The FBI raided an office and a cannabis dispensary connected to Virginia Democratic State Senate leader Louise Lucas, a key figure in the congressional redistricting battle.
The raid, which took place on Wednesday morning, was related to a public corruption investigation, a source familiar with the search told The Daily Wire. Fox News correspondent Alex Hogan told Fox News host Harris Faulkner that federal agents were executing &#8220;court-authorized criminal search warrants&#8221; at Lucas&#8217;s office in Portsmouth, Virginia — and a dispensary next door.
WATCH:
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NOW: An FBI raid is unfolding at the office of Virginia Democratic State Sen. Louise Lucas — and it’s already drawing serious attention.
Multiple people on the scene are reportedly being taken into custody as agents move through the area.
The office sits near several cannabis… <a href="https://t.co/WIcn9xrzOy">pic.twitter.com/WIcn9xrzOy</a>
— Fox News (@FoxNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/2052047300961182188?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The FBI is currently carrying out a raid at the office of Senator Louise Lucas in Portsmouth, VA. Here at this nearby cannabis dispensary, at least three people were taken into custody. Federal law enforcement say they’re conducting “court authorized criminal search warrants”. <a href="https://t.co/UL2c7yAk0L">pic.twitter.com/UL2c7yAk0L</a>
— Alex Hogan (@AlexHoganTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexHoganTV/status/2052049720147640820?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;All of the staffers inside this building were told to come outside, I could hear them saying that they were not allowed back in the building,&#8221; Hogan said, reporting from the street in front of Lucas&#8217;s office. &#8220;Throughout the last hour, we&#8217;ve been seeing the FBI come and go, carrying boxes out of the building.&#8221;
&#8220;Just across the parking lot, next to where I am, there&#8217;s a cannabis dispensary, we know that the state senator is associated with several cannabis locations and dispensaries, and what we&#8217;re seeing is there a completely different scene with SWAT teams arrived with guns drawn, telling anyone in the building to come out of the building with their hands up.&#8221;
Hogan said that she&#8217;d also seen three people taken, put on the ground, cuffed, and taken into custody as the events of the morning had played out.
Lucas herself appeared on the scene at one point during the raid, and when Hogan asked for her reaction to the law enforcement action, she said that she had &#8220;no idea&#8221; what the FBI was doing there. Hogan confirmed that at least ten locations were being &#8220;looked at&#8221; by federal agents in connection with the same case.
The probe, Fox News congressional correspondent Bill Melugin reported, was launched during former President Joe Biden&#8217;s <a href="https://x.com/BillMelugin_/status/2052089902561476706">administration</a>.
Lucas, the President Pro Tempore of the Virginia Senate, was a key player in her party&#8217;s efforts to gerrymander a dramatic Democratic advantage in Virginia&#8217;s congressional map. She has often jabbed at newly elected Governor Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), claiming that she has a &#8220;credibility problem.&#8221;
Wednesday&#8217;s raid was not Lucas&#8217;s first <a href="https://www.whro.org/local-news/2020-11-16/judge-dismisses-charges-against-sen-louise-lucas">brush with the law</a>, as she was previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/virginia-democrat-charged-with-multiple-felonies-for-her-alleged-role-in-destroying-statue">charged</a> with felony conspiracy and <span data-subtree="aimfl,mfl" data-processed="true" data-copy-service-computed-style="font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-color: rgb(10, 10, 10);">injury to a monument exceeding $1,000 after she took part in a 2020 protest where a Confederate monument was vandalized.
Her Democrat allies in the state, from then-Governor Ralph Northam to former-Governor Terry McAuliffe, suggested that Lucas was only charged because she was black. Portsmouth <a href="https://www.whro.org/local-news/2020-11-16/portsmouth-police-chief-angela-greene-fired">Police Chief Angela Greene</a>, who charged Lucas and 18 others who participated in the protest, was also black. Greene was fired before Lucas&#8217;s case was even heard, and the city officials responsible for her termination would only say that it was &#8220;a personnel matter&#8221; and that she could be fired at any time because she was an &#8220;at-will&#8221; employee. The charges against Lucas were dropped later that same year.
She also made headlines during the 2025 Virginia election cycle when she backed Attorney General Jay Jones (D-VA) after text messages surfaced in which he&#8217;d fantasized about shooting a Republican lawmaker. Posting an image that said &#8220;Virginia is for lovers, not snitches,&#8221; Lucas made it clear that her anger was directed at the people who&#8217;d exposed Jones rather than the candidate himself, who&#8217;d advocated for political violence.
As The Daily Wire&#8217;s Luke Rosiak <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-virginia-dem-depicts-jay-jones-assaulting-opponent-lashes-out-at-snitch">reported</a>, Lucas announced her plan to push ahead with her extra-legal redistricting efforts even then.
<blockquote>Lucas also reposted a comment calling her “ruthless,” and said she intends to redistrict the state (where Republican candidates received 43%, 45%, and 47% of the vote on Tuesday) has only a <a href="https://x.com/SenLouiseLucas/status/1985946539311702233" target="_blank" rel="noopener">single Republican</a> in Congress.
That would involve a similarly ruthless move. Democrats enacted a 45-day early voting period, which caused some people to vote before learning about Jones’ support for violence. But for purposes of amending the Constitution to get rid of nonpartisan redistricting – which requires giving voters the chance to punish politicians at the ballot box for trying such a move – they ignored the fact that many had already cast ballots before they initiated the controversial move, counting only Tuesday as the “election.”
Outgoing Attorney General Miyares issued an opinion saying that it would be illegal, but Lucas <a href="https://x.com/SenLouiseLucas/status/1983333834138759316" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said,</a> “Your opinions are sh*t. They’re f*cking sh*t.”</blockquote>
The newly drawn <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-legal-fight-over-virginias-redistricting-has-just-begun">Virginia map</a> passed in an April election, but legal challenges have put the measure on hold.

