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The SEC wants extra energy from Congress to completely regulate crypto, Chair Gensler says

The SEC needs more power from Congress to fully regulate crypto, Chair Gensler says

Gary Gensler

Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Gary Gensler said Tuesday that Wall Street’s top regulator needs Congress to grant it additional powers for overseeing a vast and ever-evolving cryptocurrency market.

Speaking about crypto at the Aspen Security Forum, Gensler said the SEC has “taken and will continue to take our authorities as far as they go.”

“Certain rules related to crypto assets are well settled. The test to determine whether a crypto asset is a security is clear,” he said. “There are some gaps in this space, though: We need additional congressional authorities to prevent transactions, products and platforms from falling between regulatory cracks. We also need more resources to protect investors in this growing and volatile sector.”

Gensler, who previously taught classes about blockchain and other financial technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has asked lawmakers to grant his agency the legal authority to oversee crypto exchanges.

He said many of the crypto coins were trading like assets and should fall under the purview of the SEC, which already has significant authority over digital assets.

Despite his deep knowledge of blockchain and cryptocurrencies, Gensler has made it clear that he intends to take a hands-on approach when it comes to new financial technologies. Capitol Hill has for months held hearings on how best to monitor the nascent market, now worth trillions, amid violent price swings and rapid growth.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, for example, last week wrote to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to urge her to bulk up oversight efforts.

Warren, a member of the Senate Banking Committee and a longtime critic of the nation’s largest banks, pressed the Treasury secretary to use her powers on the Financial Stability Oversight Council to bring about a safer crypto market.

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“FSOC must act quickly to use its statutory authority to address cryptocurrencies’ risks and regulate the market to ensure the safety and stability of consumers and our financial system,” the Massachusetts Democrat wrote in a letter to Yellen. “As the demand for cryptocurrencies continues to grow and these assets become more embedded in our financial system, consumers, the environment, and our financial system are under growing threats,” she added.

Chief among regulators’ concerns about crypto are its susceptibly to fraud and market manipulation.

The Federal Trade Commission reported earlier this year that consumers reported losing more than $80 million to crypto scams between October and March, with many of those losses stemming from underhanded scammers targeting small investors on social media, the FTC said.

“The American public is buying, selling, and lending crypto on these trading, lending, and DeFi [decentralized finance] platforms, and there are significant gaps in investor protection,” Gensler said. “Make no mistake: To the extent that there are securities on these trading platforms, under our laws they have to register with the commission unless they meet an exemption. Make no mistake: If a lending platform is offering securities, it also falls into SEC jurisdiction.”

Gensler on Tuesday did not offer comment on the potential for approving a bitcoin exchange-traded fund, a pending decision that many in the crypto market are anxiously awaiting.

Investors are closely following the status of an application by VanEck to list shares of its Bitcoin Trust on the Chicago Board of Exchange’s BTZ Exchange. Regulators said in a letter dated June 16 that they would take additional time to seek comments from the public.

Bitcoin was last seen trading at $38,200, but has been volatile in recent months and in late July dipped below $30,000.

Republican SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, known for advocating somewhat easier regulation of digital assets, told CNBC last month that she’s frustrated with how slow the regulator has been to approve such an ETF.

Denying bitcoin ETF applications not only runs the risk of a double standard but also may leave thousands of investors with few, more-dangerous alternatives, Peirce said.

“The complications of not approving [an application] become stronger, because people are looking for other ways to do the same kinds of things that they would do with an exchange-traded product,” she said. “They’re looking at other types of products that aren’t as easy to get in and out of, they’re looking at companies, perhaps, that are somehow connected with bitcoin or crypto more broadly.”

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Trump Asks Choose to Block Tax Return Launch to Congress

Trump Asks Judge to Block Tax Return Release to Congress

Attorneys for President Donald J. Trump argued in a new court document on Wednesday that a House committee request to receive Mr. Trump’s tax returns for six years should be blocked, portraying the effort as politically motivated and illegitimate.

In a 37-page file, Mr Trump’s Legal Department picked up arguments put forward by the Trump-era Justice Department to block the Congressional request, but the Biden-era Justice Department abandoned it last week when it was told by the Treasury Department said the ministry was required by law to make the documents available to the legislature.

