#Butler County Republican Party

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Parts of Florida are experiencing the heaviest rainfall in history, and Governor Ron DeSantis is on the scene to help his constituents.

Not really. He’s on a book tour in Ohio.

Fort Lauderdale, in southern Florida, had the rainiest day in its history Wednesday, sparking a flash flood emergency in Broward County, where the city is located. The region got more than a foot of rainfall, but Fort Lauderdale alone got about 26 inches of rain in a 24-hour period. A meteorologist for the National Weather Service described the rainfall as a “1-in-1,000 year event, or greater.”

During a press conference on Thursday, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis was asked if DeSantis had been in touch with him about the flooding.

“Governor DeSantis has not yet called,” Trantalis said. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but I’m sure he’s very interested in what’s going on here, and we’re happy to work with his office.”

Trantalis said that state agencies were in contact to help with rescue and repair after the flooding.

DeSantis, however, is in Ohio. He is the keynote speaker at the Butler County Republican Party’s annual Lincoln Day Dinner Thursday evening, where guests who purchased tables will receive a copy of his new book about how Florida policies can serve as a blueprint for the rest of America.

The Florida Governor is expected to announce that he’s running for president in 2024. DeSantis has been stepping up his appearances out of state, and he reportedly has called members of his state’s congressional delegation to ask them to stop endorsing Donald Trump.

[anotherdayforchaosfay]

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance's hometown state senator said at his rally Monday that if Republicans don't win the 2024 election it could lead to a civil war to "save the country."

The comments came from Ohio state Sen. George Lang, R-West Chester, right after he took the stage at Vance's first rally in Middletown, Ohio, since becoming former President Donald Trump's running mate and chanted, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

"If it comes down to a civil war... we are the last stand to save it," Lang said at a Middletown High School auditorium, less than an hour before Vance was set to take the stage. The crowd cheered in response. Vance graduated from the high school in 2003. Ohio Senate Democrats were quick to criticize Lang's comments on X. "Senator George Lang calling for a civil war is disgusting. Political violence has been condemned by Republicans and Democrats alike. Inciting violence over an election that hasn't even occurred yet is irresponsible and undemocratic," they said. Lang quickly segued into touting other Ohio-born politicians from Butler County, name-checking former Speaker of the House John Boehner and Ohio Supreme Court Justice Sharon Kennedy, and even noting former 2024 presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who grew up in Cincinnati. Who is George Lang? Lang represents Ohio's 4th state senate district, which includes Butler County. He was elected senator in 2020. He served as a West Chester Township trustee and served two terms in the Ohio House of Representatives before he was elected to the Ohio Senate. He is running for reelection in November after winning a three-way primary in March.

Do you really want to vote for people who threaten violence if they lose?

Vote Blue!

Do not vote third party! That's how Dictator Agent Orange won in 2016. Don't split the vote!

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Jill Colvin, Colleen Long, and Lindsay Whitehurst at AP, via HuffPost:

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Donald Trump was the target Sunday of “what appears to be an attempted assassination” at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, the FBI said, just nine weeks after the Republican presidential nominee survived another attempt on his life. The former president said he was safe and well, and authorities held a man in custody. U.S. Secret Service agents posted a few holes up from where Trump was playing noticed the muzzle of an AK-style rifle sticking through the shrubbery that lines the course, roughly 400 yards away. An agent fired and the gunman dropped the rifle and fled in an SUV, leaving the firearm behind along with two backpacks, a scope used for aiming and a GoPro camera, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said. The man was later taken into custody in a neighboring county.

It was the latest jarring moment in a campaign year marked by unprecedented upheaval. On July 13, Trump was shot during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and a bullet grazed his ear. Eight days later, Democratic President Joe Biden withdrew from the race, giving way for Vice President Kamala Harris to become the party’s nominee. And it was sure to add to the questions about Secret Service protective operations after the agency’s admitted failures in preventing the attempted assassination of Trump this summer. In an email to supporters, Trump said: “There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!” He wrote: “Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER!”

He returned to Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Palm Beach where he lives, according to a person familiar with Trump’s movements who was not authorized to discuss them publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. It was not immediately clear whether the incident would affect his campaign schedule. He was set to speak from Florida about cryptocurrency live on Monday night on the social media site X for the launch of his sons’ crypto platform. He planned a town hall Tuesday in Flint, Michigan, with his former press secretary, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, followed by a rally Wednesday on New York’s Long Island.

[...] The Florida golf course was partially shut down for Trump as he played, but there are several areas around the perimeter of the property where golfers are visible from the fence line. Secret Service agents and officers in golf carts and on ATVs generally secure the area several holes ahead and behind Trump when he plays. Agents also usually bring an armored vehicle onto the course to shelter Trump quickly should a threat arise. The Palm Beach County sheriff said the entire golf course would have been lined with law enforcement if Trump were the president, but because he is not, “security is limited to the areas that the Secret Service deems possible.”

Yesterday, Donald Trump was the target of an apparent assassination attempt at his Trump International Golf Club. This is the 2nd assassination attempt against him this campaign cycle, just over two months after the assassination attempt in Butler, PA.

[warningsine]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Donald Trump was the target Sunday of “what appears to be an attempted assassination” at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, the FBI said, just nine weeks after the Republican presidential nominee survived another attempt on his life. The former president said he was safe and well, and authorities held a man in custody.

U.S. Secret Service agents posted a few holes up from where Trump was playing noticed the muzzle of an AK-style rifle sticking through the shrubbery that lines the course, roughly 400 yards away.

An agent fired and the gunman dropped the rifle and fled in an SUV, leaving the firearm behind along with two backpacks, a scope used for aiming and a GoPro camera, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said. The man was later taken into custody in a neighboring county.

It was the latest jarring moment in a campaign year marked by unprecedented upheaval. On July 13, Trump was shot during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and a bullet grazed his ear. Eight days later, Democratic President Joe Biden withdrew from the race, giving way for Vice President Kamala Harris to become the party’s nominee.

And it was sure to add to the questions about Secret Service protective operations after the agency’s admitted failures in preventing the attempted assassination of Trump this summer.

In an email to supporters, Trump said: “There were gunshots in my vicinity, but before rumors start spiraling out of control, I wanted you to hear this first: I AM SAFE AND WELL!” He wrote: “Nothing will slow me down. I will NEVER SURRENDER!”

He returned to Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Palm Beach where he lives, according to a person familiar with Trump’s movements who was not authorized to discuss them publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

It was not immediately clear whether the incident would affect his campaign schedule. He was set to speak from Florida about cryptocurrency live on Monday night on the social media site X for the launch of his sons’ crypto platform. He planned a town hall Tuesday in Flint, Michigan, with his former press secretary, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, followed by a rally Wednesday on New York’s Long Island.

Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, said in a post online: “I’m glad President Trump is safe. I spoke to him before the news was public and he was, amazingly, in good spirits.”

Biden and Harris were briefed and would be kept updated on the investigation. The White House said they were “relieved” to know Trump is safe.

Harris, in a statement, also said “violence has no place in America.”

In the aftermath, Trump checked in with allies, including Vance, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and several Fox News hosts.

Fox News host Sean Hannity recounted on air his conversation with Trump and the former president’s golf partner, Steve Witkoff.

They told Hannity they had been on the fifth hole and about to go up to putt when they heard a “pop pop, pop pop.” Within seconds, he said Witkoff recounted, Secret Service agents “pounced on” Trump and “covered him” to protect him.

Trump had returned to Florida this weekend from a West Coast swing that included a Friday night rally in Las Vegas and a Utah fundraiser. His campaign had not advised about any public plans for Trump on Sunday. He often spends the morning playing golf, before having lunch at the club, one of three he owns in the state.

He has had a stepped-up security footprint since the assassination attempt in July. When he has been at Trump Tower in New York, parked dump trucks have formed a wall outside the building. At outdoor rallies, he now speaks from behind an enclosure of bulletproof glass.

The Florida golf course was partially shut down for Trump as he played, but there are several areas around the perimeter of the property where golfers are visible from the fence line. Secret Service agents and officers in golf carts and on ATVs generally secure the area several holes ahead and behind Trump when he plays. Agents also usually bring an armored vehicle onto the course to shelter Trump quickly should a threat arise.

The Palm Beach County sheriff said the entire golf course would have been lined with law enforcement if Trump were the president, but because he is not, “security is limited to the areas that the Secret Service deems possible.”

