Author: Tom Pappert

Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen Considers Run Against A.G. Kris Mayes, Who Doubled Down on Trump Electors Case

Tom Pappert
Warren Petersen, Kris Mayes

Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen (R-Gilbert) confirmed on Monday he is considering a campaign to unseat Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes in 2026, and later said he is being urged to challenge the attorney general by multiple Arizona attorneys.

Mayes was declared the winner of her 2022 election against Abe Hamadeh, who is now the U.S. Congressman-elect for Arizona’s eighth district, by just 280 votes, making it the narrowest statewide election in the history of Arizona.

Read the full story

Georgia A.G. Chris Carr Announces Run for Governor, Setting Stage for Possible GOP Primary with Brad Raffensperger, Burt Jones

Tom Pappert

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr on Thursday announced he is running for the Republican nomination for governor in 2026.

Carr confirmed filing the paperwork for his candidacy in a post to the social media platform X, where he said his campaign will seek to continue “the legacy of Brian Kemp, Nathan Deal and Sonny Perdue.”

Read the full story

Tren de Aragua Moves Throughout Tennessee Cities in Human Trafficking Operations, TBI Director Warns

Tom Pappert
Bluff City Blues joint operation

After two Tennessee law enforcement agencies that serve Knoxville contradicted the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations (TBI), which last week warned the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua is present in all major Tennessee cities, the agency pointed The Tennessee Star to a media advisory explaining local law enforcement may not be aware of the gang’s human trafficking operations.

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office stated last Saturday that Tren de Aragua members are the subjects of any investigations, and no associates of the gang are in its correctional facilities. Two days later, the Knoxville Police Department Chief Paul Noel said the department is aware of the gang, but is “not aware of any active members of Tren de Aragua in Knoxville.”

Read the full story

Georgia Republicans Mark Guilty Verdict for Laken Riley’s Murderer as Democrats Mourn ‘Transgender Day of Remembrance’

Tom Pappert
Laken Riley

While the majority of Georgia Republicans issued statements on Wednesday marking the guilty verdict reached in the case against Jose Ibarra, who a court determined killed August University nursing student Laken Riley in February, at least three Democratic members of Georgia’s U.S. House delegation instead posted messages marking Transgender Day of Remembrance.

An illegal immigrant who entered the country in 2022, Ibarra was determined during the trial to be a member of the Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua. Prosecutors said he was “hunting for females” when he encountered Riley, who was jogging when she was attacked.

Read the full story

Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton Supports TFA, GOA Lawsuit over Memphis Gun Ordinance

Tom Pappert
Cameron Sexton

A spokesman for Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) told The Tennessee Star on Wednesday that Sexton supports the lawsuit brought against the City of Memphis by the Tennessee Firearms Association (TFA) and Gun Owners of America (GOA) over its new gun ordinance that restrict Second Amendment within city limits.

The lawsuit was filed last week after Memphis voters passed legislation to require pistol licenses, impose red flag laws, and ban weapons deemed assault rifles, and Sexton’s spokesman confirmed his support for the lawsuit after the speaker previously promised the Tennessee House of Representatives would withhold Memphis’ share of state sales tax revenue if it imposed the ordinance.

Read the full story

Pennsylvania County Commissioner Apologizes After Voting to Count Illegal Ballots Because ‘People Violate Laws All the Time’

Tom Pappert
Diane Ellis-Marseglia

The Bucks County commissioner who voted last week to allow illegal, undated mail-in ballots to be counted, and argued that “people violate laws all the time,” apologized on Wednesday after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled against the county on Monday.

Bucks County Commisioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia began the meeting’s first public comment period by delivering a lengthy apology before asserting her declarations that “precedent by a court doesn’t matter anymore in this country,” “people violate laws anytime they want,” and, “if I violate this law, it’s because I want a court to pay attention to it,” were taken out of context on social media.