Investiture Held For Cleo Powell, First Black Chief Justice Of Virginia’s Supreme Court

A Dem Power Broker’s Wild Morning As FBI Raids Hit Her Cannabis Dispensary

Feds Raid Office And Dispensary Tied To High-Powered Democrat

abigail spanberger

Confederacy

Redistricting

Statues

Virginia

A leftist mounting a long-shot campaign against Pennsylvania Democratic Senator John Fetterman was arrested after he called on his senator to assassinate President Donald Trump, according to the FBI. 
Raymond Chandler III was arrested Friday after law enforcement said he left several disturbing calls threatening the president. Chandler is also accused of leaving a message for the senator describing how he and his daughter would have their throats slit by a mob of people upset about their wealth. 
“They pull you out of your house and they slit your throat and they slit your daughter’s throat and they slit everyone’s throat,” Chandler said in a message to an unnamed member of Congress, according to an FBI affidavit. “That you know, sir, that is the future. It&#8217;s not a future I want, it&#8217;s not a future I&#8217;m advocating for, but wealth concentration has gotten so bad in this country.”
It&#8217;s unclear from the affidavit if Chandler left the messages for Fetterman or for Republican Pennsylvania Senator Dave McCormick. 
Chandler, who supports abolishing ICE and wants to go after billionaires, <a href="https://chandlerforsenate.com/my_values/">describes</a> himself as a Quaker-Buddhist who wants everyone to be treated with “empathy, kindness,” and respect. 
“The greed has gotten so bad. People are suffering so much, sir, that that is what is in our future,” he added in the call, according to the FBI. “You will not escape their wrath. We must redistribute the wealth away from people like you.”
He was charged with multiple counts related to threats against federal officials and their families. In another phone call, Chandler is accused of calling for his senator to assassinate President Donald Trump. 
“Sir, I’m calling this evening because what I want you to do is I want you to take a firearm. I want you to put it in your hand,” he allegedly said. “I want you to walk into the Oval Office. I want you to put that firearm to the President’s head, and I want you to pull the trigger and I want you to kill him.”
He said that Trump was “awful,” “a liar among all liars,” and the “antichrist.” 
“I want you to put it to his temple, and I want you to pull the trigger. That is what I want you to do as my agent,” Chandler said, according to the affidavit. “That’s what I want you to do as my elected official. That’s what I am petitioning you to do with my free speech. I want you to kill the President. I want you to assassinate the President. That’s what I want you to do.”
Chandler previously left messages advocating for “armed resistance” to ICE alongside his willingness to “go to war and to ‘personally kill,’” according to the FBI. A lawyer appointed to represent Chandler declined to comment. A hearing is set for May 8 to determine whether to keep Chandler in federal custody.
Trump has faced a number of major assassination attempts, including most recently at the White House Correspondents&#8217; Dinner when a gunman attempted to storm into the ballroom where he sat alongside other top government officials.

MixCollage-04-May-2026-07-36-AM-2026

Leftist Senate Candidate Arrested After Urging Senator To Do This To Trump

assassination

Donald Trump

John Fetterman

Pennsylvania

An 18-year-old man is accused of fatally shooting two U.S. Bank employees in Berea, Kentucky, before rifling through the teller drawers for cash and speeding off in his car.
Brailen Weaver of Covington, Kentucky, entered the bank at around 2:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, wearing a black mask and gloves, according to the <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/1033646042/BrailenWeaverAffidavit-Redacted?secret_password=6Pd48N8xJJIAk7EFw5t7#download&amp;from_embed">arrest affidavit</a>. Weaver shot and killed a male U.S. Bank employee right after walking into the branch and then gunned down a female teller before he searched through multiple drawers, the affidavit states.
The suspect fled the bank in a silver BMW sedan, which authorities tracked down after finding the same car listed for sale on Facebook by Weaver. Investigators then reviewed Weaver&#8217;s social media and found photos of him that matched the description of the suspect seen on the bank&#8217;s security cameras.
Weaver also posted a meme on Instagram just hours after he allegedly robbed the bank and killed two employees, according to the FBI. The meme depicts an alien holding a stash of $100 bills with the caption, &#8220;I pledge allegiance to da bag.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_1088381" style="width: 483px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1088381" class="wp-image-1088381 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Untitled-design-2026-05-01T152737.527-473x576.jpg" alt="" width="473" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Untitled-design-2026-05-01T152737.527-473x576.jpg 473w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Untitled-design-2026-05-01T152737.527-246x300.jpg 246w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/05/Untitled-design-2026-05-01T152737.527.jpg 657w" sizes=" (max-width: 473px) 100vw, 473px" />FBI</div>
On Thursday evening, authorities tracked Weaver to Somerset, Kentucky, which is about 40 miles southwest of Berea. A short time later, the FBI spotted Weaver&#8217;s vehicle on Interstate 75, and federal, state, and local law enforcement pursued the suspect in a high-speed chase.
The affidavit states that Weaver reached speeds of nearly 130 mph and dodged spike strips laid out in the road by law enforcement. The suspect eventually crashed as he was driving toward downtown Lexington, but escaped on foot. Authorities found a firearm in the suspect&#8217;s abandoned BMW. Weaver was finally arrested in downtown Lexington and faces federal charges of armed bank robbery and using/discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
&#8220;The perpetrator&#8217;s heinous actions were not only indefensible but cowardly,&#8221; <a href="https://www.wlwt.com/article/2-employees-killed-bank-robbery-berea-kentucky-suspect/71180865">said</a> Olivia Olson, the special agent in charge at the FBI&#8217;s Louisville field office. &#8220;While there is no longer imminent danger, we understand that the tragedy is far from over for the community. The only solace that we can offer is that this individual who valued a stolen dollar more than two human lives will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.&#8221;
The killings appear to be the first deadly shooting in a bank robbery in the United States since 2021, when a man <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndin/pr/gary-man-sentenced-2-consecutive-terms-life-prison">fatally shot</a> a security guard at a bank in Gary, Indiana, during an attempted robbery. In 2019, a 21-year-old man <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/former-prison-guard-trainee-is-sentenced-to-death-for-killing-5-women-at-a-florida-bank/">executed</a> five women at a SunTrust bank in Sebring, Florida. In that shooting, there was no indication that the gunman intended to rob the bank.
Bank robberies in the United States are becoming increasingly uncommon as banks improve security and hold less cash at any given time, reflecting society&#8217;s shift to digital payments.

