Latest news with #Barrasso
The Herald Scotland
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Zion Williamson: Lawsuit accuses Pelicans star of rape, abuse and more
The accuser, who filed the lawsuit under the name Jane Doe, said the incidents occurred at a residence Williamson rented in Beverly Hills, California, during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. She is requesting a jury trial as well as exemplary and punitive damages. The lawsuit says the plaintiff and Williamson dated from 2018 to 2023, beginning when he was a freshman at Duke University, and the abuse during the relationship was "sexual, physical, emotional, and financial in nature." "We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and we unequivocally deny them. The allegations contained in the complaint are categorically false and and reckless," Williamson's attorneys from the law firm Barrasso, Usdin, Kupperman, Freeman & Sarver said in a statement obtained by USA TODAY Sports. "Mr. Williamson and the plaintiff never dated, but did maintain a consensual, casual relationship that began more than six years ago, when he was 18 years old. That relationship ended years ago. At no point during or immediately after that relationship did the plaintiff raise any concerns. Only after the friendship ended did she begin demanding millions of dollars. "Mr. Williamson reported the plaintiff's extortion attempts to law enforcement. We understand that an arrest warrant was issued in connection with that report, and we are prepared to provide the court with documentation that supports these facts. Mr. Williamson also intends to file counterclaims and seek significant damages for this defamatory lawsuit." The lawsuit says Williamson assaulted the woman twice -- once in September of 2020 and again the following month -- and that Williamson "continued to abuse, rape, assault and batter Plaintiff in California and other states, including Louisiana and Texas, until the relationship ended in 2023." According to the lawsuit, the two-time All-Star threatened the accuser by saying his security guard would shoot her "in the head while the security guard was present and carrying a loaded firearm multiple times in Louisiana between 2020 and 2023," and "threatening to have his paid security guard kill Plaintiff's parents, after informing Plaintiff that he knows their home address multiple times in Louisiana between 2020 and 2023." Williamson allegedly took the plaintiff's car keys, phone, and laptop without her consent, pointed a loaded firearm at the plaintiff's head, and filmed sexual encounters between the two, threatening to release videos after she wanted to end the relationship, according to the lawsuit. "When many of the wrongful acts were committed against Plaintiff, Defendant was either drunk or on cocaine," according to the complaint. "As a direct and proximate result of Defendant's conduct, Plaintiff has suffered severe emotional distress, anxiety, depression, humiliation, loss of sleep, and other physical and emotional injuries." The plaintiff's lawyer told USA TODAY Sports: ""We and our client do not want to litigate this case in the press. These are very serious allegations." Williamson averaged 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists this NBA season, in only 30 games due to injuries, including a lower back bone contusion. Williamson just completed the second season of a five-year, $197 million and is set to make nearly $40 million during the 2025-26 season. The final three years of his contract are not guaranteed. "While these allegations are false, we recognize the seriousness of the claims and welcome the opportunity to prove the truth in court," Williamson's attorneys said. "We are confident that the legal process will expose the truth and fully vindicate Mr. Williamson."
Axios
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Inside the Senate GOP's push to ignore the parliamentarian
Senate GOP Whip John Barrasso urged his colleagues in a closed door lunch on Tuesday to ignore the GAO and Senate rule keeper to undo a California energy policy, Axios has learned. Why it matters: Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) did not announce any final decision. But Barrasso (R-Wyo.) told reporters after the meeting that the Senate will vote on the controversial measure next week. How and when exactly this will all go down is still unclear. Driving the news: Barrasso and Senate Environment and Public Works Chair Shelley Moore Capito ( gave presentations at the lunch, arguing for moving forward with the CRA to undo a California waiver that would eventually ban gas-powered vehicles, attendees tell Axios. At least one key player backed them up: Rules Chair Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), a vocal defender of Senate precedent and the filibuster, sources said. Most GOP senators expressed support, though some still have questions. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) told reporters that she would be meeting with Capito to discuss the move today. "I certainly support the intent of it. There's some procedural issues," she said. Between the lines: Democratic leaders are warning already that such a move would amount to a "nuclear option," blowing up how the Senate can use the Congressional Review Act to undo all kind of policies. "Republicans are now considering overruling Ms. MacDonough, essentially going nuclear and throwing out the rule book in order to get their way," Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) wrote in a Tuesday Wall Street Journal op-ed.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
John Barrasso Doesn't Expect Habeas Corpus Suspension To Come Before Congress
Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) on Sunday weighed in on the Trump administration's efforts to suspend habeas corpus to advance its goal of ramping up deportations, saying he does not expect the issue to come before Congress. During a press conference last week, White House deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser Stephen Miller said President Donald Trump's team is 'actively looking' at suspending the constitutional provision, which guarantees that individuals are able to physically appear in front of a judge if they are detained, due to a supposed immigrant invasion at the southern border of the U.S. 'The Constitution is clear — and that of course is the supreme law of the land — that the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus can be suspended in a time of invasion,' Miller said. In an interview with NBC's 'Meet the Press,' Barrasso, the Senate majority whip, did not directly answer whether he would vote in favor of a suspension if the issue ever came before the U.S. Senate. 'I don't believe this is going to come to Congress,' Barrasso said. 'What I believe is the president is going to follow the law. He has said it repeatedly.' Congress is the only body with the power to suspend the writ, according to legal scholars. Habeas corpus has been suspended just four times since the Constitution was ratified, according to the National Constitution Center, a nonprofit organization focused on constitutional education and debate. Barrasso also seemed to suggest that Trump's relentless attacks on the courts are justified. 'The president has now seen judges, district judges, radical district judges using their courts to set national standards making it harder for the president to deport individuals, criminals,' Barrasso said. 'And I stand with the president.' Earlier this year, the administration invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, a law that gives the president broad powers to detain and deport foreigners, as justification to deport Venezuelans without due process. Courts have repeatedly ruled against the president on the issue with U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein telling Trump's lawyers last week that they have failed to prove there's an 'invasion' or 'predatory inclusion' that would warrant invoking the measure. Maggie Haberman Explains Why Trump Administration Will Struggle To Suspend Habeas Corpus AOC Says There Will Be Hell To Pay If Dems Are Arrested For ICE Protest Stephen Miller Says Trump Administration Is 'Actively Looking' At Suspending Habeas Corpus
