Latest news with #Fifth
NDTV
4 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Left Parties Write To PM Opposing Anti-Maoist Operation In Chhattisgarh
Kolkata: Five Left parties have written a joint letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, opposing the encounter killings of Maoist leaders in 'Operation Kagar' being carried out in the Chhattisgarh region. In the joint letter, the five Left parties have written to the Prime Minister to put an immediate halt to the "extra-judicial" killings in the region around Chhattisgarh in the name of Operation Kagar. "There are several reports that several senior Maoist leaders are currently in the custody of the security forces. We demand that they should all be produced in court and dealt with as per the rule of law," the letter said. In the letter, the five Left parties have argued that the normal lives of the tribal people in the region have been completely disrupted following the action by the security forces there. "The Adivasi rights enshrined in the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution are being systematically violated and the forest and minerals of Chhattisgarh are being subjected to indiscriminate corporate exploitation with disastrous implications for environmental safety and livelihood of the local people. We urge upon you to stop this militaristic approach that treats the Adivasis with unmitigated hostility," the letter added. In the letter, the Union government has also been accused of not handing over the bodies of those killed in the encounters to their families and thus being denied a dignified farewell. "The Maoists have repeatedly urged the government to consider their appeal for dialogue. Unfortunately, the Union government and the BJP-led Chhattisgarh government have chosen not to pursue a solution through talks. Instead they are following an inhuman policy of killings and annihilation," the letter said. According to the Left parties, the recent statements by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah too made it evident that the Union government was not ready to pursue a solution through talks.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Dem 'super mayor' pleads the Fifth after failing to produce public records in court
A Chicago suburb's former Democratic "super mayor" is facing yet another legal hurdle after failing to produce public records from her time in office after being held in contempt of court earlier this month. In a hearing on Friday, Tiffany Henyard's attorney Beau Bridley pleaded the Fifth on his client's behalf after she was ordered to hand over public records from her time in office. "The smear campaign against Tiffany Henyard, which began while she was in office, continues even now that she is out of office," Bridley said in a statement to Fox News Digital. Self-proclaimed Democratic 'Super Mayor' Ordered To Court As Scandal-plagued Tenure Unravels Bridley conceded that the former mayor does not have the requested document, with an Illinois judge allowing Henyard's legal team to submit an affidavit in its place. "The mayor has no document that the plaintiff seeks," Bridley said. "This matter is going to be resolved with a simple affidavit. The whole hearing was much ado about nothing." Read On The Fox News App The hearing stems from a lawsuit filed by the Edgar County Watchdogs Inc., after the organization sued Henyard and the Village of Dolton for failing to produce financial records after the documents were requested under the Freedom of Information Act. 'Super Mayor' Tiffany Henyard Skips Dolton Meetings As Controversial Tenure Nears Quiet End "We had little doubt Ms. Henyard would use losing the election as an excuse not to produce the documents," Edward "Coach" Weinhaus, attorney for Edgar County Watchdogs, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "Invoking the Fifth Amendment for a criminal investigation was an added wrinkle. The Watchdogs will keep looking for the documents even if the voters might have inadvertently thrown out the documents with the mayor." The embattled former mayor was unseated after losing her re-election bid to Jason House, who was sworn in last month. Henyard was also defeated by Illinois state Sen. Napoleon Harris in her attempt to keep her seat as Thornton Township supervisor. Henyard was thrust into the national spotlight in April 2024 after officials at Dolton Village Hall were served subpoenas from the FBI following a corruption investigation, FOX 32 Chicago reported. Henyard, however, was not charged with a crime. Feds Subpoena Dolton, Illinois Records Tied To Ousted 'Super Mayor' Tiffany Henyard's Boyfriend In response to the FBI looking into Henyard's administration, village trustees voted to hire former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to investigate the former mayor's spending. At the initial vote, supporters of Henyard clashed with her opponents as the meeting spiraled into a screaming match between groups. Lightfoot's investigation reportedly revealed the village's fund fell from its initial $5.6 million balance to a $3.6 million deficit, with the local government's credit card bills accumulating a whopping $779,000 balance in 2023. On the day Henyard lost the mayoral primary, the Village of Dolton was reportedly slapped with a federal subpoena as officials demanded records tied to a land development allegedly tied to Henyard's boyfriend. Henyard is required to return for a hearing on June 11, with a judge set to decide if she is to remain in contempt of court while being fined $1,000 per day. Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan contributed to this article source: Former Dem 'super mayor' pleads the Fifth after failing to produce public records in court
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump-Pardoned Proud Boy Leaders Just Filed Outrageous January 6 Suit
Donald Trump pardoned the Proud Boys for invading the U.S. Capitol on January 6. Now they want compensation. On Friday, a coalition of the far-right paramilitary group's leaders filed to sue the federal government for $100 million—plus 6 percent in interest—claiming that, in light of their pardons, their arrest and various charges had actually violated their constitutional rights. The group, composed of Enrique Tarrio, Zachary Rehl, Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, and Dominic Pezzola, refer to themselves in the filing as 'J6 defendants.' In it, they cite the 'egregious and systemic abuse' of the legal system to punish Trump's allies as the basis for their damages. 'Through the use of evidence tampering, witness intimidation, violations of attorney-client privilege, and placing spies to report on trial strategy, the government got its fondest wish of imprisoning the J6 Defendants, the modern equivalent of placing one's enemies' heads on a spike outside the town wall as a warning to any who would think to challenge the status quo,' claimed their attorneys. 'Now that the Plaintiffs are vindicated, free, and able to once again exercise their rights as American citizens, they bring this action against their tormentors for violations of their Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment Rights,' the filing continued. The filing leveraged Trump's own language to further argue their case, citing the president's January 20 executive order in which he referred to their prosecution as a 'grave national injustice' as means to seek damages.
