Tag: investigation

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Business

Nike break up with Neymar after sexual assault investigation, report says

Nike split with Neymar after sexual assault investigation, report says

Lionel Bonaventure | Getty Images

Nike said it ended its partnership with Neymar da Silva Santos Jr. — better known simply as Neymar — when the soccer superstar refused to cooperate with an investigation into sexual assault allegations against him.

“Nike ended its relationship with the athlete because he refused to cooperate in a good faith investigation of credible allegations of wrongdoing by an employee,” Nike said in a late Thursday statement.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the news.

The company announced last summer it had parted ways with Neymar but had not given a reason for the sudden move. The Journal reported that, at the time, there were still eight years left in Neymar’s contract with Nike.

The company said it was “deeply disturbed” by an incident that the employee alleged occurred in 2016.

A spokeswoman for Neymar told the WSJ that he denies the allegations.

Nike said the employee reported the allegations in 2018 and initially wanted to keep it confidential and avoid an investigation. As a result, Nike said it did not share details with law enforcement or a third party, out of respect for the employee’s privacy.

Nike said it commissioned an independent investigation into the allegations in 2019 when the employee expressed interest in pursuing the matter. The company said, however, the investigation was inconclusive.

“No single set of facts emerged that would enable us to speak substantively on the matter. It would be inappropriate for Nike to make an accusatory statement without being able to provide supporting facts,” the company said.

In 2017, Neymar left Spanish club FC Barcelona to join Paris Saint Germain for a record transfer fee of $263 million.

— CNBC’s Jessica Golden contributed to this report.

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Politics

Trump CFO Allen Weisselberg faces felony tax investigation

Trump CFO Allen Weisselberg faces criminal tax investigation

The then-elected President Donald Trump arrives with his son Donald Jr. for a press conference at Trump Tower in New York, as Allen Weisselberg (C), CFO of The Trump, sees on January 11, 2017.

Timothy A. Clary | AFP | Getty Images

The Trump Organization’s longtime CFO Allen Weisselberg is under criminal investigation by the New York Attorney General’s office over his personal taxes, an official close to the investigation told NBC News.

The investigation comes as prosecutors at the Manhattan Public Prosecutor’s Office eye Weisselberg and his adult sons in their own criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump and the Trump Organization.

The news of the investigation comes two days after Attorney General Letitia James’ spokesman said her office was investigating the Trump organization in “a criminal capacity”. Several investigators from the AG’s office were deployed to work with the Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance team.

James was previously known to be conducting a civil investigation of the company into allegations that the value of real estate was misrepresented for financial gain. Weisselberg had been dismissed by James’ investigators as part of that investigation.

Weisselberg’s attorney Mary Mulligan declined to comment on the criminal investigation into his personal taxes, first reported by the New York Times.

A Trump Organization spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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The official, who spoke to NBC News, said the investigation into James’ Weisselberg office was due in part to documents his former daughter-in-law Jennifer Weisselberg shared with investigators.

Jennifer Weisselberg, a former ballet dancer, has also provided Vance investigators with recordings for their own investigation and has met with those investigators several times.

Her attorney, Duncan Levin, told WNBC News: “Ms. Weisselberg has been in contact with prosecutors in the Criminal Investigation Department of the New York Attorney General for at least March.”

Levin added, “She has provided information to them as part of her criminal investigation and will continue to work together in any way that she can help.”

Jennifer Weisselberg’s ex-husband Barry is a long-time employee of the Trump Organization.

She recently told NBC News that Allen Weisselberg “is discussing everything with Trump about how the company works financially.”

“And Donald trusts that he will continue the legacy as his father set things up,” she said.

Vance’s office is keeping an eye on the benefits Barry Weisselberg has received from the Trump Organization. This includes an apartment in Central Park where Jennifer and Barry lived rent-free for several years.

Trump beat up James on Wednesday for investigating his company.

