Latest news with #arrestwarrants
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas Files Legal Complaint In California To Enforce Arrest Warrants For Fleeing Democrats
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and House Speaker Dustin Burrows have filed a legal complaint in California to enforce arrest warrants against Democratic legislators who fled the state to obstruct the legislative process. The August 9 filing aims to compel the return of lawmakers who broke quorum on August 4. Filing Details 'Texans are fed up with lawmakers who refuse to do their jobs and instead run away to states like California to exploit radical governors' broken political systems as a shield,' Paxton said. 'Gavin Newsom may be comfortable with lawlessness and the protection of corrupt legislators, but Texas will not tolerate elected officials who defy the Constitution for political theater.' Burrows emphasized the need for lawmakers to return to work. 'The Texas House stands ready to conduct the work expected of us by our constituents, but until the absent members return, our state will continue to do without critical disaster relief and solutions for a more prepared and resilient Texas,' Burrows said. Legal Grounds The filing in California mirrors a similar petition filed in Illinois earlier this week. Both legal actions invoke the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the U.S. Constitution, requiring California to honor Texas' legal proceedings and enforce the arrest warrants issued by the Texas House. Under the Texas Constitution, Article III, Section 10, the legislature has the authority to compel attendance, and House Rule 5, Section 8 specifically allows arrest warrants for absent members who fail to provide sufficient excuse. Burrows added, 'Working with Attorney General Paxton, I will continue taking all necessary actions to bring these members back to fulfill their obligations to the legislative process and the people of our state.' Republican Criticism of the Situation In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Texas Representative Brian Harrison voiced frustration with the situation, suggesting that the current standoff could have been avoided. Harrison argued, 'Texas Republicans ALLOWED the quorum break to happen.' He continued to criticize the handling of the battle in the Texas House, adding another layer to the ongoing conflict within the state's political landscape. Ongoing Legislative Gridlock The standoff has crippled the Texas Legislature, halting critical legislation, including disaster relief for flood victims. With no clear timeline for the return of the absent lawmakers, essential measures to support the state's recovery remain in limbo.
CNN
5 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Arrest warrants issued for Texas Dems who fled state
Arrest warrants issued for Texas Dems who fled state Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the state Department of Public Safety to conduct the civil arrest of dozens of State House Democrats who fled the state in a bid to block a partisan redrawing of the state's congressional map. CNN's Phil Mattingly spoke to Texas democratic state Rep. Linda Garcia, who fled to Chicago, about the warrants. 01:26 - Source: CNN Vertical Politics of the Day 15 videos Arrest warrants issued for Texas Dems who fled state Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the state Department of Public Safety to conduct the civil arrest of dozens of State House Democrats who fled the state in a bid to block a partisan redrawing of the state's congressional map. CNN's Phil Mattingly spoke to Texas democratic state Rep. Linda Garcia, who fled to Chicago, about the warrants. 01:26 - Source: CNN Inside Laura Loomer's hunt for disloyalty to Trump Laura Loomer, the controversial far-right activist with a direct line to President Donald Trump, has taken credit for a slew of recent high-profile administration firings. CNN's Steve Contorno spoke with Loomer about her campaign to root out government employees she says aren't loyal to Trump. 01:29 - Source: CNN GOP congressman met with boos and jeers at town hall Rep. Mike Flood (R-NE) was met with boos and jeers after his answer about funding for migrant detention facilities and ICE during a town hall in Lincoln, Nebraska. 01:43 - Source: CNN Fact checking Trump's claims on the jobs report CNN's Matt Egan explains how President Trump's unprecedented decision to fire the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics is a 'shoot-the-messenger' approach that will cause doubts about future economic numbers. 01:57 - Source: CNN 'Out of his mind': Jeffries responds to Gov. Abbott's threats Texas House Democrats left the state to try and block a partisan redrawing of the state's congressional map by Republicans, with the support of President Donald Trump. In response, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) threatened to remove lawmakers who don't show up when the state House convenes today. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) discusses the Texas redistricting controversy with CNN's Wolf Blitzer. 00:59 - Source: CNN Reporters ask Trump about firing labor stats chief over jobs numbers President Donald Trump has fired Dr. Erika McEntarfer, the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, whom he accused, without evidence, of manipulating the monthly jobs reports for 'political purposes.' 00:35 - Source: CNN Will President Trump release the Epstein files? CNN's Paula Reid explains the latest information on whether President Trump will release the Epstein files after the Trump administration backtracked on its promise to release additional materials in the investigation. 01:30 - Source: CNN GOP candidate deflects direct questions on past Trump comments CNN's Manu Raju presses Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the GOP nominee for Virginia governor, on critical comments she's made in the past about President Donald Trump, who has yet to endorse her campaign. 02:55 - Source: CNN Corp. for Public Broadcasting to shutter after Trump funding cuts The Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced that it will wind down its operations due to the successful Republican effort to defund local PBS and NPR stations across the country. CNN's Brian Stelter reports. 