Tyler Robinson, accused of killing Charlie Kirk, set to face formal charges for death of conservative influencer

Tyler Robinson, accused of killing Charlie Kirk, set to face formal charges for death of conservative influencer
Tyler Robinson, accused of killing Charlie Kirk, set to face formal charges for death of conservative influencer
Chet Strange/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — Formal charges are expected to be announced Tuesday against Tyler Robinson, the person accused of assassinating conservative influencer Charlie Kirk during an event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10.

Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray is set to hold a news conference to announce the charges against Robinson after they are filed in the late morning, according to Utah County officials.

Robinson is also scheduled to make his first court appearance on Tuesday.

Robinson was arrested last week for felony discharge of a firearm, aggravated murder and obstruction of justice, according to probable cause documents and was booked into the Utah County Jail.

Investigators are continuing to assess evidence, including looking at electronic devices the suspect may have had access to, as federal charges could be announced in the coming days, law enforcement officials told ABC News.

A motive has not been revealed by officials, despite Vice President JD Vance saying “left-wing extremism” is “part of the reason” Kirk was killed.

Discord, a group chat messaging platform, confirmed on Monday that Robinson sent messages two hours before he was taken into custody admitting he shot the conservative influencer.

“Hey guys, I have bad news for you all…It was me at UVU yesterday. im sorry for all of this,” one of the messages read.

During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday, FBI Director Kash Patel said the FBI is investigating “anyone and everyone involved in that Discord chat.”

Patel said there are “a lot more” than 20 people linked to Robinson on Discord and that the FBI is “running them all down.” He added that a “number of individuals” are currently being investigated.

Robinson was apprehended after his father recognized him in photographs released by authorities, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said last week. His father told Robinson to turn himself in, with the 22-year-old initially saying no, but later changing his mind, officials said.

In a press briefing from the Oval Office Monday evening, President Donald Trump said it appeared Robinson became radicalized on the internet.

“Something happened to him over a fairly short period of time. It looks like he was radicalized over the internet, and it’s radicalized on the left. He’s a left,” Trump claimed.

Robinson is alleged to have had an “obsession” with the conservative influencer, based on the alleged shooter’s digital footprint, FBI Co-Deputy Director Dan Bongino said Monday on Fox News.

Bongino said the suspect appeared to have exhibited “multiple warning signs.”

“I believe co-workers stated he had detached himself when the topic of politics came up and walked away,” Bongino said on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom.”

Bongino said they are looking into whether anyone knew the shooting could happen and didn’t alert authorities, referring to the Discord chats Robinson allegedly had about Kirk.

“Did they … hear it and think it was a joke? That is what we’re trying to find out now,” he told Fox News. “If there is a larger network here, we will get that out to the public as soon as we can.”

ABC News’ Mike Levine contributed to this report.

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Trump files $15 billion defamation suit against New York Times, Penguin Random House

Trump files  billion defamation suit against New York Times, Penguin Random House
Trump files $15 billion defamation suit against New York Times, Penguin Random House
Win McNamee/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — President Donald Trump is seeking $15 billion in damages from The New York Times and Penguin Random House in a defamation lawsuit that alleges the newspaper and publisher engaged in a campaign to damage his reputation ahead of the 2024 election. 

Alleging that the Times has become a “leading, and unapologetic, purveyor of falsehoods,” Trump’s attorneys argued that a series of articles about Trump — including a report that Trump’s former chief of staff John Kelly warned the president would rule like a dictator, an article about the making of “The Apprentice,” and a report about the controversy that has followed Trump — amounted to libel. 

Filed in the Middle District of Florida, the lawsuit names The New York Times and Times reporters Peter Baker, Russ Buettner, Susanne Craig, and Michael Schmidt as defendants. The lawsuit also names Penguin Random House — the publisher of Craig and Buettner’s book “Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success” — as a defendant. 

“Today, the Times is a fullthroated mouthpiece of the Democrat Party. The newspaper’s editorial routine is now one of industrial-scale defamation and libel against political opponents,” the lawsuit claimed. 

