Stacey
Abrams, the Democrat in Georgia’s governor race, acknowledged Friday
that she cannot defeat her Republican opponent, Brian Kemp, but she
vowed to file a federal lawsuit challenging the “gross mismanagement” of
the state’s elections.
Abrams’ address to her
supporters essentially concluded her bid for the governor’s mansion, the
final result of which had been in doubt since Election Day, but she
noted that she was not officially conceding the race.
While describing a variety of issues at the polls, Abrams said that "the state failed its voters."
"I
acknowledge that former Secretary of State Brian Kemp will be certified
as the victor in the 2018 gubernatorial election. But to watch an
elected official – who claims to represent the people in this state,
baldly pin his hopes for election on the suppression of the people’s
democratic right to vote – has been truly appalling," Abrams said. "So
let's be clear, this is not a speech of concession."
"Because
concession means to acknowledge an action is right, true or proper. As a
woman of conscience and faith, I cannot concede that. But my assessment
is the law currently allows no further viable remedy," she continued,
before adding that although she could fight to keep the election going,
she doesn't "want to hold public office if I need to scheme my way into
the post."
Abrams had hoped to become the first black governor of Georgia and the first black female governor of any state.
Stacey Abrams acknowledged Friday that she could not defeat her
GOP opponent in Georgia's gubernatorial election. (AP Photo/John Amis)
Unofficial returns in the state
put Kemp ahead of Abrams with roughly 50.2 percent of more than 3.9
million votes. This standing gave him about 18,000 votes above the
threshold required to win by a majority and avoid a Dec. 4 runoff.
Kemp
issued a statement following his opponent's announcement, saying she
"conceded the race and officially ended her campaign for governor."
"I
appreciate her passion, hard work, and commitment to public service,"
the statement said. "The election is over and hardworking Georgians are
ready to move forward. We can no longer dwell on the divisive politics
of the past but must focus on Georgia’s bright and promising future."
He went on to request that people in Georgia "stand with me in the days ahead."
"Together,
we will realize the opportunities and tackle the challenges to come,"
the statement said. "We will be a state that puts hardworking Georgians –
no matter their zip code or political preference - first!”
Kemp,
Georgia's former secretary of state, had received the endorsement of
President Trump, who tweeted congratulations to Kemp on Friday evening.
"Congratulations
to Brian Kemp on becoming the new Governor of Georgia," the president
wrote. "Stacey Abrams fought brilliantly and hard - she will have a
terrific political future! Brian was unrelenting and will become a great
Governor for the truly Wonderful People of Georgia!"
Abrams
gave her speech, where she also announced her intent to fight back
legally," just after 5 p.m. That was the earliest state officials could
certify the results after a court-ordered review of absentee,
provisional and other uncounted ballots. Abrams' campaign had contended
there were potentially enough uncounted votes to force a runoff.
"In
the coming days, we will be filing a major federal lawsuit against the
state of Georgia for the gross mismanagement of this election and to
protect future elections," she said.
Following her announcement, Abrams' campaign sent out a news release that reiterated her comments.
"In
her remarks, Abrams outlined the gross injustices Georgians faced when
trying to cast their ballots during this election and launched Fair
Fight Georgia," the news release said. "This new PAC will pursue
accountability in Georgia’s elections and integrity in the process of
maintaining our voting rolls."
"In the coming days, Fair Fight
Georgia will be filing a major federal lawsuit against the state of
Georgia for the gross mismanagement of this election and to protect
future elections from unconstitutional actions," it continued.
After Abrams' announcement, Hillary Clinton posted a message of support via Twitter.
"Thank
you, @StaceyAbrams, for fighting for Georgia and for the integrity of
our elections," Clinton wrote. "Everyone should be able to exercise
their right to vote. Every vote should be counted." This is a
developing story. Please check back for updates. Fox News' David
Lewkowict, Alex Pappas and The Associated Press contributed to this
report.
Rep. Mia Love now leads Democratic challenger Ben McAdams as
vote-counting continues in a Utah race that remained too close to call.
(Associated Press)
A Republican incumbent congresswoman from
Utah pulled ahead of her Democratic opponent by several hundred votes
Friday, gaining her first lead in the House contest since Election Day.