“I would imagine that the next time he comes to the golf course, there will probably be a little more people around the perimeter,” Bradshaw said. “But the Secret Service did exactly what they should have done, they provided exactly what the protection should have been and their agent did a fantastic job.”

Former presidents and their spouses have Secret Service protection for life, but the security around former presidents varies according to threat levels and exposure, with the toughest typically being in the immediate aftermath of their leaving office.

Trump’s protective detail has been higher than some other former presidents because of his high visibility and his campaign to seek the White House again.

The man in custody was Ryan Routh, three law enforcement officials told the AP. The officials who identified the suspect spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.

The FBI was leading the investigation and was working to determine any motive. Attorney General Merrick Garland was receiving regular updates. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were helping investigate.

“The FBI has responded to West Palm Beach Florida and is investigating what appears to be an attempted assassination of former President Trump,” the bureau said.

News reporters were not with Trump on Sunday. Bucking tradition, Trump’s campaign has not arranged to have a protective pool of reporters travel with him, as is standard for major party nominees and for the president. Harris does not have a protective pool at all times, but does allow reporters to travel with her for public events.

Martin County Sheriff William D. Snyder said the suspect was apprehended within minutes of the FBI, Secret Service and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office putting out a “very urgent BOLO” — or “be on the lookout” alert detailing the specific vehicle sought, license plate number and description of the occupant.

Snyder said his deputies “immediately flooded” northbound I-95, deploying to every exit between the Palm Beach County line to the south and St. Lucie County line to the north.

“One of my road patrol units saw the vehicle, matched the tag and we set up on the vehicle,” Snyder said, “We pinched in on the car, got it safely stopped and got the driver in custody.”

Snyder told WPTV that the suspect “was not armed when we took him out of the car.”

The man had a calm, flat demeanor and showed little emotion when he was stopped by police, Snyder said, saying the suspect did not question why he was being pulled over.

“He never asked, ‘what is this about?’ Obviously, law enforcement with long rifles, blue lights, a lot going on. He never questioned it,” Snyder said.

[beardedmrbean]

LOS ANGELES -- A crowded primary contest to fill the U.S. Senate seat once held by the late Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein is showing again that money matters in notoriously expensive California while testing whether the state’s long-squabbling Republicans can unite behind a single candidate for an outside chance at the seat.

Voting is about to start, with a Monday deadline for counties to mail ballots.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, who rose to national prominence as the lead prosecutor in then-President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial, has built up a a dominant advantage in fundraising while consistently topping polls. But a large chunk of voters remains undecided heading toward the March 5 election.

Under California rules, Democrats and Republicans appear on the same primary ballot and the two candidates with the most votes advance to the general election, regardless of political party. Schiff, who has warehoused plenty of money to blanket the state with ads on TV, cable and streaming services, appears to be in the strongest position to gain one of those two November slots.

He’s being pursued by two other well-known Democratic House members, Reps. Barbara Lee and Katie Porter, and Republican and former Los Angeles Dodgers star Steve Garvey, a former National League MVP who is making his first run for public office 37 years after retiring from baseball.

In all, more than two dozen names will appear on the Senate ballot for the six-year term that begins next year, though many of them are political unknowns.

Come November, the seat is expected to stay in Democratic hands in a state where Republicans haven’t won a U.S. Senate election since 1988.

With Schiff appearing poised to take one of the November spots, Porter's campaign has been routinely targeting Garvey, with a recent fundraising email warning the former MVP's fame threatened to “be the reason we lose Katie’s voice in Congress for good.”

Schiff, meanwhile, is running ads statewide that call Garvey “too conservative for California,” which might be intended to lift Garvey's profile with conservatives and dampen Porter's chances since Garvey would be a longshot in the fall.

Porter said in a statement that Schiff is trying “to game the system to get an opponent they have the best chance of defeating” in November.

Feinstein died in September, ending a long career in which she broke gender barriers and was a passionate advocate for abortion rights and gun control. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Laphonza Butler, a longtime Democratic organizer, to fulfill Feinstein's term, and Butler chose not to seek election to the seat.

The race is unfolding at a time when the state's once-soaring population has been in decline, and polling shows many Californians are unhappy about the direction of the state, inflation and an unchecked homeless crisis in Los Angeles and other big cities.

The presidential race could color the outcome — and possibly depress turnout on both sides.

While running against only token opposition in the primary, President Joe Biden's popularity has been sagging and he is struggling with key voting groups, including Latinos and independents, California polling has found. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump is the heavy favorite to claim the Republican nomination, which could dampen GOP turnout if it appears the contest is essentially over by early March.

Garvey brought a jolt of celebrity to the race, but his challenge is first consolidating the GOP base – he’s dueling for Republican votes with attorney Eric Early, who previously has run unsuccessfully for state attorney general and Congress. Democrats have sought to inflame GOP tensions and discourage independents from choosing Garvey by spotlighting his indecision on the White House contest: Garvey has declined to say if he will vote for Trump this year, after supporting him in 2016 and 2020.

He’s one of the few Republicans with a widely recognizable name to run for statewide office in years. In 2016 and 2018, GOP Senate candidates performed so poorly that two Democrats appeared on the November ballot. In 2022, Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla had a walkover win against little-known Republican Mark Meuser.

While Garvey is well-known to an older generation of baseball fans, Democrats e depict him as a political novice unprepared for the Senate at a time of global unrest. Garvey also has seen attacks on his character tied to 1980s sex scandals that sullied his reputation as “Mr. Clean,” a moniker that referred to his buttoned-down image from his Dodger days. At the time he admitted to having two children with women he wasn’t married to, then married another woman, his current wife.

He has said of those days, “I think our life is a journey. … I’ve gone through a difficult time here and there. I’ve learned from it.”

The leading Democrats are mostly indistinguishable on policy issues but the contest has highlighted fissures on the party's left wing, including over the Israel-Hamas war and so-called congressional earmark funds.

The attorney Porter has presented herself as a suburban soccer mom who keeps a keen eye on corporate excess from Capitol Hill — often using a whiteboard to break down complex information at congressional hearings. Schiff, a former prosecutor, has emerged as the establishment favorite and counts former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi among his supporters. Lee often spotlights her compelling life story — she fought to become her high school’s first Black cheerleader and was once homeless, after fleeing an abusive marriage. And she also was the only member of Congress to vote against the authorization for the use of military force after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

In a recent televised debate, Lee called for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza, while Schiff has been outspoken in support of Israel's right to defend itself. Porter opposes earmarks — where lawmakers direct federal spending to a specific project or institution back home — while Schiff and Lee endorsed them.

Schiff, a former federal prosecutor, made clear at the start of his campaign that he intended to anchor his candidacy to his role as Trump’s chief antagonist in Congress. In his campaign kickoff video, he said the “biggest job of his life” was serving as impeachment manager, and he promised to continue to be a “fighter” for democracy.

In June, Schiff was censured by the Republican-led House on a party-line vote for comments he made during the investigations into former President Donald Trump’s ties to Russia. During that time, the congressman was a frequent presence on TV and rolled out online fundraising pitches, including on the day of the vote when he urged supporters to “become a founding donor” of his Senate campaign.

[tomorrowusa]

Ron DeSantis signed into law a ban on almost all abortions after the sixth week. 

DeSantis signed the bill, passed by his gerrymandered GOP legislature, late in the evening with less fanfare than usual for a DeSantis bill signing.

From POLITICO - Florida Playbook...

[T]he likely presidential contender was in his office at the state Capitol signing a new law on abortions that many contend will result in a near-total ban on the procedure in Florida. The signing came about six hours after the House voted 70-40 (with several Republicans siding with Democrats in opposition) for the legislation restricting abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.

[ ... ]

Last year, when DeSantis signed a ban on abortions after 15 weeks he did it at a bill signing ceremony with a large crowd that gathered at a Spanish-speaking church in central Florida. This time he signed the measure behind closed doors and in the middle of a whirlwind of activity. DeSantis was in Ohio on Thursday promoting his book (and sounding at times like a candidate) and ended it at the Butler County Republican Party Lincoln Day dinner, where he was joined on stage with first lady Casey DeSantis.

Off and running — A flight-tracking website shows that a private chartered jet left Ohio at 8:44 p.m. and arrived in Tallahassee at 10:22 p.m. A half-hour later, according to the governor’s office, DeSantis had signed the abortion ban into law. A photo shows a group — including the bill sponsors — standing next to him as he does it. That same flight-tracking site shows a chartered jet left for Lynchburg shortly after 6 a.m. this morning.

It seems that DeSantis really likes private chartered jets. If he’s not using them to send migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, he himself is flitting around from state to state to promote his drooping candidacy for president.

