Latest news with #TheMattGaetzShow
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
OAN Will Provide News Feed Services to VOA
One America News will act as a news feed service for Voice of America and other USAGM networks. Kari Lake, tsenior adviser to the U.S. Agency for Global Media, announced the news on Wednesday. 'This is an enormous benefit to the American taxpayer, who is the sole source of funding for USAGM's news outlets, which broadcast only to international audiences,' Lake said in a statement posted on social media. 'I can ensure our outlets have reliable and credible options as they work to craft their reporting and news programs,' Lake added, noting that she does not have editorial control over VOA content and OCB programming. 'Every day, I look for ways to save American taxpayers money. Bringing in OAN as a video/news source does both.' According to Lake, the conservative-leaning network will provide its news feed service at no cost to U.S. taxpayers. No timeline was offered for when VOA and other USAGM networks-including the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB) and Radio Martí-would start to feature OAN's feed. In March, the Trump administration laid off hundreds of staffers and canceled VOA's contracts with major news services, including AP, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse. David Seide, an attorney representing employees challenging their dismissal from the agency, told the AZCentral publication that Lake's move is 'illegal.' 'USAGM by law cannot interfere with Voice of America's statutory mandate to be an independent media source,' he said. 'OAN calls itself one of Donald Trump's 'greatest supporters.'' In an interview with NPR, former U.S. Agency for Global Media Chief Financial Officer Grant Turner described Lake's actions as 'a mockery of the agency's history of independent non-partisan journalism.' OAN's primetime programming includes the political talk show, The Matt Gaetz Show, which launched in January. The former congressman is also the co-host of a weekly video podcast, Real America with Dan Ball. In April 2024, OAN settled a defamation case brought by Smartmatic for an undisclosed sum. The lawsuit's origins date back to the 2020 presidential election, when Smartmatic accused several news networks-including Fox News, Newsmax, and OAN-of repeatedly publishing reports claiming that the company and its software altered votes to ensure former President Joe Biden's victory.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Rep. George Santos Set To Serve 87 Months In Prison For Wire Fraud And Identity Theft
Disgraced New York congressman George Santos has been sentenced after pleading guilty to wire fraud and identity theft charges. The former rep received more than seven years behind bars during his sentencing hearing on Friday in a Long Island courtroom. His punishment comes two years after his indictment in May 2023. George Santos was elected as the U.S. representative for New York's 3rd congressional district in 2022 and sworn into office in January 2023. However, his reign was cut short in December 2023 when the House of Representatives voted to expel him from Congress. During his sentencing, Santos was ordered to spend 87 months in a federal prison. His punishment continued with a bill of over $370K in restitution. He also forfeited certain assets, bringing the total cost to $580,000. The disgraced NY rep initially faced a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison for the identity theft charge. However, it seemed the judge decided Santos needed a higher punishment to match his crimes. Following his indictment, the former politician was charged with close to two dozen crimes. Santos initially described his indictment as a witch hunt before acknowledging his faults and accepting a plea deal last summer. He pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and wire fraud, confessing he used a campaign donor's credit card in September and October 2022, per TMZ. The night before his sentencing hearing, Santos appeared on One America News Network's "The Matt Gaetz Show." He expressed concerns about serving his sentence in a federal prison, claiming his safety was at risk. According to Santos, his life might be endangered behind bars because of his stance against gangs during his short tenure in Congress. On that note, he revealed he would request to serve his time in solitary confinement for his protection. It remains to be seen if his request will be granted, but his sentencing left many ecstatic on X. "That will complete his 2 terms," a critic mocked Santos. Another implied he was in for trouble behind bars, noting, "He'll be dropping the [soap emoji] a lot…" A third celebrated his 87-month sentence, writing "Bye Bye!" while a fourth condemned Santos' actions. "Shouldn't have stolen puppies from the Amish if he wanted any public sympathy," the X user penned. Their words referenced Santos's theft charge in Pennsylvania after several bad checks were written in his name to Amish dog breeders in the area. The incident occurred in 2017, per CNN. The Blast covered Santos' fall from grace in 2023, reporting that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Justice Department had