01:45 - Source: CNN Smithsonian removes reference to Trump impeachment The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History last month removed a board that referenced President Donald Trump's two impeachments from an exhibit on the American presidency. 01:15 - Source: CNN The politics behind Trump's historic tariffs President Trump has announced historic US tariffs on countries across the globe. CNN's Kevin Liptak breaks down Trump's motives for imposing the new trade deals. 01:30 - Source: CNN Three things to know about Trump's new tariffs President Trump has announced a slew of new tariffs on America's trading partners. But what does that really mean for US consumers, and America's relationships with its allies? And will these new measures be implemented at all? CNN's Anna Cooban explains. 01:34 - Source: CNN GOP lawmaker faces raucous crowd in Wisconsin Republican Rep. Bryan Steil faced tough questions and booing by attendees of a town-hall style event in Wisconsion. Audience members confronted Steil on topics including the economy, immigration policy, and the war in Gaza. 02:08 - Source: CNN Biden warns country is facing 'dark days' under Trump During the National Bar Association's annual gala in Chicago, former President Joe Biden warned that the country is facing 'dark days' under President Donald Trump's watch, saying the executive branch 'seems to be doing its best to dismantle the Constitution.' 01:12 - Source: CNN
Russia Today
5 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Timing of case against ICC chief prosecutor is highly suspicious
The International Criminal Court's (ICC) chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, was slapped with sexual assault allegations shortly before seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, raising suspicions about the timing of the accusations, columnist Rachel Marsden has told RT. Before officially seeking the warrants, Khan reportedly informed London about his plans, only to face threats from then Foreign Secretary David Cameron that the UK would bail out of the ICC altogether if he proceeded with his plan, Marsden noted. In April of 2024, roughly a month before the prosecutor officially sought the arrest warrants, a staffer at the ICC accused him of chronically sexually assaulting her. She complained to Thomas Lynch – an American lawyer and a close adviser at the ICC – who then alerted some internal oversight bodies within the ICC. The US, which has never recognized the ICC's mandate, opposed the issuance of arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant from the very beginning and repeatedly threatened Khan with sanctions. Washington eventually imposed the restrictions on the court, some of its judges, and Khan personally. The ICC closed two internal probes against Khan after the complainant declined to cooperate. The RT contributor recalled that a note about the alleged sex assault case was then leaked to the media in October of 2024, just days before the court officially issued the arrest warrants in November of 2024. The court's oversight body, the Assembly of States Parties, then publicly named Khan as a suspect in the sex assault case and outsourced the investigation to the UN's Office of Internal Oversight Services – something the former ICC judges have called 'completely outside of protocol that they're aware of,' as well as 'plain strange,' according to the columnist. Khan appears to be either suffering from the worst timing possible or is 'being taken out with a plot line so obvious that it wouldn't make the first draft of a Netflix political thriller,' Marsden said. Watch the full commentary below.
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Texas issues arrest warrants for Democrats who fled state to avoid districts vote
Texas has issued arrest warrants for the Democrats who fled the state in order to block Donald Trump's effort to implement new congressional districts favouring the Republican Party. More than 50 Democratic lawmakers boarded chartered planes on Sunday as they sought to deny the Texas House of Representatives the quorum required to vote on the redrawn congressional map, which could create an additional five Republican seats. On Monday, the Texas House voted 85-6 to track down and arrest those lawmakers not present in the chamber, after which House Speaker Dustin Burrows signed civil warrants for each of the legislators, empowering state troopers to bring them to the state Capitol. The warrants apply only within state lines, making them largely symbolic. However, they mark the latest escalation in a stand-off between Democrats and Republicans in the battle over redistricting that is likely to grow increasingly fraught in the lead up to next year's midterm elections. Earlier on Monday, Kathy Hochul, the New York governor, said the US president and his 'coconspirator', Greg Abbott, the governor of Texas, had left the party no choice but to 'fight fire with fire'. Pulling the trigger on the plans, Ms Hochul said: 'This is a war. We are at war. And that's why the gloves are off and I say, bring it on.' Some of the 57 Democrats missing from the state legislature on Monday fled to New York, where they met with Ms Hochul, while others travelled to Illinois, where they are being supported by JB Pritzker. Speaking at a press conference in Albany on Monday, Ms Hochul said: 'If Republicans are willing to rewrite these rules to give themselves an advantage, then they're leaving us no choice: we must do the same. 'There's a phrase, you have to fight fire with fire, that is a true statement of how we're feeling right now. 