Dem fundraising giant ActBlue rocked by allegations it misled Congress about foreign donations

ActBlue, a central piece of the Democratic Party's fundraising infrastructure, potentially misled Congress when it said it was adequately vetting incoming donations, according to a new report released this week.

The head of ActBlue, a major nonprofit fundraising platform that helps steer donations to left-wing candidates and causes, wrote in 2023 to Congress — in response to concerns about the platform's ability to vet foreign donors — that it was taking all the necessary steps to ensure it was following the rules to ensure money from foreign sources were not making it through, according to a Thursday report from The New York Times. 

However, behind the scenes, ActBlue's attorneys at Covington & Burling were expressing grave concerns that ActBlue CEO Regina Wallace-Jones' claims in her letter to Congress were misleading and could open up the platform to significant legal risk, the report said.

ActBlue was already facing scrutiny from Trump, with him calling on the Justice Department last year to investigate the group over concerns the platform was allowing straw and foreign donations, which are barred by federal election laws. The fundraising platform has also been targeted by several congressional probes led by Republican House Committees.

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The concern from ActBlue's legal counsel was found by the Times after reviewing memos between ActBlue and its legal counsel, resignation letters, and other communications. The Times also held interviews with ActBlue employees on the basis of anonymity. 

The memos reportedly communicated that claims to Congress by Wallace-Jones, indicating that ActBlue had a multi-layered vetting framework and processed contributions with foreign mailing addresses only if the donor supplied a U.S. passport number, were not fully accurate. Wallace-Jones also reportedly wrote in her letter that ActBlue's framework would contact donors to request their U.S. passport information in order to process donations and would return any money when they could not reach the donor. However, this was also reportedly not happening on a consistent basis, according to The Times' reporting.

"It can be alleged that ActBlue accepted and/or facilitated the acceptance of foreign-national contributions into American elections," one memo reportedly stated. "In addition, because ActBlue’s staff was aware that its system was not as robust as necessary, it could be alleged that these violations were ‘knowing and willful,’ a standard that both increases the penalties the F.E.C. might seek and gives the Justice Department jurisdiction for a potential criminal investigation."

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"An aggressive prosecutor may view the November 2023 letter not just as a false statement but as an effort to conceal the foreign contributions," ActBlue's legal counsel wrote, The Times reported.

The concerns about Wallace-Jones' statements to Congress and what to do subsequently resulted in behind-the-scenes chaos at the political fundraising nonprofit, including a slew of departures at ActBlue that were reported publicly by The Times. Additionally, the relationship between ActBlue and its legal firm, Covington & Burling, which is known for representing some of the most high-profile political clients in the United States, was ultimately severed amid disagreements over whether Wallace-Jones' claims in 2023 were the fault of the legal counsel,or ActBlue, according to the Times' reporting on Thursday. 

"We have complete confidence in the legal advice our lawyers provided to ActBlue," a Covington spokesperson told Fox News Digital. 

ActBlue did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment in time for publication. 

In May, ActBlue put out a press release informing people about "what's really happening and what you need to know," pertaining to the investigation into ActBlue's vetting mechanisms. The press release called it a "myth" that the platform allows foreign nationals to illegally contribute donations.

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"While ActBlue has always had strong measures in place that have successfully prevented illegal foreign donations, beginning in 2025 we have gone even further," the press release states. "We now require that Americans living abroad be physically present in the United States to make a contribution on our platform, despite campaign finance laws allowing citizens to contribute to campaigns while living abroad."

Trump called on the DOJ early in his term to return a report within 180 days to him about the status of its findings into ActBlue. However, according to The Times, that report has never been made public. The outlet added that three investigations by GOP-led House committees remain ongoing. 

source https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dem-fundraising-giant-actblue-rocked-allegations-misled-congress-about-foreign-donations

NY House GOP launches pressure campaign on Hochul to scrap climate law over soaring energy costs

New York House Republicans are ramping up a pressure campaign against Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., citing her failure to combat rising utility costs in the Empire State.

The group of lawmakers, led by Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., is calling on Hochul to scrap the state’s 2019 climate law that they blame for "skyrocketing" energy prices.

"Utility bills are at the center of the affordability crisis with New York," the lawmakers wrote in a letter to Hochul Thursday, citing a study that found electricity prices in New York were the sixth highest in the nation in December and 59% higher than the national average. "Given these significant cost burdens, we strongly urge that the CLCPA [Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act] be repealed."

The letter comes as Hochul, who is up for re-election in November and appears to be branding herself as a pragmatist on affordability issues, has acknowledged the "cataclysmic" costs for households and businesses if the law is implemented on schedule. That acknowledgment comes despite her long-standing support for the law, which passed under former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D-N.Y.