Mr. Trump’s Legal Department wrote that the former President’s tax filings are “unlawful and unenforceable because they have no legitimate legislative purpose, violate legal authority, violate the First Amendment, breach due process, and / or violate the separation of powers. ”

The lawsuit, which dates back to when Mr. Trump was still President, is formally a case between the House Ways and Means Committee and the Treasury Department. However, since the executive branch has now dropped its resistance to the fulfillment of the demand, the Trump legal profession, as an intervener, is calling for an injunction that blocks this step.

Submission was awaited; One of Mr Trump’s lawyers said Monday that he would fight against the clearance of his return to Congress.

The filing argues that even though Mr Trump is no longer the incumbent president, the case still needs to be assessed as if he were in office since it dates from that time. Many of the Democrats’ filings come from the 2016 campaign when Trump broke the norm for presidential candidates to disclose their tax returns. Democrats have repeatedly suggested that he must hide something politically harmful.

During the Trump administration, the Justice Department cited such statements to argue that the stated purpose of the committee’s motion – for Congress to weigh legislative reforms regarding the disclosure of the president’s tax return – was an excuse for a genuinely illegitimate purpose.

However, last week the Office of the Justice Department Legal Adviser, now appointed by Dawn Johnsen, one of Biden’s appointments, said the executive branch must accept the stated purpose of the committee as to why it is requesting the returns and that the law allows it to Them.

“Even if some individual congressmen hope that information from the former president’s tax returns will only be released publicly for ‘debunking’,” she wrote, “it would not defeat the legitimate aims of obtaining the information in question.”

But Mr. Trump’s Legal Department is asking the judge overseeing the lawsuit, Trevor N. McFadden, of Federal District Court for the District of Columbia, to rule otherwise. Mr. Trump appointed Mr. McFadden in 2017.

The ongoing litigation means Congress will not receive Mr. Trump’s tax returns anytime soon; Mr. Trump’s committee or legal team can appeal negative decisions to the Supreme Court. Even if Congress finally got them, that wouldn’t mean they would go public immediately or at all.

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Pentagon police officer dies in stabbing, assailant shot useless

Pentagon police officer dies in stabbing, assailant shot dead

Virginia Sate Troopers patrol near the Pentagon after Sept.

Olivier Douliery | AFP | Getty Images

A Pentagon police officer has died after being stabbed multiple times in the neck outside the Pentagon Tuesday, officials familiar with the incident told NBC News.

The official opened fire on the attacker after the attack began outside the entrance to the Pentagon’s metro, according to NBC News. The attacker was shot dead by the police, but it is not yet clear which officer killed the attacker.

“I am incredibly sad to hear of the death of a Pentagon police officer who was killed this morning in senseless violence outside the Pentagon,” wrote Senator Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat, on Twitter Tuesday afternoon.

“My heart goes out to the policeman’s family and friends and the entire Pentagon police force,” said Warner, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

The Pentagon was locked down Tuesday morning after multiple shots were fired near the building, but reopened after more than an hour.

The exact details and the course of events remain in the dark. Woodrow Kusse, the chief of police for the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, said at a news conference that “the incident resulted in multiple injuries” but did not confirm the death of the officer.

However, Fairfax County Police also offered condolences on the death of a Pentagon police officer.

Kusse said authorities are not actively looking for another suspect: “The incident is over, the scene is safe and most importantly, there is no ongoing threat to our community,” he said.

The FBI is investigating the incident as the reasons are still unknown.

“At this point it would be premature to speculate about motives, and in order to protect the integrity of the investigation, we cannot provide any further details at this time,” said a statement from the FBI’s Washington Field Office. “There is no ongoing threat to the public.”

The incident took place on a subway bus platform that is part of the Pentagon Transit Center, steps from the Pentagon building in Arlington County, Virginia.

“The Pentagon metro station is probably one of the busiest on the transportation system. It is a hub for commuters and building users, ”said Kusse at the press conference.

While the lockdown was being lifted, the Pentagon Force Protection Agency tweeted that the public should stay away from the subway entrance and bus platform as it is “still an active crime scene.”