Trump’s lawyers allege that The New York Times and Penguin Random House sought to not only damage the president’s “hard-earned and world-renowned reputation for business success,” but also hurt his chances of winning the 2024 election.

“President Trump brings this suit to highlight that principle and to clearly state to all Americans exhausted by, and furious at, the decades of journalistic corruption, that the era of unchecked, deliberate defamation by the Times and other legacy media outlets is over,” the lawsuit said. 

A New York Times spokesperson said the lawsuit has no merit.

“It lacks any legitimate legal claims and instead is an attempt to stifle and discourage independent reporting,” the Times spokesperson said. “The New York Times will not be deterred by intimidation tactics. We will continue to pursue the facts without fear or favor and stand up for journalists’ First Amendment right to ask questions on behalf of the American people.”

Penguin Random House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News. 

“President Trump’s transcendent ability to defy wrongful conventions has been vividly reflected in his successful undertaking to restore integrity to journalism, and repair the immense damage caused by legacy media outlets such as the Times for the better part of a decade,” the lawsuit said.

In July, Trump filed a $10 billion lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal  after the Journal reported that Trump allegedly sent disgraced financier Jeffery Epstein a bawdy letter in 2003 that was included in a book made for Epstein’s 50th birthday, which Trump has denied. 

In response to that suit, a spokesperson for Journal owner Dow Jones said, “We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit.” 

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13 people hurt in 2 mass shootings at Minneapolis homeless encampments on the same day

13 people hurt in 2 mass shootings at Minneapolis homeless encampments on the same day
13 people hurt in 2 mass shootings at Minneapolis homeless encampments on the same day
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey speaks to the media following a mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School on August 27, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

(MINNEAPOLIS) — At least 13 people have been wounded, five critically, in two shootings that erupted over a span of 12 hours at homeless encampments in Minneapolis with the city’s mayor saying he wouldn’t be surprised if they are connected.

The shootings on Monday marked the fourth and fifth mass shootings to occur in Minneapolis in the past three weeks, including one on Aug. 27 at Annunciation Catholic School that left two children dead and 21 people injured.

“This is tragic. It’s horrible. It’s unacceptable, and, sadly, it’s not surprising,” Mayor Jacob Frey said at a news conference early Tuesday.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the city’s latest mass shooting unfolded Monday night at a notorious homeless encampment in southeast Minneapolis, in which eight people were shot and an estimated 30 shots were fired.

“Here we are yet again in the aftermath of a mass shooting. This is not normal,” O’Hara said.

O’Hara said the shooting at the homeless encampment on South 28th Avenue and East Lake Street occurred around 10 p.m. local time. He said an officer working at a Target store nearby was approached by multiple people “running and telling him that there was gunfire at the encampment.”

“The officer exited the store and heard gunfire coming from the area of the encampment,” O’Hara said.

Upon arrival, officers found five people wounded, including two people, a man and a woman, discovered inside tents suffering from bullet wounds to the head, O’Hara said. He said three other gunshot victims showed up at hospitals on their own.

O’Hara said at least four of the victims had life-threatening gunshot wounds.

The chief said multiple shell casings were recovered from the scene, leading investigators to believe that someone inside the encampment exchanged gunfire with the shooter who targeted the encampment.

O’Hara said that in addition to the shooting, a fire broke out in one of the tents while police were on scene and that that firefighters were called to extinguish the blaze.

No arrests have been announced in the shooting.

O’Hara said detectives are investigating the possibility that the shooting is connected to earlier gunfire at a nearby homeless encampment that left five people injured, including one in life-threatening condition. He said the earlier shooting occurred just after 11 a.m. near the intersection of East Lake Street and Stevens Avenue.

“While the investigation is still very, very preliminary, that is certainly something that we can’t rule out, and, of course, it’s something that we are considering,” O’Hara said.

Asked about the possible connection between the two shootings, Frey added, “We don’t know for sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised.”

