Latest news with #NewJerseyGlobe
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hot Mic Catches Aftermath of Judge Ripping Trump's Prosecutors ‘a New A**hole'
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka reacted colorfully to a judge's scolding of Trump administration prosecutors for their 'embarrassing' decision to charge him with trespassing—then quickly retract those charges. 'Jesus, he tore these people a new a--hole. Good grief,' he said afterward on a hot mic. That comment, the New Jersey Globe reported, came after a more than five-minute tongue lashing by U.S Magistrate Judge Andre Espinosa aimed at Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Demanovich's office over the initial misdemeanor charges against Baraka. He and other Democrats were arrested outside an immigration detention facility earlier this month while attempting to enter and conduct oversight. 'An arrest of a public figure is not a preliminary investigative tool. It is a severe action,' Espinosa said during Wednesday's virtual court hearing. 'It should only be undertaken after a thorough, dispassionate investigation of credible evidence.' 'Federal prosecutors serve a single paramount client: justice itself,' Espinosa added. 'Your role is not to secure convictions at all costs, nor to satisfy public clamor, nor to advance political agendas. Your allegiance is to the impartial application of the law, to the pursuit of truth, and to the upholding of due process for all.' Yet that wasn't what happened, the judge said. 'The apparent rush in this case, culminating today in the embarrassing retraction of charges, suggests a failure to adequately investigate,' Espinosa went on. 'Your office must operate with a higher standard than that.' Baraka's May 9 arrest occurred amid protests against the reopening of Delaney Hall, which Baraka alleges is operating illegally. The Democratic gubernatorial candidate later went on CNN to say his arrest was 'targeted.' The mayor's prosecution, which some on the right thoroughly enjoyed, was led by interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba. A former personal attorney for Donald Trump and a current counselor to him, Habba listened in on the hearing, according to The Washington Post, and declined to speak. Habba on Monday also charged Rep. LaMonica McIver with assaulting two ICE agents. McIver has called the prosecution 'purely political.' The visit to the detention center 'should have been peaceful and short,' she said in a statement. 'Instead, ICE agents created an unnecessary and unsafe confrontation when they chose to arrest Mayor Baraka,' she continued. 'The charges against me are purely political—they mischaracterize and distort my actions, and are meant to criminalize and deter legislative oversight." The case against McIver will continue—for the moment, at least.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's pick for New Jersey governor pledges support as he seeks to lock up the primary
Republican Jack Ciattarelli is leaning on his endorsement from President Donald Trump to win next month's GOP primary for governor in New Jersey, pledging support for the president and saying during a debate Tuesday that he would not challenge Trump's executive orders in court. "I'm going to continue to work with the president. We spoke about that last week when we spoke about making the country and New Jersey safe again. We do that by getting rid of sanctuary cities, by getting rid of our sanctuary state status," Ciattarelli said during an exchange on immigration policy. 'I told him my attorney general will not be suing the White House for executive orders. We're not going to waste taxpayer dollars,' Ciattarelli said, later adding that he would "follow [Trump]'s lead" on deportations and that criminals should be deported. "At the end of the day, if he's going to deport all 14, 15 or 16 million, I support the president," Ciattarelli said. "He was elected on the promise of making the country safe again." Ciattarelli went on to defend his support for giving drivers licenses to undocumented immigrants, saying, "If by chance there are people he is not going to deport, we have to know who they are." Ciattarelli touted Trump's endorsement multiple times throughout the debate, at which he faced off against former radio host Bill Spadea, a staunch Trump supporter, and state Sen. Jon Bramnick, a Trump critic. Two other GOP candidates on the ballot for the June 10 primary did not meet the fundraising threshold to qualify for the debate, which was hosted by On New Jersey, the New Jersey Globe, Rider University and Save Jersey. Ciattarelli, a former state assemblyman who narrowly lost in the general election against Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy in 2021, has been leading the primary field in limited public polling and campaign spending. Ciattarelli's campaign also launched a TV ad Tuesday that highlighted Trump's endorsement. Spadea acknowledged at the debate that Trump opted to endorse Ciattarelli, but he suggested Trump was swayed by skewed polling. 