Bank robbery

FBI Reveals Robber Posted Chilling Instagram Meme After Killing Two Bank Employees

Banks

Crime

Kentucky

Robbery

Shooting

A former FBI official who oversaw the agency&#8217;s production of an infamous memo targeting “Radical Traditional Catholics” joked about how it would make good fodder for a memoir, according to emails viewed by The Daily Wire. 
Stanley Meador, who now works in Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger&#8217;s administration, ran the FBI’s Richmond field office when it produced an <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/fbi-anti-catholic-memo.pdf">internal memo</a> attempting to link traditional Catholic beliefs to criminal activity. After backlash to the memo, Meador downplayed it and suggested that one of the agents who produced it include it in their memoirs, according to emails released by the Justice Department. 
“No apology needed [redacted],” he wrote on July 7, 2023. “I’m glad you are on the team and thankful for your commitment. Keep that head up, this too shall pass. Will make for a great chapter in your memoirs some day!”
<div id="attachment_1086743" style="width: 1601px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1086743" class="size-full wp-image-1086743" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-29-at-2.05.35-PM.png" alt="" width="1591" height="495" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-29-at-2.05.35-PM.png 1591w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-29-at-2.05.35-PM-300x93.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-29-at-2.05.35-PM-1024x319.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-29-at-2.05.35-PM-768x239.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-29-at-2.05.35-PM-1536x478.png 1536w" sizes=" (max-width: 1591px) 100vw, 1591px" />Justice Department report.</div>
The emails were included in a Justice Department report released Thursday morning on anti-Christian bias from the federal government during the Biden administration. 
The document, referred to as the “Richmond Memo,” relied on the leftist Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), now facing criminal wire fraud charges, to link racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists with what the agency called “radical-traditionalist” Catholic beliefs. The memo was retracted shortly after it was leaked in February 2023, generating outrage from Republican lawmakers and Catholics. 
Meador’s July 7 email came after one of the FBI agents involved in crafting the memo apologized over the document.
“I am terribly sorry for all that everyone has had to endure as a result of this product. Each person negatively impacted is a trusted colleague and/or supervisor whom I deeply respect and admire,” the unidentified FBI employee wrote. “I feel personally responsible as I should have known the potential DT pitfalls and the susceptibility to politicization surrounding this paper better than anyone. Thanks for supporting us and please accept my sincerest apologies.”
Meador, now <a href="https://www.governor.virginia.gov/cabinet/name-1081469-en.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Secretary</a> of Public Safety and Homeland Security in Virginia, was removed from the FBI in June 2025 after serving for over two decades with the agency. 
The Richmond Memo was an FBI product known as a “Domain Perspective,” or an internal threat assessment document. The document argued that the FBI should pursue threat mitigation based on the interest in violent extremists in so-called “radical-traditionalist Catholic (RTC) ideology.” Using SPLC data, the FBI identified nine of these groups.
Other documents included in Thursday&#8217;s Justice Department report showed that intelligence officers inside the FBI expressed concerns about the citation of the SPLC, but were ignored by leadership. 
“This product cites more subjective information from SPLC (a list of hate groups) without examining SPLC’s threshold for determining a hate group or explanation of how that threshold aligns with the FBI’s definition,” one intelligence officer wrote. “This product’s Source Summary Statement does not address factors that would affect the quality and credibility of SPLC as a source for subjective information, such as it previously issuing apologies and retracting its naming of individuals or groups as extremist.”
The DOJ wrote in its anti-Christian bias report that the FBI used “an unsubstantiated claim by the Southern Poverty Law Center that several traditional Catholic churches were ‘hate groups’ — as justification to launch a two-pronged attack against traditional Catholics.”
“FBI Richmond thus assessed that traditional Catholics and racially motivated violent extremists may share ‘common cause’ on issues of ‘abortion rights, immigration, affirmative action, and LGBTQ protections,’” the DOJ wrote Thursday. “In an appendix, the Domain Perspective cited to the Southern Poverty Law Center’s identification of radical traditional Catholics.”
As criticism mounted, former President Joe Biden&#8217;s FBI Director Christopher Wray said the Richmond Memo did &#8220;not reflect FBI standards.”
“We do not conduct investigations based on religious affiliation or practices, full stop,” Wray said. “We have also now ordered our inspection division to take a look at how this happened and try to figure out how we can make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.”
In an interview with the task force investigating anti-Christian bias, FBI Director Kash Patel said his team did a deep dive into the Richmond Memo. 
“We came to learn that companies like the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League were out there working with the FBI, giving them false information to generate a memo that allowed law enforcement a [] &#8216;justification&#8217; to go after and attack people of faith,” Patel said. 
The DOJ report also details how the Biden administration targeted pro-life Christians for peaceful protests and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-biden-partnered-with-abortion-activists-to-track-and-imprison-pro-lifers?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=BREAKING%3A+How+Biden+Partnered+With+Abortion+Activists+To+Track+And+Imprison+Pro-Lifers">outlines</a> other Biden-era policies that suppressed Christian expression.
The release of the report comes one day after The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-biden-doj-lawyers-fantasized-about-prosecuting-catholic-nuns-emails-show?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=Exclusive&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+Biden+DOJ+Lawyers+Fantasized+About+Prosecuting+Catholic+Nuns%2C+Emails+Show">obtained text messages</a> from Biden-era DOJ prosecutors discussing their desires to target Catholic nuns. One prosecutor said he would &#8220;like to prosecute any nun who still wears the head habit,&#8221; when working on January 6-related cases.

