Judge who drew calls for impeachment over DOGE ruling assigned to Maxwell transcript case
U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer in Manhattan was assigned to the case on Monday. Maxwell's trial judge, Alison Nathan, is now a federal appellate judge.
The assignment came three days after the U.S. government sought to unseal grand jury transcripts related to Epstein, the disgraced financier and sex offender who died by suicide in 2019 in jail after being charged with sex trafficking.
In a Friday court filing, the Department of Justice said the criminal cases against Epstein and Maxwell are a matter of public interest, justifying the release of associated grand jury transcripts.
Backers of conspiracy theories about Epstein have urged President Donald Trump to release a broad array of investigative files related to Epstein, not just grand jury transcripts.
Separately, U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles in Miami was assigned on Monday to preside over Trump's $10-billion lawsuit accusing The Wall Street Journal of defaming him by claiming he created a lewd birthday greeting for Epstein in 2003.
Dow Jones, which publishes the Journal and is part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp (NWSA.O), opens new tab, said it will defend against the lawsuit, and had "full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting." News Corp and Murdoch are also defendants.
Engelmayer and Gayles were appointed to the bench by Democratic President Barack Obama.
U.S. District Judge Richard Berman, an appointee of Democratic President Bill Clinton, will oversee the government's request for transcripts in Epstein's criminal case.
Many Trump supporters view the judiciary as an impediment to the Republican president's policy and personal goals.
Each case could take several months or longer to resolve, followed by possible appeals.
Engelmayer, 64, came under fire and drew Musk's scorn in February after temporarily blocking Musk's Department of Government Efficiency from accessing Treasury systems.
Congressman Derrick Van Orden, a Wisconsin Republican, said impeachment was justified because the judge played politics in his decision, "demonstrating clear bias and prejudice against the president and the 74,000,000 Americans who voted for him."
Judicial impeachments are rare and normally reserved for serious misconduct, not disapproval of individual rulings.
Any unsealed transcripts are likely to be redacted, reflecting privacy or security concerns.
Gayles, 58, has been on the federal bench since 2014, after the U.S. Senate approved his nomination by a 98-0 vote.
The Wall Street Journal case is at least the second Trump lawsuit he has overseen.
Gayles presided in 2023 over Trump's $500-million lawsuit accusing former personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen of breaching fiduciary duties by revealing confidences and spreading falsehoods in books, podcasts, and media appearances.
Trump voluntarily dismissed that case after six months. The lawyer who filed that case also filed the Journal lawsuit.
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The Independent
11 minutes ago
- The Independent
Muslim leaders increase security after vandalism reports at Texas and California mosques
After a spate of vandalism reports involving graffiti at a few mosques in Texas and California, Muslim leaders there have stepped up existing efforts to keep their sacred spaces and community members safe. The incidents and subsequent hypervigilance add to what many American Muslims say has already been a charged climate amid the fallout in the U.S. from the Israel-Hamas war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and devastated Gaza. The war started in October 2023 with a deadly attack by Hamas on Israel. 'The past two years have been extremely difficult for American Muslims,' said Edward Ahmed Mitchell, national deputy director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization. A constant stream of images showing the death, destruction and ongoing starvation in Gaza has taken a toll, said Mitchell, as has a rise in anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian bigotry in the U.S. He pointed to one of the most egregious examples of that bigotry: After the war started, an Illinois man killed a 6-year-old Palestinian American Muslim boy and wounded his mother in a hate-crime attack. Worry and frustration The recent vandalism reports have left some worried and frustrated — but not entirely surprised. 'Since October 2023, we've definitely seen rise in Islamophobia,' said Rawand Abdelghani, who is on the board of directors of Nueces Mosque, one of the affected mosques in Austin, Texas. 'Anti-Palestinian, anti-immigrant, all of that rhetoric that's being said … it has contributed to things like this happening.' Nueces security footage showed someone, their face partially covered, spray-painting what appears to be Star of David symbols at the property. CAIR Austin said similar incidents were reported at two other Austin mosques. They all seemingly happened on the same night in May, in what the group described as part of 'a disturbing pattern of hate-motivated incidents.' It called for increased security patrols and protective measures. Shaimaa Zayan, CAIR Austin operations manager, called them an intimidation attempt. Less than two weeks earlier, someone had spray-painted graffiti at the Islamic Center of Southern California, including the Star of David on an outer wall there, center spokesperson Omar Ricci said. 