Latest news with #MatthewKacsmaryk
Yahoo
07-08-2025
- Yahoo
Former Amarillo Employee Jailed For Embezzling $121,000 From Homeless Program
A judge sentenced a former Amarillo employee to 18 months in jail after she embezzled more than $121,000 from a federal homeless program. Vanessa Robinson, 35, was a City of Amarillo grant manager with the Community Development Department, responsible for helping homeless people afford rent, according to a release from the Department of Justice. From 2013 to 2024, she coordinated funds to landlords from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. But from July 2019 to September 2024, Robinson embezzled from the program, totaling $121,325. She posed as a program recipient to live rent-free for more than two years. She also took money from an emergency grant and completed fraudulent forms to give housing assistance to family members. 'This breach of the public trust will not be tolerated, and we are proud of our law enforcement partners' work in seeing justice done in this case,' said Acting Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy Larson in the release. Robinson pled guilty to 'information charging her with conspiracy' to embezzle from a federally funded program in March. Then on July 22, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk sentenced her to 18 months in federal prison and ordered her to return the embezzled money to Amarillo. The program was responsible for distributing HUD funds to help 'homeless or near-homeless' citizens in Amarillo with housing, paying 'market-rate' rents to willing landlords, according to the release. Robinson's job entailed communicating with landlords, completing leases and inspections, and arranging payment. 'Robinson embezzled from the program by various means,' the release reads. Robinson posed as a program recipient and lived rent-free for more than two years, enlisting a 'co-conspirator – another former employee who participated in a similar scheme' to act as her supposed case worker and communicate with her landlord. She lived on the taxpayer's dime for 25 months, costing a total of $34,673. She also admitted she created fraudulent lease agreements and a 'fictitious landlord' under her husband's identity to receive money from the HUD's Emergency Services Grant, according to the release. She even filled out fraudulent applications for family members so that they could receive housing assistance. In a separate case, 44-year-old Amy Dixon – Amarillo's former Homeless Management Information Specialist – pled guilty in June 2024 to 'criminal information charging conspiracy' to embezzle from a federally-funded program. Dixon embezzled more than $465,000 total from the same program, depositing supposed landlord 'payments' into her bank account, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk sentenced her in October 2024 to 24 months in federal prison and to repay the stolen money to Amarillo. 'These defendants abused trusted positions within the City of Amarillo to steal from federal funding intended for residents experiencing significant financial hardship and homelessness,' Larson said in the release. FBI-Dallas' 'Amarillo Resident Agency' and HUD's Office of Inspector General investigated this case, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Frausto prosecuted. 'The defendants in this case embezzled funds from a program meant to help disadvantaged residents in their area,' said FBI-Dallas Special Agent In Charge Joseph Rothrock in the release. 'They abused their positions as city employees for personal gain at the expense of their community.'
India Today
19-06-2025
- Health
- India Today
US judge strikes down Biden-era rule protecting privacy for abortions
A federal judge on Wednesday struck down a rule adopted by the administration of former President Joe Biden that strengthened privacy protections for women seeking abortions and patients who receive gender transition District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Amarillo, Texas, said the US Department of Health and Human Services exceeded its powers and unlawfully limited states' ability to enforce their public health laws when it adopted the rule last rule prohibits healthcare providers and insurers from giving information about a legal abortion to state law enforcement authorities who are seeking to punish someone in connection with that abortion. "HHS lacked clear delegated authority to fashion special protections for medical information produced by politically favoured medical procedures," wrote Kacsmaryk, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, a Republican, during his first in December blocked HHS from enforcing the rule against a Texas doctor who had brought the lawsuit, Carmen Purl, pending the outcome of the case. Wednesday's decision blocks the rule did not immediately respond to a request for is represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal group. Matt Bowman, senior counsel with the group, praised the decision in a statement, saying the 2024 rule "would have weaponised laws about privacy that have nothing to do with abortion or gender identity."advertisementThe Biden administration issued the rule as part of its pledge to support access to reproductive healthcare after the conservative-majority US Supreme Court in 2022 overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that made access to abortion a constitutional right came in response to efforts by authorities in some Republican-led states that ban abortion, including Texas, to restrict out-of-state travel for has filed a separate lawsuit challenging the rule, which is pending in federal court in Lubbock, Texas. HHS in a court filing last month said agency leadership appointed by Trump is evaluating its position in this a Democrat, said in announcing the rule that no one should have their medical records "used against them, their doctor, or their loved one just because they sought or received lawful reproductive health care."Must Watch
Reuters
18-06-2025
- Health
- Reuters
US judge invalidates Biden rule protecting privacy for abortions
June 18 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Wednesday struck down a rule adopted by the administration of former President Joe Biden that strengthened privacy protections for women seeking abortions and patients who receive gender transition treatments. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Amarillo, Texas, said the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services exceeded its powers and unlawfully limited states' ability to enforce their public health laws when it adopted the rule last year. The rule prohibits healthcare providers and insurers from giving information about a legal abortion to state law enforcement authorities who are seeking to punish someone in connection with that abortion. "HHS lacked clear delegated authority to fashion special protections for medical information produced by politically favored medical procedures," wrote Kacsmaryk, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, a Republican, during his first term. Kacsmaryk in December had blocked HHS from enforcing the rule against a Texas doctor who had brought the lawsuit, Carmen Purl, pending the outcome of the case. Wednesday's decision blocks the rule nationwide. HHS and Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal group that represents Purl, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Biden administration issued the rule as part of its pledge to support access to reproductive healthcare after the conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court in 2022 overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that made access to abortion a constitutional right nationwide. It came in response to efforts by authorities in some Republican-led states that ban abortion, including Texas, to restrict out-of-state travel for abortion. Texas has filed a separate lawsuit challenging the rule, which is pending in federal court in Lubbock, Texas. HHS in a court filing last month said agency leadership appointed by Trump is evaluating its position in this case. Biden, a Democrat, said in announcing the rule that no one should have their medical records "used against them, their doctor, or their loved one just because they sought or received lawful reproductive health care."
