A “Drag Story Hour” event hosted by New York Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/letitia-james" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Letitia James</a> will have some competition from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/i-was-almost-in-tears-libs-of-tiktok-reveals-crazy-offer-from-ron-desantis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Libs of TikTok</a>.
Chaya Raichik, who owns the popular anti-woke Twitter account, advertised her own story hour event this weekend that she said will be just right down the street.
&#8220;Protect your kids and come hear an important message at an event that’s actually family friendly,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1635649763352739841" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said a tweet</a> on Wednesday.
Brave Books CEO Trent Talbot will join Raichik over the same four-hour period that James is hosting her event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and their respective books will be featured, according to the <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brave-books-story-hour-tickets-590442277747" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eventbrite page</a>.
Raichik&#8217;s book, &#8220;<a href="https://bravebooks.us/products/no-more-secrets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">No More Secrets: The Candy Cavern</a>,&#8221; is being advertised as a conservative tale that promises to be &#8220;a modern twist to the familiar Grimm&#8217;s-style fairy tale, even including a big bad wolf.&#8221; Talbot has a book titled &#8220;Fight For Freedom Island.&#8221;
James, who has been spearheading a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/06/nyregion/trump-letitia-james-lawsuit.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">high-profile civil investigation</a> into former President Donald Trump&#8217;s business empire, recently announced that she is hosting a &#8220;Drag Queen Story&#8221; event in Manhattan on Sunday.
&#8220;Families with children&#8221; were <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cpn-N0xvjXW/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">specifically invited</a> in a flyer she posted to Instagram. James said drag storytellers, community leaders, and elected officials would be in attendance.
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New York AG Letitia James is holding a drag queen event for children along with a number of other elected officials.
Our tax dollars are being used by government officials to fund and promote the sexualization of our children. <a href="https://t.co/uyDUwaTqYX">pic.twitter.com/uyDUwaTqYX</a>
&mdash; Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1635649763352739841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
A number of bills have been introduced in states across the country to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/arkansas-senate-bill-classifies-drag-shows-as-adult-oriented-businesses-in-effort-to-protect-children" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prevent minors from being able to attend</a> drag performances as “Drag Story Hour” events in particular became a focus of criticism.
Among those who chastised James for hosting such an event was Raichik herself.
“Our tax dollars are being used by government officials to fund and promote the sexualization of our children,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1635649763352739841" target="_blank" rel="noopener">she tweeted</a>.

Letitia James

Libs Of TikTok Offers ‘Family Friendly’ Alternative To NY Attorney General’s ‘Drag Story Hour’

Libs Of TikTok Offers 'Family Friendly' Alternative To NY Attorney General's ‘Drag Story Hour’

Drag Queen story hour

Drag Queens

New York

Social Issues

Transgender

U.S.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James sent a letter pressuring pharmacies to keep selling abortion pills.
In the <a href="https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/03.09.23_mife_letter.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a>, addressed to the CEOs of Walgreens, Rite Aid, and CVS, Hochul and James told the companies not to give in to pressure from Republican states to stop selling the abortifacient drug mifepristone. But in doing so, the two officials put pressure on the three companies to keep selling the drug in their state.
&#8220;Recent national events have spotlighted the critical role that pharmacies play in providing access to essential health care, including reproductive health care,&#8221; Hochul and James wrote. &#8220;That is why we write to you today to ask that you commit to making medication abortion available in your retail and mail-order pharmacies across New York State.&#8221;
The two officials then blasted a campaign by multiple states&#8217; Attorneys General to stop pharmacies from selling abortion pills. The campaign began in January, when <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/22-attorneys-general-urge-fda-to-reverse-abortion-pill-decision" target="_blank" rel="noopener">22 Republican Attorneys General</a> sent a letter to FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf asking the agency to reverse a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/16/health/abortion-pills-fda.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">December 2022</a> decision that would permanently allow pharmacies to dispense mifepristone by mail. The move clashes with laws in at least 18 states which require that abortifacient drugs can only be dispensed in the presence of a licensed physician, which effectively bans telemedicine for prescribing a medication abortion.
Then in February, 20 Attorneys General sent a letter to Walgreens and other pharmacy chains including CVS, Walmart, and Costco, warning them that they could be in violation of their respective state laws if they dispense abortion drugs. In response, Walgreens said it <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/walgreens-wont-distribute-abortion-pill-in-21-states-spokesperson-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">would not dispense abortion pills</a> either by mail or at locations in 21 states, including Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, and Montana, where abortion drugs are still legal.
Hochul and James derided the pressure campaign, claiming it was &#8220;based on a restrictive interpretation of the law and misrepresentation of the facts. We urge you not to allow these tactics to intimidate you, and to commit to making this critical medication available as widely as possible, based on a fair and unbiased interpretation of state and federal law,&#8221; they wrote.
Pointing out that abortion is legal in New York, including medication abortions using mifepristone, Hochul and James then asked the companies two questions:
<ul>
<li>&#8220;Will you commit to dispense mifepristone to patients with a doctor’s prescription at all FDA certified pharmacy locations in the State of New York? If not, what is the legal basis for this decision?&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;Will you commit to dispense mifepristone via mail with a doctor’s prescription to patients in the State of New York? If not, what is the legal basis for this decision?&#8221;</li>
</ul>
&#8220;New Yorkers urgently need clarity on these questions, as reproductive rights are curtailed and undermined across the nation,&#8221; the two officials concluded.
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The pressure from Hochul and James in New York comes after California Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/newsom-says-california-done-with-walgreens-over-abortion-pills" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gavin Newsom</a> said his state would stop doing business with Walgreens in response to its decision to stop selling abortion pills. “California won’t be doing business with [Walgreens] — or any company that cowers to the extremists and puts women’s lives at risk,” Newsom <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom/status/1632811406344192000" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a> on Tuesday. “We’re done.”
A spokesperson for Newsom further noted that “all relationships” between Walgreens and California are under review, according to Reuters.

