Latest news with #politicalretaliation
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver indicted on federal charges from skirmish at Newark immigration center
U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver was indicted Tuesday on federal charges alleging she impeded and interfered with immigration officers outside a New Jersey detention center while Newark's mayor was being arrested after he tried to join a congressional oversight visit at the facility. Acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba announced the grand jury indictment in a post on X. 'While people are free to express their views for or against particular policies, they must not do so in a manner that endangers law enforcement and the communities those officers serve,' Habba said. McIver, a Democrat, had been charged in a complaint by Habba last month with two assault charges stemming from the May 9 visit to Newark's Delaney Hall — a 1,000-bed, privately owned facility that Immigration and Customs Enforcement uses as a detention center. McIver disputed the allegations as baseless and defended her presence at the facility as part of her authorized role as a member of Congress. Her lawyer, former U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Paul Fishman, said in a statement that they would challenge the allegations 'head-on' in court. 'The legal process will expose this prosecution for what it truly is — political retaliation against a dedicated public servant who refuses to shy away from her oversight responsibilities,' Fishman said. Habba said two of the counts carry a maximum sentence of up to eight years in prison. A third has a maximum sentence of one year. She characterized the charges as 'forcibly impeding and interfering with federal law enforcement officers.' The indictment is the latest development in a legal-political drama that has seen President Donald Trump's administration take Democratic officials from New Jersey's largest city to court, tapping into the president's immigration crackdown and Democrats' efforts to respond. The prosecution of McIver is a rare federal criminal case against a sitting member of Congress for allegations other than fraud or corruption. At the same visit that resulted in McIver's charges, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested on a trespassing charge, which was later dropped. Baraka is suing Habba over what he said was a malicious prosecution. A nearly two-minute clip released by the Homeland Security Department shows McIver on the facility side of a chain-link fence just before the arrest of the mayor on the street side of the fence, where other people had been protesting. She and uniformed officials go through the gate, and she joins others shouting that they should circle the mayor. The video shows McIver in a tightly packed group of people and officers. At one point, her left elbow and then her right elbow push into an officer wearing a dark face covering and an olive green uniform emblazoned with the word 'Police' on it. It isn't clear from police bodycam video whether that contact was intentional, incidental or a result of jostling in the chaotic scene. The complaint says she 'slammed' her forearm into an agent then tried to restrain the agent by grabbing him. New Jersey Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman and Rob Menendez had joined McIver at the detention center that day. They and Democrats have criticized the arrest and disputed the charges as well. By law, members of Congress are authorized to go into federal immigration facilities as part of their oversight powers, even without notice. Congress passed a 2019 appropriations bill that spelled out the authority. McIver, 38, first came to Congress in September in a special election after the death of Rep. Donald Payne Jr. left a vacancy in the 10th District. She was then elected to a full term in November. A Newark native, she served as the president of the Newark City Council from 2022 to 2024 and worked in the city's public schools before that.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Democrat LaMonica McIver is indicted on federal charges over brawl outside Newark ICE detention facility
New Jersey Democrat LaMonica McIver has been indicted over a brawl with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents outside a Newark detention facility. The Congresswoman was slapped with federal charges on Tuesday alleging she impeded and interfered with immigration officers as they sought to arrest Newark Mayor Ras Baraka on May 9. The duo were part of a group trying to conduct a congressional oversight visit at the facility amid increased ICE activity, but a brawl broke out when they were refused. Acting US Attorney for New Jersey and Trump ally Alina Habba announced the grand jury indictment in a post on X. 'While people are free to express their views for or against particular policies, they must not do so in a manner that endangers law enforcement and the communities those officers serve,' Habba wrote. McIver had been charged in a complaint by Habba last month with two assault charges stemming from the May 9 visit to Newark's Delaney Hall - a 1,000-bed, privately owned facility that Immigration and Customs Enforcement uses as a detention center. McIver disputed the allegations as baseless and defended her presence at the facility as part of her authorized role as a member of Congress. Her lawyer, former US Attorney for New Jersey Paul Fishman, said in a statement that they would challenge the allegations 'head-on' in court. 'The legal process will expose this prosecution for what it truly is -- political retaliation against a dedicated public servant who refuses to shy away from her oversight responsibilities,' Fishman said. Habba said two of the counts carry a maximum sentence of up to eight years in prison. A third has a maximum sentence of one year. She characterized the charges as 'forcibly impeding and interfering with federal law enforcement officers.' The prosecution of McIver is a rare federal criminal case against a sitting member of Congress for allegations other than fraud or corruption. Habba said when announcing the charges that she had made persistent efforts to find a resolution to the matter which would not result in criminal charges, but that McIver had declined. McIver issued a statement railing against the charges at the time, describing them as 'purely political. 'They mischaracterize and distort my actions, and are meant to criminalize and deter legislative oversight,' she said. 'Our visit should have been peaceful and short. Instead, ICE agents created an unnecessary and unsafe confrontation.' At the same visit that resulted in McIver's charges, Baraka was arrested on a trespassing charge, which was later dropped. Baraka is suing Habba over what he said was a malicious prosecution. A nearly two-minute clip released by the Homeland Security Department shows McIver in a tightly packed group of people and officers. At one point, her left elbow and then her right elbow push into an officer wearing a dark face covering and an olive green uniform emblazoned with the word 'Police' on it. It isn't clear from police bodycam video whether that contact was intentional, incidental or a result of jostling in the chaotic scene. The complaint says she 'slammed' her forearm into an agent then tried to restrain the agent by grabbing him. New Jersey Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman and Rob Menendez had joined McIver at the detention center that day. They and Democrats have criticized the arrest and disputed the charges as well. By law, members of Congress are authorized to go into federal immigration facilities as part of their oversight powers, even without notice. Congress passed a 2019 appropriations bill that spelled out the authority. McIver, 38, first came to Congress in September in a special election after the death of Rep. Donald Payne Jr. left a vacancy in the 10th District. She was then elected to a full term in November. A Newark native, she served as the president of the Newark City Council from 2022 to 2024 and worked in the city´s public schools before that.