“There is nothing more corrupt than an investigation desperately looking for a crime,” Trump said.

“But make no mistake, this is exactly what is happening here.”

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Entertainment

Are Animated Dads Getting Hotter? An Investigation

Are Animated Dads Getting Hotter? An Investigation

And then there are recent events that may have added more fuel to our fire. “Of course there is the indescribable factor of the quarantine, with which everyone briefly lost their minds,” said Adewunmi. “When all you have to do is roll off your bed and onto your laptop, you could say, ‘Do you know what I’m going to get into today? The father of ‘Onward’. “

And if you’re single and still struggling through the pandemic, isn’t it appealing to imagine a generally good-natured, relationship-oriented character who would love to be there for you? After “Raya” was over, I half expected Benja to jump off the screen onto the couch next to me, where he would finally be the supportive partner I have to watch stupid episodes of “The Circle” with. Plus, he looks great in patterned aqua blue tunics, and that can’t be said of every dad.

“You see, I don’t even think I could do it, so in a way he’s way superior to me,” said Daniel Dae Kim. When I called Kim a few weeks ago, Raya and the Last Dragon had just been released and he had started to take in the excitement on the Internet. “And I’ve gotten a lot of comments about how this character looks like me, too,” Kim said. “Well, I think that because of the transitive quality, I’ll take that as a compliment.”

In fact, Kim revealed that Benja got hotter and hotter as it progressed: “The character I originally saw was thinner and slimmer and longer,” he said. “I found that fascinating, and then when I saw a rough cut it was wider, a little more muscular, and I noticed a hairline that looked like mine.”

Still, it all has to be more than just well-rendered computer modeling, right? As Kim pondered Benjamin’s appeal, he wondered if these animated fathers convey a sense of G-rated comfort in a cultural moment he is sorely lacking.

“In a way, I think Benja is the dad we all want,” said Kim. “He’s a warrior, but he’s kind and compassionate to his children and tries to unite people rather than divide them.”

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Politics

Firing of U.S. Ambassador Is at Middle of Giuliani Investigation

Firing of U.S. Ambassador Is at Center of Giuliani Investigation

Two years ago, Rudolph W. Giuliani finally got what he was looking for in Ukraine: the Trump administration removed the U.S. ambassador there, a woman Mr. Giuliani believed had hampered his efforts, the Biden family to pollute.

It was a Pyrrhic victory. Mr Giuliani’s urge to oust Ambassador Marie L. Yovanovitch not only became the focus of the first impeachment trial against President Donald J. Trump, but has now landed Mr Giuliani on the crosshairs of a federal criminal investigation into whether he broke lobbying- Laws according to information provided by persons with knowledge of the matter.

The long-running investigation reached a turning point this week when FBI agents seized phones and computers from Mr. Giuliani’s Manhattan home and office. At least one of the arrest warrants looked for evidence related to Ms. Yovanovitch and her role as ambassador.

In particular, federal agencies should search the electronic devices for communications between Mr Giuliani and Trump administration officials about the ambassador before she was removed in April 2019, one of the people added.

The warrant also sought its communication with Ukrainian officials who partnered with Ms. Yovanovitch, including some of the same people who at the time helped Mr. Giuliani seek harmful information about President Biden, who was then a candidate, and his family. said the people.

For the investigators, it is a key question: Did Mr. Giuliani persecute Ms. Yovanovitch solely on behalf of Mr. Trump, who was his client at the time? Or did he do so on behalf of the Ukrainian officials who wanted her removed for their own reasons?

It is against federal law to lobby the United States government on behalf of foreign officials without registering with the Department of Justice, and Mr Giuliani has never done so.

Even if the Ukrainians did not pay Mr. Giuliani, prosecutors could theory that they were providing help by collecting information about the Bidens in exchange for their removal.

One of the search warrants for Mr Giuliani’s phones and computers specifically stated that the possible crimes, according to those with knowledge of the matter, included violations of the law, the Law on Registration of Foreign Agents.

