Source: US State of California Department of Justice
New OMB directive would pause funding for disaster recovery, as well as public health, education, and public safety programs
SACRAMENTO — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today, along with New York Attorney General Letitia James, led a coalition of 23 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to block implementation of a memo by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) threatening to freeze up to $3 trillion in federal assistance funding effective at 2pm PT / 5pm ET today. The attorneys general are seeking a temporary restraining order to block the memo from taking effect, citing immediate harms to their states, which stand to lose billions in funding essential for the administration of vital programs that support the health and safety of their residents. Already, the order has thrown state programs into chaos and created uncertainty around their administration. Impacted programs include disaster-relief funding necessary for Los Angeles’ recovery from recent wildfires, as well as public health, education, public safety, and government programs.
“The Trump Administration is recklessly disregarding the health, wellbeing, and public safety of the people it is supposed to serve,” said Attorney General Bonta. “This directive is unprecedented in scope and would be devastating if implemented. Already, it has created chaos and confusion among our residents. I will not stand by while the President attempts to disrupt vital programs that feed our kids, provide medical care to our families, and support housing and education in our communities. Instead of learning from the defeats of his first Administration, President Trump is once again plowing ahead with a damaging – and most importantly, unlawful – agenda. I’m proud to co-lead a coalition of attorneys general in taking him to court.”
The OMB directive freezing federal funding less than 24 hours after it was announced will cause immediate and irreparable harm to the states every day that it is in effect — in the form of millions of dollars in funds and mass regulatory chaos. Many states could face immediate cash shortfalls, making it difficult to administer basic programs like funding for healthcare and food for children and to address their most pressing emergency needs. This will result in devastating consequences for California in particular, given the uncertainty around continued disbursement of FEMA funding that is essential for recovery from the Los Angeles wildfires, which have caused an estimated $150 billion in economic losses.
In the lawsuit, the attorneys general argue that the OMB directive violates the U.S. Constitution, violates the Administrative Procedure Act, and is arbitrary and capricious. Specifically, the attorneys general argue that Congress has not delegated any unilateral authority to OMB to indefinitely pause all federal financial assistance under any circumstance, irrespective of the federal statutes and contractual terms governing those grants, and without even considering them. The directive also violates the “separation of powers” between Congress and the Executive Branch because the Spending Clause of the U.S. Constitution gives the power of the purse exclusively to Congress. The attorneys general seek a temporary restraining order to block the directive from being implemented.
Attorney General Bonta is joined by the attorneys general of New York, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia in filing the lawsuit.
A copy of the lawsuit and TRO will become available here.
SACRAMENTO – California Attorney General Rob Bonta together with Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho, Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester and the Unites States Department of Homeland Security today announced the official launch of the Sacramento Regional Human Trafficking Task Force (SR HTTF). This announcement signifies the formation of the third team within the California Department of Justice (DOJ) dedicated to combating human trafficking. These teams are situated in the greater San Diego and Fresno areas, and now in Sacramento. They have already made significant strides across the state, collaborating with law enforcement to disrupt human trafficking operations and protect children from criminal exploitation, resulting in 707 arrests and assistance extended to nearly 800 victims.
“The objective of this task force is to use our shared intelligence to increase the total number of human trafficking investigations and prosecutions within the Sacramento area, to hold perpetrators of human trafficking accountable, and support survivors along the way,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “It is vital that we carry out our goal in a manner that is trauma-informed and culturally competent. That’s why our task force members receive specialized training and experience to appropriately handle these cases with the sensitivity, compassion, and the care they deserve. I am thankful for these strong partnerships in Sacramento and look forward to all that we can accomplish when we work together.”
“As we recognize National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, I’m proud to announce the new Sacramento Regional Human Trafficking Task Force to protect children and young adults from human trafficking and sex exploitation in our community,” said Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho. “This collaborative effort with the California Attorney General’s Office, Sacramento Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations is based on our shared mission that no child or adult will live in fear of being a victim of sexual or labor exploitation.”
“The Sacramento Police Department stands unwavering in the fight against human trafficking—a crime that strips victims of their freedom, dignity, and humanity,” said Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester. “This is why our partnership with the Sacramento Regional Human Trafficking Task Force is so critical. By working alongside our local, state, and federal partners, we are attacking this crisis from every angle—relentlessly pursuing traffickers, rescuing and empowering survivors, and making our communities safer.”
“When law enforcement agencies unite and focus their collective strength to investigate human trafficking it sends a strong message – we will uncover hidden truths and will bring those responsible for these horrific acts to face justice,” said Tatum King, special agent in charge for HSI San Fransisco. “HSI San Fransisco is a proud member of this newly formed human trafficking taskforce and we look forward to working alongside our partners.”
The DOJ is proud to be a partner with the Sacramento Police Department, Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations in this task force. The mission of SR HTTF is to effectively enforce state and federal laws against all forms of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of children and adults. Human Trafficking is the exploitation by force, fraud, fear, or coercion of vulnerable people, for mandatory labor, domestic servitude, or commercial sex operations.
The CA DOJ Victims’ Services Unit (VSU) works in conjunction with victim service providers and all across the state to provide victim-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally-sensitive support services to all crime victims, including underserved, at-risk, underrepresented, and vulnerable populations. More information about VSU is available at oag.ca.gov/victimservices or by calling (877) 433-9069 or visiting oag.ca.gov/victimservices/contact.
If you or someone you know is being forced to engage in any activity and cannot leave, you can call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 to access help and services. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1. Additional information and resources to support survivors of human trafficking is available here.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – On January 24, 2025, James C. Thompson, 72, formerly of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, was sentenced to 240 months by the Honorable Travis R. McDonough, District Court Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Tennessee. Thompson was also ordered to pay a $250,000 fine and to serve three years on supervised release. In addition, Thompson will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions during his supervised release.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Thompson agreed to plead guilty to an information charging him with four counts of transportation of a minor in interstate commerce with the intent to engage in sexual activity in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2423(a).
According to court filed documents, in 2000, Thompson traveled on separate occasions with three different boys and sexually molested them. Thompson was 48 years old at the time and the young boys were less than 18 years old. Thompson drove them from the community where they lived, Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, to different out-of-state locations. When Thompson’s conduct was discovered, an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation confronted Thompson and he confessed.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III, of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico, made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the Jackson County Alabama Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. This investigation was led by FBI Special Agent Samuel Moore.
Assistant United States Attorney James T. Brooks and Special Assistant United States Attorney Charlie Minor represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
Jacksonville, FL – Chief U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced William Ervin Daniels (45, Lake City) to 20 years in federal prison for distributing child sex abuse material. He pleaded guilty on September 24, 2024.
According to court documents, on November 16, 2023, Daniels distributed two videos containing child sex abuse material (CSAM) in a group called “Da Litl Kidz Gc” on a social media application. He identified his name and phone number in his account profile on the app. Daniels was also listed as an administrator for the group to which he distributed the videos. Moreover, his phone contained a cache of thousands of videos and images of CSAM. During the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that Daniels had abused a minor in his care on at least two occasions.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Milliron.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Tyleeya Williams, 22, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Gerald J. Pappert to 40 years in prison and lifetime supervised release for sexually abusing and exploiting a child in her care and multiple child pornography offenses.
In May of 2023, Williams was charged by indictment with the manufacture and attempted manufacture of child pornography, two counts of distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. She pleaded guilty to all four charges in June of last year.
As part of her guilty plea, Williams admitted that she sexually abused a one-year-old girl in her care, and that she had planned the abuse with another child sex offender with whom she was communicating online. The defendant photographed her molestation of this child and distributed those images of her abuse – which included the child’s face – via the internet. Williams also admitted that she had trafficked thousands of images and videos showing the sexual abuse of dozens of other children, sharing that material with groups of child sex offenders online.
“Tyleeya Williams was entrusted with the care and protection of this little girl, but instead sexually abused and exploited her,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “The defendant further victimized this child by documenting the abuse and sharing the horrific images with other sex offenders. While Williams’ 40-year sentence can’t reverse the immeasurable harm she’s done, it prevents her from harming anyone else’s child and is a measure of justice for all the innocents whose images she collected and shared. My office and the FBI will never stop working to hold accountable criminals ready and willing to hurt our children.”