Read the full story

Speaker Mike Johnson Wants Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene ‘More Involved’ with House GOP After ‘Productive Meeting’

Tom Pappert
Speaker Mike Johnson, Rep. Margorie Taylor Greene

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson reportedly said Tuesday that he wants Representative Marjorie Taylor Green (R-GA-14) to become “more involved” with the House Republicans on the heels of a “productive meeting” the two shared last week.

According to journalist Jordain Carney, who reports for German-owned Politico, Johnson told reporters on Tuesday that he and Greene discussed her role in the next Congress during a meeting held last week.

Read the full story

Department of Justice Reports ‘Division-Wide System Outage’ as Tennessee Star Requests Release of Covenant Killer Manifesto

Tom Pappert
FBI HQ at dusk

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) this week acknowledged a “division-wide system outage” impacted the DOJ’s Civil Division last weekend through a Monday court filing.

Both Star News Digital Media, Inc. (SNDM), which owns and operates The Tennessee Star, and Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy are currently waiting for a response from the DOJ after inviting the FBI to drop its opposition to the release of the complete written works left by Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale before the transition of government to President-elect Donald Trump.

Read the full story

Tennessee Firearms Association, Gun Owners of America Sue City of Memphis over Gun Ordinances Violating State Law

Tom Pappert
Downtown Memphis

The Tennessee Firearms Association (TFA) and Gun Owners of America (GOA) on Monday announced their lawsuit against the City of Memphis after voters approved Ordinance 5908, a gun ordinance that requires permits to carry handguns, bans a series of guns determined “assault rifles,” and establishes extreme risk protection orders, or red flag laws, within the city limits.

In their November 13 lawsuit against Memphis, which requests immediate intervention to block the city’s ability to enforce the ordinance, the Second Amendment groups note the Memphis ordinance appears to violate Tennessee Code 39-17-1314(a), which specifically prohibits any Tennessee legislative body other than the General Assembly to regulate firearms or ammunition.

Read the full story

Virginia A.G. Jason Miyares Seeks Reelection, Leaving Governor Race to Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and Rep. Abigail Spanberger

Tom Pappert
Jason Miyares

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares on Monday announced he will seek reelection, officially ending speculation he would launch a gubernatorial bid in an effort to maintain Republican control over the Executive Mansion, as Governor Glenn Youngkin is prevented from seeking a second consecutive term by the Virginia Constitution.

Miyares announced his reelection bid in a post to the social media platform X, where he wrote, “We are not going back to the failed policies of the past; our families’ safety and Virginia’s future depends on it.”

Read the full story

Republicans Want Criminal Charges for Pennsylvania County Commissioners Who Voted to Count Illegal Ballots

Tom Pappert
Bob Harvie and Diane Marseglia

Officials at both the Republican National Committee (RNC) and President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign raised the possibility of criminal charges against the Bucks County, Pennsylvania commissioners who voted to count ballots that were repeatedly deemed illegal by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

Bucks County commissioners Diane Ellis-Marseglia and Bob Harvie successfully voted last Thursday to count mail-in ballots returned with a missing, incorrect, or incomplete date amid a recount in the Pennsylvania U.S. Senate race between Senator-elect Dave McCormick and Senator Bob Casey, who has refused to concede despite the Associated Press declaring he lost the election.

Read the full story

Sen. Blackburn Slams Department of Education for Funding Professor Who Called October 7 ‘Stunning Victory’

Tom Pappert
Blackburn and Lummis

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) sent a letter criticizing the U.S. Department of Education after a watchdog report revealed the federal government is using taxpayer money to fund the salaries of multiple professors who hold anti-Israel or antisemitic views, including one educator who described the October 7 attack by Hamas against Israeli civilians as a “stunning victory” for Palestine.

The letter came in response to an October report by Open the Books, a nonprofit whose mission is to “capture and post all disclosed spending at all levels of government,” which revealed the Department of Education funded professors with antisemitic, anti-Israel, or pro-Hamas views at Columbia University, Indiana University, and Georgetown University, as part of two federal grant programs.