Mr Giuliani has long denied that he worked at the behest of the Ukrainians or that he accepted money from them, and he has said that he did not specifically ask Mr Trump to dismiss the ambassador.

Mr. Giuliani’s work to oust Ms. Yovanovitch was part of a larger effort to attack Joseph R. Biden Jr. and tie him to the corruption in Ukraine, much of which was happening in public.

But intelligence officials have long warned that Mr Giuliani’s work in Ukraine was entangled in Russia’s efforts to spread disinformation about the Biden family in order to weaken Mr Trump’s electoral rival.

The FBI stepped up its warnings about disinformation in Russia ahead of the 2020 election, including a defensive briefing to Mr. Giuliani, and warned him that some of the information he shared with the Biden family was due to the disinformation efforts of Russian intelligence agencies spread, affected a person who was informed of the matter.

The FBI’s defense intelligence is given by its counterintelligence officers and is separate from the criminal investigation into Mr. Giuliani’s activities. The defensive briefing was reported by the Washington Post earlier Thursday.

But the warnings to Mr Giuliani are not surprising. Senior officials warned Mr Trump in late 2019 that Mr Giuliani was promoting Russia’s disinformation, and intelligence services warned the American public that Moscow intelligence services were trying to hurt Mr Biden’s chances of voting by providing information about his family’s work in the Ukraine spread.

On Wednesday, after FBI agents seized his equipment, Mr. Giuliani again denied any wrongdoing. He said the search warrants exhibited “corrupt double standards” on the part of the Justice Department, accusing the Justice Department of ignoring “apparent crimes” by Democrats, including Mr Biden.

When asked about the search warrants Thursday, Mr Biden told NBC’s “Today” show that he “had no idea this was going on”. He said he had pledged not to interfere in Justice Department investigations.

Mr Giuliani’s lawyer, Robert J. Costello, said his client had offered to answer the prosecutor’s questions twice, with the exception of those relating to Mr Giuliani’s privileged communications with the former president.

The arrest warrants do not accuse Mr Giuliani of wrongdoing, but underline his legal danger: they indicate that a judge has found that investigators likely have reason to believe that a crime has been committed and that they are seeking evidence of that crime would result.

The investigation arose out of a case against two Soviet-born businessmen who helped Mr. Giuliani find harmful information about Mr. Biden and his son Hunter. At the time, Hunter Biden was serving on the board of directors of an energy company doing business in Ukraine.

In 2019, Manhattan businessmen Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman were indicted along with two others for crimes related to campaign finance. A trial is planned for October.

During the investigation into Giuliani, federal prosecutors focused on the steps he took against Ms. Yovanovitch. Mr Giuliani has confirmed that he provided Mr Trump with detailed information about his allegation that it was obstructing investigations that could benefit Mr Trump and that Mr Trump put him in touch with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

After several abandoned attempts to remove her, Ms. Yovanovitch was finally removed as ambassador in late April 2019 and was told that the White House had lost confidence in her.

Mr Giuliani said in an interview in late 2019 that he believed that the information he provided to the Trump administration contributed to Ms. Yovanovitch’s dismissal. “You’d have to ask them,” he said of the Trump officials. “But they relied on it.” He added that he had never specifically asked for her to be fired.

Prosecutors have also investigated Mr Giuliani’s relationship with Ukrainians who had conflicts with Ms. Yovanovitch, according to knowledgeable people. As an ambassador, Ms. Yovanovitch had targeted corruption in Ukraine and brought her some enemies.

The investigation focused on one of her opponents, Yuriy Lutsenko, who at the time was the top prosecutor in Ukraine. At least one of the search warrants for Mr Giuliani’s equipment mentioned Mr Lutsenko and some of his staff, including one who introduced him to Mr Giuliani.

The relationship had the potential to become symbiotic.

