Month: January 2024

The existential fate of the First Amendment of the US Constitution rests in the hands of the Supreme Court and whether the high court of appeal will strike down 18 U.S.C. 1512(c)(2), the most serious criminal charges leveled against former President Donald Trump and an ever-growing number of January 6 defendants.

1512 criminalizes any effort to “corruptly” obstruct, influence or impede any official proceeding.” A conviction can result in a prison sentence of up to 20 years.

Last April, an appellate court issued a splintered 2-1 ruling endorsing the DOJ’s unprecedented misuse of the statute, a law passed under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in 2002 outlawing evidence tampering in the aftermath of the Enron/Arthur Anderson accounting scandal. The law has never in United States history been used to prosecute demonstrators or rioters.

Jonathon Moseley, an investigative researcher and paralegal with Former Feds Group, a team of former federal government lawyers turned defense counsel, provided The Gateway Pundit analysis of the 1512 Obstruction of Official Proceeding appeal that is looming on the Supreme Court Docket:

On Monday, January 29, a Supreme Court decision leaped closer.  Joseph Fischer filed his Principal “Brief on the Merits” by attorney Frederich Ulrich which you can read here.

Attorney Ed Tarpley filed an Amicus Curiae (friend of the Court) brief for Brad Geyer’s FormerFeds Freedom Foundation.  America’s Future with others also filed a brief here.  Christopher Warnagiris, Christopher Carnell, and William Robert Norwood, III filed a brief.

For non-lawyers, it might take a few read-throughs, but you can still get a lot out of reading these.

Is “obstruction of an official proceeding” through public demonstrations actually a crime or has the U.S. Department of Justice invented a new crime that doesn’t exist? If the Supreme Court returns the statute to its previous interpretation and rejects prosecutorial adventurism, convictions of a hundred or so J6ers would be vacated, especially the harshest sentences.  Hundreds more awaiting trial would have 1512 removed.

The DoJ and U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves are prosecuting Donald Trump under 4 counts of protesting the 2020 presidential election.  Two of the four charges are for violating 18 U.S.C. 1512(c)(2) and (k) for conspiring to do so.  Because the other two counts are fuzzy, Special Counsel Jack Smith’s case against Trump could collapse in an ocean of vagueness without the only two clear counts.

Hundreds of Defendants have taken plea deals because of the severe threat of being charged with 18 U.S.C. 1512.  Attorney Roger Roots is battling cases where the DoJ offers plea deals usually of “the four misdemeanors” and then adds felonies like 1512 as retaliation against Defendants who won’t plead guilty.

Judge Carl Nichols dismissed 18 U.S.C. 1512(c)(2) charges against three January 6 Defendants – Jake Lang, Garrett Miller, and Joseph Fischer – on the grounds that the conduct alleged was outside of the reach of the statute.  The statute was passed as a species of obstruction of justice by tampering with evidence.  It has never been used in this way before.  Prosecutors are in effect “legislating from the Grand Jury room,” inventing non-existent crimes as if they were Congress.

Trouble is:  the DoJ has never used this statute before for demonstrations, even those protests that have descended into skirmishes, violence, riots, arson, assault, death or worse.  Washington, D.C. was under siege of arson and riots in 2017 before and during Donald Trump’s inauguration. If the DoJ has never before believed that 18 U.S.C. 1512 covers demonstrations, why should the Supreme Court take a different view today?

Merrick Garland wants to apply a statute in a way very different from the DoJ’s own past behavior.

In May-June 2020, leftist rioters “obstructed official proceedings” at the White House. See: Jon Lockett,”50 Secret Service agents injured in White House riots as Donald Trump is taken to ‘terror attack’ bunker,” The Sun, June 1, 2020. The nation’s worldwide military forces and diplomatic corps are supervised and controlled by the White House.  Yet the Secret Service had to rush the Commander in Chief into an underground bunker designed for nuclear war.

Did the DoJ as recently as 2020 charged anyone under 18 U.S.C. 1512?  No.  When protestors against Brett Kavanaugh occupied the Hart Senate Office Building and obstructed the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee?  No.

(Note that most Defendants have been “over-charged” with multiple counts, unlike Leftist rioters.  So other statutes could apply.  But those are not 20 year felonies like 1512.  Most Defendants would face only a maximum of 6 months instead, even a downward revision for many of those convicted.)

