Donald Trump Announces 2016 White House Bid

[spaminator]

Judge sentences U.S. Capitol rioter 'QAnon Shaman' to over three years in prison
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Mark Hosenball
Publishing date:Nov 17, 2021 • 14 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
Jacob Chansley, also known as Jake Angeli, of Arizona, stands with other supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump as they demonstrate on the second floor of the U.S. Capitol near the entrance to the Senate after breaching security defences, in Washington, January 6, 2021.
Jacob Chansley, also known as Jake Angeli, of Arizona, stands with other supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump as they demonstrate on the second floor of the U.S. Capitol near the entrance to the Senate after breaching security defences, in Washington, January 6, 2021. PHOTO BY MIKE THEILER /REUTERS
Article content
WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Wednesday sentenced the U.S. Capitol rioter known as the “QAnon Shaman” for his horned headdress to 41 months in prison for his role in the deadly Jan. 6 attack by followers of then-President Donald Trump.

Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW

Article content
Prosecutors had asked U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth to impose a longer 51-month sentence on Jacob Chansley, who pleaded guilty in September to obstructing an official proceeding when he and thousands of others stormed the building to try to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s election.


The sentence matches one Lamberth imposed on a former mixed martial artist filmed punching a police officer during violence, who was sentenced last week to 41 months in prison. The two are the stiffest sentences handed down in any of the roughly 675 riot prosecutions.

Lamberth said he believed Chansley, 34, had done a lot to convince the court he is “on the right track.”

Chansley’s attorney asked the judge for a sentence of time served for his client, who has been detained since his January arrest. Chansley appeared in court in a dark green prison jumpsuit, with a beard and shaved head.

Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW

Article content

“The hardest part of this is that I know I am to blame,” Chansley said in a lengthy statement before he was sentenced, describing a difficult childhood and saying he had taken responsibility for his behavior.

“I thought I was going to get 20 years solitary confinement,” he said, adding: “This trauma has done something to me … I have the white hairs to prove it … on my chest … on my arms… I should not have white hairs your honor.”

While in detention, Chansley was diagnosed by prison officials with transient schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety. When he entered his guilty plea, Chansley said he was disappointed Trump had not pardoned him.

Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives and acquitted by the Senate on a charge of inciting the Jan. 6 riot for a fiery speech that preceded it in which he told his followers to “fight like hell.”

Four people died in the violence. A Capitol Police officer who had been attacked by protesters died the day after the riot and four police officers who took part in the defense of the Capitol later took their own lives. About 140 police officers were injured.

Most of the guilty pleas in Jan. 6 prosecutions so far have been in cases involving non-violent misdemeanors, but government lawyers are seeking prison sentences for some defendants facing more serious felony charges.

Judge sentences U.S. Capitol rioter 'QAnon Shaman' to over three years in prison

WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Wednesday sentenced the U.S. Capitol rioter known as the “QAnon Shaman” for his horned headdress to 41 months in prison for his role…

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon pleads not guilty to obstructing congressional probe
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Sarah N. Lynch
Publishing date:Nov 17, 2021 • 11 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
Steve Bannon, talk show host and former White House adviser to former President Donald Trump, arrives at the FBI's Washington field office to turn himself in to federal authorities, in Washington, D.C., Monday, Nov. 15, 2021.
Steve Bannon, talk show host and former White House adviser to former President Donald Trump, arrives at the FBI's Washington field office to turn himself in to federal authorities, in Washington, D.C., Monday, Nov. 15, 2021. PHOTO BY KEVIN LAMARQUE /REUTERS
Article content
WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump’s longtime adviser Steve Bannon on Wednesday pleaded not guilty to criminal charges that he defied a congressional subpoena from a U.S. House panel investigating the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot, according to court documents.

Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW

Article content
Bannon, who made his initial appearance in federal court on Monday, was indicted last week by a federal grand jury on two counts of contempt of Congress.


Bannon has vowed to fight the congressional subpoena, telling reporters outside the courthouse on Monday that he believes the prosecution is a politically motivated attack against him by President Joe Biden, Attorney General Merrick Garland and House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

He was due to be arraigned in court on Thursday, but agreed to waive his right to a formal reading of the indictment, according to court documents filed on Wednesday.

He is still expected to take part on Thursday in a virtual status conference hearing on the case before U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols.

Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW

Article content
The U.S. House of Representatives, led by the Democrats, voted on Oct. 21 to hold Bannon in contempt, leaving it up to the Justice Department, headed by Garland, to decide on any charges.


A Republican, Trump has sought to stonewall the House committee and directed his associates not to cooperate, claiming that a former president has a right to keep the requested material confidential under a legal doctrine called executive privilege.