Read the full story

DOJ Slams Fulton County for Lengthy Jail Stays in ‘Inhumane’ Facility as D.A. Fani Willis Struggles with 40,000-Case Backlog

Tom Pappert
Fulton County Jail

The report issued by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) condemning the abysmal conditions at the Fulton County Jail comes as Fulton County faces a backlog of more than 40,000 cases, which may have contributed to the concerns raised in the report about the lengthy jail stays experienced by those incarcerated at the troubled facility.

The 97-page report containing the findings from the DOJ investigation that began last year accused the jail of violating the U.S. Constitution through the physical conditions at the jail, the county’s inability to guarantee the safety of inmates, and alleged violations of laws designed to protect Americans with disabilities, but also noted inmates “spend long periods detained in the Jail.”

Read the full story

Bucks County, Pennsylvania Votes to Count Illegal Ballots Because ‘People Violate Laws Any Time They Want’

Tom Pappert

The two Democratic members of the Bucks County Commission voted to count ballots the Pennsylvania Supreme Court determined are illegal in a previous ruling, with the county specifically giving election workers orders to count mail-in votes returned with an incomplete, incorrect, or missing date.

Despite the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling on November 1 that ballots mailed without correct dates would not be counted, with voters instead told to cast a provisional ballot that would be counted instead, the two Democratic members of the Bucks County Commission voted to accept ballots with missing or incorrect dates.

Read the full story

Tennessee U.S. Senators Hagerty, Blackburn Support Trump’s Nomination of Matt Gaetz for Attorney General

Tom Pappert
Senators Hagerty and Blackburn

Both U.S. Senators representing Tennessee have confirmed they will support the nomination by President-elect Donald Trump of Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL-01) to serve as the U.S. Attorney General.

Senators Marsh Blackburn (R-TN) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN) released statements expressing support for Gaetz last week ahead of reports the Florida Republican was calling senators to arrange meetings and seek their support during the nomination process.

Read the full story

Fetterman Admits GOP, Trump Neutralized Abortion Issue in Pennsylvania with ‘Effective’ States Rights Argument

Tom Pappert
John Fetterman

Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) said the Republican Party under President-elect Donald Trump successfully neutralized abortion as a major issue with an “effective” states rights argument that left Pennsylvania voters convinced they would not prioritize a nationwide abortion ban.

Fetterman made the remarks about abortion to German-owned Politico in a wide-ranging interview published Thursday, when he suggested the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2021 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade ultimately did not hurt Republicans on Election Day.

Read the full story

Trump’s Likely FCC Chair Demands Answers from Big Tech over Alleged ‘Censorship Cartel’

Tom Pappert
Brendan Carr

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner who activist groups claim could be selected to chair the FCC by President-elect Donald Trump sent a letter to Big Tech industry leaders demanding details about their censorship practices, and seeking specific information about their relationship with the controversial, for-profit fact checker NewsGuard.

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr on Friday posted to the social media platform X a letter he sent to Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram; Sundar Pichai of Alphabet, which owns Google and YouTube, as well as Tim Cook of Apple and Satya Nadella of Microsoft, warning their businesses “played significant roles” in “an unprecedented surge in censorship,” which he called “improper conduct.”

Read the full story

Tennessee Star Invites the FBI and DOJ to Release Covenant Manifesto, Settle Lawsuit Ahead of Trump Transition

Tom Pappert
Michael Patrick Leahy

The Tennessee Star on Friday extended a settlement offer to the Biden-Harris FBI through attorneys at the Department of Justice (DOJ) representing the FBI that would see the federal government drop its opposition to the release of the writings obtained by the FBI that were left by Audrey Elizabeth Hale, the 28-year-old woman who self-identified as a man, and killed six at the Covenant School in Nashville on March 27, 2023.

Through their attorneys at the Wisconsin Institute of Law and Liberty, Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy and Star News Digital Media Inc. (SNDM), which owns and operates The Star, offered the FBI, through its DOJ attorney, the opportunity to withdraw their objection to the release of Hale’s writings before President-elect Donald Trump’s presidential transition is complete.