Mr. Lutsenko wanted Ms. Yovanovitch removed and as the President’s personal lawyer, Mr. Giuliani was able to help. Mr. Giuliani wanted negative information about the Bidens and, as the chief prosecutor in Ukraine, Mr. Lutsenko would have had the authority to announce an investigation into Hunter Biden’s dealings with the energy company. Mr. Giuliani also viewed Ms. Yovanovitch as insufficiently loyal to the President and as an obstacle to the investigation.

Mr. Lutsenko hinted at a possible consideration in text messages released during the impeachment proceedings. In March 2019, Mr Lutsenko wrote in a Russian-language text message to Mr Parnas that he had found evidence that could harm the Bidens. Then he added, “And you can’t even overthrow an idiot,” in an obvious reference to Ms. Yovanovitch, followed by a frowned emoji.

At around the same time, Mr. Giuliani was in negotiations to also represent Mr. Lutsenko or his agency, as the New York Times previously reported. Draft retention agreements requested Mr. Giuliani to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars to help the Ukrainian government recover money it believed had been stolen and stowed overseas.

Mr Giuliani signed one of the retention agreements but said he ultimately did not take over the job as representing Mr Trump at the same time could create a conflict of interest.

When Ms. Yovanovitch testified during Mr. Trump’s impeachment negotiations in late 2019, she informed lawmakers that she had minimal contact with Mr. Giuliani during her tenure as ambassador.

“I don’t know Mr Giuliani’s motives for attacking me,” she said. “But people who have been mentioned in the press and who have contact with Mr. Giuliani may have believed that their personal and financial ambitions were affected by our anti-corruption policies in Ukraine.”

Julian E. Barnes contributed to the coverage.

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Business

Credit score Suisse studies a loss as regulators open an investigation.

Credit Suisse reports a loss as regulators open an investigation.

Credit Suisse announced Thursday that it suffered a first-quarter loss on loans to the collapsed mutual fund Archegos Capital Management. This debacle has led the Swiss financial regulator to investigate whether the bank has done poorly in monitoring the risk of its investments.

The loss of 252 million Swiss francs, about $ 275 million, from January to March was due to Archegos’ CHF 4.4 billion loss wiping out a sharp rise in sales and forcing some top executives to leave. Credit Suisse announced on Thursday that it had sold bonds to investors to support its capital.

The Zurich-based bank has suffered a number of disasters this year that have seriously damaged its reputation and finances. Swiss regulators are also investigating a spy scandal and the $ 10 billion sale by Credit Suisse that was packaged by Greensill Capital. Funding was based on funding for companies, many of which had low credit ratings or were not rated at all. Greensill collapsed in March and his ties with former UK Prime Minister David Cameron sparked a political scandal.

The Swiss supervisory authority known as Finma said it would “particularly investigate possible deficiencies in risk management” at Credit Suisse. Finma also said it “will continue to exchange information with relevant authorities in the UK and US”.

Without the loss of Archegos, Credit Suisse would have achieved a pre-tax profit of 3.6 billion Swiss francs, according to the bank. Sales for the quarter rose 30 percent to 7.6 billion Swiss francs as Credit Suisse brought in fees from brisk trading in the equity and bond markets.

The quarterly loss, which was described as “unacceptable” in a statement by the bank’s CEO, Thomas Gottstein, compared to a profit of 1.3 billion Swiss francs in the first quarter of 2020.

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Business

Congressional investigation launched into Emergent BioSolutions’ federal vaccine contracts

Congressional investigation launched into Emergent BioSolutions' federal vaccine contracts

Top House Democrats have launched an investigation into whether Emergent Biosolutions, which recently botched 15 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine, won the federal contract for inclusion because of its cozy relationship with a former top Trump government official.

New York Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, Chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, and James E. Clyburn of South Carolina, Chair of the Select Subcommittee on Coronavirus Crisis, sent a joint letter to Emergent Solutions CEO Robert G. Kramer and board chairman Fuad El-Hibri demand that they testify before the coronavirus subcommittee.

