A former Jacksonville Jaguars employee has been accused of stealing more than $22 million from the team by taking advantage of its virtual credit card (VCC) program from 2019 until his termination in February 2023.
According to <a href="https://theathletic.com/5118308/2023/12/06/jacksonville-jaguars-employee-theft-amit-patel/?redirected=1&amp;access_token=13904269" target="_blank" rel="noopener">court filings</a> in Florida&#8217;s U.S. District Court in Jacksonville reviewed by The Athletic, Amit Patel has been charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of illegal monetary transaction after he allegedly used the acquired funds to buy things like vehicles, a condominium, a designer watch worth over $95,000, and place bets on online gambling sites.
Patel allegedly used his position overseeing the company&#8217;s VCC program to hide the alleged transactions as &#8220;reoccurring VCC transactions, such as catering, airfare, and hotel charges, and then duplicated those transactions; he inflated the amounts of legitimate reoccurring transactions; he entered completely fictitious transactions that might sound plausible, but that never actually occurred,&#8221; according to the filings.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Prosecutors charge a former Jacksonville Jaguars employee with stealing $22 million from the football team and spending it on a condo, cars, cryptocurrencies, gambling, a $95,000 watch and more. <a href="https://t.co/MtokcCeUJQ">https://t.co/MtokcCeUJQ</a>
— NBC News (@NBCNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCNews/status/1732818591819440349?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
&#8220;We can confirm that in February 2023, the team terminated the employment of the individual named in the filing,&#8221; the team said in a statement. &#8220;Over the past several months we have cooperated fully with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney&#8217;s Office for the Middle District of Florida during their investigation and thank them for their efforts in this case.&#8221;
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&#8220;As was made clear in the charges, this individual was a former manager of financial planning and analysis who took advantage of his trusted position to covertly and intentionally commit significant fraudulent financial activity at the team&#8217;s expense for personal benefit,&#8221; the team&#8217;s statement added. &#8220;This individual had no access to confidential football strategy, personnel or other football information. The team engaged experienced law and accounting firms to conduct a comprehensive independent review, which concluded that no other team employees were involved in or aware of his criminal activity.&#8221;
The former NFL employee may be required to forfeit property &#8220;in the amount of at least $22,221,454.40, which represents the proceeds of the offense&#8221; if convicted, the filing states according to The Athletic. In addition, he may have to forfeit assets &#8220;purchased or funded with the proceeds of the offenses and/or involved in an illegal monetary transaction.&#8221;

Jacksonville Jaguars

Former NFL Team Employee Charged For Allegedly Stealing More Than $22 Million From Team

Courts

Florida

U.S.

Nearly all of the U.S. Supreme Court justices seemed uncomfortable with undoing a controversial bankruptcy deal with the company behind OxyContin, a drug widely viewed as kick-starting the opioid epidemic. 
The high court on Monday heard oral arguments in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma, specifically on the validity of the $6 billion bankruptcy deal with the pharmaceutical company that notably shields the Sackler family, who owns Purdue Pharma, from victims and their families’ civil claims.
The bankruptcy agreement was quickly challenged but eventually upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit. Currently, the Biden administration is asking the court to review that deal, arguing that the agreement is illegal, largely because some of the victims who did not consent to the agreement &#8212; about 3% &#8212; are now banned from suing the Sackler family, as well. 
U.S. Trustee William Harrington argues that the bankruptcy deal is a “roadmap for corporations and wealthy individuals to misuse the bankruptcy system to avoid mass-tort liability,&#8221; adding that it “erodes public confidence in the bankruptcy system.”
However, nearly all the justices asked pointed questions during oral arguments that focused on the victims and their families and how they would fare if the deal were undone.
“I think the problem, and maybe the disconnect between you and the opioid victims is you’re implying, or saying, ‘Oh if you just reject this plan, there’s gonna be more money available down the road from the Sacklers,'&#8221; Justice Justice Brett Kavanaugh <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?531892-1/harrington-v-purdue-pharma-oral-argument" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> to Deputy Solicitor General Curtis Gannon. &#8220;And I don&#8217;t think you’re accounting for uncertainty of liability first of all, … and the uncertainty of recovery. And the point of this provision, as it’s been applied for 30 years, is to take into account those uncertainties in thinking if this is an appropriate settlement.”
Justice Elena Kagan offered similar sentiments. “It’s overwhelming, the support for this deal, and among people who have no love for the Sacklers,&#8221; she <a href="https://thebrunswicknews.com/townnews/mathematics/supreme-court-leans-in-favor-of-purdue-pharma-deal-with-6-billion-from-sacklers/article_5f6bb5de-098d-524d-bcd8-80056e9c9e03.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Gannon. &#8220;Your position rests on a lot of highfalutin principles of bankruptcy law &#8230; that you can come in here and blow up the deal. The federal government is standing in the way against a huge, huge majority of claimants who have decided that if this provision goes under, they’re going to end up with nothing.”
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Moreover, Pratik Shah, a lawyer for some of those victims, argued before the court that without the bankruptcy deal, virtually every victim would end up with “zero dollars.” 
“I think this is critically important: whatever is available from the Sacklers – whether that’s $3 billion, $5 billion, $6 billion, $10 billion – there are about $40 trillion in estimated claims,&#8221; he said. &#8220;As soon as one plaintiff is successful, that wipes out the recovery for every other victim. … That is why 97% of the victims agreed to this non-consensual release. They have no love lost for the Sacklers. There is no body of victims, no one who would more like to have retribution against the Sacklers.”
However, 3% of the victims did not agree with the deal, and, as noted during oral arguments, less than 50% of the victims who were asked about the agreement responded. Some of those in disagreement have expressed that they feel the Sackler family is directly liable for their family losses or their personal suffering and want their day in court. 
If the deal holds, the Sackler family, which did not have to declare bankruptcy personally, will walk away with billions of their personal fortune.