Read the full story

Taiwanese Company Given $6.6 Billion by Biden for Arizona Factories Sued for Alleged Discrimination Against U.S. Citizens

Tom Pappert
TMSC workers

The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) was sued last week by a group of Arizona workers who claim the foreign company discriminated against United States citizens after the President Joe Biden successfully convinced the company to build multiple facilities near Phoenix with $6.6 billion in taxpayer funding and $5 billion in federal loans through the CHIPS Act of 2021.

According to the lawsuit filed last Friday by 13 Arizonans, which was made public Thursday, TMSC failed to address the effects of a “hostile work environment” that affects “employees who are not of East Asian race or Taiwanese or Chinese national origin.”

Read the full story

Georgia Secretary of State Makes Push for National Photo ID, Citizenship Verification in Voting

Tom Pappert
Georgia Sec State Brad Raffensperger

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced “Georgia Plan” for Congress to establish national election rules on Thursday, arguing the Peach State should serve as a model for to establish nationwide regulations that enhance election integrity.

“Voters nationwide deserve to participate in elections that have both security and integrity, along with easy access for eligible voters and quick and accurate reporting of results,” said Raffensperger in a statement, after citing Georgia’s successful early voting period for “a record turnout election that was safe, secure and accurate.”

Read the full story

Family of Woman Shot Near Belmont Campus Sues University, Nashville, and Tennessee for ‘Negligence and Recklessness’

Tom Pappert
Jillian Ludwig

The parents of Jillian Ludwig filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Belmont University, the State of Tennessee, and Metro Nashville after the 18-year-old student was fatally shot near the university’s Nashville campus last year.

Ludwig was allegedly shot by Shaquille Taylor, who police say fired a weapon at public housing near Belmont after he was previously released from jail on unrelated firearm charges. Authorities deemed Taylor mentally incompetent, with doctors claiming he has the mental capacity of a small child. Taylor’s former coworker disputed this claim.

Read the full story

Tennessee State Sen. Brent Taylor Asks D.A. Appeal After Judge Releases Man Accused of Shooting FexEx Worker

Tom Pappert
Bill Anderson

Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) on Wednesday sent a letter to Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy requesting his office file an appeal of the recent decision by General Session Court Judge Bill Anderson to release a man accused of shooting a FedEx worker from jail without bail.

Despite 18-year-old Tyreese Earnest reportedly waiving his Miranda rights and admitting to his role in the shooting of a FedEx worker, Anderson released him on his own recognizance without any bail with the opposition of District Attorney Steve Mulroy, who NewsChannel 3 reported said he disagreed with the judge’s decision but would respect it.

Read the full story

TBI Confirms Venezuelan Gang Tren de Aragua Present All ‘Major Cities’ in Tennessee

Tom Pappert
TBI Director

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) told Governor Bill Lee on Tuesday the expanding Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua is now present in all of Tennessee’s “major cities,” and warned the group is engaged in human trafficking, organized retail theft, and drug trafficking nationwide.

On Wednesday, TBI communications director Josh DeVine confirmed to The Tennessee Star the bureau “has increased concerns about the potential for crime connected to Tren de Aragua (TdA), a prominent, violent Venezuelan transnational gang.”

Read the full story

Marjorie Taylor Greene Renews Call for January 6 Pardons as DOJ Opposes Wave of Legal Filings Citing Trump Victory

Tom Pappert
Marjorie Taylor Greene

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene on Tuesday renewed her call for President-elect Donald Trump to pardon those prosecuted under the Biden-Harris Department of Justice (DOJ) for participating in their civil unrest on January 6, 2021, in remarks delivered as attorneys representing January 6 defendants are reportedly filing to have trials moved or frozen due to Trump’s prior promises of pardons.