The FormerFeds Freedom Foundation is hoping for donations of $15,000 for all phases of its research, brief, expenses, work by lawyers and paralegals, and spreading the message.  Because this was not anticipated as part of their normal budget, they are asking for tax-deductible donations at https://formerfedsgroup.org/donate/.  They are mainly working at this time on Big Pharma’s actions during the COVID pandemic. https://chbmp.org/

Joseph Fischer is represented on appeal by an excellent team of Federal Public Defenders led by Frederich Ulrich.  But that means they and he cannot accept donations for the appeal because their office is taxpayer-funded. The Gateway Pundit has inquired if Fischer has a donation link or page for other expenses or legal work in the past.

Of course, The Gateway Pundit has covered the work of Jake Lang in appealing this issue and breaking much of the ground in bringing this to the U.S. Supreme Court, with the able assistant of attorneys Norm Pattis and Steve Metcalf.  Lang filed an excellent brief asking the Supreme Court to take the case.  However, the Supreme Court explicitly took Joseph Fischer’s appeal, although probably implicitly including Lang’s appeal as well.  Miller has meanwhile taken a plea deal, but may have unpaid legal bills.

Jake Lang is seeking donations for dozens of January 6 Defendants through his “J6 Legal Fund” at https://www.givesendgo.com/J6Legal or https://www.january6defensefund.org.  Lang invested tremendous work and expense in this effort.

RELATED:  BREAKING: Latest SCOTUS Filing Has Potential to Impact Hundreds of J6 Cases – Lawyers Seek to Toss Controversial 1512 Obstruction Charges Against January 6 Defendant Jake Lang, https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/07/breaking-latest-scotus-filing-has-potential-impact-hundreds/

Hundreds of January 6 demonstrators have been charged and many convicted for obstructing the counting of Electoral College votes on January 6, 2021, even though (a) most of these people arrived on Capitol Hill after Congress had already recessed and (b) the U.S. Capitol Police furiously refuses to release the documents showing exactly why Congress recessed starting at 2:18 PM.

RELATED:  Report: J6 Pipe Bomber Was ‘Former’ Government Official – FBI Had His License Plate Number but Refused to Interview Him, https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/01/report-j6-pipe-bomber-was-former-government-official/

Probably, given the intense resistance, USCP documents would show it was the discovery of the pipe bombs that triggered Congress’ recess.  Documents the Government desperately doesn’t want us to see would likely exonerate hundreds of people including Donald Trump.  Trump’s lawyers have not yet followed up on this, however.  For that matter, Speaker Mike Johnson could order the Capitol Police to release all the records, but he has not.  Many defense attorneys have demanded these records, but have been ignored by the judges.

Lang, Miller, and Fischer also argued powerfully that the statute is unconstitutionally “void for vagueness” and “overbroad.”  In other words, there is no clear definition of “corruptly”, because there are too many different definitions.  Fischer’s and Lang’s appeal and briefs ask the Supreme Court to strike the statute as unconstitutional.

The Court of Appeals issued 3 different opinions over more than 100 pages sort of not really deciding much.  See:  https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/us-dc-circuit/2196041.html

Keep an eye on the developing docket at:  https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/23-5572.html

**PLEASE SUPPORT THE FORMER FEDS GROUP’S JANUARY 6 LITIGATION HERE***

The post January 6 Defendants File Challenges in U.S. Supreme Court To Abuse Of ‘Obstruction of Justice’ Law appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Credit: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) apprehended a 30-year-old MS-13 gang member from El Salvador after a Montgomery County Court released him onto the streets despite a conviction for accessory to murder.

ICE announced Wednesday that Deportation officers from Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Baltimore’s Fugitive Operations Team arrested the gang member on Jan. 29 near his residence in Silver Spring.

Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Baltimore Field Office Director Darius Reeves released the following statement:

This unlawfully present Salvadoran gang member’s presence in the United States represents a threat to the safety and security of our residents. Not only is he a validated member of a notorious criminal enterprise, but he also aided other criminals in the commission of a murder. ERO Baltimore will continue to apprehend and remove such criminal elements from our Maryland communities.”