Republicans are hellbent on antagonizing American women by preventing them from getting reproductive healthcare. Last year, Republicans opposed overturning Roe v. Wade by almost a two to one margin. Being anti-abortion fanatics doesn’t look to me like a winning strategy for Republicans – but don’t tell them that. 😜

[bllsbailey]

New Text Messages Reveal Another Troubling Update on Trump Assassination Attempt

Two words describe the security situation at the Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13: hot mess. There are so many glaring flaws, and the ground is so inexcusable that it is fertile for conspiracy theorists. Can you blame them? The Secret Service is stonewalling and stacking sandbags amid intense scrutiny from lawmakers from both parties.

We don’t know if would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks was a lone gunman. How many casings were recovered from the roof? We don’t know. What we do know is that no one at the Secret Service has been disciplined for this calamity, and now text messages obtained by The New York Times show that snipers knew about Crooks earlier than initially reported. It provides yet another damning update on the assassination attempt that nearly killed a former president. Crooks missed delivering a fatal headshot by millimeters [emphasis mine]: 

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 29, 2024

Nearly 100 minutes before former President Donald J. Trump took the stage in Butler, Pa., a local countersniper who was part of the broader security detail let his colleagues know his shift was ending.  “Guys I am out. Be safe,” he texted to a group of colleagues at 4:19 p.m. on July 13. He exited the second floor of a warehouse that overlooked the campaign rally site, leaving two other countersnipers behind.  Outside, the officer noticed a young man with long stringy hair sitting on a picnic table near the warehouse. So at 4:26 p.m., he texted his colleagues about the man, who was outside the fenced area of the Butler Fair Show grounds where Mr. Trump was to appear. He said that the person would have seen him come out with his rifle and “knows you guys are up there.”  The countersniper who sent the texts confirmed to The New York Times that the individual he saw was later identified as the gunman.  By 5:10 p.m., the young man was no longer on the picnic table. He was right below the countersnipers, who were upstairs in a warehouse owned by AGR International. One of the countersnipers took pictures of him, according to a law enforcement after-action report, which along with the texts from the Beaver County Emergency Services Unit was provided to The Times by the office of Senator Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa. The text messages were independently verified by The Times.  At 5:38 p.m., the photos were shared in a group chat, and another text went out among the officers, saying they should inform the Secret Service. “Kid learning around building we are in. AGR I believe it is. I did see him with a range finder looking towards stage. FYI. If you wanna notify SS snipers to look out. I lost sight of him.”  […]  Taken together, the text messages provide the most detailed picture yet of the hours before the assassination attempt. They reveal that the gunman, later identified as Thomas Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pa., aroused police suspicion more than 90 minutes before the shooting, rather than about 60 minutes, as has been previously discussed in congressional hearings.  The messages also add to the evidence that the would-be assassin was often one step ahead of security forces, and in particular the Secret Service. 

The lengthy article details Crooks’ activities that we know thus far, including packages delivered to his home, where some materials were used to build a couple of makeshift explosive devices. Two were discovered in the van at the rally site, and another was found inside the residence. He scoped the rally site before the Secret Service did their walkthrough on July 8 and used a drone to conduct aerial surveillance. The Secret Service opted not to deploy one during the rally. The American Glass Research rooftop was excluded from the agency’s “inner security perimeter.” Who was tasked with covering this glaring security vulnerability remains to be verified. We know that no personnel were on the rooftop less than 200 yards, with a clear line of sight, to Mr. Trump on the rally stage. 

There were reports that Secret Service snipers had their sights on Crooks for two minutes before he opened fire, but this timeline changes the narrative again. Local SWAT teams told ABC News they had photos and details about Crooks, relaying the information that apparently never got the attention required, a damning indictment of the seemingly ramshackle communications system deployed that day.

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) July 28, 2024

The team took responsibility for the shooting, which injured Trump and left one man, Corey Comperatore, dead, along with two others injured. 

How local law enforcement was deployed is another puzzling piece to this fiasco. Crooks was able to essentially roam at will; the only police who encountered him were cops who left their duties directing traffic: 

Mr. Crooks did something that alarmed the police. They saw him using the range finder. A Beaver County countersniper shared two photos of Mr. Crooks with his colleagues at 5:38 p.m., which were then relayed to the Secret Service, through a series of steps in the command center.  One of the two remaining countersnipers “ran out of the building attempting to keep eyes on Crooks until other law enforcement arrived,” according to a statement by Richard Goldinger, the Butler County district attorney, who supervises some of the law enforcement units.  But Mr. Crooks ran off, taking a backpack with him, Mr. Goldinger said. When the officer was unable to find Mr. Crooks, he returned to his post.  Four Butler Township police officers who had been directing traffic joined the manhunt.  At 6 p.m., one officer in the group texts guessed that Mr. Crooks was moving toward the back of the complex of AGR buildings, “away from the event.” Instead, Mr. Crooks clambered onto the low-slung building in the complex closest to the stage.  Mr. Trump took the podium at 6:03 p.m., to a roaring crowd. 

Around this time was also when onlookers noticed Crooks on the roof before shots were fired. The Secret Service reportedly knew around this time, ten minutes before he took the stage, that there was a threat against Mr. Trump. They did nothing, not even telling the former president, who said he would have waited until everything was okay. 

There were mountains of questions about the security flaws at this rally. Now, there are more, with an agency being the very definition of uncooperative.

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) July 23, 2024

[dankusner]

Dallas Democrat Criticized for Trying to Help Failed Trump Assassin

It’s a bit much.

Texas Republicans are calling for the resignation of a Dallas Congresswoman after it was revealed that she was part of an effort to remove President Trump’s Secret Service protection before his assassination attempt on Saturday.

Jasmine Crockett [CD30] filed a bill earlier this year that would remove President Trump’s Secret Service protection by denying protection to an individual convicted of a crime.

Donald Trump was recently “convicted” in an unprecedented case of failing to list hookers on his campaign finance reports, as well as some other similarly bizarre allegations, so this bill was meant to target him specifically.

Considering the rhetoric of the left, passing of this bill would mean a death sentence for Donald Trump.

Because of this, Republicans in Texas have circulated a letter calling for Congresswoman Crockett’s resignation.

Apparently, this Crockett chick is also calling for several Supreme Court justices to be removed.

It appears this is a totally lawless individual.

Currently, President Trump has a Secret Service detail, but it’s staffed with overweight women, so in many ways this is the same as having no protection at all.

Trump survived. Unfortunately, an innocent patriot died.

Which brings up an interesting point one X user highlighted:

Secret Service under scrutiny

Lawmakers, experts seek answers after apparent security lapse

It has been the Secret Service’s protocol for more than a half-century since the assassination of John F. Kennedy — survey and secure all nearby structures to prevent gunfire from reaching a president or anyone else under the agency’s protection.

But somehow on Saturday, a 20-year-old Pennsylvania man was able to access a roof with a gun about 150 yards from the stage where former President Donald Trump was speaking.

Now the Secret Service’s actions and the potential holes in its protective net are under intense scrutiny, with lawmakers in both parties calling on Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to account for her decisions and law enforcement officials and experts expressing shock at what many said was the worst Secret Service breakdown since the assassination attempt on former President Ronald Reagan in 1981.

“There are many questions and Americans demand answers,” Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chairman of the House Oversight Committee, wrote to Cheatle in a letter asking her to testify later this month.

Joe Hagin, who as a senior White House official in the Trump and George W. Bush administrations worked closely with the Secret Service, called for a top-to-bottom review of how this could happen.

“For the good of all the protectees from the president on down, we need to have a thorough and fair investigation by people who know what they’re talking about,” Hagin said.

Local police support

The shooting, in which Trump was injured and guided offstage by agents while blood dripped down his face, raises new questions about an agency that is both revered for its role in safeguarding the lives of American presidents but has for years endured intense pressure amid staffing shortages and repeated security lapses.

Kevin Rojek, the FBI special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh field office, said it was surprising that the gunman was able to open fire on the stage before being killed.

Responding to questions from The Washington Post , Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi confirmed Sunday that the agency relied on local police at the Trump rally to fill out significant parts of its typical array of specialized protective units — including its heavily armed counter assault team that provided cover as Trump’s detail evacuated him and the counter sniper teams that ultimately spotted and killed the shooter.

The Service had two of its counter assault agents on the scene and filled out the rest of the typical platoon with at least six members of Butler County tactical units, Guglielmi said.