Greene confirmed in Tuesday remarks to CNN, which her team recorded and posted to the social media platform X, Greene confirmed she’s previously spoken with Trump about the release of January 6 defendants, and noted his campaign trail promises to pardon them.

Read the full story

Tennessee Star’s Michael Patrick Leahy to Urge DOJ to End Opposition to Release of Covenant Killer’s Manifesto amid Presidential Transition

Tom Pappert
MPL DOJ

Tennessee Star editor-in-chief Michael Patrick Leahy announced on Wednesday he and Star News Digital Media Inc. (SNDM), which owns and operates The Star, will ask the Department of Justice (DOJ) to drop its opposition to the release of the written documents left by Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale prior to her March 27, 2023 attack that claimed the lives of six.

Leahy announced the decision during the Wednesday broadcast of the Michael Patrick Leahy Show, when he explained The Star has “decided to turn our attention back to freedom of information act, transparency requests that we’ve had going some time related to the Covenant killer manifesto,” in the wake of the 2024 elections.

Read the full story

Georgia Democrat Suggests Party Excluded Him from DNC Because He’s ‘White Male Heterosexual’

Tom Pappert
Jack Zibluk

A Georgia Democrat who was recruited to run for state office in a rural district revealed on Tuesday that the state party had specific criteria for the selection of its delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. He explained that as a “white male heterosexual,” he did not fit these criteria.

Jack Zibluck explained in a column published by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that made the observations about the party’s delegate selection process when he was nominated to serve as an alternative delegate at the RNC during his campaign against State Representative Mike Cameron (R-Rossville) to represent Georgia’s First district. Zibluck ultimately received less than 20 percent of the vote.

Read the full story

Nashville Police Claim Covenant Killer Investigation Still Underway, ‘Some Work’ Still Needed to Document March 2023 Attack

Tom Pappert
Covenant School shooting scene

The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) told The Tennessee Star earlier this month that its investigation of Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale remains ongoing, with “some work” still needed to document the March 27, 2023 attack that claimed the lives of three 9-year-old students and three school staff members.

MNPD Public Affairs director Don Aaron told The Star the investigation is still underway and remains in a documentation phase in a November 1 email. The MNPD official wrote, “Considerable progress has been made, though there is still some work to complete,” and said there is not a specific date for completion.

Read the full story

Reporter Steve Baker Enters Guilty Plea in January 6 Case to ‘Avoid Shaming Exercise of a Trial’

Tom Pappert
Journalist Steve Baker

Reporter and January 6 defendant Steve Baker entered an Alford plea on Tuesday, acknowledging the state has enough evidence to convict him without admitting guilt, in what he later called a move to avoid the “shaming exercise of a trial.”

Then working as an independent journalist, Baker was inside restricted parts of the U.S. Capitol complex on January 6, 2021. Three years after the protest, he was charged by the Biden-Harris Department of Justice for attempting to obstruct Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s victory with his presence.

Read the full story

Biden Taps Coordinator of Obama’s Iran Nuclear Deal to Lead Trump Transition at State Department

Tom Pappert
Stephen Mull

The Biden U.S. State Department announced on Thursday the agency’s transition to the Trump administration will be coordinated by Stephen Mull, a former longtime State Department official who most recently served as the lead coordinator for the Iran nuclear deal reached under former President Barack Obama, and who is now the provost for the University of Virginia (UVA).

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller confirmed Mull was appointed by Secretary of State Antony Blinken to lead the agency’s transition in a press conference. He told reporters the agency views a “peaceful transition of power” as an “essential part of our democracy that is vital to our nation’s security.”

Read the full story

NeverTrumper Facing Georgia GOP Expulsion over Harris Support Acknowledges Trump’s ‘Mandate’

Tom Pappert
Geoff Duncan

Former Georgia Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan on Monday urged other “disgruntled” Republicans who opposed President-elect Donald Trump to give the incoming administration “a chance” in the wake Trump’s electoral landslide and popular vote mandate.

Duncan, who is facing expulsion from the Georgia Republican Party (GAGOP) over his endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris during the presidential election, made his remarks during a Monday interview with WABE.