ICE said the illegal will remain in their custody until he is deported back to El Salvador.

ICE also provided background on what transpired before the arrest in their announcement. This includes the dangerous and irresponsible actions by a Maryland Court in Rockville, which put the state’s residents in harm’s way.

In January 2023, the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) arrested the gang banger, charging him with accessory to first-degree murder. Five months later, ICE in Baltimore submitted an immigration detainer against the Salvadoran illegal with Montgomery County Circuit Court in Rockville.

In September 2023, the Montgomery Circuit Court convicted the illegal alien of the offense and sentenced him to five years in prison. But the Court astoundingly suspended all but 18 months of his sentence.

The Court also ignored the ICE detainer and released him back into the community, potentially endangering Marylanders.

ICE also revealed in their announcement that the alien originally crossed illegally into the U.S. in October 2006 near Falfurrias, TX as an unaccompanied minor, aka a Dreamer. Later that day, agents transferred the illegal to the Office of Refugee Resettlement’s International Educational Services in Harlingen, TX.

Two months later, the Office of Refugee Resettlement reunited him with his uncle in Washington, D.C.

An immigration judge in Baltimore ordered the Dreamer to be deported to El Salvador in February 2007, which apparently never happened.

The post ICE Arrests Illegal Alien Gang Member Convicted of Accessory to Murder in Maryland – Radical State Court Previously Released Dangerous Illegal Despite Conviction and Ignored ICE Detainer appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

An employee at a Goodwill in Wisconsin was spooked after discovering a live WWII-era grenade inside a donation box.

The grenade was discovered at the Truth North Goodwill in Ashland, Wisconsin.

After making the discovery, employees at the Goodwill store placed the grenade between two dumpsters until authorities arrived.

The Marathon County Sheriff’s Department’s bomb squad detonated the grenade and was able to identify the grenade as a Japanese WWII-era grenade.

A live World War II-era hand grenade was discovered in the donated items at a Wisconsin Goodwill on Saturday, officials said. https://t.co/1CltvMzwCd

— WHSVnews (@WHSVnews) January 30, 2024

Per KARE 11:

An employee of a Goodwill store in northern Wisconsin made a startling discovery on Saturday.
They found a WWII-era grenade inside a box of donated items at the True North Goodwill in Ashland. The police were called and the store was evacuated.

“The grenade was placed outside the building between two dumpsters before authorities arrived on the scene,” according to a news release.

The Japanese-made grenade was safely detonated by the Marathon County Sheriff’s Department’s bomb squad.

Authorities said no other weapons were found. The store reopened the next day.

Goodwill stores are a great place to find a good deal on clothes, appliances, books, and more, but in recent years, the thrift store chain has made some bad press.

The Gateway Pundit previously reported a human skull was discovered in a donation box in Arizona.

READ:

Human Skull Found in Arizona Goodwill Donation Box

The post Close Call: Live WWII-era Grenade Discovered Inside Donation Box at Goodwill Store in Wisconsin appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Nearly three years ago several pro-Life activists held a prayer rally at a Tennessee abortion clinic.

The Christian protesters prayed and sang hymns.
They were sitting peacefully in the lobby of the abortion center.

The protesters included: Chester Gallagher, 73, of Lebanon, Tennessee; Heather Idoni, 58; Calvin Zastrow, 57; and Caroline Davis, 24; all of Michigan; Coleman Boyd, 51, of Bolton, Mississippi; Dennis Green, 56, of Cumberland, Virginia; and Paul Vaughn, 55, of Centerville, Tennessee.

Then in October 2022 Biden’s Gestapo arrested eleven pro-life activists for a peaceful protest at an abortion clinic that took place over a year ago. The eleven pro-life activists face up to eleven years in prison and $250,000 in fines. (Details below)

Screen images from cellphone video taken by his wife show FBI agents at the front door of the home of Paul Vaughn, 55, after they arrested him at gunpoint in front of his family before they walk off refusing to answer questions while one agent comes around from behind the house.

The FBI was sent to Paul Vaughn’s home to arrest him at gunpoint for sitting at a prayer rally.

Retired FBI agent Steve Gray commented on the raid, “This force used by the FBI to effect this arrest is unacceptable and unnecessary. I’ve been on numerous gang and organized crime arrests within the NY FBI. We never brought or displayed rifles to make those arrests. The Agent’s should have given their names when requested.”