After
the latest tally, U.S. Rep. Mia Love, 42, held a razor-thin 419-vote
lead over Democratic challenger and Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams
for the state’s 4th Congressional District, FOX13 Utah reported.
The
two-term incumbent had previously trailed McAdams early Friday
afternoon by 1,169 votes before the release of updated numbers from Utah
County, the station reported.
McAdam’s campaign has called the Utah County results “unsurprising,” saying they track with earlier voter trends.
“We’re
optimistic that when final numbers are reported Monday, Ben McAdams
will again be winning,” McAdams’ campaign manager, Andrew Roberts, told
the Salt Lake Tribune.
McAdams,
confident of victory, had spent the past week in Washington, attending
House orientation meetings and even appearing in the freshman class
photo, the paper reported.
Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams, Democratic candidate for
Utah's 4th Congressional District, speaks to supporters during an
election night party, in Salt Lake City on Nov. 6. (Associated Press)
The lingering doubt over the vote’s outcome didn’t
stop President Trump from calling out Love by name in a news conference
last week where he bashed other fellow Republicans. trump said Love and
others lost because they didn't fully embrace him.
Love "showed me no love," Trump told reporters.
But
with thousands of provisional ballots still to be counted, the race for
the 4th District’s House seat remained closer than ever.
Love,
who became the first black Republican woman elected to Congress in 2014,
maintains a 0.16 percent spread over McAdams, well within Utah’s margin
for a recount, which is 0.25 percent, according to the Salt Lake
Tribune.
“This is just the start of Mia’s victory,” said Dave
Hansen, Love’s campaign manager. “We will continue to closely monitor
the election results.”
Earlier Friday, a judge dismissed a lawsuit
filed by Love, which sought to block counting ballots in Salt Lake
County by challenging the signature verification conducted by the county
clerk, FOX13 reported.
Donald Trump is so ticked off at Robert Mueller that he's calling him an Obama guy.
The special counsel is actually a registered Republican.
The
president's eruption on Twitter yesterday fueled all kinds of media
chatter about whether Mueller, who seems to be in the final phases of
his Russia investigation, is about to drop some major indictment.
Maybe
the president is just worked up because, according to news accounts,
he's spent the last several days with his lawyers, hammering out written
answers to Mueller's questions. (Does this mean there won’t be a
face-to-face interview? Who knows?)
What I'm hearing from the
White House is that the president is simply sick of the long-running
investigation and, after conferring with his lawyers, wants to bring it
to a head.
Trump has made his "witch hunt" allegations for much of
the Mueller probe.And by the way, it’s hardly unprecedented to try to
investigate those who are investigating you. Bill Clinton and his allies
mounted a sustained campaign to demonize Ken Starr.
But Trump's attacks yesterday may be his harshest yet.
"The
inner workings of the Mueller investigation are a total mess," Trump
tweeted. "They have found no collusion and have gone absolutely nuts.
They are screaming and shouting at people, horribly threatening them to
come up with the answers they want.
"They are a disgrace to our
Nation and don't care how many lives the [sic] ruin. These are Angry
People, including the highly conflicted Bob Mueller, who worked for
Obama for 8 years. They won't even look at all of the bad acts and
crimes on the other side. A TOTAL WITCH HUNT LIKE NO OTHER IN AMERICAN
HISTORY!"
The all-caps was just for emphasis.
The president
can certainly argue that Mueller, even with his charges against Paul
Manafort, Rick Gates, Michael Flynn and others, has come up with no
evidence of collusion with Russia.
But keep in mind that it was
Trump's own appointee, Rod Rosenstein, who named Mueller as special
counsel, and the deputy attorney general says he's doing a good job.
What's
more, it was George W. Bush who tapped Mueller as FBI director. Obama
just let him finish out his 10-year term, and tacked on an additional
two years. So to suggest that Mueller is some kind of Obama loyalist is
just wrong.
One aspect that the pundits are focusing on is that
the latest attack on Mueller comes after the president replaced Jeff
Sessions with Matt Whitaker, who has a history of criticizing the
special counsel. But whether the acting attorney general will take any
steps to curtail the probe remains to be seen.