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"Put simply, something has got to give," Hochul wrote in an op-ed in March. "[T]he undeniable fact is we cannot meet the Climate Act’s 2030 targets without imposing new and additional crushing costs on New York businesses and residents."

A Feb. 26 memo released by the Hochul administration found that households would pay $4,000 in additional energy costs per year if the state penalizes oil and gas producers as called for by the law. It also found the climate mandate would increase gas prices by $2.23 a gallon.

However, she has stopped short of backing a full repeal. In March, Hochul proposed delaying enforcement targets while keeping the law’s 2050 target of net-zero emissions in place.

Republicans, who see an opening to go on offense on affordability issues in deep-blue states, have ripped the governor's efforts to move the enforcement goalposts while keeping the law in place. 

"The basic fact is this: the 2019 Climate Law was based on faulty assumptions and was enacted using wishful thinking instead of hard facts," the GOP lawmakers wrote. "It is time to inform the citizens of our state about the realities of the 2019 Climate Law and acknowledge that its goals are unattainable, its costs are too high, and it is overall destructive to our state’s economy."

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The debate over New York’s climate law comes as Democrats across the country are walking back aggressive environmental and climate policies amid surging electric bills and growing voter concern about the cost of living.

"It is essential that the implementation of the energy transition move forward on an affordable and practical basis to protect ratepayers from skyrocketing energy costs," the GOP lawmakers wrote.

The group is also demanding that Hochul provide "immediate relief" to New Yorkers by redirecting several billion dollars in unspent ratepayer-collected funds back to residents facing high electric bills as utility bill credits.

More than 60% of New Yorkers said that keeping energy costs affordable is more important than lowering greenhouse gas emissions, according to an April 2025 Siena College poll. 

A spokesperson for Hochul did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

source https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ny-house-gop-launches-pressure-campaign-hochul-scrap-climate-law-over-soaring-energy-costs

Plane lost engine power before crashing into Phoenix-area homes, NTSB says

A small plane that crashed into two Phoenix homes last month, injuring three people, appeared to have lost engine power moments after takeoff, federal investigators said.

The National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary report that the Piper PA-28-140 experienced rapidly declining engine performance shortly after departing from Deer Valley Airport on March 4, forcing the instructor to attempt an emergency return.

The aircraft, carrying a flight instructor and student pilot, had climbed to roughly 1,700 feet before turning back toward the airport. But the plane was unable to make it.

The engine’s RPM dropped to about 600 to 700 and began vibrating before briefly stabilizing, the report said. Despite the pilot’s efforts to restore power, the engine continued to deteriorate before it completely failed just 5 to 10 seconds before impact.

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Investigators reviewed home surveillance footage from the neighborhood that shows the small plane flying low over houses before it entered a shallow right turn, dropping its right wing. The wing struck the roof of a home before slamming into an exterior wall of a second home next door. The plane came to rest in the backyard of the second home.

Aerial footage of the aftermath showed wreckage scattered across the roof, including the plane’s right wing still lodged in the roof, while the fuselage sat crumpled in the backyard.

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The crash shocked residents, one of whom described the impact to FOX10 Phoenix as sounding like "a bomb went off."

The NTSB said weather conditions were clear at the time, ruling out environmental factors and pointing attention toward mechanical issues as a key focus of the investigation.

Investigators are now examining the engine and wreckage, which has been recovered to a secure facility, to determine what caused the loss of power.

source https://www.foxnews.com/us/plane-lost-engine-power-before-crashing-phoenix-area-homes-ntsb-says

Wannabe burglars storm Real Housewives star’s mansion – only to get spooked by alarm, crash getaway car: cops

A trio of thieves allegedly attempted to break into "Real Housewives of Miami" star Larsa Pippen's multimillion-dollar mansion over the weekend, police said.

According to the Pineview Police Department, the three men descended onto Pippen's South Florida mansion on Sunday.

The group shattered several windows, but were stopped after the home's alarm system alerted police, prompting a high-stakes arrest. The breakout Bravo star was not home at the time of the attempted robbery.

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Treison Lachae Booker, 23; Cortez Daymon Johnson, 23; and Elijah Eugene Russell, 18, were all caught within minutes of the botched break-in, police said.

Police said Pippen, the 51-year-old ex-wife of NBA legend Scottie Pippen, watched the attempt on her surveillance video as police were dispatched to a burglar alarm report.

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According to Local 10, Pinecrest Police Chief Jason Cohen also responded to the scene and saw the frazzled trio attempting to ditch the scene.

Cohen told the outlet he saw the three jump into a car which then crashed into another car and a fence. Cohen said he personally apprehended Russell.

