FBI Director Kash Patel announced earlier this month that the bureau located an intelligence report from August 2020 that detailed "alarming allegations" regarding an apparent Chinese communist plot to interfere in the presidential election for the benefit of then-candidate Joe Biden.

Such allegations, if brought to light at the time, would have vindicated the concerns about voter fraud and foreign election interference then expressed by President Donald Trump and former Attorney General Bill Barr, which were written off by election officials, Democrats, and the liberal media as "unfounded" and "preposterous."

Instead, elements of the intelligence community apparently covered up the alleged foreign election interference campaign.

"Former FBI leadership withheld the facts and misled the public on China's 2020 election interference," Patel stated on Thursday. "And they did so for political gain."

Patel noted in a separate message, "We're restoring trust — through transparency, not politics."

Mike Howell, president of the Oversight Project, sent a criminal referral for former FBI Director Christopher Wray to the Department of Justice on Thursday, seeking accountability not only for Wray's alleged role in the apparent cover-up but for his alleged false or misleading statements to Congress regarding the infamous FBI memo targeting traditional Catholics.

Election interference cover-up

The referral obtained by Blaze News, which was also sent to Director Patel's office on Thursday, alleges that Wray violated federal law by giving false and misleading testimony to Congress on the topic of known voter fraud efforts.

On Sept. 24, 2020, Wray told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that the FBI had "not seen, historically, any kind of coordinated national voter fraud effort in a major election, whether it's by mail or otherwise."

On March 2, 2021, Wray suggested to the Senate Judiciary Committee that the FBI was "not aware of any widespread evidence of voter fraud, much less that would have affected the outcome of the presidential election."

Photo by LEAH MILLIS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

The trouble with both statements is that they fly in the face of what the FBI apparently knew about the alleged Chinese communist attempt to swing the election for Biden.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced on July 27, 2020, that between Jan. 1 and June 30 of that election year, CBP officers at the International Mail Facility at Chicago O'Hare International Airport had seized 1,513 shipments containing fraudulent documents, including 19,888 counterfeit U.S. driver's licenses.

"The majority of these shipments were arriving from China and Hong Kong, with other seized shipments arriving from Great Britain and South Korea," noted CBP.

Blaze News previously reported that the bulk of the licenses were intended for college-age students across numerous states and in many cases had functional barcodes.

The August 2020 FBI intelligence report helped make sense of this sudden glut of fake IDs, suggesting that the Chinese communist regime was mass-producing fake American driver's licenses in order to create voter identities for Chinese nationals so that they could vote with fake mail-in ballots.

'Accountability for the bad actors in government would be practically a case of first impression.'

Patel told Just the News that while substantiated, the allegations in the intelligence report "were abruptly recalled and never disclosed to the public."

The Oversight Project made abundantly clear in its referral that it was highly unlikely Wray was unaware of this report and the allegations therein when he testified before Congress in 2020 and 2021.

After all, Wray apparently received routine briefings about threats to the integrity of the 2020 election from Nikki Floris, the FBI deputy assistant director for counterterrorism at the time, who had raised the alarm in October 2019 about China "aggressively pursuing foreign influence operations."

Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Weaponization against Catholics

The House Judiciary Committee and its Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government indicated in a December 2023 report that the FBI:

"abused its counterterrorism tools to target Catholic Americans as potential domestic terrorists";
"relied on at least one undercover agent to develop its assessment";
"proposed developing sources among the Catholic clergy and church leadership"; and
would likely still be "violating the religious liberties of millions of Catholic Americans" were it not for former FBI special agent Kyle Seraphin's disclosure.

Congressional investigators began looking closely at the bureau's anti-Catholic animus after a memo from the bureau's Richmond field office was leaked earlier that year, tying adherents of the Catholic faith to violent extremist views.

Nes/Getty Images

While Wray previously testified to Congress that the Richmond field office produced only a "single product," Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has demonstrated that not to have been the case.

Grassley revealed earlier this month both that the memo was distributed to over 1,000 FBI employees across the country and that the FBI produced "at least 13 additional documents and five attachments that used anti-Catholic terminology and relied on information from the radical far-left Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)."