“In particular, we are investigating reports that Emergent has won multi-million dollar contracts to manufacture coronavirus vaccines, despite a long, documented history of inadequately trained personnel and quality control issues,” the legislature wrote.

The committees deal specifically with the role that Dr. Robert Kadlec, former Emergent Advisor and Trump’s Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, has played in helping the company get the job done. They asked the company to hand over a number of documents, including all federal contracts since 2015, all communications with Kadlec, as well as information on audits and inspections of its facilities, drug pricing and executive compensation.

“Emergent received $ 628 million in June 2020 to set up the primary US vaccine manufacturing facility developed by Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca,” lawmakers wrote in a letter sent to Kramer and El-Hibri on Monday . Kadlec “appears to have pushed for this award, although there are indications that Emergent was unable to reliably perform the contract.”

According to the letter, an FDA inspection of the Baltimore plant in April 2020 revealed that Emergent did not have the personnel to manufacture a coronavirus vaccine. Another inspection in June revealed that Emergent’s plan to manufacture much-needed coronavirus vaccines was inadequate due to poorly trained staff and quality control issues.

Despite falling short on federal inspections, the Trump administration paid the company $ 628 million in June to manufacture coronavirus vaccines.

Reports later surfaced indicating quality control issues at Emergent’s Baltimore facility.

“During the manufacturing process, your company contaminated millions of doses of Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot coronavirus vaccine with ingredients from the AstraZeneca vaccine,” the legislature wrote.

Emergent was forced to destroy up to 15 million tainted doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and an additional 62 million doses remained pending until it was found not to have been mistaken by the York Times.

Emergent’s Baltimore facility has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, so none of the cans produced at the site were ever distributed or made it into the arms of the Americans.

“We are concerned about the cost to taxpayers and the potential impact on our country’s vaccination efforts from failed attempts by Emergent to manufacture these vaccines,” the legislature wrote.

Lawmakers also said they are considering Emergent’s role as the sole anthrax vaccine supplier on the Strategic National Stockpile.

“Emergent has increased the government purchase price for the anthrax vaccine by 800% since the drug was purchased in 1998. As a result, nearly half of the SNS budget has been spent on purchasing Emergent’s anthrax vaccine over the past decade,” so the representative wrote.

According to the letter, after Kadlec was confirmed in the Trump administration, Emergent received millions of dollars in federal contracts from his agency, including inventory contracts, “which were put out to tender”.

Emergent encouraged oversight of the inventory to be transferred from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention to the Deputy Secretary’s Office for Preparedness and Response under Kadlec’s control according to the letter.

Until 2015, Kadlec Emergent advised through his company RPK Consulting. Kadlec was confirmed as the head of the Office of the Ministry of Health and Human Services in 2017.

Kramer and El-Hibri were asked to testify before the subcommittee on May 19 at 10:30 am ET.

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World News

Tesla faces one other NHTSA investigation after deadly driverless crash in Texas

Tesla, Palantir, Hasbro, Target and more

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors, unveils a new all-wheel drive version of the Model S on October 9, 2014 in Hawthorne, California.

Lucy Nicholson | Reuters

On Monday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it had “immediately” opened another investigation into Tesla after a fatal crash occurred over the weekend in Spring, Texas.

Two men died in the crash on Saturday night and, according to several press interviews with local police, no one was apparently behind the wheel.

The electric vehicle, a Tesla 2019 Model S, hit a tree and went up in flames. One person was in the passenger seat and another was in the passenger seat of the vehicle.

Another federal agency, the National Transportation Safety Board, said it is also sending two investigators to Texas and will focus its analysis on the operation of the vehicle and the post-accident fire.

The police and federal vehicle safety authorities have not yet completed their extensive investigations. A preliminary report is not final and questions remain as to whether Tesla’s advanced driver assistance systems were used before or during the accident.

