Latest news with #pleaagreement
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
CNN host laughs at Republican senator as he fact-checks him on Epstein ‘sweetheart' deal
CNN's Jake Tapper repeatedly fact-checked a Republican senator on air Sunday as the lawmaker insisted that Democrats and Barack Obama's administration were at fault for a 'sweetheart' deal that allowed Jeffrey Epstein to escape his 2008 conviction on child sex charges virtually unscathed. Sen. Markwayne Mullin appeared on CNN's State of the Union and repeatedly claimed that a plea agreement to keep Epstein from being charged federally for child sex crimes was signed in 2009, under the Obama administration. But Epstein's plea agreement was drafted in 2007 and signed in 2008, when he pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for sex, before Obama was even president. 'It was 2008,' Tapper corrected him, chuckling. Tapper noted that the U.S. attorney who oversaw the non-prosecution agreement was Alex Acosta, who went on become Donald Trump's secretary of labor during his first administration. 'It all took place in 2008,' Tapper said. Mullin then shot back, asking 'who was in office at the time?' — seemingly making the error of assuming that Obama was the president. Obama won the presidential election that year but was inaugurated in January 2009. 'In 2008, George W. Bush was the president,' Tapper said, as he was cut off by Mullin repeating his question. 'George W. Bush.' Mullin went on to insist that because the case was 'sealed in 2009' that Democrats were somehow involved. A clearly exasperated Tapper responded that 'the point is, the 'sweetheart deal', which was completed in 2008, was under the Bush administration.' The plea agreement inked between Acosta and Epstein's attorney, Alan Dershowitz, was staggering in its leniency. Epstein was allowed to leave the prison facility for hours at a time for 'work release' to the headquarters of a nebulous enterprise called the 'Florida Science Foundation' he founded shortly before beginning his sentence and shut down when it concluded. Inside the prison, Epstein was allowed to maintain his own office, just as he'd done at Harvard University for years, while watching television and was watched by guards who wore suits and were partially on his payroll. Mullin and other Republicans closely aligned with the president are treading a careful line on the issue of the Epstein investigation. The Trump administration ignited a firestorm early in July when the Department of Justice and FBI announced that the agencies would not release any more documents related to the Epstein investigation despite having promised to do so. The agencies cited a refusal to release identifying information about victims and graphic sexual imagery involving children. Most glaringly, the agencies also declared in that early July announcement that a so-called 'client list' of Epstein's alleged co-conspirators had not been found. Having latched on to the issue long before Trump was elected to a second term, his MAGA base descended into chaos. Many of the president's 2024 supporters called the reversal a betrayal by the administration, while some questioned whether Trump himself was involved in a cover-up to protect himself or other powerful men named as Epstein's accomplices in the files. Some Democrats latched on to the issue at the same time, joining calls for transparency. Then, a pair of articles in The Wall Street Journal purported to outline Trump's own connections to the investigation. The newspaper reported the contents of a message allegedly penned by Trump to Epstein as part of a 50th birthday celebration in 2003, including allusions to a 'secret.' Trump firmly denied authoring the note, and sued the newspaper and its reporters in response. A second article from the WSJ days later reported that Attorney General Pam Bondi informed Trump in May that he was mentioned in the Epstein investigation multiple times, thought it was not clear in what context The White House called that story 'fake' and has repeatedly insinuated that Democrats including Joe Biden tampered with the Epstein files in response. Being mentioned in the files does not mean wrongdoing, and hundreds of names are reportedly included. Republicans on Capitol Hill are caught in the middle. Some are joining on to a bipartisan effort led by Thomas Massie — a Republican who clashed with the president over the GOP budget reconciliation package earlier this year — and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna to force the Justice Department to release the entirety of its document trove, with redactions for child sexual assault material and the names or identifying information of victims. Others more aligned with leadership, including House Speaker Mike Johnson. But Johnson and others have been careful not to label the Epstein story a distraction, to the White House's annoyance. Johnson called the August recess early this past week, sending lawmakers home for the month to avoid a vote legislation from Massie and Khanna.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
CNN host laughs at Republican senator as he fact-checks him on Epstein ‘sweetheart' deal
CNN's Jake Tapper repeatedly fact-checked a Republican senator on air Sunday as the lawmaker insisted that Democrats and Barack Obama's administration were at fault for a 'sweetheart' deal that allowed Jeffrey Epstein to escape his 2008 conviction on child sex charges virtually unscathed. Sen. Markwayne Mullin appeared on CNN's State of the Union and repeatedly claimed that a plea agreement to keep Epstein from being charged federally for child sex crimes was signed in 2009, under the Obama administration. But Epstein's plea agreement was drafted in 2007 and signed in 2008, when he pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for sex, before Obama was even president. 'It was 2008,' Tapper corrected him, chuckling. Tapper noted that the U.S. attorney who oversaw the non-prosecution agreement was Alex Acosta, who went on become Donald Trump's secretary of labor during his first administration. 'It all took place in 2008,' Tapper said. Mullin then shot back, asking 'who was in office at the time?' — seemingly making the error of assuming that Obama was the president. Obama won the presidential election that year but was inaugurated in January 2009. 'In 2008, George W. Bush was the president,' Tapper said, as he was cut off by Mullin repeating his question. 