“The crimes Tyleeya Williams committed are among the most egregious the FBI investigates,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Even in the face of such horrific crimes, our office remains unwavering in our pursuit of justice against those who abuse and exploit our most vulnerable.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rotella.
BALTIMORE — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement apprehended a 19-year-old Salvadoran national and member of the MS-13 foreign terrorist organization. ICE officers from Enforcement and Removal Operations Baltimore arrested Anderson Geovany Romero in Hyattsville, Maryland, Jan. 25. This undocumented alien was apprehended after the Prince George’s Detention Center failed to honor an immigration detainer and released him from custody. Romero has pending criminal charges for possessing a loaded handgun and ammunition.
“MS-13’s designation as a terrorist organization highlights the grave threat it poses to public safety. The arrest of Romero sends a clear message: ICE is unwavering in its commitment to protecting our nation’s communities,” said ERO Baltimore acting Field Office Director Matthew Elliston. “Removing egregious criminal aliens from our Maryland streets is a win for law-abiding residents and a critical step toward ensuring safer neighborhoods. I commend the relentless dedication of our officers in prioritizing public safety and upholding immigration law.”
The U.S. Border Patrol arrested Romero near Roma, Texas, July 11, 2015, served him with a notice to appear and, on the same date, transferred custody to ERO.
The Ocean City Police Department in Maryland arrested and charged Romero July 5, 2021, for having an open container of alcohol. The District Court of Maryland for Worcester County convicted Romero for that offense Aug. 30, 2021.
A Department of Justice immigration judge in Baltimore ordered Romero removed to El Salvador April 24, 2023, after he failed to show up for his immigration hearing.
The Prince George’s County Police Department arrested and charged Romero with possession of a loaded handgun Jan. 21, and ERO Baltimore lodged an immigration detainer with the Prince George’s Detention Center on the same date.
ABINGDON, Va. – Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee announced today that the Western District of Virginia collected $11,714,277 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2024. Of this amount, $3,267,062 was collected in criminal actions and $8,447,214 was collected in civil actions.
Additionally, the Western District of Virginia worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $ 19,802,736 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $ 19,545,011 was collected in civil actions.
“As these numbers demonstrate, the United States Attorney’s Office will use every tool to ensure that those who violate federal law do not profit from their actions,” Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee said today. “My office is committed to seeking justice, both civilly and criminally, in order to protect the interests of the United States and its citizens throughout the Western District of Virginia.”
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Western District of Virginia, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $ 54,015,848 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2024. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
SAN FRANCISCO — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced the felony conviction of David Robert Daleiden, along with co-conspirator Sandra Merritt, for criminally recording confidential communications with women’s healthcare providers. Previously, in 2017, the California Department of Justice announced the filing of an arrest warrant against Daleiden and Merritt. Yesterday, they each pleaded no contest to, and were found guilty of, one felony count of California Penal Code Section 632(a) (unlawful recording of confidential communication).
“While the Trump Administration is issuing pardons to individuals convicted of harming reproductive health clinics and providers, my office is securing criminal convictions to ensure that Californians can exercise their constitutional rights to reproductive healthcare,” said Attorney General Bonta. “We will not hesitate to continue taking action against those who threaten access to abortion care — whether by recording confidential conversations or other means.”
The terms of the plea agreement include:
Daleiden and Merritt will have no contact with, stay away from, and not name the victims — whether in public, their private residences, over social media, or at their work locations.
Daleiden and Merritt must obey all laws. This specifically includes not making any additional recordings that violate Penal Code Section 632.
Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
January 28, 2025
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and U.S. Representative Maxine Dexter today announced they have joined 19 legislative colleagues in a letter to Donald Trump urging him to take meaningful steps to lower grocery prices for American families.
During his campaign, Trump repeatedly promised he would lower food prices “immediately” if elected. However, during his first week, none of the many executive orders he signed addressed any sort of plan to lower food costs.
“Your sole action on costs was an executive order that contained only the barest mention of food prices and not a single specific policy to reduce them,” wrote the lawmakers. “You have tools you can use to lower grocery costs and crack down on corporate profiteering, and we write to ask if you will commit to using those tools to make good on your promises to the American people.”“To make food more affordable, you should look to the dominant food and grocery companies that have made record profits on the backs of working families who have had to pay higher prices,” continued the lawmakers. “If you are indeed committed to lowering food prices, we stand ready to work with you.”
The lawmakers laid out six recommendations for executive actions to lower prices by encouraging competition and fighting price-gouging at each level of the food supply chain:
Encourage the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to prohibit exclusionary contracting by dominant firms in the food industry, making it harder for major retailers and food brands to shut out smaller suppliers and drive up prices at smaller stores.
Encourage the FTC to issue guidance on potential violations of the Robinson Patman Act and Section 5 of the FTC Act within the food industry and take enforcement action where merited.
Work with the USDA to increase the number of government contract recipients that are very small businesses and to ensure that government contracting considers the long-term costs of food sector consolidation.
Help the Department of Justice (DOJ) and FTC scrutinize, and where appropriate, block mergers and acquisitions in the food and agricultural sectors.
Encourage the DOJ to prosecute actors in the agricultural and food sectors for price-fixing and other anticompetitive behavior.
Direct the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and FTC to form a joint task force to investigate food price manipulation throughout the supply chain.
“Americans are looking to you to lower food prices. Instead of working to lower their grocery bills, however, you have used the first week of your administration on attempting to end birthright citizenship, pardoning individuals who attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, and renaming a mountain,” concluded the lawmakers. “We urge you to make good on your campaign promise to lower food prices for American families.”Read the full text of the letter here.
WASHINGTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement apprehended an illegally present Bolivian national convicted of driving while intoxicated in Fairfax County, Virginia. Officers from ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Washington, D.C., arrested Daniel Bustamante-Cespedez Jan. 15 in Fairfax County.
“Not only is Mr. Bustamante in our country illegally, he decided to risk the safety of Virginia residents by driving while he was intoxicated,” said ICE Washington, D.C. Field Office Director Liana Castano. “We will not tolerate criminal alien offenders to threaten the safety of our Washington, D.C. and Virginia communities. ICE ERO Washington, D.C. will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing illegally present offenders.
Bustamante lawfully entered the United States on May 23, 2022, but violated the terms of his lawful admission.
Bustamante was convicted in Fairfax County, Virginia, of driving while intoxicated Dec. 18, 2024.
Officers with ERO Washington, D.C. issued Bustamante a notice to appear before a Department of Justice immigration judge after his arrest and he remains in ERO custody.
ERO conducts removals of individuals without a lawful basis to remain in the United States, including at the order of immigration judges with the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review. EOIR is a separate entity from DHS and ICE. Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case, determining if a noncitizen is subject to a final order of removal or eligible for certain forms of relief from removal.
As one of ICE’s three operational directorates, ERO is the principal federal law enforcement authority in charge of domestic immigration enforcement. ERO’s mission is to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws, and its primary areas of focus are interior enforcement operations, management of the agency’s detained and non-detained populations, and repatriation of noncitizens who have received final orders of removal. ERO’s workforce consists of more than 7,700 law enforcement and non-law enforcement support personnel across 25 domestic field offices and 208 locations nationwide, 30 overseas postings, and multiple temporary duty travel assignments along the border.
Members of the public with information regarding child sex offenders can report crimes or suspicious activity by dialing the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
Learn more about ERO Washington, D.C. by following us on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @EROWashington.
DOJ has additionally sent more than 650 price gouging warning letters to hotels and landlords
Price gouging restrictions remain in effect through March 8, 2025
LOS ANGELES — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced the filing of charges against a real estate agent, alleging that she attempted to price gouge a family who was evacuated due to the Los Angeles Eaton Fire. This investigation was the result of review of complaints received by the California Department of Justice (DOJ). The investigation revealed that after being evacuated in the Eaton fire, the family began searching for rentals through their real estate agent and inquired about renting a Glendale home. The defendant, another Southern California real estate agent, offered the family a new price that exceeded the listing price by more than 50%, which is in excess of the 10% limit laid out in Penal Code section 396 while the Governor’s Emergency Orders are in effect.
