Political commentator Tim Pool told Ben Shapiro on Friday that he was unaware that the founders of a media company that licensed one of his talk shows were being paid by Russians, and was blindsided by the allegations from the Department of Justice earlier this week.
In his first interview since the DOJ indictment, Pool, the host of the popular Timcast show, reiterated on &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2042-member-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Ben Shapiro Show</a>&#8221; that he had very limited contact with Tenet Media, which is accused by federal prosecutors of secretly taking money from Russians and licensed one of his spin-off shows called the &#8220;Culture War&#8221; podcast. He also explained that Tenet, which was founded by conservative commentator Lauren Chen, didn&#8217;t even have exclusive rights to his show, much less editorial input on it.
&#8220;That&#8217;s the crazy thing, it&#8217;s not even an exclusive show, it&#8217;s not exclusive, we published it other places, we own all the rights for it,&#8221; Pool said. &#8220;And so now we get entrenched in whatever this is, and I&#8217;m just like, nah, I don&#8217;t have anything to do with this. I don&#8217;t know what it is Lauren Chen was doing. I&#8217;m quite perturbed by the allegations. I don&#8217;t know what will turn out to be true, but I&#8217;m pissed.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
EXCLUSIVE: <a href="https://twitter.com/Timcast?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Timcast</a> first interview about the DOJ/Tenet Media indictment and his own Kamala Harris lawsuit <a href="https://t.co/wVkPj7etKw">pic.twitter.com/wVkPj7etKw</a>
— The Ben Shapiro Show (@BenShapiroShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenShapiroShow/status/1832144206552236462?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Pool said that despite clips circulating on social media this week that show him harshly criticizing Ukraine, he has always hated Russia.
&#8220;Russia sucks. I&#8217;m not a fan of Russia,&#8221; Pool said. &#8220;I think Vladimir Putin is a dictator who&#8217;s used unethical and dictatorial means to maintain power for decades. And I&#8217;ve long said that.&#8221;
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Pool said his comments criticizing Ukraine are rooted in his anger that the United States is spending resources abroad when it should be spending them on domestic problems.
Chen, a Canadian-born YouTuber and <a href="https://x.com/AGHamilton29/status/1831433336293880183" target="_blank" rel="noopener">former RT employee</a>, and her husband, Liam Donovan, are not named but referenced in the <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1366266/dl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indictment</a> as founders of Tenet Media.
The Russian defendants allegedly worked with Chen and Donovan to “mask” the “true source of funding” for the company, which the indictment revealed to be RT — a Russian state broadcaster.
Chen and Donovan were accused of “falsely portraying” to commentators such as Pool that their company was sponsored by a private investor named “Eduard Grigoriann” — a persona that turned out to be fake.
The Blaze has cut ties with Chen over the Russia allegations. Pool says he&#8217;s been contacted by the FBI, which is treating him as a victim of the scheme.

Tim Pool

Tim Pool Tells Ben Shapiro ‘Russia Sucks,’ He’s ‘Pissed’ About DOJ Claim That Tenet Was Funded By Russia

Tim Pool Tells Ben Shapiro 'Russia Sucks,' He's 'Pissed' About DOJ Claim That Tenet Was Funded By Russia

Ben Shapiro

Department of Justice

Russia

The Ben Shapiro Show

Ukraine

Lauren Chen is no longer with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/blazetv" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blaze</a> Media after the Department of Justice (DOJ) <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/two-rt-employees-indicted-covertly-funding-and-directing-us-company-published-thousands" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused</a> her of misleading other conservative influencers about <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russian</a> money her company had been paying them.
Semafor <a href="https://www.semafor.com/article/09/05/2024/blaze-fires-contributor-linked-to-russian-operation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Thursday that Chen had been fired by Blaze Media, where she had contributed videos to Blaze TV, a day after she was referenced in a federal indictment against two Russia Today (RT) employees.
“Lauren Chen was an independent contractor, whose contract has been terminated,” Blaze Media CEO Tyler Cardon said in an email. Semafor also noted Chen did not return a request for comment.
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The RT employees, a pair of Russian nationals, were charged with conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act and conspiracy to commit money laundering, the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/department-of-justice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DOJ</a> announced on Wednesday.
Attorney General Merrick Garland <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/two-rt-employees-indicted-covertly-funding-and-directing-us-company-published-thousands" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the defendants were implicated in a &#8220;$10 million scheme to create and distribute content to U.S. audiences with hidden Russian government messaging.&#8221;
Chen, a Canadian-born YouTuber and <a href="https://x.com/AGHamilton29/status/1831433336293880183" target="_blank" rel="noopener">former RT employee</a>, and her husband, Liam Donovan, are not named but referenced in the <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1366266/dl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indictment</a> as founders of a company identified as Tenet Media.
The Russian defendants allegedly worked with Chen and Donovan to &#8220;mask&#8221; the &#8220;true source of funding&#8221; for the company, which the indictment revealed to be RT — a Russian state broadcaster.
Chen and Donovan were accused of &#8220;falsely portraying&#8221; to commentators that their company was sponsored by a private investor named &#8220;Eduard Grigoriann&#8221; — a persona that turned out to be fake.
Tenet was also not named, but as <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/09/04/justice-department-election-security/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted by The Washington Post</a>, a quote from its YouTube Channel is identical to one that appears in the indictment. The company&#8217;s Tennessee roots are also a match.
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Similar extrapolations have been made to identify conservative influencers who may be referenced in the indictment as potential victims of deceit, some of whom have since released statements.
&#8220;These allegations clearly show that I and other commentators were the victims of this scheme. I knew absolutely nothing about any of this fraudulent activity. Period,&#8221; Dave Rubin <a href="https://x.com/RubinReport/status/1831478093661245681" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post to X.
Podcast host Tim Pool also <a href="https://x.com/Timcast/status/1831473189173731589" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> to X about the indictment, declaring, &#8220;Should these allegations prove true, I as well as the other personalities and commentators were deceived and are victims.&#8221;

