Questions over Vindman’s military records evolve into campaign finance probe for super PAC ties

A Virginia congressional candidate whose brother was a star witness in the first then-President Donald Trump impeachment is facing allegations of campaign finance violations and misrepresenting his military record.

The campaign staff of Eugene Vindman, a Democratic candidate in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, referred press inquiries about the candidate’s military record to VoteVets, a political action committee (PAC) that supports progressive military veterans running for office. VoteVets has endorsed Vindman, a former Army infantry officer and Army lawyer.

Two watchdog groups – the Functional Government Initiative and the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust – allege in separate complaints to the Federal Election Commission that this is illegal coordination between the campaign and the super PAC. The FEC complaints allege VoteVets PAC provided a service to the Vindman campaign by managing its press inquiries.

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"The law is quite clear that providing a service to a campaign is an in-kind contribution. Communication is something a campaign usually pays for, not having a super PAC make statements," Kendra Arnold, executive director of the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), told Fox News Digital.

Eugene Vindman is the brother of Col. Alexander Vindman, a former National Security Council member who testified in the 2019 House Intelligence Committee’s investigation into Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. This led to Trump’s first House Democrat-led impeachment.

Eugene Vindman is running against Republican Derrick Anderson, a former Army Green Beret.

FACT is basing its complaint on a documented email exchange between a Washington Free Beacon reporter, Vindman’s campaign manager and Travis Tazelaar, the political director VoteVets PAC.

"We have seen campaigns push the limits with super PACs, but this is not just pushing the limits. It’s an explicit in-kind contribution," Arnold said.

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Last month, Vindman's campaign manager Jeremy Levinson said in the email to a Washington Free Beacon reporter, "I am looping in VoteVets who is going to be providing comments on our behalf to your initial inquiry."

The campaign manager added, "All future questions on this matter or any matters can be directed to him."

To say "or any matters" is problematic, Arnold said.

"The traditional timeline for an FEC investigation is long. We hope they can expedite this case given the circumstances," Arnold said. "The Vindman campaign referred the press to VoteVets on this and any other issues."

In this case, Tazelaar responded to the Free Beacon’s media inquiry with a statement on Vindman's behalf.

A Vindman campaign spokesperson was dismissive of the FEC complaints.

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"The bottom line is that we worked with the coordinated side of the VoteVets organization on the response to the Free Beacon outreach," a Vindman campaign spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "The FEC rules are clear that this interaction does not violate its rules and would not constitute an in-kind contribution."

Similarly, David Mitrani, the general counsel to VoteVets, said there was no FEC violation.

"The claims made in Functional Government Initiative’s complaint is simply false," Mitrani told Fox News Digital in a statement. "VoteVets’ activities are in full compliance with campaign finance laws."

The statement only addressed one complaint. In a follow-up email, a VoteVets spokesperson said the statement was intended to address complaints from both the Functional Government Initiative and the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust.

The six-member Federal Election Commission is equally made up of Republicans and Democrats and rulings often end in tie votes.

Federal law on coordinated communication, or 11 CFR 109.21(h); 11 C.F.R. 106.1(c)(1), covers when campaign work "is paid for, in whole or in part, by a person other than that candidate, authorized committee, or political party committee." The law also prohibits an outside "vendor," within 120 days of the election from developing "media strategy, including the selection or purchasing of advertising slots," developing "the content of a public communication," and "producing a public communication."

The controversy over campaign finance laws stems from the questions over Vindman’s military record.

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Vindman’s GOP opponent Derrick Anderson said Vindman "should answer all these legitimate questions about inflating his military resume."

"I respect that he served in the military, but voters deserve answers – not another D.C. politician that hides from them," Anderson told Fox News Digital in a statement. "Right now, Vindman won’t even debate me on TV because he’s not willing to answer questions about the simple fact that he’s not being straight with voters about his resume."

