Democrat Jimmy Gomez advances to the general election for U.S. House in California's 34th Congressional District The San Diego Union-Tribune
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Democrat Jimmy Gomez advances to the general election for U.S. House in California's 34th Congressional District - The San Diego Union-Tribune
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The Justice Department is expected to recommend dropping a fraud lawsuit which implicates Dish Network as early as this Friday, according to sources with the FCC. This proposed dismissal comes just before Dishs CEO and Democratic donor Charlie Ergen and executives at BlackRock were scheduled to be deposed.
The case goes back to a 2015 FCC Spectrum Auction for valuable bandwidth that could be used for wireless internet. To promote competition, the FCC issued a 25 percent discount called bidding credits to very small businesses which averaged below $15 million in revenue over the previous three years. Between 2011 and 2014, Dishs revenue ranged from $13.5 to 15 billion. Nonetheless, Dish, with backing from BlackRock, financed two ostensibly small companies Northstar Wireless and SNR Wireless, which went on to win the auctions, with discounts worth over $3 billion.
SNR and Northstar acknowledged the financing, but certified they had total independence. An FCC inquiry later found persuasive...evidence that the two companies served as arms of Dish, which had de facto control. The FCC, under Ajit Pai, doubted these companies are, or could ever become, truly independent enterprises and revoked the credits in 2020.
A senior FCC official familiar with the process tells me, multi-billion dollar corporations setting up shell corporations to get subsidies designed for very small businesses demands serious scrutiny in court.This scrutiny comes in the form of a qui tam suit filed by Vermont National Telephone Company, which lost the auction to Dish and its financed very small businesses. Qui tam actions are filed by private parties on behalf of the U.S. Government, which will recover the bulk of defrauded money under the False Claims Act. Both the Justice Department and FCC supported the lawsuit, noting there was a substantial interest in any discovery produced in this case that relates to Defendants alleged failure to disclose material facts to the Commission.
After years of procedural and technical wrangling, a federal district court judge dismissed the case in 2021 arguing fraud had not been properly alleged and the government was not harmed. However, last November, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit unanimously reversed and reinstated the case.The three-judge panel unanimously held that the applications contained false certifications that Northstar and SNR had disclosed all agreements, arrangements, and understandings related to the licenses made a viable case for fraud.
The case was set to begin trial in February with both Charlie Ergen as well as representatives for BlackRock set to testify under oath. This was delayed; just as the trial was set to begin, the Justice Department informed the parties and the FCC that it would seek to dismiss the case and let Dish and its shell companies off with no penalties.
Ive never heard of a party in any casegovernment or privateto back down just after a favorable ruling. Its usually the losing party that begs for an easy settlement, the FCC official added.Ergen and his wife are major Democratic donors, which has been widely speculated to be a cause for the favorable treatment of Dish by past Democratic administrations. Additionally, while emphasizing he has no first-hand knowledge, the FCC official speculated that Dishsfights with SpaceX over spectrum may have influenced the decision. SpaceXs Starlink and Dish have been in a protracted fight over an unrelated spectrum dispute. Musk tweeted Charlie Ergen is trying to steal the 12GHz band meant for space Internet. Not cool.
The FCC is an independent agency, and ultimately ruled against Dish on that issue.The Biden Administration has almost universally sided against Elon Musks businesses over the last year. While it could not fully control FCCs ruling on Starlink, if the DOJ protects Dish from the fraud lawsuitthis could sidestep the FCC to harm Starlink, the official speculated.
While the reason remains undeclared, the Justice Department is inviting speculation by reversing its position and dropping a case implicating a prominent Democratic donor on the eve of trial.
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Why Is Biden's Justice Department Going Soft on Democrat Donors? - The American Conservative
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State Rep. Julie Johnson of Farmers Branch appears to have narrowly avoided a runoff in the Democratic primary to replace U.S. Rep. Colin Allred in the 32nd Congressional District.
While she handily beat second-place finisher Brian Williams, a trauma surgeon, she had hovered near the threshold of being forced into a runoff against him as results came in late Tuesday and early Wednesday. Johnson claimed victory Wednesday.
This win belongs to all of us, and together, were going to make history, Johnson said on X. Today, we celebrate.
The North Texas district is considered safe for Democrats, so Johnson could be the first openly LGBTQ+ member of Congress from a Southern state if she prevails in November.
