, the jury <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/jury-reaches-verdict-sean-diddy-combs-sex-trafficking-trial-rcna214785">found</a> him not guilty on the more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering.
Incidentally, Comey also <a href="https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-james-comey-maurene-trump-dda5d1f40f08346bd97696ce4791e8ec">worked</a> on district’s prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell. That case <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/ghislaine-maxwell-sentenced-20-years-prison-conspiring-jeffrey-epstein-sexually-abuse">ended</a> with a conviction and a 20-year prison sentence but left so many unanswered questions that it’s difficult to call it an unqualified win.
During her confirmation hearings, Attorney General Pam Bondi <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pam-bondi-senate-confirmation-hearing-attorney-general-nominee-planned-remarks/">promised</a> to end “partisan weaponization” and “restore confidence and integrity to the Department of Justice – and each of its components.”
The SDNY is a particularly dysfunctional component that’s been fouling the gears of our justice system for far too long.
By ending the disastrous tradition of “blue slips,” the administration can take a major step toward the restoration of truly impartial justice.
There is no better way to honor the now recovering “America’s Mayor” than by restoring one of his top legacies back to its former glory.
* * *
James Skyles is a legal policy analyst and the principal of Skyles Law Group. He has written for some of the largest legal publications in the United States, including Law.com and Law360.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

MixCollage-03-Sep-2025-10-30-AM-275

Giuliani’s DAs Tackled The Mob. Now The Same Office Targets Political Enemies.

Andrew McCarthy

Conservatives

Court

Democrats

E. Jean Carroll

Eric Adams

Leftists

New York

Rudy Giuliani

Sam Bankman-Fried

Sean 'Diddy' Combs

Every time someone fires at President Trump in court and misses, it makes him stronger.
The turning point in the 2024 election wasn&#8217;t even the assassination attempt or even Joe Biden dropping out.
It was the Mar-a-Lago raid. That raid turned the entire election on its head, because people rightly believed that Trump was being politically persecuted.
On Thursday, there was another case of someone firing at Trump legally and missing.
You might recall a decision that came down last year from a New York court and a trial judge that found Trump was liable for fraud. Why? Because when he was getting loans, he had supposedly made statements about his properties and the value of his properties, and then he got loans based on the value of the properties.
None of those loans were in default. He ended up paying back all of those loans. No lenders complained about any of this.
But New York State Attorney General Letitia James decided she was going to target him. So she jerry-rigged an entire case that violated the actual essence of the law — because the law was not designed for any of this.
James had actually put out a tweet in February 2024 celebrating the amount Trump was fined: $464,576,230.62.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/bss-ep-2265-member-exclusive?elementPosition=4&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h3>
According to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/ny-appeals-court-throws-out-500-million-civil-fraud-judgment-against-trump-c556d887?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAguMmZjVZl0arP456l7GRMObgKK8fjnRl1FgKAaMZSg4XdNIVN6ckGrsP1q61I%3D&amp;gaa_ts=68a8cb47&amp;gaa_sig=ETQOYr5qhHGImG5q168H_WjgueZJuCsEXZ4qSbx65exAOqWJTG-CcWXTLUIgZKmmqjJpMqHND0VhTfBkJZBaXg%3D%3D">The Wall Street Journal</a>: 
<blockquote>A New York appeals court threw out a more than $500 million penalty against President <a href="https://www.wsj.com/topics/person/donald-trump">Trump</a> and his business empire, in a sharply splintered ruling that paves the way for further proceedings before the state’s highest court. 
The decision on Thursday from <a href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/court-split-leaves-trumps-civil-fraud-appeal-stuck-in-slow-lane-8ca09956?mod=article_inline">a five-judge panel</a> of the New York Appellate Division’s First Department is a significant legal boost for Trump, freeing him, for now, from a massive penalty that caused him financial headaches last year. …
“While harm certainly occurred, it was not the cataclysmic harm that can justify a nearly half billion-dollar award to the State,” Justice Peter Moulton wrote…</blockquote>