Justice Department Headquarters Building

Blaze Media Cuts Ties With Lauren Chen After DOJ Connects Her To Russian Scheme

BlazeTV

Media

Politics

The U.S. Justice Department announced criminal charges Tuesday afternoon against six senior leaders in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hamas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hamas</a>, an Iranian-backed terrorist organization based in Gaza, over their role in carrying out the October 7 massacre against U.S. and Israeli citizens last year.
The six Hamas officials who were charged in the indictment include Ismail Haniyeh, chairman of Hamas’ Politburo; Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas; Mohammad Al-Masri, commander in chief of the al-Qassam Brigades; Marwan Issa, deputy commander of the al-Qassam Brigades; Khaled Meshaal, chairman of Hamas’ Politburo from approximately 2004 to 2017 and who is now the head of Hamas’ diaspora office; and Ali Baraka, 57, Hamas’ head of National Relations Abroad since approximately 2019.
Of the six who were charged, three have been killed in recent months in response to the terrorist attack that they carried out. Those killed include Haniyeh, Al-Masri, and Issa.
The Justice Department said all of the defendants &#8220;have orchestrated, overseen, and supported Hamas’s decades-long campaign of terrorism, including the October 7 Hamas Massacres.&#8221;
The DOJ highlighted other acts of terrorism that the Palestinian terrorist group is responsible for, including suicide bombings of restaurants, markets, public transportation systems, and other public spaces.
&#8220;As of the date of the complaint, over 40 American citizens were among those murdered, and at least eight American citizens were taken hostage or remain unaccounted for,&#8221; the statement said. &#8220;Most recently, Hamas executed a U.S. citizen who was taken hostage by Hamas during the October 7 Hamas Massacres and remained in captivity until he was murdered.&#8221;
Prosecutors said that Hamas&#8217; ability to carry out terrorist attacks is fueled by the Islamic Republic of Iran, &#8220;particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its Qods Force (IRGC-QF) — the element of the IRGC responsible for conducting external terrorism operations and providing support to terrorist groups — which has supported, supplied, and trained Hamas, and by the Lebanon-based Shia Islamic terrorist organization Hezbollah.&#8221;
&#8220;Hamas raises money to fund its terrorist activities through a variety of methods, including by soliciting and receiving cryptocurrency payments, advertising the ostensible anonymity of such transactions,&#8221; prosecutors said, noting that the terror group has raised tens of millions of dollars from supporters around the world, including in the U.S., who have knowingly given money to the group for the intent of financing terrorism.
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Each of the defendants were charged with conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization resulting in death, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison; conspiring to provide material support for acts of terrorism resulting in death, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison; conspiring to murder U.S. nationals outside the United States, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison; conspiring to bomb a place of public use resulting in death, which carries a maximum penalty of death or life in prison; conspiring to use weapons of mass destruction resulting in death, which carries a maximum penalty of death or life in prison; conspiring to finance terrorism, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; and conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said that the indictment was just one part of the U.S.&#8217; efforts to hold Hamas accountable for its acts of terrorism.