Bannon, a prominent figure in right-wing media circles, was an architect of Trump’s 2016 presidential victory and served as White House chief strategist in 2017.

He faces one contempt count for refusing to appear for a deposition before the House Select Committee and a second for refusing to produce documents.

Contempt of Congress is a misdemeanour punishable by up to one year in prison along with a fine of up to $100,000.

In a fiery speech before the riot, Trump told followers to “fight like hell.” Four people died in the riot. A Capitol Police officer attacked by protesters died a day later and four officers later took their own lives. About 140 officers were injured.

Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon pleads not guilty to obstructing congressional probe

WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump’s longtime adviser Steve Bannon on Wednesday pleaded not guilty to criminal charges that he defied a congressional subpoe…

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Trump's social media venture says it has raised $1B
Author of the article:
Reuters
Reuters
Krystal Hu and Juby Babu
Publishing date:
Dec 04, 2021 • 13 hours ago • 3 minute read •
12 Comments
Former U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during his first post-presidency campaign rally at the Lorain County Fairgrounds in Wellington, Ohio, June 26, 2021.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during his first post-presidency campaign rally at the Lorain County Fairgrounds in Wellington, Ohio, June 26, 2021. Photo by SHANNON STAPLETON /REUTERS
Article content

Donald Trump’s new social media venture said on Saturday it had entered into agreements to raise about $1 billion from a group of unidentified investors as it prepares to float in the U.S. stock market.
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

The capital raise, details of which were first reported by Reuters on Wednesday, underscored the former U.S. president’s ability to attract strong financial backing thanks to his personal and political brand. He is working to launch a social media app called TRUTH Social that is at least several weeks away.
Business Trends
Market One
Sponsored by Market One

How XRApplied is using extended reality for creative and modern business solutions open in new tab

4 days ago
How XRApplied is using extended reality for creative and modern business solutions
How Inca One became a major player in the Peruvian gold processing industry open in new tab
5 days ago
How Inca One became a major player in the Peruvian gold processing industry
Sonoro’s Cerro Caliche Gold Project contains 332,500 ounces of gold equivalent according to new PEA open in new tab
5 days ago
Sonoro’s Cerro Caliche Gold Project contains 332,500 ounces of gold equivalent according to new PEA
Clean Seed is saving our soil one crop at a time open in new tab
November 25, 2021
Clean Seed is saving our soil one crop at a time
New Placer has hit their stride with a clear path ahead open in new tab
November 24, 2021
New Placer has hit their stride with a clear path ahead
Xebra Brands is mapping out a path towards success open in new tab
November 24, 2021
Xebra Brands is mapping out a path towards success
Supercharge your way to the green revolution with ION Energy open in new tab
November 23, 2021
Supercharge your way to the green revolution with ION Energy
ShaMaran Petroleum is poised to score big in new energy playing field open in new tab
November 17, 2021
ShaMaran Petroleum is poised to score big in new energy playing field
Why extended reality is powering the next generation of technology companies open in new tab
November 16, 2021
Why extended reality is powering the next generation of technology companies
Managing your online identity and data just got better with Liquid Avatar open in new tab

November 9, 2021
Managing your online identity and data just got better with Liquid Avatar

Article content

Digital World Acquisition Corp, the blank-check acquisition firm that will take Trump Media & Technology Group Corp public by listing it in New York, said it will provide up to $293 million to the partnership with Trump’s media venture, taking the total proceeds to about $1.25 billion.

The $1 billion will be raised through a private investment in public equity (PIPE) transaction from “a diverse group of institutional investors,” Trump Media and Digital World said in a statement. They did not respond to requests to name the investors.
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

Trump Media inked its deal with Digital World to go public in October at a valuation of $875 million, including debt. The social media venture is now valued at almost $4 billion based on the price of Digital World shares at the end of trading on Friday. Trump supporters and day traders snapped up the stock.

Many Wall Street firms such as mutual funds and private equity firms snubbed the opportunity to invest in the PIPE. Among those investors who participated were hedge funds, family offices and high net-worth individuals, Reuters reported on Wednesday. Family offices manage the wealth of the very rich and their kin.

Some Wall Street investors are reluctant to associate with Trump. He was banned from top social media platforms after the Jan. 6 attack by his supporters on the U.S. Capitol amid concerns he would inspire further violence. The Capitol attack was based on unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud in last year’s presidential election.
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

“As our balance sheet expands, Trump Media & Technology Group will be in a stronger position to fight back against the tyranny of Big Tech,” Trump said in a statement on Saturday.

The deal also faces regulatory risk. U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren asked Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Gary Gensler last month to investigate the planned merger for potential violations of securities laws around disclosure. The SEC has declined to comment on whether it plans any action.

