Latest news with #IowaConsumerFraudAct
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's Actions Contradict His Avowed Commitment to First Amendment Rights
On the first day of his second term, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at "restoring freedom of speech." But judging from his administration's policies and his actions as a private litigant, Trump's commitment to that principle is highly selective at best. Last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that he was "taking a crucial step toward keeping the president's promise to liberate American speech" by ending his department's misbegotten crusade against online "disinformation." This was a welcome development, since that amorphous mission had become an excuse for suppressing constitutionally protected speech. Still, Rubio's ringing defense of First Amendment rights is hard to reconcile with his determination to expel foreign students, including legal permanent residents, whose opinions he unilaterally deems contrary to U.S. foreign policy interests. Although Rubio and Trump seem to think the First Amendment applies only to American citizens, the U.S. Supreme Court disagrees. Another Trump appointee, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr, likewise pays lip service to free speech while working to undermine it. Carr, like Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson, seems bent on overriding the editorial choices of social media companies in the name of fairness and balance—a form of meddling that the Supreme Court has recognized as a threat to First Amendment rights. Carr also aspires to police journalism, including the editing of a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris, which he thinks is a legitimate subject of regulatory review. Trump himself argues that CBS News committed consumer fraud under Texas law by making Harris seem less "CRAZY" and "DUMB," which he risibly claims caused him "at least" $10 billion in damages. Trump is pursuing a similar lawsuit against The Des Moines Register and pollster Ann Selzer. He claims they violated the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act by reporting the results of a pre-election poll that erroneously gave Harris a three-point lead in that state. It is hard to overstate the threat that carving out a "fake news" exception to the First Amendment would pose to freedom of the press. If Trump had his way, journalists would be exposed to daunting legal expenses and potentially ruinous civil liability whenever their reporting was arguably misleading or inaccurate. Trump's hostility to freedom of the press is also apparent in his frivolous defamation lawsuits, his threats of regulatory retaliation against broadcasters, and his ridiculous dispute with the Associated Press, which he sought to exclude from the White House because it did not fully embrace his new name for the body of water between the United States and Mexico. "If the Government opens its doors to some journalists," a federal judge ruled in that last case, "it cannot then shut those doors to other journalists because of their viewpoints." Trump likewise engaged in viewpoint discrimination, which is presumptively unconstitutional, when he issued executive orders targeting law firms that have represented clients or causes he does not like. Lawyers at those firms, he decreed, would lose their security clearances, government contracts, and access to federal buildings. Trump also has targeted leading American universities, which he portrays as hotbeds of antisemitism and ideological indoctrination. While conservatives may be sympathetic to that critique, schools like Harvard plausibly argue that Trump's attempts to impose his preferred reforms by threatening to withhold federal funding amount to "unconstitutional conditions," requiring the surrender of First Amendment rights in exchange for a government benefit. Trump's attack on "diversity, equity, and inclusion" (DEI) programs also extends into the private sector. He has threatened businesses with "civil compliance investigations" aimed at rooting out "DEI discrimination," a nebulous concept that is apt to have a chilling impact on employee training that promotes ideas the president considers "immoral." Rubio avers that Trump is determined to oppose "the weaponization of America's own government to silence, censor, and suppress the free speech of ordinary Americans." Yet that seems like an apt description of the president's multifaceted crusade against speech that offends him. © Copyright 2025 by Creators Syndicate Inc. The post Trump's Actions Contradict His Avowed Commitment to First Amendment Rights appeared first on
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Brenna Bird sues cryptocurrency ATM companies she says scammed over $20 million from Iowans
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird has filed a lawsuit against Iowa's two largest cryptocurrency ATM operators that have cost Iowans more than $20 million, her office says. Bitcoin Depot and CoinFlip, Iowa's two largest cryptocurrency ATM operators, were subject to a "first-of-its-kind investigation" in October 2023 for failure to protect users against scammers who were able to have millions transferred to them through cryptocurrency kiosks, a release from the attorney general's office says. Bird's office subpoenaed 14 crypto ATM companies for a list of Iowans who had sent their money through the companies' ATMs. The office interviewed those Iowans and investigated complaints, police reports and self-reported scams, according to the release. The investigation found hundreds of Iowans, mostly over the age of 60, had sent approximately $20,426,616 through Bitcoin Depot and CoinFlip ATMs in a less than 3-year period. In all, $13,182,625 was sent through CoinFlip ATMs and $7,234,991 through Bitcoin Depot, the attorney general's release said. 'Con artists are evil and will stop at nothing to steal everything you have,' Bird said in the news release. 'We already know that they target older Iowans, but now it seems that they even hunt through obituaries to target widows. They convince these older women that they need help, and then send their victims to crypto ATMs. And the crypto ATM companies take a cut of the profits. It's not just wrong, it's illegal. The investigation also "exposed how cryptocurrency ATMs profit off of Iowans getting scammed," the release said. Bitcoin Depot takes 23% of the money Iowans send through machines, while CoinFlip takes 21%, according to the release. Bird is suing both companies for violating the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act. The suit alleges both companies profit off of scam victims through these transaction fees and that they deceive Iowans about their refund policies. "I'm fighting to get Iowans their money back and force the crypto ATM companies to make big changes," Bird said in the release. "No Iowan should get ripped off like this.' The investigation into crypto ATM companies is ongoing, according to the release. If you or someone you know has been a target of a cryptocurrency ATM scam, reach out to the Iowa Attorney General's Office at 1-888-777-4590 or file a complaint online. Kyle Werner is a reporter for the Register. Reach him at kwerner@ This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa cryptocurrency scam over $20 million in Iowa Brenna Bird lawsuit
