Latest news with #StatesDistrictCourt
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Indiana congressional candidate gets prison sentence in campaign finance fraud case
Complaints obtained by the Indiana Capital Chronicle accuse Gabe Whitley's 'Honest Gabe for Congress' committee of false campaign contributions and fraudulent finance reporting. (Photo illustration by Casey Smith/Indiana Capital Chronicle) Former Indiana Congressional candidate Gabriel 'Gabe' Whitley was sentenced to three months in federal prison Tuesday after he admittedly falsified campaign finance records and lying about raising hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions ahead of the May 2024 primary. The sentence followed a plea deal agreement offered by the U.S. attorney's office earlier this year. Judge James Sweeney, who serves on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, said at the Tuesday hearing in Indianapolis that the 'fairly short' imposed sentence took into account Whitley's lack of criminal history, in addition to his 'troubled, traumatic childhood' and multiple, ongoing mental health challenges. But Whitley's campaign crime 'is a serious offense' and involved 'multiple layers of fabrication,' Sweeney said. 'The power of trust that we, the American people, put in the political process and in our representatives — the public needs to trust the system, at least,' the judge said. 'We need to have confidence in the process and the integrity of the system, even if the political candidate doesn't have that same integrity.' Whitley claimed in the courtroom that he did not know his campaign finance fillings were fraudulent. But the judge said his sentence — less than the six month-maximum which could have been imposed — took into account that Whitley 'clearly knew there was something not proper.' Sweeney emphasized, too, that serving some prison time 'will help deter others' who are running for political office from committing similar campaign crimes. Questions about Whitley's campaign finances were first reported by the Indiana Capital Chronicle early last year. Whitley admitted that he lied to the FEC in three separate reports about hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions from supporters and loans from himself. Specifically, Whitley admitted that in October 2023, he falsely claimed that 67 people — whose biographical details he made up — had contributed approximately $222,690 to his Honest Gabe for Congress, according to federal protestors. In January 2024, Whitley again falsely reported contributions from individuals 'whose biographical details he fabricated,' prosecutors said. He did the same in April 2024, falsifying a $100,000 loan to his campaign. In addition to prison time, Whitley's sentence included a $100 fine, a $100 fee for special assessments and a year of supervised probation following his release. Sweeney further recommended that Whitley complete substance abuse treatment — citing a positive drug test for marijuana in late January — plus a mental health evaluation and treatment, as well as vocational training. In remarks provided during the two-hour hearing, Whitley asked the court for 'leniency' and indicated that he has 'no intentions of returning to politics.' 'I am embarrassed to be here today,' he said in a prepared statement. 'I take full responsibility for my crimes, and I deeply regret the harm caused by my actions.' 'This prosecution has been embarrassing … and I know this will always follow me,' Whitley continued, referring to news articles and social media posts about his case 'that future employers can look up' online. He deprived the electorate of what they value most — and why these rules exist — and that's transparency. – Federal prosecutor Nicole Lockhart Still, the former candidate pointed a finger at a former employer 'that taught me to lie about my filings … but later I learned it was not correct.' Whitley did not name the company when asked by the judge. Whitley's court-appointed attorney, Gwendolyn Beitz, said the employer's name was previously provided to the prosecution team. Whitley repeatedly referenced his autism and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnoses, which he said contribute to his 'hot head' and 'impulsive tendencies.' 'I don't intend to come across the way people look at me,' he added. But prosecutor Nicole Lockhart maintained that 'this was not an impulsive crime.' She said Whitley's fraudulent filings 'happened multiple times, over multiple months, in multiple reports.' 'He deprived the electorate of what they value most — and why these rules exist — and that's transparency,' Lockhart said. Indiana congressional candidate faces campaign finance scrutiny She additionally pointed to two recent lawsuits lodged by Whitley, one against the FBI Indianapolis Field Office and the federal agent who investigated the case; and the other against the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana and the U.S. Department of Justice. The lawsuits, which have since been dismissed, were filed by Whitley after his February plea hearing and alleged that his admissions of guilt had been coerced, and that he was being 'maliciously prosecute(s) … without probable cause, motivated by a conflict of interest and political bias.' Prosecutors said those 'incendiary' complaints — along with other lawsuits in Marion County Superior Court — showed that Whitley 'has