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The Taking Of Albany One Senator Two Votes Three Times Under Investigation

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Runaway Senator Pedro Espada Grabs Power, Hijacks NY Senate

New York State Senator Pedro Espada, who last Monday stole the presidency of the Senate, only to find himself in a dead-even tie when his under criminal-investigation counterpart Hiram Monserrate flip-flopped back to the Democratic party, yesterday announced, “I can have two votes!” Yes, the most-American idea of one man, one vote, to Pedro Espada, a man under numerous criminal investigations by numerous bodies, has decided that he can re-interpret the rules of the New York State Senate to give himself two (count ’em – TWO) votes; one vote for being a senator, one vote for being the “acting” lieutenant governor. Never, never in the history of this country has one man ever legally had two votes. As a matter of fact, when the president invokes the 14th Amendment, and there is no Vice President, the Speaker of he House has to resign before taking the oath to be the President of the United States temporarily. Perhaps Senator Espada should consider that alternative.

We all know Espada. You knew him as a kid. He’s the neighborhood bully. Unchecked, figured out at an early age that rules only apply if you get caught. Figured out at an early age that most people are too afraid or too busy or too powerless – or think they are – to stop someone who thinks they’re unstoppable. The problem is that this game of his has gone on far too long. And we, the citizens of the Empire State, are paying a dear price. (There’s a joke floating around Twitter right now about Espada: “Senator Palpatine called- he’d like the New York Senate back.” Only, it’s not funny.)

In fact, Espada is playing a game of chicken right now. Instead of saying, “Oh my God, I’m in trouble. I’m being investigated left and right,” Espada is taking the offense and filing a complaint with State Inspector General Joseph Fisch for “prosecutorial misconduct and selective prosecution.” PolitickerNY reports, “Espada hasn’t rebutted any of the charges against him, focusing instead on his record of public service and the fact that his constituents have elected him.” Well, that’s a strategy, and we’ll take a look at Espada’s career of corruption. But this quick note, first:

Senator Pedro Espada, Jr., is the author of the gay rights bill sitting in Albany, awaiting a vote. He claims tirelessly he wants to see a vote on it, calling it his “signature legislation.” I don’t care. I certainly care about marriage equality and about LGBTQ rights. But I care more about good governance and the reputation of the people of New York State than I can about a bill, even a gay rights bill. So, in the interest of good governance and pride in my state, I will continue to work to expose Senator Espada for the fraud and offense to the people he claims to represent, because New York deserves better.

But it’s not just the gay marriage bill that is affected. The New York Times reported yesterday,

“The Assembly has passed dozens of bills in recent weeks that would allow counties to charge additional sales tax. But those bills have been bottled up in the Senate, which has not taken action on a single piece of legislation since June 8.

“That’s the thing that I think is being missed by most people,” said Joanne M. Mahoney, county executive for Onondaga County, which includes Syracuse. “I don’t know if they realize this has very real consequences for us on the local level. This pays for our schools, our public safety. It’s $40 million for our budget.”

And yes, you absolutely can blame Sneator Espada, more than any other Senator, for this disaster.

So, what’s Senator Espada up against? He’s being accused and/or investigated for the following:

Espada is accused of not living in his district, although he claims he does, and is required to as terms of his being a State Senator. The Bronx DA is investigating. He could lose his Senate seat for this issue alone.

New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is investigating Espada’s use of his Soundview Health Clinic for personal political reasons.

Espada owes more than $60,000 in fines because he refuses to file campaign finance reports. The New York Times notes, “It is not the first time he has run afoul of the State Board of Elections: His 2000 Senate campaign was fined for failing to submit finance reports.”

Speaking of interesting campaign contributions and pandering, Espada is chairman of the Senate Housing Committee. He has effectively squashed a bill that would have cost landlords and the New York housing industry billions of dollars, and saved his constituents and many renters in New York billions of dollars.

And to all this, Espada replies, “They hate me because I’m not perfect.”

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Fox News Host Suggests Trump ‘Force’ Court to Throw Him in Jail – by Quoting Him

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April 19, 2024

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The Fox News host who targeted a juror serving on Donald Trump’s criminal New York trial is now suggesting the ex-president should violate his gag order and “force” the court to throw him in jail, by quoting the Fox News host.

Jesse Watters came under fire earlier this week for profiling juror number two, sharing possibly identifying information published by a myriad of reporters but then using that information to pass judgment on her ability to serve.

“I’m not so sure about juror number two,” Watters concluded on Fox News.

Jurors, at the judge’s direction, were to remain anonymous, for their protection and the protection of the trial.

The judge excused her, after she said she felt she was not able to be impartial because friends and family were calling her asking if she had been chosen to serve on the Trump trial, after the media blitz.

New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan admonished the press for reporting the information, but some news outlets appeared to ignore his warning.

Watters on Wednesday “did a segment with a jury consultant, revealing details about people who had been seated on the jury and questioning whether some were ‘stealth liberals’ who would be out to convict Trump,” the Associated Press reported.

READ MORE: Gaetz: ‘Corrupt’ Republicans Could ‘Take a Bribe’ and Throw House to Dems, Blocking Trump Run

Trump later posted Watters’ quote on his Truth Social platform, leading some, including New York prosecutors, to ask the judge to cite him for allegedly breaking his gag order.

Judge Merchan ordered Trump to not mention witnesses, jurors, prosecutors, court staff, or the family members of prosecutors and court staff, CNN has reported.