Frey said the city has been trying for months to clear the homeless encampment at South 28th Avenue and East Lake Street, the scene of Monday night’s shooting. He said the encampment is on private property and that the city’s attempts to clear it have been met with resistance by the owner of the property.

“These homeless encampments are not safe either for the people that are in them, nor are they safe for the surrounding neighborhood. With this particular one, we’ve been saying this for months. We have been met with resistance for trying to clear this particular encampment,” Frey said.

In addition to the Annunciation Catholic School shooting, in which the suspect, 23-year-old Robin Westman, died by suicide, Minneapolis police investigated an Aug. 26 mass shooting that left one man dead and five other people wounded in southwest Minneapolis.

At the time, O’Hara said the shooter walked up to a group of people standing at the corner of East 29th Street and Clinton Avenue South and unleashed a barrage of at least 30 shots with a high-powered rifle before fleeing.

No arrests have been announced.

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Fulton County DA Fani Willis remains disqualified from Trump’s Georgia election interference case

Fulton County DA Fani Willis remains disqualified from Trump’s Georgia election interference case
Fulton County DA Fani Willis remains disqualified from Trump’s Georgia election interference case
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis looks on during a hearing in the case of the State of Georgia v. Donald John Trump at the Fulton County Courthouse on March 1, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Alex Slitz-Pool/Getty Images)

(ATLANTA, Ga.) — Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis will remain disqualified from prosecuting the election interference case against President Donald Trump and others, after the Georgia Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to hear her appeal of the matter.

“Members of the public may well be interested in the case underlying this petition for certiorari,” the concurring opinion read. “But our focus in assessing whether to grant review under our certiorari jurisdiction is on the law of Georgia.”

In a dissenting opinion, Justice Carla McMillian wrote the case “warrants reconsideration, and the issue is likely to recur.”

Tuesday’s ruling on the criminal racketeering case appears to put an end to the nearly two-year legal saga that derailed the prosecution, which began in January of 2024 after Willis was first accused of misconduct by Michael Roman, one of Trump’s codefendants, over her relationship with one of the prosecutors on the case.

An independent body — the Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia — will now be tasked with assigning an independent prosecutor to take over the case and determine its fate.

In a statement, Willis said “I disagree” with the decision, but said she would begin the process of turning the case over to the council.

“I hope that whoever is assigned to handle the case will have the courage to do what the evidence and the law demand,” Willis said.

An attorney for President Trump, Steve Sadow, celebrating the ruling, saying the court “correctly denied review.”

“This proper decision should bring an end to the wrongful political, lawfare persecutions of the President,” Sadow said.

Trump and 18 others pleaded not guilty in August 2023 to all charges in a sweeping racketeering indictment for alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state of Georgia.

The charges, which were brought following Trump’s Jan. 2, 2021, phone call in which he asked Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” the votes needed to win the state, allege that the defendants solicited state leaders throughout the country, harassed and misled a Georgia election worker, and pushed phony claims that the election was stolen, all in an effort for Trump to remain in power despite his election loss.

Defendants Kenneth Chesebro, Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis and Scott Hall subsequently took plea deals in exchange for agreeing to testify against other defendants.

Trump has blasted the district attorney’s investigation as being politically motivated.

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Luigi Mangione: Judge tosses 2 state murder charges related to act of terrorism

Luigi Mangione: Judge tosses 2 state murder charges related to act of terrorism
Luigi Mangione: Judge tosses 2 state murder charges related to act of terrorism
Luigi Mangione (C), accused killer of US insurance CEO Brian Thompson, arrives for a hearing in New York City on February 21, 2025. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — A judge dismissed two murder charges related to acts of terrorism as Luigi Mangione, the accused killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, made his first Manhattan courtroom appearance in five months on Tuesday.

Judge Gregory Carro tossed out the most severe charge, first-degree murder, accusing Mangione of murder as a crime of terrorism.

The judge said the evidence presented to the grand jury was insufficient to support the terrorism charge.