continued to demonstrate an utter lack of respect for the judiciary.' In one motion filed in Marion County, for example, Whitley stated that the African American judge presiding over his case, got his 'law license from a Cracker Jack box because they don't give monkeys real law license [sic].' U.S. attorneys held that 'such conduct from an individual who had pleaded guilty to a criminal offense only several weeks before reflects a lack of seriousness in engaging with the judicial process and suggests that a probationary sentence would be an insufficient deterrent.' Defending her client, Beitz contended that Whitley's speech — while detestable — is protected under the First Amendment. But a turning point in the hearing appeared to come when Sweeney questioned Whitley directly about campaign finance concerns predating his federal case. The judge specifically cited reporting by The Evansville Courier & Press in 2021 about Whitley's campaign documents filed during his short-lived Evansville mayoral campaign. The paper reported Whitley's fundraising reports filed with the state in 2021 and 2022 raised questions that he may have violated Indiana election law by documenting he raised thousands of dollars in campaign cash from people who denied giving him donations. Whitley said he hired an unnamed political consulting firm to solicit contributions via email on his behalf. He reported no such expenditures on his 2021 and 2022 campaign finance filings, though. CONTACT US Sweeney pressed Whitley about earlier suspicions of fraud and asked whether he had filed the false federal reports before or after the state-level allegations surfaced. Whitley told the judge he was never aware of problems with his campaign filings and emphasized that Indiana's Election Division dismissed related complaints. Even so, Sweeney said that was no excuse for later, fraudulent filings during Whitley's congressional race, and argued that the former candidate 'should have been on notice' as far back as 2021. Complaints alleging Whitley's excessive federal campaign contributions and fraudulent financial reporting were sent to the Federal Election Commission (FEc) and the Indiana Election Division in February 2024 by Gabrielle Kendall, wife of WIBC radio host Rob Kendall. At the time, Whitley told the Indiana Capital Chronicle the accusations were 'absurd.' When asked by the Capital Chronicle if the contested donors are real, Whitley said 'there's no more comment I'm going to say on that,' Whitley said. 'We've been in compliance with the FEC. We talked with them. We have a good relationship with them.' Later, in August 2024, Whitley was arrested in a separate case for alleged online threats and harassment he made against Indianapolis-based political commentator Abdul-Hakim Shabazz. That case is still pending in Marion County Superior Court, with a jury trial scheduled for mid-July. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX ###
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Complaint filed by parent of deceased Chatham County Jail inmate removed to federal court
The lawsuit filed by attorneys for the parent of a man who died in the Chatham County Detention Center in March 2023 against Chatham County has been removed from Chatham County State Court to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, according to court documents obtained by the Savannah Morning News. The complaint was filed on behalf of Gregory Alan Woods, who died in the Chatham County Detention Center on the morning of March 5, 2023, by attorneys for Henry Ashley Woods, who is listed as Gregory's surviving parent. In the complaint, Woods' attorneys allege a failure to render appropriate aid after he was allegedly assaulted and battered, leaving him in distress for an extended period of time and a failure to secure appropriate and timely medical treatment for him, as previously reported by SMN. Defendants named in the complaint include Chatham County, current Chatham County Sheriff Richard Coleman, in addition to an unnamed healthcare provider and unnamed correctional officers and medical staff. The complaint was filed by Ashleigh Madison of Southeast Law and Andrew Lavoie of Bruce, Matthews & Lavoie, in Chatham County State Court nearly two years after Woods' death. The attorneys seek $5 million for multiple alleged damages, including wrongful death, assault, battery and excessive force, medical, funeral and burial expenses, in addition to a violation of 42 U.S. Code § 1983, a civil action for the deprivation of rights. More: Georgia Bureau of Investigation investigates death in Chatham County jail More: Parent of deceased Chatham County Detention Center inmate files complaint against county More: With few beds, fewer psychologists, Georgia inmates wait months for mental health evaluations On Monday, Chatham County Attorney Jonathan Hart and Chatham County Assistant County Attorney Andre Pretorius also filed an answer to the complaint on behalf of Chatham County Sheriff Richard Coleman, Chatham County and other county defendants. In the answer, Pretorius and Hart lodged more than 20 defenses and denied numerous allegations. The county attorneys argue that Woods was not deprived of access to medical services and his injuries 'were not proximately caused by any negligence or other tortious acts or omissions.' Woods' attorneys 'fail to state a claim or cause of action against one or more of these Defendants upon which relief can be granted,' the county attorneys allege. County defendants 'at all times acted in good faith without malice and without an intent to cause injury.' Any injuries or damages suffered by Woods 'is the result of actions or inactions on the part of the Plaintiff and therefore Plaintiff cannot recover from County Defendants,' the county attorneys also argue. 