This was a bizarre award in the first place, given the fact that the supposed crime was not committed against the state of New York. It was a misread of the law. Judge David Friedman said that the law that originally enabled Letitia James to sue President Trump was designed to protect consumers and the public marketplace from deception and consumer transactions. It was not designed to protect lenders, who were not the ones who were damaged.
The court <a href="https://prod-i.a.dj.com/public/resources/documents/Appeal.pdf">wrote</a>:
<blockquote>A.G. James&#8217;s suit turns section 63(12) on its head, the leniency with which the courts have construed the requirements for pleading and proving fraud under that section, a leniency that has been extended for the purposes of facilitating the use of the provision to prevent the exploitation of unsophisticated consumers, investors and small business, is here being used by Attorney General Letitia James to apply section 63(12) to a scenario to which that provision has never before been applied or even thought to apply.</blockquote>
The court basically said, “You have got to be kidding me. $500 million fine? Are you kidding me?”
So Letitia James put out a <a href="https://x.com/NewYorkStateAG/status/1958567967148449838">statement</a>, saying:
<blockquote>The First Department today affirmed the well-supported finding of the trial court: Donald Trump, his company and two of his children are liable for fraud. 
The court upheld the injunctive relief we won, limiting Donald Trump and the Trump Organization officers’ ability to do business in New York. It should not be lost to history: yet another court has ruled that the president violated the law, and that our case has merit. 
We will seek appeal to the Court of Appeals and continue to protect the rights and interests of New Yorkers. </blockquote>
She claimed that the part of the decision saying that her filing wasn&#8217;t illegal was a vindication for her.
But if the thing that she was bragging about went away, namely, a $500 billion penalty, then she lost.
And that&#8217;s the point that President Trump was making on Truth Social, <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115067582190707382">writing</a>:
<blockquote>TOTAL VICTORY in the FAKE New York State Attorney General Letitia James Case! I greatly respect the fact that the Court had the Courage to throw out this unlawful and disgraceful Decision that was hurting Business all throughout New York State. Others were afraid to do business there. The amount, including Interest and Penalties, was over $550 Million Dollars. It was a Political Witch Hunt, in a business sense, the likes of which no one has ever seen before. This was a Case of Election Interference by the City and State trying to show, illegally, that I did things that were wrong when, in fact, everything I did was absolutely CORRECT and, even, PERFECT. Every single Dollar was thrown out, even the penalties imposed on us by the Corrupt Judge, one of the most overturned in History, Arthur Engoron.
I wasn’t given a Jury and, during the course of the Trial, which lasted a long time, was not given one Ruling in my favor by this Political Hack, but worse than him, if that’s possible, was Letitia James, a Corrupt and Incompetent Attorney General who only brought this Case in order to hurt me politically. She is a Trump Deranged Lunatic! They made me bond the outrageous sum, which never happened before, and which cost me Millions of Dollars a month. It should have never been allowed to happen, and everyone knew it! Importantly, the Vote was 5 to 0. I am so honored by Justice David Friedman’s great words of wisdom, which should be read by everyone. I would also like to thank the Court for having the Courage to make this Decision, which is already going down as one of the worst business persecutions in the History of our Country. 
Sadly, there are other Cases against me that are equally disgraceful, including those headed up by Corrupt Judges, like Juan Merchan, whose daughter collected Millions of Dollars in Fees from Crooked Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, while her father shockingly REFUSED TO RECUSE himself from a vicious and corrupt trial, which is also under Appeal, one in which every Legal Pundit in New York said, “THERE WAS NO CASE!” — Even Editorial Boards said, “DO NOT DO THIS!” Judge Merchan gave me an unprecedented Gag Order, not letting me talk about him or his daughter, or the fact that the Appellate Judges thought he should not be doing the Case, but he did it anyway. Many Lawyers said that his daughter and him created the Greatest Conflict of Interest they had ever seen.</blockquote>
The bottom line: this was a big victory for Trump. Even CNN legal analyst Elie Hoenig, no ally of President Trump, said, “This is a huge win for Donald Trump, any way you cut it. And this is a stinging rebuke to the Attorney General Letitia James.”
That is correct.
And Trump just got stronger.