WASHINGTON, US – DECEMBER 4: Grace Bisch hold a picture of step

Supreme Court Leans In Favor Of Bankruptcy Deal For Pharma Company Behind OxyContin

Supreme Court Leans In Favor Of Bankruptcy Deal For Pharma Company, Purdue Pharma, Behind OxyContin 

bankruptcy

SCOTUS

Supreme Court

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tennessee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tennessee</a> court ruled on Thursday that a group of parents can intervene in the legal fight to block the release of the manifesto of the transgender-identifying woman who murdered six people at a Christian school in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nashville" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nashville</a> earlier this year. 
The Tennessee Court of Appeals said that the Covenant School, Covenant Presbyterian Church, and parents at the school had standing to intervene in efforts to block the manifesto’s release, but did not rule on whether to block the release of the shooter’s writings.
“In this appeal, the only issues properly before this Court concern the trial court’s grant of intervention to Intervenors — any issues concerning the disclosure of the sought records had not yet been adjudicated at the time this appeal was filed and are not before this Court,” Judge Thomas Frierson <a href="https://www.wkrn.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/73/2023/11/Covenant-Parents-Intervention-Ruling.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>.
The church, school, and some parents of kids at the school have <a href="https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/nashville/appeals-court-panel-rules-in-favor-of-covenant-parents-in-manifesto-lawsuit/?email=84885943124850418dccfffa5f984fb2b1450cf1&amp;emaila=6cb861e5998d3d6a1ce8452947dee058&amp;emailb=78504d1586e2066c8a05f4b619c2e64c552dbc337ec8d9ba2cb59caa7c91ecac&amp;utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Curated%20Morning%20Headlines%202023-12-01&amp;utm_content=morning%20headlines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">argued</a> that the shooter’s writings should remain sealed for security and privacy purposes. 
The ruling is the latest update in the legal battle over the manifesto of the 28-year-old woman who went on a rampage inside The Covenant School, a Presbyterian-affiliated pre-K-6 school, where she killed six people on March 28, 2023. The victims of the attack included three 9-year-olds — Evelyn Dieckhaus, 9; Hallie Scruggs, 9; William Kinney, 9 — and three staff members — headmaster Katherine Koonce, 60; Cynthia Peak, 61; and Mike Hill, 61.
The Metropolitan Police Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation denied <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nashville-police-deny-daily-wires-request-for-trans-shooters-manifesto" target="_blank" rel="noopener">open records</a> requests from The Daily Wire, the Tennessee Star, and other outlets, citing that it was an ongoing investigation — even though the shooter was killed by police during the attack. 
Michael Patrick Leahy, the CEO of Star News Digital Media, <a href="https://tennesseestar.com/justice/tennessee-appeals-court-rules-covenant-parents-may-intervene-in-lawsuit-seeking-audrey-hale-manifesto/tpappert/2023/11/30/?ref=pamphleteer.co" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that the Tennessee Star may consider an appeal to the Tennessee Supreme Court.
“The Chancery Court ruling to allow the intervention was a clear violation of Tennessee statutes, as was today’s ruling by the Court of Appeals. We are evaluating our options, which may include directly appealing this faulty decision to the Tennessee Supreme Court,” he said in a statement. 
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Portions of the manifesto <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nashville-shooter-decried-crackers-and-white-privilege-leaked-manifesto-pages-reveal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leaked last month</a> showing the killer claiming the kids at the school had “white privilege” and calling them “crackers.” 
“Kill those kids!!! Those crackers going to private fancy schools with those fancy khakis + sports backpacks w/ their daddies mustangs + convertables [sic],” she wrote in her diary. 
“I wish to shoot you weakass d***s w/ your mop yellow hair, wanna kill all you little crackers! Bunch of little f*****s w/ your white privileges,” she wrote.
Three photographs of the pages of the shooter’s diary were obtained by commentator Steven Crowder, who reported that his investigative team independently confirmed the authenticity of the images. The Daily Wire’s sources have also confirmed the authenticity of the pages.
The case now heads back to the the Chancery Court for Davidson County in Nashville.