Transportation in the Pentagon will now be diverted to Pentagon City, the agency added.

At the time of the shooting, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were at the White House to meet President Joe Biden.

The last time a significant incident occurred at the Pentagon Metro Center was in 2010, according to Kusse.

A gunman opened fire at the entrance to the Pentagon in March 2010 and wounded two officers from the Pentagon Force Protection Agency. The officers who survived fatally shot the man shortly afterwards.

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Democratic Insider and a Republican Backed by Trump Win Ohio Home Races

Democratic Insider and a Republican Backed by Trump Win Ohio House Races

The race was not so much symbolic of a liberal-moderate divide among the Democrats as a clash between an insider who rose quickly in local party circles and an agitator who made a living from alienating party leaders by showing their commitment to liberals Ideals questioned. Both candidates were solidly liberal in their views on a number of issues, including legalizing marijuana and, in some cases, making college more affordable or free.

External political groups from different corners of the democratic coalition invested heavily in the race. Ms. Turner was backed by leftist environmental interests in support of the Green New Deal; the political group founded by Senator Bernie Sanders and once headed Our Revolution; and two progressive groups, the Working Families Party and Justice Democrats.

Ms. Brown was more likely to support institutional actors and politicians such as the Political Committee of the Congressional Black Caucus; several senior members of the caucus; James E. Clyburn Rep. Of South Carolina, Whip of the Democratic House of Representatives; Hillary Clinton; Jewish Democrats; Cleveland Area Black Churches; and unofficially Marcia Fudge, who vacated this year to become Mr. Biden’s Secretary for Housing and Urban Development and agreed to have her mother appear in an advertisement for Ms. Brown because she needed to remain neutral as a government official.

Democratic leaders in Washington and groups often at odds with the progressive left were concerned that a victory by Ms. Turner, who topped double digits in early polls and initially raised more money than Ms. Brown, could herald a new round of hostilities within the party for the Democrats.

And the establishment hit back hard – to a degree that it has not had in previous struggles when candidates with the support of party activists such as New York MPs Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman knock out seasoned politicians with little resistance.

This time, while Ms. Ocasio-Cortez and other stars of the left in Ohio were fighting for Ms. Turner, prominent members of the Congressional Black Caucus such as Mr. Clyburn visited the district and implored the people to choose Ms. Brown as someone who was respectful and to be willing to work with fellow Democrats – an implicit criticism of Ms. Turner’s more confrontational style. She was openly criticized by many, such as Mississippi MP Bennie Thompson, who called Ms. Turner a “lonely know-it-all”.

Advertising attacking Ms. Turner’s professionalism and character was ubiquitous in the district in the last days of the campaign. An ad by centrist group Third Way compared Ms. Turner’s political style and tone to that of Mr. Trump, and reiterated a moment on camera when she was struggling for survival during the campaign by making a rough analogy with choosing between Mr. Biden, whom she did not support, and Mr. Trump.

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Pelosi amongst prime Democrats calling for NY Gov. Cuomo’s resignation

Pelosi among top Democrats calling for NY Gov. Cuomo's resignation

Governor Andrew Cuomo holds press briefing and makes announcement to combat Covid-19 Delta variant at 633 3rd Avenue.

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other top Democrats called on New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign on Tuesday, following the release of a bombshell report alleging that the governor sexually harassed 11 women.

Pelosi expressed her belief that Cuomo should resign, a shift from the spring when she declined to call on the governor to step down from office.

“Recognizing his love of New York and the respect for the office he holds, I call upon the Governor to resign,” Pelosi said in a statement. 

President Joe Biden also called on Cuomo to step down. “He should resign,” Biden told reporters at the White House.

Asked whether Cuomo should be removed from office if he refuses to resign, Biden said, “I understand the state legislature may decide to impeach, I do not know that for a fact.”

Shortly after Biden’s response, New York State House Speaker Carl Heastie (D) announced the launch of an impeachment inquiry.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kristen Gillibrand, both Democrats from New York, issued a joint statement calling the allegations against Cuomo “profoundly disturbing” and demanding his resignation.