India Gazette
3 days ago
- Business
- India Gazette
MCD receives Rs 820 crore as tax grant, Rs 50.78 crore for Delhi landfill biomining
New Delhi [India] June 6 (ANI): Municipal Corporation of Delhi has received Rs 820 crore from the Delhi government under the first instalment of Basic Tax Assignment for the financial year 2025-26. This substantial allocation, in accordance with the recommendations of the Fifth Delhi Finance Commission (DFC), will play a vital role in strengthening the Corporation's financial position and supporting various public services across the capital. The allocation is 6 per cent of the Delhi government's net tax collection, as per the recommendation of the 5th DFC. The amount is an untied grant from the Delhi government, which can be utilised for any kind of expenditure, unlike tied grants, which are work-specific and linked to a sector. This timely release of funds to MCD will help in liquidating its liabilities, and the corporation remains committed to utilising these funds efficiently and transparently for the welfare of the citizens of Delhi. Delhi Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh thanked Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta for providing MCD with financial assistance of over Rs 870 crore. Speaking on the occasion, Delhi Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh said the funding would improve public infrastructure, waste management, and local governance in the Capital. The Mayor stated, 'I assure all councillors and representatives that there will be no shortage of funds for public welfare and the BJP-ruled government in MCD will make Delhi, cleaner, greener and most developed city. The Delhi Government has also released funds to the tune of Rs 50.78 crore for biomining activities at three landfills sites in Delhi after revalidation of the unspent amount of the previous financial year. This release amount will help in the speedy activity of bio mining at these sites and facilitate in reduction in mounds of garbage. The particulars of funds released are as Okhla Landfill site Rs 20.25 crore, Bhalswa Landfill site Rs 20.75 crore and Ghazipur Landfill site Rs 9.77 crore. The Municipal Corporation reiterates its dedication to ensuring high standards of urban governance and improving the quality of life for residents in all wards under its jurisdiction. (ANI)
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
State utility regulators preparing for Ohio House Bill 6 hearing
Natural gas meter with pipe on wall. Stock photo from Getty Images. Ohio utility regulators are gearing up for hearings on FirstEnergy's role in the House Bill 6 scandal. Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder is behind bars — although seeking a presidential pardon — for overseeing the largest corruption case in state history. FirstEnergy funneled about $60 million to a dark money group controlled by Householder. The former speaker used that money to secure his own leadership position and influence passage of HB 6. The measure propped up a pair of nuclear plants and aging coal facilities by tacking a rider onto consumers' monthly bills. But that's just the broad strokes. Nearly five years on from Householder's indictment, questions remain about how exactly the scheme unfolded and where FirstEnergy officials got the money for it. Half a dozen former FirstEnergy officials in government affairs and c-suite positions are set to testify in a PUCO hearing next week. Four of them previously pled the Fifth and have since received immunity from a Franklin County judge. At the heart of the case, the Ohio Consumers' Counsel wants to demonstrate whether FirstEnergy used the money it got from average consumers to bribe state officials. In January, former FirstEnergy executives Charles 'Chuck' Jones and Michael Dowling were indicted on federal racketeering charges. Last year, state officials filed more than 40 charges against the executives as well as the man they bribed, former PUCO chairman Sam Randazzo. Last week, a judge in Summit County dismissed theft charges against Jones and Dowling, but they still face several other state criminal charges. The PUCO proceedings focus on the employees one rung below Jones and Dowling, attempting to show how money moved in the scheme by gathering testimony from the foot soldiers who answered to FirstEnergy's leadership. Four of the witnesses previously refused to testify, citing their Fifth Amendment protections against self-incrimination. A Franklin County judge ordered them to testify and granted them 'the broadest possible immunity' from prosecution. Ohio indictments provide a better picture of squalid relationships that spurred massive scandal The PUCO will also hear from Steven Strah, the former CFO who took over FirstEnergy following Jones' ouster, and Robert Reffner, the company's chief legal officer at the time of the scandal. The Ohio Consumers' Counsel subpoenas argue consumers were wrongly charged more than $6.6 million, and another $7.4 million was incorrectly listed as a capital expenditure. Compelling testimony, the filings argue, 'will help establish how and why FirstEnergy improperly misallocated House Bill 6 costs to the FirstEnergy Utilities.' 'We look forward to getting answers for FirstEnergy consumers and holding FirstEnergy accountable,' Ohio Consumers' Counsel Maureen Willis said in a statement. 'Justice for FirstEnergy consumers is long overdue.' Just over a month ago, state lawmakers voted to put an end to the House Bill 6 rider tacked on to ratepayers' monthly bills. The legislation won't take effect until August. Democrats in the Ohio House, meanwhile, argue the door remains open for next House Bill 6. 'No law in Ohio prevented this scandal,' state Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney, D-Westlake, argued at a press conference last month. 'And since, not one law has even remotely been truly attempted to fix this massive injustice.' Sweeney, and state Reps. Chris Glassburn, D-North Olmsted, Dani Isaacsohn, D-Cincinnati, and Desiree Tims, D-Dayton, have filed bills that would require contribution disclosures to or so-called dark money groups, institute penalties for undermining signature gathering campaigns and bar companies that make contributions from receiving state contracts. The PUCO will hold a procedural hearing this morning, with the evidentiary portion of the case beginning next week, on June 10. The hearings themselves will likely take several days. Follow Ohio Capital Journal Reporter Nick Evans on X or on Bluesky. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