By outward
appearances, Mueller seems to be down to third-level players. The Wall
Street Journal reports that he is investigating whether veteran GOP
operative Roger Stone tried to intimidate a witness who is contradicting
his insistence he had no pipeline to WikiLeaks on the hacked Democratic
emails. In emails to his former friend, Randy Credico, the Journal
says, Stone threatened to "sue the f---" out of him and called Credico
"a loser a liar and a rat." But this is pretty small potatoes.
The
president also weighed in on the press yesterday, as he is wont to do. I
reported yesterday on a spate of stories (The Washington Post, L.A.
Times, Politico) about how Trump has been angry, furious and lashing out
since the midterms as he mulls another White House shakeup.
Insiders
tell me that many of the leaks likely emanate from places such as the
Homeland Security Department and National Security Council, where
people's jobs are threatened (such as Kirstjen Nielsen and deputy NSC
director Mira Ricardel, who's being transferred after Melania Trump
called for her firing). The president often discusses job changes with
advisers and doesn't mind the rumors that float around and hit the
press.
Trump tweeted yesterday: "The White House is running very
smoothly and the results for our Nation are obviously very good. We are
the envy of the world. But anytime I even think about making changes,
the FAKE NEWS MEDIA goes crazy, always seeking to make us look as bad as
possible! Very dishonest!"
I mean, why would anyone think he's angry?
But
the president does have a point that routine personnel moves after an
election are getting the media’s "chaos" treatment — even if "running
very smoothly" is not the most apt description of this White House.
In defiance of President Trump's hardline stands on immigration, more
jurisdictions are going beyond "sanctuary city" policies and actively
using taxpayer dollars to pay for legal representation for immigrants
facing deportation.
This week Denver officials announced plans to
set aside $385,000 to expand an immigrant legal defense program, Mayor
Michael Hancock said.
“There is no greater responsibility that I
have as mayor than to keep all residents of Denver, undocumented or not,
safe and secure and when we have challenging language that comes out of
Washington that threatens that very covenant that we have with all of
our residents it makes it doubly difficult for us to help people feel
safe in their city,” he said.
Others committing to designating public dollars for attorneys in immigration courts include lawmakers in Los Angeles, Seattle, Washington, D.C.; New York; Austin, Texas; Atlanta, San Francisco and Portland, Ore.
"We
are proud to be a sanctuary city," said former San Francisco Supervisor
David Campos when he introduced the proposal to fund legal assistance.
"And we're not only proud to stand up for that, but we're going to
invest the resources needed to make sure that the 44,000 undocumented
people who live in the city and county of San Francisco have, at a
minimum, legal representation if they're taken into immigration court."
One Chicago public official, Alderman Nicholas Sposato, called it "the legal defense fund for the illegals," the Chicago Tribune reported.
He was the only city Budget Committee member to vote against a $1.3
million plan in 2016 to assist immigrants who were facing deportation.
In September, Portland approved a $500,000 grant toward legal defense for potential deportees and Baltimore approved $200,000 for its own defense fund.
Some
cities and states -- California, Colorado, Texas, Wisconsin, Illinois,
Ohio, Georgia and Maryland -- have joined up with the Vera Institute of
Justice facilitate their programs.
The New York-based nonprofit spearheads the coalition, known as the Safety and Fairness for Everyone Network (SAFE).
People
accused of being in the country illegally are not required to have a
lawyer, unlike those facing criminal proceedings, where they must be
represented by a public defender if they cannot afford an attorney. The
government is not required to pay for an immigration court lawyer. California
has been providing attorney's to immigrants before Trump's election,
but other SAFE members had not done so until the formation of the
network, said network director Annie Chen.
Last year, Seattle
passed a measure to put $1 million toward legal defense for immigrants
and refugees. The money will be administered by community groups.
City leaders in Santa Ana, Calif., directed $65,000 last year toward its newly created legal defense fund and New York created the first statewide immigrant defense fund.
While immigration advocates have praised the initiatives, those who prefer stricter immigration laws have criticized them.
