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Wisconsin Republican push to impeach elections official faces internal opposition

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

A Republican attempt to impeach Wisconsin's nonpartisan top elections official is nothing more than "a big show for the cameras" and will be ignored, the Assembly's GOP majority leader said Thursday.

Several Republican lawmakers, including the state Senate president, have called for Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe to be impeached over her handling of the 2020 election won by President Biden. The Senate voted in October to fire Wolfe but later admitted that the vote was symbolic and had no legal effect.

In the Assembly, state Rep. Janel Brandtjen has introduced a resolution to impeach Wolfe. As of Thursday, it had just five co-sponsors in addition to Brandtjen. It would require 50 votes to pass.

WISCONSIN REPUBLICANS CLASH OVER MEDICAL MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION PLAN

Brandtjen tried in vain on Tuesday to be recognized to speak in an attempt to get a vote on her proposal. Brandtjen, who has endorsed discredited conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, accused Republican leaders of being "Administrator Wolfe's PR team."

During a news conference before Thursday's session, Assembly Majority Leader Tyler August said Brandtjen's proposal would not be voted on because it doesn't have enough support to get out of committee or be approved by a majority of the Assembly.

"We have a process that has been utilized in this building for decades of how to bring a bill or a resolution to the floor," August said. "And that’s the process that we’ll continue to use."

August said if Brandtjen has enough support to bring the measure forward for a vote, she can.

"But the fact is she doesn’t," August said. "Our caucus is focused on real things, not grifting and not making a big show for the cameras. And that’s all she’s interested in doing."

Even as the impeachment effort stalls, Republicans have called for Wolfe to be replaced. But she has said she will remain in her post at least through the November election.

WISCONSIN GOP TO PROPOSE TAX CUTS FOR FAMILIES EARNING UP TO $200K

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos is being targeted for recall by supporters of former President Donald Trump, in part over his opposition to the Wolfe impeachment. Trump in November posted a news release on his social media platform Truth Social from Brandtjen criticizing Vos for not doing more to remove Wolfe.

The Assembly can only vote to impeach state officials for corrupt conduct in office or for committing a crime or misdemeanor. If a majority of the Assembly were to vote to impeach, the case would move to a Senate trial in which a two-thirds vote would be required for conviction.

Although Wolfe is the administrator of elections, it is the more than 1,800 local clerks who actually run elections in the presidential battleground state. The commission she oversees is run by a bipartisan board with an equal number of Republicans and Democrats.

Brandtjen and others who support impeaching Wolfe had pushed for decertification of Biden's 2020 win. Biden defeated Trump by nearly 21,000 votes in Wisconsin, an outcome that has withstood two partial recounts, a nonpartisan audit, a conservative law firm’s review, and multiple state and federal lawsuits.

Louisiana gov orders state law enforcement to track illegal immigrant crime

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Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has signed an executive order requiring every government agency to capture data on the activities of illegal immigrants in the state -- including the number of those charged or convicted of a criminal offense.

Landry, a Republican, signed the order which directs every executive branch agency to "consider the effects of illegal immigration" on their agencies and offices and collect data relating to the "provision of public services or the expenditure of public funds directly or indirectly to, or for the benefit of illegal aliens."

The executive order will also require law enforcement to collect and report data on a monthly basis on the number of aliens charged or convicted and include their citizenship, nationality and immigration status. It will also require the reporting of criminal history, gang affiliation and whether they are in the country legally or illegally.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT POPULATION SOARS UNDER BIDEN: GOVERNMENT DATA

"The cost of illegal immigration in this state is falling on the shoulders of hard-working Louisianans," Landry said in a statement. "This Executive Order will analyze data to determine the financial burden our citizens are being forced to carry because of those who do not follow the law," 

"Louisiana will always welcome those who legally immigrate, but taxpayers cannot continue to foot the bill for individuals who break the law and skip the line," he said.

The order comes amid national concern in both Democratic and Republican areas about the ongoing costs of the historic migrant crisis at the southern border -- which has extended its reach far beyond the southern border.

Democratic cities like New York City and Chicago have pleaded for help from the federal government due to the flood of migrants they’ve seen into their cities. Meanwhile, Republican attorneys general have testified to Congress about the effects of illegal immigration and fentanyl -- which is primarily trafficked through the border -- on their states.

BORDER NUMBERS FOR DECEMBER BREAK MONTHLY RECORD, AS BIDEN TALKS AMNESTY WITH MEXICO

Republicans have blamed the Biden administration for what it says are "catch-and-release" policies and narrowed interior enforcement. The executive order says that the administration "has failed to prevent the illicit entry of aliens and has…enacted policies designed to undermine the rule of law and encourage and induce the illegal entry of historic numbers contrary to law."