MixCollage-29-Apr-2026-03-15-PM-9949

READ IT: The Internal ‘Joke’ That Followed The Biden-Era FBI Targeting Of Catholics

Biden Administration

Catholic Church

Christopher Wray

Department of Justice

kash patel

Trump Administration

Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz boasted about his moves to crack down on fraud during his final State of the State address on Tuesday night, just hours after federal agents raided numerous daycares in the Minneapolis area as part of an investigation into government fraud that has plagued Minnesota for years.
In his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/sHPaQk2GD6U?si=FpadFG6TkHzIIdoq&amp;t=2295">remarks</a> before state legislators, Walz highlighted steps he&#8217;s taken to address the rampant fraud in recent months as his second term as governor nears its end. The Democratic governor has come under pressure from the Trump administration after federal prosecutors uncovered a massive fraud scheme that has seen tens of millions of taxpayer dollars stolen from state government programs.
&#8220;In February, I introduced a comprehensive anti-fraud package and began to implement a nine-part fraud prevention roadmap developed by Director of Program Integrity Tim O’Malley,&#8221; Walz said. &#8220;We’ve created additional checks and balances. We have brought on more investigators, more auditors, and more law enforcement agencies, as well as an outside firm to take a look at high-risk programs. People who have ripped us off are getting caught, and they are going to jail just like today.&#8221;
Walz then claimed that more fraud is taking place in Republican-led states.
&#8220;I’ve said the buck stops with me. And I know some of you will take that as an open invitation to play politics with every incident of fraud that takes place here in Minnesota, even though I have to tell you the statistics show it&#8217;s happening in red states more than here,&#8221; Walz said. &#8220;But, so be it. But taking responsibility doesn’t just mean taking the blame. It means taking it upon yourself to fix the problem.&#8221;
The governor&#8217;s remarks came around 12 hours after the FBI and Department of Homeland Security <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-wave-hits-as-feds-raid-more-minnesota-daycare-sites-in-growing-fraud-scandal?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Up+Next&amp;rowType=Up+Next+Carousel&amp;title=New+Wave+Hits+As+Feds+Raid+More+Minnesota+Daycare+Sites+In+Growing+Fraud+Scandal">raided</a> 22 daycares and learning centers in the Minneapolis area as part of President Donald Trump&#8217;s anti-fraud crackdown. Earlier on Tuesday, Walz <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tim-walz-takes-credit-for-fbi-raids-on-minnesota-daycares?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Tim+Walz+Takes+Credit+For+FBI+Raids+On+Minnesota+Daycares">took credit</a> for helping orchestrate the raids and was blasted by FBI Director Kash Patel.
“Come again? This FBI and DOJ with our DHS partners drafted and executed every search warrant today,” Patel fired back. “But go ahead and take credit for our work while we smoke out the fraud plaguing Minnesota under your governorship.”
Tuesday&#8217;s raids focused on many Somali-owned daycares and learning centers around Minneapolis. Under Walz&#8217;s watch, dozens of Somalis defrauded numerous Minnesota social programs for years before they were caught. The fraud scandal included the federally funded Feeding Our Future nonprofit, which claimed to hand out meals to children during the COVID pandemic, but greatly exaggerated its work.
Walz, along with Minnesota Democratic Attorney General Keith Ellison, has been accused of attempting to cover up the state&#8217;s fraud problem and silence government employees who raised concerns. Walz and Ellison have denied those accusations and claim that the state government has been properly investigating and prosecuting fraud.
In January, Walz announced that he would not seek a third term for governor so he could focus on addressing the state&#8217;s fraud problem. In his State of the State address, Walz called on the Minnesota state legislature to pass legislation to strengthen government oversight.
&#8220;My ask for you tonight is simple,&#8221; Walz told state lawmakers. &#8220;If you&#8217;re taking fraud seriously, take your responsibility to help me stop it seriously. If you talk about oversight, vote for that oversight in the bills that are working their way through the chamber.&#8221;
Four months ago, Walz accused President Donald Trump of &#8220;politicizing the issue&#8221; of fraud as Trump deployed federal agents and immigration officers to the Minneapolis area.

Tim Walz/Quality ‘Learing’ Center

Tim Walz, Awash In Fraud Investigations, Crowns Himself Anti-Fraud Champ In Final State Address

