January, 06 2021, 11:00pm EDT

Rep. Omar Unveils Privileged Impeachment Resolution Against President Donald J. Trump
Resolution is co-lead by co-lead by Reps. David Cicilline, Ted Lieu, Al Green, Hank Johnson, Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, Vicente Gonzalez, Jamaal Bowman, Mondaire Jones, Veronica Escobar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Cori Bush.
WASHINGTON
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) today unveiled a privileged resolution to impeach President Donald J. Trump for high crimes and misdemeanors, co-lead by Reps. David Cicilline, Ted Lieu, Al Green, Hank Johnson, Ayanna Pressley,Rashida Tlaib, Vicente Gonzalez, Jamaal Bowman,Mondaire Jones, Veronica Escobar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Cori Bush.
"Donald Trump remains the single greatest threat to our democracy," Rep. Omar said. "Every day that he remains in the office of the presidency--overseeing the United States military and nuclear arsenal--is a day the safety of the American people and the world are threatened. The very administration officials who have been complicit in his crimes cannot be relied upon. We must impeach and remove him from office immediately so that he cannot threaten our democracy and the world any longer or hold public office ever again. Congress should reconvene immediately to carry out this constitutional duty."
"After four years of lies, misinformation and abuse of power - that culminated in yesterday's treasonous and violent conduct - we in Congress are left with no choice but to impeach for a second time," said Rep. Johnson. "Orchestrating a mob to overthrow Congress and the government violates and subverts his duties as commander-in-chief and leaves us no choice but to act."
"Donald Trump presents a clear, direct threat to our democracy and national security, and yesterday's acts of white supremacist domestic terrorism on the U.S. Capitol--incited by Trump himself--is further evidence of the danger he presents," said Rep. Pressley. "Our nation cannot afford one more day with Trump in office. He must be immediately impeached by the House of Representatives and removed from office by the United States Senate. We must act with the urgency to defend our Republic."
"I've called for the impeachment and removal of Donald Trump since the day I arrived in Washington, D.C.," said Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib. "Donald Trump is a tyrant that has continued to endanger and bring harm upon the people in the United States. Yesterday's attack on the Capitol was a continuation of Trump's destructive reign in this country - he must be impeached again, removed, and barred from ever holding public office again. We cannot wait and hope a peaceful transition of power happens on the 20th, Trump and his supporters have already displayed that peace is nowhere in their minds. It's time for us to act."
"Donald Trump incited a violent mob to descend upon the legislative branch, all in an attempt to overturn the results of a free and fair election and undermine the integrity of our democracy," said Rep. Mondaire Jones. "We must ensure that this is nothing more than a last gasp for Donald Trump and his Republican co-conspirators in the House and Senate. That's why I'm proud to join my colleagues in calling for impeachment. Hundreds of Donald Trumps in the Republican Party seek to ascend to higher office, and we must send them a message that no one is above the law."
On January 6th, 2021, President Trump encouraged individuals who traveled to Washington, District of Columbia to violently attack the United States Capitol while both chambers of Congress were in session. After those supporters had violently breached the Capitol, he put out a further statement repeating his false claims of election fraud and telling the members of the mob, "We love you, you're very special".
Additionally, on January 2, 2021, President Trump violated his constitutional duty to uphold the laws of the United States when, on a recorded call, he repeatedly asked Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to overturn the finalized and verified results of the November 2020 Presidential election in the State of Georgia. President Trump misused the power of his office by threatening an elected official with unspecified consequences if he failed to pursue the President's false claims and attempting to coerce an elected official to commit fraud.
The bill is also cosponsored by Payne, Jr., Huffman, Newman, Rush, Schakowsky, Wilson, Espaillat, Swalwell, Hayes, Velazquez, Clarke, and DeSaulnier.
You can read the full text of the resolution here.
Rep. Ilhan Omar represents Minnesota's 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, which includes Minneapolis and surrounding suburbs.
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'They Have a Lot of Money... We Have the People': Sanders Rallies for Brandon Johnson in Chicago
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Mar 31, 2023
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders stumped for progressive Chicago mayoral candidate Brandon Johnson late Thursday, imploring the city's voters to turn out in record numbers to overcome what he described as the powerful establishment forces backing conservative Democrat Paul Vallas.
"Our job on Tuesday is to make sure we have the largest voter turnout this city has ever seen," Sanders (I-Vt.) told the crowd gathered at the University of Illinois Chicago days ahead of the April 4 runoff. "This is going to be a close election, and the deciding factor will be voter turnout."
A Northwestern University poll released earlier this week showed the race is in a dead heat, with Johnson and Vallas each receiving 44% support and 12% of voters still undecided.
"Brandon's opponent and the other side—they have a lot of money," the Vermont senator said Thursday. "That's what always happens when you take on the establishment. They have the money. They've got a lot of power. But you know what we have? We have the people."