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Barrasso: ‘I don't believe' suggested habeas corpus suspension will ‘come to Congress'
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said he doesn't believe that the White House's suggested habeas corpus suspension will reach Congress. During an appearance on NBC's 'Meet The Press' on Sunday, host Kristen Welker mentioned statements made by White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller last week in which he said President Trump and his team are 'actively looking at' suspending habeas corpus as part of the administration's immigration crackdown. A writ of habeas corpus compels authorities to produce the person they are holding and to justify their confinement. At first, Barrasso seemingly dodged the question, saying Trump 'will follow the law,' adding that he stands with the president. When Welker asked Barrasso if he would vote to suspend habeas corpus, he repeated that the president will 'follow the law.' However, Welker asked a third time if Barrasso would suspend habeas corpus, explicitly asking for a yes or no answer; he replied that he didn't believe the suggestion would make it to Congress. 'I don't believe this is going to come to Congress,' he said. 'What I believe is the president is going to follow the law. He has said it repeatedly.' Habeas corpus has been critical for migrants' pending deportations under the Alien Enemies Act. It was used by detained students Rümeysa Öztürk and Mahmoud Khalil to challenge their detention. The act is a rarely used 18th-century power Trump cited to deport Venezuelan nationals he's accused of being gang members to a notorious mega-prison in El Salvador. Former federal prosecutor Jeffrey Toobin said the suggestion would be 'such a wild step.' 'The only time a president has done it unilaterally without the authorization of Congress was Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, when Congress wasn't even in session and couldn't ratify what he was doing,' he said on Saturday. Journalist Maggie Haberman also criticized the idea, saying Saturday that it is likely a way to strike fear in migrants and intimidate courts. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sen. John Barrasso dodges when asked whether he would support suspending habeas corpus
Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., dodged multiple questions on Sunday about whether he would support suspending habeas corpus for undocumented immigrants in the country, ultimately saying he did not think the issue would come before Congress. His comments during an interview on NBC News' 'Meet the Press' came after top White House adviser Stephen Miller told reporters on Friday that the administration was examining ways to end the due process protection for undocumented immigrants. The writ of habeas corpus allows people to legally challenge their detentions. The Constitution allows the privilege to be suspended 'in cases of rebellion or invasion' when 'the public safety may require it.' 'The president has said he will follow the law,' Barrasso told moderator Kristen Welker when asked whether he would vote to suspend habeas corpus if the issue is brought before Congress. 'The president says if he disagrees with the law, that he will appeal those things,' Barrasso continued. 'The president was elected and he won everyone in the battleground states on promising to secure the border and bring safety back to our communities.' Asked again whether he would vote to suspend habeas corpus, Barrasso repeated that Trump 'said he is going to follow the law.' When asked a third time for a yes-or-no answer, Barrasso said, 'I don't believe this is going to come to Congress.' Miller told reporters Friday that the administration was 'actively looking at' suspending habeas corpus, noting the Constitution says that the privilege can be suspended during an invasion. 'The Constitution is clear, and that, of course, is the supreme law of the land, that the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus can be suspended at a time of invasion. So I would say that's an action we're actively looking at,' Miller said. During an interview on CBS News' "Face the Nation," Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, pointed to President Abraham Lincoln suspending habeas corpus during the civil war and predicted that the courts would decide whether the White House could take similar steps. "It's a very extreme measure to take," McCaul said. "Any person in the United States under the Constitution has due process rights, so I think the courts are going to decide this one, as to whether this invasion, in fact, constitutes what would be a state of war. Some would say it would." The White House did not respond to NBC News' request for further comment on Sunday about the details of what was under consideration. The administration has painted undocumented immigrants coming to the U.S. as an invasion, arguing that Venezuela's Tren de Aragua gang was invading the U.S. as part of the administration's justification for invoking the controversial Alien Enemies Act. Separately, Barrasso was asked about his position on Trump's push to raise taxes on top earners, as congressional Republicans are currently working to assemble a package to advance the administration's domestic policy priorities. NBC News previously reported that the president was considering allowing the tax rate on people making $2.5 million or more each year to increase to 39.6% in order to protect Medicaid and advance other administration goals. The tax rate for these earners currently sits at 37% after the first Trump administration's 2017 tax law. 'I'm a conservative, and I don't want to increase taxes on anybody,' Barrasso said when asked whether he would support increasing taxes on the highest earners. Asked two more times whether he would rule out increasing taxes on the highest earners, Barrasso reiterated that he opposed raising anyone's taxes. 'I'm against raising taxes on anyone. We're working the bill through the process. It's going through the House. We're ironing out the details right now,' he said. 'We're going to get a bill passed and signed by the president that's going to put more money in people's pockets and give them the certainty the taxes aren't going to go up.' This article was originally published on