— (@)

The Oversight Project's criminal referral alleges that Wray repeatedly gave false testimony about the Richmond anti-Catholic memo, noting that his "testimony was inaccurate not only because it failed to reveal the scope of the memo’s production and dissemination, but also because it failed to reveal the existence of a second draft product on the same topic intended for external distribution to the whole FBI."

"Furthermore, a query of Sentinel (the FBI’s case management system) identified 13 documents and 5 attachments that included the term, 'radical traditionalist catholic' or 'Radical-Traditionalist Catholic' in the FBI systems," said the watchdog's criminal referral. "The Intelligence Memo itself states on page 24 of the PDF — '(U) Prepared by the Richmond Division and the Domestic Terrorism Operations Unit; coordinated with FBI Milwaukee and FBI Portland Divisions.'"

Between his statements to Congress about election interference and his statements about the FBI's anti-Catholic memorandum, the Oversight Project figures that Wray committed several criminal violations, including obstruction of proceedings before Congress; corrupt conduct; and making false statements.

When asked to comment on whether he expects Wray to be held accountable for his alleged violations, Howell told Blaze News, "I don't expect accountability, but we certainly deserve accountability."

"Accountability for the bad actors in government would be practically a case of first impression," continued Howell. "To expect it would be unrealistic optimism, but it should and could happen, and that's why the Oversight Project is making the case publicly and doing everything we can to make it more likely to happen."

Mike Howell is a contributor to Blaze News.

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Cuomo camp blasts DOJ's COVID cover-up investigation as election meddling

The Department of Justice has reportedly kicked off an investigation into disgraced former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D).

Sources familiar with the matter told the New York Times that the inquiry was initiated a month ago by the U.S. attorney's office in Washington, around the time that the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) referred Cuomo to the DOJ for criminal prosecution.

In his referral — a rehash of a previous criminal referral filed by former Ohio Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R) in October then ignored by former Attorney General Merrick Garland — Comer alleged that Cuomo provided false statements to Congress regarding his manipulation of a supposedly independent report concerning New York's COVID-19 nursing home tragedy.

"Andrew Cuomo is a man with a history of corruption and deceit, now caught red-handed lying to Congress during the Select Subcommittee's investigation into the COVID-19 nursing home tragedy in New York," Comer said at the time.

"This wasn't a slip-up," continued Comer. "It was a calculated cover-up by a man seeking to shield himself from responsibility for the devastating loss of life in New York’s nursing homes. Let's be clear: Lying to Congress is a federal crime."

Comer underscored Tuesday, "Cuomo must be prosecuted."

dam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Following news that the DOJ had opened an investigation, Cuomo's campaign and the liberal media rushed to insinuate election interference on the part of the Trump administration. After all, Cuomo is running as a Democrat in New York City's mayoral race and is likely to go head-to-head with Mayor Eric Adams, whose corruption case the Trump DOJ moved to dismiss earlier this year. A judge permanently dropped the case in April.

'I'm not going to do to him what others did to me.'

"We have never been informed of any such matter, so why would someone leak it now? The answer is obvious: This is lawfare and election interference plain and simple — something President Trump and his top Department of Justice officials say they are against," Rich Azzopardi, a spokesman for Cuomo, said in a statement obtained by multiple outlets.

"Governor Cuomo testified truthfully to the best of his recollection about events from four years earlier, and he offered to address any follow-up questions from the Subcommittee — but from the beginning this was all transparently political," added Azzopardi.

Melissa DeRosa, a former key aide for Cuomo and a Democratic strategist, tweeted, "Trump wants a mayor who will bend the knee. ... Andrew Cuomo is his nightmare come true ... enter law-fare ... and a galvanized democratic base."

The Times clearly ran with this framing, writing:

Mr. Trump routinely calls for criminal inquiries of political foes and people who have crossed him, often based on what legal experts say are flimsy claims of wrongdoing. His appointees at the Justice Department have increasingly signaled a willingness to use their investigative and prosecutorial powers to carry out Mr. Trump's wishes.

When pressed for comment, Adams' press secretary Kayla Mamelak Altus directed Blaze News to Adams' Wednesday address, where the mayor reiterated his disappointment with how the pandemic was handled and noted "the investigations must take their course."