Attorney General Garland Makes Antitrust Announcement At The Justice Department

U.S. Charges 6 Top Hamas Leaders Over October 7 Attack

Hamas

Israel

October 7

Terrorism

World

Former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> said Tuesday that the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/department-of-justice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Justice Department</a> was engaging in “election interference” after special counsel Jack Smith filed a superseding indictment against the former president. 
Smith’s indictment, which comes after the Supreme Court ruled that presidents have broad immunity from prosecution, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-harris-admin-files-reworked-indictment-against-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accuses</a> Trump of two felony counts of obstructing an official proceeding, one felony count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, and one felony count of conspiracy against rights. 
In a post on X, Trump said that the revised indictment amounted to &#8220;election interference&#8221; because mail-in ballots are about to be cast in North Carolina. 
“It is DOJ policy that the Department of Justice should not take any action that will influence an election within 60 days of that election – but they just have taken such action,” he said. “Voting starts on September 6th, therefore the DOJ has violated its own policy – Election Interference. All of these Comrade Kamala/Biden Hoaxes should be immediately DISMISSED!”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
It is DOJ policy that the Department of Justice should not take any action that will influence an election within 60 days of that election – but they just have taken such action. Voting starts on September 6th, therefore the DOJ has violated its own policy – Election…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1828625060187218292?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2024</a></blockquote>
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In an earlier <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113036148822447231" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> on Truth Social, Trump said that the revised indictment was “a direct assault on democracy.”
“This is an unprecedented abuse of the Criminal Justice System. The case has to do with ‘Conspiracy to Obstruct the 2020 Presidential Election,’ when they are the ones that did the obstructing of the Election, not me,” he said. “They cheated on the Election, and they go after me for ‘cheating on the Election.’ Interestingly, this comes at the exact same time as Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook has admitted to concealing massive amounts of information, such as Hunter Biden’s Laptop from Hell, which is a direct acknowledgment that the 2020 Presidential Election was MANIPULATED and RIGGED by the DOJ. What they are doing now is the single greatest sabotage of our Democracy in History.”
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Smith’s office said that the indictment had been revised in light of the Supreme Court’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-rules-trump-has-immunity-for-official-acts-likely-delays-trial-past-election" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decision</a> in Trump v. United States, which said that presidents cannot be prosecuted for exercising core constitutional powers and are entitled to at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for official acts.
“The superseding indictment, which was presented to a new grand jury that had not previously heard evidence in this case, reflects the Government’s efforts to respect and implement the Supreme Court’s holdings and remand instructions in Trump v. United States,” the special counsel’s office claimed.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) reacted to the news of the revised indictment by saying that the Biden-Harris administration was weaponizing the DOJ.
&#8220;Donald Trump continues to be the most persecuted politician in the history of our country. Today, after getting two of his cases thrown out by the courts, Jack Smith is grasping at straws once again,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Just 70 days before the election, Smith has brought yet another bogus indictment. Americans are sick of this corruption and shameless lawfare. They know this is not about justice, but about politics.&#8221;

DETROIT, MI, AUGUST 26: Republican presidential nominee Donal

‘Election Interference’: Trump Says DOJ Trying To ‘Sabotage’ Democracy With New Indictment