Reuters
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
California woman pleads guilty to threatening judge in abortion pill case
May 19 (Reuters) - A California woman pleaded guilty on Monday to threatening to injure a federal judge in Texas and warning him to "watch his back" after he suspended approval of the abortion pill mifepristone in 2023. Dolly Kay Patterson entered her plea in Dallas federal court on the same day she was scheduled to go on trial on charges related to a threat that, according to court papers, had been directed at U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Amarillo. According to court papers, opens new tab, she admitted that on April 16, 2023, she sent a message through an online form on the district court's website stating: "Tell this antiabortion judge he needs to watch his back--and that of his kids--the rest of his life!" That message was sent a little over a week after Kacsmaryk, who was appointed to the bench by Republican President Donald Trump during his first term, suspended the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's two-decade-old approval of mifepristone. The U.S. Supreme Court later in June 2024 overturned an appeals court's decision that had partially upheld Kacsmaryk's ruling, preserving, for now, access to a medication used in more than 60% of U.S. abortions. The abortion pill case was originally brought by anti-abortion groups and doctors. While the Supreme Court concluded they lacked standing to pursue the case, the Republican-led states of Idaho, Missouri and Kansas are now seeking to litigate the case in their place. Prior to Monday's plea, Patterson had disputed government claims that she confessed to sending the message when the U.S. Marshals Service subsequently visited her home and argued that no evidence existed tying her to the message. As part of a plea deal, opens new tab, Patterson, a retired former employee of Stanford University, agreed to plead guilty to just one of the two charges against her. That charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Lawyers for Patterson did not respond to requests for comment. The case against Patterson was filed amid a surge in threats to judges nationally, prompting the federal judiciary to push Congress for increased security funding to help it ensure the safety of judges and their families. A Reuters investigation this month identified at least 11 federal judges whose families have recently faced threats of violence or harassment after they ruled against the Trump administration. Pizzas have also been sent anonymously to the homes of several judges and their relatives. During a hearing in March 2023 in the abortion pill case, Kacsmaryk, a former Christian legal activist, said his division had received a "barrage" of death threats and harassing phone calls and voicemails since the lawsuit began. A Florida woman, Alice Marie Pence, in June pleaded guilty to threatening Kacsmaryk in March 2023 that he should "watch out for the red dot on your forehead" and make "the right decision." She was sentenced in November to 10 months in prison. The case is U.S. v. Patterson, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, No. 2:24-cr-00070. For the United States: Tiffany Eggers and Jongwoo Chung of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas For Patterson: Paul Herrmann of The Herrmann and Archer Law Firm Read more: US judges warn of threats, ask Congress for more security funding US Supreme Court preserves access to abortion pill mifepristone Woman arrested for threatening to kill Texas federal judge in abortion pill case Texas judge in abortion pill lawsuit often rules for conservatives
Fast Company
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Fast Company
This new ruling cuts protections for transgender workers
Federal judge and Trump appointee Matthew J. Kacsmaryk issued a ruling on Friday that will significantly alter the protections that transgender employees are entitled to in the workplace. The decision impacts the current guidance on workplace harassment from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, in a move that reflects the agency's new priorities under the Trump administration and new acting chair Andrea Lucas. In the ruling, Kacsmaryk struck down a section of the EEOC's guidance that applied to trans and gender-nonconforming workers, arguing the agency did not have the authority to foist those guidelines on employers. The agency's guidance had stated that misgendering employees, denying them access to appropriate bathrooms, or barring them from dressing in line with their gender identity could constitute workplace harassment. Updates to workplace harassment guidance The EEOC had updated its guidance on workplace harassment last year for the first time in decades, following a major Supreme Court ruling in 2020 that codified workplace protections for LGBTQ+ employees. (Over the last two years, the agency has also fielded well over 6,000 charges that alleged discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.) But Kacsmaryk ruled that the agency's interpretation of the Supreme Court decision was too broad and imposed 'mandatory standards' on employers, contradicting the EEOC's claim that the guidance was not legally binding. Kacsmaryk also cited the 'biological differences between men and women' and said the EEOC's guidance 'contravenes Title VII's plain text by expanding the scope of 'sex' beyond the biological binary.' A new administration's priorities Trump had already undermined protections for LGBTQ+ workers in one of his first executive orders, which dictated that the government would only recognize two biological sexes. And even prior to this ruling, the new administration had already influenced the EEOC's priorities: In her new capacity as acting chair, Lucas said the agency would now focus on 'defending the biological and binary reality of sex and related rights' and complying with Trump's executive orders. Over the last few months, there have been several reports that the EEOC is dismissing lawsuits that were already underway involving allegations of discrimination against trans or gender-nonconforming workers. The agency is also reportedly de-prioritizing new charges related to gender identity and discouraging EEOC judges from hearing existing cases that are under investigation. (The EEOC has not commented on these reports.) Since Trump dismissed EEOC commissioners Jocelyn Samuels and Charlotte Burrows, the agency has lacked a quorum and been unable to make formal revisions to its guidance—including the workplace harassment guidelines, which Lucas had voted against when they were issued in 2024. Earlier this month, however, Trump nominated a new commissioner who would secure a Republican majority at the EEOC if confirmed, enabling the agency to revoke prior guidance and make other consequential changes to worker protections.
