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Todd Blanche's Senate confirmation fight may expose Epstein coverup: expert

2 hours agoFar Left

President Donald Trump's pick for attorney general, his former personal lawyer Todd Blanche, and his upcoming Senate confirmation hearing could reveal more about his efforts to conceal the Epstein files and backfire on his nomination, a former White House insider explained on Monday.Bill Kristol, the editor at large for The Bulwark and a former chief of staff to Vice President Dan Quayle, described how senators who will vote to confirm Blanche as the nation's next top law enforcement official will ultimately have to face off over Jeffrey Epstein and Blanche's role in the cover-up."There are many, many Republican lawyers in America," Kristol wrote. "Many, sadly, are also pro-Trump. But it is Todd Blanche who has been selected by the president to be attorney general of the United States. He has this distinction: He is the prime orchestrator and key executor of the Trump administration’s Jeffrey Epstein coverup."Former Attorney General Pam Bondi testified to the House Oversight Committee on May 29, saying Blanche “supervised [the] entire process” of overseeing the Epstein files."He was leading the Epstein matter and the release of everything from the beginning," Bondi said in her testimony.Questions have surrounded Blanche and his visit to Epstein co-conspirator and former partner to the late financier, Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell has been pushing for clemency as a condition of her testimony to Congress."Blanche has also been the most visible public defender of the coverup, and of the decision not to investigate or prosecute anyone else for crimes," Kristol wrote.After the files were released, no follow-up investigations have been underway."But thanks to Trump’s nomination of Blanche, there is a chance to force a real public debate, with real Senate votes, on the Epstein coverup," Kristol explains."That is not what Blanche wants. In early April, shortly after becoming acting attorney general, Blanche told Fox News, 'And so I think that to the extent that the Epstein files was a part of the past year of this Justice Department, it should not be a part of anything going forward,'" Kristol wrote.And that doesn't mean senators will not question him about it."But the Epstein coverup should be part, a key part, of one thing going forward: It should be a key part of the upcoming debate on Blanche’s confirmation as attorney general," Kristol wrote. "The Blanche confirmation fight can bring the Epstein coverup back into the spotlight this summer. His nomination can be turned into a referendum on the coverup by the Trump administration, and by the entire political class, of Epstein and his co-conspirators and clients.""The vote on Blanche can become, it should become, a vote on Epstein," Kristol further added.

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MAGA lawmaker’s Trump defiance may put him behind bars: GOP candidate

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1 hour ago

MAGA lawmaker’s Trump defiance may put him behind bars: GOP candidate

Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) openly defied President Donald Trump Sunday night in calling for Israel to launch strikes toward Iran, a remark that flew in the face of the president’s foreign policy agenda — and, according to a GOP congressional candidate, may have violated federal law.Iran launched strikes against Israel Sunday in response to that nation's bombing of Lebanon’s largest city, strikes that Trump urged Israeli leadership not to respond to. Despite Trump’s plea, Israel's missiles flew later that night, the news of which excited Fine, who proceeded to encourage Israel to continue.“Israel has every right to respond to rockets being fired at its civilians exactly as we would,” Fine wrote Sunday night in a social media post on X. “Bombs away.”Fine’s comments, however, at least according to Aaron Baker, who’s running to represent Florida’s 6th Congressional District as a Republican, may have violated the Logan Act, which prohibits Americans from holding unauthorized communications with foreign governments in some instances, particularly with intent to “influence measures or conduct of any foreign government.”“Now you are telling [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu ‘bombs away?’ President Trump told Bibi NO,” Baker wrote in a social media post on X. “Now you have violated The Logan Act, Rep. Fine, and shall be fined or imprisoned under 18 USC 953. So much for trying to pretend you’re loyal to the United States.”Fine has long been a fierce defender and supporter of Israel, though he has frequently drawn scrutiny for his controversial remarks, which critics, even some prominent conservatives, have described as “unspeakably racist” or “genocidal."Examples include Fine telling Gazans to ‘starve away’ last year. In 2021 when, in response to a social media user who shared a photo of what appears to be a Gazan infant buried in rubble with the question “how do you sleep at night,” Fine responded “quite well, actually,” and “thanks for the pic!”Now you are telling @netanyahu “bombs away?”President Trump told Bibi NO. Now you have violated The Logan Act @RepFine and shall be fined or imprisoned under 18 USC 953.So much for trying to pretend you’re loyal to the United States. https://t.co/JhIBak5Qsq— Aaron Baker for Congress (FL-6) (@Aaron4fl6) June 8, 2026