'Having answered the complaint and stated their defenses, County Defendants request that judgment be entered in their favor against the Plaintiff, that Plaintiff take nothing of County Defendants, that County Defendants be awarded and Plaintiff be assessed all costs incurred, including attorney's fees, that all costs of this action be taxed against the Plaintiff, and for such other relief as this Court may deem just and proper,' the county's answer reads. In a phone call, Pretorius confirmed that the county attorneys filed an answer to the complaint and removed the case to federal court but declined further comment. Madison and Lavoie did not return an email requesting comment as of publication time. Drew Favakeh is the public safety and courts reporter for Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at AFavakeh@ This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Chatham County Jail death complaint removed to federal court
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NC attorney general takes legal action against DHHS, RFK Jr. over health care cuts
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson joined a lawsuit Tuesday to prevent the federal government's termination of more than $230 million in health care funding for the state, his office said. The lawsuit was filed in United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and its secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. According to the Office of the North Carolina Attorney General, the lawsuit was filed in response to the DHHS announcing it was immediately terminating $11 billion in health care funding across the country, including more than $230 million in funding for North Carolina. The state attorney general's office argues the federal government's actions are unlawful because the DHHS is required to pay out funds Congress appropriated and because the federal government has 'failed to follow the legal process for ending funds.' 'These funding cuts will cause immediate and dire harm to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, local public health departments across the state, and community-based organizations,' the North Carolina Attorney General's office said in a statement. 'Health departments may need to end public health programs and lay off staff, ultimately making it harder for North Carolinians to get the health care they need.' According to the state attorney general's office, the loss of more than $230 million in health care funding for North Carolina would result in a loss of funding to: Local health programs in at least 77 of North Carolina's 86 health departments, particularly in the rural counties Community-based organizations and community health workers providing care and resources to people impacted by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina County-based nurses investigating disease outbreaks Collection and analysis of infection control data for people and North Carolina's farming economy and livestock industry EMS programs in six counties (Davie, Durham, Gaston, Surry, Orange, and Cumberland counties) Response to outbreaks of infectious disease in high-risk places such as nursing homes and assisted living facilities, where North Carolina's older population is at risk Effective control and prevention of the spread of infections, such as the flu Substance use disorder treatment programs, especially in rural areas, and the loss of behavioral health therapists and substance use treatment specialists Collegiate substance misuse recovery programs that operate in 14 North Carolina colleges and universities (Appalachian State University, Elizabeth City State University, East Carolina University, Fayetteville State University, North Carolina A&T State University, NC State University, North Carolina Central University, UNC Asheville, UNC Charlotte, UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC Greensboro, UNC Pembroke, UNC Wilmington, and Winston-Salem State University) 'My job is to be a shield for the people of North Carolina and that includes protecting their health care,' Jackson said in a statement. 'The federal government can't just cancel nearly a quarter billion dollars that have already been congressionally allocated to our state. It's unlawful and dangerous. 'That money supports rural hospitals, health care workers, emergency services, and public health programs that protect seniors and families across North Carolina,' Jackson continued in his statement. 'There are legal ways to improve how tax dollars are used, but this wasn't one of them. Immediately halting critical health care programs across the state without legal authority isn't just wrong—it puts lives at risk. That's why we're going to court.' Jackson is joined in the lawsuit by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin, and Washington, D.C., and the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania. The full lawsuit can be viewed below: DHHS, RFK Jr. lawsuitDownload Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