slammed the former representative with federal charges. He was accused of several crimes, including corrupt practices, orchestrating a credit card fraud scheme, and lying about his credentials. Santos also made waves for allegedly stealing the money meant for a disabled Iraq War veteran's dying service dog. The veteran, Richard Osthoff, claimed the scam occurred in 2016 when he lived in a New Jersey tent along a highway with his pet, Sapphire. Their situation became dire when Sapphire fell ill and was diagnosed with a stomach tumor that required surgery. Unfortunately, when he met Santos, Osthoff could not raise the $3,000 bill and was searching for other ways to pay. However, the former politician worked with him under the false name Anthony Devolder. Santos, posing as Anthony Devolder, met Osthoff while running a pet charity called "Friends of Pets United." He allegedly promised to help Osthoff and opened a GoFundMe account to raise money for his sick dog. Things went well initially, with donations pouring in for Sapphire until Santos went under the radar. Osthoff recalled he shut down the donations page when it reached the $3,000 mark and became "increasingly difficult to contact." Although he recommended a pet clinic to Osthoff for Sapphire's treatment, Santos wasn't forthcoming with the money. Eventually, Osthoff discovered Sapphire's tumor was inoperable, and Santos had used the money meant for his dog's surgery on "other dogs." The veteran lost his beloved pet a year later, motivating him to file charges against the former rep for the scam and loss. In December 2023, The Blast confirmed Santos' reign had officially ended following his expulsion from Congress. The House of Representatives sent him packing with an impressive 311-114 tally, with 105 Republicans in favor. Meanwhile, all four top House GOP leaders shockingly opted to keep Santos in Congress. Following his exit, the convicted felon expressed his anger to sources, declaring, "It's over." He was stunned by the House's decision, claiming they had set a "new dangerous precedent for themselves" with his expulsion. When asked if he would stay to use non-member privileges, Santos vehemently responded: "Why would I want to stay here? To hell with this place." The former rep could access these privileges because he did not have a felony conviction at the time of his removal from Congress. Will George Santos win his request for solitary confinement?
New York Times
14-04-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Matt Gaetz Fell From Grace. But Not Too Far, Apparently.
Losing out on a dream job is always hard. All the more so when you come this close, only to have it snatched away because of, oh, some minor dust-up — for instance, a House ethics report concluding that you indulged in illegal drugs, violated state prostitution laws and, on at least one occasion, may have failed to ascertain whether a sex partner was, strictly speaking, of legal age. Such is the disappointment of Matt Gaetz, the former congressman from Florida and President Trump's original, now defunct pick for attorney general in his new administration. Having been deemed so morally suspect that even President 'Access Hollywood' opted to abandon the fight for him, Mr. Gaetz might have reasonably hidden away for some soul-searching after withdrawing his nomination. But since a core tenet of Trumpism is that shame and self-reflection are for losers, he instead has spent the past several months working to stay politically relevant. Mr. Gaetz, who has denied any wrongdoing, has been hosting a political talk show on One America News Network. He has also been nurturing his relationship with the Republican faithful as the head of a fledgling PAC. He is sparking occasional buzz around possibly running for state office in Florida. And last month, he made common cause with some Trump fanboys of even sketchier moral fiber. In short, Mr. Gaetz is testing another central tenet of the MAGA-verse: So long as one obeys the first commandment of Trumpism — Thou shalt not betray the movement's leader — political resurrection remains a possibility, no matter how low you go. 'The Matt Gaetz Show,' up and running since January, features segments designed to thrill the hearts of OAN's conservative audience, including 'Giving Democrats a Harsh Reality Check' and multiple swipes at deep-blue California. Its saucy spirit seems in keeping with the Florida Firebrand PAC, which touts Mr. Gaetz as its chairman. Established in December, the group has been blasting out fund-raising emails in his name, ranging from garden-variety electioneering to personal whining. Many employ Mr. Trump's muscular use of capitalization. 