Latest news with #ChuckGrassley
Fibre2Fashion
2 days ago
- Business
- Fibre2Fashion
CORCA gains bipartisan support to tackle organised retail crime in US
The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA) is gaining momentum following a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing chaired by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). The legislation, co-sponsored by Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev), seeks to establish a coordinated multi-agency response to tackle the escalating threat of organised retail crime across the United States. CORCA aims to enhance collaboration between law enforcement and the retail industry, improve data sharing, and provide stronger tools to investigate and prosecute retail and supply chain crimes. With 26 bipartisan Senate co-sponsors and endorsements from 38 state attorneys general, the bill has garnered wide support from over 260 businesses and numerous national associations, United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary said in a press release. CORCA co-sponsored by Senators Grassley and Cortez Masto, is gaining strong bipartisan support. The bill aims to enhance coordination between law enforcement and retailers to combat organised retail crime. Backed by 260+ businesses, 38 attorneys general, and major industry groups, CORCA seeks swift passage to protect supply chains, workers, and public safety across the US. Retailers, law enforcement agencies, and logistics leaders have come forward to urge the swift passage of CORCA. The National Retail Federation and its business coalition called the legislation a 'commonsense' and 'essential' step in protecting public safety and safeguarding consumer access to goods. Similarly, the National Association of Attorneys General noted that the bill would supply necessary resources to combat this 'nationwide epidemic'. Law enforcement backing was echoed by the National Police Association, which praised CORCA for enabling unified efforts between the public and private sectors. The American Trucking Association highlighted the growing risk to truck drivers from cargo theft and endorsed the bill as a tool to bolster federal enforcement. State-level stakeholders expressed similar sentiments. Brenda Neville, president of the Iowa Motor Truck Association, commended the bill's impact on securing freight and protecting Iowa workers. In Illinois, a state ranking among the top three in cargo thefts, Matt Hart of the Illinois Trucking Association called on Senator Durbin to back the legislation, while California's trucking industry also voiced strong support. The Association of American Railroads reported a 40 per cent surge in cargo theft last year and stressed the need for a Federal strategy. The Retail Industry Leaders Association warned of the broader criminal links tied to retail theft, including human trafficking and drug smuggling, urging for a more coordinated response. Major corporations have also endorsed the bill. The Home Depot welcomed the creation of a federal coordination centre, while Ulta Beauty supported real-time data sharing across jurisdictions. American Eagle Outfitters' chief global asset protection officer Scott McBride issued a personal plea to lawmakers, urging unity to curb these crimes. With companion legislation already introduced in the House of Representatives David Joyce (R-Ohio) and Susie Lee (D-Nev), stakeholders from across sectors hope for rapid passage of CORCA during the 119th Congress to effectively dismantle organised retail crime networks and secure America's supply chains. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SG)
Fox News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
FBI botched investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails, declassified documents allege
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley released declassified documents related to the FBI's investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's private email server when she served in the federal government, revealing the FBI reportedly "failed to fully investigate" the matter. "This document shows an extreme lack of effort and due diligence in the FBI's investigation of former Secretary Clinton's email usage and mishandling of highly classified information," Grassley said in a Monday press release. "Under Comey's leadership, the FBI failed to perform fundamental investigative work and left key pieces of evidence on the cutting room floor," he continued. "The Comey FBI's negligent approach and perhaps intentional lack of effort in the Clinton investigation is a stark contrast to its full-throated investigation of the Trump-Russia collusion hoax, which was based on the uncorroborated and now discredited Steele dossier. Comey's decision-making process smacks of political infection." Clinton, who served as former President Barack Obama's secretary of state from 2009 to 2013, was investigated by the FBI over claims she improperly stored or transmitted classified materials on a private email server. The FBI advised the Department of Justice in 2016, ahead of that year's massive election that pitted Clinton against future President Donald Trump, that Clinton should not face prosecution over the matter. "Although there is evidence of potential violations of the statutes regarding the handling of classified information, our judgment is that no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case," then-FBI director James Comey said in a press release. "Prosecutors necessarily weigh a number of factors before bringing charges. There are obvious