U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Iraq Ali al-Zaidi, in the Oval Office of the White House on July 14, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — President Donald Trump is set to deliver a primetime address Thursday evening, during which he is expected to detail information that he has recently received from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence related to the 2020 election, sources familiar with the matter tell ABC News.
Trump has long pushed debunked conspiracy theories to claim that his 2020 election loss was fraudulent. It’s not immediately clear what allegations he will make as part of his speech.
Sources caution Trump’s plans can always change, but at this point “election fraud” is the topic of his 9 p.m. address.
Despite Trump’s claims of voter fraud that contributed to his 2020 election loss, officials have found no evidence of widespread voter fraud.
Asked about the speech, which he announced on his social media platform on Monday, Trump said it was “really big news,” mentioning the importance of “free and fair elections.”
“Thursday is, it doesn’t get bigger because without free and fair elections, you don’t have a country. We’ll be discussing other things, too. But — but it’s going to be a very big announcement,” Trump said in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
Trump recently installed loyalist Bill Pulte, who has no previous national security experience, to lead DNI and has said that he wanted Pulte to declassify information and fire scores of experienced career staff.
Under the first Trump administration, officials already detailed efforts by Iran, China and Russia to influence the 2020 election, though officials later determined that none of their interference would have changed the election result. Initially Trump administration officials suggested China was also involved in influencing the election, a claim that was later determined by Trump’s intelligence community to be false.
The White House is remaining tight-lipped about the president’s Thursday night speech.
“The truth is, nobody knows yet what President Trump will ultimately say, which is why everyone should tune in,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement about the remarks.
(HOUSTON, Texas) — Deputies responded to reports of multiple people shot inside a Kroger outside Houston, Texas on Wednesday afternoon, the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office said.
The incident took place at the Cypresswood Drive location in the Houston area around 3:00 p.m. CT.
A possible suspect was detained, according to law enforcement.
The scene was closed off as investigators searched searched the area. It was not immediately clear how many victims were involved.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Former President Joe Biden speaks to a crowd during a fundraising event with the South Carolina Democratic Party at the Columbia Museum of Art on February 27, 2026, in Columbia, South Carolina. The event marked the sixth anniversary of Biden’s presidential primary win in the early voting state of South Carolina. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Former President Joe Biden announced in a video message on Wednesday that he has written a book which is set to be released after the November midterm elections.
The book is titled “Promise Me, America” and is out on Nov. 17.
Biden said the book is about the decisions he made as president and touches on response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the economy, “restoring our democracy” after Jan. 6, and conflicts in Afghanistan and Ukraine. It will also discuss why he chose to run for re-election and his decision to step aside.
“Most of all, it’s about my faith in the promise of America. The promise we made to those that have come before us and to honor their sacrifice,” Biden said.
The book’s release, which will come two weeks after the midterms, could pull attention back to the former president just as Democrats hope to keep it fixed on President Donald Trump’s record, with promotional efforts risking distraction.
The former president said since he’s left office, he’s been spending time with his family and getting treatment for his prostate cancer, which he says has been going “really well.”
In the summer of 2024, Biden dropped his presidential bid after a widely criticized debate performance that prompted questions about his mental fitness. Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who has detailed her run for office in a memoir, “107 Days,” said that it was “recklessness” to allow Biden to make the decision alone on running for re-election.
Former first lady Jill Biden wrote in her memoir “View from the East Wing,” releases last month, that she was concerned her husband might have been drugged ahead of his debate performance.
Joe Biden’s two earlier books include “Promises to Keep” and “Promise Me, Dad,” a memoir on his older son Beau who died of brain cancer.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent appears on ABC News’ ‘This Week’ on Jan. 25, 2026. (ABC News)
(WASHINGTON) — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday released a rendering of a commemorative coin featuring President Donald Trump, saying that the U.S. Mint will begin striking the $1 piece to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
“As America commemorates 250 years of independence, the [U.S. Mint] will begin striking this new $1 gold coin to honor the enduring legacy of liberty and a lasting symbol of patriotism,” Bessent wrote in a social media post. “Featuring President Trump, it celebrates the strength of American values, and the promise of a nation dedicated to preserving freedom for all.”