3 children, 3 teachers fatally shot in US city of Nashville school shooting

Tennessee Court Rules That Parents Can Intervene In Fight Over Release Of Nashville Shooter’s Manifesto

manifesto

Nashville

Tennessee

The Covenant School

Transgender

Retired Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Sandra Day O&#8217;Connor passed away on Friday morning. She was 93 years old.
O&#8217;Connor, who made history as the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court when she was appointed by former President Ronald Reagan in 1981, died in Phoenix, Arizona, from complications related to advanced dementia and a respiratory illness.
O&#8217;Connor retired in 2006 after serving nearly a quarter of a century on the nation&#8217;s highest court.
She is survived by her three sons, Scott, Brian, and Jay; and by her six grandchildren: Courtney, Adam, Keely, Weston, Dylan, and Luke.
&#8220;A daughter of the American Southwest, Sandra Day O&#8217;Connor blazed an historic trail as our Nation&#8217;s first female Justice,&#8221; said Chief Justice John Roberts. &#8220;She met that challenge with undaunted determination, indisputable ability, and engaging candor. We at the Supreme Court mourn the loss of a beloved colleague, a fiercely independent defender of the rule of law, and an eloquent advocate for civics education. And we celebrate her enduring legacy as a true public servant and patriot.&#8221;
O&#8217;Connor was born in El Paso, Texas, on March 26, 1930. She married her husband, John Jay O&#8217;Connor III in 1952, and cared for him until his final moments in 2009 when he passed away in an assisted-living center from Alzheimer’s disease.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court has died at the age of 93. As a pioneering force on the nation’s highest court, O’Connor focused on the letter of the law and voted for what she believed best fit the intentions of the U.S. Constitution. After she… <a href="https://t.co/oGHGcdHoun">pic.twitter.com/oGHGcdHoun</a>
&mdash; HISTORY (@HISTORY) <a href="https://twitter.com/HISTORY/status/1730610589787967723?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
O&#8217;Connor was beloved by many and political figures from across the political spectrum had nothing but good things to say about her.
&#8220;Ronald Reagan put it best when he called Justice O’Connor a &#8216;person for all seasons&#8217;,&#8221; said former Arizona Governor Doug Ducey. &#8220;Her life and career are a testament to hard work, determination, Western grit and the American dream.&#8221;
Ducey called O&#8217;Connor a &#8220;force of nature, with a keen grasp on basic common sense.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Ronald Reagan put it best when he called Justice O’Connor a “person for all seasons.” Her life and career are a testament to hard work, determination, Western grit and the American dream. From the Arizona Senate to the United States Supreme Court, she broke barriers and shattered… <a href="https://t.co/sd2uKTJZOe">pic.twitter.com/sd2uKTJZOe</a>
&mdash; Doug Ducey (@DougDucey) <a href="https://twitter.com/DougDucey/status/1730607773300248751?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said that O&#8217;Connor breaking barriers showed women that they could ascend to the highest levels of public service.
&#8220;She inspired countless women to enter the legal field and to serve their country,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Our thoughts are with her loved ones during this difficult time.&#8221;
This report has been updated to include additional information.