"I'm not going to do to him what others did to me," said Adams. "I'm going to allow the investigation to take its course."

The Times noted that a spokesman for the DOJ and a spokeswoman for the FBI declined to comment, citing a policy of neither confirming nor denying ongoing investigations.

While Azzopardi, the Times, and others are keen to characterize the investigation as a political exercise in "lawfare," Comer and Wenstrup have provided what appears to be fairly damning evidence of Cuomo's false statements in his June 12, 2024, closed-door interview with congressional investigators.

In March 2020, the Cuomo administration issued a directive stating, "No resident shall be denied re-admission or admission to [a nursing home] solely based on a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of COVID-19. [Nursing homes] are prohibited from requiring a hospitalized resident who is determined medically stable to be tested for COVID-19 prior to admission or readmission."

This directive resulted in the admission of thousands of COVID-positive patients to nursing homes around the state. According to a February 2021 study undertaken by the Empire Center for Public Policy, this in turn led to a "statistically significant increase in resident deaths."

This was not the narrative Cuomo alternatively tried to advance.

Congressional investigators indicated that Cuomo "personally drafted and edited portions" of a New York State Department of Health report that blamed the resultant spike in nursing home deaths on nursing home staff rather than on his directive.

Wenstrup alleged in his original criminal referral that during his 2024 interview with congressional investigators, Cuomo lied about being involved in the drafting of the NYSDOH report in any capacity; engaging in any discussions regarding the report being peer reviewed; and about knowing whether people outside the state agency were involved in the drafting or editing of the report.

'The wheels of justice are finally beginning to turn.'

Cuomo also told congressional investigators that he was unaware of his devastating March 25, 2020, nursing home directive and suggested that nursing homes were not actually forced to admit COVID-positive patients.

Wenstrup told Garland last year that "Mr. Cuomo provided false statements to the Select Subcommittee in what appears to be a conscious, calculated effort to insulate himself from accountability."

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Voices for Seniors, an advocacy group founded by a pair of sisters whose mother was among those who succumbed to COVID-19 in a New York nursing home, expressed hope over the prospect that Cuomo might face accountability over the surge in nursing home deaths.

The group said of the investigation, "After years of silence, deflection, and political spin, the wheels of justice are finally beginning to turn."

"This investigation is not just justified; it's overdue," continued Voices for Seniors. "The evidence paints a damning picture of a leader more concerned with image than integrity. Grieving families have waited long enough. This isn't about partisan lines or media spin. It's about accountability. It's about justice for thousands of silenced seniors."

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Retired 4-star Navy admiral convicted after using his post to line his 'own pockets'

Retired four-star Navy Admiral Robert Burke, formerly the Navy's second-highest ranking officer, was convicted by a federal jury Monday on felony bribery charges.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro, who announced the verdict a day after instructing criminals to "run for the hills," said in a statement, "When you abuse your position and betray the public trust to line your own pockets, it undermines the confidence in the government you represent."

While overseeing U.S. naval operations in Europe, Russia, and most of Africa, and commanding thousands of military personnel, Burke awarded a government contract to a company that had been told not to communicate with him. Several months later, Burke ended up with a lucrative gig and hundreds of thousands of stock options at that same company.

The company — which the Department of Justice did not name but the New York Times indicated was the New York-based technology and work force training company Next Jump — provided a workforce training pilot program to a "small component of the Navy" from August 2018 through July 2019. The original indictment against Burke indicated that the company had subcontracts for this work from another company, similarly unnamed in federal court documents, via the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

'Burke made several false and misleading statements to the Navy.'

According to the DOJ, the Navy scrapped its contract with the company in late 2019 and directed it not to contact Burke.

Despite this directive, the company's two co-chief executives, Yongchul Kim and Meghan Messenger — who were both arrested and charged last year in connection with the scheme — allegedly emailed Burke on May 10, 2021, to propose a $20 million contract for their company to provide workforce training, despite no indication of need on the part of U.S. naval forces in Europe and Africa, bids or otherwise.

The trio reportedly met in Washington, D.C., in July 2021.