The coins — which are not real gold but will feature a gold-like finish — will be available in the fall, a Treasury Department spokesperson said.
The last and only time a living president was featured on hard currency struck by the U.S. Mint was a century ago for the U.S. Sesquicentennial. The half-dollar coin featured then-President Calvin Coolidge silhouetted behind the bust of President George Washington. At the time, the Mint produced a million of the coins with 860,000 of them ultimately returned and melted due to low demand.
While living presidents are generally barred from appearing on U.S. currency, the Trump administration has argued that the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 permits the design because it authorizes the Treasury secretary to oversee the minting of special commemorative coins for the nation’s Semiquincentennial. And while the same law bars any person from appearing on the tail side of a commemorative coin, the restriction doesn’t apply to its face.
Federal law also stipulates that coin designs be selected by the Treasury secretary after consultation with the Commission of Fine Arts, which approved the design last March, and review from the bipartisan Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, an 11-person body established by Congress in 2003 to advise on designs of hard currency.
But the Treasury Department appears to have skipped the latter committee, raising questions about the legality of the coin’s production.
Donald Scarinci, a numismatist and Democrat who’s spent over two decades on the committee, said aside from a last-minute attempt by the Mint to present the proposed coin to the committee in December, the body never had a chance to review the design as required by law.
“We’ve never seen any design with the portrait of Donald Trump on it,” Scarinci told ABC News on Wednesday.
Scarinci said the proposed December meeting ultimately didn’t occur because it was impossible to reach a quorum of members on such short notice.
During the committee’s February meeting, another member of the board, Kellen Hoard, a coin collector who represents the general public, also said that the board received no opportunity to weigh in on the coin, nor did they review the designs ultimately selected for the Semiquincentennial series of quarters.
“I have never reviewed the Semiquincentennial $1 coin portfolio, much less been given an opportunity to review it. Is it legal now for the Mint to move forward with creating the Semiquincentennial $1 coin despite me never having the opportunity to review the piece?” Hoard asked acting Mint Chief Counsel Greg Weinman at the meeting.
Weinman replied that he did not agree with Hoard’s characterization and said that the Mint’s position is the board made the decision to not review the design.
“I think the Mint made a significant effort to request the CCAC to review the portfolio. There was clearly a conscious decision not to do so. The Mint has moved forward accordingly. I am not prepared to discuss more than that at this meeting,” Weinman said.
“I believe the CCAC was given — at least the chair of the CCAC was given a full opportunity to review this portfolio,” Weinman added later. “The Mint, in my opinion, attempted multiple times to find an opportunity for the CCAC to review the portfolio. The CCAC made a decision not to. At least the chair of the CCAC made the decision not to.”
“The concept that the secretary of the Treasury can create his own coin — it’s illegal,” Scarinci said of the move, adding that Congress would have the authority to confiscate and demonetize the coins and that concern about the coin crosses partisan boundaries on the committee.
“This is not a Democrat-Republican issue as far as the coin is concerned,” he said.
A Treasury spokesperson told ABC News, “During the January meeting, Megan Sullivan, the acting chief of the U.S. Mint’s office of design management, assured board members that ‘legal research from both the Mint and the Department of the Treasury determined that the proposed coin would not violate any laws and is legal under the law authorizing the minting of coins for the Sesquicentennial.'”
The coin is not the only piece of currency that the Treasury Department is putting Trump’s imprint on. Paper currency printed this year will also feature Trump’s signature above that of Bessent’s — a first for an American president. Bessent told Fox News earlier this week that, too, would go into circulation this fall.
In May, Trump administration officials pushed the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to move forward with designing a commemorative $250 bill with Trump’s portrait and signature, should legislation to create the new currency pass, according to two people with knowledge of the discussions.
That bill has been stuck in the House Financial Services Committee for more than a year.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks before Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz appear on stage during a campaign event on August 7, 2024, in Detroit, Michigan. Kamala Harris and her newly selected running mate Tim Walz are campaigning across the country this week. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
(ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Minn.) — A northern Minnesota county declared a state of emergency and an air quality alert was issued on Tuesday due to wildfires raging across northern Minnesota and Canada.
