Lawyers Admit GOP Lawmaker Lied About Key Witness In Ex-Wife Domestic Violence Case
'Unpredictable, irrational, unhinged, and confrontational'
Early red flag for GOP? Democrats rack up massive Q1 fundraising hauls
The first-quarter campaign fundraising total for the 2026 midterms reveals that House and Senate Democratic candidates have picked up significant early momentum, potentially spelling trouble for Republicans as more primary elections approach.
At least one Democratic candidate raised more than a Republican in Georgia, North Carolina, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, Texas, New Hampshire, and Alaska, Punchbowl News reported.
'There's no way for Republicans to spin this: Their candidates are getting crushed.'
Texas state Rep. James Talarico (D) raised $27.1 million, breaking a record for the largest amount for a Senate candidate in any state. Talarico's fundraising significantly outpaced his potential opponents. Sen. John Cornyn (R) raised $9 million, and Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) raised $2.2 million.
Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff (D) raised $14 million during the first quarter. The incumbent's fundraising far outpaced that of Republicans hoping to unseat him. Rep. Mike Collins (R) raised just over $1 million, and Rep. Buddy Carter (R) raised just $470,000.
In Ohio, former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) is hoping to defeat Republican incumbent Sen. Jon Husted. Brown raised $10.1 million in the first quarter, while Husted brought in $2.9 million.
Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) is running against Michael Whatley (R) and three other candidates to secure retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis’ seat. Cooper raised $13.8 million in the first quarter, while Whatley raised $5 million.
RELATED: 'Record' cash advantage gives GOP upper hand in state AG races
House Democratic challengers also raised significant funds in the first few months of the year.
In Arizona, JoAnna Mendoza (D) raised over $2.3 million, among the highest reported by a Democratic House candidate. Mendoza's opponent, incumbent Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R), raised $1.1 million.
In Wisconsin, Democratic candidate Rebecca Cooke is looking to oust incumbent Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R). Cooke raised $2.4 million, while Van Orden raised $1.3 million.
"Of course, this is only part of the picture. Candidates are now using joint fundraising committees to air TV ads. Super PACs will play a big role," Punchbowl News reported. "GOP Rep. Ashley Hinson did raise the most in Iowa's open Senate race. And Democratic primaries will drain some resources."
"But there's no way for Republicans to spin this: Their candidates are getting crushed," the outlet stated.
RELATED: 'We have a glaring disadvantage': Democrats panic as GOP dominates in fundraising, NYT reports
While Punchbowl News insisted it was all doom and gloom for Republican candidates, the National Republican Congressional Committee saw the Q1 funding results as a win for the GOP.
"Republicans are LAPPING Democrats in fundraising & building a war chest they can't match," the NRCC wrote in a post on X, adding that the GOP "outraised, outworked, [and] outmatched" their Democratic counterparts.
Mike Marinella, the national press secretary for the NRCC, stated, "Once again, and for every single quarter this campaign cycle, @NRCC Patriots have outraised [the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee] Frontliners."
"House Republicans have the momentum on our side, and the money proves it," he wrote.
Federal Election Commission reporting showed that Democratic Senate candidates have raised $368 million for their 2026 races, compared to $324 million raised by Republicans. Democratic House candidates collected $691 million, while Republicans raised $578 million.
Some of the most prominent names in Republican political consulting did not respond to a request for comment on this story.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Republicans receive another grim midterm forecast
Democrats and Republicans alike are eyeing the home stretch before the 2026 primaries, but the latest forecast suggests the GOP is facing a major disadvantage.
Republicans have enjoyed a supermajority following the 2024 election after Americans elected President Donald Trump back to the White House and the GOP took back the Senate and maintained its narrow House majority. The electoral forecast is now indicating that the pendulum will swing back in favor of Democrats, with four key races shifting away from Republicans.
None of the Democrat-held seats seem to be leaning Republican.
The Cook Political Report was initially tracking Senate races for Georgia, which is held by incumbent Democrat Jon Ossoff, and North Carolina, which is held by retiring Republican Thom Tillis, as toss-ups that could go either way. The same report also had the Ohio Senate race leaning Republican and the Nebraska Senate race as a solid Republican rating.