considerations, like the strength of the evidence, especially regarding intent. Responsible decisions also consider the context of a person's actions, and how similar situations have been handled in the past." Grassley specifically released declassified materials from the "Clinton annex," which is an appendix to the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General's 2018 report that reviewed the DOJ and FBI's handling of the Clinton investigation. Attorney General Pam Bondi, and other Trump administration leaders at other agencies, declassified the materials and delivered them to Grassley at his request, his press release reported. The documents claim that then-FBI Director Comey, as well as other FBI leaders, obtained thumb drives related to their investigation into Clinton, but that the agency failed "to perform additional, targeted searches of the drives," according to Grassley's office. The thumb drives reportedly were never reviewed during the investigation, but "contained highly sensitive information exfiltrated from U.S. government agencies, including the Department of State, as well as then-President Barack Obama's emails and, potentially, congressional information." The FBI also obtained intelligence that alleged communications between Florida Democrat Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who served as Democratic National Committee chair until July 2016 when she resigned, and individuals who worked for the Soros Open Society Foundations, which was founded by left-wing billionaire donor George Soros. "The intelligence reports alleged that the Obama administration took efforts to scuttle the investigation into Clinton and protect her candidacy," Grassley's release reported, but that the FBI at the time did "not make serious investigative efforts" into the intelligence reports. Fox News Digital reached out to Clinton's office, Wasserman Schultz's office, the Soros Open Society Foundations and the Kettering Foundation, where Comey currently works as a senior fellow, for comment on Grassley's release, but did not immediately receive replies. "I warned years ago that the Clinton investigation failed to hit the mark, and I'm grateful the American people can finally see the facts for themselves," Grassley said in the press release. "After nearly a decade in the shadows, this information is now coming to light thanks to Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel's dedicated efforts to fulfill my congressional request. "I appreciate their ongoing commitment to transparency and strongly urge them to continue to fully review this matter, including its national security impact," he said. Grassley's release follows Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard's bombshell claims that Obama-era officials reportedly "manufactured and politicized intelligence" to create the narrative that Russia was attempting to influence the 2016 presidential election. Gabbard released unclassified documents Friday that reportedly show "overwhelming evidence" that then-President Obama and his national security team laid the groundwork for what would be the yearslong Trump-Russia collusion probe after Trump's election win against Clinton in 2016. "Their goal was to usurp President Trump and subvert the will of the American people," Gabbard had posted to X on Friday regarding the criminal referral. "No matter how powerful, every person involved in this conspiracy must be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The integrity of our democratic republic depends on it. We are turning over all documents to the DOJ for criminal referral." Fox News confirmed earlier Monday that the DOJ received Gabbard's criminal referral related to the matter but did not share additional comment.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Report finds FBI probe into Hillary Clinton's emails was incomplete
A newly unveiled Department of Justice internal investigation charges that the FBI sloppily investigated Hillary Clinton's 2016 email server scandal, resulting in an incomplete probe. The politically devastating investigation into the then-presumed Democratic presidential nominee was ended in 2016 after then-FBI Director James Comey announced that his agency would not recommend charges for Clinton after she used a personal server to store government emails - an infraction many Republicans argued was a crime. But an internal review of the FBI's investigation that finished in 2018 by the DOJ's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) found that not every stone was unturned. That 35-page addendum, published on Monday by the Senate Judiciary Committee, says the FBI failed to complete a 'thorough and complete investigation' after the OIG uncovered a thumb drive full of government emails that was never investigated by Comey. It does not specify how many of Clinton's emails were left untouched. 'This document shows an extreme lack of effort and due diligence in the FBI's investigation of former Secretary Clinton's email usage and mishandling of highly classified information,' Republican Senator Chuck Grassley said in a statement. 