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'These may be criminal acts': Controversial DOJ official implicated in tainted case

Raw Story

2 hours ago

'These may be criminal acts': Controversial DOJ official implicated in tainted case

A controversial Justice Department official whose conduct has drawn scrutiny in courts across the country has been implicated in a high-profile prosecution that was tossed out by a judge, according to a new report. Sources told the Chicago Sun-Times that Associate Attorney General Aakash Singh was in contact with the office of Chicago U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros during Operation Midway Blitz, and defense attorneys for the “Broadview Six” are seeking records that could tie him to the tainted case against protesters arrested during the immigration crackdown.Six protesters — most with connections to local Democratic politics — were charged following a September protest outside a suburban immigration detention facility in Broadview.Prosecutors alleged the group damaged a federal agent's vehicle during the demonstration, but the case collapsed last month after U.S. District Judge April Perry uncovered what she described as apparent prosecutorial misconduct during grand jury proceedings. She found that transcripts submitted to her by federal prosecutors had been altered to conceal what had actually taken place, and the U.S. attorney's office subsequently dropped all charges.Defense attorneys are now seeking records of any communications between Singh and the Chicago office related to their clients' case, including cell phone records. Boutros's office has previously stated that no communications with outside parties influenced investigative or charging decisions in the case.Singh has faced scrutiny in at least one other federal court related to the human smuggling case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was charged criminally after he successfully challenged his removal from the United States to El Salvador.A judge in Tennessee last month dismissed that indictment on selective prosecution grounds, citing Singh's role in pressuring a prosecutor and calling a politically sensitive case a "priority."A Justice Department spokesperson said Singh's role coordinating with U.S. attorney's offices is standard across administrations and that charging decisions are made by career prosecutors consistent with the law.The judge has not ruled on the defense attorneys' records request, but a legal expert flagged the claims against Singh as significant and possible evidence of criminal action. "Aakash Singh, a member of the Maryland bar, was involved pressuring prosecutors in the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case in TN and 'rushing the fraud indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center' case," said Scott Horton, a contributing editor for Harper's Magazine and a lecturer at Columbia Law School."Now he has been revealed to be the man behind efforts to corrupt the grand jury in the "Broadview Six' case by telling the grand jury falsehoods and kicking jurors who voted 'no true bill' off the grand jury," Horton added. "These may be criminal acts, and certainly would warrant his disbarment from law practice."

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'Coverup': Bill Kristol maps out path to take down Trump’s AG pick

Alternet.org

2 hours ago

'Coverup': Bill Kristol maps out path to take down Trump’s AG pick

Conservative columnist Bill Kristol wants the Senate confirmation of Todd Blanche, President Donald Trump’s stated nominee for U.S. attorney general, to become a referendum on the administration’s handling of the Epstein files — tying Blanche directly to the “coverup” he says Trump rewarded him for managing.Writing at The Bulwark, Kristol calls Blanche “the prime orchestrator and key executor of the Trump administration’s Jeffrey Epstein coverup.” He argues that the senators’ vote on Blanche “should become” a vote on Epstein, and sees the confirmation process as “a chance to force a real public debate, with real Senate votes, on the Epstein coverup.” Kristol points to Bondi’s testimony that Blanche “was leading the Epstein matter and the release of everything from the beginning” and supervised the “entire process” of how the files were handled. He also calls Blanche “the most visible public defender of the coverup, and of the decision not to investigate or prosecute anyone else for crimes.”Blanche has worked to bury the Epstein files, Kristol argues. While still deputy attorney general, he told Fox News, “And so I think that to the extent that the Epstein files was a part of the past year of this Justice Department, it should not be a part of anything going forward.” Kristol says the “Epstein coverup should be part, a key part, of one thing going forward: It should be a key part of the upcoming debate on Blanche’s confirmation as attorney general. The Blanche confirmation fight can bring the Epstein coverup back into the spotlight this summer.”In February, when Blanche was asked by Fox News’ Laura Ingraham whether there was “any chance that any of these individuals who partied with Epstein and engaged in relations with minors” would be prosecuted, Blanche responded, “I’ll never say no, and we will always investigate any evidence of misconduct, but as you know, it is not a crime to party with Mr. Epstein.”“And some of these men may have done horrible things, and if we have evidence that allows us to prosecute them, you better believe we will,” Blanche continued. “But it’s also the kind of thing that the American people need to understand that it isn’t a crime to party with Mr. Epstein.” Kristol latches on to that remark and repeats it, before writing that the DOJ “could now be following up on the testimony of scores of survivors to finally, properly investigate those crimes and their perpetrators. But Blanche’s Justice Department hasn’t even pretended to be seeking further evidence.”He accuses Blanche’s DOJ of having “no interest at all in investigating or prosecuting the men who have done truly horrible things. After all, ‘it isn’t a crime to party with Mr. Epstein.'”