Carro also tossed a second-degree murder charge, related to killing as an act of terrorism.

The rest of the indictment remains, with the judge refusing to dismiss another second-degree murder charge, to which the accused killer has pleaded not guilty.

Mangione will be tried in state court on a charge of intentional murder in connection with Thompson’s murder.

Mangione returned to a Manhattan courtroom Tuesday for the first time in five months, hoping the judge will either dismiss state murder and terrorism charges or suppress evidence seized during his arrest.

Mangione is accused of shooting and killing CEO Brian Thompson with a 9 mm handgun equipped with a silencer on a Midtown Manhattan street on Dec. 4, 2024.

After a several-day manhunt, Mangione was captured in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

When police found Mangione at a McDonald’s in Altoona, he was carrying a backpack that investigators said contained the alleged murder weapon, a fake ID and a red notebook he used as a diary.

“I finally feel confident about what I will do,” one entry said, according to authorities. “The target is insurance. It checks every box.”The defense argued police lacked a warrant, making the search of the backpack illegal.

A federal grand jury charged Mangione in April with two counts of stalking, firearms offense and murder through the use of a firearm, a charge that makes him eligible for the death penalty, if convicted.

He also faces state charges in New York in connection with the shooting.

Mangione has pleaded not guilty to state charges in New York and Pennsylvania as well as the federal charges. The simultaneous prosecutions put him in what his attorneys have called an “untenable situation” and they’ve asked Judge Gregory Carro to dismiss the state case, or at least put it on hold.

Prosecutors are hoping the judge will set a date for trial.Mangione is also being ordered to appear in a Pennsylvania courtroom regarding those state charges. While he is currently being held in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, the Blair County District Attorney’s Office in Pennsylvania wants the accused killer to appear in court for a pretrial motion hearing scheduled for Nov. 7.

In Pennsylvania, Mangione has pleaded not guilty to charges of forgery, possession of an instrument of a crime and giving a false ID to an officer.

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Tyler Robinson set to face formal charges in shooting death of Charlie Kirk

Tyler Robinson, accused of killing Charlie Kirk, set to face formal charges for death of conservative influencer
Tyler Robinson, accused of killing Charlie Kirk, set to face formal charges for death of conservative influencer
Chet Strange/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — Formal charges are expected to be announced on Tuesday against Tyler Robinson, the alleged assassin accused of shooting Charlie Kirk during an event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10.

Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray is set to hold a news conference to announce the charges against Robinson after they are filed in the late morning and will be made available to the public immediately after that, according to Utah County officials.

Robinson is also scheduled to make his first court appearance later on Tuesday and Utah County officials will be providing more information during the press conference announcing the formal charges.

Robinson was arrested last week for felony discharge of a firearm, aggravated murder and obstruction of justice, according to probable cause documents, and was booked into the Utah County Jail.

Investigators are continuing to assess evidence, including looking at electronic devices the suspect may have had access to, as federal charges could be announced in the coming days, law enforcement officials told ABC News.

A motive has not been revealed by officials, despite Vice President JD Vance saying “left-wing extremism” is “part of the reason” Kirk was killed.

Robinson was apprehended after his father recognized him in photographs released by authorities, Cox said on Friday. His father told Robinson to turn himself in, with the 22-year-old initially saying no, but later changing his mind, officials said.

In a press briefing from the Oval Office Monday evening, President Donald Trump said it appeared Robinson became radicalized on the internet.

“Something happened to him over a fairly short period of time. It looks like he was radicalized over the internet, and it’s radicalized on the left. He’s a left,” Trump claimed.

Before the arrest of the alleged shooter, officials said they had obtained “good” video footage of the individual and were able to track the movements of the suspect.

Meanwhile, Robinson is alleged to have had an “obsession” with the conservative influencer, based on the alleged shooter’s digital footprint, FBI Co-Deputy Director Dan Bongino said Monday on Fox News.

Bongino said the suspect appeared to have exhibited “multiple warning signs.”