“Today’s report from the New York State Attorney General substantiated and corroborated the allegations of the brave women who came forward to share their stories — and we commend the women for doing so,” the senators said.

“No elected official is above the law. The people of New York deserve better leadership in the governor’s office. We continue to believe that the Governor should resign,” Schumer and Gillibrand said. The senators had originally called for Cuomo’s resignation back in March.

Gillibrand on Tuesday called the report “very serious and damning.”

“My heart goes out to the women who have come forward … and I thank them for their courage,” she told reporters in the Capitol.

Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut, Governor Dan McKee of Rhode Island, Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey and Governor Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania released a joint statement asking Cuomo to resign: “We are appalled at the findings of the independent investigation by the New York Attorney General. Governor Cuomo should resign from office.”

Three Democratic congressmen from New York, Reps. Tom Suozzi, Gregory Meeks and Hakeem Jeffries, none of whom had previously called on Cuomo to step down, did so on Tuesday.

“The time has come for Governor Andrew Cuomo to do the right thing for the people of New York State and resign,” the lawmakers said in a statement.

Jeffries is the House Democratic Caucus chairman, the fifth highest-ranking Democrat in the House.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the White House’s message to Cuomo’s accusers is that all women who “have lived through this type of experience … deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.”

“I don’t know that anyone could have watched [James’ press conference] this morning and not found the allegations to be abhorrent — I know I certainly did,” said Psaki.

Heastie, the state House Speaker, said the report made it impossible for Cuomo to continue to lead the state.

“It is abundantly clear to me that the Governor has lost the confidence of the Assembly Democratic majority and that he can no longer remain in office,” Heastie said in a statement.

“We will move expeditiously and look to conclude our impeachment investigation as quickly as possible.” 

U.S. Senate Majority Chuck Schumer (D-NY) looks up after reading a statement calling for the resignation of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, August 3, 2021.

Kevin Lamarque | Reuters

The report is the product of a monthslong probe by independent investigators working for state Attorney General Letitia James’ office. It concluded that Cuomo “sexually harassed multiple women and in doing so violated federal and state law,” James said at a press conference.

A somber but defiant Cuomo strongly denied some of those allegations later Tuesday and said that other examples of his alleged misconduct had been mischaracterized or misinterpreted.

News of the report’s findings landed like a grenade in Albany and in Washington, where the powerful Democratic governor has earned a reputation as a bare-knuckle political brawler.

The 165-page report also said that Cuomo’s office was riddled with fear and intimidation and was a hostile work environment for many staffers. The women Cuomo harassed included members of his own staff, members of the public and other state employees, one of whom was a state trooper, the report found.

“The Governor must resign for the good of the state,” said Andrea Stewart-Cousins, the Democratic majority leader of the New York State Senate. “Now that the investigation is complete and the allegations have been substantiated, it should be clear to everyone that he can no longer serve as Governor.”

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the “abhorrent behavior” outlined in the report disqualifies Cuomo from remaining in office, renewing his call for the governor to resign or be impeached.

“My first thoughts are with the women who were subject to this abhorrent behavior, and their bravery in stepping forward to share their stories,” de Blasio said in a statement. “The Attorney General’s detailed and thorough report substantiates many disturbing instances of severe misconduct. Andrew Cuomo committed sexual assault and sexual harassment, and intimidated a whistleblower. It is disqualifying.”

One of the women allegedly sexually harassed by Cuomo was a New York state trooper.

Thomas H. Mungeer, president of the New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association, said he was “outraged and disgusted that one of my members, who was tasked with guarding the governor and ensuring his safety, could not enjoy the same sense of security in her work environment that he was provided.”

“The NYSTPBA also applauds the bravery of our member, who when called upon during this investigation was truthful and had the courage to share her experiences,” said Mungeer.

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Pelosi and Yellen to Talk about Rental Help as Eviction Disaster Looms

Pelosi and Yellen to Discuss Rental Assistance as Eviction Crisis Looms

President Biden is expected to announce a new federal eviction moratorium to replace the one that expired on Saturday — targeting counties with elevated rates of coronavirus infections, according to congressional aides and other officials familiar with the discussions.