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Iowa attorney general files lawsuits against crypto ATM operators
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird on Wednesday announced lawsuits against Bitcoin Depot and CoinFlip, Iowa's two largest cryptocurrency ATM operators, over their failures that allowed Iowans to transfer millions of dollars to scammers through their kiosks. The announcement was made during a press conference at the Iowa Bankers Association in Johnston. Speakers at the press conference included: Brenna Bird, Iowa Attorney General Daniel Barnes, Deputy Attorney General for Consumer Protection Adam Gregg, President and CEO of the Iowa Bankers Association Loree, Cryptocurrency ATM scam survivor Charles Webster, Detective with the Ankeny Police Department In October 2023, the Iowa Attorney General's office launched a first-of-its-kind investigation into cryptocurrency ATM companies. The office subpoenaed 14 total crypto ATM companies for a list of Iowans who had sent money through their kiosks. The office then contacted those Iowans by phone and email. It also investigated complaints, police reports, and self-reported scams. The investigation revealed that hundreds of Iowans sent more than $20 million through Bitcoin Depot and CoinFlip ATMs in a less than 3-year period. The majority of scam victims were over the age of 60. 'Con artists are evil and will stop at nothing to steal everything you have,' said Attorney General Bird. 'We already know that they target older Iowans, but now it seems that they even hunt through obituaries to target widows. They convince these older women that they need help, and then send their victims to crypto ATMs. And the crypto ATM companies take a cut of the profits. It's not just wrong, it's illegal. I'm fighting to get Iowans their money back and force the crypto ATM companies to make big changes. No Iowan should get ripped off like this.' The investigation also exposed how cryptocurrency ATMs profit off of Iowans getting scammed. Bitcoin Depot takes a 23% cut of the money Iowans send through the machines, and CoinFlip claims 21%. The lawsuits allege that both Bitcoin Depot and CoinFlip profit directly from Iowa scam victims by imposing excessive, and often hidden, transaction fees. It also alleges that Bitcoin Depot deceives Iowans about its refund policy. Attorney General Bird is suing both companies for violating the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act. The investigation into crypto ATM companies is ongoing. If you or someone you know has been targeted by a crypto ATM scam, contact the Iowa Attorney General's office at 1-888-777-4590 or file a complaint here. Read the fact sheet here. Read the Bitcoin Depot lawsuit here. Read the CoinFlip lawsuit here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Iowa Attorney General sues 2 crypto companies, costing Iowans $20 million
DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird is filing lawsuits against two crypto companies accused of costing Iowans $20 million. Attorney General Bird says an investigation into cryptocurrency ATM companies was opened in October 2023. Using a list of Iowans who sent money through kiosks, 14 crypto ATM companies were subpoenaed. As part of the investigation, Iowan's affected were contacted, and police reports, self-reports, and complaints were investigated. The office has filed two lawsuits in Polk County District Court against Bitcoin Depot and Coinflip ATM's. Both companies are being sued for violating the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act. Attorney General Bird says that in less than three years Iowan's sent more than $7 million through Bitcoin Depot and $13 million through CoinFlip ATM's. Bill allowing Iowa schools to hire unlicensed chaplains advances in House 'Con artists are evil and will stop at nothing to steal everything you have,' said Attorney General Bird. 'We already know that they target older Iowans, but now it seems that they even hunt through obituaries to target widows. They convince these older women that they need help, and then send their victims to crypto ATMs. According to Attorney General Bird, a majority of scam victims were over the age of 60. 'The crypto ATM companies take a cut of the profits. It's not just wrong, it's illegal. I'm fighting to get Iowans their money back and force the crypto ATM companies to make big changes. No Iowan should get ripped off like this,' said Attorney General Bird. The investigation indicated that 98% of the money Iowan's sent through Bitcoin Depot were scam transactions. Once money is sent through a crypto ATM, it is gone. The Attorney General Bird's office says the investigation into crypto ATM companies is ongoing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Des Moines Register, pollster seek dismissal of Trump's Iowa Poll lawsuit