2024 Election

Biden Administration

Courts

Donald Trump

Jack Smith

Supreme Court

U.S. Politics

DETROIT—A group of Christian pro-life activists, including an 89-year-old survivor of a communist prison camp in Eastern Europe, face over a decade in prison after they were convicted on Tuesday in a federal trial in Michigan.
A jury found Chester Gallagher, Heather Idoni, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pro-life-father-facing-11-years-in-prison-says-biden-doj-is-targeting-conservative-christians" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joel Curry</a>, Justin Phillips, Cal Zastrow, his daughter Eva Zastrow, and 89-year-old <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/god-wins-in-the-end-89-year-old-pro-life-activist-speaks-out-ahead-of-high-stakes-trial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eva Edl</a> guilty of engaging in a conspiracy against rights and violations of the FACE Act. Edl was forced into a camp as a young child by Yugoslavian communist dictator Josip Broz Tito before fleeing to the United States. 
The seven were prosecuted by the Biden administration, which has been using the conspiracy against rights charge, originally designed for the Klu Klux Klan, to go after pro-life activists. They face over 10 years in prison and hundreds of thousands in fines upon sentencing. Sentencing is pending ongoing back-and-forth between the defendants and the Department of Justice as the judge considers several motions filed to dismiss the case.
About a dozen U.S. Marshalls were gathered in and around the courtroom as the verdict was read in front of family members and supporters of the defendants and Justice Department personnel.
Immediately after the verdict was handed down, Cal Zastrow said &#8220;Isn&#8217;t Jesus good? Let&#8217;s go to the sidewalk and sing.&#8221;
The charges stemmed from a peaceful demonstration, which the defendants called a “Rescue,” where the group sat and stood outside of the Northland Family Planning Clinic in Sterling Heights, Michigan, alongside a group of other pro-life activists. Edl and Idoni were convicted on an additional charge for a pro-life protest they attended at the Women’s Health Clinic in Saginaw, Michigan. 
The jury, composed of five men and seven women, began deliberating on Tuesday morning at 8:30 a.m. local time at the Theodore Levin Federal Courthouse in Detroit. They deliberated for just around three and a half hours. The case was overseen by Judge Matthew Leitman, an Obama appointee. 
Throughout the trial, Edl said that it was her faith in Jesus and belief that suffering would strengthen her that kept her going. She said that going through trials was like the process of a blacksmith’s refining fire. 
“We need suffering in our lives in order to be purified and not feel sorry about ourselves,&#8221; she said, adding that Christians should say &#8220;Hammer away, Lord, at that anvil.&#8221;
The verdict comes after seven full days of arguments packed with tension and drama. 
On August 9, a woman named Sarah gave testimony about her interactions with the defendants at Northland after she and her husband arrived for an abortion appointment after being told their unborn son would not survive outside the womb. 
Sarah began to cry as soon as she walked into the courtroom and continued to cry throughout questioning from the government. At one point she was led out of the courtroom and she could be heard crying and wailing from the hall. 
Lawyers for the defense said that the Justice Department was exploiting her pain and trying to manipulate the jury during their closing arguments on Monday. 
Caroline Davis, one of the pro-lifers who was at Northland, was a key witness for the government. Her testimony took over a day, as she discussed her previous relationships with the defendants. She pled down her felony charge to a misdemeanor and has been a crucial witness for the Justice Department in multiple cases over similar protests, but has not yet been sentenced for Michigan. 
Throughout the trial, Leitman repeatedly clashed with David Peters, the lawyer for Phillips. On Monday, he tried to bring up the history behind the conspiracy against rights charge, which was passed in 1870 to deal with groups like the Klu Klux Klan, not peaceful protesters. 
The defense objected, and Leitman ordered the jury out of the room. He then criticized Peters for going “way over the line” and suggested he might hold him in contempt. 
Later, Leitman grew upset with Peters after the attorney invoked John Adams’ remark that the Constitution was made for a “moral and religious people.” Leitman said that he was setting the stage for jury nullification, where a member of the jury votes not to convict based on a moral objection to the law.
The prosecution for the Justice Department was led by U.S. Attorney Frances Carlson, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sunita Doddamani, and trial lawyer Laura-Kate Bernstein. They repeatedly said that the defendants were trying to force their Christianity on others, and that they violated a woman’s right to have an abortion. 
Lawyers for the defendants emphasized that their clients’ primary goal was to “save babies from slaughter,” not to intimidate anyone. They also pointed out the peaceful nature of the incident at Northland and how their actions were motivated by their Christian faith. 
This is the Biden administration’s latest attempt to sue pro-life activists using its novel interpretation of the “conspiracy against rights” statute. Previous groups have been found guilty of the charge in Tennessee and Washington, D.C. Some were sentenced to prison.

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89-Year-Old Woman Convicted, Faces Over A Decade In Prison For Peaceful Pro-Life Protest

