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US Attorney General Merrick Garland Held in Contempt of Congress

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US Attorney General Merrick Garland Held in Contempt of Congress
Attorney General Merrick Garland testifies during a House Judiciary Committee hearing: AP Image

The United States Congress has voted to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt for refusing to send over recordings of President Joe Biden’s interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur about his handling of secret information.

The final vote was 216-207. Rep. David Joyce of Ohio was the lone Republican to vote against the contempt resolution.

Speaker Mike Johnson described the outcome as “a significant step towards maintaining the integrity of our oversight processes and responsibilities.”

“It is up to Congress – not the Executive Branch – to determine what materials it needs to conduct its own investigations, and there are consequences for refusing to comply with lawful Congressional subpoenas,” Johnson stated in a statement.

Garland responded, stating that it was “deeply disappointing that this House of Representatives has turned a serious congressional authority into a partisan weapon.”

“Today’s vote disregards the constitutional separation of powers, the Justice Department’s need to protect its investigations, and the substantial amount of information we have provided to the Committees,” Garland stated in a press release. “I will always stand up for this Department, its employees, and its vital mission to defend our democracy.”

Biden Hur

President Biden as he was under investigation over his possession of classified documents by Special Counsel Robert Hur. – Getty Images

General Merrick Garland Refuses

While the Department of Justice has made a transcript of Hur’s interview with Biden accessible to the GOP-led committees, House Republicans say that the audio tapes are required for their delayed impeachment probe into the president.

“The Committees need the audio tapes to verify the accuracy of the written transcripts given this White House has been known to heavily edit the President’s statements,” Johnson stated. “This is a simple matter — we have the transcript, and we need the audio.”

The contempt resolution instructs the House speaker to report the case to the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia for potential criminal prosecution.

Garland continued to defend his choice not to turn up audio tapes of the interview before the House Judiciary Committee last week, despite President Biden’s assertion of executive privilege.

“I shall not be scared. And the Justice Department will not be frightened. We shall continue to conduct our work without political influence. “And we will not back down from defending our democracy,” Garland stated during the hearing.

Representative Jerrold Nadler, the House Judiciary Committee

Representative Jerrold Nadler (D), the House Judiciary Committee – Getty Images

Democrat Protect General Merrick Garland

Democrats have also defended Garland, condemning the GOP’s attempt to hold him in contempt as a politically driven endeavour.

“This isn’t really about a policy disagreement with the DOJ, this is about feeding the MAGA base after 18 months of investigations that have produced failure after failure,” Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler, the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, said in testimony before the House Rules Committee on Tuesday.

Joyce, the single Republican who voted against the measure, also claimed it was a politicised act.

“As a former prosecutor, I cannot in good conscience support a resolution that would further politicize our judicial system to score political points,” Joyce stated. “The American people expect Congress to represent them, solve policy issues, and prioritise good governance. “Enough is enough.”

MORE: ‘I did not exonerate him,’ Hur says about Biden

Congress has previously found Cabinet officials in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a House subpoena, notably Attorney General William Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in 2019 and then-Attorney General Eric Holder in 2012.

In 2022, Congress found Peter Navarro, a former top trade advisor in the Trump administration, in contempt of Congress for allegedly falsifying records and testimony to the now-defunct House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol.

Navarro was recently sentenced to four months in prison.

Steve Bannon, a Trump associate who was previously held in contempt of Congress in 2022 for failing to comply with the Jan. 6 select committee, has been ordered to report to jail on July 1.

Source: Yahoo News

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Trudeau GST Tax Holiday to Cost Taxpayers $6.3 Billion

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Trudeau. GST

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a two-month GST break on some purchases and a one-time $250 rebate for all Canadians earning less than $150,000. The proposed GST break would last from December 14 to February 15.

The Liberals said it would cover various things, including children’s clothing and shoes, toys, diapers, restaurant meals, and beer and wine. It also refers to real and artificial Christmas trees, snack foods and beverages, and video game systems.

The move will cost taxpayers almost $4.7 billion, and the GST exemption will cost an additional $1.6 billion, totaling $6.3 Billion.

The federal government is now running a significant deficit. This raises the question of who will have to foot the $6.3 billion bill for today’s one-time payments. The government will have to borrow the money, and future taxpayers must either repay it or service the additional debt perpetually.

Critics argue that the GST credit is a collection of terrible ideas that will do little to lift Canada out of the long-term economic rut in which our economy is stuck.

Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre responded Thursday to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s pledge of a “GST Holiday” for Canadians, calling it a “tax trick.”

Poilievre stated that the temporary exemption from the Goods and Services Tax on various ordinary commodities “would not make up for the permanent quadrupling carbon tax on heat, housing, food, and fuel.”

Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet stated he is “against any idea of a prime minister who says, ‘I will give you money in order for you to consider voting for me.'”

According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, temporary sales tax holidays will only increase confusion and administrative burden for small business owners.

A temporary sales tax decrease would help boost demand in some industries, including restaurants, Canadians, and companies, which require sustainable tax relief during the slow post-holiday season.

