Category: New York

Walls Closing In? Cuomo Administration Under Investigation Nursing Home Cover-Up

Posted on by Rusty Weiss

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is under investigation by the FBI and a United States attorney in Brooklyn for his administration’s possible cover-up of a COVID-related nursing home scandal.

The Times Union in Albany is reporting that an investigation has been launched “examining, at least in part, the actions of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s coronavirus task force in its handling of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities during the pandemic.”

The newspaper notes that there have been no allegations of wrongdoing and that the investigation “is in its early stages.”

Focus appears to be on Governor Cuomo’s coronavirus task force whose more prominent members include New York State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker and Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa.

DeRosa has been the subject of much consternation after she admitted in a conference call that the administration hid information on COVID nursing home deaths from federal investigators.

RELATED: Cuomo Threatens Democrat State Legislators Over COVID Nursing Home Scandal

Cuomo Under Investigation For Nursing Home Scandal

The New York Times reported that attorney general Letitia James, a Democrat, accused Cuomo and his administration, particularly officials at the State Health Department, of undercounting COVID deaths at nursing homes by as much as 50%.

The New York Post followed that up with a revelation that DeRosa told leading Democrats in a conference call that they did so because the administration feared the data could “be used against us” by the Justice Department saying, “basically, we froze.”

“We were in a position where we weren’t sure if what we were going to give to the Department of Justice, or what we give to you guys, what we start saying, was going to be used against us while we weren’t sure if there was going to be an investigation,” DeRosa added.

State officials had originally given a figure of about 8,677, and media frequently reported around 6,000 because that was all that could be confirmed based on the scant data already released.

WWNY News reports that the number was actually well over 15,000 seniors who died in nursing homes.

Why the cover-up? Most likely because there was a direct link between those deaths and the actions of the Governor.

Cuomo famously issued an executive order in March forcing nursing homes to take on patients that had tested positive for coronavirus.

RELATED: NY Democrats Accuse Cuomo Of Lying As He Tries To Defend Handling Of Nursing Home Scandal

The Cover-up Continues

Multiple New York state Democrats – that’s Democrats – have accused the administration of criminal conduct in the nursing home scandal cover-up.

Fox News reports that nine Democratic New York State Assembly members signed a letter accusing Cuomo of obstruction of justice.

“We implore you to set aside any concerns of loyalty or disloyalty to this Governor, or that this matter is politicized,” the letter from earlier this week reads.

“We must absolutely consider above all the sanctity of the democratic institution that we call the Legislature of the State of New York, and resolutely pursue justice in the face of an executive who we can say without hesitation has engaged in intentional criminal wrongdoing.”

The obstruction continues though, unabated.

Rich Azzopardi, a spokesman for the governor, told the Times Union, “We have been cooperating with them (the DOJ) and we will continue to.”

The Associated Press, however, reports that officials with knowledge of the DOJ investigation “said the Cuomo administration had not been cooperative with prosecutors … and for months had not produced documents and other data the Justice Department had requested.”

And when obstruction doesn’t seem to be working, Team Cuomo shifts to intimidation.

The governor has been accused of threatening political retaliation against several New York state lawmakers who have criticized him for his handling of the nursing home scandal.

State Assemblyman Ron Kim claims that Cuomo called him and tried to talk Kim into issuing a statement covering for DeRosa. And when that didn’t work, he vowed to ruin Kim’s career.

Kim reported that the Democrat governor stated “we’re in this business together and we don’t cross certain lines,” adding that he “hadn’t seen his wrath” and that “I can destroy you.”

Fox News meteorologist Janice Dean, one of the few voices to continually hound Governor Cuomo over the nursing home scandal for months on end, said “people should go to jail” over the cover-up.

Dean used Cuomo’s own words about former President Donald Trump and turned them around on the Democrat.

Dean’s in-laws were victims of COVID-19, where nursing homes in New York played a part.

She has, at times, described Cuomo as a “criminal.”

While an investigation by the FBI and a U.S. attorney, along with fellow Democrats piling on seems to indicate the walls are closing in on Cuomo, we wouldn’t hold our breath just yet.

