Mass funeral for 21 teenagers who mysteriously died at South African tavern being held Wednesday

Mass funeral for 21 teenagers who mysteriously died at South African tavern being held Wednesday
Mass funeral for 21 teenagers who mysteriously died at South African tavern being held Wednesday
PHILL MAGAKOE/AFP via Getty Images

(LONDON) — Preparations are underway in South Africa’s coastal town of East London for Wednesday’s mass funeral service of 21 teenagers who died under mysterious circumstances at a bar last week.

The results of the toxicology report are not yet available, but it is widely believed that they died after inhaling toxic gas or fumes while partying in the Enyobeni Tavern in Scenery Park in the early hours on June 26.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will attend the service Wednesday.

The 12 girls and nine boys mysteriously died during and after a party organized at the Scenery Park venue. The mass service will take place on a sports field in Scenery Park, after which families will be able to bury their loved ones at separate cemeteries.

Ramaphosa wrote in his weekly letter to the public earlier this week that the country needs to have a “frank conversation” about alcohol consumption, saying increased social acceptability of young people drinking alcohol has become a serious problem in a country where the majority of the drinking population is already classified by the World Health Organization as binge drinkers.

The Eastern Cape Liquor Board has opened a criminal case against the tavern owner, Siyakhangela Ndevu, and wife, Vuyokazi, for allegedly selling alcohol to underage children.

Brig. Tembinkosi Kinana, a spokesperson for the South African Police Service, said the circumstances surrounding the incident are still under investigation.

“The investigation into the Scenery Park incident is still ongoing. There are no new developments at this stage. At an appropriate time and once the results are out, a formal statement will be issued. It has not yet been determined as to when the results will be out,” Kinana told ABC News.

No arrests have been made and no suspects have been named in connection with the investigation, according to police.

The Daily Dispatch, a South African newspaper published in East London, reported that the teens were attending a party at the Enyobeni Tavern to celebrate the end of June school exams. Their bodies were reportedly found strewn across tables, chairs and the dance floor with no visible signs of injuries.

A 22-year-old Scenery Park resident, Sibongile Mtsewu, told ABC News he was at the Enyobeni Tavern when the deadly incident unfolded. He said he was ordering drinks at the crowded club when suddenly the doors were closed and some type of chemical agent was released into the air.

“There was no way out,” Mtsewu previously told ABC News in an interview shortly after the incident. “There was no chance to breathe.”

ABC News’ Morgan Winsor contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

WNBA star Maya Moore has baby with now-husband she helped free from prison

WNBA star Maya Moore has baby with now-husband she helped free from prison
WNBA star Maya Moore has baby with now-husband she helped free from prison
GMA

(NEW YORK) — Basketball star turned activist Maya Moore and her husband, Jonathan Irons, are now parents to a baby boy.Moore and Irons revealed exclusively on “Good Morning America” Tuesday that they welcomed their first child, a son named Jonathan Hughston Irons Jr., in February.

Moore and Irons wed in 2020, shortly after Irons was freed after spending over two decades in prison.

Moore, who won four WNBA championships with the Minnesota Lynx and as well as league MVP in 2014, stepped away from the game at the height of her career to focus full time on helping Irons overturn his conviction.

At 16 years old, Irons was tried and convicted as an adult by an all-white jury for the burglary and shooting at the home of 38-year-old Stanley Stotler. Irons maintained his innocence while he was in prison, saying he was wrongly identified during the lineup.

Moore and Irons formed a close friendship in 2007, before her freshman year at the University of Connecticut, when she met him through a prison ministry she participated in with extended family in Missouri.

After years of fighting, a Missouri judge overturned Irons’ conviction in March 2020, saying there were problems with the way the case had been investigated and tried — including a fingerprint report that would’ve proved Irons’ innocence, not being turned over to his defense team.

Irons told “GMA” in September 2020, when the couple announced their marriage, that he proposed to Moore on the night he was freed.