Two Secret Service counter sniper teams were on the scene, but two additional teams that had been recommended for adequate protection at the rally were staffed by local units, he said.

When asked about the role of local police in securing the event, George Bivens, a lieutenant colonel with the Pennsylvania State Police, told reporters local officials typically provide support for such VIP visits, but take instruction from the Secret Service.

“Secret Service always has the lead on securing something like this,” Bivens said. “We work with them to provide whatever is requested by the Secret Service, but they’re the lead in that security.”

Bipartisan effort

Reps. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., and Michael Lawler, R-N.Y., announced Sunday they are introducing a bill that would give enhanced protection to the three candidates: Trump, President Joe Biden and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

“Last night’s attempted assassination of former President Trump was a dark moment in our nation’s history,” the representatives said in a joint statement.

“As reports continue to emerge, it’s clear that more protection is needed for all major candidates for president.

“That’s why we’re planning on introducing bipartisan legislation providing President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump, and presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. with enhanced Secret Service protection. Anything less would be a disservice to our democracy.”

The shooting highlighted tensions over how the agency has been planning to safeguard major campaign-related events as the election nears — including the Republican National Convention scheduled to begin Monday in Milwaukee.

A senior Republican involved in Trump’s election effort said there had been months of disagreements with the Secret Service over the convention, with Trump’s team believing the Secret Service did not take the threats of violent protests and demonstrations seriously enough.

Several of the calls had grown acrimonious.

This person said both sides had grown to distrust one another — and “there will be a demand for answers on how a gunman could get on a roof that close to Trump and have a clear shot at him.”

‘Catastrophic failure’

The Secret Service pushed back Sunday on statements made by some Republicans after the shooting that Trump or his security detail asked for more security and were denied.

A spokesman for the agency said extra agents were added to the security details of Trump, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris as the frequency of their campaigns increased in the last two months or so.

“The assertion that a member of the former President’s security team requested additional security resources that the U.S. Secret Service or the Department of Homeland Security rebuffed is absolutely false,” Guglielmi said.

“In fact, recently the U.S. Secret Service added protective resources and capabilities to the former President’s security detail.”

Guglielmi continued: “The former President, and the current President, are commonly subject to threats. The U.S. Secret Service takes threats seriously, and it takes actions based on those threats as warranted. The U.S. Secret Service is constantly evaluating the very dynamic threat environment and responding to it in the fulfillment of its responsibilities.”

Jason Chaffetz, a former chair of the House Oversight Committee who produced a sweeping 2015 investigative report on Secret Service security failures and the agency’s being stretched too thin, said he is deeply disturbed that the same problems identified nearly a decade ago remain and appear to have contributed to failure to detect the shooter at the Saturday rally.

“This was a catastrophic failure. It should never have been a remote possibility,” Chaffetz said in an interview.

“We did all these investigations and did an extensive report so this would never happen again. It’s as if they paid no attention to the bipartisan recommendations.”

[novumtimes]

What Happened to Donald Trump at His Pennsylvania Rally? Updates Hollywood Life

Image Credit: GC Images Donald Trump was struck in the face while holding a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, July 13. As he spoke to a large crowd of supporters, multiple witnesses heard gunshots being fired, but it’s still unclear what hit the politician while he was at a podium. However, blood was seen running down the right side of his face as Secret Service immediately rushed him off the stage. Read on to learn more about what happened to Trump, his condition and more updates. What Happened to Donald Trump in Pennsylvania? During his afternoon Republican rally in Butler, loud popping sounds were heard by audience members. Trump reacted and, after turning his face toward the crowd, multiple Secret Service agents and other law enforcement personnel rushed to the stage to assist him. Members in the crowd cheered for Trump as he was taken to a car with blood visible on the right side of his face. Donald Trump pumps his fist as he is rushed offstage during a rally (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Was Donald Trump Shot? ‘ At the time of publication, it’s still unclear what struck Trump in the face. However, a representative for the politician shared a statement, confirming that he was “fine.” “President Trump thanks law enforcement and first responders for their quick action during this heinous act,” the statement read, according to The Guardian. “He is fine and is being checked out at a local medical facility. More details will follow.” Who Shot Donald Trump? It’s still unclear who the perpetrator was, but Butler County district attorney Richard Goldinger reportedly claimed that Trump “was grazed by gunfire but is safe.” Additionally, it was reported that “an audience member was killed, and the shooter is dead.” News: The shooter at the Trump rally is dead and so is one bystander, Butler County DA tells ABC DA Richard A. Goldinger also says there is “possibly a second” bystander dead as well — Olivia Rubin (@OliviaRubinABC) July 13, 2024 Did Other Politicians React? Shortly after the apparent shooting took place, Democratic governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, tweeted his best wishes for Trump. Violence targeted at any political party or political leader is absolutely unacceptable. It has no place in Pennsylvania or the United States. I have been briefed on the situation. @PAStatePolice are on the scene in Butler County and working with our federal and local… — Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) July 13, 2024 “Violence targeted at any political party or political leader is absolutely unacceptable,” Shapiro wrote via X. “It has no place in Pennsylvania or the United States. I have been briefed on the situation. @PAStatePolice are on the scene in Butler County and working with our federal and local partners.” Democratic House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries also publicly reacted to the incident, noting via X, “Political violence of any kind is never acceptable.” “My thoughts and prayers are with former President Trump,” Jeffries tweeted. “I am thankful for the decisive law enforcement response. America is a democracy.” Aside from politicians, other well-known names also reacted to the incident. Elon Musk tweeted his full support for Trump, writing, “I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery.” This is a developing story.  Source link via The Novum Times

[newswireml]

Republicans’ National Power Struggle Goes Local in Rural Pennsylvania#Republicans #National #Power #Struggle #Local #Rural #Pennsylvania

BUTLER, Pa. — Zach Scherer, a 20-year-old car salesman and Republican activist in Pennsylvania’s Butler County, decided to run for a seat on the county commission this year — a move that ordinarily would mean seeking the endorsement of local Republican Party leaders. In Butler County, this raised an unusual question: Which Republican Party? Last spring, the officially recognized Butler County…

[dremas393]

Sigh. I HATE putting ANYTHING POLITICAL on here. I can't believe I am posting this. Am here for the art, culture, beauty, intrigue... But this MUST be known. They are SO EVIL.

Republican activist Marty Glickman (a.k.a. “Republican Marty”), was taken into custody by Florida police on four counts of unlawful sexual activity with an underage girl and one count of delivering the drug LSD.

Republican legislative aide Howard L. Brooks was charged with molesting a 12-year old boy and possession of child pornography.

Republican Senate candidate John Hathaway was accused of having sex with his 12-year old baby sitter and withdrew his candidacy after the allegations were reported in the media.

Republican preacher Stephen White, who demanded a return to traditional values, was sentenced to jail after offering $20 to a 14-year-old boy for permission to perform oral sex on him.

Republican talk show host Jon Matthews pleaded guilty to exposing his genitals to an 11 year old girl.

Republican anti-gay activist Earl “Butch” Kimmerling was sentenced to 40 years in prison for molesting an 8-year old girl after he attempted to stop a gay couple from adopting her.

Republican Party leader Paul Ingram pleaded guilty to six counts of raping his daughters and served 14 years in federal prison.

Republican election board official Kevin Coan was sentenced to two years probation for soliciting sex over the internet from a 14-year old girl.

Republican politician Andrew Buhr was charged with two counts of first degree sodomy with a 13-year old boy.

Republican politician Keith Westmoreland was arrested on seven felony counts of lewd and lascivious exhibition to girls under the age of 16 (i.e. exposing himself to children).

Republican anti-abortion activist John Allen Burt was charged with sexual misconduct involving a 15-year old girl.

Republican County Councilman Keola Childs pleaded guilty to molesting a male child.

Republican activist John Butler was charged with criminal sexual assault on a teenage girl.

Republican candidate Richard Gardner admitted to molesting his two daughters.

Republican Councilman and former Marine Jack W. Gardner was convicted of molesting a 13-year old girl.

Republican County Commissioner Merrill Robert Barter pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual contact and assault on a teenage boy.

Republican City Councilman Fred C. Smeltzer, Jr. pleaded no contest to raping a 15 year-old girl and served 6-months in prison.

Republican activist Parker J. Bena pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on his home computer and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and fined $18,000.

Republican parole board officer and former Colorado state representative, Larry Jack Schwarz, was fired after child pornography was found in his possession.

Republican strategist and Citadel Military College graduate Robin Vanderwall was convicted in Virginia on five counts of soliciting sex from boys and girls over the internet.