New York prosecutors told Juge Merchan Trump has violated the gag order at least ten times.

“Prosecutor Christopher Conroy described the ‘most disturbing’ example as a social media message Trump posted on Wednesday evening quoting a Fox News host as saying, ‘They are catching undercover Liberal Activists lying to the Judge in order to get on the Trump Jury,'” Politico reports.

That host was Jesse Watters.

RELATED: ‘Afraid and Intimidated’: Trump Trial Juror Targeted by Fox News Dismissed

Friday afternoon, Watters appeared to egg Trump on, urging the ex-president to violate the gag order.

“I would make them put me in jail,” Watters said on Fox News. “I would have a tweet about something perhaps I said on ‘The Five’ or ‘Jesse Watters Primetime,’ and I would force them to throw me in jail.”

Watch Watters’ remark below or at this link.

 

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Gaetz: ‘Corrupt’ Republicans Could ‘Take a Bribe’ and Throw House to Dems, Blocking Trump Run

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11 hours ago

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April 19, 2024

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U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) says some of his fellow House Republicans would “take a bribe” to throw the razor-thin GOP majority to the Democrats if a far-right faction calls up a motion to oust Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, allowing Democrats to hand the gavel to the Minority Leader, Hakeem Jeffries. he warned if that happens, Democrats would immediately declare Trump ineligible to be President, pack the U.S. Supreme Court, and pass numerous laws like the American Rescue Plan.

“I do believe in a one seat majority there could be one or two or three of my colleagues who would take a bribe in one form or another in order to deprive the Republicans of a majority at all,” Gaetz said Friday on his podcast (video below.)

He added, “the risk that one or two of my corrupt Republican colleagues might take a bribe, take a walk, feign an ailment and flip this thing to the Democrats is a risk that is too high for me at this time.”

Gaetz’s fellow far-right Florida Republican member of Congress, Anna Paulina Luna, told listeners, “I heard that when, if and when the motion vacate is introduced, that there will be immediate resignations of a couple of more moderate members of Congress. And in the event that that happens, that ultimately means it does go to a Democrat speaker.”

RELATED: Jeffries Vows Democrats Will Ensure Ukraine Aid Passes as Johnson Defectors Grow

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) last month filed a “motion to vacate,” which she can use at any time to force a vote to oust the GOP Speaker, Mike Johnson. U.S. Rep. Tim Massie (R-KY) and just today, U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) has signed on as co-sponsors.

Congressman Gaetz told listeners if Democrats do take the House through a force vote to remove Johnson, Democrats would “be declaring Donald Trump an insurrectionist and setting up a barrier to him being able to become the president United States.”

“That’ll be their leadoff hitter, and then the chaser to that shot will be a massive spending package that looks a lot more like the American Rescue Plan. They will blow past every concept of every cap ever imagined. You’ll be looking at Universal Basic Income, you could be looking at packing the Supreme Court.”

Watch a short clip of Gaetz’s remarks below or at this link.

READ MORE: ‘Stop Bringing Up Nazis and Hitler’: Marjorie Taylor Greene Smacked Down by Democrats

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Jeffries Vows Democrats Will Ensure Ukraine Aid Passes as Johnson Defectors Grow

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13 hours ago

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April 19, 2024

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Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries vowed Friday the majority of Democrats will support Republicans’ Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and Gaza foreign aid legislation as Republican Speaker Mike Johnson lost support of another member of his conference to a faction determined to oust him.

“Democrats will provide a majority of our majority as it relates to funding Israel, humanitarian assistance, Ukraine, and our allies in the Indo Pacific,” Minority Leader Jeffries said. “It remains to be seen what Republicans will do in terms of meeting the national security needs of the American people, but it was important for House Democrats to ensure that the national security bills are going to be considered.”

Despite Republicans having a one-vote majority, more Democrats on Friday voted to move the critical and long-awaited foreign aid bills forward than did Republicans.

READ MORE: ‘Stop Bringing Up Nazis and Hitler’: Marjorie Taylor Greene Smacked Down by Democrats

The 316-94 vote included 165 Democrats and 151 Republicans voting yes, and 55 Republicans and 39 Democrats voting no.

Axios’ Juliegrace Brufke posted the list of Republicans voting against their party’s legislation.

Calling it a “rare” moment in modern congressional history to have to rely on opposition party votes to pass legislation, BBC News reports Speaker Johnson’s “hold on power is tenuous, and the legislators who oppose him – and his bid to provide aid to Ukraine – occupy some key positions within the House’s power structure.”

Amid the procedural vote to move the foreign aid funding bills forward, U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar, a far-right Republican of Arizona, announced he is joining Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), and Congressman Tim Massie (R-KY) in formally announcing their will vote to oust Speaker Johnson.

Gosar, like Greene, is reportedly a Christian nationalist. In 2022 CNN reported his “lengthy ties to White nationalists, [a] pro-Nazi blogger and far-right fringe received little pushback for years.”

RELATED: ‘Repercussions’: Democrats and Republicans Stand Against ‘Pro-Putin’ House GOP Faction

“We’ve been very honest in our assessment of the situation from the beginning,” Jeffries on Friday also declared. “At the appropriate time as House Democrats, we will have a conversation about how to deal with any hypothetical motion to vacate.”

“Moscow Marjorie Taylor Greene, Massie, and Gosar are quite a group. But central to our conversation is to make sure that the national security legislation in totality is passed by the House of Representatives.”

Watch the videos above or at this link.

 

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