The Biden administration has said it is a "broken system" that is drawing migrants to the border amid a hemisphere-wide crisis, and that it needs funding and immigration reform legislation from Congress to fix it.

Congress is currently debating a supplemental funding request from the White House that includes $14 billion for the border crisis, including aid to states and communities. But Republicans want to see stricter limits on asylum and a more limited use of parole. 

GOP candidate compared deporting illegal immigrants to Nazis, ‘not opposed’ to fast-tracking DACA citizenship

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A Republican running for Congress in North Carolina previously compared deporting illegal immigrants to Nazi Germany, and said he was "not opposed" to fast-tracking citizenship for recipients of Deferred Action Childhood Arrivals (DACA), also known as "Dreamers."

Pat Harrigan, a candidate running to represent North Carolina's 10th Congressional District, made the comments in an Oct. 2022 interview with WFAE 90.7, a public radio station that services the Charlotte area, while a congressional candidate in a different district ahead of the midterm elections.

"There has to be a pathway to citizenship. Look, from my perspective, you look at countries that have rounded up and exported people from their country. It's a list of countries that we don't want to be involved with. It's Russia. It's North Korea. It's China. It is Nazi Germany," he said when asked about a "pathway to citizenship" for individuals in the U.S. illegally.

ALL EYES ON NEW HAMPSHIRE'S INDEPENDENT VOTERS FOLLOWING REPORTS OF DEMOCRATS VOTING FOR NIKKI HALEY IN IOWA

"This horse has left the stables on this topic. And the vast, vast majority of immigrants that have come to this country are here because they're trying to build a better life for themselves and for their families," he said.

The interviewer then asked Harrigan about "Dreamers," those brought to the U.S. as children of illegal immigrants, and whether there should be a process for them to gain citizenship more quickly.

"I think we need to look at exactly how we do that, but I'm not opposed to it. I do think it’s incredibly important that we have to gain control of the southern border and gain control of our immigration system first, prior to allowing any type of assimilation program on a widespread basis. Critically important that we do that one-two step," he responded.

VIRGINIA VETERAN AIMS TO BE 1ST FEMALE MARINE ELECTED TO CONGRESS, JOINS RACE TO FLIP COVETED DEM-HELD SEAT

The topic of immigration came up while Harrigan was being asked about former President Donald Trump, and whether he should run again for the White House in 2024.

Harrigan dodged the question, saying he was "laser focused" on his midterm race, which he later lost. However, the interviewer pressed him, noting his expressed disagreement with Trump's "personal behaviors," but that he agreed with him on certain policy points.

"I certainly share President Trump's perspective — at least a portion of his perspective — on our southern border. I absolutely believe our southern border is a very real and present danger for the national security of this country," Harrigan responded, citing statistics concerning individuals suspected of terrorism infiltrating the U.S.

WATCH: NEW CONSERVATIVE TECH COMPANY INSPIRED BY SWING STATE ELECTION LOSSES AIMS TO FLIP SCRIPT ON DEMOCRATS

Harrigan added that he "absolutely" believed the border needed to be secured, but that he diverged with Trump on the issue of labor.

"We have a massive labor crisis in this country right now. And quite frankly, we are wasting the best opportunity that we have had in the last 50 years to regenerate and regrow the American manufacturing capability, domestic manufacturing, because we don't have any labor to support it. We have to have an ample flow of immigrants into this country," he said.

"I'm very pro-immigration," he added.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Harrigan said the "use of an oppobook by establishment politicians to attack … a decorated combat veteran" exposed their "fear" of his commitment to America-first policies.

"I understand the true cost of freedom and the need for strong national security. My stance is clear: secure our borders first, complete the wall, deport illegal aliens who have broken our laws, and reinstate Trump’s border policies before considering any pathway to citizenship," he said.

"I will fight to rectify the border crisis caused by Biden and radical democrats, advocate for Trump’s policies and push for the impeachment of DHS Secretary Mayorkas for failing to protect our nation," he added.

Harrigan's campaign also pointed Fox News Digital to an ad it released addressing the border crisis.

North Carolina's 10th Congressional District is currently represented by Republican Rep. Patrick McHenry, who briefly served as speaker pro tempore following former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's ouster in October. It is a deep-red district considered a safe seat for Republicans.

McHenry announced in December that he would not seek re-election.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

DOJ further acknowledges Hunter Biden’s laptop is real, contents match Apple iCloud backups

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Federal prosecutors further acknowledged in court documents filed Tuesday that the laptop Hunter Biden dropped off at a computer store is in fact real, adding that the contents on the laptop matched what had previously been obtained through a search warrant on the president’s son’s Apple iCloud.