During their meeting, Kim and Messenger agreed that Burke would use his official position in the Navy to secure a new contract for the company in exchange for a position there following his retirement, said the DOJ. The trio also apparently agreed that the second highest-ranking officer in the Navy would lean on other officers to award the company with an additional training contract, which one of Burke's co-defendants allegedly estimated to be valued at "triple digit millions."

Burke commanded his staff in December 2021 to dish out a $355,000 contract to the company to train personnel under his command in Italy and Spain. Burke then championed the company after the January 2022 training session in a failed effort to get another senior admiral to award it a government contract.

Photo (left): Terry Wyatt/Getty Images; Photo (right): Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

The Justice Department indicated that in order to conceal the scheme, "Burke made several false and misleading statements to the Navy, including by falsely implying that Company A's employment discussions with Burke only began months after the contract was awarded and omitting the truth on his required government ethics disclosure forms."

Several months later, Burke went to work for Next Jump at a yearly starting salary of $500,000 with the added bonus of a grant of 100,000 stock options.

At the time of Burke's arrest last May, then-FBI Special Agent in Charge David Scott stated, "As a four-star admiral, Burke not only cheated U.S. taxpayers but also did a disservice to military personnel under his command."

The original criminal indictment against Burke stressed that the admiral had a lawful duty not to accept any gift or other item of monetary value from any person or entity seeking official action from the Navy; not to engage in outside employment that conflicted with official government duties and responsibilities; not to participate personally and substantially in an "official capacity in any particular matter that had a direct and predictable effect on his financial interests"; and to disqualify himself from taking official action that affected financial interests of a potential employer of seeking employment.

Blaze News reached out to the Pentagon for comment, which deferred to the Navy. The Navy did not respond by publication time. Next Jump similarly did not respond when pressed for comment.

'The jury was prevented from hearing the whole truth.'

After a five-day trial, a federal jury found Burke guilty of conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery, performing acts affecting a personal financial interest, and concealing material facts from the United States.

Burke is due to be sentenced on Aug. 22 and could land up to 30 years in the slammer.

Pirro said Monday, "Our office, with our law enforcement partners, will root out corruption — be it bribes or illegal contracts — and hold accountable the perpetrators, no matter what title or rank they hold."

The admiral's lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, said in an interview Monday that Burke plans to appeal his conviction, reported the Times.

"They presented a tiny, tiny sliver of evidence," said Parlatore. "We do think this is a case where a wrongful conviction was obtained because the jury was prevented from hearing the whole truth."

Reed Brodsky, a lawyer for Next Jump, told the Times that he expects a different outcome in the cases of Kim and Messenger, who are scheduled for trial in August.

"I expect the evidence will show that Burke and others at the Navy misled Charlie and Meghan in material ways, and they're not liable for bribing the guy who lied to them," wrote Brodsky. "I think it'll be a little embarrassing for the Navy."

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Comer refers disgraced former NY Gov. Cuomo to DOJ for criminal prosecution: 'Caught red-handed'

Andrew Cuomo resigned as New York governor in August 2021 after a report by the state attorney general corroborated 11 women's sexual harassment claims against him. Investigators said that by groping employees and "making numerous offensive comments of a suggestive and sexual nature," the Democratic leader created a workplace "filled with fear and intimidation."

Cuomo, likely counting on New Yorkers to forgive or forget, now has his sights set on Gracie Mansion, the home of the mayor of New York City.

While currently fighting socialist Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani for dominance in the lead-up to the Democratic primary election in New York City's mayoral race, Cuomo may soon also have to fight federal criminal charges.

House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) referred Cuomo to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution on Tuesday, evidently hoping Attorney General Pam Bondi will take the matter more seriously than her predecessor, who ignored the October referral of former Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio).

'It was a calculated cover-up.'

In his October criminal referral to former Attorney General Merrick Garland, Wenstrup, chair of the now-disbanded Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, noted, "Mr. Cuomo provided false statements to the Select Subcommittee in what appears to be a conscious, calculated effort to insulate himself from accountability. The Department of Justice should consider Mr. Cuomo's prior allegedly wrongful conduct when evaluating whether to charge him for the false statements."

Comer again seeks to hold the former governor accountable for allegedly making criminally false statements regarding his manipulation of a supposedly independent report concerning New York's COVID-19 nursing home tragedy.