If no candidate gets a majority of votes in a primary race, the top two vote-getters will head to a May 28 primary runoff election. Whoever wins the runoff will be their partys nominee for that race in the Nov. 5 general election. There is also a May 4 local election, and subsequent June 15 runoff, during which some local governments, such as cities, school districts and water districts, hold a general election for their elected offices or special elections to fill vacancies.
In Texas, voters can only vote in one partys primary and runoff or in a third partys convention. During the November general election, voters can cast their ballot for any candidate, regardless of party affiliation. The candidate with the most votes wins, and there are no runoffs in state elections.
Election Day for the local election is May 4. You must register or update your voter registration by April 4 to participate. Applications to vote by mail must be received by the early voting clerk in your county not postmarked by April 23. Early voting is scheduled for April 22-30. (For any local runoffs on June 15, the last day to register or update your voter registration is May 16. Applications to vote by mail must be received by the early voting clerk in your county not postmarked by June 4. Early voting is scheduled for June 3-11.)
Election Day for the primary runoffs is May 28. You must register or update your voter registration by April 29 to participate. Applications to vote by mail must be received by the early voting clerk in your county not postmarked by May 17. Early voting is scheduled for May 20-24.
Election Day for the general election is Nov. 5. You must register or update your voter registration by Oct. 7 to participate. Applications to vote by mail must be received by the early voting clerk in your county not postmarked by Oct. 25. Early voting is scheduled for Oct. 21 to Nov. 1.
Yes, we noticed, too. Texas is one of just eight states that require primary candidates to win more than 50% of the vote before advancing to the general election. This adds runoff elections to the states election calendar. The long ballots Texas voters face, which include partisan elections for judges, stem from the states historic mistrust of government and desire to let Texans have a say at every level of government.
Allred, who first ran for Congress in 2018, is leaving his House seat to challenge Sen. Ted Cruz. Allred won the Democratic primary outright in that race Tuesday night.
Williams congratulated Johnson on X on Wednesday.
I got into this race because Ive had to pronounce too many victims dead on arrival due to gun violence and while this campaign is over, I look forward to continuing that work alongside the tireless friends and activists who were part of this team, he wrote.
Williams and Johnson led the field of 10 Democrats in the primary with their fundraising efforts, each amassing about $1 million in political donations since their campaigns were registered at the beginning of last summer.
Williams and Johnson are ideologically aligned. They both rank health care a top priority and have touted their ability to work across the aisle.
Johnson, a trial lawyer in her third term in the state House, ousted hardline conservative incumbent Matt Rinaldi by 13 points in 2018. Rinaldi now chairs the state GOP.
As a Democrat in the Republican-dominated state Legislature, Johnson has played a lot of defense trying to kill bills she and other progressives deem harmful. Johnson, who is gay, said she and other members of the Houses LGBTQ+ caucus have had success in killing anti-LGBTQ bills by mastering the rules of procedure and being better at the rules than the other side.
She drew notable endorsements from Beto ORourke, Democratic U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Austin, EMILYs List, Equality PAC and several labor unions.
While he may be new to the Texas political arena, Williams is no stranger to the halls of Congress.
Williams was a health policy adviser to Democratic U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut who endorsed him to help pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act in 2022, the furthest reaching gun safety legislation in decades. The legislation, crafted in the aftermath of shootings in Uvalde and Buffalo New York, allocated millions of dollars to expand mental health resources, strengthens background checks and tightens the boyfriend loophole. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn was a lead negotiator on the bill with Murphy, and Williams worked closely with Cornyns office.
Williams said his experience as a trauma surgeon operating on victims of gun violence and women experiencing reproductive health emergencies has fueled his priorities to fight for gun restrictions and increase access to abortions and other womens health care. Williams, who is Black, said his desire to limit racial disparities in health care will resonate with the districts diverse constituency. The district has a 37% Hispanic or Latino population, 22% Black population and 8% Asian population.
Allred did not endorse in the Democratic primary race to succeed him.
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Democratic State Rep. Julie Johnson wins congressional primary race for North Texas seat - The Texas Tribune
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The campaign of a little-known presidential candidate named Jason Palmer organized multiple events in American Samoa in recent weeks, including a town hall and beach cleanup day.