Republican city councilman Mark Harris, who is described as a “good military man” and “church goer,” was convicted of repeatedly having sex with an 11-year-old girl and sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Republican businessman Jon Grunseth withdrew his candidacy for Minnesota governor after allegations surfaced that he went swimming in the nude with four underage girls, including his daughter.

Republican director of the “Young Republican Federation” Nicholas Elizondo molested his 6-year old daughter and was sentenced to six years in prison.

[liberalsarecool]

Oh, how my cup runneth over....

* A Georgia pastor and and conservative political activist Ken Adkins was sentenced to 35 years in prison on charges of child molestation and aggravated child molestation.

* Republican mayor Thomas Adams of Illinois charged with 11 counts of disseminating child pornography and two counts of possession of child pornography.

* Republican campaign worker and self proclaimed reverend Steve Aiken convicted of having se with two underage girls.

* Republican legislator Edison Misla Aldarondo was sentenced to 10 years in prison for raping his daughter between the ages of 9 and 17.

* Republican activist and rising Colorado Republican star Randal David Ankeney (who named his dogs Nixon and Reagan) pleaded guilty to attempted sexual assault on a child. Later he was rearrested for 5 counts of sexual assault on a child, 3 counts of sexual enticement of a child and one count of sexual exploitation of a child.

* Republican County Commissioner Merrill Robert Barter pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual contact and assault on a teenage boy.

* Republican congressman and anti-gay activist Robert Bauman was charged with having sex with a 16 year old boy he picked up at a gay bar.

* Republican activist Parker J. Bena pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on his home computer and was sentenced to, 30 months in federal prison and fined $18,000.

* Republican preacher Hewart Lee Bennett arrested for soliciting sex from 16 year old boys while claiming that he did so to gain their trust and then teach them the love of Jesus.

* Republican Christian Coalition chair Louis Beres investigated for molesting three female family members as teens.

* Republican legislative aide Howard Brooks was charged with molesting a 17 year old boy and possession of child pornography.

* Republican politician Andrew Buhr was charged with two counts of first degree sodomy with a 13 year old boy.

* Republican anti-abortion activist John Allen Burt was charged with seuxal misconduct involving a 15 year old girl.

* Republican activist John Butler was charged with criminal sexual assault on a teenage girl.

* Republican County Councilman Keola Childs pleaded guilty to molesting a male child.

* Republican election board official Kevin Koan was sentenced to two years probation for soliciting sex over the internet from a 14 year old girl.

* Republican councilman John Collins pleads guilty to sexually molesting a 13 + 14 year old girls.

* Republican advertising consultant Carey Lee Cramer (who appeared in an ad blasting Al gore) convicted of molesting 9 yr old girl stepdaughter

* Republican Congressman Dan Crane had sex with a female minor working as a congressional page.

* Republican Committeeman John Curtain charged with molesting a teenage boy.

* Republican benefactor of conservative Christian groups Richard A. Dasen Sr. was charged with rape for allegedly paying a 15 year old girl for sex. Dasen 62 who is married with grown children and several grandchildren has allegedly told police that over the past decade he paid more than $1 million to have sex with a large number of young women.

* Republican fundraiser Richard A. Delgaudio was found guilty of child porn charges and paying two teenage girls to pose for sexual photos

* Republican legislator Peter Dibble pleaded no contest to having an inappropriate relationship with a 15 year old girl.

* Republican spokesman Brian Doyle arrested for trying to seduce a 14 year old girl over the Internet.

* Republican director of the Young Republican Federation Nicholas Elizondo molested his 6 year old daughter and was sentenced to six years in prison.

* Republican congressman Mark Foley resigned from Congress after sending sexually explicit emails to former male pages under the age of 13.

* Republican constable Larry Dale Floyd of Denton arrested on suspicion of soliciting sex from an 13 yr old girl.

* Republican Councilman and former Marine Jack Gardner was convicted of molesting a 13 year old girl.

* Republican candidate Richard Gardner admitted to molesting his two daughters.

* Republican Mayor Philip Giordano of Waterbury Connecticut is serving a 37 year sentence in federal prison for sexually abusing 8 and 10 year old girls

* Republican activist Marty Glickman convicted in Florida on four counts of unlawful sexual activity with an underage girl and one count of delivering the drug LSD.

* Republican Mayor John Gosek sentenced to jail for soliciting sex from two 15 year old girls.

* Republican activist Mark A. Grethen convicted on six counts of sex crimes involving children.

* Republican President of NYC Housing Development Russell Harding pleads guilty to possession of child pornography on his computer.

* Republican city councilman Mark Harris, who is described as a "good military man" and "church goer", was convicted of repeatedly having sex with an 11 year old girl and sentenced to 17 years in prison.

* Republican Senate candidate John Hathaway was accused of having sex with his 17 year old baby sitter and withdrew his candidacy after the allegations were reported in the media.

* Republican anti-abortion activist Howard Scott Heldreth is a convicted child rapist in Florida.

* Republican pastor Mike Hintz (whom George Bush commended during the 2004 presidential campaign) surrendered to police after admitting to a sexual affair with a female juvenile.

* Republican Party leader Paul Ingram pleaded guilty to six counts of raping his daughters and served 14 years in federal prison.

* Republican anti-gay activist Earl Kimmerling was sentenced to 40 years in prison for **molesting an 8 year old girl after he attempted to stop a gay couple from adopting her.**

* Republican activist Lawrence E. King Jr. organized child sex parties at the White House during the 1980's.

* Republican Judge Ronald Kline was placed under house arrest for child molestation.

* Republican Congressman Donald Lukens was found guilty of having sex with a female minor and sentenced to one month in Jail

* Republican talk show host Jon Matthews pleaded guilty to exposing his genitals to an 11 year old girl.

* Republican Douglas County election official Pat McPherson arrested for fondling a 17 yr old girl.

* Republican anti abortion activist Nicholas Morency pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on his computer and offering a bounty to anybody who murders an abortion doctor..

* Republican Committee Chairman Jeffrey Patti was arrested for distributing a video clip of a 5 year old girl being raped.\

* Republican Judge Mark Pazuhanich pleaded no contest to fondling a 10 year old girl and was sentenced to 10 years probation.

* Republican boy scout leader and zoning supervisor Dennis Rader pleaded guilty for performing a sexual act on an 11 year old girl he murdered.

* Republican petition leader Tom Randall pleads guilty to molesting two girls under the age of 14.

* Republican activist and Christian Coalition leader Beverly Russell admitted to an incestuous relationship with his step daughter Susan Smith.

* Republican ex congressman Peter Schmitt of Orange County convicted of raping a 6th grader and bearing his two children.

* Republican parole board officer and former Colorado state representative Larry Jack Schwartz was fired after child pornography was found in his possession.

* Republican campaign worker Mark Seidensticker is a convicted child molester.

* Republican campaign consultant Tom Shortridge was sentenced to three years probation for taking nude photographs of a 15 year old girl.

* Republican City Councilman Fred C. Smeltzer Jr. pleaded no contest to raping a 15 year old girl and served six months in prison.

* Republican lobbyist Craig J. Spence organized child sex parties at the White House during the 1980's.

* Republican party leader Bobby Stumbo arrested for having sex with a five year old boy.

* Republican County Commissioner David Swartt pleaded guilty to molesting two girls under the age of 11 and was sentenced to 3 years in prison.

* Republican County Chairman Armando Tebano arrested for sexually molesting a 14 yr old girl.

* Republican racist pedophile and United States Senator Strom Thurmond raped a 15 year old black girl which produced a child.

* Republican strategist and Citadel Military College graduate Robin Canderwall was convicted in Virginia on five counts of soliciting sex from boys and girls over the internet.

* Republican consultant Lawrence Scott Ward arrested at Dulles airport after authorities found child pornography and videotapes of him having sex with children.

* Spokane Republican homophobic mayor Jim West recalled after evidence surfaced that he molested little boys.

* Republican politician Keith Westmoreland was arrested on seven felony counts of lewd and lascivious exhibition to girls under the age of 16 (i.e. exposing himself to children).

* Republican preacher Stephen white (who demanded a return to traditional values) was sentenced to jail after offering $27 to a 14 year old boy for permission to perform oral sex on him.

* Republican activist and James Dobson protege Steve Wilsey convicted of sexual assault after being charged with molesting an 8 year old boy.

[thepatriotplace-blog]

How is blackmail used?