This force used by the FBI to effect this arrest is unacceptable and unnecessary. I’ve been on numerous gang and organized crime arrests within the NY FBI. We never brought or displayed rifles to make those arrests. The Agent’s should have given their names when requested.

— Steve Gray (@SteveGrayNJ4) October 7, 2022

A description of Vaughn’s arrest via a GiveSendGo page posted on his behalf:

On Tuesday six of the abortion activists were convicted on federal felonies. They could face 11 years in prison.

These senior citizens could die in Joe Biden’s prison for praying outside an abortion clinic.

The Tennessean reported:

Nearly three years after a group of anti-abortion protesters from across the country blocked the entrance to a Mt. Juliet reproductive health clinic, six of the defendants have been convicted of federal felonies that could translate to years of prison time.

The jury delivered the guilty verdict late Tuesday afternoon after a trial that lasted one week and featured video evidence of the group’s March 2021 “blockade” of the Carafem Health Center Clinic and testimony from police, a patient and an employee at the clinic that day. It took the jury nearly all day to reach that decision, as deliberations started 9 a.m. Tuesday.

The convicted are Chester Gallagher, of Lebanon, Tennessee; Paul Vaughn, of Centerville, Tennessee; Heather Idoni and Calvin Zastrow, of Michigan; Coleman Boyd, of Bolton, Mississippi; and Dennis Green, of Cumberland, Virginia. They each face up to 10.5 years in prison and fines of up to $260,000 at their sentencings, which are scheduled for July 2, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“These defendants knowingly chose to violate laws they disagreed with,” said Henry C. Leventis, U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. “The jury’s verdict today is a victory for the rule of law in this country and a reminder that we cannot pick and choose which laws we follow. It is also a testament to the outstanding work done in this case by the trial team and our law enforcement partners.”

Attorneys identified Gallagher as the organizer of the protest. On March 5, 2021, the group arrived at the clinic before it opened and stationed themselves throughout the office building it was located in. Prosecutors said that several of those involved recorded video of their actions, including one person who was apparently making a video to instruct others how to perform a “rescue,” the term some anti-abortion activists use to describe protests of abortion clinics or efforts to dissuade individuals from seeking an abortion.

This is a clip of the protest on 3/5/2021 that just landed six pro-life activists in jail for up to 11 years. They were found guilty in federal court by Biden’s DOJ under the FACE Act for praying and singing hymns outside a Nashville abortion clinic.

pic.twitter.com/hDEeCh0C6d

— Simon VanDyk (@VandykSimon) January 30, 2024

God save this nation from this wicked regime.

The post Pro-Life Activists Convicted of Felonies in Tennessee – Face 11 Years in Prison for Praying and Singing Hymns Outside Abortion Clinic appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

The adult son of an Israeli diplomat has been accused of purposefully running over a Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, police officer on his motorcycle — and his lawyer claims that he is protected under diplomatic immunity.

Avraham Gil, 19, hit a police lieutenant who was conducting a traffic stop on Saturday afternoon.

Avraham is the son of Eli Gil, a diplomat at the Israeli consulate in Miami.

Local 10 News reports:

An arrest report states that as the officer approached the vehicle he pulled over, Gil came up on his motorcycle, weaving in between vehicles. The officer motioned at Gil and yelled at him to stop, police said, but instead he kept riding towards the lieutenant and “intentionally ran him over.”

The officer, who suffered an “incapacitating” injury to his left leg, grabbed Gil and brought him to the ground to stop him, the report states. Police arrested Gil on a first-degree felony charge of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer with violence.

Gil is crying and red-eyed in his mug shot and has been charged with two felonies.

A lawyer representing Gil claims that he is shielded from prosecution due to who his father is.

The report notes that the State Department’s website states, “Family members forming part of the household of diplomatic agents enjoy precisely the same privileges and immunities as do the sponsoring diplomatic agents.”

However, Local 10 spoke to legal analyst David Weinstein, who said that diplomatic immunity may not apply.

“Diplomatic immunity is not given to people who are called consular officials, and those are people who are not the head diplomatic agent of a foreign country here in the United States, so there is a distinction,” Weinstein told the station.