Kathy Hochul

NY Gov Hochul, AG James Demand That Pharmacy Chains Keep Selling Abortion Drugs

Abortion

Drugs

The chief of staff to New York Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/letitia-james" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Letitia James</a> resigned Friday after an investigation was launched into two allegations of sexual harassment.
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/02/nyregion/ibrahim-khan-james-harassment.html?smtyp=cur&amp;smid=tw-nytimes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the investigation into Chief of Staff Ibrahim Khan came after he was &#8220;accused of inappropriate touching and unwanted kissing by at least one woman.&#8221;
The report said that the woman who filed the complaint said that her allegations had been substantiated.
Khan was one of James&#8217; most trusted political advisers for the better part of a decade, the report added.
“The office of attorney general has protocols in place to thoroughly investigate any allegation of misconduct,” said a spokeswoman. “The office takes these matters with the utmost seriousness and this situation is no different. An independent, impartial investigation was conducted, and the employee has since resigned.”
Khan started working for James in 2013 and stood by her as her office investigated then-New York Governor Andrew Cuomo over allegations of sexual misconduct.
The Times noted that the investigation into Cuomo found that at least 11 women were harassed by the then-governor.
“I am grateful to all the women who came forward to tell their stories in painstaking detail, enabling investigators to get to the truth,” James said in a statement at the time. “No man—no matter how powerful—can be allowed to harass women or violate our human rights laws, period.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bill-barr-blasts-letitia-james-civil-lawsuit-against-the-trump-family-its-a-political-hit-job" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bill Barr Blasts Letitia James’ Civil Lawsuit Against The Trump Family: ‘It’s A Political Hit Job’</a>

New York Attorney General Letitia James Makes Major Announcement

Chief Of Staff For NY AG Letitia James Resigns Over Sexual Harassment Allegations: Report