“When I got out, we were in the hotel room, we had some friends in the room, it was winding down and we were extremely tired, but we were still gassed up on excitement,” Irons recalled. “It was just me and her in the room and I got down on my knees and I looked up at her and she kind of knew what was going on and I said, ‘Will you marry me?’ She said, ‘Yes.'”

The couple’s love story and fight for justice is featured in an ESPN “30 for 30” documentary, “Breakaway,” that was released last year.

ABC News’ Kelly McCarthy and Shannon McClellan contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

What we know about Robert ‘Bobby’ Crimo III, the suspect in Highland Park parade massacre

What we know about Robert ‘Bobby’ Crimo III, the suspect in Highland Park parade massacre
What we know about Robert ‘Bobby’ Crimo III, the suspect in Highland Park parade massacre
City of Highland Park

(HIGHLAND PARK, Ill.) — The 21-year-old suspect in the mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade in suburban Chicago that left seven dead and more than 30 wounded is an aspiring rapper with an apparent trail of violent social media posts that investigators are combing through.

Multiple law enforcement officers detained Robert “Bobby” Crimo III at gunpoint following a car chase hours after Monday’s massacre in the North Shore town of Highland Park.

Investigators are poring over social media posts on numerous platforms, including Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube and Discord, which they believe are associated with Crimo.

Lake County Sheriff’s Office officials said at a news conference Tuesday that the investigation alleges that Crimo planned the attack for several weeks and opened fire on paradegoers from the roof of a business he accessed by an affixed ladder. Police alleged that Crimo fired more than 70 shots during the episode.

He was dressed in women’s clothing, apparently to blend in with the panicked crowd as he made his getaway, said Lake County Sheriff’s Sgt. Christopher Covelli.

Covelli said Crimo legally purchased the high-powered AR-15-style rifle he allegedly used in the attack in Illinois. Covelli said a second rifle, also purchased legally, was found in the car Crimo was driving.

He said Crimo also legally bought three other weapons, including two pistols, that investigators seized from his father’s home.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has told its law enforcement partners that Crimo is answering investigators’ questions and has made statements taking responsibility for the attack, according to multiple law enforcement sources.

Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart announced Tuesday afternoon that Crimo has been charged with seven counts of first-degree murder. Rinehart said more charges are expected.

Steve Greenberg, an attorney for Crimo’s parents, said the family has retained two lawyers, Tom Durkin and Josh Herman, to represent their son. There was no immediate comment from the defense attorneys and Greenberg said it was unclear if the lawyers have yet met with the suspect.

“We are all mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, and this is a terrible tragedy for many families, the victims, the paradegoers, the community, and our own. Our hearts, thoughts, and prayers go out to everybody,” Crimo’s parents said in a statement Greenberg released Tuesday afternoon.

The lawyer added, “The parents request that all respect their privacy as they try to sort thru this tragedy.”

At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Covelli detailed two prior contacts Crimo had with law enforcement. He said police checked on Crimo after he attempted suicide in April 2019, but no action was taken.

Covelli said police were called to Crimo’s home in September 2019 by a family member who claimed Crimo allegedly threatened to kill everyone in his house. He said no charges were filed in the incident, but police seized 16 knives, a dagger and a sword from Crimo and reported the incident to the Illinois State Police.

Sgt. Delilah Garcia of the Illinois State Police said no action was taken against Crimo in the September 2019 incident. She said at the time Crimo was not in possession of any firearms and did not have a firearms owner identification card or a pending application for one to revoke.

The suspect lived with his uncle, Paul Crimo, who told ABC News that he has been interviewed by the FBI. Paul Crimo told ABC News that while his nephew lived with him, they rarely had conversations. He said his nephew mostly focused on his music and stayed in his room and on his phone.

He said his nephew never espoused political views or mentioned weapons or firearms. He said his nephew didn’t have a job or many friends.

He said he last spoke to his nephew around 5 p.m. Sunday, but they just said hello while passing each other in the home they shared in the North Shore town of Highwood.