As part of Attorney General Bonta’s work to protect Californians following the Southern California wildfires, DOJ continues to actively investigate and prosecute price gouging, and has sent more than 650 warning letters – and counting – to hotels and landlords who have been accused of price gouging.
“In the face of natural disaster, we should be coming together to help our neighbors, not attempting to profit off of their pain,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Today’s charges are another example of DOJ’s commitment to put an end to price gouging. I urge the public to report any such incidents to local authorities, or to my office at oag.ca.gov/report or by reaching out to our hotline at (800) 952-5225. To date we have sent more than 650 warning letters, and continue to actively investigate and hold accountable those who disregard the law. May this announcement serve as a stern warning to those who would seek to further victimize people who have lost everything in the face of Southern California’s wildfires: We won’t stop until the price gouging does.”
DOJ has opened several active investigations into price gouging as it continues to ramp up deployment of resources to Los Angeles County to investigate and prosecute price gouging, fraud, scams, and unsolicited low-ball offers on property during the state of emergency. Working alongside our District Attorneys, City Attorneys, and other law enforcement partners, DOJ has been working diligently to tackle this unlawful conduct since a state of emergency was declared on January 7, 2025, and to further those efforts, the launch of a website dedicated to its response: oag.ca.gov/LAFires.
California law – specifically, Penal Code section 396 – generally prohibits charging a price that exceeds, by more than 10%, the price a seller charged for an item before a state or local declaration of emergency. For items a seller only began selling after an emergency declaration, the law generally prohibits charging a price that exceeds the seller’s cost of the item by more than 50%. This law applies to those who sell food, emergency supplies, medical supplies, building materials, and gasoline. The law also applies to repair or reconstruction services, emergency cleanup services, transportation, freight and storage services, hotel accommodations, and long- and short-term rental housing. Exceptions to this prohibition exist if, for example, the price of labor, goods, or materials has increased for the business.
Violators of the price gouging statute are subject to criminal prosecution that can result in a maximum penalty of one-year imprisonment in county jail and/or a fine of up to $10,000. Violators are also subject to civil enforcement actions including civil penalties of up to $2,500 per violation, injunctive relief, and mandatory restitution. The Attorney General and local prosecutors can enforce the statute.
TIPS FOR REPORTING PRICE GOUGING, SCAMS, FRAUD AND OTHER CRIMES:
Visit oag.ca.gov/LAfires or call our hotline at: (800) 952-5225.
Include screenshots of all correspondence including conversations, text messages, direct messages (DMs), and voicemails
Provide anything that shows what prices you were offered, when, and by whom.
If you’re on a site like Zillow, you can also send screenshots of the price history and a link to the listing.
Include first and last names of the realtors, listing agents, or business owners you spoke to. Be sure to include phone numbers, email addresses, home and business addresses, websites, social media accounts.
Don’t leave out any information that can help us find and contact the business or landlord.
Californians who believe they have been the victim of price gouging should report it to their local authorities or to the Attorney General at oag.ca.gov/LAfires. To view a list of all price gouging restrictions currently in effect as a result of proclamations by the Governor, please see here.
It is important to note that criminal charges must be proven in a court of law. Every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Ocala, Florida – United District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Rickey Lee Miller, Jr. (45, Ocala) to 15 years in federal prison, followed by a life term of supervised release, for attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. Miller entered a guilty plea on September 6, 2024.
According to court documents, on July 27, 2024, a detective from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office posed as a 15-year-old girl on an online messaging platform. Miller contacted the undercover detective’s account and initially asked if she wanted to “hang out.” Miller then engaged in a sexually explicit conversation with the detective. During that conversation, Miller asked the detective if she would be interested in having “some fun” with Miller and a female friend. He also asked, “[W]ill you tell my friend your 18[?] I really don’t want her to know your real age.” When Miller subsequently drove to a predetermined location with his friend to meet with the minor for sex, he was arrested by law enforcement. The cellphone located in Miller’s vehicle was confirmed to be the phone communicating with the undercover detective.
“Attempting to entice a minor into harmful activity is a serious crime, and this prosecution underscores our unwavering commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orlando assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “Alongside our partners at the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocala Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Chiefland Police Department, we will work tirelessly to hold offenders accountable and ensure that our children are safe from those who seek to exploit them.”
This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocala Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Chiefland Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
Agents Seized 3D Printers, Equipment to Build Firearms and Silencers from Defendant’s Bedroom
MACON, Ga. – A technical college student who described himself as a “machinist” and was building machineguns and silencers using a 3D printer out of his Lizella, Georgia, bedroom pleaded guilty to manufacturing a machinegun.
Jaden Michael-William Pope, 20, of Lizella, pleaded guilty to one count of manufacture of an unregistered machinegun before U.S. District Judge Marc T. Treadwell on Jan. 27. Pope faces a maximum of ten years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing has been scheduled for May 13. There is no parole in the federal system.
“3-D printed machineguns and silencers pose a significant threat to the safety of our communities by increasing the access of illegally manufactured rapid-fire weapons to potentially dangerous individuals,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Shanelle Booker. “I applaud our local and federal law enforcement partners for shutting down this clandestine machinegun manufacturing operation.”
“The collaboration between ATF and the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office showcases our unwavering commitment to confronting the illegal production of firearms, especially those created through advanced methods like 3D printing,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “These weapons are designed to evade detection and accountability, posing an undeniable threat to public safety. Together, we are ensuring such dangers are swiftly and decisively addressed.”
According to the stipulation of fact and other statements referenced in court, the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office was investigating Pope in Sept. 2023, for stealing firearms out of vehicles at night. He was arrested and admitted to stealing from cars. Investigators found photos on Pope’s cell phone of personally manufactured firearms and firearm silencers as well as screenshots from a website called Yeggi, which offers 3D-printed templates of AR-15 full auto sears. A confidential source (CS) notified law enforcement that Pope was a machinist who was manufacturing firearms, including silencers, in his bedroom and that he had watched Pope shoot a firearm with a manufactured silencer that significantly diminished the sound.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”) was contacted to further the investigation. Agents found photos Pope posted on Facebook of personally manufactured firearms, including a Glock handgun with a “switch,” which is a device that allows the semi-automatic firearm to fire full-automatic with a single trigger pull. On his Facebook profile, Pope described himself as a “machinist” and a student at a local technical college. Agents executed a search warrant at Pope’s home on Dec. 12, 2023, and found four 3D printers, three computers, two machineguns, nine silencers and a short-barreled rifle. Agents also found a stolen .45 caliber pistol.
Along with the 3D printers and weapons seized, agents found additional evidence that Pope manufactured the machineguns, silencers and the short-barreled rifle. Agents found diagrams and instructions for building the firearms, notes related to their production, scrap parts, and failed 3D prints and residue. Agents analyzed the computers used with the 3D printers and found “g-codes” which is the computer programming code used to 3D print the machineguns, silencers and the short-barreled rifle. While searching the electronic devices, agents found methamphetamine hidden within a USB device.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities; supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place; setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities; and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by ATF and the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputy Criminal Chief Will Keyes is prosecuting the case for the Government.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that FEI WANG “WANG,” age 38, pled guilty on January 24, 2025 to violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) and for obstructing proceedings, and was sentenced during the same proceeding to 3 months in prison, 3 years of supervised release and payment of a $200 mandatory special assessment fee.
WANG, a Chinese national, was the Chief Engineer of the M/V ASL Singapore, a Chinese-owned bulk carrier registered in Liberia and engaged in trade in the United States. The ASL Singapore arrived in New Orleans on February 26, 2024. The U.S. Coast Guard conducted an inspection, which included review of the vessel’s Oil Record Books. In his plea, WANG acknowledged presenting these books to the Coast Guard knowing they contained fraudulent entries and omitted information about discharging oily bilge water directly overboard before arriving in the United States. The falsified logs were intended to conceal the fact that since at least October 2023, when WANG boarded the vessel, the crew had dumped oily bilge water overboard directly from the bilge holding tank and was not complying with international treaties regulating oil pollution from ships.