The company’s systems are marketed under the brand names Autopilot, Full Self-Driving or Full Self-Driving Beta. Tesla includes the autopilot standard in all newer vehicles. And it sells Full Self-Driving for $ 10,000 with a subscription option in the works.

Autopilot and full self-driving technology make Tesla vehicles unsafe to operate without a driver at the wheel. Some customers who purchase the FSD option also get access to a “beta” version to test the latest features added to the system on public roads before all bugs are fixed.

The company says in its user manuals that drivers are only allowed to use the autopilot and FSD under “active supervision”.

At the same time, CEO Elon Musk advertises on Twitter, where he has 50 million followers, and in media appearances as safe and continuously improved.

On an episode of the popular Joe Rogan Experience podcast in February, Musk and Rogan discussed how Tesla drivers could play chess on their cars’ touchscreens while driving when they shouldn’t. (You need to press a button that says you are the passenger.)

On the same episode, Musk also said, “I think autopilot gets good enough that you don’t have to drive most of the time unless you really want to.”

The great hope for autonomous and automated driving systems in today’s development is that – like seat belts, automated emergency braking, airbags and other technologies that have become standard – they will prevent accidents or reduce their effects. According to NHTSA data, there were 36,096 deaths in road traffic accidents involving motor vehicles in 2019.

To date, the NHTSA has initiated around 28 investigations into accidents involving Tesla vehicles, of which around 24 are active today.

The National Transportation Safety Board, an independent federal agency that investigates accidents to determine the factors that contribute, has urged the NHTSA to impose stringent safety standards on automated vehicle technology. The NTSB called on Tesla in its recommendations for poor safety practices and expressed frustration at the reluctance of the NHTSA to take action after several fatal accidents involving Uber and Tesla vehicles.

Fatal accidents involving Tesla autopilots killed Joshua Brown in Florida, Walter Huang in California, and Jeremy Banner in Florida, in addition to the two men who died in Texas. An autopilot accident also killed Tesla driver Gao Yaning in China, and there was an autopilot accident in Japan that killed a pedestrian, Yoshihiro Umeda.

Here is the full statement an NHTSA spokesperson sent CNBC about the Spring, Texas crash:

“NHTSA is aware of the tragic accident involving a Tesla vehicle outside of Houston, Texas. NHTSA immediately set up a dedicated crash investigation team to investigate the accident. We are actively working with local law enforcement and Tesla to find out more about the details about the vehicle will crash and will take appropriate action when we have more information. “

Tesla shares fell more than 4% in the late afternoon on Monday.

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Politics

Rep. Matt Gaetz faces Home Ethics probe amid intercourse site visitors investigation

Rep. Matt Gaetz faces House Ethics probe amid sex traffic investigation

The House Ethics Committee said Friday it had opened an investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetz, the embattled Republican from Florida who was facing a federal investigation into criminal sex trafficking.

In a statement, the ethics committee said it was aware of the public allegations that Gaetz “may have committed sexual misconduct and / or illegal drug use”.

The panel also found that Gaetz allegedly “shared inappropriate pictures or videos on the floor of the house, misused government identification records, converted campaign funds for personal use and / or accepted bribes, inappropriate tips, or improper gifts that violate house rules , Laws or other standards of conduct. “

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38-year-old Gaetz has vigorously denied the wrongdoing since the Justice Department’s investigation first became known last week. He was not charged with a crime.

“The office will repeat once again that these claims are obviously false and have not been confirmed by a single person willing to leave their name behind,” Gaetz’s office told CNBC in response to the new ethics inquiry.

The Democrat-led Ethics Panel announced Friday that it has opened an investigation into Rep. Tom Reed, RN.Y., citing allegations of possible sexual misconduct.

Last month, Reed apologized to a woman who accused him of rubbing her back and hanging off her bra in a Minneapolis bar in 2017. Reed said he would not seek re-election in 2022.