And while Palmer only appeared virtually, the outreach appeared to pay off Tuesday: He won the territorys Democratic caucuses, handing a loss to President Biden as he otherwise romped in the Super Tuesday contests.
From what Im gathering from the community there, they just wanted to be heard, Palmers campaign manager, Mario Arias, told The Washington Post on Tuesday night.
Palmer got 51 votes to 40 for Biden, according to the Associated Press. Initially, the AP said Palmer had won four delegates to Bidens two but later changed the delegate totals to three apiece.
The island territory in the South Pacific Ocean is home to about 45,000 people and Biden also lost there in the 2020 primary. Mike Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York, defeated Biden in the only win of Bloombergs campaign.
Palmer is a Baltimore resident who describes himself on his campaign website as an entrepreneur, impact investor, and philanthropist. He lists Microsoft and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as places where he has worked.
In his campaign, Palmer has played up his age 52 claiming to be the youngest Democrat challenging Biden.
Young people dont feel like theyre being heard on the issues they care the most about, Palmer said in a November BBC interview, naming climate change as an example.
Campaign finance reports show Palmer has loaned himself over $500,000 and spent the money on several traditional campaign expenses, such as ad buys and ballot filing fees.
Palmer said Monday on X that Washington D.C. is long overdue for a president who will be an advocate for American Samoa, sharing photos of what he called a meet and greet in Malaeimi, a village in the territory.
His campaign manager said the campaign had a staffer on the ground who helped organize the events, which Palmer then addressed virtually. For example, the staffer rented out a restaurant where a few dozen people showed up for the town hall, Arias said.
Palmer told The Post early Wednesday that he sought to speak to the very specific needs of the people of American Samoa, like their desire for a second hospital in the territory.
Palmer said the next state he is focusing on is Arizona, which has a March 19 presidential primary. He plans to release a 12-page paper on immigration reform ahead of the contest.
Palmers victory in American Samoa caught the attention of another Biden primary challenger, Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.).
Congratulations to Joe Biden, Uncommitted, Marianne Williamson, and Nikki Haley for demonstrating more appeal to Democratic Party loyalists than me, Phillips said Tuesday night, adding, And, Jason Palmer.
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Who is Jason Palmer, the Democrat who beat Biden in American Samoa's caucuses? - The Washington Post
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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) The Democratic attorney general and the Republican lieutenant governor won North Carolina's primaries for governor on Tuesday, setting the stage for what will be an expensive and high-stakes November contest in a state that the two parties see as a pivotal battleground.
What You Need To Know
Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein and Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson won North Carolina's primaries for governor
Their victories on Tuesday set the stage for what will be an expensive and high-stakes November contest in a state that the two parties see as a pivotal battleground
Stein is a longtime member of North Carolina's political scene who received the endorsement of term-limited Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and would be the state's first Jewish governor if elected
Robinson is a former factory worker who splashed into conservative circles after a 2018 viral speech to his hometown city council. He received former President Donald Trump's endorsement, and would be the state's first Black governor if elected
Josh Stein and Mark Robinson, each of whom turned back multiple party rivals, will present stark contrasts for voters in the ninth-largest state's fall elections. In separate election-night victory speeches, each candidate laid out policy and individual differences and said the other would harm the state's economy if he reached the governor's mansion.
Democratic North Carolina gubernatorial candidate Josh Stein, right, is introduced by North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper at a primary election night party in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, March 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)
Stein is a longtime member of North Carolina's political scene, a lawyer with the endorsement of term-limited Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and a long history of consumer advocacy before and during his time as AG.
"We must be clear-eyed about the stakes of this election," Stein told supporters in Raleigh. "We're at a crossroads and the choice before us: two competing visions for North Carolina."
Robinson, meanwhile, is a former factory worker who splashed into conservative circles after a 2018 viral speech to his hometown city council catapulted him to lieutenant governor in 2020 and the endorsement of former President Donald Trump.
"The differences could not be more clear," Robinson said at a Greensboro victory party. "I'm sure the people of North Carolina will make the right choice."
See the full results of North Carolina's Super Tuesday primary elections here
Both Robinson and Stein are prolific fundraisers, amassing a combined $30 million through their campaign committees since early 2021. Democratic and Republican groups already talking about the seat in November are likely to spend millions more.