White House aides and officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were working out details of a potential deal on Tuesday that could include a new freeze that would remain in place for up to 60 days, but officials involved in the process warned that the situation was in flux and no final decisions had been made. The C.D.C. is expected to provide details of the ban once the plan is finalized.

The new ban would cover about 90 percent of renters in the country, according to a Democratic leadership aide briefed on the proposal.

Creating a new moratorium to deal with the recent spike in coronavirus rates is an attempt to deal with concerns that extending the previous moratorium without congressional approval would run afoul of the Supreme Court, the officials said.

Tenants groups have argued that extending the original moratorium, which the C.D.C. imposed in November, is needed to buy time to fully implement an emergency rental assistance program that has been plagued by delays at the state and local level.

Consideration of a new freeze comes as Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a group of progressive Democrats, led by Representative Cori Bush of Missouri, have pressured the White House to act quickly — after Mr. Biden punted the issue to Congress last week, arguing he did not have the legal authority to extend the ban without legislative approval.

House Democrats pressed Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen on Tuesday to do more to help struggling renters who are at risk of being forced out of their homes, saying the Biden administration should have extended an eviction moratorium that expired last weekend and pressing the Treasury Department to do whatever it takes to get rental aid out the door.

In a private call between Democrats and Ms. Yellen, the Treasury secretary insisted that her team was using all available tools to get rental assistance money to states and to help governments distribute those funds to landlords and renters. She told lawmakers that the administration would “leave no stone unturned” to address the national emergency.

“I thoroughly agree we need to bring every resource to bear,” Ms. Yellen said, according to a person who was on the call.

Ms. Pelosi, for her part, has been trying to close the gap between Democratic progressives and a group of about a dozen moderates in her caucus who blocked efforts to pass a bill last week that would have extended the freeze through the end of the year.

Ms. Pelosi said on the call that the eviction moratorium needed to be extended. Ms. Yellen noted that Mr. Biden has asked the C.D.C. to see if it is legally possible to extend the eviction ban and that she was hopeful they will look carefully at that.

On Monday, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said Mr. Biden had asked the C.D.C. on Sunday to consider extending the moratorium for 30 days, even just to high-risk states, but said the C.D.C. has “been unable to find legal authority for a new, targeted eviction moratorium. Our team is redoubling efforts to identify all available legal authorities to provide necessary protections.”

The administration appears to be coalescing around a solution to that legal issue by imposing a new moratorium, rather than extending the existing one.

At the White House briefing on Tuesday, Ms. Psaki said the administration was exploring all potential solutions, including a “partial limited short term extension,” but that no decisions had been made.

At a White House meeting with Mr. Biden on Friday, Ms. Pelosi and Senator Chuck Schumer, the majority leader, bluntly informed Mr. Biden they did not have the votes to pass an extension — and pressed him to take whatever action he could using his executive power, according to two Democratic congressional aides briefed on the meeting.

The Biden administration has said that it lacks the legal authority to extend the moratorium and has called on Congress to find a legislative solution. On Monday, the administration called on states to ramp up their efforts to provide more federal aid to struggling renters — while issuing a desperate plea for localities to extend their own local moratoriums.

In a letter to colleagues on Tuesday, Ms. Pelosi said she would discuss with Ms. Yellen how to expedite the disbursement of the $46.5 billion that Congress allocated to keep people in their homes.

“I am pleased that accelerating rental assistance is a stated priority of the administration,” Ms. Pelosi said.

But senior Democrats have been pushing the White House to do more.

“I wish that the president, the C.D.C. would have gone forward and extended the moratorium,” Representative Maxine Waters, Democrat of California who is chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee, said in an interview with The New York Times on Monday. “They have the power to do that. I think he should have gone in and he should have done it, and let the chips fall where they may.”

Ms. Waters echoed that sentiment in a letter to colleagues on Tuesday, assailing the Biden administration for its “refusal” to extend the moratorium and for a “last-minute punt to Congress.”

With the moratorium in limbo, Ms. Yellen is under added pressure to make the rental assistance money flow. Only about $3 billion of the $46 billion had been delivered to eligible households through June, according to Treasury Department data.