Democratic Illinois State Representative, Keith Farnham, has resigned and was charged with possession of child pornography and has been accused of bragging at an online site about sexually molesting a 6-year-old girl. Democratic spokesperson for the Arkansas Democratic Party, Harold Moody, Jr, was charged with distribution and possession of child pornography. Democratic Radnor Township Board of Commissioners member, Philip Ahr, resigned from his position after being charged with possession of child pornography and abusing children between 2 and 6 years-old. Democratic activist and BLM organizer, Charles Wade, was arrested and charged with human trafficking and underage prostitution. Democratic Texas attorney and activist, Mark Benavides, was charged with having sex with a minor, inducing a child under 18 to have sex and compelling prostitution of at least nine legal clients and possession of child pornography. He was found guilty on six counts of sex trafficking. Democratic Virginia Delegate, Joe Morrissey, was indicted on charges connected to his relationship with a 17-year-old girl and was charged with supervisory indecent liberties with a minor, electronic solicitation of a minor, possession of child pornography and distribution of child pornography. Democratic Massachusetts Congressman, Gerry Studds, was censured by the House of Representatives after he admitted to an inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old page. Democratic Former Mayor of Stillwater, New York, Rick Nelson was plead guilty to five counts of possession of child pornography of children less than 16 years of age. Democratic Former Mayor of Clayton, New York, Dale Kenyon, was indicted for sexual acts against a teenager. Democratic Former Mayor of Hubbard, Ohio, Richard Keenan, was given a life sentence in jail for raping a 4-year-old girl. Democratic Former Mayor of Winston, Oregeon, Kenneth Barrett, was arrested for setting up a meeting to have sex with a 14-year-old girl who turned out to be a police officer. Democratic Former Mayor of Randolph, Nebraska, Dwayne L. Schutt, was arrested and charged with four counts of felony third-degree sexual assault of a child and one count of intentional child abuse. Democratic Former Mayor of Dawson, Georgia, Christopher Wright, was indicted on the charges of aggravated child molestation, aggravated sodomy, rape, child molestation and statutory rape of an 11-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl. Democratic Former Mayor of Stockton, California, Anthony Silva, was charged with providing alcohol to young adults during a game of strip poker that included a 16-year-old boy at a camp for underprivileged children run by the mayor. Democratic Former Mayor of Millbrook, New York, Donald Briggs, was arrested and charged with inappropriate sexual contact with a person younger than 17. Democratic party leader for Victoria County, Texas, Stephen Jabbour, plead guilty to possession and receiving over half a million child pornographic images. Democratic activist and fundraiser, Terrence Bean, was arrested on charges of sodomy and sex abuse in a case involving a 15-year-old boy and when the alleged victim declined to testify, and the judge dismissed the case. Democratic Party Chairman for Davidson County, Tennessee, Rodney Mullin, resigned amid child pornography allegations. Democratic activist, Andrew Douglas Reed, pleaded guilty to a multiple counts of 2nd-degree sexual exploitation of a minor for producing child pornography. Democratic official from Terre Haute, Indiana, David Roberts was sentenced to federal prison for producing and possessing child pornography including placing hidden cameras in the bedrooms and bathrooms at a home he shared with two minor female victims. Democratic California Congressman, Tony Cárdenas, is being sued in LA County for allegedly sexually abused a 16-year-old girl. Democratic aide to Senator Barbara Boxer, Jeff Rosato, plead guilty to charges of trading in child pornography. Democratic Alaskan State Representative, Dean Westlake, resigned from his seat after the media published a report alleging he fathered a child with a 16-year-old girl when he was 28. Democratic New Jersey State Assemblyman, Neil Cohen, was convicted of possession and distribution of child pornography. Republican Tim Nolan, chairman of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in Kentucky, pled guilty to child sex trafficking and on February 11, 2018 he was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison. Republican state Senator Ralph Shortey was indicted on four counts of human trafficking and child pornography. In November 2017, he pleaded guilty to one count of child sex trafficking in exchange for the dropping of the other charges. Republican anti-abortion activist Howard Scott Heldreth is a convicted child rapist in Florida. Republican County Commissioner David Swartz pleaded guilty to molesting two girls under the age of 11 and was sentenced to 8 years in prison. Republican judge Mark Pazuhanich pleaded no contest to fondling a 10-year old girl and was sentenced to 10 years probation. Republican anti-abortion activist Nicholas Morency pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on his computer and offering a bounty to anybody who murders an abortion doctor. Republican legislator Edison Misla Aldarondo was sentenced to 10 years in prison for raping his daughter between the ages of 9 and 17. Republican Mayor Philip Giordano is serving a 37-year sentence in federal prison for sexually abusing 8- and 10-year old girls. Republican campaign consultant Tom Shortridge was sentenced to three years probation for taking nude photographs of a 15-year old girl. Republican Senator Strom Thurmond, a notable racist, had sex with a 15-year old black girl which produced a child. Republican pastor Mike Hintz, whom George W. Bush commended during the 2004 presidential campaign, surrendered to police after admitting to a sexual affair with a female juvenile. Republican legislator Peter Dibble pleaded no contest to having an inappropriate relationship with a 13-year-old girl. Republican Congressman Donald “Buz” Lukens was found guilty of having sex with a female minor and sentenced to one month in jail. Republican fundraiser Richard A. Delgaudio was found guilty of child porn charges and paying two teenage girls to pose for sexual photos. Republican activist Mark A. Grethen convicted on six counts of sex crimes involving children. Republican activist Randal David Ankeney pleaded guilty to attempted sexual assault on a child. Republican Congressman Dan Crane had sex with a female minor working as a congressional page. Republican activist and Christian Coalition leader Beverly Russell admitted to an incestuous relationship with his step daughter. Republican congressman and anti-gay activist Robert Bauman was charged with having sex with a 16-year-old boy he picked up at a gay bar. Republican Committee Chairman Jeffrey Patti was arrested for distributing a video clip of a 5-year-old girl being raped. Republican activist Marty Glickman (a.k.a. “Republican Marty”), was taken into custody by Florida police on four counts of unlawful sexual activity with an underage girl and one count of delivering the drug LSD. Republican legislative aide Howard L. Brooks was charged with molesting a 12-year old boy and possession of child pornography. Republican Senate candidate John Hathaway was accused of having sex with his 12-year old baby sitter and withdrew his candidacy after the allegations were reported in the media. Republican preacher Stephen White, who demanded a return to traditional values, was sentenced to jail after offering $20 to a 14-year-old boy for permission to perform oral sex on him. Republican talk show host Jon Matthews pleaded guilty to exposing his genitals to an 11 year old girl.Republican anti-gay activist Earl “Butch” Kimmerling was sentenced to 40 years in prison for molesting an 8-year old girl after he attempted to stop a gay couple from adopting her. Republican Party leader Paul Ingram pleaded guilty to six counts of raping his daughters and served 14 years in federal prison. Republican election board official Kevin Coan was sentenced to two years probation for soliciting sex over the internet from a 14-year old girl. Republican politician Andrew Buhr was charged with two counts of first degree sodomy with a 13-year old boy. Republican politician Keith Westmoreland was arrested on seven felony counts of lewd and lascivious exhibition to girls under the age of 16 (i.e. exposing himself to children). Republican anti-abortion activist John Allen Burt was charged with sexual misconduct involving a 15-year old girl. Republican County Councilman Keola Childs pleaded guilty to molesting a male child. Republican activist John Butler was charged with criminal sexual assault on a teenage girl.Republican candidate Richard Gardner admitted to molesting his two daughters. Republican Councilman and former Marine Jack W. Gardner was convicted of molesting a 13-year old girl. Republican County Commissioner Merrill Robert Barter pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual contact and assault on a teenage boy. Republican City Councilman Fred C. Smeltzer, Jr. pleaded no contest to raping a 15 year-old girl and served 6-months in prison. Republican activist Parker J. Bena pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on his home computer and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and fined $18,000. Republican parole board officer and former Colorado state representative, Larry Jack Schwarz, was fired after child pornography was found in his possession. Republican strategist and Citadel Military College graduate Robin Vanderwall was convicted in Virginia on five counts of soliciting sex from boys and girls over the internet. Republican city councilman Mark Harris, who is described as a “good military man” and “church goer,” was convicted of repeatedly having sex with an 11-year-old girl and sentenced to 12 years in prison. Republican businessman Jon Grunseth withdrew his candidacy for Minnesota governor after allegations surfaced that he went swimming in the nude with four underage girls, including his daughter. Republican director of the “Young Republican Federation” Nicholas Elizondo molested his 6-year old daughter and was sentenced to six years in prison. Republican benefactor of conservative Christian groups, Richard A. Dasen Sr., was charged with rape for allegedly paying a 15-year old girl for sex. Dasen, 62, who is married with grown children and several grandchildren, has allegedly told police that over the past decade he paid more than $1 million to have sex with a large number of young women. Democratic donor and billionaire, Jeffrey Epstein, ran an underage child sex brothel and was convicted of soliciting underage girls for prostitution. Democratic New York Congressman, Anthony Weiner, plead guilty to transferring obscene material to a minor as part of a plea agreement for sexted and sending Twitter DMs to underage girls as young as 15. Democratic donor, activist, and Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein is being criminally prosecuted and civilly sued for years of sexual abuse (that was well known “secret” in Hollywood) including underage sexual activities with aspiring female actresses. Democratic activist and #metoo proponent, Asia Argento, settled a lawsuit for sexual harassment stemming from sexual activities with an underage actor. Democratic Mayor of Racine, Wisconsin, Gary Becker, was convicted of attempted child seduction, child pornography, and other child sex crimes. Democratic Seattle Mayor Ed Murray resigned after multiple accusations of child sexual abuse were levied against him including by family members. Democratic activist and aid to NYC Mayor De Blasio, Jacob Schwartz was arrested on possession of 3,000+ child pornographic images. Democratic activist and actor, Russell Simmons, was sued based on an allegation of sexual assault where he coerced an underage model for sex. Democratic Governor of Oregon, Neil Goldschmidt, after being caught by a newspaper, publicly admitted to having a past sexual relationship with a 13-year-old girl after the statute of limitations on the rape charges had expired. Democratic Illinois Congressman, Mel Reynolds resigned from Congress after he was convicted of statutory rape of a 16-year-old campaign volunteer. Democratic New York Congressman, Fred Richmond, was arrested in Washington D.C. for soliciting sex from a 16-year-old boy. Democratic activist, donor, and director, Roman Polanski, fled the country after pleading guilty to statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl. Democrats and Hollywood actors still defend him to this day, including, Whoopi Goldberg, Martin Scorcese, Woody Allen, David Lynch, Wim Wenders, Pedro Almodovar, Tilda Swinton and Monica Bellucci. Democratic State Senator from Alaska, George Jacko, was found guilty of sexual harassment of an underage legislative page. Democratic State Representative candidate for Colorado, Andrew Myers, was convicted for possession of child pornography and enticing children. Democratic Illinois Congressman, Gus Savage was investigated by the Democrat-controlled House Committee on Ethics for attempting to rape an underage female Peace Corps volunteer in Zaire. The Committee concluded that while the events did occur his apology was sufficient and took no further action. Democratic activist, donor, and spokesperson for Subway, Jared Fogle, was convicted of distribution and receipt of child pornography and traveling to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. Democratic State Department official, Carl Carey, under Hillary Clinton’s state department, was arrested on ten counts of child porn possession. Democratic Maine Assistant Attorney General, James Cameron, was sentenced to just over 15 years in federal prison for seven counts of child porn possession, receipt and transmission. Democratic State Department official, Daniel Rosen, under Hillary Clinton’s state department, was arrested and charged with allegedly soliciting sex from a minor over the internet. Democratic State Department official, James Cafferty, pleaded guilty to one count of transportation of child pornography. Democratic radio host, Bernie Ward, plead guilty to one count of sending child pornography over the Internet.Democratic deputy attorney general from California, Raymond Liddy, was arrested for possession of child pornography. Q