Sandra Day O’Connor Receives Prestigious Award From Irish Center In Arizona

Sandra Day O’Connor, First Woman On U.S. Supreme Court, Dies At 93

Politics

The children’s hospital that was ordered to pay a family hundreds of millions of dollars for reporting a mother for child abuse is seeking a new trial.
Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, was found liable in a massive medical malpractice lawsuit that was featured in the Netflix documentary “Take Care of Maya.” The hospital is now requesting a new trial, saying one of the jurors acted improperly, WWSB <a href="https://www.mysuncoast.com/2023/11/24/john-hopkins-hospital-objects-payout-claims-juror-misconduct-files-motion-new-trial/?outputType=amp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The hospital filed a motion claiming that juror No. 1’s wife repeatedly posted on social media about the case, and accused the woman of giving her husband information that was not allowed to be presented at trial. The hospital also claims that juror No. 1 frequently posted in a “Take Care of Maya” Facebook group, in which he provided information that was not presented to him at trial.
Attorneys for Johns Hopkins say the verdict, which ordered the hospital to pay more than $260 million to the family of Maya Kowalski, is now tainted. If a judge agrees with the hospital, the original verdict could be vacated and a new trial ordered.
The hospital has denied that it acted improperly when caring for Maya.
Maya, now 17, was 10 when she was admitted to the children’s hospital after years of suffering from a rare medical condition. The civil trial related to the actions of Johns Hopkins in 2016 when staff reported Maya’s parents to children’s services. They believed Maya’s mother, Beata, was suffering from Munchausen syndrome by proxy and exaggerated her daughter’s illness to get attention from healthcare workers.
Beata committed suicide and, shortly after, Maya was released from the hospital and allowed to return home to her family. The family sued on seven claims, and Johns Hopkins was found liable for falsely imprisoning Maya, fraudulently billing her family, and causing them emotional distress. The jury further found that social worker Catherine Bedy had battered Maya and that Dr. Sally Smith medically neglected the girl, who was 10 when she was admitted to Johns Hopkins, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/take-care-maya-trial-kowalski-family-awarded-176m-medical-abuse-case-drove-mother-suicide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Following the verdict, Maya filed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/take-care-of-maya-update-maya-kowalski-now-suing-childrens-hospital-for-sexual-assault" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a second lawsuit</a> against the hospital, alleging she was sexually assaulted during her stay in 2016.
The allegations first came up during the first civil trial, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune <a href="https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/courts/2023/09/29/attorney-for-kowalski-family-discloses-possible-sexual-abuse-allegations/70996162007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, noting that Maya claimed she was in a situation with a man in a white lab coat that may be sexual abuse. Maya said she reported the incident to a hospital psychologist.
“She reported it but nothing was done. Nothing was done to make sure that I was safe and secure in that place,” Kowalski said. “I just decided that well, since it wasn’t taken seriously there, It’s not going to be taken seriously anywhere else.”
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Maya and her attorney, Greg Anderson, have filed a criminal complaint with police and a lawsuit regarding the incident.
“I am claiming that there was sexual abuse. It’s something that I was quite quiet about for a couple of years because I was worried it wasn’t going to be taken seriously,” Maya <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/maya-kowalski-files-sexual-assault-complaint-against-childrens-hospital-after-lawsuit-win.amp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Fox News’ Martha MacCallum last Thursday.
Ethen Shapiro, an attorney from Hill Ward Henderson who represented the hospital in the first civil trial, told Fox News in a statement that Maya’s “allegations originally arose during trial and were not admitted into the case.”
“As soon as the hospital became aware of the allegations, and in accordance with their policies, they immediately initiated an internal investigation and contacted law enforcement last month,” Shapiro told the outlet. “Federal privacy laws restrict Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital from sharing more, but the hospital takes allegations of this nature very seriously and always puts the safety of their patients above all else.”

Children Emergency Room Sign

Hospital At Center Of ‘Take Care Of Maya’ Lawsuits Requests New Trial, Alleges Juror Misconduct

Hospital At Center Of 'Take Care Of Maya' Lawsuits Requests New Trial, Alleges Juror Misconduct

Children

Hospitals

Netflix

Texas Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ken-paxton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ken Paxton</a> announced on Monday that Texas had sued Pfizer and Tris Pharma for allegedly defrauding the Texas Medicaid program through its provision of an ADHD medication to children.
Paxton alleged that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pfizer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pfizer</a> and Tris doctored testing data on ADHD drug Quillivant despite known issues with the drug. Paxton said that the pharma companies violated the Texas Health Care Program Fraud Prevention Act to get Quillivant past Texas drug regulations.
“I am horrified by the dishonesty we uncovered in this investigation. Pfizer and Tris intentionally concealed and failed to disclose the issues with Quillivant to receive taxpayer funded benefits through Texas Medicaid, defrauding the state and endangering children,” Paxton <a href="https://twitter.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/1726734898214404337" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement posted on X.
According to a <a href="https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-sues-pfizer-and-tris-pharma-defrauding-texas-medicaid-and-providing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a> from Paxton’s office, Pfizer distributed Quillivant to children on Medicaid “despite the drug’s pattern of failing quality control tests due to flawed manufacturing practices.”
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“For years, Tris altered the drug’s testing method in violation of federal and state laws to ensure Quillivant passed regulatory hurdles and could continue to be sold,” Paxton’s office said. “Despite knowing about these serious problems, Pfizer misrepresented to the Medicaid program that Quillivant was in compliance with federal and state law, and concealed from Medicaid decision-makers the fact that Quillivant was an adulterated drug.”
Paxton&#8217;s suit says that the poor manufacturing processes were hidden by Pfizer and Tris from 2012 to 2018. At the same time, Paxton said patients attested that the medication was not working.
“At no point did Defendants warn Texas Medicaid providers or decision-makers that Quillivant had known manufacturing issues affecting its efficacy, thereby depriving the Medicaid program of the crucial information it relies on,” a legal filing from Paxton says. “As a result, thousands of Texas children received an adulterated Schedule II Controlled Dangerous Substance.”
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One of the plaintiffs <a href="https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/images/press/Pfizer%2C%20Tris%2C%20Mehta%20File%20Stamped.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">named</a> in the case, Relator Tarik Ahmed, used to work as head of technology for Tris. According to the filing, Ahmed learned of the alleged “substandard manufacturing practices” used by Tris during his time with the company from 2013 to 2017.
Pfizer has previously <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/texas-ag-sues-pfizer-over-quality-control-lapses-kids-adhd-drug-2023-11-21/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that it was subpoenaed in 2022 by the Southern District of New York over the production of Quillivant and its partnership with Tris. It said it hasn’t heard any more updates after the initial communication.