In recent weeks, Ms. Yellen’s deputy, Wally Adeyemo, visited Houston and Arlington, Va., where rental assistance distribution has been going well, to help raise awareness about the program and understand how to make it more effective.

The Treasury Department is stepping up its efforts to raise awareness about the rental assistance money, potentially through radio or social media campaigns, and trying to let governments know the administration can offer additional support to states that lack the infrastructure to distribute the rental assistance money efficiently.

Ms. Yellen told lawmakers that the Treasury Department would be sending packets of information with material that could be used in advertisements and through social media channels in their districts.

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NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed a number of girls, Lawyer Common James says

NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women, Attorney General James says

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually molested several women and then retaliated a former employee who publicly complained about his behavior, according to a bombshell report released Tuesday by Attorney General Letitia James.

The month-long investigation concluded that Cuomo “sexually molested several women in violation of federal and state laws,” James said at a press conference.

The 165-page report, which includes interviews with 179 witnesses and a review of tens of thousands of documents, also stated that Cuomo’s office was steeped in fear and intimidation and was a hostile work environment for many employees.

Cuomo molested 11 women, including members of his own staff, members of the public and other government employees, one of whom was a state trooper, the report said.

The results show “a deeply troubling but clear picture,” said James, describing Cuomo’s office as a “toxic workplace”.

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The announcement came about two weeks after Cuomo was interviewed by investigators hired by James’ office to investigate. Cuomo was reportedly interviewed for 11 hours.

The investigation into numerous allegations of sexual harassment by Cuomo began in March after the State Executive Chamber granted James’ inquiries.

Later that month, dozens of the state’s Democratic lawmakers – including New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, with whom Cuomo has long had a strained relationship – called on the governor to resign.

New York Congregation spokesman Carl Heastie, also a Democrat, authorized a panel in mid-March to open an impeachment investigation into allegations of harassment and other allegations of wrongdoing by Cuomo, including whether his staff tried to gather data on coronavirus deaths in New to hide or change York nursing homes.

Cuomo has defended himself against all allegations, repeatedly rejecting requests to resign, despite apologizing for making some women feel uncomfortable.

“I never molested anyone, I never attacked anyone, I never abused anyone,” Cuomo said in March. “I will not resign.”

This is the latest news. Please check again for updates.

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Ohio Home Races: What to Watch For

Ohio House Races: What to Watch For

But who wins, and their margin of victory, could tell us a little bit about what Democratic voters think as the party seeks to capitalize on its tight control of Washington and prepares for a tough challenge for halftime in 2022.

If Mrs Turner wins, especially if she does so with ease, it would be a sign that the progressive energy of the upstart that drove Mr Sanders’ two presidential campaigns is not waning as the movement seeks out new national leaders gradually to succeed the 79-year old Mr. Sanders. And she would most likely send another high profile advocate to Congress for the left’s top priorities like universal health care and far-reaching climate action.

If Ms. Brown wins, especially if she does so by a wide margin, it would signal that Democratic voters would prefer a candidate more in line with the party’s flag-bearers in Washington and be careful about choosing someone who has those leaders in the past criticized. Or, as Sean McElwee, executive director of polling firm Data for Progress, put it, Democratic voters “are interested in voting for the person who will go to work and they will not have to think.” over again and again. “

In the Republican Race near Columbus, a crowded field of Republicans vies to piss off Mike Carey, an energy lobbyist who was backed by Mr. Trump. He was largely unknown until the former president threw his support for Mr. Carey in early June and all but made sure he would be the front runner.

But the race is fluid, with more than 10 candidates running for the Republican nomination. Some of Mr. Carey’s rivals also have a more established reputation in the district, the 15th Congress, as well as the support of prominent allies of Mr. Trump.

Those rivals include Bob Peterson, a state senator who also runs a 2,700 acre grain farm and is backed by Ohio Right to Life, the state’s leading anti-abortion group. There’s also Ruth Edmonds, who has a following among Christian Conservatives and has the support of Ken Blackwell, a prominent Conservative activist and Trump ally, and Debbie Meadows, an activist and wife of Mark Meadows, the last Chief of Staff to Mr. Trump in the White A house .