[honeychildoz]

GOP Sex Crimes as of Jan 14, 2020

MAGA pedos:

• Republican Paul Peterson charged with human trafficking adoption scheme.

• Republican senator Mike Folmer arrested on child porn charges on 9-17-2019.

• ⁠Republican Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert was sentenced to 15 months in prison in a hush money case that revealed he was being accused of sexually abusing young boys as a teacher in Illinois

• ⁠A Georgia pastor and and conservative political activist Ken Adkins was sentenced to 35 years in prison on charges of child molestation and aggravated child molestation.

• ⁠Republican mayor Thomas Adams of Illinois charged with 11 counts of disseminating child pornography and two counts of possession of child pornography.

• ⁠Republican campaign worker and self proclaimed reverend Steve Aiken convicted of having se with two underage girls.

• ⁠Republican legislator Edison Misla Aldarondo was sentenced to 10 years in prison for raping his daughter between the ages of 9 and 17.

• ⁠Republican activist and rising Colorado Republican star Randal David Ankeney (who named his dogs Nixon and Reagan) pleaded guilty to attempted sexual assault on a child. Later he was rearrested for 5 counts of sexual assault on a child, 3 counts of sexual enticement of a child and one count of sexual exploitation of a child.

• ⁠Republican County Commissioner Merrill Robert Barter pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual contact and assault on a teenage boy.

• ⁠Republican congressman and anti-gay activist Robert Bauman was charged with having sex with a 16 year old boy he picked up at a gay bar.

• ⁠Republican activist Parker J. Bena pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on his home computer and was sentenced to, 30 months in federal prison and fined $18,000.

• ⁠Republican preacher Hewart Lee Bennett arrested for soliciting sex from 16 year old boys while claiming that he did so to gain their trust and then teach them the love of Jesus.

• ⁠Republican Christian Coalition chair Louis Beres investigated for molesting three female family members as teens.

• ⁠Republican legislative aide Howard Brooks was charged with molesting a 17 year old boy and possession of child pornography.

• ⁠Republican politician Andrew Buhr was charged with two counts of first degree sodomy with a 13 year old boy.

• ⁠Republican anti-abortion activist John Allen Burt was charged with seuxal misconduct involving a 15 year old girl.

• ⁠Republican activist John Butler was charged with criminal sexual assault on a teenage girl.

• ⁠Republican County Councilman Keola Childs pleaded guilty to molesting a male child.

• ⁠Republican election board official Kevin Koan was sentenced to two years probation for soliciting sex over the internet from a 14 year old girl.

• ⁠Republican councilman John Collins pleads guilty to sexually molesting a 13 + 14 year old girls.

• ⁠Republican advertising consultant Carey Lee Cramer (who appeared in an ad blasting Al gore) convicted of molesting 9 yr old girl stepdaughter

• ⁠Republican Congressman Dan Crane had sex with a female minor working as a congressional page.

• ⁠Republican Committeeman John Curtain charged with molesting a teenage boy.

• ⁠Republican benefactor of conservative Christian groups Richard A. Dasen Sr. was charged with rape for allegedly paying a 15 year old girl for sex. Dasen 62 who is married with grown children and several grandchildren has allegedly told police that over the past decade he paid more than $1 million to have sex with a large number of young women.

• ⁠Republican fundraiser Richard A. Delgaudio was found guilty of child porn charges and paying two teenage girls to pose for sexual photos

• ⁠Republican legislator Peter Dibble pleaded no contest to having an inappropriate relationship with a 15 year old girl.

• ⁠Republican spokesman Brian Doyle arrested for trying to seduce a 14 year old girl over the Internet.

• ⁠Republican director of the Young Republican Federation Nicholas Elizondo molested his 6 year old daughter and was sentenced to six years in prison.

• ⁠Republican congressman Mark Foley resigned from Congress after sending sexually explicit emails to former male pages under the age of 13.

• ⁠Republican constable Larry Dale Floyd of Denton arrested on suspicion of soliciting sex from an 13 yr old girl.

• ⁠Republican Councilman and former Marine Jack Gardner was convicted of molesting a 13 year old girl.

• ⁠Republican candidate Richard Gardner admitted to molesting his two daughters.

• ⁠Republican Mayor Philip Giordano of Waterbury Connecticut is serving a 37 year sentence in federal prison for sexually abusing 8 and 10 year old girls

• ⁠Republican activist Marty Glickman convicted in Florida on four counts of unlawful sexual activity with an underage girl and one count of delivering the drug LSD.

• ⁠Republican Mayor John Gosek sentenced to jail for soliciting sex from two 15 year old girls.

• ⁠Republican activist Mark A. Grethen convicted on six counts of sex crimes involving children.

• ⁠Republican President of NYC Housing Development Russell Harding pleads guilty to possession of child pornography on his computer.

• ⁠Republican city councilman Mark Harris, who is described as a "good military man" and "church goer", was convicted of repeatedly having sex with an 11 year old girl and sentenced to 17 years in prison.