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Vindman had previously said he "fought for our nation in combat," however a 2019 Daily Mail article said Vindman "has not seen combat." In mid-August, the Washington Free Beacon reported that when it contacted the Vindman campaign, campaign chief Levinson copied VoteVets Tazelaar and referred "all future questions" to the PAC.

In its response to the Beacon, the VoteVets spokesperson reportedly said, "There was no front line in Iraq — and the Vindman family was grateful that Eugene was able to return home unscathed while so many other of our brothers and sisters in arms did not."

Balance of power: Five races that could decide control of the House in November

As the presidential race heats up with less than three months until Election Day, candidates in smaller-scale races across the country are also sprinting to the November finish line.

Those include the 435 races that will decide control of the House of Representatives next year.

"I feel sort of bullish for Republicans right now," veteran GOP strategist Doug Heye told Fox News Digital. "This [presidential] race, especially in the swing states, is going to be so close that, to me, mitigates some of the ‘If Trump wins, Republicans keep the House, if Harris wins, Democrats take it back’ – that mitigates it for me to some extent."

Democratic strategist Joel Rubin, on the other hand, was confident in his party’s redistricting wins and renewed political enthusiasm since Vice President Kamala Harris took over the mantle from President Biden last month.

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"These 35, 40 swing districts, I think about 18 to 20 are Biden wins in red seats. So the map looks promising," Rubin said. "And the thing that’s distinct now from a month ago, obviously, is Democratic enthusiasm . . . I do think Democrats can take back the House with these kinds of numbers and these kinds of structural gains."

And with ever-shrinking margins in the House in recent years, it’s likely control of the House will come down to just several key races, five of which Fox News Digital highlighted below:

Freshman Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., is running against former Democratic Rep. Mondaire Jones in the New York suburbs just north of the Big Apple. His district is among several that Biden won in 2020, and Democrats see an opening to win it back.

Both Jones and Lawler have sought to paint each other as radicals, each tying his rival to the most unpopular policy stances in their respective parties. 

Lawler, for his part, has been ranked among the most bipartisan lawmakers in the 118th Congress.

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Jones, meanwhile, has reshaped himself closer to the center, going so far as to endorse the primary opponent of a former progressive anti-Israel colleague, Rep. Jamaal Bowman, which earned him ire from that faction of House Democrats.

"I think that’s a really important one, that’s a potential pickup for Democrats against a moderate, well-regarded Republican – but in a district that had been blue, and there are . . . seats that Democrats lost in New York that we should not have lost two years ago – and that was the difference between minority and the majority," Rubin said.

Heye said, "I’m betting on Lawler, he’s a good fit for that district. And I think there are still some divisions on the Democratic side."

Both Republicans and Democrats are looking at a portion of the Washington, D.C., suburbs in Virginia as a chance for victory in a district that Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., is vacating to run for governor.

The Democrat running is Eugene Vindman, the brother of Alexander Vindman, whose congressional testimony sparked the first impeachment of former President Donald Trump.

On the GOP side is Derrick Anderson, an attorney and former Special Forces Green Beret.

Spanberger won in 2017 by defeating a Tea Party Republican, and the GOP is eyeing a chance to take the seat back.

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"If I were designing, like, a prototype Democrat to run in a swing district, Spanberger is who I would design – perfect for that district, but she’s not running again. So that makes it harder for Democrats, and I know outside groups are putting money into [that race]," said Heye.

Rubin defended Vindman, pointing out both he and Spanberger were relevant to the national security space between his military experience and her time in the FBI.

"I think this is one where he can build off the Spanberger brand," he said.

Another competitive seat will be the one being vacated by Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., at the end of this year. 

The central Michigan district has grown more conservative in recent years, according to Bridge Michigan, though Biden eked out a 2% victory there over Trump in 2020.

That race is between Democratic State Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet and former Trump administration appointee Paul Junge.

Heye said of the open seat there and in Virginia, "What I’ve been hearing for a while now… is that the open seats have become a liability for Democrats with their math in taking back the House."