TOPSHOT-US-POLITICS-TRUMP

Still Winning: Court Kills $500M Anti-Trump Judgment

Ben Shapiro

Donald Trump

Lawsuit

Letitia James

Opinion

A New York appeals court on Thursday overturned the massive civil fraud penalty against President Donald Trump, ruling the nearly half-billion-dollar fine was &#8216;excessive&#8217; under the Eighth Amendment.
The five-judge appeals court panel ruled that the $355 million penalty against Trump — not including interest — &#8220;is an excessive fine that violates the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution,” the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-fraud-lawsuit-appeal-db39d93feff322eeeeedbc1ff75ccaf3">reported</a>. The total fine levied by Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron against Trump and other executives in the Trump Organization, including Eric and Donald Trump Jr., exceeded $527 million when interest was factored in.
The civil fraud case against Trump was brought by New York Democratic Attorney General Letitia James, who alleged that Trump inflated his net worth to gain favorable terms from lenders. Judge Engoron sided with James, finding that between 2014 and 2021, the president overvalued his assets by up to $2.2 billion, CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/21/trump-fraud-new-york-appeals.html">reported</a>. The judge ordered Trump to pay the massive fine, while also barring him from running his business in New York for three years.
While the appeals court threw out the massive fine, it kept the ruling in place that Trump committed fraud, leaving open the option for an appeal to the state&#8217;s highest court. The judges also kept the other penalties on Trump&#8217;s company in place, but said that the president can seek a further extension of the pause on those penalties.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=summer&amp;utm_content=editorialsummersale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">End of Summer Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
&#8220;TOTAL VICTORY in the FAKE New York State Attorney General Letitia James Case!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115067582190707382">posted</a> on Truth Social. &#8220;I greatly respect the fact that the Court had the Courage to throw out this unlawful and disgraceful Decision that was hurting Business all throughout New York State. Others were afraid to do business there. The amount, including Interest and Penalties, was over $550 Million Dollars. It was a Political Witch Hunt, in a business sense, the likes of which no one has ever seen before. This was a Case of Election Interference by the City and State trying to show, illegally, that I did things that were wrong when, in fact, everything I did was absolutely CORRECT and, even, PERFECT.&#8221;
Judge David Friedman ripped James for bringing the lawsuit, writing, “Plainly, her ultimate goal was not ‘market hygiene’ &#8230; but political hygiene, ending with the derailment of President Trump’s political career and the destruction of his real estate business. The voters have obviously rendered a verdict on his political career. This bench today unanimously derails the effort to destroy his business.”
Appellate Division Judge Peter Moulton said in a concurring opinion that &#8220;the calculation of the disgorgement in this case was far from a reasonable approximation.&#8221; The panel, however, was divided in its ruling, issuing more than 300 pages of concurring and dissenting opinions, according to the AP. While most of the judges agreed that the penalty was excessive, there was disagreement over whether the attorney general&#8217;s lawsuit against Trump was justified. Two judges said it was, but another judge argued that James exceeded her authority, adding that a lawsuit should have been filed by one of Trump&#8217;s lenders if they felt cheated, but no lenders took legal action against Trump.
The Democratic attorney general filed the suit against Trump after vowing on the campaign trail to &#8220;take on&#8221; the then-Republican presidential frontrunner. In one campaign video, James <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/09/21/james-lawsuit-trump-longstanding-battle-00058128">blasted</a> Trump as &#8220;incompetent&#8221; and &#8220;an embarrassment to all that we stand for.&#8221; Trump maintained his innocence and fought back against the charges throughout the case, calling the suit a politically motivated &#8220;Witch Hunt.&#8221;
Trump appealed the civil fraud judgment in February 2024, with his attorney Alina Habba saying, &#8220;Letitia James is not going to get away with it; the Biden administration is not going to get away with it.”
“President Trump has done nothing wrong,&#8221; Habba added at the time. &#8220;All he has done is win a campaign, and that is scaring them because they know when he goes back in November 2024 he is going to clean house, and that is truly the problem.&#8221;
In his lengthy post on Truth Social following the court&#8217;s decision on Thursday, Trump added that James &#8220;only brought this Case in order to hurt me politically.&#8221;
&#8220;She is a Trump Deranged Lunatic! They made me bond the outrageous sum, which never happened before, and which cost me Millions of Dollars a month. It should have never been allowed to happen, and everyone knew it!&#8221;

‘TOTAL VICTORY’: Trump Triumphs As Appeals Court Voids ‘Excessive’ Civil Fraud Fine

Executive

Politics

A federal appeals court overturned a left-wing judge’s threat to hold Trump administration officials in criminal contempt for deporting Venezuelan illegal aliens to El Salvador.
The appeals court ruling is a win for the Trump administration, which has been locked in a legal battle with Judge James Boasberg, whom the White House has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leftist-judge-threatens-to-hold-trump-admin-in-criminal-contempt-of-court-over-deportation-flights">blasted</a> as a “Democrat activist” working to “usurp the president’s authority.”
The 2-1 decision from a panel of judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit struck down Boasberg’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leftist-judge-threatens-to-hold-trump-admin-in-criminal-contempt-of-court-over-deportation-flights">earlier finding </a>that there was probable cause that some officials acted in contempt of court.
Boasberg, an Obama appointee who The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/meet-the-obama-appointed-judge-trying-to-stop-trump-from-deporting-criminal-illegals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> is married to the founder of a Washington, D.C.-area abortion clinic who has given money to the Democrats, blocked the Trump administration from deporting illegal aliens to El Salvador’s terrorist confinement center in March. The federal judge later said that the Trump administration defied a court order by refusing to turn around a deportation flight already on its way to El Salvador.
“The court does not reach such conclusion lightly or hastily; indeed, it has given defendants ample opportunity to rectify or explain their actions. None of their responses has been satisfactory,” Boasberg wrote.
Friday’s ruling puts to rest the threat from Boasberg, with a concurring opinion charging that the liberal judge’s claims raise “troubling questions about judicial control over core executive functions like the conduct of foreign policy and the prosecution of criminal offenses.”
The ruling comes on the heels of a Supreme Court victory <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-secures-victory-in-scotus-ruling-enabling-more-deportations">upholding</a> the Trump administration’s authority to deport illegal aliens to “third countries” — nations willing to take in migrants from elsewhere.
The Trump administration has used third-country agreements to deport illegal aliens whose home countries are unwilling to accept them, as well as to deport others who have protection orders that prevent them from being sent back to their nation of origin.