'TODAY, we are LOSING the House Majority,' Mr. Gaetz warned in a note, sent the day of Florida's special elections this month, that featured the incomparable line: 'BUT the polls haven't closed yet. There's still a slither of hope.' In another missive, declaring 'My life is under attack,' Mr. Gaetz proclaimed himself the victim of a 'BOGUS Witch hunt' by not only 'the Liberal mob' and the 'Corrupt Media' but also his bête noire, the former Republican House speaker Kevin McCarthy. Mr. McCarthy is a recurring villain in Mr. Gaetz's fund-raising dispatches. My favorite so far was the Feb. 26 note, 'K-Street Kevin BENDS THE KNEE!' that was wholly devoted to trashing the erstwhile speaker. Despite his fall from grace, the political climate in Florida is friendly enough that Mr. Gaetz is being talked about for state office. Initially, there were rumblings that he might run for governor next year, though that now seems unlikely with Mr. Trump having endorsed Representative Byron Donalds. The more recent speculation is that Mr. Gaetz could be a contender for state attorney general. Don't laugh. Recent polling suggests plenty of people take him seriously. To claim the party's nomination, Mr. Gaetz would presumably need to best the Republican incumbent, James Uthmeier, a former chief of staff to Gov. Ron DeSantis. The governor appointed Mr. Uthmeier to the post after Ashley Moody decamped to replace Marco Rubio in the Senate. In a survey of likely Republican voters conducted by Tony Fabrizio, who was Mr. Trump's campaign pollster, 39 percent favored Mr. Gaetz versus only 21 percent for Mr. Uthmeier. 'I'm humbled that so many Florida Republicans support me,' Mr. Gaetz told Axios, which first reported the poll. He teased, 'Sometimes the A.G. itch doesn't go away with one scratch.' Such early numbers don't mean much. But they are enough to get Mr. Gaetz and his supporters thinking. The former congressman is already showing signs that he views Mr. Uthmeier as a political rival. Last month he took an online swing at the attorney general in defense of none other than the hard-right, pro-Trump influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate. For those not up on the British American Tate brothers, they are poster boys for misogyny and sexual predation who showed up in Florida earlier this year after a travel ban was lifted by Romania, where they have been under investigation for alleged sex crimes. (Those with a strong stomach should Google the details.) The Tates maintain their innocence. When the brothers arrived in the state in late February, Mr. DeSantis declared them not welcome. In early March, Mr. Uthmeier announced that his office was investigating them. Mr. Gaetz soon jumped into the fray, posting a chummy message of support to Andrew Tate. 'Dude,' he wrote, the governor and his A.G. are 'trying to divide the world between 'wholesome' and 'evil' with themselves as the vanguards of kindness, and you as a symbol of cruelty. It's all just posturing.' Linking arms with one of the globe's most noxious brocasters might seem an odd way to burnish one's political brand. But this is Mr. Trump's America. And Mr. Gaetz long ago embraced the president's strategy of spinning his ethical or legal troubles as a badge of honor — proof of his patriotism and MAGA loyalty — and attempting to ride that victimhood to political advancement. All this might seem like cheesy theatrics, but it captures a core toxicity of the Trump era: spreading the incompetence and venality of the president's own leadership to far-flung corners of the Republican Party — places where the national spotlight does not shine as brightly, but the damage wrought can nonetheless be devastating. Not infrequently, this occurs by recycling and shoring up the political losers and scoundrels among the MAGA faithful. Win or lose, they remain beholden to Mr. Trump. Take the chronic election denier Kari Lake, twice defeated in Arizona in recent years, now reportedly set to be detailed to the State Department. Or Ryan Zinke, who was secretary of the interior during Trump 1, resigned amid a swirl of ethics investigations — which he dismissed as 'meritless and false' and, of course, 'politically motivated' — then went on to win a House seat representing Montana. And let us not forget Ken Paxton, Texas' scandal-ridden attorney general, who has weathered an impressive range of legal drama, including charges of securities fraud and whistle-blower claims of bribery and abuse of office. He was impeached by the Republican-led State House, then acquitted by the Republican-led State Senate. This month, a district court judge ruled that Mr. Paxton had wrongly fired the whistle-blowers, who were awarded $6.6 million. But Mr. Paxton, a pro-Trump firebrand, just wraps himself ever tighter in his cloak of political persecution and keeps on swinging, to the delight of Republican voters. In 2022, he beat back a primary challenge from George P. Bush and went on to win a third term. Last week, he upped the ante, announcing that he would challenge Senator John Cornyn in next year's Republican primary. None of which is to say that Mr. Gaetz is certain to run for office again — or is guaranteed political redemption. But in an era of Trumpist rot and relativism, there is ample reason for him to harbor more than just a slither of hope.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
House Republican ‘not confident' Bondi will release Epstein clients