As of Monday, all of these races have shifted in favor of Democrats.
RELATED: Democrats’ latest victory in deep-red Mar-a-Lago district offers bleak midterm forecast
The toss-up races in North Carolina and Georgia have both shifted to leaning Democrat, and Ohio, which is held by Republican incumbent Sen. Jon Husted, has changed to a toss-up race. The seat of Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts of Nebraska is still rated likely GOP, but nonetheless there is an evident electoral shift away from Republicans.
None of the Democrat-held seats seem to be leaning Republican. Michigan's Senate seat, which is held by retiring Democrat Gary Peters, is rated as a toss-up. Maine's Senate seat, held by Republican Susan Collins, is also notably rated a toss-up.
Republicans currently hold 53 seats and can afford to lose a maximum of just two Senate seats in order to maintain their majority, though Vice President JD Vance could always break any tie votes.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
SCOTUS delivers bad news to Ohio 'Democrat' who tried to run as a Republican
A Democrat interloper hoping, in his own words, to help get Democrats "a foot in the door" in a deep-red Ohio district was certified in February to run as a Republican candidate in the coming primary election for the Buckeye State's 15th Congressional District.
Samuel Ronan — a former candidate for the chair of the Democratic National Committee — was, however, disqualified by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R) following protest by a GOP voter.
Ronan's fight to stay on the ballot went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which delivered the subversive some bad news on Thursday.
Infiltrator
Permitted under Ohio law to contest the candidacy of a party candidate, GOP voter Mark Schare did so on Feb. 20, claiming that Ronan had misrepresented his affiliation with the GOP.
'Just one problem: he is a Democrat.'
According to court documents, Schare referred to Ronan's prior remarks about tricking Republicans into voting for Democrats as well as a January 2026 Facebook post in which Ronan wrote,
I believe i [sic] very clearly mentioned in that very same DNC Chair race that Democrats, if they wanted to govern and regain the trust of Americans, would have to primary Republicans in deep red districts, as Republicans, just to get a foot in the door. So, if I am doing anything, it's following the argument I made on that stage.
Ronan later admitted his strategy to the Ohio Board of Elections but suggested that he was not presently "fighting on behalf of the traitorous Democrats" who voted to fund U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He also argued that he should be able to present his leftist ideology as a Republican and let the voters decide "what is or what is not Republican."
RELATED: Democrat fraudster begs to keep $800,000 state pension funded by taxpayers
The Ohio Board of Elections put his disqualification to a vote and ended up tied along party lines. The decision was consequently kicked to Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (R), who broke the deadlock in favor of disqualification, revealing on March 19 that he was removing Ronan from the Ohio primary ballot.
LaRose emphasized in his decision that the "issue here is not 'ideological purity,'" but "the integrity of the electoral process."
Rejected
The Democrat interloper — who noted last month that he opposes sealing the border and stopping the "migrant invasion" — challenged his disqualification, suing LaRose and members of the Franklin County Board of Elections, and alleging that his First Amendment rights were violated.
Ronan managed to obtain a temporary restraining order; however, U.S. District Court Judge Sarah Morrison, an appointee of President Donald Trump, had it vacated and denied Ronan a preliminary injunction earlier this month.
"It cannot be the case that a State must allow a candidate on a partisan ballot even if he lied about his party affiliation simply because the First Amendment is implicated," wrote Morrison. "To do so 'would subject virtually every electoral regulation to strict scrutiny, hamper the ability of States to run efficient and equitable elections, and compel federal courts to rewrite state electoral codes.'"
After a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit — made aware of Ronan's recent social post in which he stated, "Leftists need to infiltrate [R]epublican spaces and primary them" — similarly refused to put the ex-candidate back on the ballot.
Alongside his campaign manager, Ana Cordero, Ronan appealed at last to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Ronan's legal counsel claimed in the emergency application, "Ronan did not act in bad faith. He was honest. He made plain that though he was once a Democrat he is now seeking to transport across the aisle ideas that were not embraced by the Democratic Party. Ronan’s campaign is a good faith attempt to win over Republican voters by advocating his values — values he believes Democrats have forsaken. That is not a 'strategic candidacy' or some kind of trick. It is not unlawful."