Judge James Boasberg

Court Sides With Trump Admin, Tosses Left-Wing Judge’s Contempt Threat

Courts

deportation

Immigration

James Boasberg

Judge

Trump

MixCollage-05-Aug-2025-04-11-PM-7120

Here’s The Horrifying Proof That All Cultures Are Not Equal

Child rape

gangs

Immigrants

kidnapping

Matt Walsh

Minneapolis

Minnesota

Somalia

A Michigan district court judge was criticized on Monday after setting a $100,000 bond for the man charged with terrorism in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/walmart-mass-stabbing-suspect-identified-charged-with-terrorism">stabbing attack</a> at a Traverse City, Michigan, Walmart over the weekend.
In a video arraignment for suspect James Bradford Gille, Magistrate Tammi Rodgers said Gille has been charged with &#8220;heinous&#8221; crimes, which include 11 counts of assault with intent to murder. Grand Traverse County Prosecutor Noelle Moeggenberg requested that Rodgers set a significant bond due to the seriousness of the charges and Gille&#8217;s history of mental illness and previous run-ins with law enforcement, West Michigan ABC affiliate, WZZM 13 <a href="https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/crime/traverse-city-walmart-stabbing-suspect-arraigned/69-4f3e4b38-b1b5-4286-925b-ad2b65180e83">reported</a>.
The judge set the bond at $100,000, adding that if he&#8217;s able to post bond, he would be barred from using alcohol or any non-prescribed drugs. She also barred him from possessing any weapons or using &#8220;any object as a weapon&#8221; and said he could not visit any Walmart.
Gille is accused of going on a stabbing rampage near the checkout line at Walmart on Saturday, wounding 11 people before he was stopped by bystanders, including Marine <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9UJ7g2ETCA">Derrick Perry</a>, who held him at gunpoint in the parking lot until police arrived.
&#8220;He was wild-eyed, and he did not look like he was in his right mind. And he was saying, &#8216;They told me to do it. They told me to do it,&#8221; Perry said during an interview with &#8220;Good Morning America.&#8221;
The $100,000 bond means that Gille only has to come up with $10,000 on his own, but it appears unlikely that he has that money or that he&#8217;ll find a bail bondsman willing to work with him, independent journalist Dave Bondy <a href="https://x.com/DaveBondyTV/status/1949966995971022936">reported</a>.
During his arraignment, Gille was asked by the judge if he had money in his bank account, seeking to determine if he could afford his own legal counsel.
&#8220;Not to give you,&#8221; the suspect replied, according to <a href="https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/crime/traverse-city-walmart-stabbing-suspect-arraigned/69-4f3e4b38-b1b5-4286-925b-ad2b65180e83">WZZM 13</a>.
Gille was also asked how to pronounce his name and told the judge, &#8220;Yeah, I don&#8217;t want to talk to you.&#8221;
Gille pleaded not guilty and requested a court-appointed attorney. His next court appearance is scheduled for August 12.
&#8220;Eligible for bond? This individual just went on a rampage, and by the grace of God didn’t end anyone’s life,&#8221; said Michigan state Senate Minority Leader and Republican gubernatorial candidate Aric Nesbitt. &#8220;Allowing him to be released into the community spits in the face of those who protect and serve, and only puts more people at risk.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Eligible for bond? This individual just went on a rampage, and by the grace of God didn’t end anyone’s life. 
Allowing him to be released into the community spits in the face of those who protect and serve, and only puts more people at risk. <a href="https://t.co/CK6c2KGykS">pic.twitter.com/CK6c2KGykS</a>
&mdash; Senator Aric Nesbitt (@SenAricNesbitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenAricNesbitt/status/1949934995268575725?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;They just want him to promise not to go back to Wal-Mart or do drugs. What in the world are they thinking?&#8221; Nesbitt <a href="https://x.com/aricnesbitt/status/1949936195573620961">added</a>.
Others on social media also sounded off on the low bond.
&#8220;He is facing terrorism and 11 counts of assault with intent to murder charges. Does that sound like public safety to you?&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/BreannaMorello/status/1949969352796635247">asked</a> independent journalist Breanna Morello.
Gille lives in Afton, Michigan, around 90 miles northeast of Traverse City, and has a history of mental illness. In 2017, Gille was found not guilty by reason of insanity after he was charged with dismembering and mutilating dead bodies he had dug up from a cemetery, the Detroit Free Press <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2025/07/28/bradford-james-gille-alton-michigan-traverse-city-stabbing/85404184007/">reported</a>.

Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office

Michigan Judge Blasted For Low Bond In Walmart Terror Stabbing Case

Michigan Judge Slammed for Low Bond in Walmart Terror Stabbing Case

domestic terrorism

Michigan

Stabbing

U.S.