• ⁠Republican Senate candidate John Hathaway was accused of having sex with his 17 year old baby sitter and withdrew his candidacy after the allegations were reported in the media.

• ⁠Republican anti-abortion activist Howard Scott Heldreth is a convicted child rapist in Florida.

• ⁠Republican pastor Mike Hintz (whom George Bush commended during the 2004 presidential campaign) surrendered to police after admitting to a sexual affair with a female juvenile.

• ⁠Republican Party leader Paul Ingram pleaded guilty to six counts of raping his daughters and served 14 years in federal prison.

• ⁠Republican anti-gay activist Earl Kimmerling was sentenced to 40 years in prison for molesting an 8 year old girl after he attempted to stop a gay couple from adopting her.

• ⁠Republican activist Lawrence E. King Jr. organized child sex parties at the White House during the 1980's.

• ⁠Republican Judge Ronald Kline was placed under house arrest for child molestation.

• ⁠Republican Congressman Donald Lukens was found guilty of having sex with a female minor and sentenced to one month in Jail

• ⁠Republican talk show host Jon Matthews pleaded guilty to exposing his genitals to an 11 year old girl.

• ⁠Republican Douglas County election official Pat McPherson arrested for fondling a 17 yr old girl.

• ⁠Republican anti abortion activist Nicholas Morency pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on his computer and offering a bounty to anybody who murders an abortion doctor..

• ⁠Republican Committee Chairman Jeffrey Patti was arrested for distributing a video clip of a 5 year old girl being raped.

• ⁠Republican Judge Mark Pazuhanich pleaded no contest to fondling a 10 year old girl and was sentenced to 10 years probation.

• ⁠Republican boy scout leader and zoning supervisor Dennis Rader pleaded guilty for performing a sexual act on an 11 year old girl he murdered.

• ⁠Republican petition leader Tom Randall pleads guilty to molesting two girls under the age of 14.

• ⁠Republican activist and Christian Coalition leader Beverly Russell admitted to an incestuous relationship with his step daughter Susan Smith.

• ⁠Republican ex congressman Peter Schmitt of Orange County convicted of raping a 6th grader and bearing his two children.

• ⁠Republican parole board officer and former Colorado state representative Larry Jack Schwartz was fired after child pornography was found in his possession.

• ⁠Republican campaign worker Mark Seidensticker is a convicted child molester.

• ⁠Republican campaign consultant Tom Shortridge was sentenced to three years probation for taking nude photographs of a 15 year old girl.

• ⁠Republican City Councilman Fred C. Smeltzer Jr. pleaded no contest to raping a 15 year old girl and served six months in prison.

• ⁠Republican party leader Bobby Stumbo arrested for having sex with a five year old boy.

• ⁠Republican County Commissioner David Swartt pleaded guilty to molesting two girls under the age of 11 and was sentenced to 3 years in prison.

• ⁠Republican County Chairman Armando Tebano arrested for sexually molesting a 14 yr old girl.

• ⁠Republican racist pedophile and United States Senator Strom Thurmond raped a 15 year old black girl which produced a child.

• ⁠Republican strategist and Citadel Military College graduate Robin Canderwall was convicted in Virginia on five counts of soliciting sex from boys and girls over the internet.

• ⁠Republican consultant Lawrence Scott Ward arrested at Dulles airport after authorities found child pornography and videotapes of him having sex with children.

• ⁠Spokane Republican homophobic mayor Jim West recalled after evidence surfaced that he molested little boys.

• ⁠Republican politician Keith Westmoreland was arrested on seven felony counts of lewd and lascivious exhibition to girls under the age of 16 (i.e. exposing himself to children).

• ⁠Republican preacher Stephen white (who demanded a return to traditional values) was sentenced to jail after offering $27 to a 14 year old boy for permission to perform oral sex on him.

• ⁠Republican activist and James Dobson protege Steve Wilsey convicted of sexual assault after being charged with molesting an 8 year old boy.

[rapeculturerealities]

The Butler County Democratic Party wants the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee, the state panel that deals with ethical violation of lawmakers, to investigate Republican Rep. Candice Keller (R-Middletown), saying she potentially violated ethics rules by sponsoring a bill which would directly benefit an anti-abortion women’s health center she runs in southwest Ohio.

The bill at the center of the complaint would benefit organizations that are often called crisis pregnancy centers. They do not provide abortions or refer women for the procedure but instead explain other options. Opponents of these centers say they are "fake" medical clinics that shame women from getting abortions.

Republican State Rep. Candice Keller (R-Middletown) is a co-sponsor of the bill. She has said she will recuse herself from the legislative process for the bill that would provide a 50 percent refundable tax credit for donations made to non-profit pregnancy centers. But Butler County Democratic Party Director Brian Hester says the horse is already out of the barn now.

“The fact that she, having now been caught and publicly called out on it, says she doesn’t intend to continue to violating the law, doesn’t change the fact that her initial action was a violation," Hester says.

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[wtffundiefamilies]

In a laundry list of reasons why the United States is grappling with mass killings, an Ohio state lawmaker has settled on immigrants, same-sex marriage, transgender rights, disrespect toward veterans and “drag queen advocates.”

Candice Keller, a Republican state representative from Middletown, near Dayton, Ohio, where nine people were killed early Sunday, offered her diagnosis on her personal Facebook page, the Dayton Daily News reported.

Her post came only hours after the Dayton shooting, as the nation still reeled from the Saturday mass killing of 22 people in El Paso and the discovery of an anti-immigrant, white nationalist manifesto believed to have been written by that alleged gunman.

Keller’s post sent shock waves through the state and local Republican Party, where there is a groundswell of calls from fellow conservatives urging her to resign, said Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones, who oversees law enforcement across Keller’s district.

“It’s an embarrassment. It’s shameful. It does not reflect our party, our community, or the people who are hurting right now,” Jones told The Washington Post on Monday. “She only left out people who look like her.”

The comments stunned the mustachioed, cigar-chomping, pro-Trump lawman who himself has taunted immigrants with billboards but has called for civility amid toxic partisan politics. Jones said he was worried Keller’s posting would have a chilling effect on future victims in the county who may believe police officers have similar notions. “She made our job that much more difficult in law enforcement,” he said.

Jones declined to say who else in the county opposed Keller’s views but said there would soon be clearer signs of opposition within GOP ranks. He urged the national and state Republican Party to join the call for her resignation.

Other Republicans distanced themselves from Keller.

Ohio State Representative Candice Keller (represents Middletown, Ohio) says the shootings happened because of my marriage to Craig.

“Some want to politicize these events, and I cannot condone such comment and behavior,” Butler County GOP Executive Chairman Todd Hall said in a statement.

Keller did not return a request for comment.

Her list also included fatherless upbringing, violent video games and two arguments that conservatives have leveled at former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick — that kneeling protests over police brutality are insults to both law enforcement and veterans.

Amid an apparent rise of domestic terror arrests, Keller did not include anything about white nationalism, an ideology President Trump condemned Monday; the availability of semiautomatic assault rifles and 100-round ammunition drums like the one used in the Dayton killings; or how the alleged killer legally obtained a firearm after he was kicked out of a high school for writing a list of girls he wanted to kill.

Keller also blamed President Barack Obama for “disrespect to law enforcement,” along with Democratic lawmakers, public schools and “snowflakes, who can’t accept a duly-elected President.” Her post was later either removed from view or deleted.

She has courted controversy before. At a 2018 gun rights rally a month after the Parkland high school killings, Keller said that a 15-year old survivor “would just as soon be eating Doritos and playing video games.”

Two women hug each other in front of wreaths displayed for the nine victims of the shooting in the Oregon District of Dayton, Ohio. (David Kohl/EPA-EFE)

Butler County Democratic Party Chairman Brian Hester said that Keller is symbolic of a bigger problem of racist and vitriolic language, some of it modeled after Trump, passing as “acceptable political discourse.”

It was especially offensive for Keller to say immigrants and LGBTQ acceptance played a role in mass shootings, Hester said. El Paso has a large immigrant community, and seven Mexican nationals were among the dead. The gay Orlando nightclub Pulse was targeted by a gunman who killed 49 people in 2016.

“It’s almost as if she wants to blame the people being targeted in these attacks,” Hester said. But he stopped short of demanding Keller resign. “It’s time for voters to reject her,” he said.

Jones, who wrote “Shame shame shame” in reference to Keller on Twitter, noted that Keller represents a diverse group of constituents across western Ohio.

“Some of the people she talked about in her rant, those people work for me. They’re family members,” he said. “She assaulted all of them.”