Detroit

Michigan

Pro-Life Movement

DETROIT—Two pro-life activists on trial for protesting a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/michigan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michigan</a> abortion facility back in 2020 spoke about their Christian faith Monday as the trial moved to closing arguments.
Chester Gallagher and Heather Idoni invoked their faith on the final day of argumentation for the trial of seven pro-life activists, which began on August 9. The seven, who were targeted by the Biden administration&#8217;s Justice Department, are on trial for allegations that they violated the FACE Act and engaged in a &#8220;conspiracy against rights.&#8221;
Both Gallagher and Idoni opted to represent themselves, meaning that they were able to present arguments in their own defense with help from lawyers standing by. Gallagher is being aided by Steve Crampton of the Thomas More Society. 
Idoni, who has been incarcerated for months over a conviction on similar charges, began by reading from Proverbs 24:10-12 which calls on Christians to “rescue those being led away to death.” She said that “my life has been very much formed by these verses,&#8221; adding that the group was motivated because &#8220;we love God and revere His word.”
Idoni, who has arrived in court handcuffed and with leg shackles on, denied accusations that the group had a “martyrdom complex,” saying that she did not have “any desire to go to jail.” 
Gallagher, a former police officer, talked about how the jury should pay attention to the group’s demeanor while at the Northland. 
He said that the case was about much more than “sincerely held religious beliefs” and that the “heart of the matter” was that there was a “creator that compels me to do what I do.” He said that he was there “to intervene” because of his love for Jesus and that he did not want to see “entire families” be destroyed by abortion.
Others on trial include <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pro-life-father-facing-11-years-in-prison-says-biden-doj-is-targeting-conservative-christians" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joel Curry</a>, Justin Phillips, Cal Zastrow, his daughter Eva Zastrow, and 89-year-old communist concentration camp survivor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/god-wins-in-the-end-89-year-old-pro-life-activist-speaks-out-ahead-of-high-stakes-trial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eva Edl</a>. They face over 10 years in prison and $250,000 in fines if convicted. 
The charges stem from a peaceful demonstration, which the defendants called a “Rescue,” where the group sat and stood outside of the Northland Family Planning Clinic in Sterling, Michigan, alongside a group of other pro-life activists. Edl and Idoni face an additional charge for a pro-life protest they attended at the Women’s Health Clinic in Saginaw, Michigan. 
The jury, composed of five men and seven women, will begin deliberating on Tuesday morning at 8:30 a.m. local time at the Theodore Levin Federal Courthouse in Detroit. The case is being overseen by Judge Matthew Leitman, an Obama appointee. 
The courtroom gallery was packed Monday with more than two dozen supporters of the defendants and others. Several of the group gathered outside the courtroom on Monday morning to sing hymns like “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” and “All Hail the Power of Jesus Name.”
U.S. Attorney Frances Carlson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sunita Doddamani delivered closing arguments for the Justice Department.
During her remarks, Carlson said that the defendants “anointed themselves rescuers” and that the women they interacted with “did not need to be rescued.”  She said that they should be found guilty “even if the Holy Spirit” led them to be involved, and even though they were peaceful. 
Doddamani later echoed these comments when she said that being peaceful, being elderly, and having religious beliefs was not an excuse to break the law. 
Lawyers for the defendants emphasized that their clients&#8217; primary goal was to “save babies from slaughter,” not to intimidate anyone. 
During the closing arguments, a heated exchange broke out between Leitman and attorney David Peters, who is representing Phillips.
Peters began his argument by referencing parts of the Bible that show the humanity of the unborn before explaining the history of the &#8220;conspiracy against rights&#8221; statute, which was intended to stop hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan, not peaceful protesters. The government objected, and Leitman ordered the jury out of the room. After the jury left, Leitman criticized Peters for going &#8220;way over the line,&#8221; saying his remarks were &#8220;more like a Sunday sermon than a closing argument.&#8221;
Later, Leitman grew upset with Peters after the attorney invoked John Adams&#8217; remark that the Constitution was made for a &#8220;moral and religious people.&#8221; Leitman said that he was setting the stage for jury nullification, where a member of the jury votes not to convict based on a moral objection to the law.
This is the Biden administration&#8217;s latest attempt to sue pro-life activists using its novel interpretation of the &#8220;conspiracy against rights&#8221; statute. Previous groups have been found guilty of the charge in Tennessee and Washington, D.C. Some were sentenced to prison.

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‘We Love God’: Pro-Life Activists Turn to Scripture As Trial Enters Closing Arguments

An intelligence officer with the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-army" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. Army</a> pled guilty on Tuesday to selling critical military documents to an individual in Hong Kong believed to be tied to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chinese</a> government. 
Korbein Schultz, 24, who was stationed at Fort Campbell along the Kentucky-Tennessee border, pled guilty to conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information, exporting technical data related to defense articles without a license, conspiracy to export defense articles without a license, and bribery of a public official, the Justice Department announced. He faces up to 65 years in prison upon his sentencing in January. 
“This defendant sold national defense information to a foreign actor and conspired to corrupt other members of our military,” said United States Attorney Henry Leventis. “In doing so, he violated his training and his oath as a member of the armed services and he compromised our national security.” 
Robert Well of the FBI said that the incident was a reminder that hostile governments like China are trying to steal U.S. military secrets. 
“Governments like China are aggressively targeting our military personnel and national security information and we will do everything in our power to ensure that information is safeguarded from hostile foreign governments,” he said. 
According to the <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1341561/dl?inline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indictment</a>, Schultz’s illegal activity began in June 2022 and continued until his arrest in March. One of his most recent duties was listed as “Classified Document Custodian,” the indictment against him noted. 
Some of the information that Schultz sold included a document explaining how the U.S. would apply lessons learned from the Russia-Ukraine war to Taiwan, Air Force documents about the HH-60 helicopter, American intelligence on the Chinese military, rocket defense systems, and U.S. military exercises with South Korea and the Philippines. 
Prosecutors previously said that he made around $42,000 from the transmission of the materials.
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Schultz could get 10 years in prison for conspiracy to obtain and transmit national defense information, 20 years for exporting defense data to China without a license, 20 years for conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act, and another 15 years for the bribery charge. 
&#8220;This Soldier swore an oath to faithfully discharge his duties, to include protecting national defense information. Not only did he fail in his sworn duty, but he placed personal gain above his duty to our country and disclosed information that could give an advantage to a foreign nation, putting his fellow Soldiers in jeopardy,” <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/us-army-intelligence-analyst-pleads-guilty-charges-conspiracy-obtain-and-disclose-national">said</a> Brigadier General Rhett Cox.
The FBI and the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command conducted the investigation into Schultz.