The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic noted in a September report that as a result of this directive, over 9,000 COVID-19 patients were readmitted or admitted to nursing homes between March 25, 2020, and May 8, 2020, "causing predictable but disastrous consequences."

A February 2021 study undertaken by the Empire Center for Public Policy concluded that Cuomo's March 25 guidance "was associated with a statistically significant increase in resident deaths" — deaths Cuomo and his administration were later found to have undercounted.

"Statewide, the findings imply that COVID-positive new admissions between late March and early May, which numbered 6,327, were associated with several hundred and possibly more than 1,000 additional resident deaths," said the study.

'What difference does it make in any dimension to anyone about anything?'

Adding insult to injury, congressional investigators determined that Cuomo "personally drafted and edited portions" of a Feb. 11, 2021, New York State Department of Health report that blamed the spike in nursing home deaths on nursing home staff rather than on his directive.

"An analysis of the timing of admissions versus fatalities shows that it could not be the driver of nursing home infections or fatalities," said the report.

Last year, Cuomo testified before Congress in a seven-hour closed-door interview. The Democrat claimed he was unaware of his devastating March 25, 2020, nursing home directive and suggested that nursing homes were not actually forced to admit COVID-positive patients.

When asked about the real death count, Cuomo channeled another controversial Democrat's callousness, telling congressional investigators, "Let's say there's a 3,000 differential, 2,500. Who cares? What difference does it make in any dimension to anyone about anything? Do you know what I'm saying?"

While evidently prickled by this and other comments, House Republicans took issue with the former governor's claims that "(1) he was not involved in the review or drafting of this Report, (2) he did not have any discussions about a peer-review of the Report, and (3) he did not have any knowledge of individuals outside the NYSDOH reviewing the Report."

All three claims are, according to the Comer, "demonstrably false."

"Mr. Cuomo must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Comer said in his Monday statement.

Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi said in a statement obtained by NBC News, "This is nothing more than a meritless press release that was nonsense last year and is even more so now. As the DOJ constantly reminds people, this kind of transparent attempt at election interference and law-fare violates their own policies."

"Referrals like these — which have been also made against Planned Parenthood, Hillary Clinton, and Anthony Fauci — don't have to be resubmitted with a new administration, so the only point to doing this is politics," added Azzopardi.

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'We are not the same': Trump, Democratic senator make the difference between their priorities abundantly clear

Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen (D) revealed this week that he and other Democrats intend to continue prioritizing illegal aliens in the U.S. over American citizens.

The Trump White House made clear that it will continue to champion and prioritize the American people — especially those suffering from the fallout of Democrats' extra-national sympathies.

This distinction was nowhere better illustrated than a pair of photos shared to social media on Thursday: one showing Van Hollen comforting an alleged gangbanger from El Salvador who stole into the United States, and the other showing President Donald Trump comforting an Angel Mom whose daughter was murdered by an illegal alien from El Salvador.

Numerous Democrats have decried the deportation of Salvadoran national Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an MS-13 associate found by more than one immigration court to be a "danger to the community." Van Hollen went the distance with his protest, departing for El Salvador on Wednesday in hopes of bringing the alleged domestic abuser and potential human trafficking gangster back to the United States or at the very least snapping a selfie memorializing his attempt.

'Kilmar Abrego Garcia, miraculously risen from the "death camps" & "torture", now sipping margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen.'

The junior Democratic senator was initially met with disappointment, learning that he would be unable to visit Abrego Garcia in the Terrorism Confinement Center or return him to the U.S., which Abrego Garcia unlawfully entered without inspection in 2011.

Van Hollen was, however, ultimately afforded an opportunity to speak with the Abrego Garcia Thursday afternoon.

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele quipped on X, "Kilmar Abrego Garcia, miraculously risen from the 'death camps' & 'torture', now sipping margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!"

— (@)

Evidently unfazed by recent reports indicating the MS-13 associate allegedly beat his wife on multiple occasions and may have been involved in human trafficking, Van Hollen shared a picture to social media Thursday evening showing him sharing an intimate moment with Abrego Garcia.