The post Adult Son of Israeli Diplomat Accused of Deliberately Running Over Florida Police Officer — Lawyer Claims He Has ‘Diplomatic Immunity’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

The “most important free speech case in a generation” Missouri v. Biden, is set to be heard by the Supreme Court on March 18th, and it features as lead Plaintiff Jim Hoft, Publisher and Founder of the Gateway Pundit.

Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt announced the news on X. Schmitt was the Attorney General in Missouri who launched the investigation along with Attorney General Jeff Landry from Louisiana who is now the sitting governor of the state.

Mark your calendars – Missouri v. Biden, the most important free speech case in a generation, will be in front of the nation’s highest court on March 18th. pic.twitter.com/kNazyYuVxJ

— Senator Eric Schmitt (@SenEricSchmitt) January 29, 2024

Missouri v. Biden is the case filed by the courageous Attorneys General from Missouri and Louisiana against the Biden Administration for their violations of the First Amendment. Specifically, the case complains to the Court that the federal government violated the Constitution when it specifically directed social media companies to delete comments they disliked and when the FBI’s corrupt agents, agents like Elvis Chan, engaged in a wholesale deplatforming of specific users, specific comments, and specific topics.

The government was purposefully censoring information they did not like that was frequently accurate and truthful.

The scale of the censorship regime is massive.

This is a critical key point because the government prefers to lie and say this case is about ‘disinformation’ but in this case, it was about the government limiting the spread and existence of truthful or unsanctioned information.

The Biden administration has fought every step of the way to censor speech in America as this case has moved through the court system for two years now.

On Tuesday The Gateway Pundit’s Jim Hoft, who is the lead plaintiff on the case, joined Ivory Hecker on Gateway: Beyond the Headlines to discuss the case and the upcoming court date at the US Supreme Court.

Jim Hoft: Ivory, this is great news, not just for The Gateway Pundits and reporters and just ordinary Americans who’ve been shut down and censored, blacklisted by, of all things – the government… We knew that social media giants were not fond of The Gateway Pundit and other conservative publications. We found that out right after Trump won the election, when we immediately saw that Facebook was altering our results and using algorithms to limit our access on Facebook… It was a concerted effort by the left and a lot of people now we know inside the government, were just all too willing to be involved in this. In fact, what we found through this case is that many of these players were calling the shots. They were meeting with social media giants like Twitter, Facebook, regularly, on a monthly basis, and they would know stories that needed to be examined and censored. And certainly we were the brunt of that…

…So they created this whole, what we call the censorship industrial complex, the censorship platform, where several of the departments in the United States government have their own censorship group… It’s unbelievable. We found that out through this investigation and through the discovery. Gateway pundit, of course, myself actually, Jim Hoft from Gateway Pundit is the lead plaintiff. But there are several doctors who are involved in this… And then one media outlet from Louisiana is involved. And it was Eric Schmitt, who currently is a US senator. He was Attorney General at the time when this started back in 2022. And Jeff Landry from Louisiana, he was the Attorney General from Louisiana and is now governor.

The Gateway Pundit’s Jim Hoft together with the Attorney Generals of Missouri and Louisiana, and several Covid experts, including Dr. Jay Bhattacharya from Stanford and Dr. Martin Kulldorff from Harvard, authors of The Great Barrington Declaration, Dr. Martin Kulldorff and reporter Jill Hines are suing the federal government for violation of their First Amendment rights.

The post Jim Hoft Discusses Historic Upcoming SCOTUS Case on Free Speech featuring Gateway Pundit with Ivory Hecker appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Stand-up comedian, actor, and podcaster Bobby Lee, known for his appearances on shows like “MADtv” and films like “A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas,” is not exactly what one would call a “family values conservative.”

But during an appearance on “The Joe Rogan Experience” with podcaster Joe Rogan, Lee admitted that he’s now in what he considers the “middle” politically.

During the show, Rogan praised  “regular people” from Boston and admitted that he used to be a part of the “blue bubble” and was “one hundred percent a left-leaning person who lived in Los Angeles” and who never voted Republican, especially with any social issues although he said he was a little more conservative when it came to financial issues.