A federal judge issued a ruling barring ICE from detaining suspected MS-13 member and illegal alien human smuggler Kilmar Abrego Garcia just as a different judge ruled the Salvadoran national could be released from the Tennessee jail as he awaits trial for human smuggling, teeing up his return to Maryland.
U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis of Maryland <a href="https://apnews.com/article/kilmar-abrego-garcia-deportation-ice-27fa028f2bcc7ceb6667963f1fb04c74?taid=6881385fe8f2b30001a6c6c1&amp;utm_campaign=TrueAnthem&amp;utm_medium=AP&amp;utm_source=Twitter">ordered</a> the federal government to give three business days of notice before ICE could launch deportation proceedings against the previously-deported Salvadoran national, who was infamously branded as a “Maryland man” by his supporters and a slew of media talking heads.
The ruling prevents ICE from quickly detaining Abrego Garcia, who is now set to be released from the Tennessee jail due to a <a href="https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/kilmar-abrego-garcia-released-ice-deportation-b2794764.html">separate ruling</a> from a Tennessee judge. The illegal alien will not be released immediately, however, as an additional judge must consider a request by Abrego Garcia to delay his release by 30 days.
The dual rulings facilitate the Salvadoran illegal alien’s return to Maryland, where he lived before his removal to El Salvador by the Trump administration. Once back in Maryland, he will be under federal supervision, and ICE will have to restart Abrego Garcia’s immigration proceedings, providing a 72-hour notice before his deportation.
ICE previously indicated that it would detain and deport Abrego Garcia if he were released from prison, as he stands trial for charges in connection with an alleged human smuggling operation in which the Salvadoran illegal alien is accused of trafficking children and MS-13 members throughout the interior of the United States.
If removed, Abrego Garcia is likely to be sent to a willing “third country,” a nation other than his nation of origin that agrees to receive him.
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin responded to the ruling in a series of posts on X.
“The facts remain: this MS-13 gang member, human trafficker and criminal illegal alien will never walk America’s streets again,” McLaughlin <a href="https://x.com/TriciaOhio/status/1948095425459761224">first said</a> after the ruling. “The fact this unhinged judge is trying to tell ICE they can’t arrest an MS-13 gang member, indicted by a grand jury for human trafficking, and subject to immigration arrest under federal law is LAWLESS AND INSANE,” she said in <a href="https://x.com/TriciaOhio/status/1948104840896266500">another post</a>.
Among Abrego Garcia’s most vocal supporters is CASA, a group that received funding from the Biden administration as it advocated for illegal aliens and called for ICE to be abolished. The organization counted Abrego Garcia as a member prior to his deportation, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kilmar-abrego-garcia-belonged-to-a-biden-backed-illegal-alien-advocacy-group?author=Spencer+Lindquist&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98Maryland+Man%E2%80%99+Kilmar+Abrego+Garcia+Belonged+To+A+Biden-Backed+Group+That+Called+For+Abolishing+ICE">reported</a>.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia Sign

Dual Court Rulings Will See Media Darling ‘Maryland Man’ Back On The Streets

El Salvador

Illegal Immigration

Kilmar Abrego Garcia

MS-13

A federal judge in Florida denied the attempt from President Donald Trump&#8217;s Department of Justice to release grand jury transcripts from the investigation into convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
U.S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg, an Obama appointee, said in a 12-page opinion on Wednesday that she does not have the legal authority to release the transcripts, The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/07/23/epstein-transcripts-florida-judge-justice-department/">reported</a>. Last week, at the behest of Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi requested that grand jury testimony be released in both Epstein&#8217;s case and the case of his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell.
&#8220;For the reasons set forth below, Eleventh Circuit law does not permit this Court to grant the Government’s request; the Court’s hands are tied—a point that the Government concedes,&#8221; Rosenberg&#8217;s <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/documents/439be34e-b5e9-4cc1-93a1-a7d892b473cc.pdf?utm_medium=referral_home&amp;utm_source=webview&amp;utm_campaign=atp_2507%3Aa%3Brct_2406%3A2%3Bdr_2503%3Apersonalized&amp;no_nav=true&amp;itid=lk_inline_manual_3">opinion</a> stated.
The judge added that the Justice Department did not provide sufficient arguments for unsealing records that are protected by rules that &#8220;emphasize a presumption of secrecy&#8221; and protect participants from disclosing information given to a grand jury.
Rosenberg&#8217;s decision does not mark the end of the Trump administration&#8217;s attempts to unseal Epstein&#8217;s or Maxwell&#8217;s grand jury transcripts. The DOJ sent three total requests to judges in Florida and New York seeking to unseal records related to the Epstein investigation, ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/judge-denies-justice-department-request-unseal-epstein-grand/story?id=124008233#:~:text=A%20federal%20judge%20in%20Florida,a%20public%20order%20released%20Wednesday.">reported</a>.
The DOJ <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/doj-requests-judge-unseal-grand-jury-testimony-in-epstein-maxwell-cases-at-trumps-behest?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=7&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=DOJ+Requests+Judge+Unseal+Grand+Jury+Testimony+In+Epstein%2C+Maxwell+Cases+At+Trump%E2%80%99s+Behest">moved to release</a> the records of witnesses in the case in an effort to address the &#8220;extensive public interest&#8221; and controversy over the Trump administration&#8217;s July 6 memo, concluding that there was no “credible evidence” to prove that Epstein kept a client list or that he blackmailed powerful people who supposedly took part in Epstein’s sex crimes.
A significant portion of Trump&#8217;s base, along with some Republican lawmakers, are calling on the administration to be more transparent on the Epstein investigation. Bondi was criticized for her handling of the case after she said earlier this year that she had Epstein’s client list on her desk, but recently clarified that she meant she had the Epstein files on her desk for review.
The DOJ said on Tuesday that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche is expected to meet with Maxwell soon and determine if she will provide the Justice Department with any more information on Epstein.
“President Trump has told us to release all credible evidence. If Ghislane Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say,” Blanche said.
Republicans in the House are also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-panel-votes-to-subpoena-ghislaine-maxwell?author=Daniel+Chaitin&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=House+Panel+Votes+To+Subpoena+Ghislaine+Maxwell">attempting</a> to get more information on the Epstein investigation and voted on Tuesday in favor of subpoenaing Maxwell to appear for a deposition. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), however, said Monday that lawmakers should give the Trump administration some “space,” and the House is expected to go into its August recess at the end of the week.