Maryland’s 6th congressional district could be Republicans’ best pickup opportunity in an otherwise majority-blue state, with Democratic Rep. David Trone leaving at the end of this year.

April Delaney, whose husband John Delaney held the Seat from 2013 to 2017, is running on the Democratic side against Republican former state delegate Neil Parrott.

The district leans blue, but a Washington Post story on the race pointed out that it also has 141,000 unaffiliated voters who could decide the outcome.

Rubin noted he was supportive of Delaney’s bid but conceded that having popular former governor Larry Hogan on the ballot for Senate could inspire more middle-of-the-road people to vote Republican in state congressional races.

Heye said he was also growing confident about Republicans’ chances in Alaska, where its lone congressional seat will be decided using ranked-choice voting.

"In Alaska, [Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola] could win, but to do so, she’s going to have to massively over-perform," the GOP strategist said. "If we’re talking two weeks ago, I would say Republicans are split, ranked-choice voting, the Democrats win. That framework doesn’t exist anymore."

The general election was meant to be a three-way race between Peltola, Republican Nick Begich, and Alaska Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom. 

Republicans have consolidated in recent days, however, with House GOP leadership getting behind Begich and Dahlstrom dropping out of the race.

Peltola, a moderate Democrat, is generally well-liked in the state, which voted for Trump by roughly 10 points over Biden in 2020. Those dynamics now make for what’s expected to be a close race.

Vermont GOP sees ‘record’ ballot boost as blue-state citizens ‘see the need for change’

After tabulations from the state's recent primary were finalized, the Vermont Republican Party recorded 22 new candidates for state House races, on top of the 74 that had already been on the ballot for the 150-member chamber.

While nationally considered a blue state, Vermont Republican Party Chairman Paul Dame said Monday the development was exceptional, given the state’s actual penchant to blur partisan lines.

He ascribed the GOP’s boost to a recently enacted "double-digit" property tax hike in the state, as well as voters’ renewed focus on the presidential race.

"I think we're absolutely poised to pick up seats from where we have been, there seems to be much more energy and cohesion on the Republican side than we've had in a while," Dame said.

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Gov. Phil Scott, a moderate Republican ranked the most popular such official in the country at 81%, has also been involved with party work, Dame said. A request for comment from Scott was not immediately returned.

Dame said he’s talked to several of the new candidates, including a man from Colchester, who had been on the fence when petitions were circulated in May.

"Over the summer, you always get his kids ready to enroll in school. And he said, ‘You know what – now Vermont is going to be our home. We're going to make a commitment to stay here. If that's the case, I want to run and change the course that we're on,'" Dame recalled.

In Vermont, many of the latecomers to the ballot appear to follow a similar timeline. 

After the primary ballot is finalized in May, voters realize there are vacancies on the final ballot and then may try to organize write-in campaigns.

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If 25 voters write the same name in for a House seat, or 50 voters for a state Senate seat, that name will then appear on the November general election ballot.

While 96 Republicans is still somewhat distant from two decades ago when Vermont saw 130 Republicans on the ballot, the significance is that Vermonters are stepping up to serve.

"It's a story of regular voters, seeing the need for change and deciding that they're willing to step up and be part of that change," he said.

"It’s definitely inflation and affordability. I think that that's sort of the national… but then Vermont is adding a new layer on top of that."

With the Democrats recently earning a supermajority in the legislature, Scott has issued a record number of vetoes and Democratic lawmakers in return have issued a record number of veto overrides.

Thus was the case in the property tax debate, with Scott calling for "tax relief now," while House Speaker Jill Krowinski, D-Chittenden, said the governor failed to offer a sufficient alternative plan.

As for the GOP’s prospects in November, Vermont has had a penchant for ideologically divergent election results.

Scott is just as much a heavy favorite as Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., the self-described "democratic socialist."

"Vermonters vote for authenticity," Dame added. 

"And both Gov. Phil Scott and Sen. Bernie Sanders have a relationship with Vermonters that Vermonters know that they believe what they're saying – they say very different things, but they know that they can trust what they're saying there and they're not pandering."