St. Louis County in northeast Minnesota issued a State of Local Emergency and a State of Local Disaster due to wildfire damage and the utilization of public resources needed.
The U.S. Forest Service reported at least 17 wildfires burning across Superior National Forest, including three in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, on Tuesday.
“I’ve seen a lot of fire in my 25 years on this forest,” Nick Petrack, fire staff officer for the Superior and Chippewa National Forests, said at a Wednesday press conference. “This is probably the most and the largest number of fires that I have seen in July.”
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency issued an air quality alert across much of the state due to wildfire smoke from 9 a.m. on Tuesday through 11 a.m. Friday.
Air quality reached the hazardous category in parts of the state Wednesday afternoon. The agency advised anyone in the hazardous region to avoid all outdoor activity and remain indoors.
Firefighters and first responders are continuing to evacuate visitors and nearby residents as the fires burned across the region.
Petrack said it is “no easy feat” evacuating visitors from the region, as first responders access parts of the boundary waters via canoe.
Phil Manuel, incident meteorologist at the National Weather Service, said in the press conference that hot, dry and windy conditions, along with a high number of lightning strikes, have allowed the fire to spread.
“Normal high temperatures here are in the upper 70s,” Manuel said. “Where have we been the last three days? Over 100 degrees in some cases. I saw some temperatures of 104.”
Though rain is in the forecast in the coming days, Manuel said the scale of the fires and the low probability that rain would stop the fires entirely.
“Odds are, these fires will be here until it snows,” Manuel said.
While fires are natural in these forests, as they are fire-dependent ecosystems, blazes at this scale are not normal, officials said.
The fires have burned through at least 33,000 acres as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Officials said they are awaiting the arrival of federal first responders who plan to assist in firefighting efforts.
In a social media post Wednesday, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said two groups of YMCA campers stranded by the wildfires near the Minnesota-Canada border were rescued.
The smoke has also spread into Michigan. Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy issued an air quality alert for Wednesday and Thursday across the state.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer urged Michiganders to limit time spent outdoors, especially seniors, children and anyone with respiratory conditions.
Tom Hall, agency administrator for Superior National Forest, said in the press conference that first responders conducted 17 air rescues on Monday and none have been conducted since.
St. Louis County said it set up temporary evacuation points at a municipal center to serve people from St. Louis and Lake Counties impacted by the fires. It said public health staff is at the evacuation points to connect people with necessary resources.
In this April 29, 2024, file photo, Yale University President Maurie McInnis attends an event in New York. (John Lamparski/Getty Images, FILE)
(NEW HAVEN, Conn.) — Yale University said it’s negotiating with the Department of Justice over a potential resolution of the Trump administration’s findings of alleged racial discrimination in its medical school’s admissions processes, according to a statement by the university’s president.
President Maurie McInnis also confirmed for the first time that the DOJ’s inquiry extends beyond Yale’s medical school, with two pending investigations into admissions processes at Yale College and Yale Law School.
The statement issued on Monday describes recent university-wide changes to admissions processes to meet federal guidelines, stating that “academic strength” is its main consideration when evaluating Yale College applicants.
“We now state explicitly that academic strength has long been the predominant criterion in our holistic evaluation of applicants,” McInnis said.
ABC News has reached out to Yale University and the Department of Justice for a comment.
In May, following a yearlong investigation, the DOJ released a letter of findings alleging that the Yale School of Medicine discriminated based on race in its admissions practices. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 — which prohibits discrimination in any program receiving federal funding — requires that the government seek a voluntary resolution with the institution following an investigation.
McInnis characterized Yale’s decision to engage in this process as “standard” and “required” by law, saying in her statement: “These investigations concern university compliance with federal law…As a university committed to the rule of law, we take that obligation seriously.”
Three legal experts on higher education told ABC News that although, historically, it has been customary for universities to undergo the resolution process, they say it is not required.
“Going back several administrations, there was always the opportunity to say, ‘No, thank you. I don’t want to go through voluntary resolution,'” explained Dr. Peter Lake, law professor and director of Stetson University’s Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law and Policy. “…Most institutions wouldn’t pick that option for various reasons because the consequences could be very severe.”