Pam Bondi

‘Hands Are Tied’: Federal Judge Denies DOJ’s Request To Unseal Epstein Grand Jury Transcripts

Florida

Ghislaine Maxwell

Jeffrey Epstein

The man convicted of murdering four University of Idaho students was sentenced to four consecutive fixed life sentences without opportunity for parole.
Bryan Kohberger was also sentenced to 10 years in prison for the count of burglary, as well as a $50,000 fine and $5,000 civil penalty per count.
Kohberger pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. As part of the guilty plea, he waived his right to appeal but escaped the death penalty.
&#8220;No parent should have to bury their child,&#8221; Judge Steven Hippler said before the sentencing. &#8220;This is the greatest tragedy that can be inflicted on a person.&#8221;
Hippler said he was unable to find anything redeeming in Kohberger.
&#8220;His actions have made him the worst of the worst,&#8221; Hippler said. &#8220;In my view, the time has now come to end Mr. Kohberger&#8217;s 15 minutes of fame.&#8221;
Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador commended the sentence.
“Our hearts are with the victims and their families. While no sentence can bring full justice to this kind of evil, today’s sentence ensures that Bryan Kohberger will never see the outside of a prison and will never again harm innocent families,” Labrador said in a statement. “Under Idaho law, the fixed prison sentences mean Kohberger will never be eligible for parole. I’m especially grateful to Prosecutor Bill Thompson and my Criminal Division Chief, Jeff Nye, whose leadership, judgment, and tireless efforts brought this case to a just conclusion. Their teams served the State of Idaho with distinction, and our families and the public are safer because of their hard work.”
Before the sentencing, family members of the victims made statements before the court.
Kristi Goncalves, mother of Kaylee Goncalves, said Kohberger &#8220;will finally get what [he] wanted&#8221; in prison.
“A dead killer doesn&#8217;t kill again, so while I&#8217;m disappointed the firing squad won&#8217;t get to take their shots at you, I&#8217;m confident that the men in prison will have their way with you in more ways than one,&#8221; Kristi Goncalves said. &#8220;You will finally get what you wanted, physical touch, just probably not how you were expecting it.”
&#8220;Hell will be waiting,&#8221; Kristi Goncalves concluded.
Steve Goncalves, father of Kaylee Goncalves, told Kohberger, &#8220;From this moment, we will forget you.&#8221;
&#8220;Today we are here to finish what you started. Today you’ve lost control,&#8221; Steve Goncalves added. &#8220;Your actions have united everyone in their disgust for you.&#8221;
Randy Davis, the stepfather of Xana Kernodle, told the victims&#8217; families, &#8220;I love you all and I feel your pain.&#8221;
He then told Kohberger to &#8220;go to hell,&#8221; and everyone applauded.
Kim Kernodle, the aunt of Xana Kernodle, told Kohberger she forgave him.
&#8220;This is probably gonna bother everybody, but Bryan, I’m here today to tell you I’ve forgiven you, because I could no longer live with that hate in my heart,&#8221; Kim Kernodle said. &#8220;And for me to become a better person, I have forgiven you.&#8221;
One of the surviving roommates, Dylan Mortensen, made her <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dylan-mortensen-roommate-idaho-murder-victims-bryan-kohbergers-sentencing/">first</a> public statement since the murders.
&#8220;Living is how I honor them,&#8221; Mortensen said. &#8220;Speaking today is to help me find some sort of justice for them and I will never let him take that from me. He may have taken so much from me, but he will never get to take my voice.&#8221;
&#8220;I get to feel sadness, I get to feel rage, I get to feel joy even when it&#8217;s hard, I get to feel love even when it hurts, I get to live, and while I will still live with this pain, at least I get to live my life. He will stay here, empty, forgotten and powerless,&#8221; she concluded.
After the impact statements, Prosecutor Bill Thompson showed photos of the four victims while family members cried in the background.
&#8220;We can&#8217;t undo and we can never undo the horror that occurred,&#8221; Thompson said. &#8220;From today forward, our memories should be focused on these innocent victims whose lives were taken on their families, on their friends, on the community.&#8221;
Kohberger declined to make a statement.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1948079113358495996">addressed</a> the sentencing during a press conference Wednesday.
&#8220;Our nation grieves with you, and we will never forget the precious souls who were lost in this horrific act of evil,&#8221; Leavitt said. &#8220;May God bless and watch over everyone affected by this unimaginable tragedy, especially the parents who lost their children.&#8221;