Both Scott and Sanders are not afraid to criticize their own party.

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Sanders has critiqued President Biden and members of the Democratic caucus in Congress on occasion, while Scott was the first GOP governor to back impeachment inquiries against former President Trump.

In the latest University of New Hampshire poll, Sanders leads his Republican challenger Gerald Malloy 66-25%. Scott leads Democrat Esther Charlestin by a similar 55-28%.

Former Sen. Jim Jeffords, R-Vt., who notably ceded Republican control of the Senate when he switched to a Democrat-caucusing-Independent in 2001, was the last GOP member of Congress from the Green Mountain State.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Vermont Democratic Party for comment but did not hear back by press time.

The practical politics of impeachment: What the math says about the House GOP’s report on Biden

"Impeachable conduct."

"The totality of the corrupt conduct uncovered by the Committees is egregious." 

"A concerted effort to conceal President Biden’s involvement in the family’s influence peddling scheme."

These are the findings of a trio of House committees – led by Republicans – into the conduct of President Biden. It’s the final report of the GOP’s impeachment inquiry into Mr. Biden. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., initiated the inquest verbally last summer, trying to quash an uprising from his right flank. The House finally formalized the probe through a roll call vote in December.

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Note that many Republicans wanted any impeachment investigation wrapped up by the start of last fall, not a couple of months before the 2024 election.

"Republicans have worked to impede and obstruct any effort to investigate Mr. Trump’s actual and proven corruption, including his unconstitutional receipt, while Commander-in-Chief, of millions of dollars from foreign governments that sought, and often received, favors from his Administration," said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, in his own "counter" report. 

House Republicans released their 292-page report hours before the president was scheduled to speak to the Democratic convention in Chicago.

The document argues that Mr. Biden’s conduct warranted sanctions, saying his "flagrant abuse of office is clear: impeachment by the House of Representatives and removal by the Senate."

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., encouraged "all Americans to read this report." But besides thanking the committees for their work, Johnson didn’t signal there would be a vote on impeachment or imply that the House Republican leadership brass would entertain such a possibility. 

That’s because, at this stage, a prospective vote to impeach President Biden would likely fail on the floor.

Why? It’s about the math. There are at least a dozen House Republicans who oppose impeachment. One senior House GOP leadership source characterized a vote now as "moot."

Fox is told Republicans soured further on impeachment when President Biden decided against seeking reelection. Plus, Mr. Biden only has five more months before the end of his term. Moreover, a vote on impeachment would put moderate Republicans from swing districts in a bind as the GOP tries to maintain its slim majority. Trotting out a vote on impeachment – just to have a vote on impeachment at this stage – would likely produce a loss on the floor. Democrats could then boomerang the failed impeachment vote on those vulnerable Republicans. Democrats would underscore how Republicans tried for more than a year to impeach President Biden. And it culminated in a failed vote on the floor.

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A botched impeachment vote would undercut the Republicans’ report itself and constitute an unforced error for the GOP.

It would also mean Republicans may have placed the emphasis on the wrong syllable – just before the election. Mr. Biden’s issues should be old news to Republicans. But focusing on President Biden, right or wrong, is not where the GOP needs to spend its time. Anything tied to impeachment simply steals the spotlight from the narrative Republicans are trying to craft about Vice President Harris. Republicans are still trying to define Harris. Backpedaling to President Biden diminishes that strategy. 

If House Republicans truly want to impeach the president – and do it by the book – they would likely need at least another public hearing or two. That would also entail a "markup" session by the Judiciary Committee before sending the matter to the House floor. 

The measure would then go to the House Rules Committee. Then the floor for debate and vote.

And how many articles of impeachment could the GOP engineer for President Biden? One? Two? Four?

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The House impeached Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas earlier this year, slapping him with two articles of impeachment: breaking the law and breaching the public trust.

The House levied a singular article of impeachment against former President Trump in 2021 for "incitement of insurrection" after the riot at the Capitol.