'And I've said, another overused but applicable phrase, all's fair in love and war. That's why I'm exploring with our leaders every option to redraw our state congressional line as soon as possible.' She added: 'We're already working on a legislative process, reviewing our legal strategies and will do everything in our power to stop this brazen assault.' The Democrats, whom Ms Hochul described as 'brave patriots', face a $500 (£377) fine for every day they break a quorum, and under new state laws they are not allowed to use party funding to pay. Members began fundraising to cover costs ahead of the walkout. Texas has 38 seats in the House. The Republican party occupies 25 of those seats, and Democrats 12, with one seat vacant following the death of Sylvester Turner in March. The delegation of Texas lawmakers who travelled to New York did not disclose where they would be travelling next, but said they would not be returning to Texas. Mr Abbott threatened to 'remove' the fleeing Democrats from membership in the Texas House and suggested those who fundraised or accepted donations to cover costs incurred by the stunt could be charged with felonies. Several Texas Democrats and their allies, sheltering with Mr Pritzker in Chicago, told Politico they feared Mr Trump could mobilise the Illinois National Guard to return them to Texas. Democrats running away 'like cowards' Ken Paxton, the Texas Attorney General, threatened to have the fleeing lawmakers arrested. 'Democrats in the Texas House who try and run away like cowards should be found, arrested, and brought back to the Capitol immediately,' Mr Paxton wrote on X. Ms Hochul said she had hosted the Texas Democrats at the governor's residence, where she fed them and took them to visit a home that Franklin D Roosevelt once lived in 'for inspiration'. 'Donald Trump came up with this scheme, perhaps with the help of AI, I don't know', Ms Hocul said, before claiming that the Republicans had redrawn the congressional map on 'racist lines' to disenfranchise Texans. She added: 'What Texas and Republican states are doing at the direction of Donald Trump, I say, is nothing short of a legal insurrection against our Capitol.' Mihaela Plesa, a Texas State representative who was among those to travel to New York, told reporters: 'The playing field has changed, not just for Democrats, but all Americans, and it's time to meet them on the new field.' Addressing the press conference on Monday, Jolanda Jones, a Texas state representative, suggested a committee in charge of redistricting had held 'sham' meetings about redrawing the map. She said: 'My constituents demanded that I be here, so you think I'm going to listen to Donald Trump and Greg Abbott... and the attorney general who can't treat his wife right and lies on documentation? So I think he needs to worry about going to jail.' While the Democrats spoke of the need to fight back against the Republican redistricting plan, such a move is limited by the state's constraints. While the Texas redistricting plan could see new boundaries put in place by 2026, potential New York changes would take years. The rules of redistricting can be vague and variable – each state has its own set of rules and procedures. Politicians are gauging what voters will tolerate when it comes to politically motivated mapmaking. Texas and New York are not the only states seeking to redraw congressional lines. Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, said he was 'very seriously' looking to redraw the state's map, claiming the 2020 US census was flawed. Ms Hochul said the changes being explored for New York would involve amending the state's constitution. Redistricting usually happens after the once-a-decade population count by the US Census Bureau or in response to a court ruling. A plan being explored by New York democrats in anticipation of the Texas plan could see residents vote on changes to conduct mid-decade restructuring in the autumn of 2027, and they could be put in place in time for the 2028 election. The New York bill would also only be applicable if another state engaged in mid-decade redistricting.
Russia Today
6 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Former ICC judges slam sexual misconduct investigation into chief prosecutor
The International Criminal Court's handling of a sexual misconduct investigation into chief prosecutor Karim Khan raises major questions over its timing and procedural irregularities, according to four former judges. The case followed Khan's decision to seek arrest warrants for Israeli leaders over the Gaza war. Khan applied for arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant in May 2024, accusing them of crimes against humanity. The ICC official had also previously secured a warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over the alleged deportation of Ukrainian children. Neither Russia nor Israel recognizes the ICC's jurisdiction. Moscow has condemned the court's accusations as 'outrageous' and stressed that its decisions are legally 'null and void for Russia.' While the warrant for Putin was welcomed by Kiev's Western backers – including the US, despite Washington's own non-recognition of the court – the Netanyahu case prompted a backlash. The US imposed sanctions on Khan and four ICC judges, calling the charges politically motivated and warning of further punitive steps. Shortly after the Israeli warrants were issued, allegations of sexual misconduct against Khan surfaced. Former ICC judge Cuno Tarfusser told Middle East Eye he was 'deeply disturbed, even scandalized,' by the proceedings, claiming the investigation appeared 'tailored' for Khan. Another former judge warned the process had entered 'bandit country' where 'anything can happen.' The court's oversight body, the Assembly of States Parties, drew further scrutiny for publicly naming Khan and outsourcing the investigation to the UN's Office of Internal Oversight Services, even though the ICC's own mechanism had previously closed two internal probes after the complainant declined to cooperate. As noted by MEE, the original complaint was made as Khan prepared the Israeli warrants. The allegations re-emerged months later just before the warrants were announced, and escalated in May 2025 as Khan reportedly pursued further charges against Israeli officials. Le Monde has also reported that British lawyer Andrew Cayley, who led the ICC's Palestine investigation, had been warned by Dutch intelligence that he was 'an enemy of Israel' and later advised by the UK Foreign Office that he could face US sanctions. He subsequently resigned.