CHINA-OLY-2016-CHN-FLAG

Army Intelligence Officer Pleads Guilty To Selling Defense Information To China

China

Military

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The House task force investigating the attempted assassination of former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> began its work on Monday by requesting documents and briefings from top Justice Department and Homeland Security officials. 
Task force chair Mike Kelly (R-PA) and ranking member Jason Crow (D-CO) sent letters to Attorney General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe demanding all documents related to the assassination attempt. They requested that the departments set up briefings with the task force by August 16 to coordinate the investigation. 
The letters, <a href="https://punchbowl.news/article/investigations/trump-assassination-attempt-task-force-first-official-act/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">obtained</a> by Punch Bowl News, request that the officials &#8220;produce documents and information directly to the Task Force from this point forward, including any documents and information that are in process in response to pending requests.&#8221;
The task force <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-votes-to-establish-task-force-on-trump-assassination-attempt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was established</a> last month with seven Republicans and six Democrats. Several committees in both the House and Senate have already begun looking into the attack that left Trump and two of his supporters injured and one rally attendee dead. 
In addition to Kelly, other Republican lawmakers on the task force <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-reveals-members-of-task-force-to-investigate-trump-assassination-attempt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">include</a> Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green (R-TN) and Reps. David Joyce (R-OH), Laurel Lee (R-FL), Michael Waltz (R-FL), Clay Higgins (R-LA),  Pat Fallon (TX). Democrats include Reps. Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Glenn Ivey (D-MD), and Jared Moskowitz (D-FL).
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House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said that the task force would have subpoena authority and be handling all House inquiries into the Trump rally shooting. His office <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-reveals-members-of-task-force-to-investigate-trump-assassination-attempt">said</a> that the panel’s goals are to “understand what went wrong on the day of the attempted assassination,” “ensure accountability,” and “prevent such an agency failure from ever happening again.”
There are still questions about who was responsible for the security failures at the July 13 Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

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Former President Donald Trump has informed the federal government that he intends to sue over the FBI&#8217;s raid of Mar-a-Lago in August 2022, alleging it was conducted to interfere with his 2024 election bid, Fox Business <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6360304946112" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Monday.
Trump&#8217;s legal team is threatening to sue for $100 million, alleging the federal government is guilty of invasion of privacy, malicious prosecution, and abuse of process. The unprecedented raid of Trump&#8217;s estate took place just a year and a half after he left the White House and resulted in Attorney General Merrick Garland appointing special counsel Jack Smith to go after Trump over his handling of classified documents.
Judge Aileen Cannon <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/judge-dismisses-trump-classified-documents-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dismissed</a> the classified documents case against Trump last month after ruling that Smith&#8217;s appointment was unconstitutional. Trump&#8217;s lawyers argue that the federal government&#8217;s goal for the Mar-a-Lago raid was to stop Trump from running for the White House in 2024.
&#8220;That&#8217;s what President Trump believes the entire special counsel investigation was about, interfering with his ability to get elected,&#8221; said Daniel Epstein, counsel to the former president.
Trump&#8217;s legal team has also argued that the FBI ignored established protocol by conducting the raid without notifying Trump or his lawyers. Earlier this year, the FBI released a statement saying that the Biden administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-signed-off-on-use-of-deadly-force-for-raid-on-trump-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">authorized</a> the &#8220;use of deadly force&#8221; during the raid on Trump&#8217;s estate, arguing that the authorization was in line with standard operating procedures. Agents were reportedly instructed to dress in a way that would hide &#8220;law enforcement equipment.&#8221;
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“The FBI followed standard protocol in this search as we do for all search warrants, which includes a standard policy statement limiting the use of deadly force. No one ordered additional steps to be taken and there was no departure from the norm in this matter,&#8221; the bureau said in a statement responding to reports about the raid instructions.
Trump&#8217;s lawyers are pointing to internal FBI emails that allegedly show agents questioning whether they obtained the required probable cause to proceed with the raid on Mar-a-Lago, Fox Business reported. Less than a year after the raid, House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-top-fbi-official-disagreed-with-dojs-approach-to-trump-raid-jim-jordan-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> that Steven D’Antuono, the former assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, &#8220;expressed strong concerns with the Department’s pursuit of the raid and noted several unusual features in the Department’s handling of the case.&#8221;
The lawyers argue that Garland should have known that as a former president, Trump would have immunity from prosecution over his handling of the classified documents in question and that Smith could not be appointed special counsel. The federal government now has six months to decide if it will settle Trump&#8217;s claim for $100 million. If the government does not settle with Trump, the former president can move forward with a lawsuit.