In 1998, the House Judiciary Committee prepared four articles of impeachment for former President Clinton after his affair with Monica Lewinsky. The House only approved two articles, lying under oath and obstruction of justice. The House rejected the other articles.

House Republicans will read and consider the impeachment report over the remainder of the congressional recess. Expect some internal debate when House Republicans first meet in a GOP Conference meeting on the morning of September 10.  

But just because House Republican leaders don’t want the House to tangle with impeachment doesn’t mean there won’t be pressure to do so. It’s possible there could be an attempt by hardline conservatives to force a vote on the floor. Fox is told that Republican leaders are bracing for that possibility when the House returns. A rank-and-file Republican member could compel a vote on impeachment via a "privileged" resolution. Such specialized resolutions must come to the floor right away or within two legislative days. Democrats would likely move to table or kill the resolution. Republicans are then placed in the dubious position of voting against tabling the resolution to bring it to the floor – or voting to kill it.

One senior House Democratic source even speculated to Fox that since it was doubtful the House could impeach President Biden, maybe Democrats wouldn’t try to table impeachment. They’d leave that up to Republicans. Imagine this scenario: Republicans moving to table their own impeachment measure. That would certainly slather some egg on the face of the GOP.

But that’s the least of the problems for Republicans. A vote to table the impeachment resolution is one step removed from actually voting on impeachment itself. A failure to table the resolution prompts the House to vote, up or down, on impeachment itself. A vote where Republicans reject impeachment – after they talked about it for the better part of this Congress – looks ham-fisted. It also underscores the problem Republicans struggled with since early 2023 – under both McCarthy and Johnson: ultra-conservative members create headaches for the rest of the party. That includes fights over who should be Speaker to battles over government funding.

In its "conclusion" section of its report, the trifecta of House committees declare the President’s deeds amount "to impeachable conduct." The committees add that it's now up to the full House for "evaluation and consideration of appropriate next steps."

Most Republicans don’t want to wrestle with the impeachment of an elderly president who is partly out the door. Especially as Republicans try to maintain a threadbare House majority – and as former President Trump faces a serious challenge from Vice President Harris. The macro politics of the 2024 election may dictate that impeachment dies quietly on the vine. But the micro politics of the House Republican Conference could suggest something else. 

Former President Bill Clinton’s second term as POTUS was entangled with scandal, ended with impeachment

Bill Clinton was the 42nd President of the United States. 

He was born on Aug. 19, 1946, as William Jefferson Blythe III. His parents were, William Jefferson Blythe II, who died in a car accident before Clinton was born, and Virginia Cassidy Blythe. Clinton was raised by his grandparents until his mother returned from nursing school.

Clinton, a Democrat, served two terms in the White House, but was impeached by the House of Representatives during his second term on Dec. 19, 1998, for committing perjury before a grand jury and obstructing justice.

Before Clinton led the nation as a two-term president, he graduated from Georgetown University. He later received a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University and a law degree from Yale University in 1973. 

His political venture started in Arkansas, where he was elected attorney general in 1976 after being defeated in his first run for Congress two years prior. 

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In 1978, he became governor of Arkansas, but lost for a second term. 

Four years later, he returned to his role as governor, and then started his presidential campaign against Republican George H.W. Bush

In 1992, Clinton and his running mate, Albert Gore Jr., were successful in their campaign, defeating Bush and independent candidate Ross Perot for the White House. 

In 1996, Clinton won a second term as president, this time defeating Republican Bob Dole and, again, independent candidate Perot. 

His presidency became known for accomplishments such as high homeownership, 22 million jobs created and low unemployment rates, but scandal ensued during his terms, too. 

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During Clinton’s second term as president, he was impeached by the House of Representatives. 

His impeachment partly stemmed from sexual harassment claims against Clinton by Paula Jones, that were said to have occurred before he was elected president, according to a research guide by the Library of Congress. 

After Clinton was re-elected, evidence came to light of an extramarital affair between the president and Monica Lewinsky, a White House Intern. 

