Author: Michael Patrick Leahy

WTN’s Matt Murphy Calls Out State Rep. Todd Warner for Claim He Did Not Record or Know Who Recorded Phone Conversation with AFP’s Tori Venable Broadcast in NewsChannel5 Report by Phil Williams

Michael Patrick Leahy
Mark Warner and Tori Venable

Tuesday afternoon on the Matt Murphy Show, broadcast weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on SuperTalk 99.7 WTN, host Murphy interviewed Tori Venable, executive director of Americans for Prosperity-Tennessee, about AFP’s support for Governor Bill Lee’s universal school choice bill currently under consideration in The Tennessee General Assembly. During the interview, Venable criticized the reporting of Phil Williams in Monday evening’s broadcast on NewsChannel 5, which featured an interview with State Representative Todd Warner (R-Chapel Hill), as well as a recording of a phone call between Williams and Venable that was obtained without Venable’s consent.

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Report: 89 Incarcerated Prisoners in Tennessee Dept of Corrections’ Care Receiving Gender Hormone Therapy

Michael Patrick Leahy

Sources tell The Tennessee Star that 89 prisoners currently incarcerated in the Tennessee Dept of Corrections are receiving gender hormone therapy.

The program apparently began as an unpublicized policy under the Haslam administration. The policy was not available on any public website nor did it follow the normal course of action to become a regulation, which would have required public hearings.

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Bill Ackman on Washington Post Hit Piece: ‘The Public Has Been Again Misled’

Michael Patrick Leahy

Bill Ackman, the highly successful hedge fund manager and Harvard graduate whose criticism of Claudine Gay’s history of plagiarism led to her resignation as President of Harvard University, published a lengthy tweet on his X account Sunday evening responding to an article about him published by The Washington Post earlier in the day. Here is that post in its entirety:

I am sure all of us have had the experience of reading a story about a subject you know well and finding it replete with inaccuracies and falsehoods. One then turns the page and reads an article about a subject one knows less well and makes the mistake of believing that this other story is accurate. I am guilty of this sin. I am sadly repeatedly reminded to mistrust what I read in the media, and I am not alone. Destruction of confidence in our media is contributing to societal breakdown, and that is a very unfortunate state of affairs.

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Tennessee Republican Party State Executive Committee Tightens Qualifications for Candidate Eligibility in GOP Primaries

Michael Patrick Leahy

The Tennessee Republican Party State Executive Committee voted in a specially called meeting on Saturday to tighten the standards for candidate eligibility in GOP primaries in the state, effective immediately.

Article IX, Section 1, Paragraph B of the Tennessee Republican Party (TRP) bylaws had been previously amended in a September 7, 2023 meeting of the SEC  to state that “Beginning in 2026, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Article IX, Section 1A, an individual who has voted in any of the most recent four (4) statewide primary elections held by a party other than the applicable Republican Party will be ineligible to seek the Republican nomination for any public office in Tennessee.” (emphasis added)

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FACT CHECK of Tennessee House Speaker Sexton Claim that Alleged Killer of Belmont Freshman Would Have Been in Custody Had State Senate Acted: FALSE

Michael Patrick Leahy

In an in-depth interview on Friday, WTN SuperTalk 99.7 afternoon host Matt Murphy spoke with Tennessee Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton about the shooting and death of Belmont University student Jillian Ludwig. The Tennessee Star conducted a FACT CHECK of Speaker Sexton’s claim in that interview that Shaquille Taylor, the alleged killer of 18-year-old Belmont University Jillian Ludwig, who was shot in the head on Tuesday and died on Thursday, would have been in custody if the Tennessee State Senate had passed legislation in the August Special Session that the House had passed. The Star determined that Sexton’s claim is FALSE. The transcript of that interview and the corresponding FACT CHECKS conducted by The Star can be seen below. ——————- Matt Murphy: So, obviously, we’ve been covering this very difficult story involving the passing of a Belmont University student by the name of Lillian, or Jillian, pardon me, Jillian Ludwig, who died Thursday, yesterday morning after being shot in the head while walking near campus Tuesday. EDITOR’S NOTE: Prior to allegedly shooting Belmont University freshman Jillian Taylor in the head on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, Shaquille Taylor was deemed incompetent to stand trial for aggravated assault with a deadly…

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Far-Left Tennessee Democrat State Rep. Justin Jones Reveals Pro-Hamas Sentiment, Calls for Ceasefire in Israel-Gaza War

Michael Patrick Leahy

Progressive Democrat activist-turned-State Representative Justin Jones (D-Nashville) called for a ceasefire between Israeli forces and Hamas terrorists in an early Saturday post on X – formerly Twitter.