Joe Rogan says California has gone full communist & Bobby Lee said he’s in the middle now pic.twitter.com/K166zKKvfW

— An0maly (@LegendaryEnergy) January 29, 2024

“But California went nuts, man. It’s gone like full communist. It’s out of its f***g mind,” Rogan said, going on to specifically criticize its “insane” approach to law enforcement, including no-cash bail and lax theft prosecution policies that have damaged once-great cities like San Francisco.

“San Francisco is non-existent,” he said.

“They ruined it,” Lee agreed with Rogan.

Rogan said that Californians could bring the state back, but only if they had some “hardcore Rudy Giuliani type motherf***er to come in there and knock heads.” He said that “nobody wants that. They’re peace, love and granola and f***ing wear a mask.”

“I’m in the middle now,” Lee whispered as if making a horrifying admission. “I never thought I would I would ever say that.”

Lee said that his change in attitude had only occurred in the last year — and said it was liberals who brought it about.

“I just went — I can’t do it anymore,” he said.

“People that you thought were aligned with you are now like mad at you about s***,” he said.

“They’re in a cult,” Rogan cut in, likening the current political climate to a closed religious group, including the excommunication, shaming, and “group think.”

“It’s a cult,” he said, and Lee agreed.

Rogan said that the left will attack you like people in a cult will attack you — not for reasonable beliefs — but “like someone attacks religious beliefs.”

As an example, he cited men claiming to be “transgender” to use women’s public bathrooms, pointing out that creeps and pedophiles are “real.”

“It doesn’t mean trans people aren’t real also,” he said. “But those guys are f***ing real.”

“And to even say that those guys are real, you get excommunicated, you get treated like you’re a Nazi,” Rogan said.

“I never even cared about it,” Lee said, raising his voice in frustration.

“Yeah, I mean… whatever you want, I don’t give a s***… you know what I mean?” he said.

“But it’s like … I can’t do it anymore,” Lee said.

A video excerpt of the conversation is below:

WARNING: The video below contains graphic language that some viewers will find offensive.

Rogan and Lee’s comments were dead on. Conservatives may disapprove of some levels of humor, but they will support the comedian’s right to speak.

The left, on the other hand, is fine with filth or the mocking of organized religion, but don’t you dare question their dogmas or sacred cows. Joke about race, gender, or any form of non-heterosexuality, and you can kiss your career goodbye.

In an interview with comedian Rob Schneider on the U.K. talk show “The Dinosaur Hour,” according to GB News, veteran British comedian John Cleese, well known for his work on “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” and “Fawlty Towers,” referred to the new “woke” ideology as “totalitarianism.” [3.00 on website]

“It is,” Schneider responded. “It’s a closed system of thought or fundamentalism, which means ‘This is the way the world is, and that’s the way it is, and that’s the way I want to keep it.’”

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

The post Comedian Tells Joe Rogan He’s No Longer on the Left, Reveals What Made Him Say, ‘I Can’t Do It Anymore’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Photo: Elmwood Fire Department/Facebook

A catastrophic gas pipeline explosion rocked the Oklahoma panhandle late last night, sending towering flames over 500 feet into the night sky.

The incident occurred before 9:45 p.m. in southern Beaver County, Oklahoma, near the border between Oklahoma and Texas, abc7 News reported.

Authorities have identified the pipeline operator as DCP Midstream, a Fortune 500 company and a major player in the midstream petroleum industry.

“Booker Fire Department is responding with other agencies to a pipeline explosion north of Darrouzett,” the post read.

Officials from the Booker Fire Department, one of the multiple agencies responding to the emergency, reported that the flames were shooting up approximately 500 feet.

WATCH:

#BREAKING: Significant gas pipeline has exploded releasing massive flames hundreds of feet into the sky ⁰⁰#Elmwood | #Oklahoma

Currently, numerous emergency crews and authorities are on-site in Elmwood Oklahoma, responding to a significant uncontrolled gas pipeline… pic.twitter.com/YB7P8Brjv8

— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) January 31, 2024

“Our crews are responding to a pipeline blow out south of Midway church off 412. The glow can be seen for miles!” Elmwood Fire Department wrote.

According to ABC7, the fire was large enough that it could be seen through satellite.

Photo: Elmwood Fire/Facebook

Efforts to extinguish the blaze have been hampered by the need to wait until the gas supply feeding the fire can be safely shut off.