Initially, Clinton denied the affair and Lewinsky corroborated the sworn testimony of Clinton.

The investigation was led by the late Kenneth Starr. Before the grand jury, Lewinsky admitted to the sexual relationship with Clinton, and the president admitted to the affair. 

In December 1998, the House voted in favor of two articles of impeachment against Clinton, finding that he had committed perjury and obstructed justice. He became the second president in American history to be impeached, the first being Andrew Johnson. 

During the Senate trial of 1999, Clinton was acquitted. 

After the trial was over, Clinton apologized to Congress and the American people for his behavior, and continued his term as president. 

Following his presidency, he continued to be involved in politics. He has shown unwavering support for Democrats, including his wife, Hillary Clinton, who ran for the presidency herself in 2016, but was defeated by Donald Trump

Clinton has also penned a number of books through the years, including after his presidency, such as "My Life," "Back to Work" and "Citizen: My Life After the White House."

Vulnerable Democrat Tammy Baldwin’s support of sanctuary cities highlighted in Wisconsin ad

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., and her past support of federal funding for sanctuary cities is being used against her ahead of her critical re-election battle in November. 

"Senator Tammy Baldwin voted nine times to support federal funding for sanctuary cities," the ad from Minority Leader Mitch McConnell-aligned group One Nation. 

The group cited several occasions when the Democratic senator voted against measures that would have prevented federal funds from going to cities that institute sanctuary policies.

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One Nation's new ad marks the launch of its $7.5 million statewide advocacy advertising effort in Wisconsin, a pivotal swing state that could determine both the presidential election and which party will be in the majority in the Senate.

The multi-million dollar Wisconsin effort is part of the group's $88 million buy that began in April. 

The video additionally hits Baldwin for voting in favor of amnesty for "11 million illegal immigrants." The ad notes that this vast group includes criminals. 

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Further, the ad refers to a man, reportedly an illegal immigrant, who was arrested in 2019 for several assaults, including the groping of a 13-year-old girl. 

"Tell Senator Tammy Baldwin to stop protecting illegal immigrants and start protecting Wisconsin," it tells viewers.

Baldwin's campaign did not provide comment to Fox News Digital in time for publication. 

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"Senator Tammy Baldwin had nine opportunities to make Wisconsin safer by opposing federal funding for sanctuary cities" said One Nation President and CEO Steven Law. "Instead, Senator Baldwin voted to make Wisconsin communities less safe." 

Earlier this year, Baldwin voted with Senate Democrats not to continue with an impeachment trial for Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. "Impeachment is a sacred and solemn duty of Congress that is solely reserved to hold those accountable for high crimes and misdemeanors. This is a responsibility that I do not take lightly. Unfortunately, what we had in front of us today entirely failed to meet that high standard, lacked evidence, and was just an attempt to score cheap political points, while moving us no closer to fixing the real issues we face at our Southern border," Baldwin said in a statement following her vote in favor of dismissing the articles of impeachment. 

The Democratic senator has expressed her support for a border security bill that was negotiated between a Republican, Democratic, and independent senator, but ultimately failed to garner any support from Republicans. Many even claimed the measure would have exacerbated the existing border crisis. 

Since Republican senators' rejection of the border bill touted by Democrats, Baldwin and others in her caucus have accused the GOP of being the ones unwilling to take action on the southern border. 

In a July Fox News Poll, Baldwin led Republican businessman Eric Hovde 54-43%. However, the Republican primary had yet to occur when the poll was taken. Hovde officially won the GOP nod for Senate in Wisconsin on Tuesday night, fending off any challengers. 

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

Reddy wins primary for Rep Davids’ seat that GOP is gunning to flip red

An Indian-born U.S. military veteran won the GOP primary in the 3rd Congressional District of Kansas on Tuesday, a seat Republicans are hoping to win back in November.

Dr. Prasanth Reddy, a former physician-turned-high level Labcorp executive, was heavily favored to win the primary against challenger Karen Crnkovich.