In the court documents, the Department of Justice said the IRS and FBI obtained a search warrant for tax violations in August 2019 and were able to get access to Hunter’s Apple iCloud account.

By September 2021, Apple produced backups of data from various electronic devices Hunter backed up to his iCloud account.

"Investigators also later came into possession of the defendant's Apple MacBook Pro, which he left at a computer store," the court filing reads. "A search warrant was also obtained for his laptop and the results of the search were largely duplicative of information investigators had already obtained from Apple."

HUNTER BIDEN'S GUN POUCH HAD COCAINE RESIDUE ON IT, PROSECUTORS SAY

In 2020, John Paul Mac Isaac, a computer repair shop owner who turned over the laptop belonging to the president’s son to authorities and members of the press, said a man he believed to be Hunter dropped off three laptops in his store in April 2019. Only one of the laptops was salvageable, and while repairing the laptop, Mac Isaac said he discovered disturbing material.

Mac Isaac could not get in touch with the customer, and said he first searched the emails by keyword in June or July 2019.

The laptop saga began in October 2020, when the New York Post reported about a 2015 email from a Ukrainian energy executive to Hunter, thanking him for introducing him to his father, that it obtained from the hard drive of Hunter's laptop. Joe Biden was vice president at the time of the message, and his son then enjoyed a lucrative position on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian energy firm, raising concerns of attempted influence-peddling with his powerful father. 

The laptop's content included a peek into Hunter's overseas business dealings, as well as more sordid material like homemade sex tapes and videos showing him using illegal drugs. 

The laptop was widely dismissed by print and television outlets, especially The New York Times, The Washington Post, MSNBC and CNN. 

Twitter and Facebook blocked or limited sharing of the New York Post's article about Biden. Twitter even locked the New York Post out of its account for weeks.

But in February 2023, the first son admitted that the laptop at the center of a federal investigation belonged to him in a letter from his lawyers.

HOUSE COMMITTEES APPROVE RESOLUTION TO HOLD HUNTER BIDEN IN CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS, MOVES TO FLOOR

At the time, journalist Miranda Devine, who authored the book "Laptop from Hell," tweeted about Hunter’s admission, saying it was not Russian disinformation or a "plant," as the president and 51 dishonest former intel officials pretended. The 51 intel officials she referred to were the 51 intelligence experts who signed a letter casting doubt on the scandal.

HUNTER BIDEN INDICTED ON FEDERAL GUN CHARGES

In June 2023, the DOJ said it knew in December 2019 that the laptop was "not manipulated in any way" and contained "reliable evidence," but was "obstructed" from seeing all available information, according to an IRS whistleblower involved in the probe.

The admission revealed the DOJ knew the laptop was not manipulated nearly a year before the intelligence officials and President Biden declared it was planted as part of a Russian disinformation campaign.

IF BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY IS VALID, WHY HAS THE PRESIDENT LIED ABOUT HIS COMPLICITY?

Court records allege that the searches revealed incriminating evidence, like the first son’s addiction to controlled substances and his possession of a firearm.

For example, the court documents say prior to Oct. 12, 2018, when Hunter obtained a firearm, he took photos of crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia on his phone. He also sent messages "routinely" about purchasing drugs.

During the two days after Hunter purchased the firearm, he messaged his girlfriend about meeting a drug dealer and smoking crack, court documents say.

The documents also show Hunter messaged about sleeping on a car and smoking crack, efforts by his then-girlfriend to discard the firearm, and how his devices contained photos and videos of "apparent cocaine, crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia."

House Homeland GOP calls for Mayorkas written testimony; DHS slams ‘bad-faith’ impeachment push

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Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee are seeking written testimony from DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas amid a lengthy back-and-forth with the agency over him potentially testifying at an impeachment hearing -- as DHS is blasting what it says is a "bad-faith, predetermined and unconstitutional rush" to impeach him.

Chairman Mark Green sent a letter to Mayorkas offering him the opportunity to submit written testimony ahead of the second impeachment hearing on Thursday -- which will focus on the victims of illegal immigrant crime.

"As stated in earlier letters to you, your perspective on the crisis at the border and actions you have taken as secretary are valuable for the Members of the Committee and the American public to hear. Regretfully, every invitation for almost half a year we extended to you to testify focused specifically on the border crisis has been rejected or subject to endless delay tactics," Green said, requesting written testimony instead.