On October 7, thousands of Hamas terrorists left their base in Gaza and launched a barbaric surprise attack inside Israel, where they killed more than 1,400 Israeli citizens, the vast majority of whom were civilians.

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Democratic Socialists of America Rally in Nashville to Support Terrorist Group Hamas and Oppose Israel

Michael Patrick Leahy

Several hundred members of the Middle Tennessee Chapter of the Democrat Socialists of America and other leftist groups rallied in Nashville on Saturday to support the terrorist group Hamas and oppose Israel’s actions to defend itself. The rally took place one week after more than 1,200 Israelis were massacred by Hamas terrorists, who launched a sneak attack into Israel from the Gaza strip on October 7.

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U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty Blasts Continuing Resolution for Failure to Include ‘Serious Border-Security Measures’

Michael Patrick Leahy

Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) blasted the passage of the 45 day Continuing Resolution that included no spending cuts and failed to properly increase funding for U.S. border security.

The bill passed the House on Saturday in a 335 to 91 vote, then passed the Senate in an 88 to 9 vote, and was signed into law by President Biden just hours before the midnight deadline on Saturday, when funding for the 2022-2023 federal fiscal year. The bill continues funding the government at 2022-2023 levels until November 15.

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Tennessee U.S. Reps. Burchett, DesJarlais, Green, Harshbarger, Ogles, and Rose Vote No on McCarthy’s Fiscally Reckless Continuing Resolution, Hagerty and Blackburn Vote No in Senate

Michael Patrick Leahy

Six of Tennessee’s nine member delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives voted “no” on Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s last-minute 45 day Continuing Resolution Saturday afternoon. Late Saturday, the U.S. Senate passed the bill in an 88 to 9 vote, just a few hours before the midnight deadline when the current fiscal year ends.

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EXCLUSIVE: Matt Gaetz Says Vivek Ramaswamy’s Plan to Slash Federal Employment by 50 Percent Will Survive Legal Challenges

Michael Patrick Leahy

Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL-01) told The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network at an event in Nashville on Saturday that Republican Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s bold plan to reduce the number of non-military federal employees by 50 percent in one year–a net reduction of 1 million employees from the current level of 2 million – is legally sound and will survive the expected legal challenges.

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Arizona GOP Says There Will Be No Change in Administration of 2024 GOP Presidential Primary Election

Michael Patrick Leahy

Arizona Republican Party Chairman Jeff DeWit promised that the Arizona GOP Executive Committee will hold a vote on a resolution to withdraw the Arizona GOP from a government-run 2024 Presidential Preference Election.

The Presidential Preference Election (PPE) is an election in which voters can choose who they would like to be their presidential candidate in the upcoming General Election. Party winners of the Arizona PPE are officially determined at the party’s national convention.

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Freddie O’Connell and Alice Rolli Finish 1-2 in Nashville Mayoral Race, Qualify for September Runoff

Michael Patrick Leahy

Councilman Freddie O’Connell finished in first place in the Nashville mayoral general election on Thursday, and Republican Alice Rolli finished in second place, qualifying both candidates for the two spots in the September 14 runoff election. According to the Nashville Davidson County Charter, a runoff election betweeen the top two finishers in a general election for mayor qualify for a runoff election if no candidate exceeds 50 percent in the general electio, With all early votes counted and 99 percent of precincts reporting as of 9:35 pm, O’ Connell topped the 12 candidate field with 27.1 percent of the vote. The Tennessean called the race for him as one of two runoff qualifiers at 9:00 pm. Republican Alice Rolli finished in second place with 20.2  percent, locking up the second and final spot in the runoff. The Tennessean called the second place finish for Rolli at 9:30 pm. Matt Wilshire finished in third place with 16.9 percent The rest of the field had the following results: Jeff Yarboro 12.1 percent Heidi Campbell 8.2 percent Sharon Hurt 6.0 percent Vivian Wilhoite 4.7  percent Jim Gingrich 1.7  percent Natisha Brooks 1.4 percent – – – Michael Patrick Leahy is the CEO and…

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Tennessee Attorney General Skrmetti Says 6th Circuit Ruling ‘A Big Win,’ Meaning State Law Protecting Minors from Transgender Mutilation and Hormone Treatment ‘Can Be Fully Enforced’