The uncle said his nephew was driving his mother’s car when he was taken into custody. He said his nephew’s car was still parked in front of his home on Tuesday. The car has a number 47 decal on the driver’s side door, matching a tattoo on his face.

A law enforcement source briefed on the case told ABC News Tuesday that investigators have identified posts from several social media platforms alleged to be tied to Crimo that discuss or depict acts of violence — including shooting people.

The Institute for Strategic Dialogue, which monitors and analyzes extremist content online, said in a briefing statement that it appears Crimo had an extensive online presence and that posts allegedly associated with him included mental health issues, hatred and a gravitation toward far-right and neo-fascist thoughts and ideologies.

One online post allegedly made by Crimo about 10 months ago includes a video that appears to be a portion of the Fourth of July parade route in Highland Park that was accompanied by music with a death theme, according to Strategic Dialogue.

Crimo, according to Strategic Dialogue, appears to have created videos that depicted mass shootings, as well as his own death. One video Crimo is believed to have posted portrays the aftermath of a school shooting and another uses animated figures to depict a mass shooting that mimicked the crime, according to Strategic Dialogue.

The posts believed to be from Crimo also include an online symbol for himself resembling a hate symbol associated with neo-Nazis, according to Strategic Dialogue. Similarly, Crimo’s content features the aesthetics of niche neo-fascist subcultures, the group said.

“He was not just crying out for help, he was screaming out for it,” said John Cohen, an ABC News contributor and the former acting undersecretary for intelligence and counterterrorism coordinator at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Covelli said Crimo was identified through surveillance video and by tracing the gun he allegedly left at the scene. Investigators also have not commented on a possible motive for the mass shooting.

Meanwhile, the wife of the rabbi at Chabad House in Highland Park told ABC News that Crimo came to their Passover service this year. She said Crimo left on his own after his presence raised concerns at the synagogue.

The synagogue now has armed security, given the heightened concerns of violence at religious institutions around the country.

Covelli said at Tuesday’s news conference that investigators have not unearthed any evidence suggesting a racial or religious motivation for the rampage.

Crimo was taken into custody more than eight hours after the Highland Park rampage when an all-points bulletin was issued naming him as a person of interest and describing the 2010 silver Honda Fit he borrowed from his mother. A North Chicago police officer spotted the car on U.S. Route 41 and attempted to stop Crimo, who led police on a brief chase before stopping and surrendering, authorities said.

Crimo was apparently raised in Highland Park, where his father, Robert Crimo Jr., owns a delicatessen.

Crimo’s father ran for mayor of Highland Park in 2019, but was handily defeated by incumbent Mayor Nancy Rotering, according to election results.

A Highland Park business owner who grew up with the elder Crimo told ABC News that he was “trying his hardest to help his community” but “probably didn’t have that much of a chance.”

Following Monday’s shooting, Rotering spoke of the tragedy during a news conference.

“On a day that we came together to celebrate community and freedom, we are instead mourning the tragic loss of life and struggling with the terror that was brought upon us,” Rotering said.

Heavily tattooed, including inked patterns on his face, neck and hands, Crimo was an amateur rapper who went by the stage name Awake the Rapper. One music video posted on YouTube appears to depict the aftermath of a school shooting in which Crimo is filmed alone in a classroom dressed in a helmet and bulletproof vest. A separate video shows Crimo sitting on a bed rapping while a newspaper featuring Lee Harvey Oswald hangs on the wall behind him.

Another video allegedly posted by Crimo shows a cartoon depiction of a person aiming a long gun at other characters with their hands up and on the ground, and a character wearing a shirt with a logo used on Crimo’s alleged social media accounts. The video also shows a cartoon character being shot by police.

Law enforcement sources told ABC News that Crimo’s music often referenced death and dying.

Spotify, where Crimo had a little over 16,000 monthly listeners, and Apple have removed Crimo’s accounts and music.