REPUBLICANS, DEMS SPAR AT MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT HEARING AS STATE AGS DESCRIBE IMPACT OF MIGRANT CRISIS

Republicans, who held the first hearing earlier this month, have accused Mayorkas of a "dereliction of duty" and a "willful violation of his oath" in his handling of the crisis at the southern border, where there have been record levels of migrant encounters. They have said that the expansion of "catch-and-release" and the rollback of Trump-era policies have fueled a historic crisis with devastating effects on the country.

The administration says it is dealing with a hemisphere-wide crisis and needs more funding and reform from Congress. It has pointed to more than a million returns of migrants in FY 2022 and FY 2023 and a record seizure of fentanyl by officials at the border.

Green’s office had invited Mayorkas to testify in person at the hearing earlier this month. DHS replied, saying he could not testify at the hearing on Thursday due to other commitments including hosting a Mexican delegation, but was open to testifying at a future date and said it would work to find a date and hearing structure with committee members.

Republicans painted that response as a refusal to testify, arguing that they have been trying to get Mayorkas to testify at a border-specific hearing since August. DHS has fiercely denied that the letter counted as a refusal to testify and said that Mayorkas has testified 27 times in 35 months, more than any other Cabinet member, including at a Worldwide Threats hearing before the committee in November. DHS says that Republicans did not provide any alternate dates or options to DHS, nor did they respond to attempts to identify a date. 

Spokesperson Mia Ehrenberg tore into what she said was the "latest example of Committee Republicans’ sham process."

"It’s abundantly clear that they are not interested in hearing from Secretary Mayorkas since it doesn’t fit into their bad-faith, predetermined and unconstitutional rush to impeach him. Last week, the Secretary offered to testify publicly before the Committee; in the time since, the Committee failed to respond to DHS to find a mutually agreeable date," she said.

"Instead, they provided this offer of written testimony to the media before any outreach to the Department. CHS Republicans have yet again demonstrated their preference for playing politics rather than work together to address the serious issues at the border," she said.

Homeland Republicans, in turn, said that Mayorkas has now "tacitly refused" three times despite what they say is flexibility.

HOUSE HOMELAND DEMOCRATS BACK MAYORKAS, SLAM GOP ‘SHAM’ AHEAD OF IMPEACHMENT HEARING 

"Secretary Mayorkas can object all he wants, but the paper trail is clear--he has consistently, tacitly refused to show up," the majority said on X, formerly known as Twitter after accusing Mayorkas of "indefinite delays."

Democrats on the Committee backed the administration and called the impeachment push "just another political stunt."

"They refused to accept his offer to testify at a later date because it doesn't fit with their arbitrary, rushed timeline dictated by extreme MAGA Republicans Illegitimate impeachment," they said, calling the impeachment illegitimate.

Meanwhile, Fox confirmed that the hearing will be the last hearing and the next step will be for the committee to schedule a markup of the impeachment articles.

Fox News' Kelly Phares contributed to this report.

Experts bash White House claims of shrouding Hunter Biden’s art buyers: ‘Proved as abstract’ as his art

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Top legal and ethical experts weighed in on art gallerist Georges Bergès' revelation of Hunter Biden's knowledge of his art buyers, saying the American people were "misled."

Fox News Digital reached out to several legal and ethical experts on Bergès' revelation during his closed-door, transcribed interview with the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees earlier this month.

Bergès told the committees that an agreement to shield the knowledge of Hunter Biden's buyers from him was not put in place for months after the White House's statement that a "system" had been "established" to do so.

HUNTER BIDEN KNEW 70% OF ART BUYERS, CONTRADICTING WHITE HOUSE NARRATIVE ON ‘ANONYMOUS' COLLECTORS: GALLERIST

Hunter Biden's gallerist said that the first son knew the identities of approximately 70% of those buyers.

"The White House effort was the ultimate example of closing the barn door after the horse has bolted," George Washington University law professor and Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley told Fox News Digital.

"The clear message given repeatedly to Congress and the public was that an ethical plan was in place to prevent such knowledge," he continued.

"The ethical claims of the White House proved as abstract as Hunter's art pieces," Turley said. "In reality, the breach had occurred long before the ethical plan was implemented."

"The testimony that Bergès did not have interactions with the White House on the plan further undermines these claims. Indeed, Bergès admitted that he was reading these statements from the White House with no knowledge of what they were referencing. Yet, Bergès and the Bidens proceeded knowing that the public was being misled."

Former Bush administration ethics chief Richard Painter told Fox News Digital that the White House's "whole arrangement of keeping the buyers secret was completely the wrong way to go."

Painter said the White House "should have had nothing to do" with Bergès, and that the "best approach" for Hunter Biden would have been to "not sell the art at all during his father's presidency and certainly not sell it at those prices."

