Former Democrat Hill Staffer Arrested For Abducting, Assaulting Women On The Loose After Posting Bond
Court records show he was released on June 13
DOGE shows up at IRS, sending taxmen into panic
The Department of Government Efficiency has managed in just a few weeks to inspire dread among various contributors to and beneficiaries of government waste.
After making its penetrating gaze felt at over a dozen federal agencies, including the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the DOGE set its sights on the Internal Revenue Service.
Sure enough, bureaucrats at the organization that the Obama administration weaponized against conservatives have begun to panic.
Two unnamed sources said to be familiar with the matter told Reuters that one of Elon Musk's top DOGE staffers, Gavin Kliger, arrived at the IRS Thursday to scrutinize the agency's operations. Kliger reportedly met with top executives at the agency who were separately instructed in an email to identify all "non-essential" contracts for termination.
"Consistent with the goals and directives of the Trump administration to eliminate waste, reduce spending, and increase efficiency, GSA [General Services Administration] has taken the first steps in a government-wide initiative to eliminate non-essential consulting contracts," said the email.
According to CNN, Kliger apparently asked for a description of what each business unit in the agency did, what it sought to accomplish in the next 90 days, and what risks it currently faces. Despite the straightforward nature of the DOGE member's questions, Kliger's visit reportedly left IRS staffers on edge.
IRS staffers were apparently not the only ones in Washington, D.C., concerned over the prospect of greater transparency and improved efficiency.
'It's poetic justice.'
Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon rushed to concern-monger on X, writing, "My office is hearing that DOGE is now at the IRS. That means Musk's henchmen are in a position to dig through a trove of data about every taxpayer in America. And if your refund is delayed, they could very well be the reason."
When asked about Kliger and other DOGE officials' visit to the IRS, President Donald Trump told reporters, "They're doing a hell of a job. It's an amazing job they're doing."
"Their force is building. I call it the force of super-geniuses," said Trump. "They go up and they talk to some of the people about certain deals, and the people get all tongue-tied. They can't talk because these people get it. They're very smart people."
Trump suggested that he does not plan to shutter the IRS but noted that the agency "will be looked at like everybody else."
Christian Whiton, a senior adviser in the first Trump administration, told Sky News, "It's poetic justice for the IRS to be facing scrutiny since they scrutinize the rest of us."
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Sens. Wyden & Warren slam RFK Jr. for conflicts of interest, but campaign donor records SCREAM hypocrisy
In yesterday’s heated confirmation hearing, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who’s poised to fill the role of health and human services secretary, was attacked repeatedly by Democrat senators who hurled accusations at him, cherry-picked from his books and podcast interviews, asked him loaded questions, and interrupted him every time he tried to speak.
It was clear that their aim was to villainize Kennedy as a money-grubbing conspiracy theorist with a conflict of interest.
One of the worst offenders was Democrat Senator Ron Wyden (Ore.), who accused Kennedy of prioritizing money above Americans’ health.
“Mr. Kennedy has embraced conspiracy theories, quacks, charlatans, especially when it comes to the safety and efficacy of vaccines. He has made it his life's work to sow doubt and discourage parents from getting their kids lifesaving vaccines. It has been lucrative for him and put him on the verge of immense power. This is the profile of someone who chases money and influence wherever they lead, even if that may mean the tragic deaths of children,” he said.
Hmmm … it almost sounds like he’s protecting Big Pharma.
Which, of course, is exactly what he’s doing. One look at his campaign donors tells you all you need to know.
Sara Gonzales brings the receipts.
“$1.5 million [in donations] from the health care industry,” she says, reading from campaign donation records.
Some of the donors include Molina Healthcare, a “vaccine manufacturer,” “Quest Diagnostics lab testing,” who only gets richer the sicker you get,” says Sara, and “Novo Nordisk,” which is in the “diabetes” branch of health care.
“Yes, Senator Wyden, let's talk about conflicts of interest. Let's talk about placing money over the health and safety of our children,” she condemns.
By no means was Senator Wyden the only reprobate on the panel, though. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) was arguably even worse.
In her first line of questioning, Warren asked Kennedy if he would vow not to take money from any company in the medical industry for at least four years following his role at HHS. Kennedy agreed without pushback and even laughed that drug companies would never give him money anyway.
However, in her next line of questioning, Warren took a dramatic turn.