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Police officer suicides rise to four deaths

Police officer suicides rise to 4 deaths

Supporters of Donald Trump gather outside the Capitol building in Washington D.C., on January 06, 2021.

Tayfun Coskun | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

Two more Washington, D.C., police officers died by suicide in the months after defending the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot by Trump supporters, bringing the grim tally of such deaths to four.

One of those cops, 43-year-old Gunther Hashida, was found dead at his home last Thursday, according to a spokeswoman for the Metropolitan [D.C.] Police Department.

Hashida, joined the MPD in May 2003, and most recently was assigned to the emergency response team within the Special Operations Division.

Hours later, the MPD confirmed that another officer from the same department, Kyle deFreytag, died by suicide, and was found July 10.

DeFreytag, 26, had been with the department since November 2016.

A crowdfunding page set up Sunday to pay for a memorial service for Hashida, and to support his family, as of Monday night had raised more than $68,000 from more than 1,500 donors.

The GoFundMe page, which has a $250,000 donation target, said Hashida “leaves behind a loving wife, sister, 3 children, and a wonderful family.”

An online obituary for deFreytag said he “liked hiking, camping, riding his motorcycle, he liked traveling and playing the drums, he enjoyed trying different ethnic foods and always knew the best places to eat.”

“Kyle was kind, he had a quick wit and a great sense of humor & kept us laughing for 26 years,” the obituary said.

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The riot began after then-President Donald Trump urged attendees at a rally outside the White House to march to the Capitol, where a joint session of Congress was meeting to officially confirm the Electoral College victory of Joe Biden as the next president.

Hundreds of Trump supporters invaded the Capitol grounds and buildings, disturbing the proceedings.

More than 500 people have been arrested for alleged crimes related to the invasion.

About 140 officers from both the Capitol Police and the D.C. department were injured in the melee.

 At a congressional hearing last week, four officers described being attacked, berated and threatened with death by throngs of people, many of whom were wielding weapons.

“I was at risk of being stripped of and killed with my own firearm, as I heard chants of, ‘Kill him with his own gun,'” MPD Officer Michael Fanone testified.

Another cop, Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell, vented frustration at the hearing at some members of Congress who have downplayed the danger from the riot.

“The same people who we helped, the same people who we gave them the borrowed time to get to safety, now they are attacking us, they are attacking our characters,” Gonell said.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in a statement issued after Hashida’s death was reported, but before DeFreytag’s suicide became public, said, “On behalf of the House of Representatives, I send deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Metropolitan Police Department Officer Gunther Hashida.”

“Officer Hashida was a hero, who risked his life to save our Capitol, the Congressional community and our very Democracy,” said Pelosi, D-Calif. “All Americans are indebted to him for his great valor and patriotism on January 6th and throughout his selfless service.”

“May Officer Hashida’s life be an inspiration to all to protect our Country and Democracy. And may it be a comfort to Officer Hashida’s family that so many mourn their loss and pray for them at this sad time.”

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.

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Conservative Group, Seizing on Crime as an Concern, Seeks Recall of Prosecutors

Conservative Group, Seizing on Crime as an Issue, Seeks Recall of Prosecutors

WASHINGTON – A Republican-affiliated group said Monday it is launching a recall campaign, backed by unknown donors, to criminalize Democrats and their allies for being gentle by targeting progressive prosecutors.

It will initially focus on three prosecutors elected in 2019 in the affluent suburbs of Washington, northern Virginia, amid a national wave of pledges from Democrats to make law enforcement fairer and more humane.

The Virginians for Safe Communities group said the targets of the recall were Buta Biberaj of Loudoun County, Parisa Dehghani-Tafti of Arlington County and Steve Descano of Fairfax County, all of whom are Commonwealth counsel.

The campaign is faced with uncertain prospects, starting with the clarification of signature collections and legal hurdles.

However, organizers identified it as part of a broader national push to capitalize on voter concerns over rising urban crime and a backlash against sentiment against the police.