Department of Homeland Security

Fraud

Minnesota

After finding out that the Justice Department official who spearheaded prosecutions against pro-life activists had been fired, one of the defendants imprisoned by the Biden administration over a peaceful protest celebrated and said he would like to attend some “firing parties.”
Calvin Zastrow, 65, who spent 100 days in federal prison for his role in a non-violent protest at an abortion facility in Tennessee, told The Daily Wire he was pleased to hear some of those involved in Biden’s crackdown on pro-lifers had been held accountable. Zastrow’s comments came after the Justice Department <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-biden-partnered-with-abortion-activists-to-track-and-imprison-pro-lifers?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=11&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=BREAKING%3A+How+Biden+Partnered+With+Abortion+Activists+To+Track+And+Imprison+Pro-Lifers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> a bombshell report detailing how Biden officials worked closely with pro-abortion groups to monitor, track, and prosecute pro-life activists.
Before the report was released, it was announced that Sanjay Patel, the official who led the prosecutions against the pro-lifers, had been fired.
“I want to come to some firing parties, I think that&#8217;s fun to watch. That&#8217;d be a good time to celebrate,” Zastrow said. “I&#8217;d like to see accountability on the unnamed FBI agents who filed reports on us, and we still don&#8217;t know their names, who followed us, who tracked us, who messed with our family.”
Zastrow, a devout Christian who travels the country engaging in evangelism and pro-life events, was convicted in January 2024 of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, a Clinton-era statute that makes it a crime to block the entrances of abortion facilities. He and 22 other pro-life activists were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pardoned-pro-life-activist-says-hes-running-on-adrenaline-and-the-holy-ghost-after-trump-pardon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pardoned</a> by President Donald Trump his first week in office.
The DOJ report revealed that the Biden administration weaponized the FACE Act by closely working with radical groups like the National Abortion Federation to keep tabs on pro-life activists. Zastrow said he would like to see FACE repealed, saying that “the federal government shouldn&#8217;t have this big of a club.”
Emails revealed earlier this month showed abortion groups were tracking Zastrow and were working closely with Patel.
In one email included in the DOJ’s report from September 2021, Patel reached out to the National Abortion Federation to ask if they knew Zastrow’s travel plans. “Do you have any info on Zastrow and Co’s travel to Montana?” Patel wrote.
Zastrow said he wasn’t surprised that pro-abortion groups tracked him and his family, saying that had been going on for years. Yet he did agree with one thing the pro-abortionists said about him and his fellow activists.
“They&#8217;re trying to make us to be wild-eyed, religious zealots,” he said. “And that&#8217;s because we are wild-eyed, religious zealots for Jesus.”
Paul Vaughn, a Tennessee father who was placed on house arrest after being <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-glorious-struggle-pro-life-father-of-11-targeted-by-biden-awaits-sentencing-over-pro-life-protest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">convicted</a> on the FACE Act, also welcomed the report from the Justice Department.
“We’re thrilled the truth is coming out,&#8221; he told The Daily Wire. &#8220;We knew that the Biden DOJ was acting inappropriately and maliciously behind the scenes.&#8221;
Vaughn’s home was raided by armed FBI agents without warning in 2022 and his young children were outside getting ready for school.
“We had no warning, we had no knowledge that we were even being investigated, let alone charged, until they showed up and arrested me at gunpoint in front of my children,” he said. “It&#8217;s just wickedness. It was designed to instill fear in a segment of the population that is pro-life that believes abortion is murder, and it believes it shouldn&#8217;t be a part of a civil society.”
In the days leading up to Vaughn’s arrest by the FBI, emails showed that the Justice Department officials discussed the optics of arresting the defendants rather than allowing self-surrender. In one email, Patel wrote that the “unspoken reason” the FBI was going to stage dramatic arrests rather than allow self-surrender was because “the FBI really likes to make arrests.”
Steve Crampton, a lawyer with the Thomas More Society who represented many of the pro-life defendants, praised the Trump administration for its extensive investigation into Biden’s use of the FACE Act.
“It is just extraordinary to me that the Trump DOJ has taken such pains to right the egregious wrongs of the previous administration,” Crampton told The Daily Wire. “I think this is, you know, the word unprecedented is overused these days, but this is unprecedented.”
He said the hundreds of pages of documents included in the report showed that the Biden administration engaged in selective prosecution, discrimination on the basis of religion, and discrimination on the basis of political allegiances.
Part of the Biden administration’s novel strategy against the pro-life defendants was to pair the FACE Act charges with conspiracy against rights, a felony charge that can be punished with over a decade in prison.
One email flagged by Crampton revealed a Justice Department official saying that the conspiracy against rights charge was specifically being used to take away the gun rights of defendants. An official said that prosecutors were “inclined” to bring the conspiracy charge so that the defendants in Detroit would have felonies and would be &#8220;barred from possessing firearms.”
Crampton added that the emails revealed the political bias of the Justice Department under Biden.
“It just exposes the ideological underpinnings of the DOJ, and it&#8217;s a love affair, really, with the poor abortion movement,” he said. “It just kind of makes my skin crawl to think that these are the folks that are charged with and empowered with the full weight of the federal government to apply the law in an even handed way.”
He said he was grateful to see Patel and three other FACE Act prosecutors cut from the DOJ on Monday.
“It&#8217;s astonishing to read and to know that this is the way it ought to be, trying to restore the rule of law is an awfully difficult undertaking after it&#8217;s been trampled underfoot by the Biden administration,” Crampton said. “But God bless President Trump and his team for trying to restore some faith in the system.”

IMG_20240820_065228419_HDR

Pro-Lifer Imprisoned By Biden Responds To DOJ Shakeup: ‘I Want To Come To Some Firing Parties’

Abortion

FACE Act

The FBI and the Homeland Security Department executed raids in the Twin Cities on Tuesday morning, targeting numerous Somali-owned businesses as part of the Trump administration&#8217;s crackdown on fraud.
Federal agents obtained court-approved search warrants for more than 20 different locations in the Minneapolis area, Fox News <a href="https://x.com/BillMelugin_/status/2049107291681468871">reported</a>. Most of the search warrants are for businesses connected to Somalis, including the infamous Quality &#8220;Learing&#8221; Center that was at the center of controversy late last year.
&#8220;Homeland Security Investigations in cooperation with our law enforcement partners executed criminal search warrants in Minneapolis relating to the rampant fraud of U.S. taxpayers dollars,&#8221; the DHS <a href="https://x.com/DHSgov/status/2049111271866302695">said</a>.
No arrests were made in the early morning raids, but federal agents were seen taking photos and moving a portable file case inside a daycare in South Minneapolis, according to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/minneapolis-federal-agents-daycares-suspected-fraud/">CBS News</a>.
Minneapolis has been at the center of President Donald Trump&#8217;s anti-fraud task force after dozens of Somalis were arrested and charged with defrauding numerous Minnesota social programs since 2018. The task force, which Trump launched earlier this year, is spearheaded by Vice President JD Vance. Since taking over as fraud czar, Vance has zeroed in on 14 state programs in Minnesota, which include autism service providers and medical service transports that the administration believes are rife with fraud.
Tom Emmer, a Minnesota Republican Congressman and the House Majority Whip, said on Tuesday that Minnesota taxpayers are &#8220;grateful&#8221; for the Trump administration&#8217;s action.
“President Trump and his administration have made it crystal clear — our country will not tolerate waste, fraud, and abuse, and we are not going to allow people to take advantage of Americans’ generosity,&#8221; he said in a release. &#8220;Minnesotans and U.S. taxpayers across the nation are grateful.”
Tuesday&#8217;s raids are not the first time federal agents have been on the ground at suspected fraud sites in the Minneapolis area. In late December, Homeland Security Investigations agents conducted door-to-door <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feds-conduct-door-to-door-checks-at-suspected-minneapolis-fraud-sites">checks</a> at daycares and healthcare centers suspected of fraud. Those checks, however, did not include court-authorized raids of the businesses.
Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison have been <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/release/oversight-committee-releases-explosive-testimony-revealing-minnesota-fraud-cover-up-by-governor-walz-and-attorney-general-ellison/">accused</a> of attempting to cover up the massive fraud scandal that has seen tens of millions of taxpayer dollars stolen from state government programs. The years-long fraud scheme included the nonprofit Feeding Our Future, which received federal funding to provide meals to hungry children during the COVID pandemic but distributed little food and exaggerated its numbers.
In December, independent journalist Nick Shirley brought attention back onto Minnesota and Governor Walz with his reporting on Somali-owned daycares that received taxpayer dollars but appeared to have no children in their buildings.