Bryan Kohberger Is Sentenced For Murder Of 4 University Of Idaho Students

Sentence Is In For Bryan Kohberger In University Of Idaho Murder Case

Idaho

Murder

Violent Crime

President Donald Trump said on Monday that he&#8217;s expecting Obama-appointed Judge Allison D. Burroughs to rule against his administration in its federal funding fight with Harvard, blasting her as a &#8220;total disaster.&#8221;
The Trump administration squared off with Harvard in front of Burroughs in a Boston courtroom Monday as both parties seek a final ruling after Harvard sued the federal government over Trump&#8217;s funding freeze. Both Harvard and the Trump administration asked Judge Burroughs to rule on the case without going to trial, but Monday&#8217;s hearing ended without a decision, The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2025/07/21/trump-harvard-hearing/">reported</a>.
Despite not deciding on the case, the judge appeared favorable to Harvard&#8217;s arguments and questioned the Trump administration&#8217;s move to strip federal funding from the Ivy League school. During the hearing, Burroughs said that the federal government provided “no documentation, no procedure” to determine if Harvard has &#8220;taken enough steps&#8221; to combat antisemitism, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/harvard-trump-funding-cuts-court-0e9100198461e1df52b5a5a4d11837ed">according</a> to the Associated Press.
“The consequences of that in terms of constitutional law are staggering,” she said. “I don’t think you can justify a contract action based on impermissible suppression of speech. Where do I have that wrong?&#8221;
Burroughs previously ruled in favor of Harvard after the Trump administration moved to prohibit the university from enrolling foreign students.
&#8220;The Harvard case was just tried in Massachusetts before an Obama appointed Judge. She is a TOTAL DISASTER, which I say even before hearing her Ruling. She has systematically taken over the various Harvard cases, and is an automatic &#8216;loss&#8217; for the People of our Country!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114892486666754017">wrote</a> on Truth Social.
&#8220;How did this Trump-hating Judge get these cases? When she rules against us, we will IMMEDIATELY appeal, and WIN,&#8221; he added.
The Trump administration stripped more than $2 billion from Harvard earlier this year, citing anti-Israel sentiment on its campus and the school&#8217;s diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. The president added on Monday that it&#8217;s &#8220;unfair&#8221; for billions of dollars to be handed out to Harvard over other American universities, calling Harvard &#8220;anti-Semitic, anti-Christian, and anti-America.&#8221;
&#8220;Harvard has $52 Billion Dollars sitting in the Bank, and yet they are anti-Semitic, anti-Christian, and anti-America,&#8221; Trump wrote. &#8220;Much of this money comes from the U.S.A., all to the detriment of other Schools, Colleges, and Institutions, and we are not going to allow this unfair situation to happen any longer.&#8221;
Steven P. Lehotsky, who argued on behalf of Harvard, said that the Trump administration&#8217;s actions violate the First Amendment and pose a threat to other private universities around the country, according to the Post. Lehotsky <a href="https://apnews.com/article/harvard-trump-funding-cuts-court-0e9100198461e1df52b5a5a4d11837ed">added</a> that the Trump administration is attempting to control the &#8220;inner workings&#8221; of Harvard and that funding cuts would deprive the institution of vital research funds.
Lawyers for the Trump administration argued that the federal government has the right to stop handing out federal funding to institutions that show a “deliberate indifference to antisemitism.&#8221;

Trump Rips Obama-Appointed Judge After She Signals Support For Harvard During Hearing