The rally came after new financial disclosures showed that a super PAC with close connections to former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos recently spent nearly $60,000 on digital media supporting Vallas, the former CEO of Chicago Public Schools who has worked to privatize education in his home city as well as New Orleans and Philadelphia.
"The fundamental issue, the deep down issue, is: Which side are you on?" Sanders said Thursday night. "Are you on the side of working people, or are you on the side of the speculators and billionaires? And I know which side Brandon is on."
While Sanders didn't explicitly mention the DeVos-tied super PAC's support for Vallas' campaign during Thursday's rally, American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten did, saying it "tells you everything you need to know about" Vallas.
In a statement earlier Thursday, Weingarten said that "Paul Vallas’ goal of defunding public schools and dividing parents against teachers makes him precisely the kind of candidate who would appeal to a fellow wrecker like Betsy DeVos—a person who's devoted her life to ending public education as we know it."
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Watch Thursday's rally:
Johnson, a longtime educator and organizer, also called attention to the Illinois Federation for Children PAC's spending on the race during a candidate forum late Thursday.
"Betsy DeVos has inserted herself and her resources into my opponent's coffers," Johnson said.
Vallas countered that he has "never had any conversations or contacts with Betsy DeVos."
"Our campaign has not received any money from her," Vallas said, citing the often vanishingly thin barrier separating so-called "independent expenditures" by super PACs and direct donations to political campaigns.
In addition to the DeVos-connected spending, Vallas has also received financial support from "conservative contributors and prominent Republicans," the Chicago Tribunereported earlier this month.
"Vallas' largest contributor was golf course developer Michael Keiser, who has given him $700,000," the Tribune noted. "Keiser previously contributed $11,200 to former President Donald Trump, a Republican. Vallas has taken money from John Canning, a Chicago private equity executive who has given to many politicians locally but also national Republicans, and Noel Moore, who has given to Trump and Texas Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz."
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Exonerated Central Park 5 Member Reacts to Trump Indictment With One-Word Statement
"For those asking about my statement on the indictment of Donald Trump—who never said sorry for calling for my execution—here it is," said Yusef Salaam.
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Yusef Salaam, one of the five New York teens wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for the 1989 rape of a jogger in Central Park, issued a brief statement following Thursday's criminal indictment of former U.S. President Donald Trump—who called for bringing back the state's death penalty to execute the defendants and never apologized after they were cleared.
Salaam tweeted: "For those asking about my statement on the indictment of Donald Trump—who never said sorry for calling for my execution—here it is: Karma."
\u201c#PowerPost\u270a\ud83c\udffb\u270a\ud83c\udffc\u270a\ud83c\udffd\u270a\ud83c\udffe\u270a\ud83c\udfff\u2122\ufe0f\n\nFor those asking about my statement on the indictment of Donald Trump - who never said sorry for calling for my execution - here it is:\n\nKarma\u201d— Yusef Abdus Salaam (@Yusef Abdus Salaam) 1680212837
Trump spent $85,000—over $200,000 today—on a full-page ad that ran in all four of New York's major newspapers calling for the restoration of capital punishment so that the Central Park Five could be executed.
\u201cOne of the exonerated five aka Central Park five reacting to Trump indictment. \n\nTrump took out this ad in four NY newspapers in 1989 and never apologized for it.\u201d— Yashar Ali \ud83d\udc18 \u06cc\u0627\u0634\u0627\u0631 (@Yashar Ali \ud83d\udc18 \u06cc\u0627\u0634\u0627\u0631) 1680214390
The ad read, in part:
Mayor [Ed] Koch has stated that hate and rancor should be removed from our hearts. I do not think so. I want to hate these muggers and murderers. They should be forced to suffer... Yes, Mayor Koch, I want to hate these murderers and I always will... How can our great society tolerate the continued brutalization of its citizens by crazed misfits?
The five Black and Latino teens—Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, Korey Wise, and Salaam—were beaten and coerced by New York City police into falsely confessing to the rape. They spent years behind bars for the horrific crime that they did not commit.
Salaam, who was 15 years old when his life was upended, was imprisoned for six years and eight months before his exoneration.
In a 2019 interview with the BBC, Salaam—who is now a motivational speaker—said that "I look at Donald Trump, and I understand him as a representation of a symptom of America."
"We were convicted because of the color of our skin. People thought the worst of us," he added. "And this is all because of prominent New Yorkers—especially Donald Trump."
In a statement, National Action Network founder and president Rev. Al Sharpton said that "it's not lost on those of us who were there in 1989 that Donald Trump will likely walk into the same courthouse where the Exonerated 5 were falsely convicted for a crime they did not commit."