“It
is simply bad public policy to be spending public funds at a time when
everyone is strapped for cash and cannot fund the money for vital
services," said Ira Mehlman, spokesman for the Federation for American
Immigration Reform (FAIR), in an interview last year. "Even if they are
relatively small funders, they are directing much-needed resources from
schools and roads to meet the political desires of lawmakers."
“It
is simply bad public policy to be spending public funds at a time when
everyone is strapped for cash and cannot fund the money for vital
services." — Ira Mehlman, spokesman, Federation for American Immigration Reform
Some cities have faced opposition over its attempts to create similar programs.
A 2015 study
published in the University of Pennsylvania Law Review reported that
detained immigrants with access to legal counsel were 10 times more
likely to be granted legal residency than those without.
In a
statement just after his city approved financial support for legal
representation to immigrants, Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh said it was
a matter of safety.
“Providing legal representation to those
facing deportation maintains trust in law enforcement and our local
institutions and keeps us all safe," Pugh said. "If our residents don’t
feel safe – for example, coming forward to report crimes and cooperating
with law enforcement – all of us are at more risk.”
Some audience members at a performance of “Fiddler on the Roof” in
Baltimore were sent scrambling out of their seats Wednesday when a
theatergoer shouted “Heil Hitler, Heil Trump” and made the Nazi salute
during intermission, according to police.
Anthony Derlunas, 58,
allegedly told police he was motivated by his hatred of President Trump
and had been heavily drinking before the outburst from his balcony seat
at the Hippodrome Theatre, the Baltimore Sun reported.
“People
started running,” audience member Rich Scherr told the Sun. “I’ll be
honest, I was waiting to hear a gunshot. I thought, ‘Here we go.’”
About 1,000 people were in attendance during the show. GRAPHIC LANGUAGE
"Everything just got really, really quiet. And then I heard this guy screaming: "Heil Hitler! Heil Trump!," he said.
Samit Verma was seated in the balcony when he saw a man mimicking a Nazi salute.
“The people around me appeared to be quite shaken by the incident,” Verma said. “There were some people in tears.”
Derlunas
allegedly told investigators he was reminded of Trump during the play’s
final scene before the break. He was escorted out the venue by security
a few minutes later and has been banned from the theatre for life.
He did not respond to the Sun’s requests for comment.
He
was not arrested but was issued a stop ticket, which is the
least-severe measure taken by the police when responding to a complaint.
It does not carry fines and doesn’t require a follow-up from the
recipient.
“As reprehensible as those words are, they are
considered protected free speech because nobody was directly
threatened,” police spokesman Matt Jablow said in an email.
In a
Facebook post, the theatre said Derlunas behavior "will not be
tolerated" and that the "venue has a proud tradition of providing shared
experiences to people from all walks of life."
Authorities could
have charged Derlunas with disorderly conduct, said Dana Vickers
Shelley, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of
Maryland. They instead gave him “what sounds like a ticket for
jaywalking or less,” she said.
Uniformed police will be stationed
at the Hippodrome for the remaining “Fiddler” shows through Sunday,
Jablow said, adding that the extra security measure was not requested by
the theatre.
“Fiddler” tells the story of a Jewish family facing persecution in Russia.
“It
is a story inherently about Jews being made not to feel welcome, and
here is this bozo who decided to express that he felt we should not be
welcome here either,” said audience member Theodore Casser.
The incident comes in the midst of a rise in anti-Semitism and hate crimes nationwide and weeks after a gunman killed 11 people inside a Pittsburgh synagogue in October.
A recently released FBI report shows a 37 percent spike in anti-Semitic hate crimes in the U.S. and a 17 percent increase in hate crimes overall.
California
Democrat and likely 2020 presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris drew
fury after comparing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to
the Ku Klux Klan during a hearing on Capitol Hill.
She asked
Ronald Vitiello, President Trump's nominee to lead ICE, whether he
shares what she said was the public’s view that ICE was spreading fear
and mistrust, in particular among immigrant communities, the same way
the KKK did.
“Are you aware of the perception of many about how
the power and the discretion at ICE is being used to enforce the laws
and do you see any parallels [with the KKK]?,” she asked.
"Are
you aware of the perception of many about how the power and the
discretion at ICE is being used to enforce the laws and do you see any
parallels [with the KKK]?" — Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif.