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Trump risks sending oil 'well above $200 per barrel' as he nears critical juncture: expert

Raw Story

3 hours ago

Trump risks sending oil 'well above $200 per barrel' as he nears critical juncture: expert

President Donald Trump has reached a critical juncture, writes geopolitical analyst and expert Trista Parsi, one that could result in either some de-escalation in the Middle East or an unprecedented disruption to global trade that could send oil prices to “well above $200 per barrel.”Parsi’s analysis, detailed in a report published on his Substack Sunday night, comes after Iran and Israel exchanged strikes earlier that same day. On Monday, Trump publicly pleaded with Israel and Iran to stop fighting as his administration continues working toward a negotiated settlement with Tehran, though both nations have frequently defied the president’s wishes.As such, Parsi argued, “the most likely scenario” in the days or weeks ahead is that Israel and Iran will continue to exchange fire. The “key question” then becomes, Parsi wrote, “whether Trump will eventually enter the conflict – or be pulled into it.”“The Iranians appear prepared for either outcome,” Parsi wrote. “If Trump re-enters the war, Tehran may employ options it withheld during the previous conflict, including disrupting Red Sea shipping and targeting GCC oil infrastructure in an effort to drive oil prices well above $200 per barrel. If Trump stays out, such horizontal escalation may be deemed unnecessary.”As of Monday, the price per barrel of oil sits at just over $97, a dramatic increase from the $72 seen one day before Trump launched Operation Epic Fury. Trump’s favorability has suffered as a result, with the average cost per gallon of gas reaching $4.24 last week, up significantly from the $2.98 recorded prior to the war.

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Confirming Todd Blanche could backfire for the GOP, Sarah Longwell warns

Raw Story

4 hours ago

Confirming Todd Blanche could backfire for the GOP, Sarah Longwell warns

GOP pollster Sarah Longwell warned, President Donald Trump's push to confirm Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche as permanent Attorney General could create a midterm liability for Republicans. In the latest episode of her podcast, "Illegal News with Sarah Longwell," Longwell explained the Senate's narrow Republican majority means only four GOP votes can defect before confirmation fails. She speculates at least five senators are likely to vote against Blanche, citing political retribution against Trump as their motive. These are Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Thom Tillis (R-NC), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Bill Cassidy (R-LA).Other vulnerable Republicans may oppose Blanche, yet they hold sufficient political pressure, she argues. Longwell also suggested Democratic ads targeting Blanche's role in securing Ghislaine Maxwell a sweetheart deal to a low-security facility could sway vulnerable Republican senators. The confirmation fight threatens intra-party conflict during the midterm election cycle, potentially harming GOP electoral prospects.Watch the video below. Your browser does not support the video tag.

