Charges dropped against conservative activist in Texas over false voter fraud claim

Charges dropped against conservative activist in Texas over false voter fraud claim

HOUSTON (AP) — Texas prosecutors on Tuesday dropped charges against a prominent conservative activist in Houston related to allegations he had been part of what authorities have called a baseless voter fraud conspiracy theory in which a man was run off the road and held at gunpoint over claims he was holding fraudulent voter ballots. Dr. Steven Hotze, 74, had been facing four charges related to allegedly helping plan an assault against an air conditioner repairman in October 2020. Prosecutors alleged the repairman was run off the road and held at gunpoint byMark Aguirre, a former Houston police officer. Aguirre had worked for a firm hired by Liberty Center for God and Country, a nonprofit organization that Hotze runs, to pursue a voter fraud investigation. Aguirre had claimed the repairman was the mastermind of the voter fraud scheme and that the man's truck had been filled with fraudulent ballots when Aguirre ran his SUV into it, according to authorities. Police who responded to the incident searched the repairman's truck and found only air conditioning parts and tools, prosecutors said. Hotze was charged with four counts — aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, engaging in organized crime and unlawful restraint. On Tuesday, the Harris County District Attorney's Office dropped all four counts against Hotze and three of the five counts against Aguirre, who is still facing charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful restraint. "This deeply troubling case shows how toxic conspiracy theories can fuel real-world violence that endangers people in our community," Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare said in a statement. "We look forward to vigorously prosecuting the remaining charges in this case that stand up to legal scrutiny." Jared Woodfill, Hotze's attorney, said he was surprised but pleased by the dismissal of the charges. "It's been a long four-year journey for Dr. Hotze. It cost him a lot of money. Obviously, they tried to destroy his reputation through the negative publicity. But in the end, justice was served and everything's been dismissed," Woodfill said. Terry Yates, an attorney for Aguirre, did not immediately return a call or email seeking comment. A conservative power broker, Hotze has a long history of filing election-related lawsuits, including unsuccessfully suing to stop the extension of early voting in Texas during the 2022 election. He also sued officials in Harris County to limit in-person and absentee voting, making allegations without evidence that Democrats were engaged in "ballot harvesting" by gathering votes from individuals who are homeless or elderly. Woodfill said Hotze continues to believe that voter fraud is taking place in Harris County, the state's most populous county and where Houston is located. "I think everybody will tell you there's voter fraud. Just the question is how much," Woodfill said. Texas has tightened its voter laws in recent years and increased penalties that Democrats and opponents say are attempts to suppress turnout among Black and Latino voters. Elections in Harris County, a Democratic stronghold, have been heavily scrutinized in recent years by GOP lawmakers, including Gov. Greg Abbott, after problems with ballot and worker shortages, long lines and ballots that were not counted the day of the election. In 2023, Abbott signed a bill that removedHarris County's elections administratorand transferred the responsibility to other local officials. Earlier this month, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtonannounced indictments against six peoplein a rural county southwest of San Antonio as part of a widening elections investigation. ___ Follow Juan A. Lozano:https://twitter.com/juanlozano70

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 20, 2025

Charges dropped against conservative activist in Texas over false voter fraud claim

Charges dropped against conservative activist in Texas over false voter fraud claim HOUSTON (AP) — Texas prosecutors on Tuesday dropped char...