Trump Media and Digital World said the per-share conversion price of the convertible preferred stock PIPE transaction represents a 20% discount to Digital World’s volume-weighted average closing price for the five trading days to Dec. 1, when Reuters broke news of the capital raise.
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

If that price averages below $56 in the 10 days after the merger with Digital World has been completed, the discount will grow to 40% with a floor of $10, the companies added. Digital World shares ended trading on Friday $44.97.

Trump had 89 million followers on Twitter, 33 million on Facebook and 24.5 million on Instagram at the time he was blocked, according to a presentation on his company’s website.

Investors attending the confidential investor road shows were shown a demo from the planned social media app, which looked like a Twitter feed, Reuters reported.

FIRST-QUARTER ROLLOUT

Since Trump was voted out of office last year, he has repeatedly dropped hints that he might seek the presidency in 2024.

Special purpose acquisition companies such as Digital World had lost much of their luster with retail investors before the Trump media deal came along. Many of these investors were left with big losses after the companies that merged with SPACs failed to deliver on their ambitious financial projections.

TRUTH Social is scheduled for a full rollout in the first quarter of 2022. It is the first of three stages in the Trump Media plan, followed by a subscription video-on-demand service called TMTG+ that will feature entertainment, news and podcasts, according to the news release.

In a slide deck on its website, the company envisions eventually competing against Amazon.com’s AWS cloud service and Google Cloud.

Trump's social media venture says it has raised $1B

Donald Trump’s new social media venture said on Saturday it had entered into agreements to raise about $1 billion from a group of unidentified investors as it prepa…

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Kanye West publicist pressed Georgia election worker to confess to bogus fraud charges
Author of the article:
Reuters
Reuters
Jason Szep and Linda So
Publishing date:
Dec 10, 2021 • 13 hours ago • 5 minute read •
Join the conversation
Rapper Kanye West shows U.S. President Donald Trump his mobile phone during a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., Oct. 11, 2018.
Rapper Kanye West shows U.S. President Donald Trump his mobile phone during a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., Oct. 11, 2018. Photo by Kevin Lamarque /REUTERS / FILES
Article content

ATLANTA — Weeks after the 2020 election, a Chicago publicist for hip-hop artist Kanye West travelled to the suburban home of Ruby Freeman, a frightened Georgia election worker who was facing death threats after being falsely accused by former President Donald Trump of manipulating votes. The publicist knocked on the door and offered to help.
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

The visitor, Trevian Kutti, gave her name but didn’t say she worked for West, a longtime billionaire friend of Trump. She said she was sent by a “high-profile individual,” whom she didn’t identify, to give Freeman an urgent message: confess to Trump’s voter-fraud allegations, or people would come to her home in 48 hours, and she’d go to jail.

Freeman refused. This story of how an associate of a music mogul pressured a 62-year-old temporary election worker at the centre of a Trump conspiracy theory is based on previously unreported police recordings and reports, legal filings, and Freeman’s first media interview since she was dragged into Trump’s attempt to reverse his election loss.

Kutti did not respond to requests for comment. Her biography for her work at the Women’s Global Initiative, a business networking group, identifies her as a member of “the Young Black Leadership Council under President Donald Trump.” It notes that in September 2018, she “was secured as publicist to Kanye West” and “now serves as West’s Director of Operations.”
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

When Kutti knocked on Freeman’s door on Jan. 4, Freeman called 911. By then, Freeman said, she was wary of strangers.

Starting on Dec. 3, Trump and his campaign repeatedly accused Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, of illegally counting phony mail-in ballots after pulling them from mysterious suitcases while working on Election Day at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena. In fact, the “suitcases” were standard ballot containers, and the votes were properly counted, county and state officials quickly confirmed, refuting the fraud claims.

But Trump and his allies continued to accuse Freeman and Moss of election-rigging. The allegations inspired hundreds of threats and harassing messages against them and their family members.
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

By the time Kutti arrived, Freeman needed help but was cautious and wouldn’t open the door because of the threats, according to Freeman and a police report.

So Freeman asked a neighbour to come over and talk with Kutti, who was with an unidentified male. Like Freeman, Kutti and the other visitor were Black. Kutti told the neighbour that Freeman was in danger and that she’d been sent to provide assistance. Freeman said she was open to meeting them. She asked Cobb County Police to send an officer to keep watch so she could step outside, according to a recording of her 911 call.

“They’re saying that I need help,” Freeman told the dispatcher, referring to the people at her door, “that it’s just a matter of time that they are going to come out for me and my family.”
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

An officer arrived and spoke with Kutti, who described herself as a “crisis manager,” according to the police incident report.

Kutti repeated that Freeman “was in danger” and had “48 hours” before “unknown subjects” turned up at her home, the report said. At the officer’s suggestion, the women agreed to meet at a police station. The officer’s report did not identify the man accompanying Kutti.

