New details have been released in the investigation of former Florida State Sen Frank Artiles (R) over his involvement in running “scam” campaigns in an attempt to disrupt the 2020 election.

With his trial expected to begin August 30, prosecutors are firming up their case against the former GOP lawmaker in a political corruption case the Tampa Bay Times reports, “has roped in prominent players across Florida over the last several months, including a GOP-linked research firm in Gainesville, a top not-for-profit Miami hospital network and a veteran Republican operative who leads a Tallahassee-based political organization.”

According to the Miami Herald, new revelations show that Florida political operative Alex Alvarado — linked to Artiles — was funneling money to sham campaign officials in an effort to disrupt key 2020 state Senate elections.

The report notes that “documents released late Friday, provide new details into the breadth of the criminal investigation into Artiles and his longtime acquaintance, Alexis Pedro Rodriguez.”

“Prosecutors say Rodriguez was recruited by Artiles and paid some $44,000 to change his party affiliation from Republican to no party to qualify on the ballot and attempt to sway the outcome of the Miami-Dade Senate District 37 election. GOP candidate Illeana Garcia won the race by 32 votes. Rodriguez, who shared the same surname as the Democratic incumbent, received more than 6,000 votes,” the Herald reports. “Between June 15 and November 15, 2020, Artiles was under contract to work for veteran Republican political operative Pat Bainter for $15,000 a month, court documents show. Bainter paid Artiles $90,000 and reimbursed him for his travel, a courier service and $4,000 for ‘research,’ according to those documents.”

As part of the scam, one woman who was pregnant and desperate for money agreed to take $1,500 to chair a political committee with no plans to have her do any work.

In testimony 25-year-old Hailey DeFilippis, explained to investigators she was listed as the chair of “The Truth, a dark-money-funded political committee that spent $180,000 on political mail advertisements promoting sham candidates in key 2020 state Senate elections — two in Miami-Dade and one in Central Florida.”

She was later paid $2,500 more for the “inconvenience” after reporters called up asking about the group.

“Artiles signed a contract with Bainter on June 9, 2020. The next day, Rodriguez met Artiles at Artiles’ Palmetto Bay residence to fill out campaign forms, according to investigators who noted in an arrest affidavit that Rodriguez had ‘no prior knowledge as to what forms needed to be completed to qualify as a candidate for elected office and relied on Artiles’ instructions.,'” the report adds. “Neither Bainter nor Gardner have responded to phone calls or emails seeking comment since the Herald learned they were served subpoenas. The powerful GOP-linked research firm, based in Gainesville, also served as a general consultant for Republican Senate campaigns during the 2020 election cycle.”

You can read more here.

A member of the “incel” movement has been arrested for stocking up on weapons and plotting the mass slaughter of sorority women at an Ohio college campus.

The United States Department of Justice announced on Wednesday that 21-year-old Hillsboro, Ohio resident Tres Genco was arrested by federal agents after they learned of his alleged plot to go on a shooting spree of women at the college.

The DOJ notes that the suspect left a long trail of self-incriminating evidence, including multiple posts he made to a website frequented by incels, a term for men who are involuntarily celibate.

“Genco also allegedly wrote a manifesto, stating he would ‘slaughter’ women ‘out of hatred, jealousy and revenge…’ and referring to death as the ‘great equalizer,'” the DOJ claims. “As part of this investigation, law enforcement agents discovered a note of Genco’s that indicated he hoped to ‘aim big’ for a kill count of 3,000 people and intended to attend military training. Searches of Genco’s electronics revealed that the day he wrote his manifesto, he searched online for sororities and a university in Ohio.”

Federal investigators also found that Genco in 2019 purchased “tactical gloves, a bulletproof vest… a bowie knife, a skull facemask, two Glock 17 magazines, a 9mm Glock 17 clip and a holster clip concealed carry for a Glock.”

Genco also did internet searches in which he asked questions such as “how to plan a shooting crime” and “when does preparing for a crime become attempt?”

Read the DOJ’s full press release at this link.

The Trump Organization and its Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg found themselves in hot water this week when the Manhattan DA revealed an indictment alleging a pattern of criminal financial conduct dating back more than a decade.

While it comes as no surprise that the Trump Organization remains a major topic of discussion today, legal experts, observers, and Twitter users are also puzzled by the public comments about the matter from one person who probably should have been silent: Eric Trump.

Under normal circumstances, people under the heat of criminal investigation are well-advised to refrain from making any remarks about the matter. But the former president’s son didn’t heed that counsel.

Speaking with Fox News, Eric Trump made a number of incriminating remarks that led many to believe that his father’s company is actually guilty of doing what it has been accused of. At one point during his appearance on Fox News, Eric criticized the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office as he accused them of “focusing on $3.5 million to take down a political opponent” as he insisted “crime ‘is rampant’ and people are leaving ‘dirty’ and ‘disgusting’ New York City ‘in record numbers.'”

“I mean, this is what they do, this is New York state for you,” Eric claimed. “This is worse than a banana republic. It’s truly horrible.”

Does the lawyer for the indicted company that Eric is an EVP at know he’s on TV? pic.twitter.com/7udDv0VO41

— Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) July 2, 2021

He even went a step further by weighing in on the alleged scheme the company is accused of. He dismissed the allegations describing the alleged kickbacks as nothing more than “employment perks.” But that’s conceding exactly the point at issue: The DA argues that the Trump Organization paid Weisselberg using these “perks” — such as renting him an apartment in New York City — to compensate him and avoid paying taxes. That’s a crime, and calling the non-salary benefits “employment perks” doesn’t reduce culpability. It confirms the prosecutors’ account of events.

It didn’t take long for viewers to began weighing in via Twitter.

“If you are on the Trump Organization’s legal team, are you encouraging this?” Suarez asked. “Are you quietly sending emails and texts urging them to not say much for a while? “I’m not Hunter Biden” will not be admissible at trial.”

If you are on the Trump Organization’s legal team, are you encouraging this? Are you quietly sending emails and texts urging them to not say much for a while? “I’m not Hunter Biden” will not be admissible at trial.

— Ray Suarez (@RaySuarezNews) July 2, 2021

Attorney Bradley P. Moss wrote, “Clearly, no one at Trump Org has told the nepotism hires that commenting on the criminal matter is unwise. Run your mouth, Eric. Run your mouth.”

Clearly no one at Trump Org has told the nepotism hires that commenting on the criminal matter is unwise. Run your mouth, Eric. Run your mouth. pic.twitter.com/iulouUmiAn

— Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) July 2, 2021

Guardian reporter Van Badham also had a message for Eric as she pointed out, “These things you are admitting to are against the law. That makes them criminal.”

Dear @EricTrump,

These things you are admitting to are against the law. That makes them criminal.

Xx Van https://t.co/UM6J4Ln3SX

— Van Badham (@vanbadham) July 2, 2021

“These are corporate perks” means THEY ARE INCOME YOU HAVE TO DECLARE. Yes! This is widely known! https://t.co/V2VyWLS7NG

— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) July 2, 2021

Does the lawyer for the indicted company that Eric is an EVP at know he’s on TV? pic.twitter.com/7udDv0VO41

— Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) July 2, 2021

And then there’s the whole part about intentionally hiding it all from the IRS…ya know, normal perks.

— Cody Moffitt (@CodyMoffitt1) July 2, 2021