'The president endorsed a poll — a poll that was conducted and paid for by Jack's campaign," Spadea said in his opening statement. "The president did not endorse a plan. The president did not endorse a set of principles.' The candidates were asked how, as Trump allies, they would navigate Republican-led cuts to federal programs that could negatively affect New Jersey residents. "Did not the recession back in 2011 impact our ability to do this and do that, but yet we met that challenge? And I believe we can meet this challenge," Ciattarelli said. "But the first job of any governor is to provide for health and safety. And that [means] taking care of our most vulnerable people, whether it's people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, people on Medicaid, we will find a way." Spadea noted he has disagreed with Trump on "multiple occasions." "Disagreement is OK. You have to protect this state," Spadea said. Bramnick pledged "to fight for New Jersey, even if it means disagreeing with Washington Republicans. New Jersey's got to come first; it's simple as that." Ciattarelli pitched himself as the candidate most likely to win in November. He lost to Murphy by 3 points four years ago, and this year's race is expected to be competitive. A crowded field of Democrats are competing in next month's primary to replace Murphy, who cannot run for re-election because of term limits. This article was originally published on
NBC News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Trump's pick for New Jersey governor pledges support as he seeks to lock up the primary
Republican Jack Ciattarelli is leaning on his endorsement from President Donald Trump to win next month's GOP primary for governor in New Jersey, pledging support for the president and saying during a debate Tuesday that he would not challenge Trump's executive orders in court. "I'm going to continue to work with the president. We spoke about that last week when we spoke about making the country and New Jersey safe again. We do that by getting rid of sanctuary cities, by getting rid of our sanctuary state status," Ciattarelli said during an exchange on immigration policy. 'I told him my attorney general will not be suing the White House for executive orders. We're not going to waste taxpayer dollars,' Ciattarelli said, later adding that he is going to "follow [Trump]'s lead" on deportations and that criminals should be deported. "At the end of the day, if he's going to deport all 14, 15 or 16 million, I support the president," Ciattarelli said. "He was elected on the promise of making the country safe again." Ciattarelli went on to defend his support for giving drivers licenses to undocumented immigrants, saying, "If by chance there are people he is not going to deport, we have to know who they are." Ciattarelli touted Trump's endorsement multiple times throughout the debate, where he faced off against former radio host Bill Spadea, a staunch Trump supporter, and state Sen. Jon Bramnick, a Trump critic. Two other GOP candidates are on the ballot for the June 10 primary, though they did not meet the fundraising threshold to qualify for the debate, which was hosted by On New Jersey, the New Jersey Globe, Rider University, and Save Jersey. A former state assemblyman who narrowly lost in the general election against Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy in 2021, Ciattarelli has been leading the primary field in limited public polling and campaign spending. Ciattarelli's campaign also launched a new TV ad on Tuesday that highlighted Trump's endorsement. Spadea acknowledged during the debate that Trump opted to endorse Ciattarelli, but he suggested the president was swayed by skewed polling. 'The president endorsed a poll — a poll that was conducted and paid for by Jack's campaign," Spadea said in his opening statement. "The president did not endorse a plan. The president did not endorse a set of principles.' The candidates were asked during the debate how, as Trump allies, they would navigate Republican-led cuts to federal programs that could negatively impact New Jersey residents. "Did not the recession back in 2011 impact our ability to do this and do that, but yet we met that challenge? And I believe we can meet this challenge," Ciattarelli said. "But the first job of any governor is to provide for health and safety. And that believes taking care of our most vulnerable people, whether it's people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, people on Medicaid, we will find a way." Spadea noted he has disagreed with Trump on "multiple occasions." "Disagreement is okay. You have to protect this state," Spadea said. Bramnick pledged "to fight for New Jersey, even if it means disagreeing with Washington Republicans. New Jersey's got to come first, it's simple as that." Ciattarelli ultimate pitched himself as the candidate most likely to win in November. He lost to Murphy by 3 points four years ago, and this year's gubernatorial race is expected to be competitive. A crowded field of Democrats are competing in next month's primary to replace Murphy, who cannot run for re-election due to term limits.