‘YOU’RE A LOOSE END’

Inside the station, Kutti and Freeman met in a corner, according to footage from a body camera worn by an officer present at the meeting. Reuters obtained the video through a public-records request.

“I cannot say what specifically will take place,” Kutti is heard telling Freeman in the recording. “I just know that it will disrupt your freedom,” she said, “and the freedom of one or more of your family members.”
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

“You are a loose end for a party that needs to tidy up,” Kutti continued. She added that “federal people” were involved, without offering specifics.

According to Freeman, Kutti told her that she was going to put a man named “Harrison Ford” on speakerphone. (Freeman said the man on the phone wasn’t the actor by the same name.) Kutti said the man had “authoritative powers to get you protection,” the bodycam footage shows.

At that point, Kutti can be heard asking the officer to give them privacy. The body camera did not capture a clear recording of the conversation that followed after the officer moved away from the two women.

Kutti and the man on the speakerphone, over the next hour, tried to get Freeman to implicate herself in committing voter fraud on Election Day. Kutti offered legal assistance in exchange, Freeman said.
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

“If you don’t tell everything,” Freeman recalled Kutti saying, “you’re going to jail.”

Growing suspicious, Freeman said she jumped up from her chair and told Kutti: “The devil is a liar,” before calling for an officer.

Later at home, Freeman said, she Googled Kutti’s name and discovered she was a Trump supporter.

Police say they did not investigate the incident further.

West, who changed his name in October to “Ye,” did not respond to requests for comment sent through another publicist who represents him.

Reuters could not independently confirm whether Kutti still works for West, or in what capacity.

Media reports have cited her association with the rapper since 2018, when she ceased working with R. Kelly, an R&B singer who was convicted in September of racketeering and sex-trafficking charges. Kutti’s biography says she is the founder of Trevian Worldwide, a media and entertainment advisory firm with offices in four cities. Among her clients, she says, are boxer Terence Crawford and Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan.
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

The meeting took place two months after West ended a failed bid for the White House that drew media attention when several publications revealed that allies and supporters of Trump were working on the ground to advance West’s campaign. Some Democrats said they regarded West’s presidential bid as a ruse to siphon off Black votes from Democrat Joe Biden. Groups assisting the rapper’s campaign denied that charge.

On Jan. 5, the day after Freeman’s meeting with Kutti, an agent from the Federal Bureau of Investigation called Freeman and urged her to leave her home of 20 years because it wasn’t safe, Freeman said.

The following day, Jan. 6, Kutti’s prediction that people would descend on Freeman’s home in 48 hours proved correct, according to a defamation lawsuit Freeman and Moss filed last week against a far-right news site. Freeman, the lawsuit said, left hours before a mob of angry Trump supporters surrounded her home, shouting through bullhorns.

Kanye West publicist pressed Georgia election worker to confess to bogus fraud charges

ATLANTA — Weeks after the 2020 election, a Chicago publicist for hip-hop artist Kanye West traveled to the suburban home of Ruby Freeman, a frightened Georgia elect…

torontosun.com

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Oh, good! If Kanye's their big gun, we got nothing to worry about.

 

[spaminator]

U.S. House panel recommends contempt charge for ex-Trump aide Mark Meadows
Author of the article:
Reuters
Reuters
Patricia Zengerle
Publishing date:
Dec 13, 2021 • 9 hours ago • 3 minute read •
Join the conversation
In this file photo taken on Oct. 21, 2020, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows speaks to the media at the White House in Washington, D.C.
In this file photo taken on Oct. 21, 2020, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows speaks to the media at the White House in Washington, D.C. Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY /AFP via Getty Images
Article content

WASHINGTON — The U.S. congressional committee probing the deadly Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol voted unanimously on Monday to seek “contempt of Congress” charges against Mark Meadows, who served as White House chief of staff to former President Donald Trump.
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

The seven Democratic and two Republican members of the House of Representatives Select Committee approved a report recommending the criminal charge against Meadows by a 9-0 vote. The full, Democratic-led House could vote as soon as Tuesday to approve the resolution.

Meadows has been called repeatedly to appear for depositions before the Democratic-led committee and has declined to do so despite being subpoenaed.

While he has turned over some information requested by the panel, he has held back many documents, arguing they are protected because he had worked for the president.

Asked about the committee decision in a Fox News Channel interview, Meadows said: “Obviously it’s disappointing but not surprising.”
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

“This is about Donald Trump and about actually going after him once again,” Meadows said.

Meadows, who was a member of the House for more than seven years until joining the Trump administration in 2020, has sued the committee and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over the matter.

His attorney, George Terwilliger, also sent a letter on Monday asking the committee to reconsider its plan to vote, arguing that it would be illegal for the panel to refer the matter for a House vote.