'Under Comey's leadership, the FBI failed to perform fundamental investigative work and left key pieces of evidence on the cutting room floor,' the statement continued. Comey's investigation primarily focused on approximately 30,000 emails Clinton sent or received while serving as secretary of state from 2009 - 2013. The probe uncovered 'top secret' files stored on Clinton's personal server, indicating she may have mishandled classified documents. The investigation, which also examined if foreign adversaries had access to the files, determined that though Clinton was 'extremely careless' in her handling of sensitive materials, it did not surmount to a violation of the law. The original investigation examined numerous devices and tens of thousands of emails related to Clinton and her aides. But there was also a realization that some devices had been destroyed or were inaccessible, hindering the breadth of the inquiry. The Clinton emails have been scrutinized extensively since 2016, with multiple reviews by the Department of Justice's Office of Inspector General (OIG) and congressional committees. The OIG has criticized aspects of FBI leadership and found mistakes were made, but concluded the investigation was not driven by political bias and that 'no prosecutable evidence' was uncovered against Clinton. Comey noted in July 2016 that 'no reasonable prosecutor' would push a case based on the FBI's findings, but the scrutiny of Clinton's emails still cost her politically as she went on to lose the election to Donald Trump . The 92-year-old Grassley thanked FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi for helping the Judiciary Committee unseal the previously classified 2018 OIG report. The newly unclassified document is an appendix to the OIG's publicly disclosed June 2018 report into the Clinton email investigation. Dubbed the 'Clinton annex' by Grassley's office, the addendum came just a month after the initial report was filed, in July 2018. However, the file claiming the report was incomplete was never publicly reported, remaining classified until this week. Grassley, whose committee oversees the two agencies, has been conducting oversight of the Clinton probe for nearly a decade since 2016. He first petitioned the FBI to release the OIG's 'Clinton annex' in 2020. The annex says the overlooked thumb drive contained very sensitive information taken from the State Department, including some emails from President Barack Obama at the time. Though a drafted FBI memorandum recommended that the agency investigate the thumb drives, they were never reviewed as a part of the Clinton investigation, the annex states. The drafted memorandum stated that the thumb drives were critical to a 'thorough and complete investigation,' but that the FBI never submitted this request In addition to not investigating the thumb drive, the FBI also obtained intelligence that 'the Obama administration took efforts to scuttle the investigation into Clinton and protect her candidacy,' Grassley's office claims. The newly unveiled 'Clinton annex' shows Comey and others at the FBI did not make efforts to fully investigate those intelligence reports, the Republican alleges. The FBI's unwillingness to release the bombshell document stands in opposition to its eagerness to investigate Trump for alleged ties to Russia during the same timespan, the Iowa Republican says. 'Comey's decision-making process smacks of political infection,' Grassley contended. Attorney General Bondi celebrated Grassley's yearslong work on the Clinton investigation on Monday. 'Today, the Department of Justice honored Chairman Grassley's request to release information relating to former-FBI Director James Comey's failed investigation into Hillary Clinton's mishandling of highly classified information during her tenure as Secretary of State,' she said in a statement. 'I commend Chairman Grassley for his unwavering, years-long commitment to exposing the truth and holding those who seek to conceal it accountable.'
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
'Why are you doing this?': Sen Booker erupts, Dems walk out after clash with Chairman Grassley
Chaos erupts in the Senate Judiciary Committee as Sen. Cory Booker blasts Sen. Chuck Grassley over the rushed vote on judicial nominee Emil Bove. Democratic Senators walk out in protest as tensions hit a boiling point over the controversial confirmation. Show more Show less
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
D.C. Dispatch: Iowa legislators cheer fentanyl reclassification, federal spending cuts
President Donald Trump signs the HALT Fentanyl Act, July 16, 2025, in the East Room of the White House. Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley is second from the right. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok) This week in the nation's capital, President Donald Trump signed a fentanyl reclassification act led by Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, Iowa legislators cheered the passing of a federal rescission bill through Congress and House members helped send a $832 billion defense appropriations bill through the GOP-led chamber. The Grassley-led HALT Act permanently reclassifies fentanyl-related substances as a Schedule 1 drug. In February 2020, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration issued a temporary scheduling order reclassifying fentanyl-related substances to Schedule 1. Congress has since extended this order a total of 10 times. The act has received criticism from advocacy groups such as the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights stating that classwide drug rescheduling may exacerbate incarceration rates and sentencing. The president's signing of the HALT Act Wednesday was attended by several Iowa officials including Grassley, Attorney General Brenna Bird and Rep. Randy Feenstra. 'The HALT Fentanyl Act is now the law of the land, marking a major victory in America's fight against fentanyl,' Grassley said in a press release. 