ICE Minneapolis Shooting Sparks Anger And Deepens Divisions

New Wave Hits As Feds Raid More Minnesota Daycare Sites In Growing Fraud Scandal

Minneapolis

U.S.

A Chinese computer hacker who stole research from the United States on COVID has been arrested, FBI Director Kash Patel has announced.
Patel said in a social media post early Tuesday morning that 34-year-old Chinese national Xu Zewei had been extradited to the United States to face charges for stealing research from American scientists and participating in a hacking campaign targeting thousands of United States organizations.
“The FBI and our great partners have arrested Xu Zewei — a PRC national and state-sponsored hacker — allegedly responsible for a massive cyber intrusion campaign in 2020 and 2021 stealing COVID-19 research from American institutions,” Patel posted on X.
“During 2020 and 2021, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Xu and his co-conspirators allegedly targeted and hacked U.S. based universities, immunologists, and virologists conducting COVID-19 research &#8211; including key treatment and vaccines — accessing email accounts and more,” Patel added.
One example of the COVID hacking occurred before the United States and most of the rest of the world conducted shutdowns. Reports from American officials have concluded that COVID likely escaped from a Chinese lab.
Xu confirmed on February 19, 2020, to a Chinese intelligence officer that he had compromised the network of a research university in Texas, according to the indictment. On February 22, 2020, he was directed “to target and access specific email accounts (mailboxes) belonging to virologists and immunologists engaged in COVID-19 research for the university,” according to the Justice Department.
Other targets of the hacking scheme included another university in Texas, a university in North Carolina, and a law firm with offices in Washington, D.C.
Xu was arrested in Milan, Italy, on April 27, according to court documents, years after a bench warrant was first issued for him on November 2, 2023. Patel thanked Italian law enforcement for helping to locate and extradite Xu.
Patel said that Xu was also a contractor for the Hafnium cyber espionage group directed by Chinese officials that has “compromised nearly 13,000” American organizations.
“This case is a historic win for our cybersecurity efforts under President Trump, bringing bad actors who target American infrastructure to justice no matter where they try to hide,” Patel said.
The Justice Department alleges that Xu was directed to conduct the hacking by China’s Ministry of State Security’s Shanghai State Security Bureau.
Dan Cogdell, a lawyer representing Xu, told The Daily Wire that his team was still preparing their case.
&#8220;My team was only recently hired to represent Xu, so of necessity I don&#8217;t have a lot of information to share at this point. Xu entered a plea of ‘Not Guilty’ to all charges and we will return to Magistrate Bennett’s Ct on Thursday for the bond hearing,&#8221; he told The Daily Wire. &#8220;Until that time, we will prepare in earnest to try and obtain a bond on our client’s behalf.&#8221;
He added that he wouldn&#8217;t elaborate more on what their defense strategy would be.
&#8220;In terms of the defense of the charges themselves, I tend not to share what our defenses are to the media-or anyone else. I’m no Nick Saban-but as far as I know, he never told the press what his game plans were for an upcoming football game. I think I will follow that lead here,&#8221; he said. 
Xu faces decades in prison after being charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to cause damage to and obtain information by unauthorized access to protected computers, two counts of obtaining information by unauthorized access to protected computers, two counts of intentional damage to a protected computer, and aggravated identity theft.
The Justice Department said that Zhang Yu, another Chinese national suspected of aiding in the hacking scheme, remains at large. A detention hearing for Xu is set for April 30.

MixCollage-28-Apr-2026-07-11-AM-3970

He Hacked America At Its Weakest Moment, And Now He’s Finally Facing The Consequences

China

Chinese Communist Party

COVID

Cybercrime

hacking

Italy

The man suspected of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump on Saturday emailed family members detailing his motivations and intended targets, according to court documents unsealed Monday afternoon.
An FBI affidavit includes a message from Cole Tomas Allen saying he was no longer willing to allow “a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes.” Authorities have charged Allen with attempting to assassinate Trump and multiple firearms offenses. 
Allen was detained Saturday night after authorities say he charged into the lobby of the Washington Hilton, where Trump and other top cabinet officials were attending the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. 
“An act of violence occurred at a gathering that symbolizes something fundamental to our system of government. The ability of a free press and public officials to come together in celebration and not fear,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Monday. “Secret Service agents promptly tackled and detained the suspect.”
During the attack, a Secret Service agent was struck by a bullet. Federal officials have not yet revealed who fired the shot that hit the agent. Investigators believe Allen fired his shotgun, while another agent fired five rounds at him but did not strike him, Blanche said. 
Allen sent the email to family members at approximately 8:40 p.m. on the night of the attack, appearing to acknowledge his actions, according to the affidavit. 
“So I may have given a lot of people a surprise today,&#8221; the email read. &#8220;Let me start off by apologizing to everyone whose trust I abused. I apologize to my parents for saying I had an interview without specifying it was for ‘Most Wanted.” 
The message also identified potential targets.
“Administration officials (not including Mr. Patel): they are targets, prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest,” the email stated. 
When asked by The Daily Wire about the reference, Patel declined to comment. He did say that the FBI was &#8220;constantly&#8221; tracking potential threats when asked if there were any other credible threats being looked into at the time. <iframe style="aspect-ratio: 9/16; max-width: 220px; display: flex; justify-content: center; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/t4EJa00veUc6kXjDPMG4U2QUHvhjHFk5q?metadata-video-content-type=short&amp;metadata-video-id=e465db73-30d3-40c4-9973-f26bf4f3418b&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=The%20Daily%20Wire%20asks%20FBI%20Director%20Kash%20Patel%20about%20ongoing%20threat%20concerns%20in%20DC&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fshorts%2F3ba78868-4a9d-4745-9b9f-9fdab066e821.jpg&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
The affidavit further indicates the attack appeared to have been planned for weeks. Allen booked a room at the Washington Hilton on April 6, then traveled by train from the Los Angeles area to Chicago on April 21, arriving April 23 before continuing on to Washington, D.C.