This is the same FBI whose highest-ranking officials tried to destroy the country by subverting the will of the people when they dared elect Trump to office in 2016.

The same FBI that failed to prosecute Hillary Clinton for a crime many people have been thrown in jail for.

Will their ongoing left-leaning agenda interfere in another investigation?

The post Walls Closing In? Cuomo Administration Under Investigation Nursing Home Cover-Up appeared first on The Political Insider.

Democrat Lawmakers Slam Cuomo, Accuse Him Of Lying As He Tries To Defend Administration’s Handling Of Nursing Home Scandal

Posted on by Rusty Weiss

Several Democrat lawmakers lashed out at Andrew Cuomo after the New York Governor attempted to defend himself in the middle of an explosive nursing home scandal.

During a press conference over the holiday weekend, Cuomo sought to clarify bombshell remarks made by Melissa DeRosa, secretary to the governor, in which she admitted in a conference call that the administration hid information on COVID nursing home deaths from federal investigators.

The New York Post first reported that DeRosa told leading Democrats that the administration feared the data could “be used against us” by the Justice Department.

After former President Trump directed “the Department of Justice to do an investigation into us,” the Cuomo aide said, “basically, we froze.”

“We were in a position where we weren’t sure if what we were going to give to the Department of Justice, or what we give to you guys, what we start saying, was going to be used against us while we weren’t sure if there was going to be an investigation,” DeRosa added.

RELATED: GOP Rep. Calls For Cuomo To Be Prosecuted For Withholding Alleged COVID Nursing Home Deaths

Democrats Call Out Cuomo as a Liar Over Nursing Home Defense

The New York Times reported that attorney general Letitia James, a Democrat, accused Cuomo and his administration, particularly officials at the State Health Department, of undercounting COVID deaths at nursing homes by as much as 50%.

State officials had originally given a figure of about 8,677.

WWNY News reports that the number was actually well over 15,000 seniors who died in nursing homes.

Governor Cuomo famously issued an executive order in March forcing nursing homes to take on patients that had tested positive for coronavirus.

In the midst of his defense, Governor Cuomo claimed that the DOJ and state legislature had both requested data and that he simply chose to prioritize the information finding-task to address the federal matter.

This statement ruffled some feathers: “We gave precedence to the DOJ. We told the assembly that, we told the Senate that and that’s what we did.”

But multiple Democrats said that isn’t true.

New York State Sen. Jessica Ramos replied to Cuomo’s claim by calling it “trash.”

“At no point did the Administration notify the legislature about a DOJ investigation,” she added in another tweet. “People died and Cuomo lied then he had the gall to write a book.”

Democrat New York state senator Alessandra Biaggi also suggests Cuomo was lying.

“No, [Governor Cuomo], you did not tell the *entire* Senate or Assembly that there was a DOJ investigation, as the reason why you didn’t share the nursing home numbers,” she tweeted.

“I found out about a DOJ investigation with the rest of NY’ers in the [New York Post] story Thursday night.”

And there were plenty more who called out the lie on social media.

RELATED: GOP Congressman Reed Announces Plan To File Criminal Complaint Against Cuomo Aide Over Nursing Home Deaths

Calls For Criminal Investigation Continue

Fox News meteorologist Janice Dean, one of the few voices to continually hound Governor Cuomo over the nursing home scandal for months on end, said “people should go to jail” over the cover-up.

Dean’s in-laws were victims of COVID-19, where nursing homes in New York played a part.

She reiterated that call by describing Cuomo as a “criminal.”

She wasn’t the only one, as several lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle demanded subpoenas be submitted in getting to the bottom of the cover-up.

“I reiterate my call for [Cuomo] and his administration to be subpoenaed for all pertinent information,” Ramos tweeted. “We need answers and grieving families deserve justice. Enough with the spin.”

Cuomo has continually denied that his office withheld or misrepresented data relating to nursing home deaths.

“New York State DOH fully and publicly reported all COVID deaths in nursing homes and hospitals,” he said at the press conference, a direct contradiction of Democrat AG James’ findings.

It looks like even his own party isn’t buying into the spin any longer.