Michael Patrick Leahy

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti released a statement Saturday morning, hours after the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling granting the state of Tennessee’s emergency motion for a stay of a June 28 preliminary injunction from a federal district judge that temporarily prohibited the full implementation of a law enacted in March 2023. The law, Prohibition on Medical Procedures Performed on Minors Related to Sexual Identity, was originally scheduled to go into effect on July 1. “The case is far from over, but this is a big win. The court of appeals lifted the injunction, meaning the law can be fully enforced, and recognized that Tennessee is likely to win the constitutional argument and the case,” Skrmetti said in a statement released by his office. The law now goes into full effect on July 8, one week after its originally scheduled July 1 effective date. “Tennessee enacted a law that prohibits healthcare providers from performing gender-affirming surgeries and administering hormones or puberty blockers to transgender minors. After determining that the law likely violated the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses, the district court facially enjoined the law’s enforcement as to hormones and puberty blockers and applied the injunction to…

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TN Faith & Freedom Coalition Calls on Gov. Lee to Cancel Special Session on Gun Control ‘In the Interest of Public Safety’ Due to Danger from Far Left Activists

Michael Patrick Leahy

The Tennessee Faith & Freedom Coalition (TNFFC) called on Gov. Bill Lee (R-TN) Monday to cancel his proposed August 21 special session of the Tennessee General Assembly.

“We are writing you because you have made it clear that you are planning to use your authority to officially call an ill-advised special session of the Tennessee General Assembly on August 21st to address gun issues in the aftermath of the Covenant School shooting tragedy, a heinous and despicable act committed by a mentally ill individual who claimed to be on the transgender spectrum,” the TNFFC said in a letter sent to the governor. A copy of the letter was also sent to all members of the Tennessee General Assembly.

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Nashville Metro Council to Vote on Interim Successor to Former State Rep. Justin Jones

Michael Patrick Leahy

The Nashville and Davidson County Metro Council is scheduled to meet Monday evening for the purpose of voting on an interim successor to former State Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville).

Jones was expelled from the Tennessee House of Representatives on Thursday in a 72 to 25 vote for breaking numerous rules of the House one week earlier on Thursday, March 30, the day over a thousand protestors rioted at the State Capitol and attempted to enter the chamber of the House of Representatives by force.

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MNPS and Left-Wing New York-Based Group Politicize Nashville Shootings, Hold Separate Anti-Gun Rallies of High School Students on Monday at State Capitol and Local Schools

Michael Patrick Leahy

Metro Nashville Public Schools and March For Our Lives (MFOL), the anti-gun, New York City-based political action advocacy organization, are politicizing the March 27 Covenant Presbyterian School shootings by encouraging Nashville and Middle Tennessee high school students to participate in two separate anti-gun rallies on Monday.

As The Tennessee Star reported on March 27, three children and three adults were killed by 28-year-old former student Audrey Elizabeth Hale, who identified as transgender, when she forced her way into the school.

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News Channel 5 Quietly Removes Unsubstantiated Claim by Phil Williams that Andy Ogles ‘Kept the Money’

Michael Patrick Leahy

News Channel 5 published an article at 1:23 pm on Wednesday written by long time investigative reporter Phil Williams which stated that Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) “kept the money” raised eight years ago in a GoFundMe campaign meant for a memorial garden in honor of his infant son Hugh Lincoln Ogles, who died in 2014. A total of $23,565 was raised.

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EXCLUSIVE: Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles Blasts Phil Williams for Personal Attacks Based on Death of Ogles’ Son

Michael Patrick Leahy

Late Wednesday Tennessee U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) blasted long time News Channel 5 reporter Phil Williams over claims Williams made about the death of Ogle’s son in 2014 in a story published earlier in the day by News Channel 5.

Hugh Lincoln Ogles, the son of future Congressman Ogles and his wife Monica Ogles, died on February 19, 2014, the day of his birth, and was buried at Mount Hope Cemetery in Franklin, Tennessee.

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Tennessee Star Editorial: Lt. Governor McNally Must Resign from Leadership Now

Michael Patrick Leahy

It is painfully obvious to anyone who has watched the confused public responses of 79-year-old Tennessee Lt. Governor Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) to the controversy surrounding his inexplicable social media postings that he has lost a step mentally.

McNally also faces health and physical challenges not unusual for a man of his age. In February he underwent a medical procedure to install a heart pacemaker.