Republican Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost's office said in a response to the application, "Samuel Ronan wanted to run for office in Ohio’s Republican primary as a Republican. Just one problem: he is a Democrat."
The office noted further that "Ronan's request is upside down."
"Political parties possess a First Amendment associational right to exclude those who do not share their values," said Yost's office. "So it would be quite surprising if the First Amendment forbids States from protecting that right when the Amendment 'barely — and only provisionally — permits' States to compel association."
Justice Brett Kavanaugh referred Ronan's application to the full court, which denied Ronan's request on Thursday, reported the Courthouse News Service.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
'I'll kill you in the name of Allah': Knife-wielding male makes death threats in chilling driveway incident; suspect arrested
A knife-wielding male was caught on surveillance video issuing death threats — he was heard twice saying, "I'll kill you in the name of Allah" — to another man in the driveway of an Ohio home in the middle of the night last weekend.
Anthony Tyrone Jessie Long, 23, was arrested and charged with aggravated menacing and aggravated trespassing after Warren County Sheriff's deputies were called to a Franklin Township home just before 1:30 a.m. Sunday for a reported suspicious person, WXIX-TV reported, citing sheriff's office records.
'Hey bud, you knocking on the door?'
A woman told dispatchers that a male was walking around the front of the property and knocking on the door while holding a knife and threatening to kill her husband "in the name of Allah" before chasing after the couple's daughter, who had just arrived in the driveway, the station said.
"We knew our daughter would just get out of the car and come right in," the woman told WXIX in the aftermath, adding that "we were too afraid that the guy was going to do something to her."
Surveillance video shows the suspect at first kneeling and bowing his head on the driveway. Soon the dad approaches the suspicious person and asks him, "Hey, bud, you knocking on the door?"
With that, the male walks toward the dad and twice tells him, "I'll kill you in the name of Allah."
The dad then retreats toward the house and yells for his daughter to drive away.
The daughter was able to get away, WXIX reported, and the suspicious person fled in a car.
When deputies got to the scene, the victims showed them surveillance video of the incident, the station said.
About 15 minutes later, Clearcreek Police were dispatched to a traffic stop near Bunnell Hill and State Route 122; a caller claimed they were being followed by a driver — and that the driver tried to ram the caller's car, WXIX said.
With that, the person who called 911 led the driver to a Clearcreek Police station where officers detained the driver, identified as Long, as the driver matched the description of the suspicious person wanted for threatening the Franklin Township family, the station noted.
Deputies returned to the Franklin Township residence, and the family showed them video of the suspicious person with a knife — and the knife matched the one found in Long's possession, WXIX said.
Long was taken to the Warren County Jail, and jail records on Thursday afternoon indicate he's still behind bars. The station said Long is being held on a $1,500 cash-only bond for the Clearcreek incident as well as a $75,000 bond for the Franklin Township incident; his next court date is April 23.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Teens definitely pick wrong homeowner to 'ding-dong ditch'; cops say he came out of house with gun, opened fire after prank
A gun-toting Ohio man was arrested Saturday after he opened fire multiple times at a car full of juveniles after a "ding-dong ditch" prank on his Green Township residence, WXIX-TV reported, citing court records.
Police said they discovered shell casings and a semiautomatic pistol with a green laser at the home of 33-year-old Yarvis Godfrey in the 5000 block of Starvue Drive, the station said, citing an affidavit.
'He doesn't deserve what's happening to him. He's not a criminal at all. And I'm concerned for him and his family.'
WXIX said no one was hurt, but court records indicate that a bullet struck the vehicle the teens were in as they took off.
Godfrey is charged with felonious assault, improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habitation or school safety zone, and two counts of discharge of a firearm on or near prohibited premises, the station said.
Four juveniles told police they went to the home to "ding-dong ditch" it and banged on the front door before running back to their vehicle, WXIX said, citing the affidavit.
A neighbor of Godfrey's said in a WXIX news video that "he's got footprints on his door ... I guess they were kicking it."
The station said the teens drove to a nearby cul-de-sac, turned around, drove back up the street, and passed the home in question.
The teens told police they saw a man with a gun near the street, and all four described the gun as having a green light or laser, WXIX reported, citing court records.