The post Democrat Lawmakers Slam Cuomo, Accuse Him Of Lying As He Tries To Defend Administration’s Handling Of Nursing Home Scandal appeared first on The Political Insider.

New York State Democrats Want To Rename Donald J. Trump State Park

Posted on by John Hanson

Democrats in the New York state legislature are pushing a bill to rename Donald J. Trump State Park, a park about 50 miles north of New York City.

The park is a 436-acre area of unused land about eight miles east of Peekskill, New York.  

RELATED: DeSantis Rips Media Over Coverage Of Maskless Super Bowl Fans: ‘You Only Care If It’s People You Don’t Like!’

‘For These Reasons The Donald J. Trump State Park Should Be Renamed’

“New York State has always been known for its history of welcoming and embracing people of all cultures and backgrounds,” the bill states. “Even our park system reflects these values.”

The bill continues, “According to the Declaration of Policy of the Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation, our parks should foster and strengthen the sense of purpose, well-being and identity of the citizens of this state.”

“The names of these parks and green spaces should embody the goals of uplifting and unifying New Yorkers,” the bill puts forth.

“For these reasons the Donald J. Trump State Park should be renamed.”

Trump bought the land for the purpose of building a golf course. That plan was changed so the former president donated the land to the state in 2006.

His only stipulation was that the area was named after him. But the land never actually became a state park.

The Push To Rename The Park Is Not New

Trying to change the name of this New York land is not a new effort.

In 2015, two Democratic lawmakers introduced a bill titled the “Anything But Trump Act.”

Democratic Assemblyman Charles Lavine said six years ago, “It is time the state of New York sends a message to Donald Trump that his hate speech is not welcome in our great state.”

“I am confident that the governor will take our letters into consideration,” he added. “If he is unable to act, then we are prepared to move forward with this legislation.”

RELATED: Lindsey Graham Predicts ‘Not Guilty’ Impeachment Votes Are Growing After ‘Absurd’ Arguments From Democrats

‘We Want People To Be Able To Appreciate Parkland… Without Shame’

The latest bill to change the name was sponsored by Democratic Assemblywoman Nily Rozic who said, “Our parklands should be reflective of New Yorkers that we can be proud of, New Yorkers that have expressed our values.”

She added, “There are a lot of other New Yorkers who are worthy of the honor of having a park named after themselves.”

“We’ve been working on this for a number of years, and I certainly am hopeful that it will get the green light and move forward,” she continued.

She finished,  “At the end of the day, we want people to be able to appreciate parkland and be able to visit it without stigma, without shame, and we want to be able to be proud of our open spaces.”

The post New York State Democrats Want To Rename Donald J. Trump State Park appeared first on The Political Insider.

GOP Rep. Calls For Cuomo To Be Prosecuted For Withholding Alleged COVID Nursing Home Deaths

Posted on by Becky Noble

Rep. Elise Stephanik (R-NY), along with other Republicans have called for the prosecution of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo as well as anyone on his staff who may have been involved in knowingly withholding coronavirus death tolls in nursing homes. 

This comes after a report came out in which an aide of Cuomo’s admitted that they had done just that.

Full Story: Andrew Cuomo Aide: To Avoid Federal Investigation, New York Hid COVID-19 Nursing Home Deaths

Stephanik tweeted out a statement that said, “Governor Cuomo, the secretary to the Governor, and his senior team must be prosecuted immediately-both by the Attorney General of New York state, and the U.S. Department of Justice.”

“This bombshell admission of a cover-up and the remarks by the secretary to the Governor indicating intent to obstruct any federal investigation is a stunning and criminal abuse of power,” she added.

A Stunning Admission

The horrific admission came from Cuomo’s Secretary Melissa DeRosa while on a video conference call with New York state Democrat leaders. In a report from the New York Post, DeRosa claimed that the Cuomo administration had rejected a request from the New York State Senate back in August for a complete tally of COVID deaths. 

DeRosa went on to say that former President Trump had turned the New York state numbers “into a giant political football.” During the meeting, DeRosa said of Trump that, “He starts tweeting that we killed everyone in nursing homes.