Trump Set To Sue Federal Government For $100M Over Mar-A-Lago Raid

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DETROIT—The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/department-of-justice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Justice Department</a>’s case against seven Christian pro-lifer activists who participated in a peaceful protest at a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/michigan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michigan</a> abortion facility will hinge on the testimony of a former fellow activist who took a plea deal with the government. 
On Thursday, the trial for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/god-wins-in-the-end-89-year-old-pro-life-activist-speaks-out-ahead-of-high-stakes-trial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eva Edl</a>, Cal Zastrow, Chester Gallagher, Heather Idoni, Justin Phillips, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pro-life-father-facing-11-years-in-prison-says-biden-doj-is-targeting-conservative-christians" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joel Curry</a>, and Eva Zastrow continued as lawyers for the defendants and the government argued over what evidence could be presented to the jury. The Biden administration has accused the protesters of engaging in a conspiracy to block women from being able to have abortions by sitting and standing in front of the doors of the Northland Family Planning Clinic in Sterling Heights, Michigan in August 2020. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10.5 years in prison and up to $260,000 in fines.
During Thursday&#8217;s deliberations, it became clear that Justice Department lawyers would be relying heavily on the testimony of Caroline Davis, a former activist who was involved in the Michigan protest and at several other protests around the country before she was charged with felony conspiracy. Davis took a plea bargain and agreed to testify for the government, and is no longer charged with a felony.
The prosecution indicated that it would be relying on Davis&#8217; testimony  to verify several videos that will be played for the jury. Lawyers also indicated they well as use her testimony about a camping trip attended by several of the defendants before the protest, which the government called a &#8220;blockade.&#8221;
Davis <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/video-played-at-trial-shows-pro-lifers-targeted-by-doj-singing-hymns-urging-peace-during-protest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appeared hostile</a> when question by attorneys in a similar case earlier this year in a Tennessee court, and admitted that being indicted by the federal government “terrified her.” 
Judge Matthew Leitman, who is presiding over the case, appeared to push back on some of the government&#8217;s arguments on Thursday, pointing to several inconsistencies in the evidence prosecutors hoped to present to the jury. 
Leitman appeared especially critical with prosecutors&#8217; claims that a livestream taken by someone at the Sterling Heights incident was furthering the alleged conspiracy, and ordered that the government rework a graphic showing the amount of phone calls between the defendants. 
He said the graphic looked like a “wanted poster,” and was an “effective piece of advocacy” because it was designed in an “incriminating fashion.” 
Steve Crampton, a lawyer with the Thomas More Society who is advising Gallagher, said the Justice Department&#8217;s claim that the livestream could be used to “inspire others&#8221; jeopardized the defendants&#8217; First Amendment rights.
Leitman said that the fundamental question of the trial was whether the group intended “to save babies” or break the law, saying that “religion is not going to be put on trial” in his courtroom. 
Prosecuting attorneys moved to block the defense from using images of developing babies, but Leitman said he may allow them to be used if they are referenced to during testimony. Several former employees of the Northland Family Planning Clinic are expected to testify tomorrow.
Over a dozen family members and supporters of the defendants gathered in downtown Detroit Thursday morning ahead of court proceedings to pray and sing songs like &#8220;It is Well with My Soul.&#8221; The defendants, all devout Christians, have been open about how their faith led them to take action to help save the unborn.
Edl, an 89-year-old woman who survived a communist concentration camp, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/god-wins-in-the-end-89-year-old-pro-life-activist-speaks-out-ahead-of-high-stakes-trial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told The Daily Wire</a> on Tuesday that she wasn&#8217;t concerned about the outcome of the trial because &#8220;God wins in the end.&#8221; Her three children were all in court on Thursday to support her.
Republican lawmakers have called for the FACE Act to be repealed as the Biden administration pursues a novel prosecution technique to charge pro-lifer activists around the country with felony conspiracy charges. In some cases, pro-life protesters have been sentenced to years in prison.

Courtroom, Theodore Levin United States Courthouse, Detroit Federal Building, Detroit, Michigan

DOJ’s Case Against Detroit Pro-Lifers To Hinge On Testimony Of Former Activist Turned Gov’t Witness