The strategy currently involves allowing the fire to burn off the gas in the pipeline to prevent further explosions when the pipeline is eventually sealed.

The cause of the explosion is not immediately clear, and an investigation is set to follow.

The post Massive Gas Pipeline Explosion in Oklahoma Panhandle — Pipeline Erupts Into 500-Foot Flames (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Trump Wildwood, New Jersey rally line in January 2020.

By Paul Ingrassia

On Saturday, the America First Republicans of New Jersey hosted a ballot access and volunteer event in Bergen County, which attracted well over 250 attendees from the grassroots and several notable Trump World speakers.  The event was spearheaded by Mike Crispi, a talk show host and former congressional candidate for NJ-04.  Crispi leads a team that includes lawyer, Giancarlo Ghione; Montclair GOP Chairman, Michael Byrne; businessman, Anthony Somma; and campaign operative, Michael Casey.

The goal of the event was twofold: mobilize the grassroots of Bergen County on behalf of President Trump’s 2024 campaign, and help New Jersey Congressman Jeff Van Drew, who the 45th President recently tapped to be his NJ campaign chairman, to ensure President Trump has enough petitions to qualify for ballot access.  Though he could not be there in person, Van Drew attended the event virtually via Zoom and spoke for about ten minutes, where he conveyed his gratitude to Crispi’s group and highlighted the importance of grassroots efforts.

“We had more Republicans at our inaugural rally than Nikki Haley has ever had at any event,” said Crispi, co-chairman of the America First Republicans of New Jersey.  “The Republican Party is an America First party and we’re never going back to the globalist mentality of the uniparty.”

Unlike neighboring New York, New Jersey’s election rules require that all candidates, even someone with President Trump’s national profile, still meet several complex, state-specific filing requirements to qualify for the ballot. It might seem strange to the average person that someone with President Trump’s name and pedigree would need to jump through hoops to qualify for the state ballot.  But they should look no further than New Hampshire, where similar rules are in place that kept Joe Biden off the ballot in that state’s Democratic primary, forcing him to be a write-in candidate as a result.

Crispi laid out an ambitious goal for his organization.

“There is an active lawsuit against President Trump in New Jersey attempting to bar him from this process. We fully intend to set the all-time petition signature record for a Presidential election to send a message to the entire state that President Trump will not only stay on the ballot, but he cannot be denied and he will win this state in November.”

Crispi also said that his group is planning similar events already for Sussex County, Morris County, Mercer County, Somerset County, Ocean County, Essex County, and Gloucester County, with more to be added in March.

Event organizer Michael Casey elaborated Crispi’s grassroots vision, stating that the volunteers they gather with prove useful not just for collecting signatures, but ultimately to help form a coalition that will help flip New Jersey red: “These rallies will not only give President Trump a momentous number of signatures to file with, but they will also help us assemble a grassroots army that will work with us to flip New Jersey red and re-elect president Trump for 4 more years this November!”

In the past, President Trump has entertained the idea of holding rallies in states considered deep-blue strongholds, such as New Jersey and New York.  While no Republican has won either state outright in a presidential campaign in decades, President Trump made serious inroads in both states in 2016 and 2020 – where he resided for decades and, in New Jersey’s case, still remains a seasonal resident during the summer months.

Additionally, recent gubernatorial races in both New Jersey and New York have been remarkably close.  In 2021, the Republican Jack Ciattarelli came within 3 points of defeating current Governor Phil Murphy.  In 2022, Lee Zeldin had a similarly strong performance – placing only 6.4 points behind Governor Kathy Hochul.

Donald Trump figures to be a far more popular candidate than either Ciattarelli or Zeldin among the grassroots of both states, who are lockstep with MAGA.  And so, the idea that he might pick off one or both in November’s general election is certainly not out of the question.

“New Jersey is President Trump’s second home and New Jersey is going to vote for President Trump in 2024,” Crispi said.  “The Biden Presidency is an economic and cultural disaster that threatens the stability of our country and the Western world.  President Trump is the only one who can right the ship as fast as we need.”