“He starts going after [New Jersey Gov. Phil] Murphy, starts going after [California Gov. Gavin] Newsom, starts going after [Michigan Gov.] Gretchen Whitmer,” and that “Trump directs the Department of Justice to do an investigation into us. And basically we froze.”

RELATED: James Clyburn Issues Brutal Warning To Trump-‘This Is Just The Beginning’

Multiple Calls For Investigation/Prosecution

In addition to Congresswoman Stephanik’s call for investigation and possible prosecution of Cuomo, other state and national Republican office holders have come out in support of holding Cuomo and his staff to account for possible obstruction of an investigation.

New York State Senate Minority Leader Robert Ortt demanded a “top to bottom investigation.

Chairman of the New York State Republican Committee Nick Langworthy called for the impeachment of Cuomo, and state Assembly Minority Leader William Barclay called for subpoenas and subsequent hearings.

Even some Democrats were outraged enough to speak out. Democrat Assembly Woman Yuh-Line Niou called the Cuomo administration’s actions “criminal.”

RELATED: Dave Ramsey Says If Stimulus Check ‘Changes Your Life…You Were Screwed Already’

The Numbers And Those Effected

Bill Hammond, Senior Fellow for Health Policy at the Empire Center, sent out a tweet in September 2020 that stated that the CDC “unfortunately made it optional for nursing homes to report COVID deaths in March, April, and early May of 2020. this was when NY’s pandemic was at it’s worst.” 

He went on to say that “some homes did the right thing, and often gave numbers strikingly higher than reported by NYS DOH.”  In September on the Empire Center website, he said that:

“The result is that a major public health disaster affecting New York’s nursing home residents is not being accurately documented by either of the agencies responsible for protecting them-because state officials are refusing to share the true numbers, and federal officials haven’t yet asked for them.” 

One of the most outspoken critics of the Cuomo administration’s COVID nursing home policies is Fox News Channel Meteorologist Janice Dean, who lost both of her in-laws to Governor Cuomo’s nursing homes. 

On Thursday, Dean said that,”I would like to thank whoever that Democratic lawmaker that was the leak yesterday that gave us that information because i believe all of them should go to jail.”

“We need to see these people on the stand, with a jury, with us, the people that lost our loved ones, in the audience to see them tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth,” she added.

“Justice needs to be served,” Dean continued. “We don’t have our loved ones here today, but by God, I am here to be a voice for all of them.”

 

The post GOP Rep. Calls For Cuomo To Be Prosecuted For Withholding Alleged COVID Nursing Home Deaths appeared first on The Political Insider.

Republican Rep. Accuses Pelosi Of Stopping Her Naval Academy Son From Attending Her Swearing-In

Posted on by LifeZette

Republican Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) has accused Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) of stopping her son, who is an active duty Marine, from attending her swearing in ceremony.

Pelosi has denied this, with her office claiming that he only could not attend because of COVID-19 restrictions put in place by the House Sergeant at Arms and the congressional Attending Physician.

Tenney Lashes Out At Pelosi

The race for New York’s 22nd Congressional Race was only just decided this week, with Tenney being declared the victor over Democratic incumbent Rep. Anthony Brindisi by 109 votes, as decided by the New York Supreme Court.

Tenney was first elected to Congress in 2016, only to be ousted by Brindisi in 2018.

Tenney was sworn in on Thursday, and she asked to have her son, a graduate of the Naval Academy and an active duty Marine, join her for the ceremony.

“I just would have loved to have my son with me. I raised him as a single parent,” Tenney told Fox News on Friday. “We’ve been with each other, nothing greater day than his graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy, it was such an honor and now he is serving our country.”

Tenney Says Pelosi Denied Her Request 

Tenney claimed that Pelosi denied her request despite allowing other members who were sworn in last month being to have one family member present.

“We’ve asked repeatedly, can I just have my son in the gallery,” Tenney said, pointing out that she didn’t even ask for him to be on the House floor. “There was no reason indicated.”

Related: Republicans Call for Pelosi To Be Fined After She’s Caught Avoiding Metal Detector In Congress

She went on to say that there was “no discussion of COVID,” adding that her son “manages COVID protocols” in the Marines.