DETROIT—A father of two facing more than a decade in prison over his participation in a peaceful pro-life protest in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/michigan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michigan</a> said Wednesday that he couldn’t fathom spending another week away from his wife and family.
Joel Curry, of Saginaw, Michigan, faces up to 11 years in federal prison and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines if convicted of a felony conspiracy against rights and FACE Act charge this month. His trial, alongside that of six co-defendants, began this week at the Theodore Levin courthouse in Detroit.
Curry, a devout Christian and pro-life advocate, was targeted by the Biden administration after he sat and stood in front of the doors of the Northland Family Planning Clinic in Sterling Heights, Michigan. In an interview with The Daily Wire on Wednesday, he said that he couldn’t imagine getting a prison sentence. 
”I don’t want to spend 11 years in prison. I can’t fathom spending 11 years. I can’t fathom spending another week away from my wife, my kids because I’m over here,” he said. “That’s scary.”
He added that, based on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/three-pro-lifers-targeted-by-biden-admin-sentenced-to-house-arrest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sentences</a> coming out of Tennessee for similar charges, he didn’t think he and his co-defendants would get the maximum sentence if convicted. He said that the Justice Department should be referred to as the &#8220;department of injustice,&#8221; and that it has weaponized the FACE Act to target conservative Christians and pro-life activists. 
Curry, who says he wants to see abortion abolished throughout the country, has a wife and two young children. His youngest, a daughter, was born on July 30. He said he was originally unsure if he would miss the birth or not. 
He has long held pro-life beliefs, but said that it was after watching the movie “Unplanned” that he really started to become active. 
”That movie showed me the horrors of the actual act of abortion and the violence that happens to an unborn child. I saw it and said this is terrible,” he said. “What should I do? I can&#8217;t just sit idly by while my neighbor is being killed.”
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Prior to his involvement at the protest in Sterling Heights, Curry said that he frequently offered sidewalk counseling at abortion providers near Saginaw. He said that Christians need to be doing more to stand up for the unborn.
”Christians ought to stand up. We’re not going to create an army and go to vigilante justice, but we’re going to do the most that we can to protect our neighbors whether they’re a second old or 100 years old,” he said. 
Jury selection for Curry and his co-defendants&#8217; trial ended Wednesday after two full days. The others charged include <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/god-wins-in-the-end-89-year-old-pro-life-activist-speaks-out-ahead-of-high-stakes-trial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eva Edl</a>, Cal Zastrow, Chester Gallagher, Heather Idoni, Justin Phillips, and Eva Zastrow. 
During his preliminary instructions to the jury, Judge Matthew Leitman said that jurors would be allowed to remain even if they had strong views on abortion, provided they could set them aside for the trial. He said the trial was not about whether abortion was “morally right or morally wrong.”
He repeatedly said throughout the day that there was “so much riding” on the case and that it was very “high stakes.” Leitman said he expects the trial to go on for two to three weeks though some on the defense team told The Daily Wire they don’t think the trial will go on that long. 
The prosecution is being led by U.S. Attorney Frances Carlson and Justice Department trial attorney Laura-Kate Bernstein. 
Caroline Davis, who was initially charged along with the other activists, took a plea deal with the Justice Department and agreed to testify. She pled her felony charges down to a misdemeanor and testified <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pro-lifer-who-agreed-to-cooperate-with-biden-doj-against-fellow-activists-avoids-prison" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earlier this year</a> against other pro-life defendants in Tennessee.  
Idoni, who is representing herself, appeared in court with handcuffs around her feet and hands. She has been in federal custody after being sentenced to two years in prison over her involvement in another pro-life protest.

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Pro-Life Father Facing 11 Years In Prison Says Biden DOJ Is Targeting Conservative Christians

A federal judge ruled on Monday that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/google" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google</a> has a monopoly over general search engine services, siding with the Justice Department and more than two dozen states that sued the tech company, alleging antitrust violations.
U.S. District of Columbia Judge Amit Mehta <a href="https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/attorneygeneral/documents/pr/2024/pr24-59-Google.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that Google violated antitrust laws through its efforts to be the default search engine on cell phones and web browsers and controlling general search text advertisements. Google has denied the allegations, arguing that it has just engaged in standard business practices. 
“After having carefully considered and weighed the witness testimony and evidence, the court reaches the following conclusion: Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly,” Mehta wrote in a 276-page decision.
“Specifically, the court holds that (1) there are relevant product markets for general search services and general search text ads; (2) Google has monopoly power in those markets; (3) Google’s distribution agreements are exclusive and have anticompetitive effects; and (4) Google has not offered valid procompetitive justifications for those agreements,” Mehta wrote. “Importantly, the court also finds that Google has exercised its monopoly power by charging supracompetitive prices for general search text ads.”
Through the distribution agreements, Mehta said that Google was able to disincentivize potential competitors and maintain its dominance in the industry.  
Mehta did rule that Google did not have a monopoly in the market for search advertising. The judge will now have to come up with an order to address the monopoly, the Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/tech/google-loses-federal-antitrust-case-27810c43" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. 
Google plans to appeal the ruling, with Alphabet Global Affairs President Kent Walker saying that the court was penalizing Google for its success. 
“This decision recognizes that Google offers the best search engine, but concludes that we shouldn’t be allowed to make it easily available,” he said. “As this process continues, we will remain focused on making products that people find helpful and easy to use.”
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Joining the DOJ in its lawsuit, which was first filed in 2020, was a coalition of 38 states and territories, including a number of Republican-led states. 
Attorney General Merrick Garland celebrated the decision. “This victory against Google is an historic win for the American people,” he said. “No company — no matter how large or influential — is above the law.”
Google has also been scrutinized in recent years over allegations of political bias against conservatives. In recent weeks, lawmakers questioned the tech giant after search recommendations did not autocomplete searches for information about the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.

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Federal Judge Rules Google Has Illegal Monopoly Over Search Engines

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