Representative Bennie Thompson, the Select Committee’s chairman, discounted that argument, noting that Meadows published and is promoting a book that goes into detail about events being investigated.

“He has no credible excuse for stonewalling the Select Committee’s investigation,” Thompson said.
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

Thompson said about 300 witnesses have testified, and its investigators have received more than 30,000 records.

“A small group of people have gotten a lot of attention because of their defiance. But many others have taken a different path and provided important information about January 6 and the context in which the riot occurred,” Thompson said.

‘PROTECT PRO-TRUMP PEOPLE’

In its report on Sunday recommending the contempt charge, the Select Committee said Meadows stated in an email ahead of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot that the U.S. National Guard would “protect pro-Trump people.”

Republican Representative Liz Cheney, the Jan. 6 committee’s vice chair, said the committee wanted Meadows to testify about “dozens of texts” he was sent during the Capitol attack, including from Donald Trump Jr. saying his father should tell his supporters to go home.
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

“We cannot surrender to President Trump’s efforts to hide what happened,” she said.

Committee members also said they wanted to ask Meadows about his text messages from members of Congress – who were not named – discussing ways to avoiding certifying the election result.

Meadows could become the third associate of the former Republican president to face a criminal contempt of Congress charge. The Justice Department, at the House’s request, has already brought similar charges against Trump’s former chief strategist, Steve Bannon. The House is also considering similar action against former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark.

Trump, at a rally on Jan. 6, repeated his false claim that his loss to Democratic President Joe Biden in the November 2020 election was the result of widespread fraud, and urged his supporters to march on the Capitol.

Four people died on the day of the riot, and one Capitol police officer died the next day of injuries sustained while defending Congress. Hundreds of police were injured during the multi-hour onslaught by Trump supporters hoping to stop formal certification of his election defeat, and four officers have since taken their own lives.

U.S. House panel recommends contempt charge for ex-Trump aide Mark Meadows

WASHINGTON — The U.S. congressional committee probing the deadly Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol voted unanimously on Monday to seek “contempt of Congress” charges ag…

torontosun.com

 

[Dixie Cup]

The whole Jan 6 commission is a scam. The result has already been determined & all this is just garbage. I predict that nothing will come of it.

 

[pgs]

The whole Jan 6 commission is a scam. The result has already been determined & all this is just garbage. I predict that nothing will come of it.

Lots of dog and pony shows . The only thing the House excels at .

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

Lots of dog and pony shows . The only thing the House excels at .

It's their answer to the Royal Commission.

 

[pgs]

It's their answer to the Royal Commission.

Nah , we give lots of lawyers and professors that support liberal a nice bowl of gravy to produce a long winded book of nothingness that no one will read and call it a Royal Commission . The elected monkeys are doing their own dance to our south .

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Nah , we give lots of lawyers and professors that support liberal a nice bowl of gravy to produce a long winded book of nothingness that no one will read and call it a Royal Commission . The elected monkeys are doing their own dance to our south .

Oh, have no fear! They're employing plenty of gravy-eating lawyers and professors!

 

[pgs]

Oh, have no fear! They're employing plenty of gravy-eating lawyers and professors!

Just liberal ones , none of those evil right thinking deplorables .

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Just liberal ones , none of those evil right thinking deplorables .

Sure thing.

 

[spaminator]

Trump's social media venture partners with Canada's Rumble Inc.
Author of the article:
Reuters
Reuters
Publishing date:
Dec 14, 2021 • 11 hours ago • 1 minute read •
Join the conversation
U.S. President Donald Trump uses a mobile phone during a roundtable discussion on the reopening of small businesses in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., June 18, 2020.
U.S. President Donald Trump uses a mobile phone during a roundtable discussion on the reopening of small businesses in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., June 18, 2020. Photo by Leah Millis /REUTERS / Files
Article content

Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s social media venture said on Tuesday it has entered into a technology and cloud-services agreement with Canadian video platform Rumble Inc.
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

As part of the agreement, Rumble will deliver video and streaming for TRUTH Social, the proposed social media app from Trump.

Rumble was launched in 2013 by tech entrepreneur Chris Pavlovski as an alternative YouTube-style site, and is popular among U.S. conservatives seeking an alternative to Big Tech. Its top trending videos include those from conservative commentators Dan Bongino and Dinesh D’Souza, as well as former Trump White House strategist Steve Bannon. It is backed by venture capitalist Peter Thiel and author-turned-U.S. Senate candidate J.D. Vance through Narya Capital.

On Dec. 1 Rumble said it would go public by merging with blank-check firm CF Acquisition Corp VI at an initial enterprise value of $2.1 billion. The combined company will be called Rumble and is expected to list on the Nasdaq.
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

Former Trump administration lawyer Michael Ellis joined Rumble in November as its first-ever general counsel and corporate secretary.