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Woke ESG Management Fund BlackRock Owns 6 Percent of Norfolk Southern, Whose Train Derailed in Ohio

Michael Patrick Leahy

Black Rock owns more than 6 percent of Norfolk Southern Railway, the huge railway company whose train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio on February 3, causing what many are describing as an ecological and health disaster for residents of Ohio and nearby Pennsylvania.

Fintel.io reports that as of February 16, 2023, Black Rock owns 6.8 percent of Norfolk Southern Railway.

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Memphis PD on Claims Tyre Nichols Was Targeted and Former Officers Charged with Murder Were Gang Members: ‘There Is No Evidence That Indicates That Either of These Claims Are True’

Michael Patrick Leahy

Memphis Police Department Public Information Officer Major Karen Rudolph told The Tennessee Star in an emailed statement on Tuesday, “There is no evidence that either of these claims are true,” in response to two questions posed to her by The Star.

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Five Memphis Police Officers Charged in Beating Death Belonged to 40-Member SCORPION Unit with History of Violence, Poor Training, and Lack of Supervision

Michael Patrick Leahy

The five former Memphis police officers who were charged last week with second degree murder in the beating death of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols were part of a special, 40-member SCORPION (Street Crimes Operation to Restore Peace in Our Neighborhoods) unit established in October 2021 by Memphis Police Department Chief Cerelyn Davis and Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, a Democrat.

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Legal Throwdown in Arizona: Democrat Attorney Marc Elias Says Kari Lake Must Prove Alleged Wrongdoing Altered Outcome of Election

Michael Patrick Leahy

Kari Lake scored a significant legal victory on Monday when Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson ruled that two counts of her election contest against Secretary of State Katie Hobbs and Maricopa County Board of Supervisors will go to trial this week. The two day trial is expected to begin on Wednesday, and the judge’s ruling is expected by January 2, 2023, one day before the scheduled January 3 inauguration of Governor-elect Hobbs.

But the standard required to secure the legal remedy she seeks in her lawsuit – either a declaration that she, and not Democrat nominee Katie Hobbs, is the victor in the November 2022 Arizona gubernatorial election or an order that Maricopa County must redo the gubernatorial election – remains high.

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Judge Rules Kari Lake Election Contest Will Go to Trial

Michael Patrick Leahy

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson ruled late Monday that Kari Lake’s election contest lawsuit will go to trial on Wednesday.

The judge’s ruling came hours after attorneys for the defendants–Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, and the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors–and the plaintiff, GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, delivered oral arguments in court on both sides of the defendants’ motion to dismiss all ten counts set forward in Lake’s 70 page lawsuit.

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American Classical Education Announces Intent to Apply for Charter Schools in Five Tennessee Counties

Michael Patrick Leahy

American Classical Education (ACE) informed the Tennessee Department of Education and school boards of education in five counties – Rutherford, Montgomery, Madison, Maury, and Robertson – in separate letters last week it intends to apply for public school charters to operate classical schools in those five counties.

“We’ve filed our letters of intent with the school districts and the department,” Dolores Gresham, an ACE board member, former Tennessee State Senator, and former Senate Education Committee Chair, told The Tennessee Star.

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Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer’s Founding of Partisan PAC Raises Ethical and Legal Questions of Possible Misconduct 

Michael Patrick Leahy

Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer is coming under increasing scrutiny after the botched election in Maricopa County, leading some to question his founding and operation of the Pro-Democracy Republicans PAC, whose stated mission is “to support pro-democracy Arizona Republicans” who reject “conspiracy theorists and demagoguery” from candidates who maintain the 2020 presidential election in Arizona was stolen. In the context of the 2022 election, this is an indication of Richer’s direct opposition to GOP gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake, GOP Secretary of State nominee Mark Finchem, several state legislators and candidates for Maricopa County Supervisor.

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United Way of West TN CEO’s Opposition to Charter School Appeal of Jackson-Madison County Denial Draws Criticism from Supporters

Michael Patrick Leahy

The CEO of United Way of West Tennessee’s public statement opposing American Classical Academy Madison’s appeal of the Jackson-Madison County Public School System’s denial of the school’s public charter has drawn heavy criticism from the school’s supporters.

“Matt Marshall, the president and CEO of United Way of West Tennessee, [spoke] in opposition to ACA during the public comment portion of the American Classical Academy Madison County Charter School Appeal Public Hearing on Thursday, September 15, 2022, in Jackson, Tenn.,” The Jackson Sun reported.