"The worst option is what they chose, which is to keep it all, to say it's all going to be confidential, and Hunter Biden won't know and nobody will know," Painter said. "And this is exactly what I said happens, is that the word gets around."

"Of course you find out who bought the art," Painter continued. "People hang the art on the wall."

"They don't stick it in closet," he added.

Attorney Sol Weisenberg said that we "don’t know right now the full ethical implications, if any, of this latest White House falsehood regarding Hunter Biden’s special privileges and ethical/legal lapses."

"It is simply another example of the Biden family’s leisurely approach to influence peddling," Weisenberg said. "As a citizen, I would rather know who is buying the paintings and how much they are paying than operating under the false illusion that Hunter and the family are being kept in the dark about the source of this latest largesse."

Fox News Digital reached out to Bergès and the White House for comment.

Bergès' interview with the committees came as part of the House Republicans' impeachment inquiry into President Biden.

House investigators, during his interview, showed Bergès a statement made by then-White House press secretary Jen Psaki on July 9, 2021.

"After careful consideration, a system has been established that allows for Hunter Biden to work in his profession within reasonable safeguards," she said. "All interactions regarding the selling of art and the setting of prices will be handled by professional galleries, adhering to the highest industry standards. Any offer out of the normal court would be rejected out of hand."

Psaki added, "The galleries will not share information about buyers or prospective buyers, including their identities, with Hunter Biden or the administration, which provides quite a level of protection."

When pressed further, Psaki stressed that "it would be challenging for an anonymous person who we don’t know and Hunter Biden doesn’t know to have influence — so that’s a protection." 

However, Bergès testified that at the time of the White House’s July 2021 statement, he had an agreement with Hunter Biden which called for him, instead, "to disclose to Hunter Biden who the purchasers of his art were." Bergès said that contract was agreed to in December 2020. 

Bergès said that it was not until September 2021 that a new agreement with Hunter Biden was created. That agreement stated that "the gallery will not disclose the name of any buyers of artist’s artwork to artist or any agent of artist."

Bergès stressed, though, that there was not a "White House-involved agreement," and that Hunter Biden did know the identities of approximately 70% of the buyers of his art. Meanwhile, Bergès testified that he had spoken to President Biden both on the phone and in person.

The art gallerist previously told Fox News Digital he "never violated the agreement we had with Hunter Biden."

"If he knew the identities of some of the buyers — it’s because they were his friends or by happenstance," Bergès said. "My obligation to Hunter is to not disclose the buyers — which I haven’t." 

Fox News Digital's Brooke Singman contributed reporting.

Daughter of New Mexico’s last Republican senator running for father’s old seat

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

The daughter of the last Republican to serve in the U.S. Senate for New Mexico has launched a campaign to take her father's old seat. 

Nella Domenici, the daughter of the late Sen. Pete Domenici, formally announced her candidacy on Wednesday. 

"I’m officially running for U.S. Senate in New Mexico! Our state is amazing, but our leaders have failed us. Costs for families are up, crime is rampant, the border is wide open, and our kids are being left behind. We can and must do better!" she wrote on X. 

Politico first reported about the planned announcement. She already filed her statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported. Nella Domenici, a former chief financial officer of Bridgewater Associates, has entered a field of Republicans vying to replace Democratic incumbent Sen. Martin Heinrich.

NRA PREPARES FOR BATTLES AGAINST BLUE STATE GOVERNOR ‘TORCHING THE CONSTITUTION’ WITH GUN CONTROL

In a state President Biden won by 10 percentage points in 2020, conservative Latino activist Ben Luna and former Bernalillo County Sheriff Manny Gonzales had already declared in the U.S. Senate race before Domenici, as well as failed 2020 state Senate candidate John Thomas Roberts. Both filed paperwork on Tuesday to compete in the June 4 GOP primary. 

"Our state is blessed with abundant natural resources, cultural diversity, rich traditions, hard-working people, and leading national laboratories and military installations. But sadly, our leaders in Washington and Santa Fe have failed us. The cost of living is up, we have a crime and drug crisis, the border is wide open, and our public education system is leaving our kids behind," Nella Domenici wrote on her campaign's Facebook page. 

"We can and must do better!" she continued. "I am uniquely prepared and ready to fight for a significantly improved New Mexican economy. My professional experience and education enables me to deeply understand inflation, taxation, setting and managing huge budgets and creating incentives and benefits that serve employees, and attract new businesses and entrepreneurs. And like my father and mother, I have been a warrior for those who most need an advocate: for women competing in academics or business, for families dealing with mental illness, and for those without access to quality healthcare or education."

As New Mexico has grown increasingly blue in the past decade, Domenici is hoping to capitalize on the reputation of her father, who left office 15 years ago. He died in 2017 at age 85. 