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Modeling agent scrambles to explain his 'potty mouth' emails to Epstein

Raw Story

4 hours ago

Modeling agent scrambles to explain his 'potty mouth' emails to Epstein

For years, Ramsey Elkholy had a simple business proposition.The New York City modeling agent had a roster of young women and an eye for opportunity. Jeffrey Epstein was a well-connected financier with ties to Victoria's Secret, Vera Wang and the upper reaches of the fashion world. Elkholy would bring Epstein women, Epstein would help those women — and by extension, Elkholy — get work. Everyone, in theory, would benefit."Everybody wanted to be in the room with Epstein," Elkholy told The Washington Post in a recent interview. "It's just the kind of thing where everyone's trying to get something out of it."The Justice Department's release of Epstein's files has already claimed high-profile casualties, triggering resignations and public shaming among the financier's most prominent associates. But a review of those files by the Post reveals a parallel story — one populated not by celebrities and heads of state, but by lesser-known operators like Elkholy who quietly built Epstein's access to young women in the years after his 2009 release from jail.Elkholy described potential introductions in explicitly sexual terms, sending photos of women and assessing their physical attributes using crude language, and while he is now "ashamed" of what he wrote, the former agent insists he’s “1,000 percent sure” he did nothing illegal and claims that Epstein never paid him.“The reason why all of this bodes so terribly for me is because of my potty mouth,” Elkholy told the Post. “I was just being stupid, actually, because all of that language was not based on anything that was happening.”Elkholy's emails with Epstein span more than a decade and discuss potential meetings with at least two dozen women, including one as young as 18. In one message sent shortly after Epstein's release from jail, Elkholy described a potential introduction as a "coming out gift," calling the woman's body "amazing." In another, he noted that a 23-year-old might be "on the old side" for Epstein — a comment he has not directly addressed.He has, however, addressed nearly everything else. In an hour-long interview with the Post, Elkholy insisted he never facilitated abuse, always chaperoned the women he introduced to Epstein, and was motivated entirely by professional ambition. He said two models he represented secured Victoria's Secret deals after meeting Epstein — deals from which he would have earned a 10 percent commission."If a model gets Victoria's Secret," he said, "her career is made."What Elkholy cannot as easily explain away is the gap between his emails and his explanations. He acknowledged fabricating a claim that a Russian supermodel had agreed to meet Epstein, and he said a scouting trip to Europe he offered to take on Epstein's behalf "never happened." He claims his crude language was intended to impress Epstein rather than reflect reality."Agents lie," he said. "All modeling agents will say what they need to say."A Polish model told the Wall Street Journal in 2023 that Elkholy had introduced her to Epstein and that Epstein subsequently sexually exploited her. Elkholy said he could not identify the model and suggested that if she had chosen to enter a "relationship" with Epstein, that was not his responsibility.Since the release of the Epstein files, Elkholy has moved to California, where he works as a musician. He told the Post that the resulting media coverage has, unexpectedly, increased his band Monotronic's streaming numbers."I just wish all this would go away," he said.For at least one woman, it already has. Ruslana Korshunova, a 20-year-old model from Kazakhstan whom Elkholy represented, died in 2008 in what authorities ruled a suicide. Flight logs show she had flown on Epstein's private plane at age 18 — months before Elkholy signed her. Two years after her death, Epstein noted the anniversary in an email, and Elkholy replied that she was "still so very young."That same day, he emailed Epstein about an 18-year-old he had met at an Apple store.“Only about 5′8 but beautiful, thin and curvy,” Elkholy wrote, adding that she was a summer worker at Six Flags who was looking for opportunities. “I think you will like her."

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Lawsuit Aims to Stop U.F.C. Fights at White House on Trump’s Birthday

NYT > U.S. > Politics

5 hours ago

Lawsuit Aims to Stop U.F.C. Fights at White House on Trump’s Birthday

A federal lawsuit said the event, set for June 14, was unlawfully planned and designed to benefit Mr. Trump and his allies.

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Ken Paxton’s defense attorney endorses James Talarico in race for Texas Senate seat

Washington Examiner

7 hours ago

Ken Paxton’s defense attorney endorses James Talarico in race for Texas Senate seat

Ken Paxton‘s former personal lawyer is bucking his high-profile client to endorse Democratic candidate James Talarico for Texas’s U.S. Senate seat. After Paxton’s GOP runoff victory against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), Texas solidified the long-awaited matchup between Trump-endorsed Paxton and vocal Christian Democrat Talarico in late May. The Lone Star State’s 2026 Senate race […]

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