A YouTube spokesperson said in a statement to ABC News, “Following the horrific incident in Highland Park, our Trust and Safety teams identified and quickly removed violative content, in accordance with our Community Guidelines.”

ABC News’ Aaron Katersky and Stephanie Wash contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

White House says Biden read Brittney Griner’s letter from Russia, won’t say if he’ll meet her family

White House says Biden read Brittney Griner’s letter from Russia, won’t say if he’ll meet her family
White House says Biden read Brittney Griner’s letter from Russia, won’t say if he’ll meet her family
Rudy Sulgan/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — As WNBA star Brittney Griner appeals to Joe Biden for help in getting released from Russian custody, her case is a “top priority” for the president, according to the White House.

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters during a briefing on Tuesday that Biden read Griner’s handwritten letter, which was sent to the White House on Monday, and her note was “very personal” to him.

“I’m not going to share any personal interaction that I had with the president,” Jean-Pierre told ABC News when asked about Biden’s reaction.

“I just wanted to confirm that he did read the letter. And I will say again, this is very personal to him. Especially when someone writes a letter in such a personal way … we have made this a priority,” she added.

Jean-Pierre wouldn’t say whether Biden was going to respond to Griner’s letter.

Griner personally reached out to Biden, urging him to help get her out of Russia — where she has been held for some five months for allegedly possessing hashish oil — according to her representatives.

In the handwritten letter from Griner, portions of which were made public, she expressed fears she will be held in Russia “forever.”

“As I sit here in a Russian prison, alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends, Olympic jersey, or any accomplishments, I’m terrified I might be here forever,” Griner wrote to the president.

The athlete was visiting Russia to play basketball in the off-season when she was detained at Sheremetyevo International Airport on Feb. 17 after being accused of having vape cartridges containing hashish oil, which is illegal in the country.

Griner’s detention was extended repeatedly, most recently through Dec. 20, which is the expected length of her trial. If convicted, Griner, 31, faces up to 10 years in prison.

“It hurts thinking about how I usually celebrate [the Fourth of July] because freedom means something completely different to me this year,” Griner wrote in her letter to Biden.

Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, previously told “Good Morning America” co-anchor Robin Roberts in May that she would like to speak with the president.

“I just keep hearing that, you know, he has the power. She’s a political pawn,” Cherelle Griner said. “So if they’re holding her because they want you to do something, then I want you to do it.”

At Tuesday’s briefing, Jean-Pierre wouldn’t say whether the White House was considering a meeting with Brittney Griner’s family, but she said that both Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan have spoken to Cherelle Griner and the administration will keep “open communication and have very honest conversations with them.”

“I just don’t have anything to share on what communication the president’s going to have with Mrs. Griner and her family,” Jean-Pierre told ABC News when asked about a potential meeting. “All I can confirm is that he’s read the letter, and he’s making this a priority.”

Last Friday marked the first day of Griner’s trial in Russia.

The Phoenix Mercury star appeared in person at a courtroom in Khimki, a suburb of Moscow, ABC News reported.

The U.S. government classified Griner’s case on May 3 as “wrongfully detained,” meaning the U.S. will more aggressively work to negotiate her release even as the legal case against her plays out, the State Department has said.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began one week after Griner was detained. Some officials are concerned that Americans jailed in Russia could be used as leverage in the ongoing conflict.

Griner’s family and friends gathered at a vigil outside the Russian consulate in New York City ahead of her trial last week, calling on the U.S. to bring her home. Her next court appearance is on Thursday.

Leaders and players in both the WNBA and the NBA have also called for Griner’s release and raised awareness about her case, as have advocates.

The WNBA, which kicked off its 2022 season on May 6, is honoring Griner with a floor decal bearing her initials and jersey number (42) on the sidelines of all 12 WNBA teams.

The 6-foot-9 center won an NCAA title at Baylor in 2012; a WNBA title with Phoenix, her current team, in 2014; and gold medals with the U.S. women’s team at the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.

Civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton said he wants Biden and Blinken to arrange a trip for faith leaders to see Griner in prison as part of a prayer visit.

“After speaking with her wife last week, I am deeply concerned for Brittney Griner’s physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing,” Sharpton said in a statement on Tuesday.

“She deserves to see the United States is doing something for her, so she can find the strength as this show trial goes on,” he said.

The public campaign to free Griner escalated following the release of U.S. Marine veteran Trevor Reed in April, who was freed from a Russian prison as part of a prisoner exchange. Former Marine Paul Whelan has also been detained in Russia since 2019.

Jean-Pierre on Tuesday said that the Biden administration was working on both Griner and Whelan’s cases just as hard as it done to secure Reed’s freedom.

“We are going to make this happen,” she said.

An international prisoner swap potentially involving Griner, Whelan and convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout has been discussed, according to Russian media reports, but it’s unclear if there has been any substantial movement on the issue. Russian officials have also indicated that they want Griner to stand trial.

Asked about a potential swap, Jean-Pierre said she “cannot speak to any discussions” regarding the process of securing the release of any American detained abroad.

State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that secrecy is crucial to ensure that efforts to secure the release of Griner and others detained abroad are not jeopardized.

“While we update families — and certainly in broad strokes — on our efforts, it’s not something that we are in a position to speak to publicly in any detail,” Price told reporters on Tuesday.

“We do not want to do anything, we do not want to say anything, that would potentially jeopardize the chances of seeing an American released or that would delay by a single day, a single hour or a single minute the safe return of an American to her his family and loved ones back here,” Price added.

ABC News’ Shannon Crawford, Ben Gittleson, Molly Nagle and Tanya Stukalova contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil joins lineup of star-studded RokIsland Fest 2023

Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil joins lineup of star-studded RokIsland Fest 2023
Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil joins lineup of star-studded RokIsland Fest 2023
Courtesy of RokIsland Fest

When the star-packed lineup of the RokIsland Fest 2023 event was unveiled last week, one headliner wasn’t announced but has since been revealed — Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil.

As previously reported, next year’s RokIsland Fest will take place January 17-21 in Key West, Florida. The bill also includes Styx, Loverboy, Tesla, 38 Special, Queensrÿche, Quiet Riot, Extreme, Ratt frontman Stephen Pearcy, Stryper, ex-Guns N’ Roses drummer Steven Adler, Enuff Z’Nuff, Honeymoon Suite and Autograph.

Tickets, passes and packages for the five-day rock extravaganza will go on sale to the general public Wednesday, July 6, at 10 a.m. ET. Presale passes are available now.

The main venue for the event is the 4,000-seat Truman Waterfront Park Amphitheater, located on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico.

The first edition of the festival was held earlier this year and included performances by Cheap Trick, Night Ranger, Poison‘s Bret Michaels, Twisted Sister‘s Dee Snider, Skid Row, Warrant, Winger, Dokken, Lita Ford and many others.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil joins lineup of star-studded RockIsland Fest 2023

Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil joins lineup of star-studded RokIsland Fest 2023
Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil joins lineup of star-studded RokIsland Fest 2023
Courtesy of RokIsland Fest

When the star-packed lineup of the RockIsland Fest 2023 event was unveiled last week, one headliner wasn’t announced but has since been revealed — Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil.

As previously reported, next year’s RockIsland Fest will take place January 17-21 in Key West, Florida. The bill also includes Styx, Loverboy, Tesla, 38 Special, Queensrÿche, Quiet Riot, Extreme, Ratt frontman Stephen Pearcy, Stryper, ex-Guns N’ Roses drummer Steven Adler, Enuff Z’Nuff, Honeymoon Suite and Autograph.

Tickets, passes and packages for the five-day rock extravaganza will go on sale to the general public Wednesday, July 6, at 10 a.m. ET. Presale passes are available now.

The main venue for the event is the 4,000-seat Truman Waterfront Park Amphitheater, located on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico.