The changes amid an inflation-driven affordability crisis have left many dissatisfied with the Trudeau government. A federal election is scheduled for before next October, although it might happen sooner if the minority government falls before then.

For months, the Conservatives have held a double-digit lead over the Liberals in public opinion polls, with Leader Pierre Poilievre promising to cut taxes and government spending to restore affordability.

High inflation has also pressured the Liberals to avoid proposing policies that would boost spending and raise fuel prices.

According to the Fraser Institute, The Trudeau government got one thing fundamentally right: Lowering the tax burden on Canadians has benefits. Unfortunately, the policy package it has proposed to deliver tax relief is completely wrong.

It lowers the incorrect taxes, moves taxes temporarily rather than lowering them, does little to improve economic incentives, and punishes future taxpayers. With the holiday season approaching, this attempt at a gift for Canadian taxpayers is the economic equivalent of a lump of coal in the stocking.

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Matt Gaetz Withdraws as Trump’s Pick for Attorney General

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Matt Gaetz,attorney general, Trump
Matt Gaetz talks to reporters

Congressman Matt Gaetz has withdrawn as President-elect Donald Trump’s candidate for Attorney General, citing concerns about a federal sex trafficking probe that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed.

Gaetz resigned after failing to persuade the Senate to endorse his contentious candidacy. Shortly after Gaetz’s unexpected departure, the president-elect issued a statement applauding his former AG nominee’s choice to seek Senate confirmation.

“I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General. He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect. Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all the great things he will do!” the president-elect wrote on Truth Social.

Gaetz had earlier stated that he was retiring from his current seat in Congress and would not take the oath of office for the upcoming session, which begins in January. Now that he has withdrawn from consideration for AG, his future in Washington is uncertain.

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Eric Hovde Concedes The United States Senate Race To Tammy Baldwin.

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Eric Hovde

(VOR News) – Eric Hovde, the Republican candidate for the United States Senate, has acknowledged that he was defeated by Tammy Baldwin, the Democratic candidate for the same seat on the ballot.

Baldwin acknowledged Hovde’s defeat and consented to it. Furthermore, he released a statement in which he contends that the election results are not only inaccurate, but also devoid of any factual foundation.

Eric Hovde experienced this two weeks after the election.

Baldwin emerged as the unofficial victor of the Senate campaign in Wisconsin, a race that was closely monitored by a significant number of individuals. Baldwin was awarded the title of victor on November 6th. Baldwin emerged victorious by a razor-thin margin.

According to the data provided by the Associated Press, Baldwin emerged victorious by a margin of 29,116 ballots, which is approximately equivalent to 0.9 percent of the total votes cast. Baldwin emerged victorious by a substantial margin, as indicated by the results.

Hovde issued his public apology subsequent to the conclusion of the canvassing of the results by the majority of county clerks throughout the state. This process will ultimately result in the results being recognized as official. Publication of Eric Hovde’s decision. Not only were the results announced at this time, but they were also proclaimed in an official capacity.

The exact phrase of the announcement, “Thank you for your support,” was included in a post by Eric Hovde on Monday and published on the social networking site X.

The public was notified of this announcement. The announcement was public on Monday. It has drawn a lot of attention. “It is time to begin moving on.”

In contrast, Eric Hovde’s film began with a somewhat less inclusive tone, which persisted throughout. He made this assumption without offering any evidence to back it up, and his claims that there were “many troubling issues” with absentee ballots tabulated late on election night were factually incorrect. His claims were not supported by empirical evidence.

His claims were unsupported by any proof. Not a single piece of evidence could possibly prove that his allegations were correct. He stated in the statement that “numerous supporters” had demanded that he challenge the election results. He acknowledged receiving the request.

Eric Hovde acknowledged receiving these demands.

In particular, Eric Hovde asserts, “However, a request for a recount would serve no purpose if it were not for a detailed review of all the ballots and their legitimacy, which will be difficult to obtain in the courts.”

Subsequently, you would recount the identical ballots, regardless of their authenticity. This is the reason, as elucidated in this article. This is the rationale for the current state of affairs.

Hovde and his campaign refrained from issuing any public statements subsequent to Baldwin’s disclosure that Eric Hovde had emerged victorious in the election, which transpired over a week after Baldwin’s initial announcement.

The previous week, he uploaded a video to social media platforms that expressed his “deeply concerned” sentiments regarding the election results in Milwaukee.

The election was conducted in Milwaukee. While the film was being screened, there was a discussion regarding the results of the election in Milwaukee. As the ballots were still being counted in the largest city in Wisconsin on the evening of the election, he expressed his “shock” at the sequence of events that had transpired.

Eric Hovde was emphasizing the occurrence of specific events.

In addition, he declared that ballots were still being tallied at the time of the election. Eric Hovde made this declaration during the voting period, while ballots were still being tabulated.

Baldwin’s team referenced her victory speech, which she delivered the week prior to the election, in response to a request for comment that was submitted on Monday.

In response to the campaign’s request, this action was implemented.

A representative of Baldwin’s team has verified that “Hovde has not called,” which is consistent with the information that was disclosed on Monday morning. The representative who provided these details has worked in a variety of capacities throughout their career.

SOURCE: WPR

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