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) said she was 'not confident' yet that Attorney General Pam Bondi would release the client list of disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. 'I'm not confident on the Epstein client list because I haven't had the briefing yet from the Department of Justice,' Luna said during her Monday night appearance on One America News's 'The Matt Gaetz Show.' 'I'll know more tomorrow on that, but based on what I'm hearing from the attorney general, she keeps saying that she is going to release something, so I am going to take her at her word for that,' the Florida Republican told former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.). Over the weekend, Bondi said on Fox News she was misled on the Epstein documents while also defending the ridiculed documents dump on Thursday. 'I kept saying, there has to be more. There has to be more,' Bondi said. 'I was assured that's it.' Luna, who heads the bipartisan House panel that reviews classified documents in high-profile cases, said the group of lawmakers has been pushing for 'maximum transparency.' 'We have asked for the full list, we have asked for all of the documentation, we are pushing for maximum transparency, but again, we do not hold the classification authority,' Luna said. 'That is again up to the attorney general.' The Justice Department (DOJ) released a tranche of documents Thursday to a group of conservative influencers, most of which were already publicly available. Bondi later said there are far more to be released to the public. Luna shared her disappointment on social media over the DOJ's document dump on Thursday, the 'phase one' that was packaged and given to MAGA-aligned influencers in white binders. 'THIS IS NOT WHAT WE OR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ASKED FOR and a complete disappointment,' Luna wrote on X. 'GET US THE INFORMATION WE ASKED FOR!' Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) characterized the rollout of the documents as a bad day for the White House. Epstein, who mingled with royalty, celebrities and other powerful people, died in 2019 by apparent suicide before his trial on sex trafficking charges. Bondi said Saturday she learned from a 'whistleblower' that the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York is 'sitting on thousands of pages of documents' that had yet to have been given to the DOJ. 'We will get everything,' she told Fox News host Mark Levin. 'We will have it in our possession. We will redact it, of course, to protect grand jury information and confidential witnesses, but American people have a right to know.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
04-03-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
House Republican ‘not confident' Bondi will release Epstein clients
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) said during an interview that she was 'not confident' yet that Attorney General Pam Bondi would release the client list of disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. 'I'm not confident on the Epstein client list because I haven't had the briefing yet from the Department of Justice,' Luna said during her Monday night appearance on One America News's 'The Matt Gaetz Show.' 'I'll know more tomorrow on that, but based on what I'm hearing from the attorney general, she keeps saying that she is going to release something, so I am going to take her at her word for that,' the Florida Republican told former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.). Over the weekend, Bondi said on Fox News that she was misled on the Epstein documents while also defending the ridiculed documents dump on Thursday. 'I kept saying, there has to be more. There has to be more,' Bondi said. 'I was assured that's it.' Luna, who heads the bipartisan House panel that reviews classified documents in high-profile cases, said the group of lawmakers has been pushing for 'maximum transparency.' 'We have asked for the full list, we have asked for all of the documentation, we are pushing for maximum transparency, but again, we do not hold the classification authority,' Luna said. 'That is again up to the attorney general. Now, what I can tell you is, I'm very optimistic about MLK, RFK, and JFK.' The Justice Department (DOJ) released a tranche of documents on Thursday to a group of conservative influencers, most of which were already publicly available. Bondi later said there are far more to be released to the public. Luna shared her disappointment on social media over the DOJ's document dump on Thursday, the 'phase one' that was packaged and given to MAGA-aligned influencers in white binders. 'THIS IS NOT WHAT WE OR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ASKED FOR and a complete disappointment,' Luna wrote on X. 'GET US THE INFORMATION WE ASKED FOR!' Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) characterized the rollout of the documents as a bad day for the White House. Epstein, who mingled with royalty, celebrities and other powerful people, died in 2019 by apparent suicide before his trial on sex trafficking charges. Bondi said on Saturday that she learned from a 'whistleblower' that the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York is 'sitting on thousands of pages of documents' that had yet to have been given to the DOJ. 'We will get everything,' she told Fox News host Mark Levin. 'We will have it in our possession. We will redact it, of course, to protect grand jury information and confidential witnesses, but American people have a right to know.'