“We just thought it was the least we could ask,” Tenney said, saying that her son eventually just “waited outside the gallery door.”

“It was nice of him to take time out of his busy job serving our country to come and support me as I got sworn into the House,” Tenney said. She continued by saying that not having her son there was “very disappointing and we got no real answers as to why this was denied.”

“He was disappointed,” she concluded. “He just wanted to be there for me. We are very close.”

Pelosi’s Spokesman Responds

Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill denied this, chalking up the reason behind Tenney’s son not being allowed to attend to coronavirus restrictions, something he says the Speaker does not handle.

“The COVID restrictions are set by the House Sergeant at Arms and the Attending Physician,” Hammill said.

He added that this “has nothing to do with politics” and said that “the same thing would happen to a Democratic member.”

Read Next: Pelosi Blasts Republicans For Refusing To Remove Greene From Committees – ‘Profoundly Concerned’

This piece was written by James Samson on February 12, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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The post Republican Rep. Accuses Pelosi Of Stopping Her Naval Academy Son From Attending Her Swearing-In appeared first on The Political Insider.

Andrew Cuomo Aide: To Avoid Federal Investigation, New York Hid COVID-19 Nursing Home Deaths

Posted on by John Hanson

A top aide to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said her team withheld the number nursing home COVID-19 deaths to protect Cuomo government from federal investigation and criticism.

On Thursday, the New York Post reported that New York’s secretary to the governor, Melissa DeRosa, apologized to Democrat state leaders for “political” damage caused by the Cuomo administration’s suppression of information.

RELATED: Lindsey Graham Predicts ‘Not Guilty’ Impeachment Votes Are Growing After ‘Absurd’ Arguments From Democrats

DeRosa: Cuomo’s Government Suppressed Statistics

DeRosa said Cuomo’s team were worried about a federal investigation after former President Donald Trump pointed to the high number of coronavirus-related deaths in New York nursing homes.

This was detailed in a recorded call with state Democrat lawmakers.

According top DeRosa, this concern caused Cuomo’s team to suppress the statistics against requests for such information.

Team Cuomo put protecting the governor above transparency.

This was the conclusion drawn by Democratic Assemblyman Ron Kim, who took part in the conference call.

‘They admitted that they were trying to dodge having any incriminating evidence…’

“They had to first make sure that the state was protected against federal investigation.” Kim told the New York Post.

He said DeRosa’s comments sounded “like they admitted that they were trying to dodge having any incriminating evidence that might put the administration or the [Health Department] in further trouble with the Department of Justice.”

“That’s how I understand their reasoning of why they were unable to share, in real time, the data,” Kim said.

DeRosa apologized to state Democrats for how this all went down. 

“So we do apologize,” DeRose said. “I do understand the position that you were put in. I know that it is not fair. It was not our intention to put you in that political position with the Republicans.”

Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin had made an earlier call for an obstruction of justice investigation into Gov. Cuomo.

The Democrat-friendly mainstream media had praised Cuomo’s conduct as governor during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

RELATED: America’s Spy-Busters Put Secret-Stealing Chinese ‘Grad Students’ Under The Microscope

AP: New Info Could Be ‘A Potential Blow To (Cuomo’s) Image As A Pandemic Hero’

Gov. Cuomo even wrote a book, “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic.”  

The total number to date of nursing home deaths related to coronavirus is 15,049, according to New York’s latest information.

The Associated Press wondered whether the Cuomo’s administration’s underreporting of nursing home deaths dealt “a potential blow to his image as a pandemic hero.”

The post Andrew Cuomo Aide: To Avoid Federal Investigation, New York Hid COVID-19 Nursing Home Deaths appeared first on The Political Insider.

Fox News’ Janice Dean Calls For Cuomo To Be Subpoenaed On Nursing Home Deaths

Posted on by LifeZette

Fox News Senior Meteorologist Janice Dean spoke out on Thursday night to respond to a report by the New York Attorney General’s office that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s (D) administration undercounted COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes.