After first being elected to the U.S. Senate in 1972, the same year as Biden, Pete Domenici served six terms before leaving office in 2009 after deciding not to run for re-election, making him the longest serving senator in New Mexico's history. For decades, he was influential in the GOP at the national and state level, serving as chairman or ranking member of the powerful Senate Budget Committee for many years. He was also known for his energy policy and as a strong advocate for New Mexico’s national laboratories, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican. 

Combined with her own decades in the finance industry, Nella Domenici added a powerful name to the race against Heinrich, who won his last re-election in 2018 by more than 30 points. 

NEW MEXICO REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS CALL FOR DEM GOV. GRISHAM'S IMPEACHMENT AFTER GUN ORDER: 'SHE'S ROGUE'

In a released statement, National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Steve Daines, R-Mont., championed, "Nella’s experience at the highest levels of business, commitment to securing our border, and passion for improving education make her a strong candidate to flip this seat." 

Democratic Party of New Mexico Chair Jessica Velasquez, however, had doubts about the seat flipping from blue to red. 

"If Nella Domenici survives the dogfight, her close ties to Wall Street and her work for a mega-hedge fund that laid off American workers while investing in China will all face extensive scrutiny as Republicans’ primary intensifies," Velasquez said, according to Politico. 

Though New Mexico would be a welcome pickup for the GOP, it is not considered close to a swing state, and Republicans are more heavily vying to flip Senate seats this year in West Virginia, Ohio and Montana, all states former President Trump won in 2020. Other main targets include Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Arizona, according to Politico. 

It remains to be seen, however, if Domenici's candidacy will prompt Democrats to spend more in the state this year. 

As an initial investment, Domenici contributed $500,000 to her campaign. Heinrich, who could soon become the next top Democrat on the Senate Energy Committee, had already raised $3.2 million by the end of last quarter, according to Politico. 

Hollywood producer who introduced Hunter Biden to art dealer raised at least $25K for Joe Biden’s campaign

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The Hollywood producer who introduced Hunter Biden to his art dealer, George Bergès, previously helped President Biden raise over $25,000 for his campaign, a Fox News Digital review of a cached version of his campaign website found.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer identified California-based producer Lanette Phillips as the individual who had linked the first son up with Bergès following his closed-door interview this month before the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees as part of the House impeachment inquiry against President Biden.

According to Bergès' interview transcript, which was reviewed by Fox News Digital, the art dealer said he met Phillips a "couple of years ago" at a French restaurant near his New York City gallery and knew she was involved "to some degree" with Democratic politics but did not know the entire scope.

Phillips, whose website states she has produced music videos for musicians such as Elton John, Rihanna, Justin Bieber and Jennifer Lopez, told Variety in 2019 that she has known President Biden for some time.

ART DEALER REVEALS HUNTER BIDEN KNEW 'SUGAR BROTHER' WAS TOP BUYER, MAKING WH ETHICS PLEDGE A 'SHAM': COMER

"I've known Biden for many years and I believe in his policies," Phillips said. "We need to bring our parties together and work together, and he's proven to be able to do that very successfully."

In fact, Phillips helped Biden round up at least $25,000 in donations from individuals for his 2020 campaign, according to a cached version of his campaign website showing its "volunteer fundraisers." The money presumably came from a November 2019 fundraiser she hosted at her Los Angeles home alongside actress Alyssa Milano, which Variety detailed in its article. In addition to fundraising for Biden, Phillips has also donated $5,000 to the Democratic National Committee and thousands in support of John Kerry's failed presidential campaign.

Phillips, meanwhile, has also communicated with Hunter Biden since at least 2010, according to emails from his abandoned laptop. Her earliest email was sending condolences to Hunter in 2010 after his grandmother passed away.

In October 2015, a couple of days before Biden announced he was not running for president, Phillips wrote to Hunter saying she is "keeping her fingers crossed your father will announce" a run for president, adding that if he did, she has a team of "really exciting and dedicated people who are eagerly awaiting to jump in and give 100% support!"

She wrote to him again in January 2018, wishing him a Happy New Year and asked if he would be in attendance for his father's book tour stop in Los Angeles at the time. It does not appear that he responded, so she emailed him again a few days later and noted his book tour was "sold out" and wanted to know if Hunter would be "able to sort us out for passes." It is unclear whether she was able to attend the Los Angeles book tour event.

HUNTER BIDEN GALLERIST TELLS LAWMAKERS HE NEVER SPOKE TO WHITE HOUSE ABOUT PAINTINGS: SOURCES

Bergès' testimony seemingly contradicts earlier statements from Phillips. The New York Times reported in February 2020 that Phillips had initially worked with Hunter Biden to find him an art dealer. She, however, told the publication that Hunter Biden did not sign with anyone under her guidance, that she was no longer advising him and he was still looking for a gallery.