According to court documents and statements, the crew used a portable pump and flexible hose—a so-called “magic pipe”—to dispose of oily bilge water in violation of MARPOL (the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships), and without the use of the appropriate pollution prevention equipment and monitoring. This was done prior to WANG boarding the vessel and continued while he was Chief Engineer, in charge of all engine room operations. The vessel’s Oily Water Separator was never properly used during WANG’s time as Chief Engineer.
“Today’s sentencing highlights the commitment of the Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) to hold individuals accountable for violations of MARPOL, particularly in cases involving the discharge of oily waste,” stated Damon J. Youmans, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Coast Guard Investigative Service, Gulf Field Office. “CGIS will continue to collaborate with our partners from the Department of Justice’s Environmental Crimes Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the United States Coast Guard, Sector New Orleans to enforce environmental laws and investigate these offenses.”
The Coast Guard Investigative Service and the EPA Criminal Investigations Division investigated the case with assistance from U.S. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine M. Calogero of the General Crimes Unit, and G. Dall Kammer, Chief of the General Crimes Unit, are prosecuting the case.
MIAMI – On Jan. 23, U.S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg sentenced Blaine Korbin Hulten, to 20 years imprisonment, followed by 25 years of supervised release for production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court record, Hulten, 24, of Fort Pierce, Fla., admitted to having sex with a 13-year-old minor and a 16-year-old minor, and to recording the sex act with the 16-year-old victim. Corroborating his confession, his social media records contained conversations with both minor victims, as well as evidence that Hulten was aware both victims were under the age of 18. Social media records also showed that Hulten distributed the recording of his 16-year-old victim using the social media platform.
Acting U.S. Attorney Michael S. Davis for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami Field Office, and John Budensiek, Martin County Sheriff, made the announcement.
HSI Fort Pierce and Martin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Hudock prosecuted this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-14027.
ST. LOUIS – A Missouri man has pleaded guilty and admitted transporting a minor across state lines for sex.
Scott M. Arnold-Micke, 48, pleaded guilty to one count of transportation of a minor to engage in a criminal sex act. He admitted in his plea agreement that in 2021, he took the 17-year-old victim to Chicago, where they used drugs and engaged in sexual acts. Arnold-Micke met the victim that summer and began engaging in drug usage with the victim on an almost daily basis after Arnold-Micke moved from Sullivan, Missouri to Rolla, Missouri.
Arnold-Micke is scheduled to be sentenced April 30. Both the U.S. Attorney’s office and Arnold-Micke’s lawyers have agreed to recommend 230 months in prison.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Rolla Police Department, and the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Edwards is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Martin, South Dakota, woman convicted of Larceny. The sentencing took place on January 24, 2025.
Madonna Peterson, age 59, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $150,000 in restitution to Wild Horse Butte Community Development Corporation (WHB).
Peterson was indicted on one count of Larceny and one count of Embezzlement and Theft from an Indian Tribal Organization by a federal grand jury in February 2023. She pleaded guilty on September 30, 2024.
Between 2014 and July 2021, while employed as the Chief Financial Officer for the Wild Horse Butte Community Development Corporation, Peterson wrote herself checks she was not entitled to and submitted fraudulent reimbursement requests to WHB for travel that she did not take and for supplies that she did not purchase. Peterson then used the stolen funds for personal gain, including gambling at various casinos.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
Peterson was ordered to self-surrender on February 18, 2025, to begin serving her prison term.
What you need to know: The Council was tasked with assessing the status of Holocaust and genocide education in California, making recommendations for how to improve that education, and promoting best practices for educators, schools, and organizations and sponsor Holocaust and genocide remembrance.
Sacramento, California – On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Governor Gavin Newsom’s Council on Holocaust and Genocide Education today released the “Holocaust and Genocide Education in California: A Study of Statewide Context and Local Implementation.” In 2021, following a disturbing increase in antisemitic hate, Governor Newsom established the Governor’s Council on Holocaust and Genocide Education to identify instructional resources to teach students across California about the Holocaust and other acts of genocide and provide young people with the tools necessary to recognize and respond to instances of antisemitism and bigotry.
Read the full study HERE.
“In California, hate is unacceptable, and the shocking decline in awareness among young people about the Holocaust and other acts of genocide is especially alarming. I was proud to establish the Council on Holocaust and Genocide Education and grateful for their work on this comprehensive report. I look forward to reviewing the Council’s recommendations and ensuring that California continues to be a beacon for tolerance, empathy, and education.”
Governor Gavin Newsom
How we got here
The Council assessed the status of Holocaust and genocide education in California, made recommendations for how to improve Holocaust and genocide education in our schools, and will now work to promote best practices for educators, schools and organizations and sponsor Holocaust and genocide remembrance. The Council is co-chaired by State Senator Henry Stern, Attorney General Rob Bonta, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and Dr. Anita Friedman, Executive Director, Jewish Family and Children’s Services/Northern California.
Dr. Anita Friedman, Executive Director, Jewish Family and Children’s Services (JFCS)/Northern California: “California leads the nation in support for state-of-the art Holocaust and Genocide Education. As a result, our State is systematically creating a more unified society and a more informed, morally courageous and socially responsible next generation. We are inspired by the enthusiastic cooperation of educators, communities and students in this common cause.”
State Senator Henry Stern: “On this Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, we reaffirm the plea to ‘Never Forget.’ Never forget our ancestors, the unimaginable horrors endured, and the systemic failures that allowed such atrocities to unfold. We remember not only to honor our ancestors but to safeguard against history repeating itself. Understanding the patterns of genocide that occurred to numerous groups worldwide, is essential in fostering empathy, combatting hate, and upholding our collective moral responsibility. We have to ensure that our students are learning this complex subject matter so they are equipped to enter a society increasingly rife with misinformation. I’m proud that this critical report will allow us to invest in the resources, teacher training, and curriculum necessary to equip our students with factual information to break the cycle of history repeating itself.”
Attorney General Rob Bonta: “There is no place for hate in California. The California Department of Justice is committed to combatting all forms of hate and bigotry, and to building a more just, empathetic society for our children. Acknowledging the truth and teaching our youth are crucial steps toward ensuring that we don’t repeat the atrocities of our past. I’m grateful to our state partners and the Council on Holocaust and Genocide Education for their work and recommendations to continue fighting antisemitism and intolerance through education and beyond.”
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond: “We must counter hate wherever and whenever it rears its head, and especially in our schools. Every child must feel safe to learn, and every child should feel that they belong on their school campus. It takes strong leaders to end hate and foster understanding. I am proud to stand alongside nearly 100 school and district leaders and antibias practitioners as we commit to use the power of education to end hate across California.”
“I’m grateful for the work of the Governor’s Council Holocaust and Genocide Education for identifying gaps in education on the Holocaust and other genocides. This education is vital as history often repeats itself if unchecked. Young people are our future leaders, and this education equips them with the tools to recognize and respond to antisemitism and bigotry in all forms. California must always stand for love, tolerance, and understanding. Securing that future begins with a strong foundation of empathy and understanding amongst our youth population.”
First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom
Key findings
Key findings of the study released today show that while some districts have developed robust programs, the overall landscape remains fragmented, with success often dependent on individual educator initiative. Local Educational Agency (LEA) representatives emphasized the need for state-level support – ultimately pointing to the necessity of a systematic, state-supported approach to ensure the kind of equitable, high-quality Holocaust and genocide education statewide that the Council envisions.
Respondents highlighted increased student knowledge, heightened empathy, and higher levels of engagement as key successes of their Holocaust and genocide education efforts. However, the study uncovered significant gaps in implementation support. The majority of respondents shared that their LEAs did not provide professional development focused on Holocaust and genocide education.
The California-focused analysis revealed that while the state has made significant strides, including recent legislation and funding allocations, there are opportunities to further align and amplify these efforts.