General

Politics

Sexual Misconduct

New York Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/letitia-james" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Letitia James</a>&#8216; taxpayer-funded so-called <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/guns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gun</a> buyback event last month was made a mockery of when a self-described &#8220;punk kid&#8221; earned $21,000 for printed-off gun parts.
A man who wishes to only be identified as &#8220;Kem&#8221; has boasted about using his $200 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/court-lifts-ban-on-blueprints-for-3d-printed-ghost-guns-as-biden-promises-crackdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">3D printer</a> to make dozens of lower receivers and frames so he could cash-in on James&#8217; buyback, eventually landing him 42 $500 gift cards from the Democrat — or, rather, New York taxpayers.
&#8220;And it ended with the guy and a lady from the budget office finally coming around with the 42 gift cards and counting them in front of me,&#8221; Kem <a href="https://www.wktv.com/news/local/man-claims-he-was-paid-21-000-for-3d-printed-guns-at-new-york-ags/article_8e3be6fc-3eac-11ed-976b-7399515a1395.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recalled</a> to NEWSChannel 2. &#8220;$21,000 in $500 gift cards.&#8221;
The man said he printed off enough parts for 110 firearms and then drove six hours to Utica to participate in the program, which Kem has ridiculed as noneffective.
&#8220;He sees the tote and says, &#8216;how many firearms do you have?&#8217; And I said, &#8216;110,’” the man explained. After a back and forth with the AG&#8217;s office, Kem received the $21,000.
“Getting guns off the streets and out of our communities is one of the many ways my office is working to protect New York families and combat rising crime rates,” James <a href="https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2022/attorney-general-james-announces-172-guns-turned-onondaga-county-gun-buyback" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bragged</a> about the gun buyback in a statement issued September 17.
“By working closely with our partners in the Camillus Police Department, we were able to organize this successful event and remove 172 guns from the local community,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I will keep working to protect New Yorkers from gun violence and ensure that our state is a great place to live, work, raise a family, and retire.”
Kem ruthlessly mocked the braggadocious AG.
&#8220;I&#8217;m sure handing over $21,000 in gift cards to some punk kid after getting a bunch of plastic junk was a rousing success,&#8221; he told NEWSChannel 2.
&#8220;Gun buybacks are a fantastic way of showing, number one, that your policies don&#8217;t work, and, number 2, you&#8217;re creating perverse demand,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;You&#8217;re causing people to show up to these events, and, they don&#8217;t actually reduce crime whatsoever.&#8221;
Gun buyback programs have been criticized by opponents as publicity stunts, and studies have found &#8220;<a href="https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w28763/w28763.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">no evidence</a>&#8221; to show that the programs reduce crime at all.
James&#8217; office was not pleased with being publicly worked over by Kem, though the office seemingly knew about the 3D printed guns at the time of the AG&#8217;s boastful statement.
“It’s shameful that this individual exploited a program that has successfully taken thousands of guns off the streets to protect our communities from gun violence,&#8221; a spokesperson for the office said.
&#8220;We have partnered with local police throughout the state to recover more than 3,500 guns, and one individual’s greedy behavior won’t tarnish our work to promote public safety,&#8221; the spokesperson added. &#8220;We have adjusted our policies to ensure that no one can exploit this program again for personal gain.”
Kem is apparently not the first person to exploit the dubious program. Someone reportedly made $3,000 in August from printed-off gun parts turned over at a gun buyback in Houston, Texas, <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/akee4e/someone-made-dollar3000-selling-3d-printed-guns-at-a-gun-buyback-event" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Vice. And rumors of accounts of others similarly cashing-in often go viral online.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bill-barr-reveals-what-he-thinks-will-happen-next-in-letitia-james-civil-lawsuit-against-the-trump-family" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bill Barr Reveals What He Thinks Will Happen Next In Letitia James’ Civil Lawsuit Against The Trump Family</a>

New York State Attorney General Letitia James Makes Announcement

‘Punk Kid’ Plays Democrat AG To The Tune Of $21,000 In ‘Gun Buyback,’ Mocks Her Office

‘Punk Kid’ Plays Democrats To The Tune Of $21,000 In ‘Gun Buyback,’ He Says

Gun Control

Guns

Second Amendment

Former U.S. Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/william-barr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">William Barr</a> said Wednesday that he does not believe that New York Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/letitia-james" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Letitia James</a>’ civil lawsuit against the Trump family is going to go anywhere, and what convinced him that she overreached on the case was that she decided to go after his children as well.
The lawsuit <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-ny-ag-files-fraud-suit-against-donald-trump-children" target="_blank" rel="noopener">targets</a> the former president, his business, and many associates. In addition to the former president, the lawsuit targets Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Ivanka Trump, Allen Weisselberg, Jeffrey McConney, The Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust, The Trump Organization, Inc., and others.
The lawsuit seeks to punish the targets with a $250 million penalty and a ban on operating any businesses in New York. James also seeks to ban Trump and the Trump Organization from purchasing any real estate in New York for the next five years. The New York attorney general is also referring her investigation into Trump to the Department of Justice for criminal charges.
When asked during a Fox News interview Wednesday what he thought would happen next in the case, Barr responded, &#8220;Well, for one thing, she brought this as a civil case.&#8221;
&#8220;This is not a criminal case,&#8221; Barr said. &#8220;To me, that says that she doesn&#8217;t have the evidence to make a criminal case. So she&#8217;s setting a lower bar and bringing this civil case. I don&#8217;t think it&#8217;s going to go any further. Now, it&#8217;s over 200 pages long with a lot of details about the valuation of properties.&#8221;
&#8220;But the fact of the matter is that real estate valuation of a complex real estate company like this is inherently very subjective. It depends what kinds of assumptions are used. Values can swing, depending on whether it&#8217;s viewed as a property that&#8217;s going to be split up or one that&#8217;s kept together and so forth. So it&#8217;s not an exact science,&#8221; Barr continued. &#8220;And the fact is that banks, sophisticated banks, don&#8217;t rely on every jot and tittle in the financial statements. They do their own assessments. They make themselves comfortable. Sometimes, they automatically discount that kind of submission. And they didn&#8217;t &#8212; no one &#8212; the loans were paid back. These were successful investments.&#8221;
&#8220;And the banks were paid back,&#8221; Barr added. &#8220;So, to have spent three years on this, seems to me, her trying to make good on a campaign promise that she was going to bring Trump down.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
WATCH: New York AG sues Trump over fraud allegations – Bill Barr, Fmr. U.S. AG, says the lawsuit is a “political hit job.” <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmericaReports?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmericaReports</a>. <a href="https://t.co/4kyYbNWM36">pic.twitter.com/4kyYbNWM36</a>
&mdash; America Reports (@AmericaRpts) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmericaRpts/status/1572651316748378121?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Tim Pearce contributed to this report.