'In light of what's going on within Palestine and the genocide in Gaza, it felt like an attack,' said Ricci, who's also a reserve Los Angeles Police Department officer. Some specifics remained unresolved. The LAPD said it opened a vandalism/hate crime investigation and added extra patrols, but added it has neither a suspect nor a motive and noted that nonreligious spaces were also targeted. The Austin Police Department did not respond to Associated Press inquiries. Nueces had already increased its security camera use following three incidents last year, including someone throwing rocks at the mosque, Abdelghani said. After the May vandalism, it also added overnight security, she added. Nueces serves many university students and is considered a 'home away from home,' Abdelghani said. It's where they learn about their faith, meet other Muslims and find refuge, including during tense times, like when some students got arrested amid campus protests last year, she added. CAIR says that in 2024, its offices nationwide received 8,658 complaints, the highest number it has recorded since its first civil rights report in 1996. It listed employment discrimination as the most common in 2024. The group says last year, U.S. Muslims, along with others of different backgrounds, 'were targeted due to their anti-genocide … viewpoints.' Referencing former President Joe Biden, the CAIR report said that for 'the second year in a row, the Biden-backed Gaza genocide drove a wave of Islamophobia in the United States.' Israel has strongly rejected allegations it's committing genocide in Gaza, where its war with Hamas has killed more than 59,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. The initial Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, killed some 1,200 people, while about 250 were abducted. Tensions in multiple spaces The war has fueled tensions in myriad U.S. settings. After it started, Muslim and Jewish civil rights groups reported a surge of harassment, bias and physical assaults reports against their community members. Pew Research Center in February 2024 found that 70% of U.S. Muslims and nearly 90% of U.S. Jews surveyed say they felt an increase in discrimination against their respective communities since the war began. More recently, leaders of U.S. Jewish institutions have called for more help with security after a firebomb attack in Colorado on demonstrators showing support for Israeli hostages in Gaza that left one person killed and others injured, as well as a fatal shooting of two Israeli Embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington, D.C. Politically, the conflict loomed over last year's presidential election, leaving many pro-Palestinian U.S. voters feeling ignored by their own government's support for Israel. It has roiled campuses and sparked debates over free speech and where political rhetoric crosses into harassment and discrimination. There've been bitter disagreements, including among some Jewish Americans, about exactly what the definition of antisemitism should cover, and whether certain criticism of Israeli policies and Zionism should be included. That debate further intensified as President Donald Trump's administration sought to deport some foreign-born pro-Palestinian campus activists. The Islamic Center of Southern California has been targeted before, including vandalism in 2023 and separate threats that authorities said in 2016 were made by a man who was found with multiple weapons in his home. Incidents like the latest one cause concern, Ricci said. 'People see that it's not going to take very much to spark something in the city,' he said. 'There's a lot of emotion. There's a lot of passion' on both the pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli sides. Salam Al-Marayati, president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, said 'if people think they can get away with graffiti, then the next step is to firebomb a mosque or even go attack worshippers.' Opening doors and receiving support Al-Marayati and others praised how many have shown support for the affected Muslim communities. 'The best preparation is what we did in Los Angeles and that's to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our allies and be there for one another,' he said. In Texas, a gathering at Nueces brought together neighbors and others, including Christians and Jews, to paint over the vandalism, clean up the property and garden, Zayan said. 'It was beautiful,' she said. 'It's really important to open your doors and open your heart and invite people and to rebuild this trust and connection,' she said. 'For non-Muslims, it was a great opportunity for them to show their love and support. They really wanted to do something.' ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Daily Mirror
11 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
MIKEY SMITH: 7 wild Donald Trump moments as protests rage against Scotland visit
The weather is breezy with occasional drizzle, which may dampen his hopes of a few rounds of golf - while angry protesters tell him to go home Hello from Turnberry, Scotland where Donald Trump is enjoying the first day of a nice, relaxing holiday. The weather is breezy with occasional drizzle, which may dampen his hopes of a few rounds of golf. But hey, at least he gets to spend tomorrow with EU chief Ursula Von Der Leyen and Monday with Keir Starmer. He arrived late last night on Air Force One at Prestwick Airport, before being whisked down the coat 35 miles or so to the resort in a huge motorcade, headed up by the infamous Beast limousine. He's already been spotted driving a motorcade of golf carts around the course this morning. So far the locals I've spoken to are mostly ...'meh' about Trump's arrival. A handful have said they like the guy because he presumably brings money to the area. Other long-term residents told me the course has never made much money anyway. Which was true until last year - when it went from a profit of £186,000 in 2023 to £3.8 million. Here's what's happened since Trump World arrived in Scotland that you need to know about. 1. Trump claims he was never given a briefing about his name being in the Epstein files On the tarmac at Prestwick airport last night, Trump claimed he had never been given a briefing that indicated his name was included in the Epstein files. That directly contradicts reporting from the Wall Street Journal earlier in the week, which said he'd been given such a briefing in May - and was told his name appeared multiple times. And he said himself last weekend that he'd been given a short briefing by Attorney General Pam Bondi - but indicated at the time that his name was not in there. 