“I believe co-workers stated he had detached himself when the topic of politics came up and walked away,” Bongino said on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom.”

Bongino said they are looking into whether anyone knew the shooting could happen and didn’t alert authorities, referring to online chats Robinson allegedly had about Kirk.

“Did they … hear it and think it was a joke? That is what we’re trying to find out now,” he told Fox News. “If there is a larger network here, we will get that out to the public as soon as we can.”

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Man convicted for attempting to give classified information on US Air Force systems to Russia

Man convicted for attempting to give classified information on US Air Force systems to Russia
Man convicted for attempting to give classified information on US Air Force systems to Russia
Thinkstock/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — A 67-year-old South Dakota man has been sent to prison for over 10 years after being convicted of attempting to disclose classified information on U.S. Air Force systems to the Russian government, officials said.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Monday that John Murray Rowe from Lead, South Dakota, was sentenced to 126 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and a $25,000 fine for attempted espionage.

Rowe was charged by indictment in December 2021 and pleaded guilty in April of last year to one count of attempted delivery of national defense information to a foreign government, and three counts of willful communication of national defense information.

According to court documents, Rowe was employed for nearly 40 years as a test engineer for multiple cleared defense contractors and held various high-level while he worked on matters relating to U.S. Air Force electronic warfare technology.

However, after several security violations and “concerning inquiries and statements about Russia and sensitive information,” according to the DOJ, Rowe was identified as a potential insider threat and terminated from employment.

“In March 2020, Rowe told an undercover FBI agent, who he believed to be an agent of the Russian government, that he was not loyal to the United States and that he was interested in helping Russia,” officials said in their statement regarding Rowe on Monday. “During this meeting, Rowe disclosed national defense information classified as [information] that concerned specific operating details of the electronic countermeasure systems used by U.S. military fighter jets, among other things.”

Over the course of the next eight months, Rowe exchanged over 300 emails with a person he believed to be a Russian agent, confirming his willingness to work for the Russian government and discussing his knowledge of classified information relating to U.S. national security, according to officials.

In one email, Rowe was accused of explaining, “If I can’t get a job [in the United States] then I’ll go work for the other team.” In another email, Rowe was said to disclose classified national defense information concerning the U.S. Air Force and, in September 2020, Rowe had a second in-person meeting with the undercover FBI agent where he again disclosed classified national defense information.

“The defendant spent decades working on sensitive U.S. defense programs and was entrusted with safeguarding protected and classified information about military technology. Instead of honoring that trust and his legal responsibilities as a clearance holder, he chose to violate both — repeatedly and willfully attempting to disclose classified information to someone he believed was a foreign agent,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The Justice Department will hold accountable those who disregard country and conscience at the expense of our Nation’s security, including, as here, out of spite.”

Rowe was arrested on a criminal complaint and warrant on Dec. 15, 2021, and was detained while he waited for his trial to begin but was caught disclosing the same classified national defense information concerning the U.S. Air Force to relatives and an associate during recorded prison calls.

“Despite his knowledge, training, experience, and decades of work as a military contractor, Rowe chose to betray the trust placed in him by his country,” said U.S. Attorney David Metcalf for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “His repeated, willful efforts to harm the U.S. by divulging sensitive defense information to an adversary are inexcusable. My office and our partners will continue to hold fully accountable anyone seeking to compromise the national security of the United States.”

“By attempting to disclose classified information on U.S. Air Force systems to the Russian government, John Rowe endangered American lives and compromised U.S. national security,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division.

Rozhavsky added, “This sentencing demonstrates the FBI and our partners will use every tool available to safeguard the homeland from internal and external threats. Anyone tempted to violate their oath to safeguard classified information should understand the severe consequences — and remember the FBI will never stop until we bring you to justice.”