The announcement from Trump Media and Technology Group came hours after Rumble said it had severed business ties with Tremor International and Unruly Group, companies which Rumble said had attempted to censor conservative personality Dan Bongino.

TMTG has provided few details for how it plans to create a social media platform, streaming service, news division and alternative cloud provider to compete against entrenched players in those categories.

The company said on Dec. 6 that U.S. Representative Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, will leave Congress to become chief executive officer of the new venture, and will assume the role in January.

Nunes has been an ardent Trump supporter, voting against certifying Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory following Trump’s false claims of election fraud.

Trump's social media venture partners with Canada's Rumble Inc.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s social media venture said on Tuesday it has entered into a technology and cloud-services agreement with Canadian video platform…

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

U.S. House finds ex-Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows in contempt, seeks prosecution
Author of the article:
Reuters
Reuters
Patricia Zengerle
Publishing date:
Dec 14, 2021 • 7 hours ago • 3 minute read •
Join the conversation
In this file photo taken on Oct. 21, 2020, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows speaks to the media at the White House in Washington, D.C.
In this file photo taken on Oct. 21, 2020, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows speaks to the media at the White House in Washington, D.C. Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY /AFP via Getty Images
Article content

WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, could face criminal prosecution for refusing to cooperate fully with a probe into the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol, after the House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to hold him in contempt of Congress.
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

The Democratic-led chamber voted 222 to 208, with just two Republicans joining Democrats to recommend the charges against Meadows, who served in the House before joining the Republican president’s administration last year.

The Department of Justice will now decide whether to pursue charges. A conviction on the charge carries up to a year in prison.

The seven Democrats and two Republicans on the Select Committee investigating the attack voted unanimously on Monday evening to recommend that the full House approve its report appealing for a contempt of Congress charge against Meadows.

The two Republicans on the Jan. 6 committee, Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, were the only two Republicans who backed the resolution recommending the charges.
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

The charges against Meadows relate mainly to his refusal to honour a subpoena seeking his testimony about messages and other communications that he has turned over to the panel.

Cheney, the panel’s vice chairwoman, read out panicked text messages from unidentified lawmakers and others pleading with Meadows on Jan. 6 to urge Trump to appear publicly and call off his followers. The texts surfaced during the Select Committee’s investigation.

“He’s got to condemn this s— ASAP. We need an Oval Office address,” Trump’s son Donald Jr. said in one text. In others, conservative media hosts made similar private pleas to Meadows – before playing down the violence of the attack on the air.

“The American people deserve to know all of the steps that Donald Trump and those around him and that his campaign were taking in an effort to change the results of the election,” Cheney said.
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

Trump repeated his false claim at a rally on Jan. 6 that his defeat by Democratic President Joe Biden in the November 2020 election was the result of widespread fraud, and urged his supporters to march on the Capitol as Congress gathered to certify Biden’s victory. Biden took office on Jan. 20.

Four people died on the day of the riot, and one Capitol police officer died the next day of injuries sustained while defending Congress. Hundreds of police were injured during the multi-hour onslaught by Trump supporters, and four officers have since taken their own lives.

The city of Washington on Tuesday sued two right-wing groups for the financial costs associated with the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol.

‘EVERYBODY’S LIFE WAS ENDANGERED’
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

Republican Representative Tom Cole argued it was too early for a contempt recommendation, given lawsuits filed by Trump and Meadows himself arguing that the former president’s communications should be protected by executive privilege and that committee subpoenas are too broad.

“Today’s action is wildly premature,” Cole said. Cole was one of the dozens of Republicans who voted against certifying Biden’s election on Jan. 6 in the hours after the assault on the Capitol.

Democratic Representative Bennie Thompson, chairman of the Select Committee, said the panel viewed the lawsuits as delaying tactics. “When a witness defies the law, that amounts to more than obstructing our investigation, it’s an attack on the rule of law,” he said in remarks urging support for the resolution citing Meadows.
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

Meadows’ attorney, George Terwilliger, said in a statement on Tuesday that his client had not stopped cooperating.

“He has maintained consistently that as a former chief of staff he cannot be compelled to appear for questioning and that he as a witness is not licensed to waive executive privilege claimed by the former president,” Terwilliger said.

A federal appeals court last week rejected Trump’s request to withhold documents because of executive privilege, noting that Biden, as president, has already authorized their release.

“Both branches agree that there is a unique legislative need for these documents and that they are directly relevant to the Committee’s inquiry into an attack on the legislative branch and its constitutional role in the peaceful transfer of power,” the court said.

Meadows could become the third Trump associate to face a criminal contempt charge. The Justice Department, at the House’s request, has brought similar charges against Trump’s former chief strategist, Steve Bannon. The House is considering similar action against former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark.

