Tag Archives: crime

In a piece that was teased last night by Rachel Maddow, this morning Bloomberg published a report detailing the Trump family’s dealings with a “shadowy” real estate development firm linked to a notorious Russian mobster. An excerpt: One of Bayrock’s principals was a career criminal named Felix Sater who had ties to Russian and American organized crime groups. Before linking …

CNBC reports: A federal judge has rejected, for now, Martin Shkreli’s bid to reduce his criminal release bail from $5 million to $2 million during a hearing that exposed his high tax debts, legal fees, and off-beat collectibles. Shkreli’s lawyer Benjamin Brafman also said that the accused securities fraudster, who claimed to be worth up to $70 million when he …

Sky News reports: Belgian officers have “neutralised” a person wearing an explosive belt at a major train station in Brussels, according to reports. Police have confirmed that an “incident involving an individual” has taken place at Brussels Central – the country’s busiest station – and say the situation is now under control. The main square has been evacuated, and witnesses …

CBS News reports: The judge in Bill Cosby’s sexual assault trial declared a mistrial after jurors said they were deadlocked after five days of deliberations. The fast-moving case went to the jury of seven men and five women Monday, on day six of the trial, after closing arguments painted different pictures of what happened between Cosby and Andrea Constand at …

NBC News reports: The jury in the Bill Cosby trial said Thursday it’s deadlocked, but the judge ordered them to continue trying to reach a verdict. “We can not come to a unanimous consensus on any of these counts,” the panel said in a note to the judge sent out at 11:06 a.m. after more than 30 hours of deliberations. …

Via Breitbart: Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who was wrongly and inaccurately blamed when Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-AZ) was shot several years ago, is standing up for Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont saying he is personally not responsible for the actions of his apparent supporter. Palin, in an exclusive statement to Breitbart News, called for the media industry to be …

The New York Post reports: Dramatic video from the shooting in Alexandria, Virginia, captured some of the chaos that ensued when a 66-year-old left-wing zealot opened fire on the GOP congressional baseball team. More than 25 bullets can be heard ripping through the air in the footage, which was captured by a witness close to the field at Eugene Simpson …

ABC News reports: Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Louisiana, the House majority whip, is in critical condition, hospital officials said this afternoon, after he and four others were shot by a gunman who opened fire on members of Congress practicing for a charity baseball game in Alexandria, Virginia, this morning. Scalise, a lobbyist, a congressional staffer and two Capitol Police officers were …

The Washington Post reports: House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) addressed the House on Wednesday after the shooting at the Republican congressional baseball practice. “We are united in our shock, united in our anguish. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us,” Ryan said. He named the victims of the shootings, including two Capitol Police officers, …

“I have just been informed that the alleged shooter at the Republican baseball practice is someone who apparently volunteered on my presidential campaign. I am sickened by this despicable act. Let me be as clear as I can be. Violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society and I condemn this action in the strongest possible terms. Real change …

The Hill reports: A House Democrat scheduled to play in the Congressional Baseball Game said Wednesday the charity event will still happen despite this morning’s shooting of Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) and several others. Rep. Eric. Swalwell (D-Calif.) tweeted that the game will continue as scheduled on Thursday evening. “The #congressionalbaseballgame is on,” Swallwell tweeted. “We will play for charity, …

At 11:30AM Trump will issue a statement from the White House on this morning’s mass shooting in Alexandria, Virginia where Republican members of the House and Senate were practicing for an upcoming charity baseball game. Watch live below.

The Washington Post reports: The shooter at the GOP congressional baseball practice this morning is James T. Hodgkinson of Belleville, Ill., according to law enforcement officials. Hodgkinson, 66, owns a home inspection business. His home inspection license expired in November 2016 and was not renewed, state records show. Hodgkinson was charged in April 2006 with battery and aiding damage to …

An early report from Fox News: House Majority Whip Steve Scalise was shot in the hip and at least one other aide was also hit in the chest by a gunman with a rifle who opened fire at a baseball practice in Virginia Wednesday morning, Fox News confirmed. Police tweeted they “believed” the gunman was in custody. Sen. Mike Lee …

The Detroit Free Press reports: A Livingston County man is heading to prison for slapping his teen daughter during an argument that she says arose after he and other members of the family tried to perform a forced exorcism. William Ellis Watt of Gregory was sentenced to one to 10 years in prison for third-offense domestic violence Friday for an …

The Week reports: President Trump’s supporters are nearly evenly split on whether it’s “appropriate” for a politician to body-slam a journalist, a Public Policy Polling survey released Monday revealed. While 45 percent of Trump supporters said that it was not acceptable for a politician to use physical force against a reporter, 42 percent said it was. The poll was released …

The New York Daily News reports: Greg Gianforte, the soon-to-be Montana congressman who body slammed a reporter on the eve of his special election last month, was sentenced to 40 hours of community service on Monday, after having a 180-day jail sentence deferred. Gianforte had previously pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault charges over the incident, and was sentenced Monday to …

The Associated Press reports: A judge held a juror in contempt and declared a mistrial Tuesday in the case of a North Carolina church minister charged in the beating of a congregant who says he was attacked to expel his “homosexual demons.” Superior Court Judge Gary Gavenus immediately sentenced the juror, Perry Shade Jr., to 30 days in jail and …

The New York Daily News reports: A group of New Jersey cops was caught on cell phone video kicking and beating an innocent bystander who had been burnt by a car that crashed while trying to flee police. The video shows the 28-year-old man rolling out of a car engulfed in flames. Several officers, some drawing their weapons, surround the …

Roll Call reports: Montana’s future Rep. Greg Gianforte filed for an extension for his court appearance date after he was charged with a misdemeanor for assaulting a journalist last month. Gianforte was charged with misdemeanor assault after an audio recording from Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs showed Gianforte allegedly grabbed Jacobs and threw him to the ground before telling the reporter …