However, norms surrounding the voluntary resolution process have been called into question since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, according to legal experts.
“In this instance, and I think that this is why a lot of individuals at Yale and others are raising alarm over a quick settlement is that, we are in uncharted waters with how this administration has used legal mechanisms to try to get higher education to do what it wants,” said Dr. Neal Hutchens, a professor at the University of Kentucky specializing in legal and policy issues in higher education.
“This is pushing an investigation based on a DOJ memorandum that may not have conclusions or interpretations of law that are necessarily sound or that would be backed by courts,” Hutchens continued. “I think there are real questions there, and so, I think there are some real legal questions about why you would necessarily fold too quickly on this.”
Dr. Jonathan Feingold, a professor at the Boston University School of Law, told ABC News that he believes Yale does not “even come close” to violating federal law and criticized the university for engaging with the Trump administration in “good faith.”
“From my perspective, as someone who cares about higher education but has no personal relationship with Yale, even the posture of treating the Trump administration’s investigation as legitimate in entering this sort of process is a betrayal to the entire Yale community,” he said.
Feingold also sees the pursuit of settlements — in lieu of litigation in court — as a common tactic by the Trump administration to place what he sees as undue pressure on universities.
He explained, “I think the institution would benefit, and the community would benefit, actually, from the litigation because you get to put all facts on the table and you don’t get to allow the Trump administration to sort of manufacture the story that it wants to.”
When reports of potential resolution talks first circulated last week, a wide coalition of critics emerged — including the national American Association of University Professors, the Yale undergraduate student government, and Connecticut senator and Yale Law School alum Richard Blumenthal. In various petitions and statements, they have called for the university to resist a settlement and to defend its admissions practices through legal channels.
While Yale’s talks follow a string of settlements between American universities and the Trump administration, other universities have resisted talks with the Trump administration — most notably Harvard University, which is currently fighting DOJ lawsuits over its admissions records and handling of campus protests.
“For instance, Harvard engaged with the new government, but certainly didn’t just accept the demands, and they challenged it in court,” Hutchens told ABC News. “And so, I think Harvard charts a path of just not acquiescence or just not folding, that Yale will have a decision potentially to make.”
In early June, the DOJ announced investigations into the admissions practices of fifteen additional medical schools. These investigations have not yet concluded.
Following McInnis’ statement Monday evening, the Yale chapter of the AAUP — which represents 300 Yale faculty — renewed their call for transparency.
A spokesperson for the Yale AAUP chapter confirmed to ABC News Tuesday that they are currently reviewing legal options, including litigation to “assert our rights as faculty in this matter.”
“[This case] has implications for Yale, but there are [also] a lot of institutions around the country that are wanting to understand what they can do in terms of race-neutral alternatives to still try to assemble classes,” said Lake.
In this undated file photo, the State Department building is shown in Washington, D.C. (STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — The Iranian American Legal Defense Fund filed a motion Wednesday asking for a stay and a preliminary injunction barring the U.S. government from “sharing the confidential information of Iranian asylum seekers with the Iranian Government” while the issue is adjudicated in court.
The filing came a week after the organization sued the Trump administration over those allegations.
According to that complaint, many Iranian asylum seekers are pro-democracy protesters, members of religious minorities, or members of the LGBTQ community who have sought refuge in the U.S. — and that disclosing their confidential information to the Iranian government puts them “at risk of persecution, torture, and death” should they be deported back to Iran.
Wednesday’s motion also asks the government “to take the necessary steps to prevent the removal of any detained individuals whose confidential information has already been shared with the Iranian Government,” according to the filing.
In the filing, the IALDF alleges that the sharing of information was started in March of 2025, and that since late September 2025, at least three deportation flights have taken place, returning more than 100 Iranian nationals to Iran.
The filing includes 11 declarations by Iranian detainees in the U.S., more than half of which describe interactions, while in detention, with Iranian officials who knew details about their asylum claims.
“It’s shocking to think that at the same time the United States is engaged in hostilities with Iran, that the United States is handing over immigration files from ICE to the Iranian Interest Section in Washington, DC,” said Michael Kirkpatrick, an attorney for Public Citizen who filed the case on behalf of IALDF. “These files are full of extremely confidential and sensitive information.”