In the image, Van Hollen can be seen leaning into his conversation with the alleged gangbanger, who appeared altogether unharmed by his stay in the Salvadoran terrorist prison.

The caption that accompanied the photo on social media was, "I said my main goal of this trip was to meet with Kilmar. Tonight I had that chance."

Hours later, the White House shared a picture of President Donald Trump comforting Patty Morin, the Angel Mom whose daughter, a mother of five, was brutally raped and murdered by one of Abrego Garcia's countrymen.

'Perfect visual of why Donald Trump won.'

The White House also shared Van Hollen's photo. The caption accompanying the post juxtaposing the two images reads: "We are not the same."

— (@)

Victor Martinez-Hernandez, a 24-year-old illegal alien from El Salvador, was convicted Monday in the brutal murder of Rachel Morin.

Martinez-Hernandez ambushed Rachel Morin while she was exercising on a hiking trail northeast of Baltimore. He smashed her head against nearby rocks and dragged her 150 feet from the trail into a wooded area. After beating her further and raping her, the Salvadoran thug murdered the American mother and ditched her body in a drainage culvert.

Following the conviction, the White House afforded Patty Morin an opportunity to speak to the nation about her daughter. Patty Morin couldn't help but address Van Hollen's apparent interest in keeping illegal aliens in the country, as opposed to holding them accountable.

The Angel Mom expressed frustration about how Van Hollen, "who didn't even acknowledge or barely acknowledged [her] daughter and the brutal death that she endured," would waste "taxpayer money to fly to El Salvador to bring back someone that's not even an American citizen."

When Patty Morin met with Trump in the Oval Office, the president said, "She's been through hell."

"Your daughter's looking down, proud of you," Trump told Morin. "Just keep it going."

The White House noted, "While Sen. Chris Van Hollen tried to coddle an MS-13 alien in El Salvador, Angel Mom Patty Morin stood in the Oval Office with President Trump — fighting for her daughter, raped and murdered by an MS-13 alien from El Salvador."

— (@)

Responding to the contrasting photos shared by Van Hollen and the White House, All-American swim star Riley Gaines noted, "Perfect visual of why Donald Trump won on November 5th and why Democrats will continue to lose."

The Department of Homeland Security stated that Trump and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem "are fighting for the victims of illegal crime and putting the safety of Americans FIRST."

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Anti-Trump FBI agent arrested trying to flee country, charged with leaking confidential intel

An FBI agent who accused the first Trump administration of political bias and claimed that former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani "may have been compromised" by Russian agents was arrested at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport on Monday before he could flee the country.

According to the criminal complaint filed Tuesday, Johnathan Buma was charged with illegally disclosing confidential documents.

Buma, a 15-year FBI veteran and counterintelligence specialist who criticized the first Trump administration's handling of classified information, allegedly printed out nearly 130 files from internal FBI networks in October 2023.

At least eight of the files Buma allegedly printed out contained "sensitive information reports relating to a foreign adversary," and some files contained information that confidential human sources provided to the FBI, which "were clearly marked with protected warnings that made clear that the information was to be protected," said the complaint.

'The book draft contained information that Buma obtained through his position as an FBI Special Agent.'

Buma allegedly also printed out screenshots of messages he exchanged with a confidential source via an encrypted messaging application — images containing information the complaint noted somehow ended up in a news article later that year.

After he allegedly printed what he needed for his tell-all autobiographical book, Buma notified his supervisors of his intent to go on leave without pay. It appears that Buma was not discreet about the planned contents of his book during his unpaid sabbatical, sharing excerpts on social media and allegedly circulating a draft via email that allegedly included details about the bureau's investigations into a foreign country's weapons of mass destruction program.

"The book draft contained information that Buma obtained through his position as an FBI Special Agent that relates to the FBI's efforts and investigations into a foreign country's weapons of mass destruction program," said the complaint.

Federal agents raided Buma's Los Angeles house in November 2023. Mother Jones noted at the time that the search warrant said the agents were searching for classified documents and signs that Buma may have unlawfully removed or retained national defense documents. According to the criminal complaint filed Tuesday, during their raid of his house, federal agents did not find any of the documents Buma allegedly printed.