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NYPD warns of further violence in the wake of Charlie Kirk, UnitedHealthcare CEO killings

NYPD warns of further violence in the wake of Charlie Kirk, UnitedHealthcare CEO killings
NYPD warns of further violence in the wake of Charlie Kirk, UnitedHealthcare CEO killings
Luigi Mangione, suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City, arrives at a heliport with members of the NYPD, Dec. 19, 2024, in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — On the eve of court scheduled appearances for high-profile suspected gunmen Tyler Robinson and Luigi Mangione, a new law enforcement assessment warned of calls for further violence against politicians, business leaders and other dignitaries.

The assessment — prepared by the NYPD counterterrorism and intelligence bureau after the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk — said the killing of the conservative pundit last week and UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson late last year stems from the same toxic and violent atmosphere.

“The targeted attack occurred against the backdrop of an increasingly volatile threat environment in the U.S. amid ongoing concerns over the targeting of and violent threats persistently aimed at prominent political figures, CEOs, public officials, and other dignitaries. These individuals likely remain vulnerable at open-air speaking engagements and public events, which have been targeted by malicious actors seeking to advance political or ideological agendas and/or draw attention to unique personal grievances through violence,” the document, obtained by ABC News, said.

“This attack, along with a series of recent high-profile assaults linked to actors with a host of grievances, underscores the continued need for heightened vigilance among law enforcement officers and private-sector security personnel with dignitary/executive protection responsibilities. Rather than aligning with a single extremist ideology, malicious actors may adopt a personalized, hate-filled worldview drawn from a mix of beliefs, amplifying the risk of future attacks by lone offenders that glean tactical/targeting inspiration from prior acts of high-profile violence and find support in permissive online environments,” the bureau said in the document.

Robinson, the suspected gunman in Kirk’s killing, is expected to face capital murder charges in Utah on Tuesday. Authorities have said Robinson may have been “radicalized” online and that ammunition found in the gun used to kill Kirk included anti-fascist and meme-culture writings.

Luigi Mangione, who has been indicted on federal charges in the shooting of Thompson in Midtown, Manhattan on Dec. 4, 2024, is due in a New York court on Tuesday when the judge is expected to rule on several outstanding motions, including defense motions to dismiss state murder charges and exclude certain evidence. Mangione has pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors have suggested Mangione inspired other violence, namely the shooting in July targeting the NFL headquarters at 345 Park Av. His attorneys have denied that.

The NYPD assessment said the killing of Kirk could likewise inspire others.

“Regardless of motive, this incident has, and likely will continue to, resonate with a wide range of violent extremists in perceived justifications and calls for further violence. Additionally, the high-profile nature of this assassination will likely be amplified in propaganda messaging and heavily exploited by malicious actors as well as adversarial nation-states in mis/dis/mal-information aimed at fomenting division,” the assessment said.

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Former SDNY prosecutor Maurene Comey sues over her firing

Former SDNY prosecutor Maurene Comey sues over her firing
Former SDNY prosecutor Maurene Comey sues over her firing
Maurene Comey. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — Former Southern District of New York prosecutor Maurene Comey alleged in a lawsuit Monday that her ouster from the U.S. Attorney’s office was “unlawful and unconstitutional” and likely happened because of who her father is.

Comey, who prosecuted high profile defendants including Sean Combs, Robert Hadden, Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, was fired in July

Her lawsuit said President Donald Trump, the Justice Department, Attorney General Pam Bondi and other defendants did not identify a cause or provide her due process.

“In truth, there is no legitimate explanation. Rather, Defendants fired Ms. Comey solely or substantially because her father is former FBI Director James B. Comey, or because of her perceived political affiliation and beliefs, or both,” the lawsuit said.

“The politically motivated termination of Ms. Comey — ostensibly under “Article II of the Constitution” — upends bedrock principles of our democracy and justice system. Assistant United States Attorneys like Ms. Comey must do their jobs without fearing or favoring any political party or perspective, guided solely by the law, the facts, and the pursuit of justice,” the lawsuit said.

Comey said she had just been assigned a high-profile public corruption case when she received an email on July 16 at 4:57 p.m. with a memo informing her that “your employment with the Department of Justice is hereby terminated, and you are removed from federal service effective immediately.”