Recommendations
Drawing on these comprehensive findings, this report offers 10 recommendations to strengthen Holocaust and genocide education in California:
Communicate California’s Vision for Holocaust and Genocide Education
Revise the California History–Social Science Content Standards
Revise the History–Social Science Framework for California Public Schools
Update, Distribute, and Provide Guidance for the Model Curriculum for Human Rights and Genocide
Continue to Create a Vetted Central Clearinghouse for Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment, and Professional Learning
Increase Direct Funding to Districts and Schools for Holocaust and Genocide Education
Expand Existing Statewide Professional Learning on Holocaust and Genocide Education
Monitor and Evaluate Educational Outcomes
Continue to Conduct Additional Research to Inform the Council’s Future Actions
Expand, Publicize, and Strengthen the Role of the Governor’s Council on Holocaust and Genocide Education
Fighting hate
Governor Newsom has long made the eradication of discrimination and hate a priority. Working with the Jewish Caucus and Legislature, the Newsom administration successfully secured millions of dollars to ensure that future generations of Californians never forget the lessons of past genocides, including millions of dollars to develop curriculum resources related to Holocaust and genocide education, such the Holocaust Museum LA, the JFCS Holocaust Center, the Museum of Tolerance, and the California Teachers Collaborative for Holocaust and Genocide Education.
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BECKLEY, W.Va. – Heather Danielle Dunbar, 37, of Terry, pleaded guilty today to distribution of methamphetamine. Dunbar admitted to her role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine base, also known as “crack,” in Beckley and elsewhere within the Southern District of West Virginia. A co-defendant, David Anthony Lacy, 52, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to use of a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense in a separate case.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 17, 2023, Dunbar sold 1 ounce of methamphetamine in exchange for $320 to a confidential informant at the residence of co-conspirator Tilford Joe Bradley Jr. in Beckley. Dunbar admitted to the transaction and further admitted to additional drug transactions. On October 23, 2023, Dunbar sold 25.94 grams of methamphetamine in exchange for $320. On December 26, 2023, Dunbar sold approximately 2.3 grams of fentanyl in exchange for $325. Each time, Dunbar sold the controlled substances to a confidential informant.
On June 28, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Bradley’s residence, where Dunbar was staying. Officers seized 38 grams of fentanyl, 6 grams of cocaine, multiple digital scales, a money counter, a large quantity of small plastic bags, and a blender containing white residue. Dunbar admitted that she intended to help Bradley distribute the seized controlled substances in and around the Southern District of West Virginia.
Dunbar further admitted to working with Bradley to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl and crack in and around the Southern District of West Virginia during the months of April and May 2024. On April 9, 2024, Bradley called Dunbar and they discussed weighing $600 worth of drugs for an individual waiting to purchase them. On May 3, 2024, Dunbar and Bradley discussed selling $100 worth of cocaine to an individual. Dunbar admitted that she now knows that law enforcement intercepted her phone calls with Bradley.
Lacy received cocaine base, also known as “crack,” from Bradley and redistributed it in and around the Southern District of West Virginia throughout the month of April 2024. Lacy admitted that he called Bradley using his cell phone to discuss and arrange drug transactions. On April 24, 2024, Lacy called Bradley and asked for about 3.5 grams of crack, and told Bradley that he needed to discuss buying fentanyl from Bradley to redistribute. Lacy admitted that he now knows that law enforcement officers intercepted those phone calls.
Dunbar is scheduled to be sentenced on May 22, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine. Lacy is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of four years in prison, up to one year of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Bradley, 47, of Beckley, pleaded guilty on January 21, 2025 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and awaits sentencing. Dunbar, Lacy and Bradley are among 12 individuals indicted on charges alleging the defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and crack within the Southern District of West Virginia from in or about June 2023 to in or about May 2024. Dunbar, Lacy and Bradley are also among 10 defendants who have pleaded guilty. The charges against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell is prosecuting the cases.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 5:24-cr-90 (Dunbar) and 5:25-cr-1 (Lacy).
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Today, Kirt Ray King, 48, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine and Anthony Michael Mowery, 48, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. King and Mowery admitted to their roles in a Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine in the Charleston area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from in or about January 2024 to in or about May 2024, King and Mowery conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine in Charleston and within the Southern District of West Virginia.
King and Mowery are scheduled to be sentenced on April 21, 2025. King faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $10,000,000 fine. Mowery faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a $5,000,000 fine.
King and Mowery are among four defendants indicted in the case. Co-defendant Michael Dale Cain, 49, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty on November 6, 2024, and co-defendant John Wayne Harkless, 46, of Charleston, pleaded guilty on November 20, 2024, each to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Cain and Harkless await sentencing.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-95.
Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
January 27, 2025
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said today that he joined the reintroduction of legislation that would expand access to federal support for the families of firefighters and other first responders who died or became permanently disabled from service-related cancers.
The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act would also extend disability benefits in cases where these first responders become permanently and totally disabled due to cancer.
“In the wake of record wildfires last year in Oregon and California’s current wildfires, we have seen firefighters and first responders work tirelessly around the clock to save lives,” Wyden said. “They put their health, safety, and lives on the line without receiving an ounce of support that comes with the long-term risks of fighting fires. Let’s give these everyday heroes and their families the help they deserve so they don’t have to shoulder these challenges alone.”
Currently, firefighters are only eligible for support under the Public Safety Officer Benefits (PSOB) program for physical injuries sustained in the line-of-duty, or for deaths from duty-related heart attacks, strokes, mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, and 9/11 related illnesses.
The PSOB program provides benefits to the survivors of fire fighters; law enforcement officers; and other first responders killed as the result of injuries sustained in the line of duty. The program also provides disability benefits where first responders become permanently or totally disabled. The Public Safety Officers’ Educational Assistance (PSOEA) program, a component of the PSOB program, provides higher-education assistance to the children and spouses of public safety officers killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty. The Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance administers the PSOB and PSOEA programs.
In addition to Wyden, the legislation is led by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., and cosponsored by Senators Jim Banks, R-Ind., John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Chris Coons, D-Del., John Cornyn, R-Texas, Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., John Fetterman, D-Pa., Deb Fischer, R-Neb., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawai’i, John Hoeven, R-N.D., Jim Justice, R-W. Va., Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Mike Rounds, R-S.D., Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., Tina Smith, D-Minn., Mark Warner, D-Va., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.
The legislation is endorsed by the International Association of Fire Fighters, as well as the Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies; Congressional Fire Services Institute; Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association; Fraternal Order of Police; International Association of Fire Chiefs; Major County Sheriffs of America; Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association; National Association of Police Organizations; National Fallen Firefighters Foundation; National Fire Protection Association; National Narcotics Officers’ Associations’ Coalition; National Volunteer Fire Council; and Sergeants Benevolent Association of the New York Police Department.
President Donald Trump has begun to radically change how the U.S. government handles immigration, from challenging long-held legal concepts about who gets citizenship to using the military to transport migrants back to their countries of origin.
Trump’s administration is doing more than reshaping the approach of the federal government toward migrants: It has now ordered state and local officials to comply with all federal immigration laws, including any new executive orders. It has warned that if those officials refuse, it may criminally prosecute them.
The specter of a federal prosecutor putting a city’s mayor or a state’s governor in jail will raise what may be the greatest source of conflict in the U.S. Constitution. That conflict is how much power the federal government can wield over the states, a long-standing and unresolved dispute that will move again to the front and center of American politics and, in all likelihood, into American courtrooms.
A sign prohibiting the entry of ICE or Homeland Security personnel is posted on a door at St. Paul and St. Andrew United Methodist Church in New York City. Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images
In the Jan. 21, 2024, memo, Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove, one of Trump’s former private attorneys, directs federal prosecutors to “investigate … for potential prosecution” state and local officials who “resist, obstruct, or otherwise fail to comply” with the new administration’s immigration orders.
Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove asserted in a recent memo that the Constitution and other legal authorities ‘require state and local actors to comply with the Executive Branch’s immigration enforcement initiatives.’ Jeenah Moon-Pool/Getty Images
By ordering federal prosecutors to potentially arrest, charge and imprison state and local officials, it strikes at a fundamental tension embedded in the nation’s constitutional structure in a way that Trump’s other orders do not. That tension has never been fully resolved, in either the political or legal arenas.
The practicalities of this dual sovereignty – where two governments exercise supreme power – have had to play out in practice, with often very messy results. The crux of the problem is that the Constitution explicitly grants power to both federal and state governments – but the founders did not specify what to do if the two sovereigns disagree or how any ensuing struggle should be resolved.