Reed’s office did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment, but instead said in a statement to Politico: “We have already publicly addressed this situation and are working, in line with it, with the House Ethics Committee to bring this matter to a close. “

Ethics Committee press releases, attributed to Chairman Ted Deutch, D-Fla., And senior member Jackie Walorski, R-Ind., Stated that an investigation “does not in itself indicate a violation, or reflecting a judgment in the name. ” of the committee. “

Federal investigators are investigating whether Gaetz had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl and paid for her trips with him, the New York Times reported for the first time last week.

The investigation reportedly emerged from an investigation by Gaetz’s associate Joel Greenberg, a former Florida tax collector on criminal charges including underage sex trafficking, stalking, cable fraud and identity theft.

Greenberg had previously pleaded not guilty, but his attorney and prosecutors on his case told a judge on Thursday that Greenberg is expected to make a plea deal.

NBC reported Wednesday that investigators are investigating whether women were being paid to travel to the Bahamas with Gaetz to have sex, and whether Gaetz and Greenberg were using the internet to look for women who could pay them to have sex .

“I’m sure Matt Gaetz is not feeling very well today,” Greenberg’s lawyer Fritz Scheller told reporters on Thursday afternoon.

A Republican congressman, Adam Kinzinger from Illinois, has already asked Gaetz to resign.

Gaetz said this week that he had “absolutely not resigned” from the congress. As a staunch supporter of the former President Donald Trump, Gaetz has signed Marc Mukasey, a defender of the Trump organization, as a representative.

Gaetz has also hired a PR firm, the Logan Circle Group.

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Politics

Andrew Cuomo sexual harassment accuser speaks as investigation quickens

Andrew Cuomo sexual harassment accuser speaks as investigation speeds up

One of the two women who accused New York Governor Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment broke his “predatory behavior” on Monday and urged other women to come forward if they have similar complaints about him.

Charlotte Bennett’s motion came when New York Attorney General Letitia James said Cuomo’s office had formally requested an independent investigation into the allegations of Bennett and another former aide, Lindsey Boylan.

“Anyone who needs to hear that knows I have room for you too,” Bennett said in a statement. “To the governor’s survivors, I’m here. Lindsey is here.”

“You don’t have to say a single word. But if you choose to tell your truth, we’ll be with you. I promise.”

Bennett has hired a senior workplace discrimination attorney, Debra Katz, who said in her own statement that Bennett “will fully cooperate with the Attorney General’s investigation”.

“We are confident that no uninterested investigator reviewing this evidence would accept the governor’s selfish characterization of his behavior as mentoring or, in the worst case, undesirable flirtation,” said Katz. “He was not a mentor and his remarks were not misunderstood by Mrs. Bennett.”

“He abused his power over her for sex. This is sexual harassment textbook.”

James said in a statement of her authority over the investigation, “This is not a responsibility we take lightly as allegations of sexual harassment should always be taken seriously.”

Bennett said in her statement that Cuomo “refused to acknowledge his predatory behavior or accept responsibility for it”.

“As we know, perpetrators – especially those of tremendous power – are often repeat offenders who use manipulative tactics to reduce allegations, blame victims, deny wrongdoing, and escape consequences,” she said.

Bennett noted that “it took the governor 24 hours and significant backlash to allow a truly independent investigation” after she published her allegations in an article in the New York Times on Saturday.

“These are not the actions of someone who simply feels misunderstood. They are the actions of an individual who uses his power to avoid justice,” said Bennett.

Cuomo first suggested over the weekend that Bennett and Boylan’s allegations be investigated by a former federal judge who had previously worked with the governor’s top advisor.

Cuomo then turned and his office suggested that James and Judith Kaye, Judith, who heads the state’s Supreme Court, jointly oversee the investigation.

James refused to share the oversight. And the governor’s office, dealing with a growing political backlash to both the allegations and his machinations to control the investigation, agreed to ask the attorney general to conduct the investigation.