The attorney representing Buma after the raid claimed that the document search was retaliation for Buma's complaints to congressional investigators about Giuliani's alleged interactions with foreign agents as well as about supposed discrimination and bias at the bureau.

Buma previously claimed that there was a desire among his fellows — at the same bureau that undermined President Donald Trump's campaign and presidency — to scrutinize Hunter Biden's dodgy dealings but not similarly to look into one of Trump's closest allies.

"In Buma's case, the Bureau's conduct raises special concerns that counterintelligence activities targeting the Russian intelligence services are being blocked when they produce evidence that the Bureau considers politically embarrassing," said attorney Scott Horton.

Although arraigned in a Brooklyn federal court on Tuesday, Buma's case was reportedly transferred to California, where the charges were filed. He has been released on a $100,000 bond.

ABC News indicated that as of Wednesday night, Buma had not entered a plea and his attorney had not responded to a request for comment.

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Seattle BLM treasurer arrested on drug, weapons charges following commutation from Democratic governor

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) has a habit of making bad or questionable decisions.

In 2023, he ratified legislation letting strangers shelter children who want sex-change mutilations or abortions without notifying parents. The previous year, his administration secured federal approval to provide illegal aliens with health and dental insurance through the Affordable Care Act. After prohibiting indoor dining and closing gyms, choir performances, and receptions at weddings and funerals, Inslee announced in 2021 that large events would have to confirm attendees' receipt of the experimental COVID-19 vaccines or have them demonstrate negative tests.

Inslee is apparently no better a judge of people than of policy. One of the individuals he sprung from prison is now facing nearly a dozen drug and gun charges.

The Democratic governor commuted the sentence of felon Percy Levy, 54, in 2019. Levy had spent the previous 17 years in prison for a drug house robbery.

Since receiving executive clemency from Inslee, Levy — who the Lynnwod Times indicated sits on the Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County chapter's board of directors as treasurer — has masqueraded as a changed man, working as a community outreach specialist for the Washington Defender Association and running the car dealership Redemption Auto.

Levy's bio on the car vendor's website states, "In 2019, Percy received executive clemency from Governor Inslee, propelling his mission to reform the criminal legal system, with a focus on sentencing reform and advocacy for those affected by the 'war on crime.'"

It appears he rejoined the losing side in that war.

Levy was arrested on March 13 after a traffic stop in Everett, Washington, and slapped with 11 Class B felony charges, including two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a stolen firearm, and eight counts of possession of controlled substances with attempt to sell. Each charge carries with it a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

'I would not change it for the world.'

The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office indicated that Levy's arrest followed a 16-month investigation by the Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force, a multi-agency partnership consisting of local, state, and federal detective and special agents.

Detectives with the SRDTF reportedly secured a warrant for Levy's residence, not far from where he was ultimately pulled over. At the scene, they apparently found 2,818 grams of powder cocaine, 14.7 grams of crack cocaine, and 556 grams of fentanyl — enough to kill well over 250,000 people, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Detectives also found ample evidence signaling intent to distribute the drugs as well as a handgun.

Hours before his arrest, Levy testified remotely to the Washington State House Public Safety Committee. He provided insights regarding proposed legislation that would remove the requirement that Department of Corrections must provide convicts being released from prison with the least expensive method of public transportation.

Democratic Washington state Rep. Roger Goodman congratulated Levy on his "successful transition" from prison life.

KIRO-TV indicated that Levy is being held on a $1.5 million bond.

In his autobiographic statement on the Redemption Project of Washington website, Levy noted, "What more could I ask than having the privilege of actively working to smooth the road for the release of those back inside? It is fulfilling on a level that is surreal to me. I would not change it for the world."

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KILLER IDEA! Casey Anthony becomes a ‘legal advocate’?

Casey Anthony may be a household name, but it’s not for a good reason.

In July 2008, Anthony was accused in the disappearance and death of her daughter, 2-year-old Caylee Anthony. In 2011, a Florida jury found her not guilty.

Now, Anthony is back in the news after posting a selfie video explaining her new profession as a “legal advocate.”

“I am a legal advocate. I am a researcher. I’ve been in the legal field since 2011. And in this capacity, I feel that it’s necessary, if I’m going to continue to operate appropriately as a legal advocate, that I start to advocate for myself and also advocate for my daughter,” Anthony said in a video posted to TikTok.