Phillips and Biden's campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.

Hunter Biden's artwork has reportedly brought in at least $1.3 million, and one of the buyers was Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali, a real estate investor from Los Angeles who is a prominent Democrat donor whom President Biden appointed to a prestigious commission. Phillips also introduced her to Bergès, according to his testimony.

President Biden appointed Hirsh Naftali to the Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad in July 2022 – eight months after the first son's first art opening. It is not clear, however, whether her purchase came before or after the appointment. 

Naftali donated over $200,000 to the Biden Victory Fund during the 2020 election cycle and over $30,000 to the Democratic National Committee in 2023. She also maxed out to the Biden campaign with two $3,300 donations last April.

Bergès also testified that Hunter Biden knew the identities of approximately 70% of his art buyers, contradicting earlier narratives from the White House. 

The most lucrative was from Kevin Morris, the Hollywood lawyer dubbed Hunter Biden's "sugar brother" due to his financial support, help writing a book and lending a private jet to the president's son. He purchased $875,000 worth of artwork in a January 2023 deal.

Bergès testified that Morris only paid 40% commission on the $875,000 purchase and that the lawyer worked with Hunter to figure out the financial implications. He admitted to never having done an art deal like that before.

Hunter Biden’s art dealer lashes out after testimony, says Congress is where ‘real’ influence peddling happens

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EXCLUSIVE: Hunter Biden's New York City art dealer lashed out in defense of the first son following his closed-door deposition before the House Oversight Committee last week, arguing the halls of Congress was where the "real" influence peddling happens.

In an email to Fox News Digital, Georges Bergès, owner of the Georges Bergès Art Gallery in Manhattan that showcases Biden's paintings, decried the focus on his business as part of the impeachment inquiry into President Biden, all "while the pigs are at the trough in Washington, D.C."

"Broadly speaking, if the issue is selling influence — then no one needs to look outside Washington, D.C., as there are plenty of lobbyist[s] advertising all the influence they have for sale on K street," Bergès wrote. 

ART DEALER REVEALS HUNTER BIDEN KNEW "SUGAR BROTHER" WAS TOP BUYER, MAKING WH ETHICS PLEDGE A ‘SHAM’: COMER

"If the issue is fear of family members of powerful politicians leveraging their ties for personal gain, then ban former congressm[e]n and their relatives from ever becoming lobbyists, but that’s never going to happen because that’s where the real peddling is happening," he wrote.

"So they want us to focus on the gallery in [New York City] while the pigs are at the trough in Washington D.C.," he added.

Bergès also told Fox that he never violated the agreement his gallery had with Hunter in which he would conceal his buyers' identities to avoid ethical problems for the presidential family selling potentially high-value items.

HOUSE RULES PANEL PAUSES CONSIDERATION OF HUNTER BIDEN CONTEMPT AMID NEGOTIATIONS FOR NEW DEPOSITION DATE

"If [Hunter] knew the identities of some of the buyers — it’s because they were his friends or by happenstance," he wrote. "My obligation to Hunter is to not disclose the buyers — which I haven’t." 

The White House said in July 2021 that the "system" had been "established" to ensure the anonymity of Hunter's buyers' identities. But according to the transcript of his testimony, Bergès said that the agreement was not set up for several months following that statement and that the first son knew the identities of approximately 70% of those buyers.

Bergès’ testimony came after the House formalized the impeachment inquiry against Biden last month. It is being led by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer and Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith.

Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

NRA prepares for legal battles against blue state governor ‘torching the Constitution’ with gun control

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

New Mexico is kicking off its 2024 legislative term with a number of gun control bills that the NRA is already teeing up to battle in court, Fox News Digital has learned. 

"Extremist Governor Lujan Grisham and her allies have unleashed a barrage of gun control proposals that punish the lawful … while ignoring criminals. Last year, Lujan Grisham effectively suspended the Second Amendment by denying citizens their right to carry and self-defense," NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) Executive Director Randy Kozuch told Fox News Digital. 

"Now, she's doubling down on her attacks, effectively torching the Constitution with her latest gun control insanity."

Lujan Grisham held her State of the State address Tuesday afternoon and called for the passage of a gun safety package she said would better protect residents from crime and violence, especially children. 

NRA GETS UNANIMOUS GOP BACKING IN SUIT TO DISMANTLE GOVERNOR’S ‘UNLAWFUL’ GUN ORDER

"I'm calling for a gun safety package. It bans assault weapons, raises the legal purchase for all guns to 21, institutes a 14-day waiting period, increasing penalties for felons in possession of a firearm, keeps guns out of parks and playgrounds and allows law enforcement officers to now file extreme risk protection orders," Lujan Grisham said Tuesday.