“It basically spells out all the reasons somebody in the United States fears being returned to Iran and that could be because they participated in pro-democracy demonstrations; it could be because they have converted to a minority religion like Christianity; it could be that they’re part of the LGBTQ community,” Kirkpatrick said. “That kind of information is exactly the kind of information that they — that would result in their persecution if they went back to Iran.”
“They are terrified,” said Ali Rahnama, the interim executive director of IALDF, saying they’re scared not only for themselves but for family and friends back in Iran. “I want everyone to know these are not statistics; these are human beings who trusted the U.S. government and our laws,” he said.
The documents in the filing also relate details about an alleged phone call and meeting between IALDF board member Cyril Mehri and a senior Iranian official with the Iranian Interest Section in the United States. “According to the Senior Official, ICE has provided the Iranian Government with immigration documents related to each detainee, including asylum applications and related case files,” the filing said.
The IALDF argues that the government’s actions in sharing information without the consent of the detained individuals are unlawful.
The Department of Homeland Security has denied sharing information with the Iranian government, writing in a social media post, “These allegations that ICE shared asylum application records with the Iranian government are FALSE. ICE meets and works to get travel documents for detainees with every country. ICE is committed to ensuring that illegal aliens are informed of their right to communicate with their consular representatives.”
“Consistent with established protocols, ICE provides illegal aliens the opportunity to contact their consular post and facilitates consular access to detained individuals, in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, and agency policy,” the DHS post said. “We will continue to use all lawful options to deport illegal aliens including murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members, and terrorists from American communities.”
A State Department spokesperson, following the filing of the lawsuit last week, said that the department, as a general matter, does not comment on pending or ongoing litigation, or on private diplomatic discussions.
Jay Clayton testifies during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill May 8, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Jay Clayton, President Donald Trump’s pick to serve as director of national intelligence, faced repeated questions from Democrats on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence during his confirmation hearing on Wednesday about whether Joe Biden won the 2020 election — with Clayton saying Biden was certified as president, but stopped short of saying he won legitimately.
Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the committee, asked whether Clayton denied that Biden won the 2020 election.
“I’m not an election denier,” Clayton said. “Joe Biden was certified as the president of the United States.
Independent Sen. Angus King later asked Clayton pointedly: “Who won the 2020 election?”
Clayton danced around the answer multiple times — refusing to say outright that Biden won, while reiterating that he believes Biden was certified.
“He went through our processes, and Joe Biden became the president of the United States,” Clayton said.
King responded that “saying Joe Biden was certified is not an answer.”
Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff later said Clayton wasn’t being “honest or forthright” in his responses about Biden’s 2020 election victory.
“You refuse to answer a basic question about who won a presidential election. But you ask to lead America’s intelligence community,” Ossoff said. “Isn’t it humiliating to be unable to answer this question? To have to indulge the president’s delusions? We know, you know, everybody in this room knows the truthful answer to the question. Why can you not give it?”
Both Republicans and Democrats asked Clayton if he were involved in any way with Trump’s primetime address on Thursday that the president said will be a “very big announcement” that will touch on “free and fair elections.” The announcement is based on information he recently received from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence related to the 2020 election, sources familiar with the matter tell ABC News.
Clayton said he is “not involved in that,” affirming that doing so would violate that understanding that he would take no actions that would presume his confirmation as DNI.
Clayton did say that he thought there was room to improve elections and that he would like to work with the committee to do that.
Questions about subpoenas to journalists
Clayton also faced questions about the subpoenas he issued to several journalists at the New York Times last week after the news outlet reported on security concerns involving Trump’s new Qatari-donated Air Force One.
Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden questioned Clayton about the subpoenas he issued — as U.S. attorney in Manhattan — to the journalists, asking when he was directed to issue the subpoenas and who asked him to do so.
Clayton responded that the subpoenas are in connection with an “ongoing national security investigation” and reiterated that he respects the First Amendment and the role of the press. But he did not directly answer Wyden’s question.
“Those subpoenas are in connection with an ongoing national security investigation. I’m happy to talk to you and this committee about our approach to the First Amendment and our efforts in all cases to limit to the greatest extent possible, any intrusion into the operation of the free press,” Clayton said.