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Leftist Author Jon Meacham Named to Board of University of Tennessee’s Institute for American Civics

Michael Patrick Leahy

Author and former MSNBC contributor Jon Meacham was named to the Board of Fellows of the University of Tennessee’s newly established Institute for American Civics last week by University of Tennessee President Randy Boyd.

German-owned Politico reported that Meacham helped President Joe Biden “frame” his now infamously divisive “speech from hell” delivered in Philadelphia last week in which he attacked the 74 million Americans who voted for former President Donald Trump as a “threat to American democracy.”

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Stacey Abrams Sponsored Legislation Related to Her Private Business Interests

Michael Patrick Leahy

Public records indicate Georgia gubernatorial hopeful Stacey Abrams sponsored legislation when she was the Georgia House minority leader that was related to her private business interests. The legislation Abrams sponsored in 2015 – with four other Republicans – addressed taxes paid on debt that was not collected.

At the time the legislation was under consideration, Abrams was senior vice president at a company called NOWaccount, according to an archive of the company’s website.
 

Abrams had started NOWaccount in 2010 with two business partners. The company charged fees to small business for accepting the task of collecting the businesses outstanding receivables.

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Report: Stacey Abrams’ Business Received Special Treatment, Government Program Protected Private Investment

Michael Patrick Leahy

An investigation by the Government Accountability Institute (GAI), supported by documents retrieved by FOIA requests, has found that then Georgia House member Stacey Abrams received special treatment related to a government loan program that benefited her private investment in a company she helped start.

On October 7, 2021, the financial technology company Now Corp. (previously NOWaccount) co-founded by Stacey Abrams in 2010, secured $29 million in financing and an equity investment from Brigade Capital Management LP and Virgo Investment Group.

This was a significant milestone given the fact in 2013 NOWaccount had approximately $100,000 in annual revenue.

Less than two months after this announcement, on December 1, 2021, Abrams announced she would run for Georgia governor, setting up a possible rematch with Georgia GOP Gov. Brian Kemp.

And in March 2022, Abrams filed a financial disclosure form which indicated her net worth was $3.17 million, a substantial increase from the net worth of $109,000 when she first ran for governor four years ago.

While most media reports attribute Abrams significant increases in net-worth to speeches and advances for book projects, her investment in Now Corp. has received little attention.  Abrams herself has previously claimed that she “walled myself off” from company operations. However, documents indicate she was an integral part of the plan to use the federal program to benefit NOW.

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The Real Story of How the Tennessee GOP Followed the Party’s Bylaws to Disqualify Three Candidates from the TN-5 Primary Ballot

Michael Patrick Leahy

Many national and local news outlets have reported inaccurately about the process by which the Tennessee Republican Party (TRP) disqualified three candidates from the August 4, 2022 GOP primary ballot in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District on April 19, 2022.

In the immediate aftermath of this decision made by the TRP in accordance with its bylaws and the laws of Tennessee, Robby Starbuck (legal name Robert Starbuck Newsom), one of the three disqualified candidates, delivered a series of press interviews and social media statements in which he made false claims about the integrity of the TRP’s process in handling his disqualification.

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SB 2616 Requires Tennessee Residency Prior to April 2019 for Candidates to Qualify for 2022 GOP Primary in TN-5

Michael Patrick Leahy

On Wednesday the sponsor of SB 2616 told The Tennessee Star if the bill becomes law, candidates for the August 2022 GOP primary in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District would qualify for the primary ballot only if they established Tennessee residency prior to April 7, 2019, three years before the April 7, 2022 filing deadline for this year’s primary.

The bill passed in the State and Local Government Committee of The Tennessee State Senate on Tuesday in a bipartisan 5-1 vote.

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Trump Blasts Pence’s Claims About January 6: Vice Presidency Not an ‘Automatic Conveyor Belt for Old Crow Mitch McConnell to Get Biden Elected President’

Michael Patrick Leahy

Former President Donald Trump released a blistering attack Friday afternoon on former Vice President Mike Pence’s claims earlier in the day about the January 6, 2021 Joint Session of Congress over which Pence presided at which Electoral College votes submitted by the states were counted.

In a speech before the Florida Chapter of the Federalist Society in Orlando on Friday, Pence asserted, “There are those in our party who believe that as the presiding officer over the joint session of Congress, I possessed unilateral authority to reject Electoral College votes. And I heard this week that President Trump said I had the right to ‘overturn the election.’ President Trump is wrong. I had no right to overturn the election.” (emphasis added)

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