US-POLITICS-TRUMP-SHOOTING

FBI Unseals Email From Suspected Trump Gunman Detailing Motive

assassination attempt

Right-wing internet troll-turned-anti-MAGA commentator Chuck Johnson may end up in prison over a fraud and extortion lawsuit in which he was found to have lied to victims by presenting himself as an intelligence asset.
Johnson, whose name has resurfaced in recent months over his false claims regarding Jeffrey Epstein, finds himself at the mercy of a court-appointed receiver who has been ordered by a federal judge to carry out a $71 million ruling against him. He was accused of lying about being an intelligence asset as part of an “extortion scheme,” in which he threatened investors with &#8220;sabotage&#8221; if they did not give him favorable investment terms.
Now, the fight over his assets appears to have extended to a criminal investigation, with the judge asking the receiver to report “any potential criminal conduct or wrongdoing” by Johnson. Johnson was thrown in jail late last year for contempt after he failed to disclose his assets to the court.
In an <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/1029547182/April-Federal-Court-Filing-In-Case-Against-Chuck-Johnson?_gl=1*1hi4ipj*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTUxNDY4NzY4My4xNzc2Nzk3MDEw*_ga_Z4ZC50DED6*czE3NzY3OTcwMDkkbzEkZzEkdDE3NzY3OTcwMTMkajU2JGwwJGgw*_ga_8KZ8BV0P5W*czE3NzY3OTcwMDkkbzEkZzEkdDE3NzY3OTcwMTMkajU2JGwwJGgw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">April 13 filing</a>, the court says Johnson’s conduct “bears the hallmarks of conduct consistent with wire fraud … and money laundering,” adding that it &#8220;may constitute criminal perjury or false declarations.” The statements are, for now, based on a status report of the ongoing probe, and not a definitive conclusion of law.
Johnson, who was labeled a “sociopathic liar” in the initial case, has reemerged in the press due to years-old fantastical claims he made to the FBI about Jeffrey Epstein that were released in the Epstein files. Among the unsourced claims by Johnson were that President Trump was “compromised by Israel.” He also claimed that Jared Kushner, Trump’s Jewish son-in-law, was running the presidency in his first term.
The 2020 claims from Johnson were picked up by other anti-Semitic activists such as Dave Smith and Hasan Piker, who made no mention of the fact that Johnson had no basis for any of his claims.
FBI documents show Johnson was making similar unsourced claims about others in Trump’s orbit. One FBI report from May 2020 shows that Johnson claimed to the intelligence bureau that Sergio Gor, a top Trump official who is now his ambassador to India, was a “Russian spy.” He also said that Arthur Schwartz, another close ally of Trump, was a “spy.” Neither claim was paired with any evidence.
“Chuck Johnson is a complete loser who has failed at everything in life,” Schwartz told The Daily Wire. “Like many others in Washington, I look forward to the day that he’s sentenced to a lengthy and well-deserved term of incarceration.”
Johnson, who has referred to The Daily Wire as an “Israeli propaganda rag,” is open about his Jew hatred. He regularly associates with both Richard Spencer and Nick Fuentes, and is a <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/02/05/matt-gaetzs-state-of-the-union-guest-admits-he-questioned-holocaust/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Holocaust denier</a>, saying that both “Auschwitz and the gas chambers” are not real.
“I love Nick Fuentes,” Johnson <a href="https://archive.is/1OmQY#selection-419.0-419.33" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> in July 2024. “I avow him.”
Though Johnson is often represented as a far-right figure, he is now politically aligned with Democrats, and supported Kamala Harris over Trump in 2024. He liked Joe Biden, he said, but liked Harris even more because of her stance on Israel.
“I am a huge Joe Biden fan, and will remain such on domestic matters, but he has deferred to the Israelis way too much,” Johnson said during the 2024 campaign, “and I think to some extent, Kamala Harris is going to be a bit more aggressive towards them.”
Johnson’s handler at the FBI was reportedly Jonathan Buma, who became a favorite of liberal media for claims he made in 2023 that the bureau was biased in favor of Trump.
Buma was <a href="https://oig.justice.gov/news/press-release/former-fbi-special-agent-arrested-disclosure-confidential-information" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrested in March 2025</a> for leaking confidential information to the press. It was actually disclosed by Johnson that he and Buma had both leaked information to the Wall Street Journal.
Buma has since been profiled for his claims that Trump and Elon Musk are entangled in a Russian conspiracy. Again, the claims came without evidence.
“Those efforts were intense and they were ongoing,” he said of Russian efforts. “I can’t go into too much more detail.”
Johnson did not respond to requests for comment.