As Bove correctly noted in his memo, Article 4 of the U.S Constitution contains the supremacy clause, which declares that federal laws “shall be the supreme Law of the Land.”
But Bove failed to mention that the Constitution also contains the 10th Amendment. Its language, that “(a)ll powers not granted to the federal government are reserved to the states or to the people, respectively,” has been interpreted by the Supreme Court to create a sphere of state sovereignty into which the federal government may not easily intrude.
This is not to say that the federal government is barred from making policies in these areas. Indeed, the great puzzle of federalism – and the great challenge for courts – has been to figure out the boundaries between state and federal power and how two sovereigns can coexist.
If it sounds confusing, that’s because it is. The country’s best legal minds have long wrestled with how to balance the powers granted by the supremacy clause and the 10th Amendment.
Push and pull
In a 1997 opinion, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia wrote that the Constitution barred the federal government from ‘impress[ing] into its service…the police officers of the 50 States.’ Alex Wong/Getty Images
Reflecting this tension, the Supreme Court developed a pair of legal doctrines that sit uneasily alongside each other.
The first is the doctrine of “preemption,,” in which federal law can supersede state policy in certain circumstances, such as when a congressional statute expressly withdraws certain powers from the states.
At the same time, the court has limited the reach of the federal government, particularly in its ability to tell states what to do, a doctrine now known as the “anti-commandeering rule.” Were the Trump administration to go after state or local officials, both of these legal principles could come into play.
The anti-commandeering rule was first articulated in 1992 when the Supreme Court ruled in New York v. United States that the federal government could not force a state to take control of radioactive waste generated within its boundaries.
The court relied on the doctrine again five years later, in Printz v. United States, when it rejected the federal government’s attempt to require local law enforcement officials to conduct background checks before citizens could purchase handguns.
In an opinion authored by conservative icon Antonin Scalia and joined by four other Republican-appointed Supreme Court justices, the court held that the Constitution’s framers intended states to have a “residuary and inviolable sovereignty” that barred the federal government from “impress[ing] into its service … the police officers of the 50 States.”
“This separation of the two spheres is one of the Constitution’s structural protections of liberty,” Scalia wrote. Allowing state law enforcement to be conscripted into service for the federal government would disrupt what James Madison called the “double security” the founders wanted against government tyranny and would allow the “accumulation of excessive power” in the federal government.
Justice John Paul Stevens dissented, pointing out that the 10th Amendment preserves for states only those powers that are not already given to the federal government.
What happens at the Supreme Court?
The anti-commandeering and preemption doctrines were on display again during the first Trump administration, when jurisdictions around the country declared themselves “sanctuary cities” that would protect residents from federal immigration officials.
Subsequent litigation tested whether the federal government could punish these locales by withholding federal funds. The administration lost most cases. Several courts ruled that despite its extensive power over immigration, the federal government could not financially punish states for failing to comply with federal law.
One circuit court, in contrast, formulated an “immigration exception” to the anti-commandeering rule and upheld the administration’s financial punishment of uncooperative states.
The Supreme Court has never directly ruled on how the anti-commandeering rule works in the context of immigration. While the Printz decision would seem to bar the Justice Department from acting on its threats, the court could rule that given the federal government’s nearly exclusive power over immigration, such actions do not run afoul of the anti-commandeering doctrine.
Whether such a case ever makes it to the Supreme Court is unknown. Recent events, in which a Chicago school’s staff denied entry to people they thought were immigration agents, seem to be heading toward a federal and state confrontation.
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Hassanbunhussein Abolore Lawal (luh-wall), 24, of Osun State, Nigeria, has been extradited to the United States from Nigeria to face prosecution in a partially unsealed indictment for the sextortion of a South Carolina minor, which led to the victim’s death.
This investigation was launched after Gavin Guffey, a 17-year-old from Rock Hill, died by suicide in July 2022 after being victimized by Lawal’s scheme. Lawal allegedly posed as a young woman on social media and coerced the teen into sending compromising photos. He then extorted and sent harassing messages to the teen threatening to leak the photos and ruin his reputation unless the teen sent him money. Lawal later did the same to members of his family.
The five-count federal indictment charges Lawal with child exploitation resulting in death, the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material, coercion and enticement of a minor, cyberstalking resulting in death, interstate threats with intent to extort, and aiding/abetting. In addition to victimizing the teen in every count, the indictment alleges Lawal targeted the minor victim’s family in the stalking and extortion charges.
Lawal faces up to life in prison, and mandatory minimum prison sentences on multiple counts. The child exploitation resulting in death count carries a mandatory 30-year sentence. He also faces mandatory restitution, where the court may order Lawal to pay for losses incurred by the family as a result of his scheme.
The indictment was returned by a federal Grand Jury in South Carolina in October 2023. On Jan. 24, following extradition proceedings in Nigeria, agents with the FBI Columbia Field Office took custody of Lawal in Lagos, Nigeria and executed the removal with assistance from Nigerian law enforcement.
“We will not allow predators who target our children to hide behind a keyboard or across the ocean. Today we honor Gavin’s life and continue our fight against sextortion by holding this defendant accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Adair Ford Boroughs for the District of Columbia. “This investigation and extradition are the result of tremendous law enforcement coordination both in the United State and Nigeria. We’re grateful to the many agencies who helped make this day possible.”
“This indictment represents the culmination of countless hours of dedicated work done by our investigators both here and abroad,” said Steve Jensen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “The defendant’s alleged actions are reprehensible resulting in the tragic loss of a young man’s life. We remain steadfast in our commitment to holding criminals accountable, especially those who target our children and endanger their lives, no matter where they are.”
U.S. Attorney Boroughs and SAC Jensen thanked the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs (OIA), and U.S State Department for their help in facilitating the arrest and extradition of Lawal.
Nigerian law enforcement provided critical assistance in the identification, investigation, arrest, and extradition of Lawal. U.S. Attorney Boroughs and SAC Jensen extend their appreciation and thanks to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Nigerian Attorney General’s Office – Ministry of Justice, and all other involved Nigerian authorities for their important partnership in this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, county prosecutor’s offices, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force (ICAC), federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit the following website: www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Individuals with information or concerns about possible child exploitation should contact local law enforcement officials.
The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, the FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children Section and International Operations Division, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and the York County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliott B. Daniels, Lothrop Morris, and Michael Shedd are prosecuting the case.
All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
FRESNO – California Attorney General Rob Bonta, together with the Madera County Sheriff’s Office and California Highway Patrol, today announced the results of operation “To Catch a Predator” which targeted sexual predators who use the internet to seek out potential underage victims. Over the course of the three-day operation, five suspects were arrested and charged with contacting and meeting with minors for sexual purposes. The California Department of Justice’s Fresno Human Trafficking Sexual Predator Apprehension (HT-SPAT), the Madera County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Highway Patrol (CHP) joined forces in a three-day multi-jurisdictional operation, which was completed on January 18, 2025.
“The exploitation of children will not be tolerated in California,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “The National Center of Missing and Exploited Children and the FBI estimate there are 500,000 online predators active each day. One child exploited is one too many. I would like to thank the efforts of our partners who helped conduct this operation. When we work together, we get results.”
“We are grateful for our ongoing partnership with the CA DOJ Human Trafficking Team in Fresno and CA Highway Patrol, and our shared commitment to protecting one of our most vulnerable populations, said Madera County Sheriff Tyson Pogue. “May this operation and subsequent arrests be a reminder to all that we will not tolerate predators in Madera County.”
“The safety and well-being of our children is our top priority,” said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee. “This operation demonstrates our unwavering commitment to protecting California’s most vulnerable residents and holding those who prey on them accountable. We will continue to work tirelessly with our partners to ensure that no child is ever subjected to such harm.”
Agents and officers identified subjects looking to exploit minors for the purpose of committing sexual acts. During the operation, undercover agents and detectives posed as minors on various social media platforms and websites commonly used by child sex predators. After being identified, the suspects were located and arrested. All suspects were booked into the Madera County Jail and were charged with Penal Code Section 288.3 – contacting a minor for sexual purposes and Penal Code Section 288.4 – meeting with a minor for sexual purposes. The Madera County District Attorney’s Office will be prosecuting the cases.