Dean Calls For Cuomo To Be Subpoenaed

Dean, who had been saying this for months, called for both Cuomo and New York Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker to be subpoenaed for the nursing home deaths. She added that there should be a federal investigation into similar policies on coronavirus patients in nursing homes in other states.

“I hope, Liz, that we have an independent, bipartisan investigation with subpoena power to get the governor and his health commissioner on the stand to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, and let us have our moment as well, to tell him what he’s done to our families,” Dean told Fox News.

“We want the answers, but we also want accountability from this governor, his administration, and his health department. … The report today, I’m hopeful, is the start of a bigger investigation into this governor and his administration,” she added.

She added that this investigation may need to be federal since Cuomo was not the only governor who forced nursing homes to take COVID-19 positive patients.

Related: Janice Dean Celebrates Report Slamming Cuomo For ‘Undercounting’ Nursing Home Deaths – ‘The Angels Won’

Both Of Dean’s In-Laws Died In New York Nursing Homes

Both of Dean’s in-laws died in nursing homes in New York from coronavirus last year. Earlier in the day yesterday, she became emotional when she learned that this report exposing Cuomo’s failures had come out.

“When I saw the report and knew it was coming probably an hour before it was released, I called my husband and I called my sister-in-law, and I said that maybe the angels won. Maybe the angels will have their day in court and maybe this governor will be held accountable,” a visibly emotional Dean said.

“I didn’t want to be in this position. I’m not a political person but my family was affected and I wasn’t seeing the coverage,” she added. “I wasn’t seeing the questions being asked of this governor. He continued to pass the blame on everyone else and everything else. And he still to this day will not accept any responsibility.”

Read Next: Janice Dean Demands Cuomo Be Held Accountable For COVID Deaths

This piece was written by James Samson on January 29, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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The post Fox News’ Janice Dean Calls For Cuomo To Be Subpoenaed On Nursing Home Deaths appeared first on The Political Insider.

Katie Couric’s Calls To ‘Deprogram’ Trump Supporters Come Back To Haunt Her As She Prepares To Host ‘Jeoparydy’

Posted on by LifeZette

Earlier this week, we reported that Katie Couric had asked how we would “deprogram” supporters of Donald Trump during an interview with Bill Maher. Now, this has come back to bite her, as it has put her upcoming gig guest hosting the game show “Jeopardy!” in danger.

Couric’s Initical Commetns

“I mean, it’s really bizarre, isn’t it, when you think about how AWOL so many of these members of Congress have gotten. But I also think some of them are believing the garbage that they are being fed 24/7 on the internet, by their constituents, and they bought into this big lie,” Couric said to Maher.

 “And the question is how are we going to really almost deprogram these people who have signed up for the cult of Trump,” she added. 

Related: Katie Couric Asks How We’ll ‘Deprogram People Who Signed Up For The Cult Of Trump?’

‘Jeopardy!’ Producers Fire Back

A source with “Jeopardy!” told Page Six that producers of the game show are not happy about Couric’s remarks because much of the program’s audience is conservative.

“Katie’s comments so soon after she was announced as a host are very concerning to the producers,” the insider said. “They are worried there will be a backlash against her. There has already been some complaints.

“Jeopardy viewers are quite a traditional bunch, and there’s fears she might be too polarizing after this,” the source added. “At the very least, she already appears to have ruled herself out of becoming the permanent host of the show.”

Couric has been widely criticized for the comments that she made, with The Hill columnist and Fox News contributor Joe Concha speaking out to blast her.

“This sort of rhetoric from Couric — which comes across as so condescending and elitist — underscores the divide between our media, which primarily resides in New York and Washington, and the rest of the country, which is moderate to center-right per multiple polls,” he said. “And it’s why the industry is so mistrusted and frowned upon.”

“Jeopardy!” lost its longtime host Alex Trebek to pancreatic cancer back in November, and Couric is scheduled to be the second of many guest hosts to take the helm of the show before a permanent host is decided on.

Read Next: WaPo Reporter Says Trump Voters ‘Need To Be Deprogrammed’

This piece was written by James Samson on January 24, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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The post Katie Couric’s Calls To ‘Deprogram’ Trump Supporters Come Back To Haunt Her As She Prepares To Host ‘Jeoparydy’ appeared first on The Political Insider.