Attorney General Barr Testifies Before House Judiciary Committee

Bill Barr Reveals What He Thinks Will Happen Next In Letitia James’ Civil Lawsuit Against The Trump Family

Donald Trump

Lawsuit

William Barr

Former U.S. Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/william-barr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">William Barr</a> slammed New York Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/letitia-james" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Letitia James</a>’ civil lawsuit against the Trump family on Wednesday, saying that it was hard for him &#8220;not to conclude it&#8217;s a political hit job.&#8221;
The lawsuit <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-ny-ag-files-fraud-suit-against-donald-trump-children" target="_blank" rel="noopener">targets</a> the former president, his business, and many associates. In addition to the former president, the lawsuit targets Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Ivanka Trump, Allen Weisselberg, Jeffrey McConney, The Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust, The Trump Organization, Inc., and others.
The lawsuit seeks to punish the targets with a $250 million penalty and a ban on operating any businesses in New York. James also seeks to ban Trump and the Trump Organization from purchasing any real estate in New York for the next five years. The New York attorney general is also referring her investigation into Trump to the Department of Justice for criminal charges.
Barr responded to the lawsuit during an interview on Fox News with anchor John Roberts.
&#8220;It would seem that her goal is to eviscerate the family business,&#8221; Roberts said. &#8220;What do you think of what she&#8217;s doing?&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s hard for me not to conclude it&#8217;s a political hit job,&#8221; Barr responded. &#8220;And this is a woman who campaigned for office saying that — promising she was going to go after Trump, which I think is a tremendous abuse of office to go head-hunting and targeting individuals. So, I think she was targeting Trump. And this is, after three years, a civil lawsuit, the gist of which is that, when the Trump Organization borrowed money, Trump personally guaranteed those loans.&#8221;
&#8220;And to support that, she&#8217;s claiming that he inflated his assets on his financial statements. Now, I&#8217;m not even sure she has a good case against Trump himself. But what ultimately persuades me that this is a political hit job is, she grossly overreaches when she tries to drag the children into this,&#8221; Barr continued. &#8220;Yes, they had roles in the business, but this was his personal financial statement. It was prepared by the CFO. Accounting firms were involved in it. The children aren&#8217;t going to know the details of that and be able — and nor are they expected in the real world to do their own due diligence and have it reviewed independently.&#8221;
&#8220;And so this — this, to me, looks like gross overreach, which I think is going to end up backfiring on them, because I think it will make people sympathetic for Trump, that this is another example of people piling on because of Trump Derangement Syndrome, this strong desire to punish him,&#8221; he concluded.
WATCH:
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Bill Barr on NY AG&#39;s lawsuit: &quot;This is a political hit job. I think it&#39;s gonna back firing on them. For Trump this is another example of people piling on because of TDS.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/TUZGsg8gQz">pic.twitter.com/TUZGsg8gQz</a>
&mdash; Real Mac Report (@RealMacReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealMacReport/status/1572657319359688707?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Tim Pearce contributed to this report.

Former Attorney General Barr Speaks At The Federalist Society

Bill Barr Blasts Letitia James’ Civil Lawsuit Against The Trump Family: ‘It’s A Political Hit Job’