The
comparison prompted outrage, with RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel
slamming Harris for “disgusting” partisanship. “Kamala Harris is trying
to launch her 2020 campaign off of comparing ICE officers to the KKK,
and it's absolutely disgusting,” she tweeted.
“What utter,
complete & horrifying disrespect for our law enforcement officers. I
get she’s auditioning for 2020, but come on...,” wrote GOP spokeswoman
Kayleigh McEnany.
Harris pointed out to Vitiello’s controversial
tweet from 2015 in which he said the Democratic Party was comparable to a
“liberal-cratic” or “neo-Klanist” entity. The nominee apologized and
admitted that those words were offensive.
“What is the history
that would then make those words wrong?” the Democrat then asked,
prompting Vitiello to say that the KKK would be labeled as a domestic
terrorist group by today’s standards and was motivated by race and
ethnicity.
But Vitiello pushed back against Harris’ line of
questioning, saying “I do not see any parallels” between the immigration
enforcement agency and the white supremacist group and inquired whether
she was asking him if the two were in the same category.
“No, I'm
very specific in what I'm asking you. Are you aware of a perception
that the way that they ..." Harris went on, before the nominee snapped
back saying, “I see none.”
“Are you aware that there is a
perception that ICE is administering its power in a way that is causing
fear and intimidation, particularly among immigrants and specifically
among immigrants coming from Mexico and Central America?” she asked
again.
“Are you aware that there is a perception that
ICE is administering its power in a way that is causing fear and
intimidation, particularly among immigrants and specifically among
immigrants coming from Mexico and Central America?” — Sen. Kamala Harris
Harris ended her questioning asking whether Vitiello can lead the agency if he’s not aware of the negative views toward it.
“It
seems to me that you would understand that when you use words like the
words you used just three short years ago, that that would contribute to
that perception,” Harris said. “And it's harmful then, it's harmful, in
terms of the mission of the agency and the work of the individuals
there. And it is harmful in terms of leading — innocent people arriving
at our border fleeing harm, it is harmful to them.”
Harris is
widely rumored to be considering a run for Democratic Party’s 2020
presidential nomination. She recently visited Iowa, one of the first
primary states, and swing states such as Ohio, raising speculation that
she’s building her national image before the election.
Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker, right, speaks to
state and local law enforcement officials at the U.S. Attorney's Office
for the Southern District of Iowa, Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018, in Des
Moines, Iowa.
In early 2015, an anonymous comment
accusing a Florida company of being a scam was posted on a consumer
website called RipoffReport.com.
Around that time, the
publication’s phone rang. The caller said he was Matthew Whitaker—now
the acting attorney general—and he was angry, said Ed Magedson, owner of
Ripoff Report. Using profanity, Mr. Whitaker demanded the removal of
all negative reports about the company, World Patent Marketing Inc., Mr.
Magedson said.
“He threatened me using a lot of foul language,”
said Mr. Magedson, who added he had reviewed notes he made at the time.
“He threatened to ruin my business if I didn’t remove the reports. He
[said he] would have the government shut me down under some homeland
security law.”
Ripoff Report itself has been subject to criticism,
with detractors saying it has profited from the negative reports posted
on its website.
Since President Trump appointed Mr. Whitaker last
week, the acting attorney general has faced questions about the extent
of his involvement with World Patent Marketing, where he was a paid
advisory-board member until at least 2016. The company was shut down
last year by the Federal Trade Commission after it accused the firm of
scamming $26 million.
The threatening phone call recalled by Mr.
Magedson suggests Mr. Whitaker took a more active role than previously
known in shielding World Patent Marketing from outside criticism. He
also wrote an August 2015 email threatening an unhappy customer, court
documents show.
The call also suggests Mr. Whitaker was aware of
allegations of fraudulent activity against the company, which was later
confirmed by the FTC in its accusations.
On Wednesday, top
Democrats in the House of Representatives, who will take control of the
chamber in January, sent letters to Mr. Whitaker, the FTC, the founder
of World Patent Marketing and others requesting more information about
Mr. Whitaker’s role.