Ex-FBI Director James Comey Calls On Biden To ‘Consider’ Pardoning Trump

Posted on by LifeZette

Former FBI Director James Comey spoke out this week to surprisingly say that Joe Biden should “consider” pardoning Donald Trump when he takes office next week as Democrats continue their efforts to impeach the current president for a second time.

Comey Says Biden May Want To Pardon Trump

“I obviously think he belongs in jail, but I don’t think pursuing that is in the best interests of the entire nation, so I think the wiser decision would be not to pursue him,” said Comey, who has long been no fan of Trump’s. He added that it is crucial that whatever Biden’s decision on this is, that he explain it to the American people.

“Be transparent about why you’re doing what you’re doing,” he continued.

Related: Trump Calls For Arrest Of Former FBI Director James Comey

When Comey was asked if Biden should pardon Trump like “Ford did Nixon,” he said that he did not know, but that Biden “should at least consider it.”

“Now I don’t know whether Donald Trump, he’s not a genius, but he might figure out that [if] he accepts a pardon, that’s an omission of guilt, the United States Supreme Court has said,” he continued, going on to say that he doesn’t even know if Trump would accept the pardon if offered it.

“But as part of healing the country and getting us to a place where we can focus on things that are going to matter over the next four years, I think Joe Biden is going to have to at least think about that,” Comey said.

Related: If James Comey Was That Incompetent At The FBI, How Did He Keep His Job?

Possibility Of Trump Being Prosecuted

The House voted on Wednesday to impeach Trump for a second time for allegedly inciting the Capitol riots last week. Some have even called for him to be prosecuted for the riots, but legal experts have said that this will be difficult to do.

“Legal experts have said it could be difficult to charge Trump with a crime related to last week’s deadly rioting at the Capitol by his supporters that led to the president’s second impeachment on Wednesday,” The Hill reported. “But the president and his company could face scrutiny for possible financial crimes in the Southern District of New York, they have noted.”

This piece was written by James Samson on January 14, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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Kristi Noem Defiantly Doubles Down On Lockdown Stance – ‘South Dakota Is Open’

Posted on by LifeZette

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (R) gave an address on Tuesday in which she defiantly doubled down on her state’s relaxed lockdown measures amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

Noem Declares That ‘South Dakota Is Open’ 

Noem is one of the few governors who has not imposed statewide stay-at-home orders, mask mandates, or business restrictions. In her address, she vowed that South Dakota will remain open as the nation deals with a second wave of COVID-19 cases.

“For those who have spent the last nine months shut down or locked up in other states, South Dakota is open,” Noem said. “We have stayed open the entire time, and that’s how we will operate for as long as I am governor.”

She went on to promote the thriving economy in South Dakota.

“We’re in a much stronger financial position than other states across the country. States that shut down their economies are now looking at tax increases or drastic spending cuts to make ends meet,” she said, later writing on social media that “businesses are flocking to South Dakota”

Related: Kristi Noem Issues Brutal Warning About ‘Consequences’ Of Potential Democrat Wins In Georgia

“We made different choices than virtually any other state over the past year. … But other states based a lot of their decisions on fear and emotion, and now they’re seeing the results of that,” Noem continued. “In South Dakota, we do not make policy out of fear. We prepare for the worst but always remain optimistic that the best is yet to come.”

Noem Defends Her Lockdown Plan

Last month, Noem defended her relaxed lockdown plans in an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, criticizing other states like New York and Illinois for taking their measures way too far and destroying lives in the process.

“Even amid a pandemic, public policy ought to be holistic,” Noem wrote. “Daily needs must still be met. People need to eat and keep a roof over their heads. And they still need purpose. That means policy makers cannot have tunnel vision.”

“They must balance public-health concerns with people’s mental and emotional needs, their economic livelihoods and social connections, and liberty, among many other important factors,” she added. 

Read Next: South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem Slaps Down Obama For ‘Ridiculous’ Anti-Trump Memoir

This piece was written by James Samson on January 13, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

Read more at LifeZette:
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