“I’m doing this both personally for me, but in a professional capacity,” she continued. “My goal is to continue to help give a voice to people, to give people tools and resources that they can utilize, so they actually know where they can turn to.”

“She is now a legal advocate, and her job is to help give people a voice, unless you’re a toddler. In that case she will put tape over your mouth and throw you in some nearby shrubs,” Dave Landau says on “Normal World.”

“Be honest, did you see that video of her on mute in her car and think, ‘Please don’t be MAGA, please don’t be MAGA'?” comedian Matt McClowry chimes in.

“I thought she was announcing her OnlyFans,” Angela Boggs adds.

“What else is she gonna do?” Landau asks. “Be a legal advocate?”

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Reporter spoils NY Gov. Hochul's 'making subway safer' briefing with damning stats

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) held a briefing Wednesday about state and local efforts to increase safety within the New York City subway system. Although Hochul did her apparent best to put a positive spin on the state of play, a reporter took some of the wind out of her sails with unfavorable facts.

Hochul noted that in March, she and NYC Mayor Eric Adams promised to make the city's subways safer. In hopes of curbing crime, the governor deployed 250 members from the New York State Police and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department to help with "enhanced" baggage checks at heavily trafficked areas and 750 members of the New York National Guard to supplement such efforts.

The previous month, Adams ordered an additional 1,000 officers to join the law enforcement presence in the subway following a 45% spike in major crimes in January as compared with the same time last year — a year that reportedly saw 570 reports of felony assault on trains or in stations, the highest number in over 20 years.

Extra to increased manpower, Hochul announced that the MTA would accelerate the installation of security cameras inside trains and train stations to aid law enforcement in apprehending criminals transiting the system.The New York City subway reportedly now has cameras on every subway car.

'Murders are up 200%.'

The governor's office noted Wednesday, just hours after a maniac reportedly stabbed a straphanger aboard a Brooklyn train, that Hochul's safety plan "has laid a strong foundation for enhancing the safety and protection of transit workers across New York City."

"A lot of people didn't think we'd make a difference," Hochul told reporters. "Thanks to our five-point plan to improve public safety, subway safety, subway crime is down 10% just since last March. In only two years since the year 1970 have we had fewer subway crimes than we had this past year."

The presence of additional law enforcement officials and members of the National Guard appears to have made some difference. After all, the New York Police Department observed a 15.8% reduction in overall crime last month and a year-to-date decrease in crime of 6.3%.

"This crime reduction directly reflects the relentless effort and dedication of our hardworking women and men in uniform, and I look forward to further successes across all crime categories," NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a Dec. 3 statement.

While similarly optimistic, Hochul noted Wednesday, "You'll never hear me say, 'Mission accomplished.' We'll never declare victory because if there's a single crime on the subway or anywhere, it's a crime too many."

During the subsequent question period, WABC-TV's N.J. Burkett noted, "You can say a lot of things with statistics, and I see the percentage that crime is down 42% since 2021. But if you look back to pre-pandemic — and I know you like to say that overall, crime is down 12% since the pandemic — but murders are up 200%, felony assault is up 55%, and burglary is up 140%."

"So are you saying that this is progress?" asked Burkett, clarifying he was referring to crime in the transit system.

Hochul punted the question, leaving MTA chairman Janno Lieber struggling to provide a satisfactory answer.

"The numbers that we're talking about in the individual categories of crime are, you know, small or ... you know, very, very, very low double digits, so they do move around," said Lieber. "We're not saying there's — there's nothing you heard from me or the governor, not just today but ever, that suggests that we think that crime is not a problem. What you did hear is significant indicators of progress, which is overall crime, way down, and we're seeing passenger comfort levels as reflected in surging ridership way up."

Hochul indicated that during the Christmas season, an additional 250 National Guard members will patrol the subway, deterring crime and generating a sense of security.

The governor's office noted in a statement, "The MTA Police Department, New York Police Department (NYPD) and the National Guard will work together to monitor the city's busiest stations and prevent security threats within the subways.Protecting the subway system and its passengers is the only way to keep New York moving."

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