According to the lawsuit, Comey’s supervisors “were visibly shocked and upset,” and Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, provided no explanation.

“All I can say is it came from Washington. I can’t tell you anything else,” the lawsuit quoted Clayton as telling Comey. 

Comey’s attorneys said the president lacks the authority to fire ordinary federal prosecutors, who are career civil servants, for perceived disloyalty. 

“Neither the President nor the Department of Justice have unlimited authority to remove Assistant United States Attorneys,” the lawsuit said.

Comey is seeking reinstatement along with back pay.

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 Charlie Kirk killing: Suspect had ‘obsession’ with the conservative influencer, FBI says

 Charlie Kirk killing: Suspect had ‘obsession’ with the conservative influencer, FBI says
 Charlie Kirk killing: Suspect had ‘obsession’ with the conservative influencer, FBI says
Courtesy of Gov. Spencer Cox

(Orem, UTAH) — The suspect arrested in the fatal shooting Charlie Kirk had an “obsession” with the conservative influencer, based on the alleged shooter’s digital footprint, FBI Co-Deputy Director Dan Bongino said Monday on Fox News.

Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old Utah native, is accused of fatally shooting Kirk during an event at Utah Valley University on Aug. 10.

Bongino said the suspect appeared to have exhibited “multiple warning signs.”

“I believe co-workers stated he had detached himself when the topic of politics came up and walked away,” Bongino said on Fox News.

Bongino said they are looking into whether anyone knew the shooting could happen and didn’t alert authorities, referring to online chats Robinson allegedly had about Kirk.

“Did they … hear it and think it was a joke? That is what we’re trying to find out now,” he told Fox News. “If there is a larger network here, we will get that out to the public as soon as we can.”

FBI Director Kash Patel also announced on “Fox & Friends” that DNA found at the crime scene, specifically the towel wrapped around the firearm used in the shooting, and on a screwdriver, links Robinson to the killing of the conservative influencer.

Robinson was arrested last week for felony discharge of a firearm, aggravated murder and obstruction of justice, according to probable cause documents, and was booked into the Utah County Jail.

Charging documents against Robison are expected to be filed early this week, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said on Friday.

Robinson was apprehended after his father recognized him in photographs released by authorities, Cox said on Friday. His father told Robinson to turn himself in, with the 22-year-old initially saying no, but later changing his mind, officials said.

The father then called a youth pastor, who is also a U.S. Marshals task force officer. The officer advised the father to have Robinson stay in place. This information was then conveyed to the FBI.

Cox thanked Robinson’s family, who “did the right thing.”

Investigators also interviewed a family member of Robinson who said the suspect had “become more political in recent years,” Cox said.

In a recent incident the family member detailed to investigators, Robinson came to dinner and in a conversation with another family member he mentioned Kirk was coming to Utah Valley University. They talked about why they didn’t like him and his viewpoints.

President Donald Trump, who announced Friday on “Fox & Friends” that the suspected shooter was in custody, said Robinson should get the death penalty.

“In Utah, you have death penalty, and a good governor there, I have gotten to know him,” Trump said of Cox. “The governor is intent on the death penalty in this case and he should be.”

Before the arrest of the alleged shooter, officials said they had obtained “good” video footage of the individual and were able to track the movements of the suspect.

On the day of the shooting at approximately 11:52 a.m., the suspect arrived on the Orem campus and then proceeded to travel through the stairwells up to the roof of the building near where the outdoor event was taking place, before the suspect fired down at Kirk, Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said last week.

Kirk was hit by a single shot at approximately 12:20 p.m. and taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.

After the shooting, the suspect traveled to the other side of the building, jumped off and fled off-campus into a neighborhood, Mason said.

On Friday, Erika Kirk, the conservative commentator’s wife, said “no one will ever forget my husband’s name.”

“You have no idea the fire that you have ignited within this wife, the cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry,” Erika Kirk said on Friday in her first public message since her husband’s death.

ABC News’ Luke Barr contributed to this report.

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