Latest news with #BushFamily
Fox News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Bush family political dynasty may be eyeing a comeback in 2026 governor's race in Maine
Jonathan Bush, cousin of former President George W. Bush, is signaling a possible run for Maine governor, blasting what he calls the state's "learned helplessness" and outlining a policy vision to revive the "Maine Dream." Bush's message, published through his nonprofit, Maine for Keeps, offers a preview of how he could frame his pitch to voters. The Bangor Daily News reported that former President Bush and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush recently attended a small fundraiser for Jonathan in Kennebunkport. Newsweek also reported he has already launched an exploratory committee for governor in addition to launching Maine for Keeps to promote his ideas. These moves may position him as the face of a potential Bush family revival in politics after George P. Bush's defeat in Texas in 2022 was seen as a setback for the DEMOCRATS ARE FEVERISHLY RECRUITING TOP CANDIDATES TO WIN BACK MAJORITY IN 2026 MIDTERMS As of this reporting, however, Bush does not yet appear among the 18 gubernatorial candidates officially registered with Maine's Ethics Gov. Janet Mills is term limited, leaving an open 2026 gubernatorial seat in a state that leans left but prides itself on its independent streak. Mills was re-elected in 2022 by double digits over former Republican Gov. Paul LePage, showing Democratic strength in the Pine Tree State. The Cook Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball currently rate the race as "Likely Democratic." In his Maine for Keeps blueprint, Bush roots his vision in family ties and a sense of place. "Maine is the best place on earth to live and raise a family! My family has been in Maine since the 1890s. My wife Fay's family has been here since the 1700s," he wrote. But he warns the state government has failed to foster opportunity. "Instead of creating an environment that fosters economic growth and independence, Maine state government has slipped into a 'learned helplessness,'" he said. He also points to schools and housing as areas of decline, writing, "Our schools have dropped from among the best in the nation to the bottom of the barrel. … We're experiencing a housing crisis because a spider web of development restrictions has shut down new construction for anything but high-end homes." Bush has also sought to distinguish himself with entrepreneurial credentials and plainspoken appeals to civic duty. In a recent interview with journalist Polina Pompliano, he described an "unwritten Bush family rule": "You need to earn both sides of a paycheck before you tell other people what to do with their tax dollars." Bush said that philosophy led him to build businesses in Maine. "I moved to Maine, which is a tough state to do business in, and I've tried to help out as much as I can in my community," he said. His philosophy, he added, is that "we should all be figuring out how to lean in, rather than just yell at the TV. The TV doesn't care."Bush, 55, is best known as a healthcare entrepreneur. He co-founded Athenahealth in the 1990s, expanding it into a major medical software company before stepping down in 2018 amid an activist investor fight. He later launched Zus Health, a Boston-based startup focused on health data interoperability. Several prominent Democrats are already exploring bids, including Angus King III, Hannah Pingree, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows and Senate President Troy Jackson. Republicans, meanwhile, face a fragmented field, with several candidates vying for attention in a party divided between Trump-aligned populists and moderates, analysts told Newsweek. One Gallup poll from Jan. 21 shows both Bush's potential and his hurdles. Trump enjoys 93% favorability among Republicans, compared to 63% for Bush's cousin, George W. Bush. Maine's tradition of electing moderates, as seen with Sen. Susan Collins' repeated victories, could, however, play to his HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Jonathan Bush has not formally declared his candidacy but is expected to make a decision in the coming months. In the meantime, Maine for Keeps is continuing to release policy papers and podcast episodes.A gubernatorial run would test what the Bush family name still means to voters in the Trump George W. Bush Presidential Center, Former Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. Susan Collins did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Jonathan Bush's nonprofit Maine for Keeps could not be reached for comment.