The first edition of the festival was held earlier this year and included performances by Cheap Trick, Night Ranger, Poison‘s Bret Michaels, Twisted Sister‘s Dee Snider, Skid Row, Warrant, Winger, Dokken, Lita Ford and many others.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Iggy Pop postpones European shows due to vocal issues

Iggy Pop postpones European shows due to vocal issues
Iggy Pop postpones European shows due to vocal issues
Jim Dyson/Getty Images

Iggy Pop has postponed a pair of upcoming European shows due to a “problem with his voice.”

In a statement posted to Facebook, the Godfather of Punk shares that he’d been dealing with vocal issues earlier on during the tour.

“If you were there, you know I croaked my way through my last show in Greece and my voice is still recovering,” Pop writes.

“I have not taken this decision lightly,” he adds of the postponement. “I love my fans. But I must protect my voice. I’m so sorry, but I’ll come back and make it up to you.”

The affected shows were set to take place in Italy on July 5 and Austria on July 7. They’ve already been rescheduled for August 30 and September 2, respectively.

Pop will be back in the U.S. to play California’s Desert Daze festival, taking place September 30 to October 2.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Check out Richie Furay’s new cover of Ricky Nelson hit “Lonesome Town”

Check out Richie Furay’s new cover of Ricky Nelson hit “Lonesome Town”
Check out Richie Furay’s new cover of Ricky Nelson hit “Lonesome Town”
BMG/Renew Records

Richie Furay, the country-rock pioneer who co-founded both Buffalo Springfield and Poco, has debuted a new cover of the 1958 Ricky Nelson hit “Lonesome Town” from his forthcoming covers album, In the Country, which will be released Friday, July 8.

Furay’s rendition of the memorable song premiered Tuesday at TheBluegrassSituation.com and on his official YouTube channel.

“Ricky Nelson was an idol and musical hero of mine. This song (or any) by Ricky had to be included on this record because of his influence on me,” Furay explains. “I remember watching and waiting for him to play on the old Ozzie and Harriet TV show. One such performance was the one that prompted me — I want to do this; I want to be a musician. Ricky was singing ‘Be-Bop Baby,’ and that was the clincher; I never looked back.”

The track features harmony vocals from country star and current Eagles touring member Vince Gill. Richie notes that his former Poco bandmate and longtime Eagles bassist Timothy B. Schmit, who also sings on In the Country, suggested that Furay use Gill on the song.

“What a thrill it is to have one of the greatest singers/musicians of our day perform on that special song,” Furay says.

As previously reported, In the Country is made up mainly of Furay’s interpretations of various well-known country songs and also includes a few notable crossover hits, like Marc Cohn‘s “Walking in Memphis” and John Denver‘s “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”

In the Country can be preordered now, and Furay has already released a couple of advance tracks from the album — covers of “Walking in Memphis” and Keith Urban‘s “Somebody Like You.”

Richie currently has just a few upcoming concerts lined up. Visit RichieFuray.com to check out his full schedule.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

House’s Jan. 6 committee announces next hearing date; expected to focus on who was in Capitol mob

House’s Jan. 6 committee announces next hearing date; expected to focus on who was in Capitol mob
House’s Jan. 6 committee announces next hearing date; expected to focus on who was in Capitol mob
Tim Graham/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — House’s Jan. 6 committee announces next hearing date; expected to focus on who was in Capitol mob
Tal Axelrod and Adam Carlson, ABC News

(WASHINGTON) — The House select committee investigating Jan. 6 on Tuesday announced its next hearing: July 12 beginning at 10 a.m. ET.

The panel has been holding a series of public hearings since last month related to its year-long inquiry into the events before, during and after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the Capitol by pro-Trump rioters.

It has not yet been announced who will be testifying on July 12. The past hearings have stretched for several hours.

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., a member of the panel, indicated over the weekend that the next hearing would focus on the formation of the mob that ultimately descended on the Capitol last year, including the participation of several far-right groups.