Pfizer Acquires Wyeth For $68 Billion

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Sues Pfizer Over Testing Of Drugs Given To Children

Ken Paxton

Pfizer

Texas

Fulton County District Attorney <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fani-willis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fani Willis</a> said this week that she expects the Georgia trial of former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> to go on for “months,” and that it could drag past the 2024 election and into 2025.
Willis, who is the top prosecutor bringing charges against Trump in Georgia, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/11/14/fani-willis-trump-case-videos/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made the comments</a> at the Washington Post’s Global Women Summit. Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fani-willis-gets-her-first-guilty-plea-in-2020-election-case-heres-who-it-is" target="_blank" rel="noopener">faces 13 charges</a>, including three counts of solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer, two counts of conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree, and two counts of conspiracy to commit false statements and writings, among other charges.
According to Willis, Trump’s trial over his alleged misdeeds following the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/2020-election" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2020 presidential election</a> will likely coincide with the 2024 presidential election. 
“I believe in that case there will be a trial. I believe the trial will take many months. And I don’t expect that we will conclude until the winter or the very early part of 2025,” she said.
Republicans have said that Willis’s prosecution is politically motivated to help Biden&#8217;s re-election chances, and Trump has said that the cases brought against him are election interference. Trump is the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination and has climbed in front of President Joe Biden in recent polling from key swing states. 
“I don’t, when making decisions about cases to bring, consider any election cycle or an election season. That does not go into the calculus. What goes into the calculus is: This is the law. These are the facts. And the facts show you violated the law. Then charges are brought,” Willi said. 
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/arrested-by-a-radical-left-district-attorney-trump-to-turn-himself-in-on-thursday-in-georgia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was indicted</a> alongside 18 allies in Georgia in August and has maintained his innocence. The former president could be involved in multiple other trials throughout the 2024 campaign and into November 2024. He is facing trials in New York, Florida, and Washington, D.C.
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A request by Trump to move his Florida trial over his alleged mishandling of classified documents <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/judge-rejects-initial-request-from-trump-to-delay-documents-trial-until-after-2024-election" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was denied</a> last week by Judge Aileen Cannon. The classified documents trial is set to begin on May 20, 2024. A scheduling hearing is set for March 1, and Cannon could move the start of the trial then. 
Trump has denied any wrongdoing. 
&#8220;Every time the radical Left Democrats, Marxists, communists and fascists indict me, I consider it a truly great badge of honor,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-slam-biden-protectors-2024-election-interference-jan-6-charges-alabama-speech" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in August at a Republican event in Alabama. &#8220;Because I&#8217;m being indicted for you.&#8221;

US-ELECTION-VOTE-TRUMP

Fani Willis Says Trump Georgia Case Could Go On For ‘Months,’ And Through 2024 Election

2020 Election

2024 Election

Donald Trump

Fani Willis

fulton county

Georgia

Washington Post

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/michigan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michigan</a> judge ruled Tuesday that former President Donald Trump can stay on the state&#8217;s primary ballot in 2024, dismissing one of several challenges to block a Trump candidacy by using an insurrection clause in the U.S. Constitution.
The lawsuit — led by the left-wing nonprofit organization Free Speech for Free Peoples, argues Trump violated section 3 of the 14th Amendment in connection with the U.S. Capitol breach on January 6, 2021. The clause bars anyone who previously took an oath of office from running for office if they have &#8220;engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.&#8221;
But Michigan Court of Claims Judge James Redford reportedly <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/michigan-judge-denies-effort-keep-trump-2024-primary-ballot-rcna125208" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that under state law, the secretary of state lacks authority to intervene in a primary election. The judge reportedly <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/michigan-judge-says-trump-will-remain-on-primary-ballot-rejecting-challenge-under-insurrection-clause" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> he could not remove Trump from the primary ballot because the former president followed state law to qualify.
&#8220;The ultimate decision is made by the respective political party, with the consent of the listed candidate,&#8221; the judge wrote.
Ron Fein, legal director and attorney for the petitioners of Free Speech For People, said the group would appeal the ruling immediately.
&#8220;The Michigan Supreme Court should reverse this badly-reasoned lower court decision,&#8221; Fein said in a <a href="https://freespeechforpeople.org/joint-statement-by-free-speech-for-people-and-mark-brewer-of-goodman-acker-co-counsel-for-the-plaintiffs-in-labrant-v-benson-on-todays-ruling-by-the-michigan-court-of-claims/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news release</a>. &#8220;While our appeal is pending, the trial court&#8217;s decision isn&#8217;t binding on any other court, and we continue our current and planned legal actions in other states to enforce Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment against Donald Trump.&#8221;
Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung celebrated the judge&#8217;s decision in a statement.
&#8220;Each and every one of these ridiculous cases have LOST because they are all un-Constitutional left-wing fantasies orchestrated by monied allies of the Biden campaign seeking to turn the election over to the courts and deny the American people the right to choose their next president,&#8221; Cheung said in a statement, adding he anticipated similar wins in similar attempts to remove Trump from the primary ballot in other states.
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Efforts to remove Trump from state ballots using the insurrection clause have been appearing in a series of lawsuits nationwide from critics of the leading Republican contender.
According to Cornell University&#8217;s Legal Information Institute, U.S. officials ratified the Amendment in 1868 in the aftermath of the Civil War during the Reconstruction Era, which was designed to represent a new birth of freedom for previously disenfranchised citizens.
Trump has criticized the lawsuits as &#8220;frivolous,&#8221; claiming that &#8220;radical Democrat dark money groups&#8221; fund the legal challenges to interfere with his attempt to retake the White House in 2025.
&#8220;This is like a banana republic,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-files-lawsuit-to-counter-effort-to-remove-him-from-ballot-in-michigan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> radio host Dan Bongino. &#8220;And what they&#8217;re doing is, it&#8217;s called election interference. … Now the 14th Amendment is just a continuation of that. It&#8217;s nonsense.&#8221;
Last week, the Minnesota Supreme Court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/minnesota-supreme-court-dismisses-insurrection-clause-challenge-to-keep-trump-off-states-primary-ballot-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dismissed</a> the left-wing group&#8217;s legal challenge, saying state law allows political parties to put anyone on a primary ballot.
Other groups in Arizona, Colorado, and New Hampshire have also filed similar lawsuits against Trump. But last month, Colorado became the first state to bring its challenge to trial under the constitutional measure — which has rarely been used over the last 150 years. A state judge reportedly scheduled closing arguments for next week.
Legal experts reportedly expect the issue to eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