Read the full story

Tennessee Governor Asks Attorney General to Investigate FEMA for Political Discrimination After Hurricane Helene

Tom Pappert
Skrmetti FEMA

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee on Sunday revealed he is working with Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti to investigate whether the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) discriminated against Tennesseans affected by Hurricane Helene based on their political views.

Lee made the announcement after a FEMA official directed relief workers to avoid homes advertising support for President-elect Donald Trump after Hurricane Milton in Florida, specifically through guidance that told workers to “avoid homes advertising Trump” and “practice de-escalation and preventative measures” as best practices when providing relief.

Read the full story

Arizona Senate President Promises Bill to Speed Up Election Results After State Becomes 50th to Declare Presidential Winner

Tom Pappert
Arizona State Senate President Warren Petersen

Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen (R-Gilbert) promised to submit legislation to increase the speed of the state’s election reporting after it was the last state in the union to declare the the winner of its presidential election on Saturday, when it confirmed President-elect Donald Trump will receive Arizona’s 11 electoral votes.

Petersen made the pledge in a post to the social media platform X, where he wrote that Senators Wendy Rogers (R-Flagstaff), JD Mesnard (R-Chandler), and Shawnna Bolick (R-San Miguel) will receive help from Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd to craft “the best legislation possible for introduction in January.”

Read the full story

Fetterman Credits ‘Kamala is for They/Them’ Ad Campaign for Trump Victory in Pennsylvania

Tom Pappert
Trump Ad - "Kamala is for They/Them; Trump is for You"

Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) on Friday offered the viral advertisement by President-elect Donald Trump that elevated past statements by Vice President Kamala Harris, including video of her expressing support for taxpayer-funded transgender surgeries for prison inmates, as an example of the Trump campaign’s effective messaging that led to a landslide victory last Tuesday.

The Pennsylvania Democrat highlighted the ad campaign during a Friday interview with Semafor while also arguing President Joe Biden would have fared better against Trump.

Read the full story

Sen. Bill Hagerty Says He Will ‘Work Arm in Arm’ with Trump ‘In Whatever Role’ amid Cabinet Rumors

Tom Pappert
Sen Bill Hagerty on "Face the Nation"

Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) declined to address rumors he is being considered by President-elect Donald Trump for a cabinet position during a Friday appearance on CNN, but vowed to “work arm in arm” with Trump “in whatever role,” likely signaling a willingness to serve the incoming administration if asked.

“I’ll leave the speculation to the speculators,” Hagerty told the network. “I’m just so excited that President Trump has delivered the mandate that he did on election day. I’m so pleased that Republicans are now in control of the Senate, and I do believe that we’ll hold control of the House.”

Read the full story

Metro Nashville Council Member Calls for Removal of Election Worker for ‘Abusing His Power’ and Intimidating Voters

Tom Pappert
Jordan Huffman

Metro Nashville Councilman Jordan Huffman sent a letter to Davidson County requesting the “removal” of an election worker who allegedly threatened to have him arrested, engaged in intimidation, and refused to accept some forms of photo identification at various points during the 2024 election cycle.

Councilman Jordan Huffman made his letter to Davidson County Election Administrator Jeff Roberts in public in a post to the social media platform X on Thursday.

Read the full story

Man Who Admitted to Death Threats Against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Sentenced to Time Served, Supervised Release

Tom Pappert
MTG

The Georgia man who pleaded guilty to making multiple death threats to Representative Marjorie Taylor Green (R-GA-14) was reportedly sentenced on Friday to supervised released and five months of confinement, which will be credited against his time spent in custody while his case was determined, meaning no additional prison sentence was imposed.

Sean Patrick Cirillo was sentenced to three years of supervised release and five months, credited against the time he already spent in federal custody, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in its Friday reporting of the sentencing. Law360 confirmed no additional prison sentence was imposed beyond the five months Cirillo already spent in custody.