CBS News
3 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Harvey, Illinois Ald. Colby Chapman returns to City Hall after latest arrest
Just days after an alderman in the south Chicago suburb of Harvey was arrested and charged with a felony, she was back at a Harvey City Council meeting. Ald. Colby Chapman (2nd) chalks the charges up to political retaliation by the mayor. Harvey Mayor Christopher Clark says no such thing is happening. The allegations stem from an April city council meeting where Chapman was removed from the meeting and charged with misdemeanors that were later dropped — but now she is faced with a felony from that same encounter. On Monday night, Chapman was back at Harvey City Hall. "Our city needs men who lead with integrity, love and courage," Chapman said at a City Council meeting. Late last week, Chapman turned herself in to Harvey police on a felony charge. In April, Mayor Clark said Chapman was disruptive at least three times, and asked the Harvey City Council to censure and remove her. Chapman was charged with misdemeanors for this encounter with officers. The charges were dropped last week by the Cook County State's Attorney's office. But a day later, the State's Attorney's office approved a new felony charge against Chapman of aggravated battery to a police officer for the same April incident. "This is my fourth time arrested, third time jailed," Chapman said. Chapman has been arrested before for incidents at City Hall. The charges have all later been dismissed. Chapman is a frequent critic of the mayor, and said she believes the mayor has unfairly targeted her. Mayor Clark denies any allegations of political retribution. "When the State's Attorney's office has an opportunity to make full review of the entirety of what happened on Monday, April the 28th, I think that they'll make a good decision, favorable," Chapman said. Back inside Harvey City Hall, some residents came to the defense of Chapman. "I'm sick and tired of you arresting Colby Chapman," said Harvey resident Mazurk Irvin. Meanwhile, some fellow aldermen accused chapman of grandstanding. "This is not a way to run a city," Irvin said. Mayor Clark said the video of the April City Council incident speaks for itself, and shows Ald. Chapman striking a police officer. The mayor added that the charges should send a clear message that no one is above the law. "For the next six months to the end of 2025, I'm hopeful that there will be no more arrests; that nobody will be silenced because they talked," said Chapman. The day Ald. Chapman turned herself in last week, she announced her candidacy for mayor. Chapman has also filed a civil lawsuit against the mayor.