Stein, who would be the state's first Jewish governor if elected, and Robinson North Carolina's first Black lieutenant governor and the state's first Black governor if successful in November won their primaries convincingly. Stein's top primary rival Tuesday was former state Supreme Court Associate Justice Mike Morgan, while Robinson's opponents were State Treasurer Dale Folwell and trial attorney Bill Graham.
The North Carolina governorship has been a rare success story for Democrats in a Southern state. While the GOP holds narrow veto-proof majorities in the legislature and controls the state Supreme Court, Democrats have lost only one gubernatorial race since 1992.
The party has scored presidential victories in North Carolina only twice over the past half-century, however, with Trump winning narrowly in both 2016 and 2020. Democratic President Joe Biden is weighing whether to invest heavily for its 16 electoral votes. Stein could be weighed down by Biden's low poll numbers.
On the other hand, Democrats could use a Trump-Robinson combination atop the GOP ticket to tap into ongoing controversies, especially Robinson's harsh comments about LGBTQ+ issues, women in Christian leadership and other topics that had his primary rivals questioning his electability. Trump also raised eyebrows when formally endorsing Robinson last weekend at a rally, calling him "Martin Luther King on steroids," comparing his speaking skills to those of the late civil rights leader.
Stein, a Harvard-educated attorney who managed John Edwards' successful U.S. Senate campaign in 1998, wants to push Democratic policy preferences that largely follow what was sought by Cooper, who preceded Stein as attorney general. They include more public education spending, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and blocking attempts by Republican legislators to push their rightward agenda.
For Robinson, who said he lost jobs to the North American Free Trade Agreement and entered personal bankruptcy, it was a four-minute speech defending guns rights and lamenting the "demonizing" of police officers before the Greensboro City Council that sparked his political career.
Robinson said if Stein was elected governor, the state would return to times during the Great Recession when Democrats were in charge, the state's economy was foundering and government workers furloughed. Robinson argued Tuesday that Stein couldn't relate to working people harmed by government policies.
"I have an opponent who doesn't understand what it's like to be at work, have the boss man come and take you to a room and sit you down and tell you, 'We're moving this plant to Mexico, and there's nothing you can do about it,'" Robinson said.
After being elected lieutenant governor, Robinson spearheaded a task force report alleging that some teachers had assigned young pupils inappropriate reading materials on racism and sexuality. In 2021, he criticized efforts to teach LGBTQ+ issues in sex education, associating gay and transgender people with "filth." His remarks led to calls for his resignation, but he defended his words, saying he was referring to sexually explicit books, not people.
Stein's time as attorney general has been marked by efforts to protect citizens from polluters, illegal drugs and high electric bills, and to process untested sexual assault kits. In court, he has opposed Republican efforts to draw redistricting lines favoring the GOP and to further restrict abortion.
The General Assembly last year overrode Cooper's veto of a bill that reduced the state's ban on most abortions from after 20 weeks of pregnancy to 12 weeks. Robinson supports an abortion ban after roughly six weeks of pregnancy, with some exceptions, his campaign has said. Many women don't even know they are pregnant at six weeks.
Stein said Robinson's vision of the state is "bleak and divisive, consumed by spite and hate." On abortion, Robinson "would insert himself into the doctor's office with women and dictate to them what they must do with their bodies," the Democratic nominee said.
"You better believe that Robinson's extreme views would scare away business and good paying jobs," he added.
Robinson has said making education leaders accountable, teaching students the basics and helping boost business in rural areas are among his policy goals if elected.
In other statewide primary races on Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Jeff Jackson won a three-way race for the Democratic nomination for attorney general. In November, he will take on Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop, the unopposed GOP nominee. Both Bishop and Jackson wanted to succeed Stein instead of seeking reelection to Congress.
In the effort to succeed Robinson as lieutenant governor, Democratic state Sen. Rachel Hunt won the Democratic nomination. Her father, Jim Hunt, was lieutenant governor in the 1970s and later served a record four terms as governor.
Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt was in a tight race with Michele Morrow. GOP Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler and Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey won their primaries.
Supreme Court Associate Justice Allison Riggs won her Democratic primary, but Court of Appeals Judge Hunter Murphy lost to District Court Judge Chris Freeman in the Republican primary. Both Freeman and Riggs have general election opponents.
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Heated North Carolina governor's race ahead with Democrat Josh Stein vs. Republican Mark Robinson - Spectrum News
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