Reddy was endorsed by top House Republicans including Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and was named to the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) "Young Guns" list just last week.

He’s now moving on to face Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kan., a moderate Democrat seeking a fourth term in the House.

"Extreme House Democrat Sharice Davids has fueled the border, crime and cost of living crises that are wreaking havoc on Kansans’ safety and security. Prasanth Reddy is in a prime position to flip Kansas’ 3rd District red and help grow our House majority in November," Delanie Bomar, a spokeswoman for the House GOP campaign arm, said last week.

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Reddy had far outraised Crnkovich during the primary cycle, bringing in more than $1.3 million compared to her total of just over $150,000.

Both totals are significantly lower, however, than the $3 million and change that Davids has managed to raise. 

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Davids won her seat during the blue wave of 2018 and was among the first Native American women to be sworn into Congress. Davids is also the only Democrat in Kansas’ congressional delegation.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report has her seat ranked as an R+1 district, making it a top target for Republicans hoping to keep and expand their razor-thin House majority.

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Davids won the district after defeating incumbent former Rep. Kevin Yoder, R-Kan., by just under 10 points, and has modestly expanded her margin of victory since.

The district is majority-White and includes much of the Kansas City metro area. It’s also the least red of Kansas’ congressional districts.

Balance of power: Jockeying begins for House Freedom Caucus top spot after leader’s unprecedented primary loss

The House Freedom Caucus is discussing who could take the lead of the ultra-conservative group with its chairman, Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., expected to step aside.

Multiple people granted anonymity to speak with Fox News Digital indicated they expect Good to step aside from his role after he lost his primary race in June and a subsequent recount Thursday night by a few hundred votes. Good had previously said that he would do so.

It puts the GOP rebel group in uncharted territory. A chairman has never stepped down before the end of a term, and a sitting chair has never lost re-election.

Two sources familiar with the discussions said they expected a previous Freedom Caucus chair, Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., or Scott Perry, R-Pa., specifically, to step in for the remainder of Good’s term.

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Both sources, however, said discussions were leaning slightly toward Biggs.

"I am going to push for Andy Biggs to take over during the remainder of Bob’s term. He supported Trump, and he knows how to be the chair already," one Freedom Caucus member told Fox News Digital.

Biggs did not comment when reached via spokesperson by Fox News Digital. A spokesperson for Perry also declined to comment.

One of the two earlier sources told Fox News Digital Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, the group’s policy chair, has also been floated as a possible replacement. 

But Roy, who also chairs the House Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee on the Constitution and limited government, has not publicly indicated interest in the role. 

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Freshman Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., has also shown interest in the role, according to another source. But it’s not immediately clear if he would be interested in serving out the remainder of the year filling in for Good or whether he’d want to run in the group’s closed-door election for a new term, which usually takes place at the end of the year.

Ogles' office did not respond to a request for comment, while Roy declined, via spokesperson, to discuss private conversations.

Politico reported last week that Perry and Biggs were both in consideration to finish out the remainder of Good’s term.

Both have a significantly better relationship with former President Trump than Good does, a divide that drove his political unraveling.

Trump backed Good’s primary rival, John McGuire, and actively spoke out against the Virginia conservative’s re-election. Good had originally endorsed Trump’s primary rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, before switching to the ex-president when DeSantis dropped out.

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Good’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital about whether he would follow through on stepping aside.

A Freedom Caucus spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "HFC does not comment on membership or internal processes."

Good’s tenure as chairman has been a bumpy one, and multiple members left the group this year.

Most recently, Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, who opposed Good’s chairmanship, was voted out of the Freedom Caucus shortly after he endorsed McGuire in the primary.

Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, resigned in protest of Davidson’s ouster on the same day.

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The House Freedom Caucus is discussing who could take the lead of the ultra-conservative group with its chairman, Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., expected to step aside.