Donald Trump Holds Michigan Campaign Event

Michigan Judge Dismisses 14th Amendment Challenge Against Trump

2024 Primaries

Michigan

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against a Biden administration ATF rule that sought to regulate guns without serial numbers and redefine the term “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/guns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">firearm</a>.”
The court on Thursday said that the ATF had no legal authority to put forth a rule that <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/27/us/politics/ghost-guns-atf-rule.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">would require</a> gun vendors to treat firearm parts like pistol grips and firing mechanisms as fully completed firearms, meaning they would need to have serial numbers. The rule, which was first rolled out in April 2022, was intended for the ATF to be able track homemade guns.
Judges at the Fifth Circuit unanimously said the ATF had usurped legislative authority and that the ATF was trying to take broader regulatory authority than it actually had.
“Where an executive agency in what is, for all intents and purposes, ‘law making,’ the legislature is deprived of its final function under our Constitution, and our citizens are robbed of their right to fair representation in government. This is especially true when the executive rule-turned-law criminalizes conduct without the say of the people who are subject to its penalties,” Judge Kurt Engelhardt <a href="https://aboutblaw.com/bbpJ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>.
“ATF, in promulgating its Final Rule, attempted to take on the mantle of Congress to ‘do something’ with respect to gun control,” Engelhardt added. “But it is not the province of an executive agency to write laws for our nation. That vital duty, for better or for worse, lies solely with the legislature.”
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The rule had been allowed to stay in place by the Supreme Court during lower court adjudication. The Department of Justice will likely appeal the Fifth Circuit’s decision to the Supreme Court.
Judge Andrew Oldham was critical of the ATF’s new rule, saying that it would allow a broad swath of regulations not explicitly spelled out in the rule.
“The Final Rule is limitless. It purports to regulate any piece of metal or plastic that has been machined beyond its primordial state for fear that it might one day be turned into a gun, a gun frame, or a gun receiver,” he wrote. “And it doesn’t stop regulating the metal or plastic until it’s melted back down to ooze.”

US-NEWS-SCOTUS-GHOST-GUNS-NY

Appeals Court Rules Against ‘Limitless’ Biden ATF Rule Changing The Definition Of Firearm

Appeals Court Rules Against 'Limitless' Biden ATF Rule Changing The Definition Of Firearm

Biden Administration

Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF)