The station said the suspect fired multiple shots, and the juveniles fled to another cul-de-sac.
The suspect, later identified as Godfrey, followed them to confront them when police arrived, WXIX said, citing the affidavit.
RELATED: 'Ding-dong ditch' goes sideways yet again as teen gets shot amid popular prank, officials say
Officers said they found a bullet hole in the trunk of the juveniles’ black Kia Rio, a second bullet hole in the siding of a nearby home, and a third bullet hole in the siding of another home, the station noted, citing court records.
Police said they also found a .45 caliber shell casing on the road in front of the home, WXIX reported.
Officers executed a search warrant on the home and said they found a .45 caliber black semiautomatic pistol with a green laser, the station said, citing the affidavit.
"Responding with a .45 caliber weapon is completely disproportionate," Hamilton County prosecutors said in court Monday, WLWT-TV reported; prosecutors also requested a no-firearms order to be added to Godfrey's bond.
Godfrey's bond was set at $80,000 on all the charges, WLWT noted, adding that the judge granted the no-firearms order. Godfrey reportedly also is to have no contact with the juveniles.
During Godfrey's arraignment, his attorney said Godfrey doesn't know who the juveniles are, WLWT said, adding that prosecutors allege the group knows one of Godfrey's children who lives in the home.
Police said Godfrey was taken to the Hamilton County Justice Center, but he didn't turn up in a Thursday-morning check of the facility's inmate roster.
Police said all juveniles involved were charged with disorderly conduct.
The same neighbor who spoke in the WXIX news video said of Godfrey, "He's a really good man, and I hate to see what's happening to him. He doesn't deserve what's happening to him. He's not a criminal at all. And I'm concerned for him and his family. "
The neighbor added that Godfrey "was very angry. I think it had happened before. I think this was like the second time. ... 'I'm tired of them doing this to me' is what he said."
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Member of Congress swindled out of $22,000 — by ex-staffer
A member of Congress has been the victim of theft, and the thief was someone the House member trusted for years.
On Tuesday, Courtney Hruska, 40, of Alexandria, Va., pled guilty to felony wire fraud and faces up to 20 years in prison at her sentencing hearing on June 23, the DOJ said in a press release.
Hruska admitted that she knew the victim was 'not tech savvy.'
Hruska stole a total of $22,865.07 from the victim, described in the DOJ press release only as "a member of the U.S. House of Representatives." According to the statement of facts signed by Hruska, Hruska worked for this congressperson as office scheduler, office manager, and administrative director between 2015 and early 2022.
NBC News reported that Hruska worked for longtime Ohio Democrat Rep. Marcy Kaptur, 79, though whether Hruska ever worked for any other member of Congress is unclear. The statement of facts reported that the victim had "a personal bank account ... at a financial institution in Brooklyn, Ohio."
Between August 2023 and July 2024, at least 18 months after leaving Kaptur's office, Hruska used the victim's personal bank account information on at least 10 separate occasions to make payments on her own credit card bills, the statement of facts said.
RELATED: ICE leader goes for Congress: Sheahan dumps desk for battle against 43-year Democrat incumbent
Hruska had been given the victim's personal banking and credit card information to make "specific purchases" under "limited" circumstances as part of her "official duties" in the victim's employ, the statement of facts said. Prosecutors believe Hruska kept that information after leaving the victim's office.
Furthermore, Hruska left that job after securing another government position with the victim's help. The statement of facts claimed that the victim helped Hruska land a job with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The USDA did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.
The victim kept track of personal finances by hand. Hruska admitted that she knew the victim was "not tech savvy" and likely would not get any alerts about the money transfers, the statement of facts said.
The victim discovered the missing funds after a check bounced in 2024. During the investigation, Hruska initially blamed "hackers from the dark web" for the money transfers from the victim's bank account to Hruska's credit card bills, the statement of facts said.
Because more than a year lapsed between the initial theft and the discovery of it, the victim was able to recover just 9% of the lost funds, or little more than $2,000.
Thus far, Kaptur's office has been tight-lipped about her former staffer's conviction. A spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News, NBC News, or the New York Post.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Today's top stories
www.theblaze.com
thefederalist.com