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Lawyers accuse Trump administration of deporting Vietnamese and Burmese migrants to South Sudan in violation of court order

Lawyers accuse Trump administration of deporting Vietnamese and Burmese migrants to South Sudan in violation of court order

Attorneys for Vietnamese and Burmese migrants alleged in a new emergency motion Tuesday that the Trump administration deported their clients to South Sudan in violation of a previous court order. The motion is part of an ongoing case about the removal ofmigrants to third countriesas the Trump administration pushes forward with its mass deportation plans. At least a dozen migrants were abruptly removed to South Sudan this week, according to attorneys who argued in Tuesday's filing that some of them didn't receive proper notice or the opportunity to contest their deportation to a third country. One of those attorneys, Jacqueline Brown, described the events leading up to her client, a Burmese national who speaks limited English, being removed. On Monday, her client, referred to as N.M., was notified he'd be removed to South Sudan without an interpreter, raising alarm among attorneys. Brown scheduled a video meeting with her client for Tuesday morning, but when she checked online, he was no longer in the detention system. "At 8:27 AM PT, a Port Isabel Detention Center Detention Officer responded that N.M. had been removed 'this morning.' I emailed to ask to which country N.M. was removed, and the officer responded, at 8:36 AM PT, 'South Sudan,'" according to her court declaration. The lawyers said that a Vietnamese national "appears to have suffered the same fate" and that there were likely at least 10 additional class members on the same flight. Earlier this year, US District Judge Brian Murphy blocked the Trump administration from deporting migrants to countries other than their own without prior written notice and a chance to contest the removal. Attorneys argue that order was violated with the removal of migrants to South Sudan and are asking the court to order their return, as well as block further deportations to third countries unless they comply with Murphy's preliminary injunction. The Department of Homeland Security hasn't publicly confirmed deportations to South Sudan,which is on the cusp of another civil war. The US has issued a do not travel advisory to the country given ongoing armed conflict. CNN reached out to DHS for comment. Earlier this month, Murphy said thatdeporting migrants to Libya or Saudi Arabia, as reported in the media, would violate his previous order if they were not provided written notice and an opportunity to contest ahead of time. At least one of the migrants mentioned in Tuesday's filing had also been slated to be removed to Libya, according to the attorneys. Immigrant advocacy groups also filed an emergency motion then to block the removal of migrants to Libya after a Trump administration official told CNN that the administration was moving forward with plans to transport a group of undocumented immigrants to the country on a US military plane. That flight didn't occur. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 20, 2025

Lawyers accuse Trump administration of deporting Vietnamese and Burmese migrants to South Sudan in violation of court order

Lawyers accuse Trump administration of deporting Vietnamese and Burmese migrants to South Sudan in violation of court order Attorneys for Vi...

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Analysis: House GOP budget could cost Medi-Cal nearly $40 billion per year, bankrupt CA

Analysis: House GOP budget could cost Medi-Cal nearly $40 billion per year, bankrupt CA