Yahoo
10-08-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump moves Obama, Bush portraits to hidden stairwell
Once a dramatic feature of the White House entryway, the official portrait of former President Barack Obama has been moved to a decidedly less prominent position, underscoring the yearslong tensions between the 44th and 47th presidents. Portraits of other recent predecessors with whom President Donald Trump has a contentious relationship, former President George W. Bush and his father, George H. W. Bush, have also been moved. Trump directed staff to move the Obama portrait to the top of the Grand Staircase, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN, where it will now be out of view from thousands of visitors who tour the White House each day. One of the sources added that the portraits of both Bushes are also now in the staircase area. Multiple sources have said that the president is directly involved with nearly everything that is done to the aesthetic of the White House, big or small. CNN obtained a photo of the Obama portrait hanging at the top of the stairwell in a corner, at the landing of the entrance to the private residence. That area is heavily restricted to members of the first family, US Secret Service agents, and a limited number of White House and executive residence staff. It is firmly out of view for any visitor hoping to see the photorealistic Robert McCurdy painting of the former president, a source familiar with the matter confirmed. It's not the first time the Obama painting has been repositioned. In April, the Obama portrait was moved across the Grand Foyer of the White House and replaced with a painting of an iconic scene of Trump surviving an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. White House protocol and precedent calls for portraits of the most recent American presidents to be given the most prominent placement, in the entrance of the executive mansion, visible to guests during official events and visitors on tours. A portrait of former President Joe Biden has not yet been completed. The portrait maneuvers marks Trump's latest slight against a perceived political rival. It comes as tensions between the Trump and Obama have escalated in recent months. Trump recently accused Obama and members of his administration of committing treason during the 2016 election, prompting a rare statement from his predecessor, whose office called the claims 'outrageous,' 'bizarre,' and 'a weak attempt at distraction.' The president's FBI director, Pamela Bondi, subsequently ordered prosecutors to begin a grand jury probe into allegations that top Obama administration officials manufactured intelligence about Russia's interference in the 2016 election. There have also been long-simmering tensions between Trump and the Bush family. The elder Bush, who died in 2018, called Trump a 'blowhard' in a biography and voted for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. George W. Bush, who Trump has attacked as a 'failed and uninspiring' president, and former first lady Laura Bush, attended the president's 2025 inauguration but did not attend the post-ceremony luncheon. CNN has reached out to the White House and the White House Historical Association for comment. A spokesperson for the office of former President Obama declined to comment. During Trump's first term, he replaced portraits of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush in the Grand Foyer, choosing instead to highlight William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt. Privately funded by the nonprofit White House Historical Association, the formal tradition of the presidential portrait came to be in the early 1960s under first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, according to former White House curator Betty Monkman. Prior to that, there had been a relatively 'haphazard' policy, Monkman said in a 2017 podcast for the association, with the portraits being funded by Congress or commissioned by friends – or by the president himself. In the modern era of White House portraits, presidents and first ladies have invited their predecessors, former staff and friends and family for unveiling ceremonies. 'It's a statement of generosity on the current president and first lady to invite all these people from an outgoing administration,' Monkman said, recalling a ceremony during the Johnson administration for Eleanor Roosevelt's portrait unveiling.
CNN
10-08-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Trump moves Obama, Bush portraits to hidden stairwell
Once a dramatic feature of the White House entryway, the official portrait of former President Barack Obama has been moved to a decidedly less prominent position, underscoring the yearslong tensions between the 44th and 47th presidents. Portraits of other recent predecessors with whom President Donald Trump has a contentious relationship, former President George W. Bush and his father, George H. W. Bush, have also been moved. Trump directed staff to move the Obama portrait to the top of the Grand Staircase, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN, where it will now be out of view from thousands of visitors who tour the White House each day. One of the sources added that the portraits of both Bushes are also now in the staircase area. Multiple sources have said that the president is directly involved with nearly everything that is done to the aesthetic of the White House, big or small. CNN obtained a photo of the Obama portrait hanging at the top of the stairwell in a corner, at the landing of the entrance to the private residence. That area is heavily restricted to members of the first family, US Secret Service agents, and a limited number of White House and executive residence staff. It is firmly out of view for any visitor hoping to see the photorealistic Robert McCurdy painting of the former president, a source familiar with the matter confirmed. It's not the first time the Obama painting has been repositioned. In April, the Obama portrait was moved across the Grand Foyer of the White House and replaced with a painting of an iconic scene of Trump surviving an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. White House protocol and precedent calls for portraits of the most recent American presidents to be given the most prominent placement, in the entrance of the executive mansion, visible to guests during official events and visitors on tours. A portrait of former President Joe Biden has not yet been completed. The portrait maneuvers marks Trump's latest slight against a perceived political rival. It comes as tensions between the Trump and Obama have escalated in recent months. Trump recently accused Obama and members of his administration of committing treason during the 2016 election, prompting a rare statement from his predecessor, whose office called the claims 'outrageous,' 'bizarre,' and 'a weak attempt at distraction.' The president's FBI director, Pamela Bondi, subsequently ordered prosecutors to begin a grand jury probe into allegations that top Obama administration officials manufactured intelligence about Russia's interference in the 2016 election. There have also been long-simmering tensions between Trump and the Bush family. The elder Bush, who died in 2018, called Trump a 'blowhard' in a biography and voted for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. George W. Bush, who Trump has attacked as a 'failed and uninspiring' president, and former first lady Laura Bush, attended the president's 2025 inauguration but did not attend the post-ceremony luncheon. CNN has reached out to the White House and the White House Historical Association for comment. A spokesperson for the office of former President Obama declined to comment. During Trump's first term, he replaced portraits of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush in the Grand Foyer, choosing instead to highlight William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt. Privately funded by the nonprofit White House Historical Association, the formal tradition of the presidential portrait came to be in the early 1960s under first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, according to former White House curator Betty Monkman. Prior to that, there had been a relatively 'haphazard' policy, Monkman said in a 2017 podcast for the association, with the portraits being funded by Congress or commissioned by friends – or by the president himself. In the modern era of White House portraits, presidents and first ladies have invited their predecessors, former staff and friends and family for unveiling ceremonies. 'It's a statement of generosity on the current president and first lady to invite all these people from an outgoing administration,' Monkman said, recalling a ceremony during the Johnson administration for Eleanor Roosevelt's portrait unveiling.