“There is a time for all things politics, and now is the time to wake up people who are in favor of law enforcement,” said Sean D. Kennedy, a Republican agent and president of Virginians for Safe Communities. He called the Northern Virginia recall effort a “test case for a nationwide launch.”

He said the group raised more than $ 250,000 and received commitments of nearly another $ 500,000. He would not reveal the identity of the donors to the group, which is registered under a section of the Tax Code that allows nonprofit groups to protect their donors from disclosure.

Mr. Kennedy, who has worked on Republican campaigns and committees, is an officer with the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund, but he said the new group is independent from them. Others involved in the new group include former FBI officer Steven L. Pomerantz and Ian D. Prior, who was appointed to the Justice Department during the Trump administration and previously worked on well-funded Republican political committees.

Mr. Kennedy has used Virginians for Safe Communities as an antidote to a political committee funded by billionaire George Soros, a leading democratic donor. His group, Justice and Public Safety PAC, has spent millions of dollars in recent years to assist candidates in local prosecutorial elections who supported the decriminalization of marijuana, relaxation of bail rules, and other progressive-favored changes.

The spending turned many of the races on their heads, which previously had drawn relatively little money and attention from major national interests.

Mr Soros’s representatives did not respond to a request for comment.

His PAC spent hundreds of thousands of dollars each in 2019 to support the campaigns of Ms. Dehghani-Tafti, Mr. Descano and Ms. Biberaj as they took office and promised a new approach to criminal justice.

Their victories came at a time when politicians from both parties were scrutinizing harsh crime policies, imposing harsh penalties for drug-related crimes, and laying the groundwork for mass incarceration that disproportionately affected black communities. In late 2018, President Donald J. Trump signed the most momentous reduction in criminal law in a generation. The next month, Joseph R. Biden Jr., who was preparing to run against Mr. Trump, apologized for portions of the anti-crime legislation he championed as a senator in the 1990s.

Skepticism about law enforcement and the criminal justice system was further catalyzed by the police murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police in 2020. Many Democrats, including President Biden, have opposed the Defund the Police movement.

But a year and a half after Mr. Floyd’s death, American cities are facing a surge in gun violence and murder that began during the pandemic and has continued into this year.

Republicans have tried to blame the Democrats and their allies, and have tried to regain the cloak of law and order that politicians from both parties embraced in the 1980s and 1990s, but later because of concerns about police and police misconduct the inequalities in the criminal justice system.

The Conservatives “basically sat on the sidelines on this issue,” said Kennedy. “It was dominated by one side, and our side had basically disarmed unilaterally.”

He accused the three Northern Virginia prosecutors of “taking dangerous measures” that “undermine public confidence in our judicial system.” He cited an increase in the murder rate in Fairfax Counties and Arlington Counties.

Ms. Dehghani-Tafti, the chief prosecutor for Arlington County and the City of Falls Church, said in an email that she “does exactly what I have promised my community – what I was chosen to do – and do it well: that To make the system fairer, more responsive and more rehabilitative and at the same time guarantee our safety. “

Some of the more progressive planks on their campaign platform, and those of Ms. Biberaj and Mr Descano – who are ending law enforcement for marijuana possession and not applying for the death penalty – were at least partially codified across the country this year. Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed law abolishing the death penalty and legalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana.

Ms. Dehghani-Tafti accused Mr. Kennedy’s group of using undisclosed “dark money” and “relying on misinformation” to “overturn a valid election through a non-democratic recall”.

Recalls are rare in Virginia and require the collection of signatures from a group of voters equal to 10 percent of the number who voted for the office in question in the last election, followed by a trial to prove that the officer has acted in a manner that constitutes incompetence, negligence or abuse of office. In the prosecutor’s case, the signature requirement would range from about 5,500 in Arlington to 29,000 in Fairfax.

Kennedy said his group intends to start paying people to collect signatures starting this week, with the goal of hitting the thresholds by Labor Day.

Recent efforts to defeat or dismiss progressive prosecutors have so far not been successful in other jurisdictions, including Philadelphia and Los Angeles, and an upcoming grassroots effort to recall the three Virginia prosecutors has apparently not met with much resonance.