Ghost Guns

Gun Control

Guns

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/robert-de-niro">Robert De Niro</a>’s production company, Canal, must pay an ex-assistant to the actor $1.2 million after it lost a sexism lawsuit brought against it.
Graham Chase Robinson was awarded two identical damages payments of $632,142.96 for gender discrimination and retaliation after filing the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lawsuit">lawsuit</a> against the actor’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/courts">production company</a>, per <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12730819/Robert-Niros-producion-company-ordered-pay-ex-assistant-Graham-Chase-Robinson-1-2-million-bombshell-lawsuit.html">The Daily Mail</a>. She originally sought $12 million.
The settlement amount was meant to represent four years of lost work based on her previous salary. Robinson, 41, claimed that she was unable to find a new job after being let go from De Niro’s employment and faulted him for it. 
De Niro counter-sued his former employee for $6 million to account for the airline miles she allegedly stole from him, but she was found not liable. The outlet reported that Robinson was visibly overjoyed after the verdict was read and smiled at the jurors as they left the courtroom.
“We are delighted that the jury saw what we saw and returned a verdict in Chase Robinson&#8217;s favor against Robert De Niro&#8217;s company, Canal Productions,” Robinson’s lawyer David Sanford said. 
“Not only did Ms Robinson win her case against Canal but the jury completely vindicated Ms. Robinson by finding De Niro&#8217;s claims against her to be without merit.”
De Niro was not present for the reading of the verdict, but his attorney also expressed that it was “gratifying” that De Niro was not personally found liable. 
“I&#8217;m not going to comment on the verdict &#8211; we have to analyze the damage amount,” Richard Schoenstein said.
“It strikes me as a compromise. Obviously they were seeking $12 million and they got $600,000,” he added. “I am very grateful for the service of the jury. We are really happy they separated out Bob from this. It is a dispute between an employee and their former employer.”
Robinson began working for De Niro&#8217;s company in 2008 as an executive assistant with a $75,000 salary. She exited in April 2019 with the title of VP of Production and Finance and a $300,000 salary. Robinson accused De Niro of calling her a “b*tch” on multiple occasions and berating her for minor infractions.
Robinson also claimed female employees were treated differently than their male counterparts. “Female employees were expected to be on call 24/7 for Bob. He didn&#8217;t expect male employees to be on call for him,” she said during her testimony. 
“I gave this job my life. I didn&#8217;t have kids because I worked,” she claimed.
While Robinson’s psychiatrist said Robinson suffered from a “serious and often disabling psychological condition” including insomnia and memory loss due to the trauma of losing her livelihood and reputation, a psychiatrist hired by De Niro’s lawyers said the ex-staffer was “narcissistic and paranoid.”

Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro Loses Sexism Lawsuit Brought By Ex-Assistant, Company Must Pay Her $1.2M

Celebrities

Entertainment

Lawsuit

New York City

Robert de Niro

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-swat-team-conducts-early-morning-raid-arrests-pro-life-activist-at-pennsylvania-home-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pro-life activist</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/catholicism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Catholic</a> father of seven Mark Houck and his wife are suing the Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/doj" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Department of Justice</a> over Houck&#8217;s shocking arrest last year by an estimated 20 armed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fbi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FBI</a> agents at his Pennsylvania home in front of his children.
The DOJ targeted Houck, who leads a nonprofit group that provides sidewalk counseling at abortion clinics in Philadelphia, over an incident from 2021 involving his then-12-year-old son at a Planned Parenthood abortion facility. The family says Houck, who was facing 11 years behind bars and <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/pennsylvania-pro-life-activist-arrested-fbi-charged-assaulting-clinic-escort">fines</a> up to $350,000, was defending his son from a harassing pro-abortion activist. In January, Houck was acquitted of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances a.k.a. FACE Act charges.
According to the suit, which was filed Monday, Houck is seeking $1.1 million for malicious prosecution, retaliatory prosecution, false arrest, abuse of process, and assault, The Daily Signal <a href="https://www.dailysignal.com/2023/11/08/mark-houck-family-sue-biden-doj-for-malicious-and-retaliatory-prosecution/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The suit describes the infamous arrest as “unnecessary and unlawful show of force&#8221; and an infringement of Houck&#8217;s Fourth Amendment rights. Officers used &#8220;excessive force&#8221; to arrest the activist on &#8220;non-violent charges when he had not threatened law enforcement, did not own a gun, and had offered to turn himself in to authorities if indicted,&#8221; the suit reads.
His wife, Ryan-Marie Houck, is seeking $3.25 million in damages. The complaint says Ryan-Marie has had numerous miscarriages in the wake of the traumatic arrest due to stress and PTSD, and now finds herself infertile.
&#8220;Mrs. Houck has also shouldered the emotional distress of caring for her seven children and their individual needs as they each process their own trauma from these events,&#8221; the suit reads. &#8220;The children continually come to her crying and suffering from nightmares. They slept in bed with her and her husband for the first month after the arrest, and they continue to ask to sleep in their parents’ bed. The children are easily triggered whenever the situation is brought up or unannounced guests arrive at the property, and she spends a significant amount of time counseling and comforting them.&#8221;
In the aftermath of the arrest, a fundraising account on platform GiveSendGo set up for the Houck&#8217;s described the incident as follows: &#8220;Mark and his son were praying in front of the [Planned Parenthood] at 12th and Locust. When one of the escorts began harassing Mark’s son they walked down the street away from the entrance to the building. The escort followed them, and when he continued yelling at Mark’s son, Mark pushed him away.”
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“It’s all on video,” the post continues. “But that hasn’t stopped Planned Parenthood and the Biden Administration. With no prior warning, and in spite of the fact that Mark is represented by an attorney, Biden’s Justice Department sent a fully armed SWAT team into a home full of young children at daybreak, to arrest a father for protecting his son.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/acquitted-pro-life-activist-mark-houck-tells-congress-fbi-raided-his-home-to-instill-fear-in-pro-life-america" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Acquitted Pro-Life Activist Mark Houck Tells Congress FBI Raided His Home ‘To Instill Fear In Pro-Life America’</a>