Al Arabiya
11-07-2025
- Business
- Al Arabiya
Federal officials say a prominent Georgia Republican was running a $140 million ponzi scheme
NEWNAN, Ga. (AP) – A prominent Georgia Republican was running a Ponzi scheme that defrauded 300 investors of at least 140 million, federal officials alleged in a complaint filed Thursday. The civil lawsuit by the US Securities and Exchange Commission said First Liberty Building and Loan, controlled by Brant Frost IV, lied to investors about its business of making high-interest loans to companies. Instead, investigators said it raised more money to repay earlier investors. Frost is alleged to have taken more than 19 million of investor funds for himself, his family, and affiliated companies even as the business was going broke, spending 160,000 on jewelry and 335,000 with a rare coin dealer. Frost is also said to have spent 320,000 to rent a vacation home over multiple years in Kennebunkport, Maine, the town where the family of late president George H. W. Bush famously spent summers. The SEC said Frost kept writing checks even after the commission began its investigation. First Liberty said last month that it would stop making loans and paying interest and principal to investors in those loans. The company said it was not answering phone calls or emails. First Liberty has not responded to an email seeking comment, and no one was present at its office Thursday evening in Newnan, a suburb southwest of Atlanta. A lawyer who acts as the company's registered agent for corporate purposes said earlier that he had no information. The collapse rocked the religious and political networks that the business drew investors from. It also could have ramifications in state Republican politics, cutting off funding to the far-right candidates that Frost and his family have favored. Investigators said Frost spent 570,000 from investor funds on political contributions. The SEC said the business had only 2.67 million in cash as of May 30, although regulators are also seeking to claw back money from Frost and associated companies. With 300 investors out 140 million, that means the average investor put in nearly 500,000. First Liberty said it made loans to companies that needed cash while they waited for more conventional loans from the US Small Business Administration. It charged high rates of interest – 18 percent on some loans, according to a document obtained by The Associated Press. First Liberty promised investors equally high rates of return – 16 percent on the 18 percent loans. In recent months, the business advertised heavily on conservative radio shows, promising Wall Street returns for Main Street investors. 'The promise of a high rate of return on an investment is a red flag that should make all potential investors think twice or maybe even three times before investing their money,' Justin C. Jeffries, associate director of enforcement for the SEC's Atlanta Regional Office, said in a statement. The company has represented that it is cooperating with federal authorities as part of an effort to accomplish an orderly wind-up of the business. The SEC said Frost and his companies agreed to the SEC's enforcement actions, with monetary remedies to be determined by the court at a later date. While the SEC says there were loans to companies, as many as 90 percent of those companies have defaulted. By 2021, the company was running as a Ponzi scheme, the complaint said, even as Frost withdrew increasing amounts of money. The business is being investigated by the Georgia secretary of state for possible violations of securities law, said Robert Sinners, a spokesperson for the office. A 2023 document obtained by the AP is titled as a promissory note, and Sinners said anyone issuing promissory notes is supposed to be registered with Georgia securities officials. Sinners encouraged any victims to contact the state Securities Division. Federal prosecutors have declined to comment on whether they are considering criminal charges. Sometimes both an SEC civil case and a federal criminal case are filed over investment frauds. Frost has been an important player in Georgia politics since 1988, when he coordinated televangelist Pat Robertson's Republican presidential bid in the state. His son, Brant Frost V, is chairman of the Coweta County Republican Party, where the company is based, and is a former second vice-chair of the state Republican Party. Daughter Katie Frost is Republican chairman of the 3rd Congressional District, which includes Coweta County and other areas southwest of Atlanta. At last month's state Republican convention, Katie Frost chaired a nominating committee that recommended delegates reelect state Party Chairman Josh McKoon. Delegates followed that recommendation, rejecting a number of insurgent candidates.