Multiple people granted anonymity to speak with Fox News Digital indicated they expect Good to step aside from his role after he lost his primary race in June and a subsequent recount Thursday night by a few hundred votes. Good had previously said that he would do so.

It puts the GOP rebel group in uncharted territory. A chairman has never stepped down before the end of a term, and a sitting chair has never lost re-election.

Two sources familiar with the discussions said they expected a previous Freedom Caucus chair, Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., or Scott Perry, R-Pa., specifically, to step in for the remainder of Good’s term.

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Both sources, however, said discussions were leaning slightly toward Biggs.

"I am going to push for Andy Biggs to take over during the remainder of Bob’s term. He supported Trump, and he knows how to be the chair already," one Freedom Caucus member told Fox News Digital.

Biggs did not comment when reached via spokesperson by Fox News Digital. A spokesperson for Perry also declined to comment.

One of the two earlier sources told Fox News Digital Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, the group’s policy chair, has also been floated as a possible replacement. 

But Roy, who also chairs the House Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee on the Constitution and limited government, has not publicly indicated interest in the role. 

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Freshman Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., has also shown interest in the role, according to another source. But it’s not immediately clear if he would be interested in serving out the remainder of the year filling in for Good or whether he’d want to run in the group’s closed-door election for a new term, which usually takes place at the end of the year.

Ogles' office did not respond to a request for comment, while Roy declined, via spokesperson, to discuss private conversations.

Politico reported last week that Perry and Biggs were both in consideration to finish out the remainder of Good’s term.

Both have a significantly better relationship with former President Trump than Good does, a divide that drove his political unraveling.

Trump backed Good’s primary rival, John McGuire, and actively spoke out against the Virginia conservative’s re-election. Good had originally endorsed Trump’s primary rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, before switching to the ex-president when DeSantis dropped out.

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Good’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital about whether he would follow through on stepping aside.

A Freedom Caucus spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "HFC does not comment on membership or internal processes."

Good’s tenure as chairman has been a bumpy one, and multiple members left the group this year.

Most recently, Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, who opposed Good’s chairmanship, was voted out of the Freedom Caucus shortly after he endorsed McGuire in the primary.

Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, resigned in protest of Davidson’s ouster on the same day.

House Freedom Caucus member who tried to impeach Kamala Harris wins high-profile Tennessee GOP primary

A first-term member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, won his first primary as an incumbent on Thursday evening.

Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., fended off a challenge from Nashville Metro Council member Courtney Johnston, who ran a more moderate campaign compared to the freshman Republican.

It was a much-needed political victory for the Freedom Caucus this election cycle after its chairman, Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., narrowly lost re-election in June and is facing long odds in a recount held Thursday.

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Good had been facing Republican challenger John McGuire, who was backed by House GOP national security hawks like House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., and Reps. Jen Kiggans, R-Va.; and Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., among others.

Johnston had narrowly outraised Ogles, according to financial disclosures. Her receipts through July 12 show her raising nearly $785,000 in individual contributions compared to Ogles’ total – just over $500,000.

She also tried to tie him to Good and seven other Republicans’ successful effort to oust ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., last October – though Ogles was not one of the eight who voted to end McCarthy’s leadership.

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"I think the incumbent has caused chaos. The ouster of McCarthy was an absolute abomination, really. Not only for the Republican Party, but really for Congress as a whole," she told local outlet WPLN.

Ogles had the backing of top national Republicans, however, including former President Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

"Andy is working hard to Grow the Economy, Stop Inflation, Secure our Southern Border, Uphold the Rule of Law, and Defend our Second Amendment," Trump wrote on Truth Social in May. "I was proud to help Andy flip a Democrat seat in 2022, and he has my Complete and Total Endorsement for re-election. He will not let you down!"

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Ogles won Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District in November 2022 after its boundaries were changed to include less of Nashville's city center, which had previously made it a solidly blue seat.

Under its current lines, however, the seat leans red – residents of the district voted for Trump over President Biden in 2020 by just over 10 points.

Ogles defeated his Democratic challenger in 2022 by similar margins.