Chuck Johnson ABC30

Anti-MAGA Troll Chuck Johnson May Be Headed To Prison In Fraud Case

Chuck Johnson

The FBI returned a 10-year-old Utah boy to his mother after he was kidnapped and taken to Cuba by his transgender-identifying father and his family feared the child would undergo transgender procedures, the Justice Department announced Tuesday. 
Authorities charged 42-year-old Inessa-Ethington, who goes by &#8220;Rose,&#8221; and 32-year-old &#8220;Blue&#8221; Inessa-Ethington with international parental kidnapping after the gender-confused boy was taken to Cuba. The boy has since been safely returned to his mother.
The child, a boy who identifies as a girl, split time with his divorced parents, who share custody in Cache County, Utah. The boy was supposed to go on a camping trip to Canada with his father — a man who identifies as a woman — and his partner, Blue, but instead ended up in Cuba, according to court documents. 
Family members told authorities they feared the boy&#8217;s father, Rose, intended to force his son to undergo transgender surgery abroad against the mother&#8217;s wishes. They feared the boy &#8220;was transported to Cuba for gender reassignment surgery prior to puberty,” according to a criminal complaint. 
The two kidnappers were <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ut/pr/utah-10-year-old-reunited-biological-mother-after-transgender-parent-and-partner">deported</a> from Cuba on Monday, and the child was returned home safe to Utah. 
FBI Director Kash Patel told The Daily Wire the rescue was another example of the bureau protecting children. 
“Each and every day this FBI is stepping up to protect kids in America at levels never seen before — identifying and rescuing 6200 child victims just last year alone,” he said. “This case is no different. We are proud of our agents, Intel analysts, and partners who acted quickly and saved a young child from what could have been a horrific kidnapping. Let it be a message to any criminal actor who would try the same — this FBI will find you, no matter where you try to hide.”
Court documents say the group left Utah on March 28, 2026, telling the boy&#8217;s mother they were heading to Alberta, Canada.  The child later called and said they had arrived, but the group could not be reached afterward. 
On March 29, the group crossed into British Columbia at the Douglas Port of Entry, then flew to Mexico the same day before arriving in Havana, Cuba, on April 1, 2026, according to investigators. 
A search of the pair’s residence found a to-do list that included “learn Spanish,” along with travel plans, an intent to withdraw $10,000 in cash, and indications they planned to empty a bank account, according to the FBI. 
“Recovered notes include instruction from a mental health therapist located in Washington D.C. including instruction to send the therapist the $10,000.00 and instructions on gender affirming medical care for children,” the criminal complaint says. 
On April 13, a Utah judge granted the boy&#8217;s mother full custody of the boy and ordered him returned to her. Rose and Blue were located by Cuban authorities on April 16, according to the Justice Department. 
Lawyers for the defendants have not been identified. They appeared in court for an arraignment in Virginia and will be transferred to Utah for further proceedings.

Patel_Child_Handcuffs

FBI Spoils Trans Father’s Plan To Transition Son In Cuba

Cuba

Transgender

Utah

FBI Director Kash Patel on Monday sued The Atlantic for $250 million over what he calls a “malicious and defamatory hit piece” that accused the federal law enforcement chief of having a serious drinking problem.
Patel is acting on a promise he made over the weekend to sue <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/04/kash-patel-fbi-director-drinking-absences/686839/">The Atlantic over a Friday story</a> whose sub-headline read, “Kash Patel has alarmed colleagues with episodes of excessive drinking and unexplained absences.”
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The story portrayed an absent FBI chief concerned about his job security and allegedly struggling with substance abuse, which is said to be affecting key investigations, including the murder of Charlie Kirk.
Patel has forcefully denied all allegations of misconduct.
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&#8220;You wanna attack my character, come at me, bring it on, I&#8217;ll see you in court,&#8221; Patel said in an <a href="https://x.com/FoxNews/status/2045893562026353027?s=20">interview with Fox News</a>. &#8220;We have to fight back against the fake news.&#8221;
The piece, written by reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick, cited more than two dozen anonymous sources alleging Patel engages in “excessive drinking,” as well as “conspicuous inebriation and unexplained absences&#8221; that &#8220;alarmed officials at the FBI  and the Department of Justice,&#8221; <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/fbi-director-kash-patel-sues-atlantic-court-records-show-2026-04-20/">according to Reuters</a>.
&#8220;Memo to the fake news &#8211; the only time I’ll ever actually be concerned about the hit piece lies you write about me will be when you stop,&#8221; Patel posted on April 18. &#8220;Keep talking, it means I’m doing exactly what I should be doing. And no amount of BS you write will ever deter this FBI from making America safe again and taking down the criminals you love.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Memo to the fake news &#8211; the only time I’ll ever actually be concerned about the hit piece lies you write about me will be when you stop. Keep talking, it means I’m doing exactly what I should be doing. And no amount of BS you write will ever deter this FBI from making America…
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/2045549772044439803?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
Patel’s <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.291527/gov.uscourts.dcd.291527.1.0.pdf">19-page suit</a> was filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., accusing The Atlantic of publishing a &#8220;sweeping, malicious, and defamatory hit piece.&#8221;
&#8220;Defendants are of course free to criticize the leadership of the FBI, but they crossed the legal line by publishing an article replete with false and obviously fabricated allegations designed to destroy Director Patel’s reputation and drive him from office,&#8221; the lawsuit reads. &#8220;Indeed, Fitzpatrick could not get a single person to go on the record in defense of these outrageous allegations, instead relying entirely on anonymous sources she knew to be both highly partisan with an ax to grind and also not in a position to know the facts.&#8221;
The Atlantic provided the FBI a two-hour window to respond to &#8220;nineteen detailed allegations concerning complex issues of national security, personnel files, security-detail logs, internal facilities logs, and personal conduct,&#8221; according to the lawsuit.
On Monday, The Atlantic vowed to fight the lawsuit, which seeks $250 million in punitive damages.
&#8220;We stand by our reporting on Kash Patel, and we will vigorously defend The Atlantic and our journalists against this meritless lawsuit,&#8221; the company said in response to the lawsuit.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Statement from The Atlantic: <a href="https://t.co/ZoIldjSbzl">pic.twitter.com/ZoIldjSbzl</a>
— The Atlantic Communications (@TheAtlanticPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAtlanticPR/status/2046239419422675189?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2026</a></blockquote>

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