Washington Post
06-06-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
Points of Light, founded by the Bush family, aims to double American volunteerism by 2035
NEW ORLEANS — The Bush family's nonprofit Points of Light will lead an effort to double the number of people who volunteer with U.S. charitable organizations from 75 million annually to 150 million in 10 years. The ambitious goal, announced in New Orleans at the foundation's annual conference, which concluded Friday, would represent a major change in the way Americans spend their time and interact with nonprofits. It aspires to mobilize people to volunteer with nonprofits in the U.S. at a scale that only federal programs like AmeriCorps have in the past. It also coincides with deep federal funding cuts that threaten the financial stability of many nonprofits and with an effort to gut AmeriCorps programs, which sent 200,000 volunteers all over the country. A judge on Wednesday paused those cuts in some states , which had sued the Trump administration. Jennifer Sirangelo, president and CEO of Points of Light, said that while the campaign has been in development well before the federal cuts, the nonprofit's board members recently met and decided to move forward. 'What our board said was, 'We have to do it now. We have to put the stake in the ground now. It's more important than it was before the disruption of AmeriCorps,'' she said in an interview with The Associated Press. She said the nonprofit aims to raise and spend $100 million over the next three years to support the goal. Points of Light, which is based in Atlanta, was founded by President George H.W. Bush to champion his vision of volunteerism. It has carried on his tradition of giving out a daily award to a volunteer around the country, built a global network of volunteer organizations and cultivated corporate volunteer programs. Speaking Wednesday in New Orleans, Points of Light's board chair Neil Bush told the organization's annual conference that the capacity volunteers add to nonprofits will have a huge impact on communities. 'Our mission is to make volunteering and service easier, more impactful, more sustained,' Bush said. 'Because, let's be honest, the problems in our communities aren't going to fix themselves.' According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau and AmeriCorps, the rate of participation has plateaued since 2002 , with a noticeable dip during the pandemic . Susan M. Chambré, professor emerita at Baruch College who studied volunteering for decades , said Points of Light's goal of doubling the number of volunteers was admirable but unrealistic, given that volunteer rates have not varied significantly over time. But she said more research is needed into what motivates volunteers, which would give insight into how to recruit people. She also said volunteering has become more transactional over time, directed by staff as opposed to organized by volunteers themselves. In making its case for increasing volunteer participation in a recent report , Points of Light drew on research from nonprofits like Independent Sector, the National Alliance for Volunteer Engagement and the Do Good Institute at the University of Maryland. Sirangelo said they want to better measure the impact volunteers make, not just the hours they put in, for example. They also see a major role for technology to better connect potential volunteers to opportunities, though they acknowledge that many have tried to do that through apps and online platforms . Reaching young people will also be a major part of accomplishing this increase in volunteer participation. Sirangelo said she's observed that many young people who do want to participate are founding their own nonprofits rather than joining an existing one. 'We're not welcoming them to our institutions, so they have to go found something,' she said. 'That dynamic has to change.' As the board was considering this new goal, they reached out for advice to Alex Edgar, who is now the youth engagement manager at Made By Us. They ultimately invited him to join the board as a full voting member and agreed to bring on a second young person as well. 'I think for volunteering and the incredible work that Points of Light is leading to really have a deeper connection with my generation, it needs to be done in a way that isn't just talking to or at young people, but really co-created across generations,' said Edgar, who is 21. Karmit Bulman, who has researched and supported volunteer engagement for many years, said she was very pleased to see Points of Light make this commitment. 'They are probably the most well known volunteerism organization in the country and I really appreciate their leadership,' said Bulman, who is currently the executive director of East Side Learning Center, a nonprofit in St. Paul. Bulman said there are many people willing to help out in their communities but who are not willing to jump through hoops to volunteer with a nonprofit. 'We also need to recognize that it's a pretty darn stressful time in people's lives right now,' she said. 'There's a lot of uncertainty personally and professionally and financially for a lot of people. So we need to be really, really flexible in how we engage volunteers.' ___ Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits 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. For all of AP's philanthropy coverage, visit .