2. He got a few strokes in before the rain Trump was spotted on the golf course at Turnberry getting a bit of peace before it started raining. A major security operation has surrounded US President Donald Trump as starts his private visit to Scotland. The president headed to his Trump Turnberry resort - which he bought in 2014 - after arriving in the country on Friday night. On Saturday morning he was seen on the golf course there, wearing a white cap and driving a golf buggy. Ahead of that, a large number of police and military personnel have been spotted searching the grounds at the venue in South Ayrshire. Various road closures have been put in place, with limited access for both locals and members of the media. Having seen how the President is protected in the US, I'm confident saying the exclusion zone around the resort is larger and the police presence greater than anything he gets in the States. Normally around 300 secret service agents travel with the President, backed up by teams from local law enforcement and specialised teams. But the estimated number of police assigned to Turnberry this weekend is reportedly around 5,000 - which is more officers than protect the White House. 3. Protests planned, but maybe not on Trump's doorstep Co-ordinated anti-Trump protests are being held in Edinburgh and Aberdeen today to mark the US President's arrival. A rally outside the US consulate in Edinburgh kicked off at noon. In Aberdeen, the group that gathered in the city centre were seen waving banners with anti-Trump slogans - with one demonstrator even dressed as the president with a large papier mache head. Some members of the crowd also showed their support for Palestine, waving Palestine flags. 4. He really doesn't want to talk about giving Ghislaine Maxwell a pardon After he was a little vague before leaving Washington about the prospect of a pardon for convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell , who was paedophile Jeffrey Epstein's madam for many years, Trump swerved the question yet further on arrival in Scotland. He claimed he had "not really been following" his Justice Department's two-day re-interview with Maxwell in prison - which was being conducted by his former personal lawyer, now Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. "A lot of people have been asking me about pardons," he said. "Obviously, this is no time to be talking about pardons. "You're making a very big thing over something that's not a big thing." It also emerged last night that Maxwell had been given "limited immunity" in the meetings with Blanche - meaning she can't be prosecuted over anything she reveals in them, so long as she tells the truth. Her attorney David Oscar Markus - who is a friend of Mr Blanche, and appeared on his podcast last year - said Maxwell "answered those questions honestly, truthfully, to the best of her ability." He added: "She never invoked a privilege. She never refused to answer a question, so we're very proud of her." Maxwell, whom he is proud of, is serving 20 years for five counts of sex trafficking. 5. Cancel the windmills! Among other topics Trump decided to be more angry about than Jeffrey Epstein upon his arrival in Scotland was the preponderance of renewable energy sources in Europe. Trump's war on windmills started in Scotland, remember - back when he had a lengthy legal battle with the Scottish government over the windmills visible from his Aberdeenshire course. And he's basically been radicalised on the subject, and will believe any nonsense conspiracy theory about them killing whales and giving people earache or whatever. Last night he said to European leaders: "Stop the windmills. You're ruining your countries. I really mean it. It's so sad. You fly over and you see these windmills all over the place, ruining your beautiful fields and valleys and killing your birds and if they're stuck in the ocean, ruining your oceans." Because windmills are so much more ugly than, for example, large coal mines or oil fields. Get Donald Trump updates straight to your WhatsApp! As the world attempts to keep up with Trump's antics, the Mirror has launched its very own US Politics WhatsApp community where you'll get all the latest news from across the pond. We'll send you the latest breaking updates and exclusives all directly to your phone. Users must download or already have WhatsApp on their phones to join in. All you have to do to join is click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! We may also send you stories from other titles across the Reach group. We will also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. 6. The trade deal is 'done' Trump was asked at the airport what the remaining sticking points were in the trade deal with the UK. He said there aren't any, suggesting there won't be any future changes. This will be a disappointment to the government, who were still kind of hoping there'd be some wriggle room on the 10% blanket tariffs. Despite Trump's words last night, a Downing Street source said the two leaders would discuss trade as part of their meetings on Monday. Asked what they'd be discussing, if not the trade deal, Trump said: "We're going to do a little celebrating because we get along very well." 7. Eric's coming, look busy I spoke to a shopkeeper near Trump's golf course last night, who gave a fascinating insight into the President's visits to Turnberry. "You can tell Eric's coming," he said, referring to Trump's son, who is joining the President on the trip. "Because of how the staff are acting." What did he mean by that? "They know Eric's really in charge of the resort, not Donald, and he's very particular so they're all more scared of him."