Clayton later added that he consulted with career prosecutors in his office before making the decision to issue the subpoeanas. He added that he is confident that the procedures in place to protect the First Amendment and journalists were followed.
Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said the committee was “deeply concerned” with how the process played out, that it “doesn’t sound like the proper independent legal process that we would normally expect for issuance of a subpoena.”
Clayton said that while he understood her concerns, “I want to tell you, I am comfortable with where we are, and I’m comfortable with how we are proceeding from here.”
In a statement on Saturday, a Justice Department spokeswoman said that “reporters are not the targets, those leaking classified information are.”
Clayton, prior to his role as the U.S. attorney, was also the former chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Apart from the national security cases he oversaw while serving as U.S. attorney, Clayton also lacks experience in intelligence-gathering and national security matters.
Clayton spent the bulk of his career as a corporate attorney, and prior to his appointment as U.S. attorney last year, lacked meaningful experience in criminal matters.
Clayton will replace the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and Trump loyalist Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence. Clayton’s hearing came weeks after the president abruptly canceled his previously scheduled confirmation hearing.
Asked about why his hearing was postponed, Clayton said he was “not going to get into private conversations.”
Pulte has been serving as the acting director since June 19. The former DNI, Tulsi Gabbard, announced her intention to resign from the role in May, citing a desire to step away from public service to support her husband following his cancer diagnosis. Gabbard ultimately left the role on June 18, days earlier than planned.
The committee is expected to vote on Clayton’s nomination to be the next DNI some time next week.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, July 15, 2026. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday as he seeks confirmation to secure his role on a permanent basis.
Blanche is facing questions over a series of controversies from his time with the Justice Department, including the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and what he says is the now-defunct “Anti-Weaponization Fund” part of a settlement after President Donald Trump sued the Internal Revenue Service for $10 billion.
Formerly Trump’s defense attorney, Blanche faced a relatively smooth glide path to confirmation with unanimous Republican support last year when he was nominated to serve as the department’s No. 2 official.
Since Trump’s ouster of Pam Bondi as attorney general in April, Blanche has served in the position in an acting role and Trump formally nominated him in June.
“We are here today with the awesome responsibility of choosing the next attorney general of the United States of America. We’re here because there is a vacancy in the office. The president decided to fire the predecessor of Mr. Blanche after just 14 months on the job after courts and grand juries blocked her from prosecuting the president’s political opponents,” Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin said in his opening statement. “Seemingly, President Trump believes you, Mr. Blanche, will be more successful.”
Blanche’s road to confirmation is further complicated by the sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, a veteran of the Judiciary Committee who was expected to be a strong advocate for Blanche with his GOP colleagues. Blanche will likely need the support of every Republican on the committee in order for his nomination to advance to the Senate floor, as all Democrats are expected to oppose him.
It’s not immediately clear when the full Senate would move for a vote on Blanche’s nomination if passed by the committee, though administration officials have said their goal would be for him to be confirmed before the August recess.
Blanche argued Wednesday that his leadership has restored trust that was lost under the previous administration when the Department of Justice prosecuted Trump and many of his supporters.
“In recent years, Americans watched the Justice Department turned against many of you and a former president, and it damaged the public’s faith in justice,” Blanche said. “We are fixing that. Members of this committee — on both sides — have fair questions about the hard debates of this past year, and I welcome them.”
Blanche defends handling of Epstein files Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, the chairman of the committee, asked Blanche to give his response to allegations that he and other department officials deliberately mishandled the release of millions of files from the Justice Department’s past investigations of Epstein.
As he has in previous congressional testimony, Blanche acknowledged “mistakes” made in the process regarding failures to properly redact certain names of victims, which he said the department immediately sought to fix once they were notified.
“Whenever we learned that any victim’s name had been improperly non-redacted, we immediately took the document down and fixed it as soon as we could,” Blanche said. “That doesn’t excuse the mistakes of which I take full responsibility, but it does mean that we tried to fix them.”
Blanche also used his time to directly address victims of Epstein — several of whom were in the audience — telling them that the department would gladly meet with them and open new investigations of potential co-conspirators of Epstein if they came forth with evidence that would warrant it.