\u201cREV. AL SHARPTON RESPONDS TO REPORTS OF PENDING TRUMP INDICTMENT\u201d— NationalActionNet (@NationalActionNet) 1680216860
"Let's not forget that it was Donald Trump who took out full-page ads calling for these five Black and Brown young men to get the death penalty," Sharpton continued. "This is the same man who's now calling for violence when he has to go through the same system. The same man will have to stand up in a courtroom and see firsthand what the criminal justice system is like."
"All I can say is, what goes around comes around," he added.
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The historic charges against the 2024 candidate "are the first ever brought against him, but they will not be the last," said one Trump critic, noting that "we know of literally dozens of credible allegations of crimes."
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A Manhattan grand jury voted to indict former U.S. President Donald Trump for his role in a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, The New York Timesreported Thursday, citing five people with knowledge of the matter.
The grand jury's move makes Trump the first ex-president to face criminal charges—and comes as the 76-year-old is seeking the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. An indictment or even conviction in the case would not prevent him from running.
After other outlets also confirmed the historic vote, a spokesperson for District Attorney Alvin Bragg said that "this evening we contacted Mr. Trump's attorney to coordinate his surrender to the Manhattan DA's office for his arraignment on a [New York] Supreme Court indictment, which remains under seal. Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected."
Citing two unnamed sources familiar with the case, CNNreported that Trump faces over 30 counts related to business fraud.
"Donald Trump has spent his entire political career dodging accountability for his wanton disregard for the law. It is finally catching up to him."
In a phone call with ABC News producer John Santucci, Trump said this is an "attack on our country" and "political persecution," adding that "they are trying to impact an election." The twice-impeached former president made similar remarks in a lengthy statement.
Asked by Santucci asked if he will turn himself in, Trump responded, "You take care, John," and hung up. Trump attorney Joe Tacopina toldNBC News that his client is expected to surrender to the DA's office early next week.
Trump supporters expressed outrage over the development—as did Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to also run for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination but said Thursday that his state "will not assist in an extradition request."
Despite warnings that this case "is the first to result in an indictment, though arguably the toughest to win," as Mark Joseph Stern wrote for Slate, critics of Trump still welcomed the news as a long-awaited step toward accountability.
\u201cDonald Trump was the most corrupt president in American history. He was the first president to be impeached twice, and now he\u2019s the first former president to be criminally indicted.\n\nTrump's corruption is finally catching up to him.\u201d— Citizens for Ethics (@Citizens for Ethics) 1680214108
"We know of literally dozens of credible allegations of crimes committed by Donald Trump as president or running for it, with no charges filed. Until now," tweeted Noah Bookbinder, president of the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). "We can't yet evaluate these charges, but make no mistake, this is a huge deal for accountability."
"Donald Trump has spent his entire political career dodging accountability for his wanton disregard for the law. It is finally catching up to him," Bookbinder added. "The charges in New York are the first ever brought against him, but they will not be the last."
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) similarly said "this is just one of many criminal acts for which Donald Trump is being investigated. Make no mistake: the fact that one of the most powerful people in the world was investigated impartially and indicted is testament to the fact that we still live in a nation of laws. And no one is above the law."
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Trump's former fixer Michael Cohen, who made a $130,000 payment to Daniels, said Thursday that "accountability matters and I stand by my testimony and the evidence I have provided" to the district attorney.
Aaron Scherb, senior director of legislative affairs at Common Cause, pointed to Cohen's prison time on Thursday.
"No American is above the law, including former presidents, and Donald Trump will get his day in court," said Scherb. "Donald Trump and his co-conspirators clearly appeared to have broken the law and his attorney at the time has already served time in federal prison for charges related to the $130,000 hush money payout. The Manhattan district attorney's office is right to hold the former president to the same standard as every other American."
\u201cHere\u2019s my new piece for \u2066@MSNBCDaily\u2069 on the importance of Donald Trump being indicted. Hope you\u2019ll have a look. https://t.co/QzNpk2iM2Q\u201d— Glenn Kirschner (@Glenn Kirschner) 1680212959
John Bonifaz, president of Free Speech for People, said that "Donald Trump must face the rule of law for all of the crimes he has committed, and this indictment by the Manhattan grand jury is an important first step."
Free Speech for People has argued that Trump and congressional Republicans who provoked and supported the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol should be ineligible to serve, citing the section of the 14th Amendment that bars from federal office anyone who has taken an oath to support the Constitution then "engaged in insurrection or rebellion."
Urging secretaries of state and chief election officials across the country to "do their job," Bonifaz said that "the insurrectionist disqualification clause of the 14th Amendment makes clear that Trump is disqualified from holding any future public office based on his role in inciting and mobilizing the January 6th insurrection."
"No prior indictment or conviction is required in order to enforce Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment against Trump," he added. "To protect our republic, we must uphold this critical constitutional provision at this moment in history."
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