Bennett said, as she presented her report, “I fully expected to be attacked by those who reflexively question the honesty or motivation of those who report sexual harassment. Those voices do not deter me.”

She also said, “Moving forward was an excruciating decision. I decided to share my story because I believed that I would be supported and believed. Often times, this is not the case.”

“Sharing my experience was only possible because previous survivors stood up and told their stories. I hope my story will make other survivors feel like they can stand in their truth.”

CNBC has approached Cuomo’s office for comment.

A referral letter from Cuomo’s office to James on Monday approved her request that a private attorney or attorney general investigate Bennett and Boylan’s claims.

The letter from Cuomo’s special adviser Beth Garvey stated that the results of this investigation “will be published in a public report.”

The letter also states that “due to the nature of this review,” the governor’s office will not approve or send weekly reports that would normally be expected under state law authorizing the attorney general to represent outside attorneys on such an investigation .

“All New York State employees have been directed to cooperate fully with this review,” Garvey wrote in the letter published by James.

“I will act as the witness interview or drafting point of contact for the Executive Chamber and put you in touch with an appropriate attorney at another agency or establishment for any documents or witnesses required for the review,” Garvey wrote.

Bennett, 25, told the Times in an article published Saturday that 63-year-old Cuomo had asked her questions, including whether she “had ever been with an older man,” whether she was monogamous in her relationships and other personal questions they asked make her feel uncomfortable.

Boylan has said that Cuomo kissed her once without her consent and jokingly suggested playing strip poker on an official flight.

Cuomo has denied the 36-year-old Boylan’s claims.

However, in a statement released on Saturday, the governor did not deny Bennett’s claims about what he had said.

“I never intended to offend or harm anyone. I spend most of my life at work and colleagues are often personal friends,” said Cuomo on the day.

“At work I sometimes think I’m playful and make jokes that I think are funny. I occasionally tease people in ways I think are good-natured,” said the governor.

“I now understand that my interactions may have been insensitive or too personal, and that because of my position, some of my comments made others feel in ways I never intended. I acknowledge that some of the things I have said may be considered undesirable Flirting was misunderstood As far as someone felt this way, I’m really sorry. “

Cuomo also said, “To be clear, I’ve never touched anyone inappropriately or suggested anyone, and I never wanted anyone to feel uncomfortable, but these are allegations the New Yorkers deserve answers to.”

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Entertainment

T.I. and Tiny Accused of Sexual Assault; Lawyer Seeks Investigation

T.I. and Tiny Accused of Sexual Assault; Lawyer Seeks Investigation

The night took a turn for the military veteran when TI and Ms. Harris invited her and a few others to join them as they left the club, she said. She believed that they would continue the party elsewhere and remembered that she had willingly joined in.

Instead, they went to a hotel room where, according to the attorney’s letter, the other guests were quickly told to leave, and the woman began to suffer from the effects of everything she had ingested – despite consuming less than two drinks, the letter said. Her friend, whom she had been separated from, never made it into the room; She threw up in the lobby toilet, she said in an interview.

According to the letter, Ms. Harris suggested that the military veteran “freshen up” and took her to the bathroom, where the woman, drunk and overwhelmed, allowed Ms. Harris to undress and bathe her and TI

When they got back to bed, all three were naked and the veteran vomited, the letter said. TI then tried “to put his foot in her vagina.” She said no, said the letter. The woman remembered TI laughing at her because she vomited and he went to get condoms.

“The next thing she remembers,” the letter went on, “was waking up naked on the couch with a towel thrown over her, with a very painful vagina.” A security guard knocked on the door and told her to go, she remembered.

The woman fled. When her friend picked her up, she recounted the rest of her night, they said in separate interviews. At home, the woman made her way to the bathroom and scrubbed her body with soap and Tide with bleach, she said. She was too embarrassed to see a doctor, she said, but later treated herself for an infection.