Mark Houck, Merrick Garland

Pro-Life Father Mark Houck Sues Biden DOJ Over Arrest, Raid For Millions

Pro-Life Father Of Seven Mark Houck Sues Biden Over Arrest, Raid 

Abortion

Department of Justice

Pennsylvania

A jury in Florida has found a children’s hospital liable in a lawsuit brought by the family featured in the Netflix documentary, “Take Care of Maya.”
Maya Kowalski, 17, and her family sued Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital alleging false imprisonment, battery, medical negligence, fraudulent billing, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and wrongful death. A jury determined Thursday that the hospital is liable for Maya’s mother, Beata, committing suicide due to the hospital’s report, Fox 13 <a href="https://www.fox13news.com/news/take-care-of-maya-trial-jury-reaches-verdict-in-220m-case-against-johns-hopkins-all-childrens-hospital" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The trial relates to the actions of Johns Hopkins in 2016 when staff reported Maya’s parents to children’s services. They believed Maya’s mother, Beata, was suffering from Munchausen by proxy and exaggerated her daughter’s illness to get attention from healthcare workers. Beata committed suicide and, shortly after, Maya was released from the hospital and allowed to return home to her family. The family sued on seven claims, and Johns Hopkins was found liable for falsely imprisoning Maya, fraudulently billing her family, and causing them emotional distress. The jury further found that social worker Catherine Bedy had battered Maya and that Dr. Sally Smith medically neglected the girl, who was 10 when she was admitted to Johns Hopkins, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/take-care-maya-trial-kowalski-family-awarded-176m-medical-abuse-case-drove-mother-suicide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
After finding the hospital liable, the jury determined it owed the Kowalski family $211 million in damages, <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/news/health/2023/11/09/all-childrens-st-petersburg-maya-netflix-damages/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Tampa Bay Times.
Howard Hunter, who represented the hospital at the trial, released a statement saying the hospital plans to appeal the jury’s decision.
“We thank the jury for their time and attention during this trial and intend to pursue an appeal based on clear and prejudicial errors throughout the trial and deliberate conduct by plaintiff’s counsel that misled the jury,” the statement said. “The evidence clearly showed that Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital followed Florida’s mandatory reporting law in reporting suspected child abuse and, when those suspicions were confirmed by the district court, fully complied with Department of Children and Families (DCF) and court orders.”
Maya was just nine years old when she started having asthma attacks and headaches. Her symptoms soon evolved to include lesions on her arms and legs, and cramping in her feet, which began to curl so she couldn’t walk without assistance. Her parents, Jack and Beata, took her to doctors to find out what was wrong with their daughter, with at least one physician thinking the girl’s condition was all in her head.
“But Maya would be crying 24/7,” Jack, 61, <a href="https://people.com/take-care-of-maya-munchausen-by-proxy-accusation-maya-kowalski-mom-death-by-suicide-7509016" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> People Magazine in June. “We knew she wasn’t faking.”
Finally, the Kowalskis found Dr. Anthony Kirkpatrick, who evaluated Maya and diagnosed her with a rare disorder known as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, an impairment of the nervous system that increases pain sensations – meaning even the slightest stimulus could cause severe pain to Maya. Kirkpatrick treated Maya and found that the only thing that worked for her condition was monthly infusions of the powerful anesthetic ketamine, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune <a href="https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/venice/2019/01/27/doctors-suspicion-tears-apart-venice-family/986798007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> back in 2019.
There are critics of the diagnosis and treatment since doctors don’t know what causes CRPS or exactly how to treat it, but the ketamine injections allowed Maya to return to life as an ordinary young girl.
All Children’s Hospital contends that it acted in Maya’s best interest by weaning her off medications and following the orders it received from the Department of Children and Families (DCF) after reporting suspected child abuse.
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DCF required the hospital to keep Maya separated from her mother for 87 days.
Maya’s father, Jack, testified earlier this month that he and his family were told they would be arrested if they removed Maya from the hospital, Fox 13 <a href="https://www.fox13news.com/news/take-care-of-maya-trial-maya-to-testify-in-220-million-case-against-all-childrens-hospital" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Beata, a registered nurse who escaped communist-era Poland, eventually committed suicide, believing that doing so would lead the court to return Maya to her family’s custody.
Just days after Beata took her own life, the case against the Kowalskis was dropped and Maya was allowed to leave the hospital – after keeping her for three months under a court-ordered separation that only allowed Beata to speak to Maya on the phone with someone listening in. Their devastating phone calls can be heard in the Netflix documentary.
If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or go to <a href="http://speakingofsuicide.com/resources" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources</a> for a list of additional resources.

Kowalski Family

‘Take Care Of Maya’ Trial: Jury Finds Hospital Liable, Awards Family $211 Million

Child Abuse

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