U.S. House finds ex-Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows in contempt, seeks prosecution

WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, could face criminal prosecution for refusing to cooperate fully with a probe into the dea…

torontosun.com

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

If this board is representative of Canadian "conservatives," Donald Trump will be President-for-Life of the United States of North America.

And it'll have 60 states.

OK, maybe 59. They can downgrade Quebec to a territory.

 

[spaminator]

Trump sues N.Y. Attorney General to block probe of his businesses
Author of the article:
Reuters
Reuters
Brendan Pierson
Publishing date:
Dec 20, 2021 • 17 hours ago • 1 minute read •
7 Comments
In this file photo taken on Nov. 24, 2020, U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to deliver remarks on the stock market during an unscheduled appearance in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, D.C.
In this file photo taken on Nov. 24, 2020, U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to deliver remarks on the stock market during an unscheduled appearance in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. Photo by MANDEL NGAN /AFP via Getty Images
Article content

NEW YORK — Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday sued New York Attorney General Letitia James, seeking to stop her civil fraud investigation into his company.
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

He filed the lawsuit in federal court in Syracuse, New York, after it was reported that James’ office would seek to question Trump as it probes whether his company, the Trump Organization, manipulated the valuations of its real estate properties.

Trump and the company, which is also a plaintiff in the case, claim that James has violated their rights under the U.S. Constitution by pursuing a politically motivated investigation.

“By filing this lawsuit, we intend to not only hold her accountable for her blatant constitutional violations, but to stop her bitter crusade to punish her political opponent in its tracks,” Trump’s attorney, Alina Habba, said in an emailed statement.

A spokesperson for James’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

The civil probe is related to, but separate from, a more-than-three-year-old criminal probe by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance of the Trump Organization’s business practices, which James joined in May. It includes a focus on whether the Trump Organization overstated the value of some real estate assets to obtain loans and tax benefits.

In July, the company and longtime Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg pleaded not guilty to criminal charges in what a prosecutor in Vance’s office called a “sweeping and audacious” 15-year tax fraud.

In Monday’s lawsuit, Trump and the company claim that James, a Democrat, is motivated by partisan bias against Trump, a Republican, pointing to public statements she made against the former president before she was elected to her position.

They are seeking a court order barring the investigation from going forward.

Trump sues N.Y. Attorney General to block probe of his businesses

NEW YORK — Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday sued New York Attorney General Letitia James, seeking to stop her civil fraud investigation into his company.

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Trump plans news conference on Jan. 6, anniversary of deadly U.S. Capitol riot

Author of the article:
Reuters
Reuters
Publishing date:
Dec 21, 2021 • 16 hours ago • 1 minute read •
Join the conversation
Former U.S. president Donald Trump looks on during his first post-presidency campaign rally at the Lorain County Fairgrounds in Wellington, Ohio, June 26, 2021.
Former U.S. president Donald Trump looks on during his first post-presidency campaign rally at the Lorain County Fairgrounds in Wellington, Ohio, June 26, 2021. Photo by Shannon Stapleton /REUTERS
Article content

WASHINGTON — Former president Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would hold a news conference on Jan. 6, one year after the deadly riots at the U.S. Capitol, which the Republican has been accused of fomenting.
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

Trump said he will discuss the events of that day, in which rioters marched to the Capitol after hearing him speak outside the White House. Trump told the crowd of supporters he would never concede the Nov. 3 election and urged them to “fight like hell” before they went to the Capitol, where lawmakers were preparing to certify Democrat Joe Biden’s victory.

Four people died on the day of the riot, and one Capitol police officer died the next day of injuries sustained while defending Congress. Hundreds of police were injured during the multi-hour onslaught by Trump supporters, and four officers have since taken their own lives.

More than 700 people have been arrested in connection with the assault on the Capitol.

The news conference will be at Trump’s resort in Palm Beach, Florida, he said in a statement that reprised his false claims about the presidential election won solidly by Biden.

A congressional select committee is investigating the deadly attack, including Trump’s actions and his efforts to change the results of the election.

The committee had no comment on Trump’s announcement, a spokesman said.

A federal appeals court this month rejected Trump’s request to withhold documents from the committee because of executive privilege, noting that Biden, as president, has already authorized their release.

A spokesman for House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, did not immediately return a request for comment.