"I want to be very clear: No responsible gun owner should be punished or prevented from exercising their right. And no child should ever be put in danger by a weapon of war, especially one wielded by a person who can't pass a background check or can't wait two weeks to get a firearm." 

NRA SLAMS DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR'S GUN ORDER, ISSUES HARSH ADVICE

Lujan Grisham's remarks came after the governor was repeatedly interrupted by protesters with videos on social media showing protesters wearing "cease-fire now" shirts, referring to the war in Israel. 

There are six gun control bills filed in the state House and Senate this legislative season and an "assault weapons ban" that has not yet been introduced but is detailed in a recent press release from the governor as a bill aimed at regulating "the manufacture, possession and sale of weapons of war, most often the gun used in mass casualty event." 

Lujan Grisham announced her "public safety legislative agenda" last week, which she described as the "largest" safety package in New Mexico history, while pinning blame on gun violence for recent crime trends. 

"This is, without a doubt, the largest and most comprehensive public safety package in our state’s history," Lujan Grisham said last week of the package, according to a press release. "Gun violence is a significant contributor to the cycles of crime in our communities, and we will continue to use every tool at our disposal to end this epidemic. 

"Likewise, we will strengthen our support for law enforcement, increase penalties for violent crimes and, once again, pursue legislation to keep violent offenders behind bars pending trial. All of this will build upon the progress and investments we’ve made in previous years."

GOP ASKS UNLIKELY BIDEN ADMIN ALLY TO STEP IN TO STOP NM'S 'UNCONSTITUTIONAL POWER GRAB'

In the New Mexico House, four bills have already been filed, including House Bill 27, which would expand the state’s red flag confiscation laws to allow law enforcement and health officials to report a person’s potentially harmful behavior, which could require the individual to surrender guns to authorities. 

House Bill 114, if passed, would allow the New Mexico attorney general or local district attorneys to file lawsuits against the gun industry for injunctive relief and civil penalties. 

NEW MEXICO GOV. GRISHAM SWIPES AT FELLOW DEMOCRAT WHO CALLED HER GUN CARRY BAN UNCONSTITUTIONAL

The other two bills, House Bill 127 and House Bill 129, would prohibit anyone under the age of 21 from purchasing and possessing a semi-automatic weapon and increase the waiting period on gun purchases to 14 business days, respectively. The NRA-ILA notes on its website that if House Bill 129 passes, New Mexico would have the longest gun purchase waiting period in the nation. 

The Senate has introduced its own version of a bill that would impose a 14-business day waiting period on gun purchases and a bill that would impose an 11% excise tax on guns, gun parts, suppressors and ammunition. The tax bill, styled after a similar California law that takes effect later this year, would collect the tax from gun retailers and place the funds in a victims reparation fund and a fund for abused children and families. 

NEW MEXICO REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS CALL FOR DEM GOV. GRISHAM'S IMPEACHMENT AFTER GUN ORDER: 'SHE'S ROGUE'

"As a clear enemy of the Second Amendment and our self-defense rights, Governor Lujan Grisham is already being challenged by the NRA in the New Mexico Supreme Court. We remain on the front lines, ready to combat each and every one of her new oppressive gun control measures. The NRA stands with freedom-loving New Mexicans against Lujan Grisham's assault," Kozuch said. 

Lujan Grisham came under fierce condemnation last year after signing an emergency public health order that temporarily suspended open and concealed carry across Albuquerque and the surrounding county. 

NEW MEXICO DEMOCRAT GOVERNOR SLAMMED FOR 'ANTI-2ND AMENDMENT' PUSH: 'ILLEGALLY TRYING TO SNATCH GUNS'

The NRA responded with a lawsuit in the state's Supreme Court, arguing the order was unconstitutional, which earned unanimous support from GOP state House and Senate members and retired law enforcement officers, the Republican Party of New Mexico and the Libertarian Party of New Mexico.

As the number of lawsuits increased over the order, New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez, a Democrat, distanced himself from the governor, telling her he would not defend her administration in court. Other Democrats also spoke critically of the measure, as did gun control activist and Parkland school shooting survivor David Hogg.

Lujan Grisham said when she announced the order she anticipated legal challenges and raised eyebrows over her remarks on the Constitution. 

"No constitutional right, in my view, including my oath, is intended to be absolute," Lujan Grisham responded to a reporter in September when asked whether it’s "unconstitutional" to prevent Americans from exercising their right to bear arms.