NBC News
19-05-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
New Jersey Democrats vow to fight Trump in final gubernatorial debate
The top Democratic candidates running for governor in New Jersey faced off in their final debate Sunday night before next month's primary, where they vowed to take on President Donald Trump and laid out why they are best positioned to win in November. Five of the six Democratic contenders — Reps. Mikie Sherrill and Josh Gottheimer, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, and former state Senate President Steve Sweeney — faced off Sunday night in a debate hosted by On New Jersey, the New Jersey Globe, and Rider University. A sixth candidate, Montclair Mayor Sean Spiller, did not meet the fundraising threshold to participate in the debate. The candidates sparred for over two-and-a-half hours on a range of state-specific issues, from transit and education funding to taxes and state budgets. But they were united in resolving to take on Trump. New Jersey is one of two states, along with Virginia, with gubernatorial races this year, which could provide an early look at how voters are responding to Trump's second term. While the Virginia matchup is set, the New Jersey candidates first have to compete in the June 10 primary. There are contested primaries on both sides, but former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli has led the GOP primary field, and he secured Trump's endorsement last week. The Democratic race has been more unpredictable, with a crowded field splitting voters. When asked how schools and universities should navigate threats to federal funding if they do not comply with Trump's executive orders on DEI or transgender issues, all five said institutions should resist the administration. Fulop said, "We should absolutely be pushing back,' while Sweeney called Trump 'a criminal.' Gottheimer, referring to the president as 'this guy,' said, 'The job of the governor is to fight him.' Baraka — who was arrested on trespassing charges at a federal immigration detention facility earlier this month — also said, 'We have to fight back.' He has denied any wrongdoing and argued the charges were politically motivated. Former Trump lawyer Alina Habba, now the interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey, wrote in an X post after Baraka was arrested, 'NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.' Sherrill, who some consider the frontrunner in the crowded race, called Trump 'the most corrupt president this nation has ever had' and likened him to a playground bully. 'This is not a federal government you can work with,' Sherrill said. Sherrill and Gottheimer faced some criticism, particularly from Sweeney, for not doing enough to combat Trump and Republicans in D.C. 'We need to start winning some fights in Washington,' Sweeney said a few times throughout the debate. The candidates also laid out their paths to victory in November, with the race expected to be competitive. Trump lost New Jersey by 6 points last year, a 10-point improvement on his performance in the 2020 election. Sherrill previewed a potential case against Ciattarelli, saying that the former assemblyman 'has promised to DOGE New Jersey' and will not stand up to Trump (Ciattarelli has called for establishing a Department of Government Efficiency at the state level). Both Sherrill and Gottheimer touted their victories in competitive House districts, and Gottheimer stressed his focus on reducing taxes and lowering costs. Baraka pitched himself as the true progressive in the race, adding that progressive groups have endorsed him because 'they know I'm gonna fight Donald Trump, not just in words but in action.' Sweeney, meanwhile, said he would be best equipped to run state government and that other candidates pitching themselves as Trenton outsiders would face a steep learning curve. Fulop noted in his opening statement that Ciattarelli 'will be tough to beat,' and later said that a candidate tied to the party establishment, and particularly to Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, will be 'dead on arrival in November.' (Murphy cannot run for re-election due to term limits.) 'It is not gonna be only a referendum on Donald Trump because independent voters in the state of New Jersey, a lot of them voted for Donald Trump,' Fulop said, later adding, 'You need to move independent voters, you need to move Republican voters, with a clear vision of what New Jersey looks like.'
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's Justice Department Is About To Charge a Member of Congress
Donald Trump's former lawyer turned U.S. attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba is planning to file federal charges against a sitting congresswoman. Democratic Representative LaMonica McIver could be charged as early as Friday, according to the New Jersey Globe, for events that transpired last week when McIver, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Representative Rob Menendez paid a visit to Delaney Hall, which Immigration and Customs Enforcement has started using to house immigrant detainees. After all four were admitted into the prison, the three members of Congress tried to include Baraka in conversations. The mayor had repeatedly sought in previous days to serve the owners of the facility, Geo Group, with summonses over code violations, including refusing to grant access to the facility and failing to have an evacuation plan in place. He had been denied entry during his previous attempts. But a scuffle took place with ICE agents, protesters at the facility's gate, and the four, with at least one member of Congress shoved. Baraka was subsequently arrested. McIver tried to physically protect Baraka, perhaps providing Habba with a flimsy justification to arrest her. The three representatives have faced spurious accusations from the right that they attacked or punched ICE officers, and received threats of reprisal from Republicans in Congress. Last week, the members of Congress denied any wrongdoing. 'We've reviewed the body cam footage shared by DHS which confirms what we've said from the beginning: ICE agents put their hands on Members of Congress and arrested the Mayor of Newark on public property,' a Watson Coleman spokesperson said at the time. 'Nobody was 'body slammed,' nobody 'assaulted' any agents, and this footage confirms that.' The footage seems to back up Watson Coleman's account, as does New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. 'LaMonica, Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Rob Menendez have absolute rights to inspect those facilities,' Murphy said to the Globe Friday. 'And if [a federal charge] goes ahead, I think it's just as I said about Ras Baraka: outrageous.'