(The Center Square) - California Gov. Gavin Newsom slammed congressionalproposalsthat would, among other things, cut Medicaid funding to states that provide taxpayer-financed non-emergency health care to illegal immigrants. The governor was also critical of congressional proposals to require able-bodied Medicaid recipients to work, volunteer or be in school part-time, and limit states' abilities to tax Medicaid providers higher to engineer increased federal Medicaid funding. A cumulative analysis from The Center Square has found that these three proposals could cost the state nearly $40 billion per year in lost state and federal revenue. "If Republicans move this extreme MAGA proposal forward, millions will lose coverage, hospitals will close, and safety nets could collapse under the weight," said Newsom in a statement. Newsom's officesaysthe proposal to cut the Affordable Care Act Medi-Cal expansion federal match rate from 90% to 80% for states that enroll illegal immigrants in Medicaid for non-emergency care would cost $4.4 billion per year. Emergency care would remain unaffected. Newsom'supdatedMay budget includes $12.1 billion for illegal immigrant Medi-Cal, for approximately for 1.6 million individuals— a sum that slightly exceeds the state's $11.9 billion projected budget shortfall. If Congress adopts this proposal, the state's cost for allowing illegal immigrants to enroll in Medi-Cal could rise to $16.5 billion this year. Newsom's office also said the proposed 2029 requirement that able-bodied working-age adults on Medicaid work, volunteer or go to school at least 80 hours per month or be "kicked off their Medi-Cal … could lead to a loss of up to $22.3 billion in federal funding and cause up to 3 million people in California to lose coverage." This data suggests one in 13 Californians, including children and the elderly, are able-bodied adults enrolled in Medi-Cal and not engaged in half-time education, volunteering or work. While Newsom's office did not specify exact costs, the congressional proposal is to require that taxes on managed care provider organizations be based uniformly on the number of individuals whose care they manage. That would be instead of California's practice of imposing a higher tax on providers for their Medicaid enrollees. California voters passed Proposition 35 last year, which the state-funded Legislative Analyst's Officesayswill generates about $7 billion to $8 billion per year via a permanent tax on managed care provider organizations beginning in 2027. Rules outline how the funds are broadly spent within Medi-Cal, and Prop. 35 requires compliance with federal rules on MCPO taxes. The LAO estimated the tax would generate about $4 billion more in Medi-Cal funding each year after accounting for transfers within the program due to the tax, with half the funding coming from more federal reimbursement due to higher costs imposed by the tax. The LAO said it found "by charging the health plan tax, the state can receive more federal funding." The Trump administration's Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has proposed a rule titled "Preserving Medicaid Funding for Vulnerable Populations - Closing a Health Care-Related Tax Loophole," which closely mirrors the congressional proposal. CMMSsaysits proposed rule would "end states' ability to exploit a health care-related tax loophole currently used by seven states to generate billions in federal Medicaid payments — without contributing their fair share or expanding care for Medicaid enrollees." CMMS outlines how "after imposing the tax disproportionately on Medicaid plans or providers, the states reimburse them with federal funds, while avoiding any state financial cost." CMMS says this allows "states to use the surplus for other purposes — including the expansion of healthcare coverage for illegal immigrants," which "effectively means federal money is financing these other interests, instead of enhancing the state Medicaid program." The congressional proposal would solidify this rule change by requiring the aforementioned uniformity, and thus rendering Prop. 35 noncompliant and depriving California of the estimated $7 billion to $8 billion on MCPO tax revenue, and additional $2 billion per year or so in estimated higher federal Medicaid funding. Should the congressional proposals pass, the state could effectively lose a combined $36.7 billion per year in federal and state revenues. This would necessitate some combination of substantial budget cuts elsewhere, or higher taxes to maintain Medi-Cal services and obligations at current levels. In late 2024, the LAO already anticipated budget deficits in the coming years rising to $30 billion per year,sayingthe state has "no capacity" for new spending, suggesting the state has little leeway to make such changes.

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 20, 2025

Analysis: House GOP budget could cost Medi-Cal nearly $40 billion per year, bankrupt CA

Analysis: House GOP budget could cost Medi-Cal nearly $40 billion per year, bankrupt CA (The Center Square) - California Gov. Gavin Newsom s...

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Canada says G7 finance ministers to focus on restoring stability, growth