Daily Mail
13 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
David Letterman slams CBS over Stephen Colbert exit
David Letterman has backed his successor Stephen Colbert and suggested CBS canceled The Late Show because he was 'always shooting his mouth off' about Donald Trump. The 78-year-old late-night legend created The Late Show in 1993 after NBC denied him the chance to succeed Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show. Colbert took over for Letterman in 2015 and took the show in a decidedly more political direction. But despite leading in the ratings, a shrinking late-night landscape led CBS to claim losses in the tens of millions of dollars. In his first comment on the show's cancellation, Letterman noted that Colbert's show was more about political satire than his version of The Late Show, but was still complimentary, calling the decision by CBS 'pure cowardice.' 'I think one day, if not today, the people at CBS who have manipulated and handled this, they're going to be embarrassed, because this is gutless,' he told former Late Show producers Barbara Gaines and Mary Barclay. Letterman then said that he believed CBS was acting on behalf of Skydance CEO and incoming Paramount CEO David Ellison to make their lives easier after acquiring Paramount, taking away a constant critic of Trump. 'Hey boys, here's what we're gonna do: not only are we gonna get rid of that guy, we're gonna get rid of the entire franchise so you don't have to worry about another guy. It's gone,' Letterman said. The longtime talk show host noted CBS's $16 million settlement with the Trump administration over a deceptively edited interview with election rival Kamala Harris, which Colbert had previously mocked as a 'big fat bribe.' He also referred to Ellison as a 'bottom feeder,' saying he should've bought a Dairy Queen instead of a television network. 'Stay out of this business.' He also tore into accusations that the show lost so much money, with both Gaines and Barclay saying they had cut budgets to help the network several times when they were at CBS. 'You're telling me losing this kind of money happened yesterday? I bet they were losing this kind of money a month ago, six weeks ago, or they have never been losing money,' he said. Letterman noted that despite the show supposedly losing tons of money, CBS is allowing Colbert to stay on the air for the next ten months. 'That's another huge chunk of money they're gonna lose according to them. I don't think it was money. I think it was all to make sure the Ellisons were solid spending Dad's money,' he said, referring to Ellison's father, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison. He said of the treatment of Colbert: 'They did not handle Stephen Colbert, the face of that network, in the way he deserves to have been handled.' Letterman echoed Colbert's own joking words from earlier this week when the former Comedy Central comic called himself 'a martyr.' 'For Stephen, I love this: he's a martyr, good for him. If you listen carefully, you can hear them unfolding chairs at the Hall of Fame for his induction,' he joked. Ultimately, he said he envies the position Colbert is now in with his liberal viewers. 'I only wish this could've happened to me. This would've been so great for me. Now we've all gotta kiss Stephen Colbert's ring now,' he quipped. The comedian's decade-long run as host of CBS's late-night flagship will end next May, with network insiders suggesting the top-rated show was canceled because it was losing anywhere from $40 to $100 million per year. Trump posted a celebration on Truth Social when the news was announced, saying, 'I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings.' Colbert, who briefly addressed the move the day of its announcement, devoted much of his Monday show to the controversy, eventually uniting with almost every other liberal late-night talk show host in a show of support, as well as Adam Sandler and even Lin-Manuel Miranda. The 61-year-old comic opened after a standing ovation and lengthy applause from the New York City crowd by saying 'cancel culture has gone too far'—then joked that now the show is ending, he can say whatever he feels. Colbert said sarcastically of Paramount: 'They made one mistake, they left me alive! For the next ten months, the gloves are off!' He then referenced Trump's comments, turned to an 'Eloquence Cam' and said: 'How dare you, sir? Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism? Go f*** yourself.' He also addressed Trump's claim that Jimmy Kimmel is next, replying: 'Nope, no, no. Absolutely not. Kimmel, I am the martyr. There's only room for one on this cross. And the view is fantastic from up here. I can see your house!' He went on to say that cancellation meant he could finally admit what he felt about the president. In contrast to his often over-the-top anti-Trump monologues, he dryly said: 'I don't care for him. Doesn't seem to have the skill set to be president. Just not a good fit, that's all.' He addressed his bosses at CBS—who he said 'have always been great partners'—before turning to Paramount's decision to cancel the show. 'How could it be a purely financial decision if The Late Show is number one in ratings? A lot of folks are asking that question, mainly my staff's parents and spouses.' He quipped: 'I could see us losing $24 million but where would Paramount have possibly spent the other $16 million, oh…'—naming the amount the company settled with Trump over his 60 Minutes lawsuit. He returned to mocking Trump and the recent news accusing him of writing a 'bawdy' letter to Jeffrey Epstein for his 50th birthday. 'I'll have more to say about all this after the commercial break. The only other story is a small one... the president is buddies with a pedophile.' Puck journalist Matthew Belloni revealed Colbert's 'lack of profitability' Friday, hours after CNN first broke the news that the show was canceled because it was in the red. Belloni outlined how The Late Show—whose cancellation was announced last Thursday—costs $100 million a year to produce, with Colbert getting paid between $15 and $20 million a year.