Paul Ingrassia, a writer from neighboring New York, who was featured as one of the keynote speakers of the event, said that “Despite what you hear in the news, regular New Yorkers are passionately pro-Trump.  Long Island and the suburbs are the epicenter of the MAGA movement.  The Democrats are bad, but it’s the corrupt Republican establishment in both New York and New Jersey that operate like a roadblock, preventing more MAGA candidates from running statewide and registering more voters that could make these two states more competitive than they already are.”

Other keynote speakers included President Trump’s longtime doctor and friend, Stephen Soloway; Fox News contributor, Jason Meister; radio host Kevin McCullough; and Assemblyman Robert Auth.

Giancarlo Ghione, an event organizer, summed up the day this way: “Despite Nikki Haley supporters’ attempts at shutting this event down, it was a massive success.  Everyone enjoyed themselves and President Trump is now closer to appearing on the ballot thanks to the efforts of these patriots.”

After Bergen County, the America First Republicans of New Jersey plan to barnstorm across the rest of the state to capitalize on their momentum and make the case for President Trump irrefutable to any state party holdouts.  They hope to set a nationwide model for other blue or swing states, now considered longshots for President Trump, across the country.

“We hope President Trump recognizes this groundswell of support and feels the momentum of New Jersey being in play,” Crispi said.  “We extend an invitation to his campaign to host a rally here to put New Jersey over the edge and flip red for the 2024 general election.”

 

Paul Ingrassia is a Constitutional Scholar; a two-time Claremont Fellow, and is on the Board of Advisors of the New York Young Republican Club and the Italian American Civil Rights League. He writes a widely read Substack that is regularly posted on Truth Social by President Trump. Follow him on X @PaulIngrassia, Substack, Truth Social, Instagram, and Rumble.

 

 

The post This Pro-Trump New Jersey Group Is Making A Strong Push To Turn The Garden State Red – And People Are Listening appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

In a recent turn of events that has sparked widespread debate about religious freedom and hate crime legislation, a Christian veteran named Michael Cassidy has been charged with a hate crime after he beheaded a satanic altar in the Iowa state capitol. The incident occurred over the holiday season and has since ignited a firestorm of controversy.

The altar, which featured a goat-headed figure on a mannequin adorned with a red cape and holding a crimson pentagram wreath, was installed by the Satanic Temple with approval from the Iowa Legislature. Its placement near a Nativity scene led to significant outcry, with many arguing that it was an intentional provocation against Christian beliefs.

Suspect charged with hate crime for destroying Satanic Temple display at Iowa Capitolhttps://t.co/iao9nA3VO5 pic.twitter.com/FnmI30S3ym

— 1st Cav (@Cav1Cav) January 31, 2024

On December 14th, driven by what he described as outrage at this “blasphemous statue,” Cassidy took matters into his own hands by tearing down and decapitating the display. He subsequently disposed of the head in a trashcan. The following day, Cassidy was initially charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief, a misdemeanor.

Cassidy, who turned himself in to the authorities, expressed that his actions were meant to “awaken Christians to the anti-Christian acts promoted by our government.” He articulated a sentiment felt by many that the government’s sanctioning of such a display within a Capitol building was not in line with the founders’ vision of the First Amendment.

|| Hating Satan is a Crime in Iowa ||

Michael Cassidy has been charged with a hate crime for destroying the satanic holiday display in the states Capitol. pic.twitter.com/OXYGYvnnBt

— Mind Crime (@Thoughtcrime03) January 31, 2024

Supporters of Cassidy rallied to his defense, raising over $84,000 for his legal fees through a crowdfunding campaign. Nearly 2,000 individuals contributed, reflecting a significant portion of the public that views Cassidy’s actions as a stand against what they perceive as an encroachment on Christian values.

The legal proceedings are set to continue with Cassidy’s arraignment scheduled for February 15th. This case has become a focal point in the ongoing national conversation about the boundaries of religious expression and the application of hate crime laws.

As the story unfolds, it raises critical questions about the balance between free speech and the protection of religious liberties. It also challenges the interpretation of hate crime statutes and their implications for acts of protest that intersect with matters of faith.

The outcome of this case could have far-reaching consequences for how similar actions are perceived and prosecuted in the future.

The post Christian Veteran Faces Hate Crime Charges for Destroying Satanic Display appeared first on The Conservative Brief.