Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia passed away on Wednesday at the age of 75 after battling esophageal cancer, according to a statement released by his family.

Connolly, who dedicated his life to public service, passed away peacefully in his Virginia home surrounded by his family, the statement said. Connolly spent 14 years on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and 17 years as a member of Congress.

'We were fortunate to share Gerry with Northern Virginia for nearly 40 years because that was his joy, his purpose, and his passion.'

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"Gerry lived his life to give back to others and make our community better," Connolly's family said in a statement. "He looked out for the disadvantaged and voiceless. He always stood up for what is right and just. He was a skilled statesman on the international stage, an accomplished legislator in Congress, a visionary executive on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, a fierce defender of democracy, an environmental champion, and a mentor to so many."

"But more important than his accomplishments in elected office, Gerry lived by the ethos of 'bloom where you are planted,'" the statement reads. "From the Silver Line to the Oakton Library, Mosaic District to the Cross County Trail and beyond, his legacy now colors our region."

Connolly eventually rose to ranking member in the House Oversight Committee but announced last month that he would be stepping down after his cancer returned. Connolly had been elected to the position in December against Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York despite his diagnosis.

Democrats and Republicans alike mourned Connolly's passing, remembering the friendships he had on both sides of the aisle.

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“I’m deeply saddened by the passing of Ranking Member Gerry Connolly," House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) said in a statement. "He was a dedicated public servant who represented Virginia’s 11th Congressional District with honor and integrity. We mourn the loss of our friend and colleague, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time.”

"We were fortunate to share Gerry with Northern Virginia for nearly 40 years because that was his joy, his purpose and his passion," the family statement continued. "His absence will leave a hole in our hearts, but we are proud that his life's work will endure for future generations."

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ActBlue contractors to face congressional grilling on Democrats' shady fundraising scheme

The House Oversight, Judiciary, and Administration Committees summoned ActBlue contractors to appear before Congress amid its investigation into Democrats' fundraising platform, according to a Tuesday report.

Letters obtained by the New York Post revealed that the committees requested two employees of Sift, an AI fraud detection platform, testify about ActBlue's allegedly relaxed fraud standards.

'This continued targeting of ActBlue and our partners by MAGA Republicans needs to be seen for what it is: Donald Trump's latest front in his campaign to stamp out all political, electoral and ideological opposition.'

The Sift employees reportedly worked with the fundraising platform and are aware of "critical" information about the "more lenient" criteria.

The Post quoted the letters written by Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), and Administration Chairman Bryan Steil (R-Wis.). It noted that the letters were addressed to Sift's director of customer success and senior customer success manager.

"The Committees are concerned that ActBlue has maintained poor anti-fraud practices that may have allowed bad actors to make fraudulent political donations, including from foreign sources," it read.

The Sift employees were requested to participate in transcribed interviews with the House Judiciary panel by May 13, the Post reported.

A Sift spokesperson told the news outlet, "ActBlue is a safe and secure fundraising platform, trusted by donors for more than 20 years – that's how we've become a vital part of American democracy."

"This continued targeting of ActBlue and our partners by MAGA Republicans needs to be seen for what it is: Donald Trump's latest front in his campaign to stamp out all political, electoral and ideological opposition," the spokesperson claimed.

Congress has been probing ActBlue for years over its alleged lenient standards allowing potential foreign donations.

The three committees released a joint report earlier this month that revealed the platform's "executives and staff are aware that both foreign and domestic fraudulent actors are exploiting the platform but do not take the threat seriously."

"In fact, they attempted to hide the changes to avoid sparking discussions about fraud on the platform. For example, ActBlue's training guide for new fraud-prevention employees instructed them to 'look for reasons to accept contributions,' rather than err on the side of flagging suspicious donations," the committees claimed.

Last week, President Donald Trump signed a memorandum directing the Department of Justice to open an investigation into "unlawful 'straw donor' and foreign contributions in American elections." The action cited the committees' findings on ActBlue.

Amid the ongoing probes, at least seven of the fundraising giant's top executives jumped ship in February.

Following the resignations, an ActBlue spokesperson told the New York Times, "Like many organizations, as we undergo some transition heading into this new election cycle, we are focused on ensuring we have a strong team in place."

"We greatly appreciate the contributions of our incredible team members and remain deeply committed to the success of our organization and our mission to enable grass-roots supporters to make their voices heard," the spokesperson stated.

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House GOP calls 'sanctuary' governors to face oversight grilling on public safety

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) sent letters to several "sanctuary governors" on Thursday, inviting them to testify before lawmakers as part of the committee's ongoing probe into the public safety impact of sanctuary policies.

Comer requested Democratic Governors Kathy Hochul of New York, Tim Walz of Minnesota, and JB Pritzker of Illinois testify before the committee during a May 15 hearing.

'President Trump is preparing to take executive action to withhold federal funding from sanctuary states.'

The letters stated, "The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is continuing to investigate sanctuary jurisdictions across the United States and their impact on public safety and the effectiveness of federal efforts to enforce the immigration laws of the United States."