"I spot (Russell) walking. He’s trying to walk away, out of the area. It’s just me and him. I get out of my car, I order him to the ground," Cohen told Local 10. "I start running after him. He crosses Kendall Drive, into a house’s yard. He jumps the fence. I open the gate to the fence. I walk in. He then jumps into the back, which is the canal back there too, the Snapper Creek Canal. He jumps into the canal. When I get to the canal bank, he’s hanging on."

Cohen said it was his first foot pursuit in 15 years.

"If he didn’t jump into the canal, he probably had me," he said.

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Cohen said investigators believe Pippen was likely targeted by the Peach State trio, but they’re "working to confirm" that.

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"They came from Georgia [and] it looks like they went straight to this house," he said. "So that’s the theory our detectives are going on."

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Cohen told WSVN 7 News Local that Pippen's alarm system saved the day.

"Her house was locked. Her alarm was on. Her alarm was what ended up scaring these guys off the property," he said.

The three men are now facing charges, including attempted burglary. All three were being held in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on bonds ranging from $7,500 to $8,000.

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source https://www.foxnews.com/us/wannabe-burglars-storm-real-housewives-stars-mansion-only-get-spooked-alarm-crash-getaway-car-cops

Scorned ex-lover accuses Sinema of 'malicious' marriage interference

Kyrsten Sinema could be forced to shell out tens of thousands of dollars in damages for an affair she had with her former bodyguard after his estranged wife sued the former senator under a 19th century law that allows jilted spouses in a handful of U.S. states to sue for a broken heart.

The so-called "alienation of affection" lawsuits are currently recognized in just six U.S. states — including North Carolina, where Sinema’s former bodyguard, Matthew Ammel, had lived with his now-estranged wife, Heather Ammel, for roughly a decade. 

The complaint against Sinema accused her of engaging in "intentional and malicious interference" in Ammel's marriage and sought $25,000 in damages from Sinema as a result of the allegedly "willful and wanton" conduct.

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In order to succeed in the lawsuit, plaintiffs must satisfy a difficult burden of proof. First, that the marriage had real affection and a viable relationship before any third-party involvement; second, that the "love and affection" were destroyed, or significantly diminished; and third, that the defendant in question directly "caused the destruction of that marital love and affection."

Perhaps for this reason, the complaint spares no detail: it ticks through an extemporaneous timeline of Ammel's relationship with Sinema, as a member of her security detail, a member of her staff, and later, as her romantic partner.

According to the complaint, Sinema sent suggestive messages to Matthew Ammel repeatedly over Signal, the encrypted messaging app, months before he and his wife officially split.

"I keep waking up during my sleep and reaching over for your arms to hold me," Sinema told Ammel via Signal in June 2024, according to the complaint — around the same time Ammel allegedly stopped wearing his wedding ring.

On another occasion, Sinema offered to "work on" Ammel's back with a Theragun, and allegedly suggested that he bring MDMA on a work trip and offered to "guide him through a psychedelic experience," though Sinema said she has "no recollection" of those messages. 

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At times, Heather was herself a party to the relationship, before and after the affair allegedly began. In 2023, she traveled to Las Vegas to attend a U2 concert with her husband and Sinema where they drank Dom Pérignon wine in Cindy McCain’s suite, according to the lawsuit. 

The two also traveled to Miami for a Taylor Swift concert in October 2024 — which the three attended out of "concern" for Ammel’s children, according to copies of the affidavit reviewed by Fox News Digital. 

It was the same month that Heather Ammel allegedly confronted Sinema directly by responding to one of her Signal messages. 

"Are you having an affair with my husband? You took a married man away from his family," she wrote, according to the complaint. Sinema has since acknowledged having received the message.

The lawsuit accuses Sinema of acting with "deliberate" interference in the marriage of her bodyguard and his now-estranged wife, who argued that the former lawmaker seduced him and thus "wrongfully and maliciously" deprived her of the "warmth, companionship" and love of their marriage.

The relationship between the two is not in dispute: Sinema, who served in the Senate from 2019 to 2025, has since acknowledged her relationship with her former bodyguard, though she argued the case should be dismissed for a lack of jurisdiction, since the affair in question took place "exclusively outside" the boundaries of the Tar Heel state, according to her lawyers.

While these lawsuits have become increasingly rare in the 21st century, they are not unheard of — and plaintiffs in the state have at times won eye-popping payouts for such claims. 

In 2010, a jury in North Carolina awarded plaintiff Cynthia Shackelford a total of $9 million in compensatory and punitive damages for an "alienation of affection" lawsuit brought against her husband’s alleged mistress. More recently, 2018, a Durham County judge ordered some $8.8 million in damages be paid out to BMX show owner Keith King from the man he said stole his wife — and ruined his company.