“If we learn today, if we learn next week, if we learn next month, that there’s an individual that we can investigate, indict and prosecute out of the Epstein files, you better believe it we will,” Blanche said.
Asked if he would notify the committee once such a meeting takes place with a victim of Epstein or their counsel, Blanche demurred — drawing a rebuke from Durbin.
“Well, you’re dancing on the head of a pin here,” Durbin said.
“I’m not dancing on any pin,” Blanche replied.
Blanche confirms “Anti-Weaponization Fund” is “dead” For the first time under oath, Blanche confirmed in an exchange with Republican Sen. John Cornyn that the so-called “Anti-Weaponization Fund” is “dead.”
Cornyn, one of the key Republican votes that Blanche will need to make it out of committee, repeatedly pushed him with specific and detailed questions regarding both the fund and the immunity agreement that would exempt President Trump and his family from IRS audits of their past taxes — which Cornyn described as “unusual.”
Cornyn repeatedly noted that the original settlement that first established the fund has still yet to be formally rescinded.
While Blanche acknowledged that, he also said the Department of Justice would be fine with codifying in some way to assure senators the fund would not move forward.
“It is a moot issue, meaning there is no weaponization fund,” Blanche told lawmakers.
On Monday, a federal judge in Florida issued an extraordinary order that lambasted Trump and the Justice Department for misusing her court to legitimize a “settlement” that she says would never have survived judicial review.
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams, who had previously been assigned to oversee Trump’s IRS lawsuit, referred Trump’s attorneys for potential sanctions and separately sent her ruling to the State Bar of New York for consideration in potential disciplinary proceedings for Blanche — who Williams said had potentially given “misleading” testimony to Congress about how the settlement was executed.
Blanche, when asked during Wednesday’s hearing about Williams’ order, said he rejected her “insinuations” and said she had never given the Department of Justice a chance to respond in the case before issuing her order. Judge Williams noted in her order that while the department had 109 days to enter an appearance in the case, it never did so.
“I very much disagree with — with the judge’s insinuations about me, and we’re going to do what we can to make that right,” Blanche said.
In this image released by the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, Isabelle Johnson, who has been charged with killing 43-year-old Jason Christopher Coulthart, is shown. (Walton County Sheriff’s Office, Florida)
(NEW YORK) — A Florida woman is on the run as she faces a murder charge in the death of a man found in a shallow grave last month, according to police.
Isabelle Johnson, 38, has been charged with killing 43-year-old Jason Christopher Coulthart, according to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office.
Coulthart was reported missing on May 24 after he was last seen leaving the College Condominiums complex in Florida, according to the sheriff’s office.
Unidentified remains were found on a Freeport, Florida, property on June 25 after investigators were able to identify where Coulthart’s body had been buried, according to the sheriff’s office.
On July 9, the sheriff’s office and the Niceville Police Department received DNA confirmation identifying the remains as Coulthart, according to the sheriff’s office.
Investigators have been searching for Johnson, who is wanted on an open count of murder and is believed to be “actively evading law enforcement,” according to the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s office released a last known video of Johnson obtained from a business in Destin days after Coulthart’s remains were found.
Five others have been charged and arrested in connection with the murder, including two people who allegedly helped Johnson evade law enforcement after the alleged murder, the sheriff’s office said.
“Anyone found to have helped or is still assisting Isabelle Johnson avoid arrest will be charged accordingly,” Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson said in a statement Saturday.
“If you give her a place to stay, help her hide, or lie for her, you will face consequences. This is a homicide case. We will not allow anyone to get in the way of this investigation,” he said.
Johnson is described as a white female, approximately 5 feet 3 inches tall and 120 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes.
Johnson may be using multiple identities and is known to use several aliases, including Harley, Jessica Elaine Bowman, Jessica Elaine Thrush, Jessica Dowdy and others, according to the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s office said Johnson is considered dangerous and instructed the public not to approach her if she is spotted.
Anyone with information on Johnson’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Walton County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 892‑8111. Anonymous tips may be submitted through Emerald Coast Crime Stoppers at 850‑863‑TIPS (8477). A cash reward may be available for information leading to her location and arrest.