Read the full story

Trump Victory in Georgia Accompanied by Record Voter Turnout with Over 5 Million Ballots Cast

Tom Pappert
Brian Kemp and Donald Trump

Georgia was one of the first states to be called for President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday, and the Georgia Secretary of State reported Wednesday that Peach State voters cast a record 5,287,085 million ballots recorded at press time, breaking a the last turnout record set during the 2020 election.

In total, Georgia saw more than 4.1 million voters cast their ballot before Election Day, though just over 3.75 million Georgians chose to cast their early votes in person, compared to under 350,000 who voted with an absentee ballot.

Read the full story

Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Dave McCormick Named Winner of Pennsylvania U.S. Senate Race Against Bob Casey

Tom Pappert
Pennsylvania U.S. Senator-elect Dave McCormick

The Dave McCormick campaign for U.S. Senate declared victory over Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) in a Thursday press release sent as multiple Republican senators issued statements acknowledging McCormick’s victory and urging Casey to concede.

McCormick campaign communications director Elizabeth Gregory delivered the victory declaration, stating, “McCormick is up 30,679 votes with more to come, as ruby red Cambria County is still outstanding. While votes continue to be counted, any way you slice it, Dave McCormick will be the next United States Senator from Pennsylvania.”

Read the full story

Group Biden-Harris Wanted to Help Release Illegal Immigrants into Tennessee Claims Trump Victory Makes America ‘Less Safe’

Tom Pappert
Donald Trump, TIRRC tweet

The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Resettlement Coalition (TIRRC) claimed in a Wednesday statement the landslide victory achieved by President-elect Donald Trump will make the country “less safe,” though the group was contacted by an Biden-Harris Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in Louisiana to facilitate the release of thousands of illegal immigrants into Tennessee.

“The plans Donald Trump has promised will make every community less safe,” the group claimed in a statement posted to the social media platform X, before listing Trump’s proposals to end birthright citizenship, curtail public support for immigration nonprofits, and unleash the largest domestic deportation operation in the nation’s history.

Read the full story

Tennessee Republicans Increase Share of Electorate as Trump Wins Popular Vote

Tom Pappert
Ogles and Blackburn

Tennessee Republicans largely increased or held their share of the vote compared to their performance in their past election, with Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) seeing the largest increase of the vote share when contrasting her successful 2018 campaign for U.S. Senate to her successful 2024 reelection.

Blackburn in 2018 received 54.7 percent of the vote, but increased her share by nearly 9 percent in her race against State Representative Gloria Johnson, trouncing the Democrat 63.8 percent to 34.2 percent, according to estimates at press time.

Read the full story

Vanderbilt University Pollsters Off by 20 Points After Tennessee Republicans Gain Mandate After 2024 Elections

Tom Pappert
Marsha Blackburn

The prognostications within the Vanderbilt University Poll released by its Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions missed the actual intentions of Tennessee voters by up to 20 percent.

Published in May, the Vanderbilt poll failed to capture the size of the lead achieved by Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) in her race against State Representative Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville), with the pollsters ultimately off by 20 percent.

Read the full story

Sen. John Fetterman Bailed on Daily Show Interview with 30 Seconds Notice as Pennsylvania Flipped to Trump

Tom Pappert
Jon Stewart

Jon Stewart, the comedian and host of “The Daily Show” revealed on Tuesday that Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) abruptly canceled a scheduled appearance during his Election Day coverage.

Though veiled in comedy, Stewart expressed that Fetterman was scheduled to join his show until, “30 seconds before we were supposed to have him as a guest.”

Read the full story

Donald Trump Projected Winner of 2024 Presidential Election

Tom Pappert
Donald Trump. GOP Convention

Former President Donald Trump will be the 47th President of the United States after being projected to win 270 votes in the Electoral College DecisionDesk HQ just after midnight on November 6, making him the President-elect of the United States. He will serve alongside Senator JD Vance, who was elected to serve as vice president. 