Fox News
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Maine Rep. Laurel Libby opens up on fighting 'civil rights' Supreme Court case amid trans athlete battle
Maine state representative Laurel Libby is allowed to vote for her constituents after three months of being censured, thanks to a 7-2 Supreme Court decision Tuesday. After the state's Democrat majority voted to strip Libby of her voting rights in February for making a social media post that called out a biologically trans athlete who won a girls' pole vault competition, she fought a legal battle to overturn it all the way up to the Supreme Court. And it paid off with Tuesday's decision. Libby called the battle a 'civil rights' case in an interview with Fox News Digital. "I most certainly do believe this is a civil rights issue for Maine girls and girls across the country who are being sidelines by biological males," Libby said, later adding that the censure "was political retaliation from start to finish," over her vocal stance on trans athlete inclusion. Libby believes the ruling is essential in order to protect Americans who want to speak out against allowing trans athletes in girls' and women's sports while the country is in a pivotal standoff over the issue. "Thankfully the Supreme Court saw the merits and the high stakes with this case, and really what was on the line not just for just me, my constituents in Maine, but really the entire country if this was upheld… No one should ever be silenced for speaking up on behalf of our girls," Libby said. "Now we have a ruling from the Supreme Court that says no one can be silenced for speaking the truth even if it's an unpopular truth. So I hope we will be seeing more folks speaking up on behalf of women and girls and their rights." The main defendant in Libby's lawsuit, Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, who passed the censure against Libby on Feb. 15, has vowed to restore Libby's voting rights to comply with the Supreme Court ruling. "In accordance with the Supreme Court's injunction pending appeal, Representative Libby's ability to vote on the floor of the House has been restored until the current appeal process runs its course," Fecteau told Fox News Digital. "The Clerk of the House, whom the injunction is against, has already complied with this court ruling. We look forward to continuing with the important work Maine people expect of us." President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that requires states only allow females to compete, but multiple Democrat-run states, including Maine, have defied the order and continued to enable trans inclusion. The U.S. Department of Justice and Attorney General Pam Bondi have even filed their own separate lawsuit against the state of Maine for continuing to defy the order. Libby has been a central figure in the conservative pushback against Democrat policies that enable trans inclusion in girls' sports in Maine. In addition to her lawsuit against Fecteau, Libby has been repeatedly critical of Mills for her refusal to comply with Trump. "Ryan Fecteau and Janet Mills have been ruling our state for the last six years with an iron fist regardless of the will of Maine people," Libby said. "This sends a message that they can not continue to operate outside of the constitution and ignore the will of Maine people any longer." A survey by the American Parents Coalition found that out of about 600 registered Maine voters, 63% said that school sports participation should be based on biological sex, and 66% agreed it is "only fair to restrict women's sports to biological women." Many Maine residents have even entire school districts have stood up against Mills' policies alongside Libby. Maine's school districts RSU No. 24 and MSAD No. 70 have each passed their own localized resolutions to keep girls' spots for female students only. There have also been three large-scale protests against the current policies in the state's capital city Augusta since February. And Libby has had the support of the federal government along the way. Just days before the decision, the DOJ filed an amicus brief on Libby's behalf to the Supreme Court, and Bondi spoke out in support of the embattled lawmaker to Fox News Digital. "I am so thankful for Attorney General Pam Bondi's response," Libby said. However, Libby's legal battle is not done yet. The Supreme Court decision has granted her back her right to vote on the state house floor, but she still does not have the right to speak. Libby's case will now go back to the First Circuit Court of Appeals for oral arguments on June 5, as she will look to regain her voting rights. Additionally, Libby was not able to vote on several bills in the state legislature in the last three months during her censure. These included the state's bi-annual budget vote and a bill to codify the Maine Human Rights Act, which protects trans inclusion in girls' sports, into the state's constitution. Libby said she believes the records should be reflected to include her vote on those bills as well, but does not yet know if she will be actively seeking to have those records changed legally yet. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Free Malaysia Today
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Charges against Rama reek of political payback, says DAP's Santiago
DAP's Charles Santiago (left) said the timing of the charges against former party colleague P Ramasamy is suspicious as the allegations involving PHEB are not new. PETALING JAYA : Former Klang MP Charles Santiago has expressed concern over the 17 criminal breach of trust charges levelled against former Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy, saying it raises suspicions of political payback. Santiago said the timing of the charges against Ramasamy, who has been critical of the government since he quit DAP in August 2023, was suspicious when the allegations involving the Penang Hindu Endowments Board (PHEB) were not new. The DAP man warned that this move would tarnish public trust in the integrity of government institutions, including the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission. 'The sudden urgency to press charges conveniently timed after Ramasamy's outspoken criticism of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on issues such as nepotism, governance, and institutional decay raises legitimate suspicion of political retaliation. 'This is not just about Ramasamy. It is about the integrity of public institutions that must operate free from political influence. 'When state machinery appears to be weaponised to silence dissent, especially against veteran leaders who have spent decades in public service, it undermines public trust in both the justice system and the government's reform agenda,' he said in a statement. Santiago said the unity government must not revert to the 'playbook of persecution' employed by past administrations. He said Putrajaya must value independent voices that question, critique and hold them accountable, and not meet them with legal intimidation. 'At a time when racial polarisation, economic disparity, and democratic fatigue are real and growing, the last thing Malaysia needs is to distract itself with anything that vaguely hints of political vendettas,' he said. Earlier today, Ramasamy claimed trial to 17 charges of CBT by using RM859,131.29 in PHEB funds between May 2019 and February 2022 without obtaining the board's formal approval. Thirteen of the charges against Ramasamy, who chaired PHEB from 2010 to 2023, were linked to the procurement of a RM779,131.29 gold-plated Thaipusam chariot in 2019. Two charges are linked to RM65,000 in medical assistance to individuals, while two other charges are linked to RM15,000 in education sponsorships.