The CA DOJ Victims’ Services Unit (VSU) works in conjunction with victim service providers and all across the state to provide victim-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally-sensitive support services to all crime victims, including underserved, at-risk, underrepresented, and vulnerable populations. More information about VSU is available at oag.ca.gov/victimservices or by calling (877) 433-9069 or emailing VSU atVictimServices@doj.ca.gov.
If you or someone you know is being forced to engage in any activity and cannot leave, you can call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 to access help and services. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1. Additional information and resources to support survivors of human trafficking is available here.
DES MOINES, Iowa – An Illinois man was sentenced on Friday, January 17, 2025, to 35 years in federal prison for enticement and attempted enticement of a minor and for committing an offense while a registered sex offender.
According to public court documents, in 2020, Anthony Alan Anderson, 40, while serving in the United States Air Force, was convicted via general court martial of two counts of attempting to commit a lewd act with a person he believed to be a child who had not attained the age of 16 years old. As a result of that conviction, Anderson was required to register as a sex offender in his state of residence. Anderson moved to Illinois in 2022.
From May to November 2023, Anderson, from his residence in Illinois, used text messaging and social-media applications to communicate with a 14-year-old child from Ottumwa, Iowa. During their communications, Anderson convinced the child to produce and send him child pornography. In September 2023, Anderson traveled from his home in Illinois to Ottumwa, where he picked the child up from her residence and took her to a hotel. There, he and the child engaged in sex acts. Anderson also captured child sexual abuse material of the child while in the hotel.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Anderson will be required to serve a ten‑year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The case was investigated by the Ottumwa Police Department with assistance from the Illinois State Police.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.
Defendant also participated in scheme to illegally obtain $28,350 in unemployment insurance benefits from the State of California during COVID-19 Pandemic.
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin sentenced Victor Ojo, 30, of Belcamp, Maryland, to 72 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Victor Ojo received the sentence for aggravated identity theft and his role in an attempted bank-fraud scheme that had an intended loss amount of $1.5 million. Additionally, Victor Ojo admitted to participating in a fraudulent scheme to obtain $28,350 in unemployment insurance benefits. So, Judge Rubin ordered Victor Ojo to forfeit $20,014.03 and to pay $78,350 in restitution.
Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Andrew McKay, Special Agent in Charge of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration’s (TIGTA) Mid-Atlantic Field Division, and Scott Moffit, Special Agent in Charge of TIGTA’s Cybercrime Investigations Division.
According to his guilty plea, from April 2016 through at least August 2019, Victor Ojo conspired with Damilola Ojo, Jamelia Thompson, Raissa Kaossele, and others, to commit bank fraud using the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) Modernized Internet Employer Identification Number (MODIEIN) system. The MODIEIN is the IRS system that allows users to register for a unique Employer Identification Number (EIN). It requires users to enter the valid name and Social Security Number of a real living person to obtain an EIN for a business.
The defendant and his co-conspirators created and used various EINs to carry out the scheme. They obtained many of the EINs from the IRS using stolen Personally Identifiable Information. These EINs, in conjunction with fraudulently obtained state business certificates, allowed the co-conspirators to open bank accounts at various financial institutions to deposit stolen and/or altered checks and to receive fraudulently obtained wire transfers and other funds. Many of the wire transfers were the result of Business Email Compromises. Once obtained, the co-conspirators rapidly withdrew the proceeds, transferring them to other bank accounts.
Victor Ojo and his co-conspirators victimized individuals through identity theft, businesses through financial account compromise, and banks through misdirecting wire transfers and making fraudulent transactions. After Victor Ojo’s arrest, law enforcement discovered evidence linking him to fraudulent activity. Law enforcement found numerous financial documents; a jacket, shirt, and hat that they saw Victor Ojo wearing in bank-surveillance footage while interacting with the fraudulent accounts; and a $14,000 check with someone else’s name on it. They also found passports in other people’s names and a Colorado ID with authentication features in someone else’s name.
In the plea agreement, Victor Ojo admitted that he engaged in additional fraudulent activities prior to his arrest for bank-fraud conspiracy. Specifically, Victor Ojo and co-conspirators fraudulently obtained $28,350 in unemployment insurance benefits from the State of California using a victim’s identification.
Around August 1, 2021, the California Employment Development Department (EDD) issued a Bank of America debit card in that victim’s name to an address in Lanham, Maryland. The card was linked to a Bank of America account that the EDD deposited a total of $28,350 in unemployment insurance benefits into.
The EDD made the first deposit on August 8, 2021. On August 10, 11, 24, and 25, Victor Ojo used the card to withdraw thousands of dollars from various ATMs in Harford County, Maryland. Victor Ojo was also captured on surveillance cameras making the withdrawals on August 10, 11, and 25.
U.S. Attorney Barron commended the TIGTA for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph L. Wenner, Paul Riley, and John D’Amico who prosecuted the federal case. He also recognized Joanna B.N. Huber, Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force Paralegal Specialist, for her assistance.
The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
A man who attempted to solicit a minor to engage in prostitution was sentenced on January 24, 2025, to 292 months in federal prison.
Joshua Johnson, age 50, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the sentence after an August 7, 2024, jury verdict finding him guilty of attempted sex trafficking of a child and destruction of evidence. The evidence at trial showed that, in December 2023, Johnson responded to an ad on a website for prostitution. He exchanged text messages with a person who stated that she was 13 years old; she actually was an undercover law enforcement officer. Johnson sent messages describing sex acts he could perform with the minor, and he traveled to Hiawatha, Iowa, to meet with her. After meeting with officers, Johnson wiped his cell phone.
Johnson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Johnson was sentenced to 292 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Hiawatha Police Department.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
January 27, 2025
Lawmakers lay out six executive actions that could lower costs.
“We urge you to make good on your campaign promise to lower food prices for American families.”
Text of Letter (PDF)
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Representative Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) led 19 of their colleagues, writing to President Donald Trump, pushing him to take meaningful steps to lower the prices of eggs and other groceries—a problem he largely ignored during his entire first week in office.
During his campaign for president, Mr. Trump repeatedly promised he would lower food prices “immediately” if elected. Trump even told the press, “I won on groceries.” But during his first week, he instead focused on attempting to end birthright citizenship, firing inspectors general, and pardoning January 6 attackers, including those who assaulted Capitol police officers.
“Your sole action on costs was an executive order that contained only the barest mention of food prices and not a single specific policy to reduce them,” wrote the lawmakers. “You have tools you can use to lower grocery costs and crack down on corporate profiteering, and we write to ask if you will commit to using those tools to make good on your promises to the American people.”
“To make food more affordable, you should look to the dominant food and grocery companies that have made record profits on the backs of working families who have had to pay higher prices,” continued the lawmakers.
For example, last year a Kroger executive admitted in federal court that the company raised the price of eggs and milk “significantly higher than the cost of inflation” in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, a federal court found that the country’s largest egg producers had engaged in a price-fixing conspiracy in the mid-2000s as well. Now, egg producers and grocery stores may leverage the current avian flu outbreak as an opportunity to further constrain supply or hike up egg prices to increase profits.
“If you are indeed committed to lowering food prices, we stand ready to work with you,” wrote the lawmakers.
The lawmakers laid out six recommendations for executive actions to lower prices by encouraging competition and fighting price-gouging at each level of the food supply chain:
Encourage the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to prohibit exclusionary contracting by dominant firms in the food industry, making it harder for major retailers and food brands to shut out smaller suppliers and drive up prices at smaller stores.
Encourage the FTC to issue guidance on potential violations of the Robinson Patman Act and Section 5 of the FTC Act within the food industry and take enforcement action where merited.
Work with the USDA to increase the number of government contract recipients that are very small businesses and to ensure that government contracting considers the long-term costs of food sector consolidation.
Help the Department of Justice (DOJ) and FTC scrutinize, and where appropriate, block mergers and acquisitions in the food and agricultural sectors.
Encourage the DOJ to prosecute actors in the agricultural and food sectors for price-fixing and other anticompetitive behavior.