New York Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/letitia-james" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Letitia James</a> filed a civil lawsuit against former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> and three of his children on Wednesday alleging business fraud.
James has led an investigation into Trump and his business for more than three years, a probe the former president has dismissed as a political witch hunt. When James deposed Trump last month as part of the investigation, the former president pleaded his Fifth Amendment rights hundreds of times.
The lawsuit targets the president, his business, and many associates. In addition to the former president, the lawsuit targets Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Ivanka Trump, Allen Weisselberg, Jeffrey McConney, The Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust, The Trump Organization, Inc., and others, according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/21/politics/trump-new-york-attorney-general-letitia-james-fraud-lawsuit/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a>.
James alleges that Trump, with help from his three eldest children and others, “used fraudulent and misleading asset valuations over 200 times in 10 years on his annual financial statements,” she said in a <a href="https://twitter.com/newyorkstateag/status/1572611509351772165" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> on social media after announcing her suit.
The lawsuit seeks to punish the targets with a $250 million penalty and a ban on operating any businesses in New York. James also seeks to ban Trump and the Trump organization from purchasing any real estate in New York for the next five years. The New York attorney general is also referring her investigation into Trump to the Department of Justice for criminal charges.
One of the allegations in the lawsuit claims that Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Florida golf resort and his current residence, was valued at $739 million. The resort’s valuation was about ten times greater than what it should have been valued at: roughly $75 million. The higher valuation was “based on the false premise that it was unrestricted property and could be developed for residential use even though Mr. Trump himself signed deeds donating his residential development rights and sharply restricting changes to the property,” the lawsuit says according to <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/york-ag-letitia-james-files-250m-lawsuit-trump/story?id=90240332&amp;cid=social_twitter_abcn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC News</a>.
James’s investigation into Trump’s property valuations began shortly after she assumed office in January 2019. At the time, James had campaigned on investigating Trump and his business dealings.
“I’m running for attorney general because I will never be afraid to challenge this illegitimate president when our fundamental rights are at stake,” she <a href="https://nowthisnews.com/videos/her/why-letitia-james-wants-to-take-on-donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a> in 2018.
Trump has attacked James investigation into his business and family as cynical attempt to raise James’s stature and take down Trump for political reasons. Eric Trump reiterated his father’s attacks on James Wednesday after her lawsuit announcement, tweeting out a video of James past statements about the former president, often referring to him as “illegitimate.”
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Not a political “witch hunt?!” What a joke… <a href="https://t.co/dzuGaW9vNy">pic.twitter.com/dzuGaW9vNy</a>
&mdash; Eric Trump (@EricTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricTrump/status/1572619348207968256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

NY AG Files Fraud Suit Against Donald Trump, Children

Donald Trump Jr.

Eric Trump

Ivanka Trump

Former President <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> is facing a deposition from <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/new-york">New York</a> Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/letitia-james">Letitia James</a> on Wednesday in relation to a civil investigation into his family’s business practices.
Court documents from James’ office released earlier this year claimed that the Trump Organization has <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/01/19/1074000357/new-yorks-attorney-general-says-trumps-company-misled-banks-tax-officials">overstated</a> the value of land donations in New York and California, misreported the size of Trump’s penthouse in Manhattan, and otherwise “used fraudulent or misleading asset valuations to obtain a host of economic benefits, including loans, insurance coverage, and tax deductions.&#8221;
A statement from President Trump, however, argued that the investigation is politically motivated and said that he chose to invoke his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination in accordance with advice from his lawyers.
&#8220;What Letitia James has tried to do the last three years is a disgrace to the legal system, an affront to New York State taxpayers, and a violation of the solemn rights and protections afforded by the United States Constitution,&#8221; Trump remarked on Wednesday, per <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/president-donald-trump-fbi-raid-mar-a-lago-house-news">Fox News</a>. &#8220;I did nothing wrong, which is why, after five years of looking, the Federal, State and local governments, together with the Fake News Media, have found nothing.&#8221;
The deposition occurred two days after agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-fbi-raids-trumps-home-at-mar-a-lago">raided</a> Trump’s residence at Mar-a-Lago as part of a criminal investigation into national security information that the former commander-in-chief allegedly mishandled.
“These are dark times for our Nation, as my beautiful home, Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, is currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents,” Trump said in another statement. “After working and cooperating with the relevant Government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate.”
The FBI agents reportedly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-details-emerge-about-fbi-raid-on-mar-a-lago-what-they-took-from-property-report">spent an entire day</a> at the property in plainclothes before executing the raid, while the Secret Service detail charged with protecting Trump was notified of the raid shortly before it occurred. The agents took multiple boxes of documents after looking into each office and safe at the residence.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-claims-biden-was-not-aware-of-trump-raid-before-it-happened">told</a> reporters that President Joe Biden has been “unequivocal” on his belief in the rule of law and refused to comment on “any ongoing investigations from here.” She added that the White House “learned just like the American public did, yesterday,” adding that “we did not have advanced notice of this activity.”
Many Republicans have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-is-about-january-6-megyn-kelly-calls-bulls-on-trump-raid">argued</a> that Hunter Biden, whose alleged foreign business ties could pose a national security risk, has not yet been held accountable under the law due to his status as the son of President Joe Biden.
According to a recent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nearly-8-in-10-americans-believe-u-s-has-a-two-tiered-justice-system-survey">poll</a> from the Trafalgar Group and Convention of States Action, more than 79% of Americans believe that the United States has a two-tiered justice system — “one set of laws for politicians” and “one set of laws for everyday Americans.” Strong majorities of both parties, as well as independents, concurred with the question.
“What we’re seeing reflected strongly in these numbers is the sentiment that ‘There is no equal justice in America’ has become an almost universally-held opinion,” Convention of States President Mark Meckler said in response to the survey. “Until public servants are once again held accountable for their misdeeds, the distrust of and disdain for government officials will continue to grow in a dangerous manner. Perhaps early Americans had the right idea when they publicly tarred and feathered officials who abused their positions. Fear of getting caught and being held accountable is a necessary component for a successful system of public service.”