Trump plans news conference on Jan. 6, anniversary of deadly U.S. Capitol riot

WASHINGTON — Former president Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would hold a news conference on Jan. 6, one year after the deadly riots at the U.S. Capitol, which the…

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Ex-Trump adviser Flynn sues Jan. 6 House committee to block release of phone records

Author of the article:
Reuters
Reuters
Jan Wolfe
Publishing date:
Dec 21, 2021 • 8 hours ago • 2 minute read •
Join the conversation
Then national security adviser General Michael Flynn delivers a statement daily briefing at the White House in Washington, February 1, 2017.
Then national security adviser General Michael Flynn delivers a statement daily briefing at the White House in Washington, February 1, 2017. Photo by Carlos Barria /REUTERS
Article content

WASHINGTON — Michael Flynn, a longtime adviser to former President Donald Trump, on Tuesday sued the congressional committee investigating the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol in hopes of blocking it from obtaining his phone records.
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

Flynn alleged in a lawsuit, filed in federal court in Florida, that a subpoena issued to him by the House of Representatives Jan. 6 Select Committee was too broad in scope and punishes him for constitutionally protected speech he engaged in as a private citizen.

Flynn also alleged in the lawsuit that the congressional committee “has no authority to conduct business because it is not a duly constituted Select Committee.”

An appeals court has rejected that argument, ruling on Dec. 9 that the committee was valid and entitled to see White House records Trump has tried to shield from public view.

The committee issued a subpoena to Flynn, Trump’s former national security adviser, in November, seeking testimony and documents about a “command center” at Washington’s Willard Hotel set up to steer efforts to deny Democrat Joe Biden his November 2020 election victory. Trump falsely claims he lost the election because of widespread electoral fraud.
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

In the weeks after the election, Flynn urged Trump to deploy the military to overturn the results and gave speeches sowing doubts about the vote.

A spokesman for the Jan. 6 Select Committee did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Flynn’s lawsuit is the latest in a flood of litigation by targets of the committee seeking to prevent it from enforcing its subpoenas for testimony or communications.

Alex Jones, the conspiracy theorist and founder of the right-wing website Infowars, filed a similar case on Monday.

Trump has similarly sought to block the committee from obtaining his White House records from Jan. 6 and the preceding days, asserting they are protected by a legal doctrine called executive privilege. An appeals court rejected Trump’s arguments last week. He is expected to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Flynn was charged as part of former U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian influence on the 2016 U.S. presidential election won by Trump.

Flynn, a retired Army general, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about interactions he had with Russia’s ambassador to the United States in January 2017. He later sought to withdraw the plea, arguing that prosecutors duped him into a plea agreement. Trump later pardoned him.

Ex-Trump adviser Flynn sues Jan. 6 House committee to block release of phone records

WASHINGTON — Michael Flynn, a longtime adviser to former President Donald Trump, on Tuesday sued the congressional committee investigating the deadly Jan. 6 attack …

torontosun.com

 

[spaminator]

Iran vows revenge for Soleimani killing if Trump not put on trial

Author of the article:
Reuters
Reuters
Publishing date:
Jan 03, 2022 • 16 hours ago • 1 minute read •
30 Comments
Iran's President-elect Ebrahim Raisi speaks during a news conference in Tehran, Iran June 21, 2021.
Iran's President-elect Ebrahim Raisi speaks during a news conference in Tehran, Iran June 21, 2021. Photo by West Asia News Agency /REUTERS
Article content

DUBAI — Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, speaking on the second anniversary of the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani by the United States, said that former U.S. President Donald Trump must face trial for the killing or Tehran would take revenge.
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

Iran and groups allied with it in Iraq have been holding events to honor Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force, the overseas arm of the elite Revolutionary Guards. He was killed in Iraq in a drone strike on Jan. 3, 2020, ordered by then President Trump.

“If Trump and (former secretary of state Mike) Pompeo are not tried in a fair court for the criminal act of assassinating General Soleimani, Muslims will take our martyr’s revenge,” Raisi said in a speech on Monday.

“The aggressor, murderer and main culprit – the then president of the United States – must be tried and judged under the (Islamic) law of retribution, and God’s ruling must be carried out against him,” Raisi added.

Under Iran’s Islamic laws, a convicted murderer can be executed unless the family of the victim agree to take “blood money” through a reconciliation.
Advertisement
Story continues below
Article content

Iranian judicial officials have communicated with authorities in nine countries after identifying 127 suspects in the case, including 74 U.S. nationals, Prosecutor-General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri told state television.

“The criminal former president (Trump) is at the top of the list,” he said.

On Sunday, Iran urged the United Nations Security Council in a letter to hold the United States and Israel, which Tehran says was also involved in the killing, to account, according to Iranian media.

Days after the assassination, the United States told the United Nations that the killing was self-defense and vowed to take additional action as necessary in the Middle East to protect U.S. personnel and interests.

The then U.S. Attorney General William Barr said at the time that Trump clearly had the authority to kill Soleimani and the general was a “legitimate military target.”

Iran vows revenge for Soleimani killing if Trump not put on trial

DUBAI — Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, speaking on the second anniversary of the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani by the United States, said that former …

torontosun.com