'By permanently classifying fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I, the HALT Fentanyl Act will save American lives and prevent deadly fentanyl knockoffs from making their way into Iowa communities.' 'This bill is a huge win for Iowa and the entire country,' Bird said in a press release. 'As a mom and prosecutor, I am deeply aware of the devastating effects fentanyl has had on our communities. And as Attorney General, I hear about this issue from Iowans regularly. 'I applaud President Trump for signing into law the HALT Fentanyl Act and taking decisive action to keep fentanyl and other poisonous substances out of our country.' Feenstra stated. 'In conjunction with our work to secure the border, this legislation will help law enforcement confiscate dangerous drugs, combat the drug cartels, and save lives.' Rep. Ashley Hinson stated: 'This bill will help end the scourge of the opioid epidemic that has taken too many American lives — we will continue working together to get dangerous drugs off our streets & ensure dealers are punished for their crimes.' Rep. Zach Nunn also stated he 'proudly cosigned' the HALT act for its ability to 'crack down on traffickers,' keep 'deadly substances off our streets' and ensure consistent penalties for fentanyl distributors. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks stated in a press release: 'As an original cosponsor in the House, I was proud to help lead the fight to get this bill across the finish line. With this law in place, we're going on offense. We're giving law enforcement what they need to crack down, take control, and stop this poison from claiming more lives.' Miller-Meeks also reintroduced a bipartisan bill Thursday requiring social media companies and other communication service providers to alert law enforcement officials when illegal drug distributions occur on their platforms. All of Iowa's delegates voted in favor of Trump's rescission bill to axe $9 billion in previously approved funding for programs including the U.S. Agency for International Aid, The Corporation for Public Broadcasting and National Public Radio. The rescission bill passed both chambers of Congress Friday with a vote of 51-48 in the Senate and 216-213 in the House. This marks the second time in over three decades Congress has approved a presidential rescission request. Ernst praised the cuts to USAID, citing 'abuses' such as an alleged $148,000 sent to a pickle-maker in Ukraine through USAID and $20 million spent on Sesame Street programming in Iraq. 'If we are ever going to get serious about our debt crisis, Congress needs to pass a rescissions bill like this every single week,' she stated in a press release. Hinson responded to the bill with a statement on X: 'President Trump is the first president to actually deliver on real savings for the American people and end the culture of wasteful spending in Washington.' Grassley took to X as well to state 'Fed govt is $36 TRILLION in debt Last night Sen Republicans voted to roll back DC's out of control spending.' He added that Republicans plan to build on the provisions in the 'big, beautiful bill' going forward. Miller-Meeks called the rescission cuts a one of two 'big wins for the American people' in an X post. She also cheered the passing of a defense appropriations bill increasing military spending. Democrats in both the House and Senate voted against passing the rescission bill. Several Democratic legislators criticized the rescission bill for cutting funding from public broadcasting that will impact rural news sources and withdrawing U.S. support from countries in need. Ernst led an amendment to the defense appropriations bill to require all defense spending be posted on the public website This amendment will directly target 'Other Transaction Agreements' which are flexible spending agreements not subject to standard acquisition laws and requirements. 'I am ending Pentagon bureaucrats' game of hide and seek with your tax dollars,' Ernst stated in a press release. 'Americans have a right to know where their hard-earned dollars are going. I've long been working to make the Pentagon more transparent and accountable and will continue to work to review the hidden receipts.' The expansive defense bill passed through the House with a split vote of 221-209 on Friday. It allocates nearly $832 billion for provisions such as: Basic pay increase for all military members by 3.8% starting 2026 Codifies Trump's executive order to end military diversity, equity and inclusion programs $13 billion for missile defense and space programs $7 billion for 'classified space superiority programs.' $2.6 billion for hypersonic missiles. $1.15 billion for counterdrug programs $500 million for Israeli Missile Defense $500 million for Taiwan Security Operative Miller-Meeks responded to the provisions in a press release stating: 'This bill gives our troops the pay raise they deserve and the resources they need to defend this country.' The bill moves to the Senate for reconciliation. Cedar Rapids is set to receive $25 million in federal funding through the Grassley-backed Infrastructure and Jobs Act of 2021. The funding is allocated for a 'flood resiliency project' and road improvements on highway I-380. 'I'm happy to announce that the City of Cedar Rapids is receiving a $25 million award to improve its flood resilience and infrastructure,' Grassley said in a press release. 'You can imagine how important this funding is for Cedar Rapids, after the city has been hit by devastating floods. These federal dollars will be put to good use to strengthen the Cedar Rapids community.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