Celebrity Sightings In New York City – August 10, 2022

Trump Deposed By New York Attorney General Over His Business Practices Two Days After FBI Raid

Trump Pleads The Fifth In New York Civil Investigation 

A New York judge ruled on Monday that former President Donald Trump was in contempt of court for not submitting required documents in the state attorney general&#8217;s probe of his business dealings, imposing a $10,000 per day fine until he complies.
Justice Arthur Engoron issued the ruling based on repeated failures by Trump&#8217;s legal representatives to produce subpoenaed documents by March 31.
&#8220;Mr. Trump … I know you take your business seriously, and I take mine seriously. I hereby hold you in civil contempt,&#8221; Engoron said, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/new-york-judge-hears-arguments-whether-hold-trump-contempt-2022-04-25/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> Reuters.
“In particular there is no admissible evidence of who, what, where, when and how any search was conducted,” Engoron <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/04/25/trump-held-in-contempt-faces-10k-per-day-fine-in-new-york-ags-probe/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a>, noting that Trump’s actions were insufficient.
“Thus Mr. Trump didn’t comply,” the judge said.
Failure to pay the daily fine could result in jail time under state law, though the move would be unlikely in Trump&#8217;s case.
New York Attorney General Letitia James shared her response regarding the ruling, stating her investigation was not politically motivated as Trump has previously claimed.
“Today, justice prevailed,” James said, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/judge-holds-donald-trump-in-contempt-imposes-sanctions-for-noncompliance-in-new-york-probe-11650905567" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> the Wall Street Journal.
“For years, Donald Trump has tried to evade the law and stop our lawful investigation into him and his company’s financial dealings,” she added.
James also took to Twitter to declare victory following the ruling.
&#8220;In a major victory, a court has ruled in our favor to hold Donald Trump in contempt of court,&#8221; she tweeted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a>: In a major victory, a court has ruled in our favor to hold Donald Trump in contempt of court.
Donald Trump must pay $10,000 per day for every day that he continues to defy the court&#39;s order to turn over documents to my office. <a href="https://t.co/AFAPPrnce4">https://t.co/AFAPPrnce4</a>
&mdash; NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) <a href="https://twitter.com/NewYorkStateAG/status/1518631127040278529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Trump Organization has reported that it has submitted <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/ny-judge-holds-trump-contempt-produce-documents-attorney-general-probe-rcna25875" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more than 750,000 documents</a> to the attorney general. However, the ruling follows complaints by James’ office that complained the company has still not handed over items personally involving the former president that it considers essential to its investigation.
Trump lawyer Alina Habba <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/04/25/trump-held-contempt-james/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> during the hearing that Trump “is an honest person, much to the dismay of certain people in this room.&#8221; Habba has also previously stated she would appeal any contempt ruling.
The ruling reaches back to an investigation by James <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/03/12/letitia-james-subpoenas-banks-for-trump-organization-records/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in 2019</a> after former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen claimed during congressional testimony that the former president exaggerated company financial details for advantages on taxes and loans.
James&#8217; office filed a legal challenge in 2020 against the Trump Organization and Trump&#8217;s son Eric Trump over allegations that the company was refusing to comply with the investigation.
In a statement from Trump earlier this month, he blasted the investigation, writing, “This is just a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt of all time, by a failed Attorney General&#8230;I&#8217;ve been investigated by the Democrats more than Billy the Kid, Jesse James, and Al Capone, combined. This has been going on for years.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
NEW!
President Donald J. Trump:
“This is just a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt of all time, by a failed Attorney General&#8230;I&#39;ve been investigated by the Democrats more than Billy the Kid, Jesse James, and Al Capone, combined. This has been going on for years&#8230;” <a href="https://t.co/9Ar1Hyk8pq">pic.twitter.com/9Ar1Hyk8pq</a>
&mdash; Liz Harrington (@realLizUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/realLizUSA/status/1512201186564358145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Judge Holds Donald Trump In Contempt Over New York Investigation, Sets $10,000 Daily Fine