"Sanctuary jurisdictions and their obstructionist policies hinder the ability of federal law enforcement officers to effectuate safe arrests and remove dangerous criminals from American communities," it continued. "This threatens Americans' safety."

Comer requested several documents from the state leaders, including all materials and communications related to sanctuary policies.

The committee previously heard testimony in March from Democratic mayors of sanctuary cities, including Eric Adams of New York, Michelle Wu of Boston, Brandon Johnson of Chicago, and Mike Johnston of Denver.

Comer stated Thursday, "Harboring aliens is a federal crime. Sanctuary policies championed by these governors jeopardize the safety of Americans and defy U.S. immigration laws."

"President Trump is preparing to take executive action to withhold federal funding from sanctuary states," he added. "Working alongside President Trump, Congress must ensure federal immigration law is enforced and that criminal aliens are swiftly removed from our communities."

Hochul indicated that she would be willing to testify, Politico reported.

She told reporters on Thursday, "We just received notification of their interest in my opinion on state laws, which I'm happy to share with them."

"I told people like Tom Homan that I will continue doing what our practice has been from the beginning, which is to cooperate with ICE when they have a warrant or they have evidence that there's a person who's committed a serious crime," Hochul said.

According to Alex Gough, a spokesperson for Pritzker, the governor is still reviewing Comer's request for documents. He has not yet determined whether he will testify.

Gough stated, "Let's call this what this is: another partisan dog and pony show."

Teddy Tschann, a spokesperson for Walz, said, "Governor Walz is happy to work with Congress, but since Minnesota is not a sanctuary state, one can't help but wonder if this is, perhaps, politically motivated."

Meanwhile, acting U.S. District Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba announced that she is launching her own investigation into Governor Phil Murphy (D) and state attorney General Matt Platkin over New Jersey’s order prohibiting local police from cooperating with federal immigration agents.

"That will no longer stand. [U.S. Attorney General] Pam Bondi has made it clear and so has our president that we are to take all criminals, violent criminals and criminals out of this country and to completely enforce federal law," Habba told Fox News' Sean Hannity on Thursday.

"And anybody who does get ... in the way of what we are doing — which is not political, it is simply against crime — will be charged in the state of New Jersey for obstruction, for concealment," Habba continued. "And I will come after hard."

Murphy's office and Platkin's office declined a request for comment from ABC News.

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Fed government spent eye-popping sums on furniture while many worked remotely, needed repairs stalled

The House Oversight Committee's subcommittee Delivering on Government Efficiency held a hearing on Tuesday examining how to reduce the amount of taxpayer funds going toward the "federal real estate portfolio."

The subcommittee, led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), heard testimony from John Hart, the chief executive officer with Open the Books, and David Marroni, the acting director for the Government Accountability Office's Physical Infrastructure team.

'GAO found that these needs had more than doubled, from $170 billion to $370 billion between fiscal year 2017 and 2024.'

Hart revealed bombshell information in his opening statement pulled from an Open the Books investigation that found the federal government splurged $4.6 billion on furniture since fiscal year 2021. He noted that the amount was enough to purchase a "modest $500 kitchen table" for 9.2 million American families.

Hart shared more shocking figures, stating that the Department of State spent $1.4 million on artwork at embassies, including $200,000 on two paintings from "a contemporary abstract artist."

The U.S. Islamabad embassy spent $120,000 on 40 "high-end leather recliners," Hart told lawmakers.

"During the peak years of the COVID emergency, from 2020 to 2022, agencies spent $3.3 billion on furniture as work migrated to Zoom," Hart continued. "The Department of Transportation was among those least-attended agencies with 9% occupancy but still spent $55 million on furniture. The Department of Justice was among the agencies with an average of 35% attendance yet still managed to spend $408 million on furniture."

He noted that the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency purchased "high-end Herman Miller furniture" for $250,000, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission managed to dish out $700,000 to furnish one conference room.

While the federal government was apparently throwing taxpayer cash at furniture upgrades, it failed to address the $370 billion in needed "fixes" and "long-term disrepair" at some facilities, Hart explained.

The massive figures shared by Hart seemed especially egregious when considering a 2024 GAO audit revealed that "more than half of federal employees were either teleworking regularly or fully remote." Additionally, the report stated that 17 of the 24 surveyed federal agencies utilized 25% or less of their headquarters facilities.

The GAO submitted testimony to the subcommittee, highlighting the federal government's "underused buildings," which it noted have cost taxpayers "millions of dollars."

"The federal government's annual maintenance and operating costs for its 277,000 buildings were about $10.3 billion in fiscal year 2023," it read. "Further, federal agencies have deferred maintenance and repairs on many buildings, creating a backlog. GAO found that these needs had more than doubled, from $170 billion to $370 billion between fiscal year 2017 and 2024."

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Beloved Democrat lawmaker passes away after battling illness

ActBlue contractors to face congressional grilling on Democrats' shady fundraising scheme

House GOP calls 'sanctuary' governors to face oversight grilling on public safety

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