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Sinema, for her part, says the relationship between the two became "romantic and intimate" beginning in May 2024, during a trip to Sonoma, California, and said they were subsequently "physically intimate" in the months that followed, including in Phoenix, Arizona; Aspen, Colorado; and New York City. 

They were not, her lawyers stressed, intimate within the physical bounds of North Carolina prior to the dissolution of Ammel's marriage.

The judge presiding over the case ordered the plaintiff, Ammel, to file a response to Sinema's motion to dismiss the lawsuit by mid-April.

Matthew Ammel filed for divorce from his wife earlier this year.

source https://www.foxnews.com/politics/scorned-ex-lover-accuses-sinema-malicious-marriage-interference

Tom Cotton slams Democrats' 'temper tantrum' for fueling TSA chaos amid funding fight

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., blasted travel chaos gripping airports nationwide as a direct result of Democrats’ "temper tantrum" over immigration policy, as the ongoing standoff snarls TSA operations and disrupts millions of passengers nationwide.

"The reason we're at this impasse is that Democrats are using long TSA lines to throw a temper tantrum about deportations of violent criminal illegal aliens and funding of ICE and Border Patrol," Cotton said on "Fox News Sunday."

The Arkansas Republican argued the disruptions are not the result of funding shortfalls, but reiterated they stem from a deliberate political fight over immigration, accusing Democrats of shifting demands and prolonging the standoff as airport delays drag on nationwide.

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He added that Democrats are pushing for reforms that would prevent ICE agents from wearing masks — a push most Republicans oppose.

"The reason why ICE officers wear masks is because radical left-wing Democrats will dox them and then their street militias will terrorize their wives and their kids at their houses," Cotton said.

"That's why the Democrats are inflicting long TSA lines on the American people."

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The partisan gridlock has prompted a lengthy partial government shutdown that has led to TSA agents calling in sick while missing paychecks, lapses in staffing and hours-long wait times at major airports across the U.S.

Travelers at major airports have voiced their disquiet to Fox News in recent days.

"Anyone who votes for a Democrat after this should be shipped out of the country," one frustrated traveler at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport told Fox News Digital.

"It's the division. Everyone should be unified and working together instead of just picking teams…" said another. 

source https://www.foxnews.com/media/tom-cotton-slams-democrats-temper-tantrum-fueling-tsa-chaos-amid-funding-fight

Tiger Woods' DUI arrest sparks demands for accountability

Tiger Woods' arrest on DUI-related charges has prompted debate over whether the champion golfer should face a suspension.

Woods' Friday crash is the fourth major car incident for the professional golfer since 2009. In 2017, he was found driving under the influence of multiple prescription drugs and asleep in his car, stopped in the road. He said it was due to a reaction to the pills.

"I don't like sugar-coating things. And the way I look at it, there's got to be some sort of punishment or withdrawal or some sort of a suspension from the game," Mark Lye, a former PGA golfer, said Saturday on "Fox & Friends Weekend."

Woods was taken into custody in Jupiter Island, Florida, where police said he was driving at a "high rate of speed" when he clipped another car, causing his vehicle to roll over. Authorities said he registered a 0.00 on a breathalyzer, ruling out alcohol impairment, but refused a urine test and was charged with DUI and property damage.

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"I’m just wondering where that discipline that he's learned to convey on the golf course is [going to] take hold in his personal life. Obviously, he's got demons going on," Lye said.

Lye called for "accountability" for Woods and questioned whether it is time for a stricter suspension from the game. Lye noted that contracts for professional golfers often include a "morals clause" and warned Woods could face further consequences if no action is taken.

Lye isn’t alone in his concern for Woods and those around him, however. Doug Bell, a PGA Tour announcer, said he’s thankful no one was hurt.

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"It's troublesome to see what happened yesterday. It is a pattern that has developed," Bell said. 

"Let’s hope this leads to something positive for one of the great athletes and figures in this world that we've seen in a long, long time," he added. 

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Bell suggested Woods take some time away from golf as a productive next step in recovery.

"He’s dealing with something that we don't know what's going on inside his head, the pain that he's in from all the surgeries," Bell said, adding that stepping away from the game "might be the best thing."

Woods was released from jail Friday night. In a mugshot released hours after his arrest, his eyes appeared red. 

President Donald Trump weighed in on the arrest of his "very close friend," noting the star athlete has had some "difficulty."

Woods’ team did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

source https://www.foxnews.com/media/demands-accountability-grow-after-tiger-woods-latest-florida-dui-crash