New York City

Cannabis manufacturers are using “copycat packaging” that makes marijuana edibles look like candy or other snacks and can be harmful to children. 
A new study published on Tuesday in the Drug and Alcohol Dependence journal warned that some marijuana edibles packaging looks nearly identical to name-brand candies such as Nerds Rope and snacks like Doritos Nacho Cheese chips, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/19/health/copycat-edibles-wellness/index.html">reported</a>. The biggest difference on the packaging is the letters “THC” on the bottom, which stands for tetrahydrocannabinol, the chemical in marijuana that gives people a high. 
Consuming THC can be harmful to children, which makes the “copycat packaging” so problematic. “Eating even a small fraction of that bag would ‘overwhelm a child,’ said Danielle Ompad, associate professor of epidemiology at NYU School of Global Public Health and senior author of a new study investigating copycat packaging in cannabis sales,” CNN wrote. 
The packaging also advertises that there are 600 milligrams of THC in each edibles bag – enough to even make adults feel “miserable,” according to Danielle Ompad, an associate professor of epidemiology at NYU. &#8220;If I ate that whole package, I would be miserable,” Ompad said. “People who are using edibles recreationally aren&#8217;t typically eating more than 10 milligrams.&#8221;
Small businesses in states that allow recreational marijuana consumption can buy copycat bags of edibles online in bulk. While stores cannot sell edibles to minors, some worry that the resemblance to candy could make it more dangerous if it were to end up in the hands of a child. 
In the first six months of 2021, more than 2,500 calls to poison control were related to “young children ingesting illegal cannabis products,” according to New York Attorney General Letitia James. Later that year, James issued a consumer alert to notify the public and protect children from illegal cannabis products that look like candy. CNN reported that, since 2020, multiple children under five years old have been hospitalized after eating edibles from bags that looked like candy or chips. 
The legal counsel for the National Cannabis Industry Association assured that “reputable business people” in the marijuana industry don’t sell products like these, and they “would like to assist in stopping this.”
Some manufacturers are pursuing legal action against the manufacturers who are copying their brand names and likeness. Mars Wrigley, Hershey, Mondelez Canada, and Ferrara Candy Company have all sued, according to CNN. 
Cannabis edibles aren’t only being packaged like candy. One manufacturer has come out with an edible shaped to look like a severed ear, in reference to the infamous incident when boxing legend Mike Tyson bit off part of Evander Holyfield’s ear in a match. The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mike-tysons-severed-ear-edibles-are-too-much-for-this-state">reported,</a> Colorado has banned “an edible cannabis product shaped like a severed ear.&#8221;
An existing Colorado bill bans selling edibles in shapes that could entice children. “A prohibition on the production and sale of edible medical marijuana-infused products that are in the distinct shape of a human, animal or fruit,” the bill read. “Geometric shapes and products that are simply fruit flavoured are not considered fruit.”

Candy Cannabis.

Candy Or Cannabis? New Study Warns Of Edibles In ‘Copycat Packaging’

Attorney General

Marijuana

The New York attorney general has tapped a special advisor and legal counsel who has claimed she would use her position in power to &#8220;prosecute&#8221; and &#8220;abolish&#8221; the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, announced this week that Zephyr Teachout, a left-wing attorney and professor at Fordham University School of Law, would join her team.
&#8220;I&#8217;m proud to join such an extraordinary office,&#8221; Teachout <a href="https://twitter.com/ZephyrTeachout/status/1485682790255448067">said</a> Monday in a statement, noting that she &#8220;couldn&#8217;t be happier to be working with [James] and her extraordinary lawyers and leaders in her office.&#8221;
Teachout ran for attorney general herself last year, but dropped out of the race and endorsed James. The attorney also ran for the high-level statewide position in 2018, as well as for the New York legislature in 2016 and the governorship in 2014 — losing to Andrew Cuomo. She notably claimed while running for AG in 2018, &#8220;One of the key things of my campaign is the wrong people are in jail. We have to end mass incarceration and return our focus to white-collar crime,&#8221; as <a href="https://freebeacon.com/democrats/ny-attorney-general-taps-abolish-ice-activist-as-special-adviser/">the</a> Washington Free Beacon noted.
In other 2018 remarks, Teachout <a href="https://nowthisnews.com/videos/politics/zephyr-teachout-is-promising-to-prosecute-ice">claimed</a>, &#8220;I think it&#8217;s critical that law enforcement speak out and say [ICE] is a tool of cruelty, unconstitutional behavior, illegality. I will prosecute ICE for their criminal acts.&#8221;
&#8220;ICE has to be abolished,&#8221; she also said. &#8220;And I say that as somebody who is running for one of the top law enforcement jobs in the country,&#8221; she said, adding that the agency was &#8220;born in xenophobia in the time after 9/11, and has grown up to become a tool of fear and illegality.&#8221;
In a phone interview with The Daily Wire, Mark Morgan, the former chief operating officer and acting commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said Teachout&#8217;s claims about ICE are &#8220;moronic&#8221; and &#8220;devoid of any truth, fact, or reality with respect to ICE&#8217;s statutory mission.&#8221;
&#8220;If you take a look at ICE, what their statutory responsibility is — and what she does, and a lot of people do too — is they think of ICE as only the part of ICE enforcement or removal operations,&#8221; said Morgan. &#8220;That their statute of job is to find illegal aliens and remove them. I suggest anybody take three minutes and go to their website and look at the statistical accomplishments. How many pedophiles that they have arrested and saved countless children from the atrocities they&#8217;ve experienced, how many gang members they have arrested. The list goes on and on.&#8221;
The appointment of Teachout comes after council members in New York City <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/illegal-immigrants-vote-new-york-city-citizenship">approved</a> a law in December that permits illegal aliens to cast ballots in municipal elections. Called the &#8220;Non-Citizen Voting Law,&#8221; the policy was signed by Democratic Mayor Eric Adams. Currently, Democrats in the state <a href="https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/New-York-bill-proposes-local-police-be-banned-16018943.php">legislature</a> are considering contentious bills that would bar law enforcement in New York from working with ICE.
Related:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/letitia-james-suspends-her-campaign-for-new-york-governor">Letitia James Suspends Her Campaign For New York Governor</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-york-attorney-general-letitia-james-announces-run-for-governor">New York Attorney General Letitia James Announces Run For Governor</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-trump-jr-blast-ny-ag-letitia-james-for-political-persecution-this-is-banana-republic-stuff">Trump, Trump Jr. Blast NY AG Letitia James For ‘Political Persecution’: ‘This Is Banana Republic Stuff’</a></li>
</ul>
Send story tips to Gabe Kaminsky at <a href="mailto:gekaminsky@protonmail.com">gekaminsky@protonmail.com</a>. Follow him <a href="https://twitter.com/Gabe__Kaminsky">on Twitter.</a>