“I want to know if you will commit right now that not only will you not go to work for drug companies, you won't go to work suing the drug companies and taking your rake out of that while you're a secretary and for four years after,” she said, leading to a heated exchange with Kennedy, during which he accused her of trying to get him to agree to not sue vaccine companies.
Why would Warren want to prevent Kennedy from suing Big Pharma?
Again, campaign donation records paint a clear picture.
“She takes $748,158 donor dollars from the health care industry … almost $126,000 from pharmaceuticals, $108,000 from hospitals, and she has also accepted a donation from Beverly Sackler,” who is the matriarch of Purdue Pharma, the company that developed OxyContin.
“But she wants to talk to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about any potential conflicts of interest?” asks Sara.
“These people are disgusting. They act like they care about the health and safety of not only American children but Americans everywhere, and meanwhile, they are profiting off of these pharmaceutical companies.”
To see the campaign donation receipts from other senators who accused Kennedy of having a conflict of interest, watch the clip above.
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Sara Gonzales exposes Dems' hypocrisy as they grill RFK Jr. while pocketing Big Pharma cash
During his Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday, Democratic lawmakers grilled Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about his potential health care industry connections. BlazeTV's Sara Gonzales exposed the Democrats' hypocrisy, noting that they are themselves pocketing money from Big Pharma.
President Donald Trump nominated Kennedy to serve as secretary of Health and Human Services.
In his opening statements, Kennedy told senators on the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, "Today, Americans' overall health is in grievous condition. Over 70% of adults and a third of children are overweight or obese. Diabetes is 10 times more prevalent than it was during the 1960s. Cancer among young people is rising by 1% or 2% a year. Autoimmune diseases, neurodevelopmental disorders, Alzheimer's, asthma, ADHD, depression, addiction, and a host of other physical and mental health conditions are all on the rise — some of them exponentially."
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) accused Kennedy of making it his "life's work to sow doubt" about vaccines.
"It has been lucrative for him and put him on the verge of immense power," Wyden claimed. "This is the profile of someone who chases money and influence wherever they lead, even if that may mean the tragic deaths of children."
'I'm not going to agree to that, senator.'
Gonzales revealed that Wyden has received more than $1.5 million from the health care sector.
"Yes, Senator Wyden, let's talk about conflicts of interest," Gonzales stated. "Let's talk about placing money over the health and safety of our children."
In a perplexing line of questioning, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) pressed Kennedy to pledge that he would neither accept money from the health care industry nor profit from suing health care companies.
"You're not going to take money from drug companies in any way, shape, or form?" Warren questioned.
"Who, me?" Kennedy asked, visibly confused. "I'm happy to commit to that."
"I don't think any of them want to give me money, by the way," he added.
Warren asked Kennedy to commit that he would not "go to work suing the drug companies and taking your rate out of that while you're secretary and for four years after."
"You're asking me to not sue drug companies, and I'm not going to agree to that, senator," he responded.
Gonzales pulled up Warren's donors, revealing that the senator has received over $700,000 from the health care industry.
Gonzales also played a clip of Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) questioning Kennedy during the confirmation hearing.
"You keep citing the Trump administration, and you're just going to follow what they say. Is that what you're doing? You're just a rubber stamp in this position?" Cortez Masto asked.
"President Trump has asked me to end the chronic disease epidemic and make America healthy again," Kennedy responded.
Gonzales noted that Cortez Masto is the "highest" Democratic recipient of Big Pharma money on the committee, stating she received over $2.7 million from the health care industry.
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Dem Senators Side With Big Pharma Over Kennedy’s Bipartisan MAHA Message
Democrats greeted President Donald Trump's pick to lead HHS with hostile interrogations over abortion and vaccines.Dem senators try to tank RFK Jr. despite seeing eye to eye on Big Pharma
Democratic senators took aim at Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump's nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services, despite their shared views on tackling Big Pharma.
Kennedy testified before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday, where Democrats relentlessly tried to discredit the nominee as being anti-vaccine and attacking his abortion stance. Kennedy, a former Democrat and longtime health care lawyer, has a lot in common with some senators when it comes to challenging Big Pharma.
"All these Democrats are opposed to me for partisan issues. They used to be my friends," Kennedy said. "They agreed with all the issues I've been working on my whole career. Now, they're against me because anything President Trump does has to be discredited, derided, and vilified."