'George W. Bush.' Mullin went on to insist that because the case was 'sealed in 2009' that Democrats were somehow involved. A clearly exasperated Tapper responded that 'the point is, the 'sweetheart deal', which was completed in 2008, was under the Bush administration.' The plea agreement inked between Acosta and Epstein's attorney, Alan Dershowitz, was staggering in its leniency. Epstein was allowed to leave the prison facility for hours at a time for 'work release' to the headquarters of a nebulous enterprise called the 'Florida Science Foundation' he founded shortly before beginning his sentence and shut down when it concluded. Inside the prison, Epstein was allowed to maintain his own office, just as he'd done at Harvard University for years, while watching television and was watched by guards who wore suits and were partially on his payroll. Mullin and other Republicans closely aligned with the president are treading a careful line on the issue of the Epstein investigation. The Trump administration ignited a firestorm early in July when the Department of Justice and FBI announced that the agencies would not release any more documents related to the Epstein investigation despite having promised to do so. The agencies cited a refusal to release identifying information about victims and graphic sexual imagery involving children. Most glaringly, the agencies also declared in that early July announcement that a so-called 'client list' of Epstein's alleged co-conspirators had not been found. Having latched on to the issue long before Trump was elected to a second term, his MAGA base descended into chaos. Many of the president's 2024 supporters called the reversal a betrayal by the administration, while some questioned whether Trump himself was involved in a cover-up to protect himself or other powerful men named as Epstein's accomplices in the files. Some Democrats latched on to the issue at the same time, joining calls for transparency. Then, a pair of articles in The Wall Street Journal purported to outline Trump's own connections to the investigation. The newspaper reported the contents of a message allegedly penned by Trump to Epstein as part of a 50th birthday celebration in 2003, including allusions to a 'secret.' Trump firmly denied authoring the note, and sued the newspaper and its reporters in response. A second article from the WSJ days later reported that Attorney General Pam Bondi informed Trump in May that he was mentioned in the Epstein investigation multiple times, thought it was not clear in what context The White House called that story 'fake' and has repeatedly insinuated that Democrats including Joe Biden tampered with the Epstein files in response. Being mentioned in the files does not mean wrongdoing, and hundreds of names are reportedly included. Republicans on Capitol Hill are caught in the middle. Some are joining on to a bipartisan effort led by Thomas Massie — a Republican who clashed with the president over the GOP budget reconciliation package earlier this year — and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna to force the Justice Department to release the entirety of its document trove, with redactions for child sexual assault material and the names or identifying information of victims. Others more aligned with leadership, including House Speaker Mike Johnson. But Johnson and others have been careful not to label the Epstein story a distraction, to the White House's annoyance. Johnson called the August recess early this past week, sending lawmakers home for the month to avoid a vote legislation from Massie and Khanna.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US court rejects plea deal for '9/11 mastermind' Khalil Sheikh Mohammed
A divided federal appeals court has thrown out a plea agreement that would have allowed accused "9/11 mastermind" Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other co-defendants to plead guilty in exchange for avoiding the death penalty, US media report. Judges in Washington DC rejected the agreement, which would have given Mohammed and the other defendants a life sentence without parole, in a 2-1 decision on Friday. Mohammed is accused of organising and directing the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US, in which hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, killing almost 3,000 people. He was captured in 2003 and is being held in Guantanamo Bay, the US prison camp in Cuba. Under the deal, families of the 9/11 victims would have been allowed to pose questions to Mohammed, who would be required to "answer their questions fully and truthfully", lawyers said. Relatives of the victims were split on the deal, according to the BBC's US partner CBS News. Those who objected felt a trial was the best path to justice and to uncovering more information about the attacks. Supporters saw it as the best hope for getting some answers and finally closing the painful case. The plea deal was negotiated over two years and approved by military prosecutors and the senior Pentagon official in Guantanamo Bay. Pre-trial hearings have been going on for more than a decade, complicated by questions over whether torture Mohammed and other defendants faced while in US custody taints the evidence. In court with the '9/11 mastermind', two decades after his arrest The '9/11 mastermind' wants to plead guilty. Why is the US trying to stop him? Following his arrest in Pakistan in 2003, Mohammed spent three years at secret CIA prisons known as "black sites", where he was subjected to simulated drowning, or "waterboarding", 183 times, among other so-called "advanced interrogation techniques" that included sleep deprivation and forced nudity. In July last year, the Biden administration announced it had struck deals with Mohammed and three other co-defendants. But then Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin overruled the agreement two days later, saying he was the sole authority who could enter such an agreement. A military court ruled against Austin's effort in December, which put the agreement to avoid the death penalty back on the table. On Friday, the appeals court tossed the deal, saying Austin was acting within his authority in December 2024. "Having properly assumed the convening authority, the Secretary determined that the 'families and the American public deserve the opportunity to see military commission trials carried out.' The Secretary acted within the bounds of his legal authority, and we decline to second-guess his judgment," judges Patricia Millett and Neomi Rao wrote, as reported by the Associated Press. Judge Robert Wilkins disagreed, saying the government "has not come within a country mile of proving clearly and indisputably that the Military Judge erred." The '9/11 mastermind' wants to plead guilty. Why is the US trying to stop him? What happened on 9/11?