A Justice Department spokeswoman has said:
“Acting attorney general Matt Whitaker has said he is not aware of any
fraudulent activity. Any stories suggesting otherwise are false.”
On Wednesday, the Justice Department declined to offer a new comment and referred to the previous statement.
World
Patent Marketing, which started in early 2014 and was run from Miami
Beach, Fla., offered to patent and promote ideas from would-be
inventors. The FTC said the company delivered little and threatened
customers who complained.
Ripoff Report, of Tempe, Ariz., lets
people post anonymous complaints about companies on its website. It has
been frequently sued and accused of profiting from the negative reports
by offering a paid service to clean up the reputational damage. Mr.
Magedson said his firm tries to verify some comments and helps companies
deliver better customer service.
It's
like we're back in the spring of 2017: Looming staff shakeups! The
chief of staff may be out! The White House is in chaos. Nobody can rein
in Donald Trump!
And once again, those surrounding Trump are leaking like crazy. But
a bit of perspective here: Presidents usually shake up their teams
after midterm elections — especially losing midterm elections — and some
officials naturally decide it's time to move on.
With the
exception of the firing of Jeff Sessions — given the controversial pick
of his anti-Mueller interim replacement, Matt Whitaker — I don't know
why the press needs to treat every rumor of a White House or Cabinet
change as the coming of the apocalypse.
But the planned staff
moves are morphing into a larger narrative of an angry president lashing
out and blowing off some of his duties while his staff is steaming,
according to reports in The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and
Politico.
There's not much question that Trump has seemed more
aggressive and aggrieved since the Democrats captured the House (their
haul is now up to 33 seats and counting). Even Melania has gotten in on
the shakeup action.
Insiders tell me the president is unhappy,
disappointed in some top aides, and ready to make changes. He has also,
in my view, made some missteps in the process.
But does this add up to a portrait of an out-of-control leader?
When The Washington Post quotes historian Doug Brinkley as saying "he's just a bull carrying his own china shop with him," is that bull?
The
Post piece on "five days of fury" ranges from a testy Trump call with
Theresa May to skipping a planned World War I remembrance at a cemetery
in France. "Trump quickly grew infuriated by a torrent of tweets and
media coverage suggesting that the president was afraid of the rain and
did not respect veterans ... "The president also was angry and resentful
over French President Emmanuel Macron's public rebuke of rising
nationalism, which Trump considered a personal attack."
It also
ranges from Trump tweeting about "FRAUD" in the Florida elections to the
revoking of Jim Acosta's credentials to the president telling CNN
reporter Abby Phillip that she asks "stupid questions."
The L.A.
Times has a similar story about a "brooding" Trump: "The president has
lashed out at several aides, from junior press assistants to senior
officials. 'He's furious,' said one administration official. 'Most
staffers are trying to avoid him.'"
Politico, like the other
outlets, deals with possible personnel moves, zeroing in on "bottled-up
hostility" and "a fresh round of backbiting" among the staff.
The
president has told others he wants to dump Kirstjen Nielsen, the
Homeland Security chief, which has been obvious as he has blamed her for
problems at the border.
And he is once again said to be weighing
the departure of John Kelly (in favor of Mike Pence's top aide Nick
Ayers). We have been through endless rounds of chatter about Kelly,
which seemed to end when the president announced he's staying through
2020. So it's not clear whether this will blow over.
But then came
what is truly a bizarre spectacle. Melania Trump took on deputy
national security adviser Mira Ricardel with this public statement: "It
is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer
deserves the honor of serving in this White House." (The Wall Street
Journal reported that Ricardel was gone, then retracted it, and the
situation is now unclear.)
Many first ladies, including Nancy
Reagan and Hillary Clinton, have obviously had a strong influence on
their husband and gotten staffers fired. But to put out a statement is
beyond unusual, prompting speculation that Melania was trying to
accomplish privately what she failed to do behind the scenes.
So
it's a tumultuous time for the president, no question. But keep in mind
that those leaking all these anecdotes to journalists may have their own
agendas.
Stacey Abrams acknowledged Friday that she could not defeat her
GOP opponent in Georgia's gubernatorial election. (AP Photo/John Amis)