New York AG

New York Attorney General Appoints Counsel Who Has Supported ‘Abolish ICE’ Movement

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Andrew Cuomo, the disgraced former governor of New York, will be forced to return the $5.1 million in profits made from his book, “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic,” following a ruling by the Joint Commission on Public Ethics in a 12-to-1 vote.
This decision comes one month after the state’s ethics watchdog voted to “revoke its approval of Cuomo’s pandemic book deal because state government staffers and resources were improperly used in preparing it,” the <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/11/16/ethics-watchdog-votes-to-revoke-cuomos-5m-covid-book-deal/">New York Post</a> reported.
The ethics body “rescinded its approval after concluding that Cuomo violated pledges not to use state resources or government staffers to prepare the book,” the <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/12/14/andrew-cuomo-ordered-to-return-pandemic-book-profits-to-state/?utm_campaign=iphone_nyp&amp;utm_source=twitter_app">Post</a> explained.
The resolution said Cuomo now “lacked the legal authority to engage in outside activity and receive compensation in regard to the book” following the rescission of former approval.
“Gov. Cuomo is not legally entitled to retain compensation…for any form of outside activity related to the book,” commissioner David McNamara said.
“It is ordered that by no later than 30 days from the date of this resolution, Gov. Cuomo pay over to the attorney general of the State of New York an amount equal to the compensation paid to him for his outside activities related to the book,” the resolution says.
New York Attorney General Letitia James will be responsible for determining the future allocation of these profits.
​​The New York state ethics panel voted unanimously in October to launch this probe into the panel’s previous decision to green-light disgraced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s $5 million book deal last year.
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ny-ethics-agency-probing-its-decision-to-greenlight-cuomos-5-million-book-deal">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported, Cuomo resigned in disgrace in August after a sexual harassment scandal engulfed his administration, marking the end of his three terms in office. The Democratic governor’s decision to step down came a week after a damning report from the New York attorney general’s office, which found that the governor sexually harassed multiple women.
“Given the circumstances, the best way I can help now is if I step aside and let government get back to governing,” Cuomo said at the time. “And therefore, that’s what I’ll do.”
The attorney general’s report found that Cuomo violated federal and state laws by sexually harassing 11 women, including former New York state employees and members of the public. Even as he was resigning, the former governor remained firm in his denials that he did nothing wrong. Cuomo said he “deeply apologizes” to the women he offended but pleaded ignorance and took no responsibility for acting inappropriately on purpose, saying that in his mind, he “never crossed the line with anyone,” and “didn’t realize the extent to which the line has been redrawn.”
The report also addressed the charges that Cuomo violated state ethics rules in writing and publishing his memoir.
“We have reviewed evidence demonstrating that, in contravention of the requirement set forth by the Joint Committee on Public Ethics (‘JCOPE”) that ‘[n]o State property, personnel or other resources may be utilized for activities associated with the book,’ the former Governor utilized the time of multiple state employees, as well as his own, to further his personal gain during a global pandemic – a time during which the former Governor touted the ‘around-the-clock’ state response to the crisis,” the report found. 
It alleged that “Certain senior state officials worked extensively on the Book, including attending meetings with agents and publishers, transcribing and drafting portions of the Book, coordinating the production and promotion of the Book, and participating in working sessions to review and finalize the Book.”

Andrew Cuomo Book

Andrew Cuomo Must Return $5.1 Million Book Profits, NY Ethics Body Rules

Andrew Cuomo

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