BBC News
11-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
US court rejects plea deal for '9/11 mastermind' Khalil Sheikh Mohammed
A divided federal appeals court has thrown out a plea agreement that would have allowed accused "9/11 mastermind" Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other co-defendants to plead guilty in exchange for avoiding the death penalty, US media report. Judges in Washington DC rejected the agreement, which would have given Mohammed and the other defendants a life sentence without parole, in a 2-1 decision on is accused of organising and directing the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US, in which hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, killing almost 3,000 people. He was captured in 2003 and is being held in Guantanamo Bay, the US prison camp in Cuba. Under the deal, families of the 9/11 victims would have been allowed to pose questions to Mohammed, who would be required to "answer their questions fully and truthfully", lawyers said. Relatives of the victims were split on the deal, according to the BBC's US partner CBS News. Those who objected felt a trial was the best path to justice and to uncovering more information about the attacks. Supporters saw it as the best hope for getting some answers and finally closing the painful plea deal was negotiated over two years and approved by military prosecutors and the senior Pentagon official in Guantanamo Bay. Pre-trial hearings have been going on for more than a decade, complicated by questions over whether torture Mohammed and other defendants faced while in US custody taints the court with the '9/11 mastermind', two decades after his arrestThe '9/11 mastermind' wants to plead guilty. Why is the US trying to stop him?Following his arrest in Pakistan in 2003, Mohammed spent three years at secret CIA prisons known as "black sites", where he was subjected to simulated drowning, or "waterboarding", 183 times, among other so-called "advanced interrogation techniques" that included sleep deprivation and forced July last year, the Biden administration announced it had struck deals with Mohammed and three other co-defendants. But then Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin overruled the agreement two days later, saying he was the sole authority who could enter such an agreement. A military court ruled against Austin's effort in December, which put the agreement to avoid the death penalty back on the table. On Friday, the appeals court tossed the deal, saying Austin was acting within his authority in December 2024. "Having properly assumed the convening authority, the Secretary determined that the 'families and the American public deserve the opportunity to see military commission trials carried out.' The Secretary acted within the bounds of his legal authority, and we decline to second-guess his judgment," judges Patricia Millett and Neomi Rao wrote, as reported by the Associated Press. Judge Robert Wilkins disagreed, saying the government "has not come within a country mile of proving clearly and indisputably that the Military Judge erred."
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Yahoo
Wichitan sentenced to prison for fatal DWI crash
A man facing multiple charges in a wreck that killed a woman and injured two other people pleaded guilty Thursday. Jeffrey Dextraze, 64, pleaded guilty in 89th District Court to intoxication manslaughter with vehicle and two counts of intoxication assault with vehicle. He was sentenced to six years in prison as part of a plea agreement with the Wichita County District Attorney's Office, according to court records. Intoxication manslaughter is a second degree felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison. Intoxication assault is a third degree felony carrying a punishment range of two to 10 years. Dextraze was being held Thursday in Wichita County Jail pending transfer to prison, online jail records show. The accident happened Nov. 10, 2022, at the intersection of Loop 11 and Northwest Drive. Wichita Falls police said a Cadillac traveling east on Northwest Drive through the intersection of Loop 11 was struck in the passenger side by a Ford Escape driven by Dextraze. A passenger in the Cadillac, Maria Flores, 56, of Wichita Falls, was ejected from the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene, court records show. The driver of the Cadillac, 36-year-old Patricia Flores of Wichita Falls and a 2-year-old female passenger were injured. Dextraze was hospitalized for his injuries, according to court records. He was arrested and jailed on June 12, 2023, in lieu of $600,000 bond, online jail records show. He has been free on bail since June 14, 2023. Dextraze was returned to jail immediately following his plea on Thursday. More: Accused of a brutal murder, she went free when the case didn't go before a Wichita County grand jury. DA's Office cites crime lab backlog More: Police: Robberies net five pieces of chicken, $96 cash, $1 million bail This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Wichitan sentenced to prison for fatal crash in 2022