At the time the race was called by DecisionDesk, Trump was additionally expected to win the popular vote against Vice President Kamala Harris, representing the first time a Republican presidential candidate won the popular vote since 2004.

Read the full story

Philadelphia D.A. Larry Krasner Threatens ‘Jail Cell’ over ‘Bad Faith’ Election Challenges amid Musk Lawsuit Resolution

Tom Pappert
Krasner and Musk

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner condemned election “bullying” and intimidation during a Monday press conference, when he revealed his office is concerned about poll watchers bringing “bogus challenges” against voters.

The district attorney repeatedly warned would-be violators of election laws to, “F around and find out,” especially those who seek to “play militia,” insult or “mistreat” election workers and voters, or “threaten people,” “bully votes,” or to “erase votes.”

Read the full story

Trump Leads Harris, McCormick Ties Casey in Pollster’s Final Pennsylvania Survey Before Election Day

Tom Pappert
PA Close Races

Former President Donald Trump leads Vice President Kamala Harris in the final poll of Pennsylvania voters published by Emerson College Polling prior to Election Day, while the pollsters found the race between Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick and Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) is now tied.

Published on Monday, the poll found Trump narrowly leading Harris with the support of 49.3 percent of Pennsylvania voters, with the vice president trailing with the support of 48.4 percent of the commonwealth’s voters.

Read the full story

FBI Used Confidential Human Sources, Undercover Agents to Monitor Alleged Nashville Energy Bomber for Months Prior to Arrest

Tom Pappert
Skyler Philippi, Nashville Electric Company

The Biden-Harris Department of Justice announced on Monday the arrest of 24-year-old Skyler Philippi, who prosecutors claim plotted to use a weapon of mass destruction to bomb a Nashville energy facility, as part of what Attorney General Merrick Garland called a “violent white supremacist ideology.”

In his Monday statement, the attorney general revealed, “the FBI had already compromised his plot,” and charging documents reveal the federal agency first gained knowledge of Philippi in June.

Read the full story

Trump Says He Can Expand Swing State Victories to Virginia, New Mexico, and New Jersey

Tom Pappert
Donald Trump

Former President Donald Trump claimed on Sunday that he can win more than the seven expected swing states, offering Virginia, New Mexico, and New Jersey as states that may offer possible victories on Election Day despite his campaign’s relative lack of resources spent there.

Trump on Sunday predicted the possible victories after to NBC News reporter Dasha Burns raised an outlier poll of Iowa voters that found Vice President Kamala Harris winning the state.

Read the full story

Self-Described ‘Hamas Operative’ Allegedly Behind Antisemitic Vandalism in Pennsylvania Leaves Jail on $50,000 Bail

Tom Pappert
Mohamad Hamad

Court documents from the U.S. District Court in Western Pennsylvania reveal alleged antisemitic vandal Mohamad Hamad was released on a $50,000 bond by Magistrate Judge Kezia O.L. Taylor after he paid a $50,000 unsecured bond on Thursday.

Hamad was charged in on October 25 with committing vandalism at two Jewish community buildings in Pittsburgh alongside an alleged associate named Talya Lubit, with both facing one count of defacing and damaging religious real property and one count of conspiracy.

Read the full story

Fetterman Admits Defeated Border Deal Included Amnesty for Millions of Illegal Immigrants, Claims Issue Too ‘Useful’ to Politicians

Tom Pappert
Sen John Fetterman

Pennsylvania U.S. Senator John Fetterman acknowledged during his Friday appearance on “The Joe Rogan Experience” that the immigration bill presented by a bipartisan group of senators earlier this year included amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants, while nonetheless presenting the legislation as an solution to an issue that is “useful” to Republican and Democratic politicians alike.

Asked by Rogan whether concerns advanced by Republicans about Democrats using immigration to flood swing states with future citizens who are likely to vote for the Democratic Party, the senator acknowledged immigration is “a tough issue,” and cited a lesson from former Senator Alan Simpson, who Fetterman explained taught at his graduate school.

Read the full story