“Who was participating, who was financing it, how it was organized, including the participation of these white nationalist groups like the Proud Boys, the Three Percenters, and others,” Schiff said on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., who served as the lead impeachment manager for the House proceedings against then-President Donald Trump after the insurrection, is anticipated to play a large role.

The last hearing featured lengthy testimony from Cassidy Hutchinson, a former top aide to Trump’s last White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows.

Hutchinson’s appearance sparked days of criticism of Trump — including from other conservatives — after she testified that the former president was aware that attendees of his speech at the Ellipse earlier on Jan. 6 were armed before he asked for security measures to be reduced and ultimately urged them to march to the Capitol. Hutchinson also testified that when the Secret Service would not take Trump to the Capitol after his speech, he lunged for the steering wheel of his SUV and then at the neck of a Secret Service agent.

Trump adamantly denied her account. The Secret Service said it would cooperate fully with the panel, “including by responding on the record,” if investigators had any follow up questions over the alleged incident.

Other hearings the committee has held have focused on the Capitol insurrection itself; on Trump allies’ awareness that his voter fraud claims were false; and on the pressure campaign by Trump and those in his orbit to push states to not certify now-President Joe Biden’s win.

In her testimony last week, Hutchinson said she had heard chatter about the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers — two prominent far-right groups — in the days leading up to Trump’s speech at the Ellipse. She said that Rudy Giuliani, who was then Trump’s personal lawyer, was frequently seen around the White House at the same time.

Leaders of both the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers have been charged with seditious conspiracy over the groups’ roles in last year’s riot.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Justice Department sues Arizona for requiring proof of citizenship to vote in presidential elections

Justice Department sues Arizona for requiring proof of citizenship to vote in presidential elections
Justice Department sues Arizona for requiring proof of citizenship to vote in presidential elections
Thinkstock/Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — The Justice Department has filed suit against Arizona challenging its recently enacted voting law that requires proof of citizenship in order to vote in presidential elections.

The lawsuit contends that certain restrictions in Arizona’s House Bill 2492 directly violate Section 6 of the National Voter Registration Act and Section 101 of the Civil Rights Act.

The Supreme Court previously rejected an effort by Arizona in 2013 to require its residents to provide proof of citizenship in order to participate in federal elections, though after President Joe Biden’s victory against Donald Trump in 2020 the state quickly sought to implement a similar mandate in passing House Bill 2492.

“Arizona has passed a law that turns the clock back on progress by imposing unlawful and unnecessary requirements that would block eligible voters from the registration rolls for certain federal elections,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said in a statement Tuesday announcing the lawsuit.

Gov. Doug Ducey signed the bill into law on March 30.

“Election integrity means counting every lawful vote and prohibiting any attempt to illegally cast a vote,” Ducey wrote in a letter at the time he signed the bill. “H.B. 2492 is a balanced approach that honors Arizona’s history of making voting accessible without sacrificing security in our elections.”

Republicans have a slight majority in both the state Senate and House of Representatives.

The Justice Department’s lawsuit asks for a federal judge to prohibit several provisions of HB 2492 from being enforced.

In a press release, the Justice Department notes the new law with violate the Civil Rights Act “by requiring election officials to reject voter registration forms based on errors or omissions that are not material to establishing a voter’s eligibility to cast a ballot.”

Arizona requires voters to prove they are a U.S. citizen when they register to vote — the only state to do so — by providing a government-issued identification, like a driver’s license, tribal ID or passport. The 2013 Supreme Court ruling allowed the requirement for state elections, but Arizona cannot require proof of citizenship for federal elections, like president.

Arizona is one of the states where Trump has falsely contended he won in 2020. Biden defeated Trump by about 10,000 votes. A GOP-led review of the vote tally in Maricopa County, the state’s largest, reaffirmed Biden’s victory, and even increased his lead by a slight amount.

ABC News’ Mark Osborne contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.