Direct the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and FTC to form a joint task force to investigate food price manipulation throughout the supply chain.
“Americans are looking to you to lower food prices. Instead of working to lower their grocery bills, however, you have used the first week of your administration on attempting to end birthright citizenship, pardoning individuals who attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, and renaming a mountain,” concluded the lawmakers. “We urge you to make good on your campaign promise to lower food prices for American families.”
Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland
Statement by TUV MLA Timothy Gaston:
“On 16th September – more than three months ago – I raised the prospect of biological men being able to access women only prisons in the Assembly. My comments were dismissed with a patronising swipe of the hand.
“Questioning Ms O’Neill on the Executive’s Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy I asked: “In Scotland, there was a ridiculous situation where a rapist was held in a female prison before, rightly, being moved. Is there anything in the strategy to defend women-only rights and women-only spaces and to oppose the efforts of a biological man who thinks he is a woman to gain access to female-only spaces?”
“Ms O’Neill totally ignored the question and responded by saying: “It is unfortunate that you take that approach, but we will not be distracted. We are here to launch a strategy to end violence against women and girls. It is endemic in our society, and it must stop. The focus of the framework is on prevention and tackling the root causes of violence against women. We will remain focused on the work that we are trying to do. It is a whole-society approach. I encourage you even to get behind it, because it is really important. It is about women who are being murdered. We need to end violence against women and girls. I would like to think that everyone who has been elected to the Chamber has the same goal in mind.”
“Now we discover that the Department of Justice has conceded the challenge brought by a biological man to be held in Hydebank Wood because the Department had no clear policy on the issue.
“Presumably a similar challenge could be successfully mounted by rapists as well.
“Such a situation was – as my question three months ago illustrates – entirely predictable. How can the Executive claim to be concerned about violence against women when they fail to have a policy to prevent a man facing charges of threats to kill from being detained in our only female prison?
“Indeed, what is the point of having a female prison if we now face the prospect of men being detained in it as well?
“This is not a case of woke politics but a serious challenge to female safety.”
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) today (December 21) strongly disapproved of and opposed the so-called “2024 Annual Report” issued by the United States (US) Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), which made malicious smearing remarks against multiple areas in the HKSAR. An HKSAR Government spokesperson said, “The HKSAR Government strongly disapproves and opposes the CECC’s repeated tactics to interfere in the affairs of the HKSAR through the so-called annual report, and make slandering remarks against Hong Kong, where ‘one country, two systems’ is successfully implemented. The US is once again making unfounded and fact-twisting remarks. Such attempt to undermine the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and interfere in Hong Kong’s law-based governance is smack of despicable political manipulation with ill intentions.” The spokesperson said, “The CECC openly clamour for so-called ‘sanctions’ with an aim to intimidate HKSAR officials who resolutely safeguard national security. The HKSAR Government strongly condemns its political grandstanding rife with ill intentions, which have been seen through by all. The HKSAR despises the so-called ‘sanctions’ and will not be intimidated by such a despicable behaviour. The HKSAR will resolutely continue to discharge the duty of safeguarding national security.” The spokesperson reiterated, “The HKSAR Government steadfastly safeguards national sovereignty, security and development interests, and fully and faithfully lives up to the highest principle of ‘one country, two systems’. The HKSAR Government strongly demands the US to immediately stop acting against the international law and basic norms of international relations and interfering in China’s internal affairs and Hong Kong affairs.” Regarding the slandering remarks against the HKSAR in the US’ so-called report, the Government sternly refuted them in the ensuing paragraphs.Safeguarding National Security The HKSAR Government spokesperson said, “The HKSAR Government strongly opposes the absurd and untrue content regarding legislation safeguarding national security in the HKSAR contained in the US’ so-called report. In accordance with international law and international practice based on the Charter of the United Nations, safeguarding national security is an inherent right of all sovereign states. Many common law jurisdictions, including the US, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, have enacted multiple pieces of legislation and implemented measures to safeguard national security.” The HKSAR Government spokesperson stressed that, “The so-called report by the US completely ignores the severe national security threats posed by the riots and the Hong Kong version of ‘color revolution’ in 2019, and neglected the fact that the implementation of the National Security Law has enabled the livelihood and economic activities of the Hong Kong community, and the business environment as well, to return to normalcy. This is a clear demonstration of hypocrisy with double standards. In fact, security and development work together like the two wings of a bird. Development requires a safe social environment. In March 2024, the HKSAR fulfilled the constitutional responsibility and historic mission of enacting local legislation for Article 23 of the Basic Law. The newly enacted Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (SNSO) achieves convergence, compatibility and complementarity with the Hong Kong National Security Law (HKNSL). Together they form a comprehensive legal system and enforcement mechanism for safeguarding national security. Now, Hong Kong can finally advance from stability to prosperity following the transition from chaos to order. The US must immediately recognise the fact that the Hong Kong National Security Law and other relevant legislation have restored normalcy to the lives and economic activities of Hong Kong residents and the business environment. “As the HKSAR Government has emphasised time and again that the laws safeguarding national security in the HKSAR are precisely for safeguarding national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity; and ensuring the full and faithful implementation of the principle of ‘one country, two systems’ under which the people of Hong Kong administer Hong Kong with a high degree of autonomy. It also better safeguards the fundamental rights and freedoms of the residents of the HKSAR and other people, including those doing business, in the city. The relevant laws have set out clear definitions and criminal elements which will not affect regular exchanges between Hong Kong residents and people here for business with foreign countries. “Extraterritorial effect for the offences endangering national security under the HKNSL and the SNSO fully aligns with the principles of international law, international practice and common practice adopted in various countries and regions. It is both necessary and legitimate, and is also in line with those of other countries and regions around the world (including the US, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and member states of the European Union). The Police have the responsibility to pursue those who are suspected of committing offences endangering national security outside Hong Kong. “Smearing remarks in the US’ so-called report pinpointing at custodial and rehabilitation work of the HKSAR was untrue, misleading, irresponsible and absurd. The HKSAR Government solemnly points out that the Correctional Services Department (CSD) is committed to ensuring that the custodial environment is secure, safe, humane, appropriate and healthy, and have put in place established mechanism to ensure the rights of persons-in-custody (PICs) are protected, including arrangement of regular inspection of independent visitors, namely Justices of the Peace. The CSD performs its duties in accordance with law and regulations in managing all PICs, regardless of their background.”Safeguarding Due Administration of Justice and Rule of Law The spokesperson said, “That Hong Kong is a society underpinned by the rule of law and has always adhered to the principle that laws must be obeyed and lawbreakers held accountable is well recognised by international communities. The Basic Law clearly stipulates that the Judiciary shall exercise judicial power independently in accordance with the law, free from any interference. As guaranteed by the Basic Law and the Hong Kong Bill of Rights, everyone charged with a criminal offence has the right to a fair hearing. The Department of Justice of the HKSAR, by virtue of Article 63 of the Basic Law, shall control criminal prosecutions and make independent prosecutorial decisions based on an objective assessment of all admissible evidence and applicable laws. The courts decide cases strictly in accordance with the evidence and all applicable laws. Cases will never be handled any differently owing to the profession, political beliefs or background of the persons involved. The prosecution has the burden to prove beyond reasonable doubt the commission of an offence before a defendant may be convicted by the court.”Safeguarding Rights and Freedoms The HKSAR Government spokesperson said, “The HKSAR Government steadfastly safeguards the rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong people as protected under the law. Since Hong Kong’s return to the motherland, human rights in the city have always been robustly guaranteed constitutionally by both the Constitution and the Basic Law. The HKNSL and the SNSO also clearly stipulate that human rights shall be respected and protected in safeguarding national security in the HKSAR, and that the rights and freedoms, including the freedoms of speech, of the press, of publication, of association, of assembly, of procession and of demonstration, that Hong Kong residents enjoy under the Basic Law and the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights as applied to Hong Kong, shall be protected in accordance with the law. Nonetheless, just as the case with other places in the world, such rights and freedoms are not absolute. The ICCPR also expressly states that some of them may be subject to restrictions as prescribed by law that are necessary for protection of national security, public safety, public order or the rights and freedoms of others, etc.”