The Des Moines Register, its parent company and its former pollster have asked a federal judge to dismiss President Donald Trump's lawsuit alleging fraud in a pre-election Iowa Poll. Trump's campaign also filed a motion to return the case to the state district court in Polk County from federal court, where the Register and owner Gannett Co. exercised their prerogative to move it after it initially was filed. Trump sued the Register; Gannett; and pollster J. Ann Selzer in December, alleging the Iowa Poll released shortly before the Nov. 5 election, showing his opponent, then-Vice President Kamala Harris, with a 3-percentage-point lead in Iowa, amounted to election interference and violated the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act. Trump won Iowa by 56% to 43% for Harris. Trump's legal team later amended his complaint to add U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa and former Iowa state Sen. Brad Zaun, both Republicans, as plaintiffs, with additional allegations against the Register of fraudulent and negligent misrepresentation. The Register and Selzer, who is represented by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, filed separate motions to dismiss the case, with the Register and Gannett describing Trump as a "sore winner" out to punish the newspaper for "whatever he may deem to be 'fake news.'" Trump's suit argues the Register's poll was deliberately engineered in collusion with Democrats to produce inaccurate results and violated the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act. The Register and Gannett, in their motion for dismissal filed Friday, point out that the law only applies to alleged fraud connected to the sale or advertisement of "consumer merchandise." It says there's no evidence Trump ever purchased anything from the Register, let alone merchandise "for personal, family or household purposes." "Plaintiffs allege (however implausibly) that the publication of the poll was for the sole purpose of 'manufacturing fake support for Democrat candidates in order to interfere in the elections.'... Even if that were true (though it plainly is not), it only confirms that neither the alleged harmful conduct — i.e., publishing and releasing the poll — nor thealleged harm itself — i.e., President Trump's professed fear of losing the election — were 'in connection with' the 'sale' or 'advertisement' of 'consumer merchandise,'" the motion argues. Trump's fraudulent and negligent misrepresentation claims also are deficient, according to the attorneys, who say Trump failed even to allege the Register committed acts that are legally required elements of those claims. They say Trump's complaint undermines his own arguments, claiming in one place that Selzer's poll was so obviously wrong that no credible pollster would have believed the results, and in another suggesting that Trump was nonetheless "justifiably deceived by it." Both cannot be true, they say. As for Miller-Meeks and Zaun, the motion argues neither has grounds to sue. The same poll that showed Harris ahead of Trump also found voters in Miller-Meeks' congressional district preferred a Democratic candidate. She ultimately won a narrow victory, and claims to have expended "extensive time and resources" on a recount. That claim fails to specify legally permissible damages or explain how the Register caused them, the motion says. Zaun, who had been the Iowa Senate president pro tempore, lost his bid for reelection in a race for which the Register did not conduct a poll. The Register and Gannett motion to dismiss says he "had no right (contractual or otherwise) to an Iowa State Senate seat and, therefore, cannot seek damages for the loss of it." Because of those problems, the motion argues, the court doesn't even need to consider the First Amendment problems with Trump's suit, although it states that these, too, mandate dismissal, as "the First Amendment prohibits Plaintiffs from employing" the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act "and the common law to censor the press or penalize statements about political campaigns." Selzer's motion focused foremost on First Amendment concerns, then added that Trump's claims were legally deficient "even if the First Amendment did not bar Plaintiffs' claims." "Throughout American history, thanks to the First Amendment, no court has ever accepted claims like these," FIRE Chief Counsel Robert Corn-Revere said in a statement. "This case should be no different.' Selzer's motion to dismiss argues that, even if Trump is correct in alleging a "conspiracy" to swing the polls against him, such an action would not be "fraud" or otherwise fall in an exception to the First Amendment. It compares political polling to weather forecasting, where courts have declined to hold meteorologists liable for incorrect forecasts. Citing a prior case from Florida, Selzer's attorneys argue that "just as with the election coverage here, 'predicting possible future events whose outcome is uncertain is not an exact science for which a [publisher] should be held liable.'' Trump has until March 14 to respond to both motions. In their motion to remand the case to state court, Trump's attorneys argue that the Register and Gannett improperly had the case moved to federal court. They also wrote that, even if the initial removal was appropriate, the federal court no longer has jurisdiction now that Miller-Meeks and Zaun have joined the case, meaning there are now Iowa parties on both sides of the litigation. The Register and Gannett, in their motion to dismiss, called Miller-Meeks and Zaun "transparent and impermissible 'jurisdictional spoilers.'" The company has until March 14 to file its objection to remanding the case. Trump also has asked the court to make the Register and Gannett pay its attorney fees for the fight over remanding the case. The Register's attorney, Nick Klinefeldt, said in a statement that the Trump suit is invalid, and so are his attorneys' arguments to return it to the state court. "As demonstrated by the Motion to Dismiss we filed on Friday, after two attempts and adding additional plaintiffs, President Trump has failed to state a viable case against the defendants," Klinefeldt said. "The President of the United States should not be afraid to have this lawsuit heard in federal court. Enlisting Representative Miller-Meeks and former State Senator Zaun to avoid federal court will not save this frivolous case and is simply delaying the inevitable. "The President's transparent attempt to intimidate the media through a manipulation of state consumer protection laws and legal gamesmanship will not stand," he added. "Nothing less than the First Amendment is at stake and we will continue to aggressively fight back against his attempts to punish the media for reporting the news." White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt's office did not respond to a request for comment. William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@ or 715-573-8166. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Dismissal of Trump lawsuit against Des Moines Register, Selzer sought