Funding

Harvard

The court battle between the Trump administration and Harvard University went before a federal judge in Boston on Monday as both parties seek a final ruling on the Ivy League school&#8217;s lawsuit over federal funding cuts.
Judge Allison D. Burroughs, who sided with Harvard in another case over the Trump administration&#8217;s attempt to block the university from enrolling foreign students, will likely signal on Monday where she stands on Harvard&#8217;s lawsuit against the Trump administration, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/21/us/trump-administration-harvard-hearing.html">reported</a>. Harvard sued the federal government in April after the Trump administration announced it would strip more than $2 billion in federal funding from the school, citing anti-Israel sentiment on the campus and its diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
President Donald Trump has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-calls-harvard-an-anti-semitic-threat-to-democracy?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Calls+Harvard+%E2%80%98An+Anti-Semitic%E2%80%A6Threat+To+Democracy%E2%80%99">called</a> Harvard “Anti-Semitic,” “Far-Left,” and “a threat to Democracy.”
“The place is a Liberal mess, allowing a certain group of crazed lunatics to enter and exit the classroom and spew fake ANGER AND HATE. It is truly horrific!” Trump added in April.
The federal antisemitism task force, established by the Trump Department of Justice earlier this year, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2025/07/21/trump-harvard-hearing/?utm_campaign=wp_main&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social">demanded</a> that Harvard submit to federal oversight and reform certain aspects of its admissions, hiring, and student discipline practices. Harvard refused to comply with the task force&#8217;s demands.
In its lawsuit, Harvard argues that the Trump administration is violating its First Amendment rights. Harvard also states that the funding freeze will harm essential scientific and medical research more than anything else.
“No government — regardless of which party is in power — should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue,&#8221; said Harvard&#8217;s President Alan M. Garber.
The court hearing comes as President Donald Trump continues to negotiate with the university. One month ago, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-teases-mindbogglingly-historic-deal-with-harvard-they-have-acted-extremely-appropriately?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Teases+%E2%80%98Mindbogglingly+Historic%E2%80%99+Deal+With+Harvard%3A+%E2%80%98They+Have+Acted+Extremely+Appropriately%E2%80%99">teased</a> a &#8220;mindbogglingly HISTORIC&#8221; deal with Harvard that he said would be announced “over the next week or so.”
&#8220;They have acted extremely appropriately during these negotiations, and appear to be committed to doing what is right,&#8221; Trump said in a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114717387393069944">June 20</a> Truth Social post.
Harvard has promised to address antisemitism on its campus, and the Trump administration said it remains &#8220;confident that Harvard will eventually come around and support the president’s vision, and through good-faith conversations and negotiations, a good deal is more than possible.” Ahead of Monday&#8217;s hearing, White House spokesman Harrison Fields told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/21/politics/harvard-trump-administration-court">CNN</a>, “The Trump Administration’s proposition is simple and commonsense: Don’t allow antisemitism and DEI to run your campus, don’t break the law, and protect the civil liberties of all students.”
As Trump pushes Harvard to make a deal, he has ramped up pressure on the school to hand over information on foreign students. Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security sent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-subpoenas-harvard-over-foreign-student-misconduct-campus-radicalism?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Admin+Subpoenas+Harvard+Over+Foreign+Student+Misconduct%2C+Campus+Radicalism">administrative subpoenas</a> to Harvard, accusing it of “repeatedly” refusing to cooperate with the Trump administration’s “non-coercive requests to hand over the required information for its Student Visitor and Exchange Program certification.”

Trump Administration Squares Off With Harvard In Court Over Federal Funding

antisemitism

Boston

Massachusetts

Trump Administration

NEW YORK (Reuters) — Sean &#8216;Diddy&#8217; Combs&#8217; former personal assistant testified on Friday at the hip-hop mogul&#8217;s sex trafficking trial that he often bought drugs for his boss and set up hotel rooms for sex parties known as &#8220;wild king nights.&#8221;
Prosecutors hope the testimony by Brendan Paul, who worked for Combs from late 2022 through March 2024, will help them prove their racketeering conspiracy charge against Combs.
Prosecutors say Combs used his businesses&#8217; resources to coerce women into ecstasy-fueled sexual performances with male sex workers.
Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to all five criminal counts. His lawyers call the sexual activity consensual. The Bad Boy Records founder, a former billionaire who elevated hip-hop in American culture, could face life in prison if convicted.
Prosecutors are winding down their case after six weeks, with defense witnesses expected to testify next week.
Paul, testifying under immunity from prosecutors, said he bought Combs about $4,200 of marijuana and hundreds of dollars of ketamine during his employment.
Jurors saw a text message in which Paul asked Combs&#8217; security staff to be reimbursed for his drug purchases.
They also saw a February 14, 2024, text message in which Combs wrote &#8220;You get me zans,&#8221; which Paul said was a request to procure Xanax without a prescription.
Paul said Combs ultimately obtained Xanax elsewhere, and used cocaine and ecstasy in his presence.
Under cross-examination by defense lawyer Brian Steel, Paul said procuring drugs was a minor part of his job, and he thought the drugs were solely for Combs&#8217; personal use.
&#8220;You were not some drug mule?&#8221; Steel asked.
&#8220;Absolutely not,&#8221; Paul said.
Paul also said that before three or four &#8220;wild king nights,&#8221; he stocked hotel rooms with lubricant, baby oil, liquor, and a Gucci pouch filled with hard drugs.
When Combs was done, Paul said he would put on gloves and clean up to avoid being billed by hotels for damage.
Paul said he was charged with cocaine possession after being arrested on March 25, 2024, at Miami-Opa Locka airport in Florida while traveling to the Bahamas with Combs and other staffers.
He said he put the cocaine in his bag after finding it while cleaning Combs&#8217; room that day, but forgot about it and did not tell law enforcement where it came from.
Asked by prosecutor Christy Slavik why he kept silent, Paul said, &#8220;Loyalty.&#8221; Paul said the cocaine charge was dropped.
(Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by David Gregorio)

Sean “Diddy” Combs attends trial in New York federal court

Ex-Assistant To Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Says Job Included Buying Drugs, Setting Up Sex Parties

Celebrities

Drugs

New York City

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