'The first thing I've done every morning for the past 20 years is to get on my knees and pray to God that he would put me in a position to end the chronic disease epidemic and to help America's children.'
It appears that Democratic lawmakers would prefer to tank Trump's nominee rather than seizing the opportunity to make bipartisan progress to improve the health care industry.
"We need to figure out ways to improve care, and the current model is not doing that," Kennedy said. "I would ask any of the Democrats who are chuckling just now: Do you think all that money we're sending to Medicaid every year has made Americans healthy? Is it working for anybody?"
Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont have both been leading voices on the left against Big Pharma. Despite this great commonality, both Sanders and Warren berated Kennedy.
"I want to know if you will commit right now that not only will you not go to work for drug companies, you won't go to work suing drug companies and taking your break out of that while you are secretary and for four years after," Warren said.
"I'm asking about fees from suing drug companies," Warren clarified. "Will you agree not to do that?"
"I'll commit to not taking any fees from drug companies," Kennedy said. "You're asking me to not sue drug companies, and I'm not going to agree to that."
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Sanders similarly went on a tirade about vaccines, ranting about baby onesies that appear to have "anti-vaccine" messaging.
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Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon has also spent a large part of his political career criticizing Big Pharma and attempting to hold the health care industry accountable, much like Kennedy has. Yet, Wyden overlooked the opportunity to make progress in uprooting corruption in the health care industry and rather split hairs on Kennedy's past comments on vaccinations and abortion.
After Wyden attempted to incorrectly paint the nominee as anti-vaccine by referencing old and out-of-context statements, Kennedy clarified his comments and called the senator "dishonest."
"Every medicine has people that are sensitive to them, including vaccines," Kennedy said. "I've corrected [the vaccine statement] many times, including on national TV. You know about this, senator, so bringing this up right now is dishonest."
Kennedy reiterated his lifelong commitment to resolving America's health care epidemic, one that he has personally endured.
"The first thing I've done every morning for the past 20 years is to get on my knees and pray to God that he would put me in a position to end the chronic disease epidemic and to help America's children," Kennedy said.
Kennedy will again be testifying before the Senate Health Committee on Thursday.
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RFK deflects Senate Democrats' attacks: 'Bringing this up right now is dishonest'
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump's nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services, fought back against Senate Democrats who berated him during his Wednesday confirmation hearing.
Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee hurled various accusations at Kennedy, attempting to label him anti-vaccine and overlooking his decades of work addressing the corruption in the health care industry. Despite attempts to assassinate his character, Kennedy stood firm and deflected Democrats' assertions.
'Do you want me to answer? President Trump has asked me to end the chronic disease epidemic and make America healthy again. If we don't solve that problem, we're moving deck chairs around on the Titanic.'
"The first thing I've done every morning for the past 20 years is get on my knees and pray to God that He would put me in a position to end the chronic disease epidemic and to help America's children," Kennedy said during the hearing.
"The U.S. has worse health than any other developed nation," Kennedy added. "And we spend more on health care, at least double, and in some cases triple, as other countries. Last year, we spent $4.8 trillion, not counting the indirect costs of missed work."
Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon began by berating Kennedy's past comments about vaccines, referring to a statement that Kennedy made to podcast host Lex Fridman that none of them are "safe and effective." Wyden also accused him of "lying" to people about his views.
"As you know, because it's been repeatedly debunked, that statement that I made on the Lex Fridman podcast was a fragment of the statement," Kennedy said. "I said there are no vaccines that are safe and effective, and I was going to continue, for every person. Every medicine has people who are sensitive to them, including vaccines. He interrupted me at that point."
"I've corrected it many times, including on national TV," Kennedy continued. "You know about this, Senator Wyden, and so bringing this up right now is dishonest."
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Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia similarly attacked Kennedy's character without allowing him to properly respond.
"Will you commit not to fire anyone in the health arena who currently works on protecting Americans?” Warner pressed, hardly allowing RFK to respond.
“I will commit to not firing anybody who is doing their job," Kennedy answered, prompting applause from the gallery.
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Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada similarly accused Kennedy of simply being a "rubber stamp" for the Trump administration, depriving him of any opportunities to properly answer.
"Do you want me to answer?" Kennedy said. "President Trump has asked me to end the chronic disease epidemic and make America healthy again. If we don't solve that problem, we're moving deck chairs around on the Titanic."
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