Canada says G7 finance ministers to focus on restoring stability, growth

By David Lawder and Promit Mukherjee BANFF, Alberta (Reuters) -Finance ministers from the Group of Seven industrial democracies will try to agree on policies to restore global growth and stability, Canadian Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said on Tuesday, acknowledging that tensions over new U.S. tariffs would continue. The meetings over the next two days in the mountain resort town of Banff, Alberta, will be about "back to basics" and will include discussions about excess manufacturing capacity, non-market practices and financial crimes, Champagne told a news conference. "I think to deliver for the citizens that we represent, our mission is really about restoring stability and growth," Champagne said He said discussions would take place within the G7 and bilaterally with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent about the impact of President Donald Trump's new tariffs on trading partners, and that there would always be tension around such issues. "But at the same time, there's a lot we can achieve together," Champagne said. "There's a lot that we are looking to coordinate, our actions, and really tackle some of the big issues around over-capacity, non-market practices and financial crimes." Bessent has sought to push G7 allies to more effectively confront China's state-led, export-driven economic policies, arguing that this has led to excess manufacturing capacity that is flooding the world with cheap goods and threatening G7 and other market economies. But G7 members Japan, Germany, France and Italy all face a potential doubling of reciprocal U.S. duties to 20% or more in early July. Britain negotiated a limited trade deal that leaves it saddled with 10% U.S. tariffs on most goods, and host Canada is still struggling with Trump's separate 25% duty on many exports. Champagne also said that the G7 group would discuss ways to better police low-value package shipments from China to combat smuggling. The Trump administration has ended a duty-free exemption for Chinese shipments valued under $800, which it has blamed for the trafficking of fentanyl and its precursor chemicals. Reducing fentanyl trafficking is critical to lifting Trump's 25% duties on some Canadian and Mexican goods, as well as a 20% duty on Chinese goods. Champagne appeared with Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko and pledged to continue Canada's support for Ukraine in its struggle against Russia's invasion. He also said Canada is considering helping Ukraine build a Canadian-style pension system. Marchenko told reporters that he would seek to reiterate Ukraine's arguments for strengthening sanctions against Russia, including through lowering the level of the G7-led $60-per-barrel price cap imposed on Russian crude oil exports. (Reporting by David Lawder and Promit Mukherjee in Banff, additional reporting by Julia Payne in Banff; Editing by Tom Hogue and Stephen Coates)

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 20, 2025

Canada says G7 finance ministers to focus on restoring stability, growth

Canada says G7 finance ministers to focus on restoring stability, growth By David Lawder and Promit Mukherjee BANFF, Alberta (Reuters) -Fin...

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Supreme Court sides with Maine lawmaker in censure fight

Supreme Court sides with Maine lawmaker in censure fight

(The Center Square) — A Maine GOP lawmaker has her legislative voting rights restored after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked her censure by the Democratic-controlled state Legislature for identifying a transgender teen athlete in a viral social-media post. In a 7-2rulingTuesday, the high court's conservative majority granted state Rep. Laurel Libby's request for a preliminary injunction blocking the Maine House of Representatives' censure vote. Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented. The majority's decision, which wasn't explained, lifts restrictions that prevented the Auburn Republican from voting on bills or speaking on legislative matters while the legal challenge plays out in court. "This is a victory not just for my constituents, but for the Constitution itself," Libby said in a statement. "The Supreme Court has affirmed what should never have been in question — that no state legislature has the power to silence an elected official simply for speaking truthfully about issues that matter." Libby was censured in February by the Democratic-controlled state House of Representatives after posting a picture on social media that identified a minor transgender student-athlete. A lawsuit in March by Libby and several of her constituents sought to overturn the censure vote brought by House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, D-Biddeford, but the legal challenge was rejected by a federal judge who said the court lacks jurisdiction to meddle in the "internal" policies of the Maine Legislature. Libby appealed the ruling, but the First Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling Friday denying her request. The appellate panel said Libby's lawyers failed to show the lawsuit was likely to succeed and that she — or her constituents — would be irreparably harmed if the legislative censure remains in place. But Libby petitioned the Supreme Court to take up her case. The lawmakers' legal fight is backed by West Virginia Attorney General John McCuskey and 14 other Republican attorneys general whoaskedthe high court to grant Libby's request for a preliminary injunction. In her dissenting opinion, Justice Jackson questioned whether the emergency relief was necessary given "that there are no significant legislative votes" scheduled in the coming weeks and suggested that her district would not suffer any "concrete, imminent, and significant harm" while the lower court considers her appeal. However, Libby said the court majority's ruling in her favor "restores the voice of 9,000 Mainers who were wrongly silenced." "I am grateful for the court's action, and I am ready to get back to work representing the people of House District 90," she said.

byDaniel Coleman

in

May 20, 2025

Supreme Court sides with Maine lawmaker in censure fight

Supreme Court sides with Maine lawmaker in censure fight (The Center Square) — A Maine GOP lawmaker has her legislative voting rights restor...

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