Democrats Feeling the Bernie Burn
We all watch last night’s NH primary election, which for all intents and purposes, ended the presidential campaigns of Sen. Elizabeth Warren and vice president Joe Biden.
The Democratic Party continued to implode. I feel bad for many of my Democratic amigos like Steve Schale and Ben Pollara, who work hard for their beliefs, their candidates, and the political party, but seem to fallen victims of apparent an inept political party with inept leaders.
Sen. Bernie Sanders is the frontrunner to face President Trump. Will the Democratic Party coalesce behind him, or will we see a repeat of 2016.
STONE ZONED
Speaker Nancy Pelosi just jumped into Roger Stone’s Stone Zone, signaling that she could be ready to file another charge against President Donald Trump for butting into the sentencing process of his former consultant. READ MORE
CASH QUEEN
Rhonda Rebman Lopez, a Republican running for state representative in HD 120, continues outraising here primary opponents, making her the odds-on favorite to win her race. She just outraised the entire field of GOP candidate running for the statehouse this election cycle.
POW! BOOM! ZAP! KABOOM! READ MORE
If you are around the state Capitol today around 1:3m, keep a lookout for CFO Jimmy Patronis, who will be holding a firefighter decontamination event.
No word yet if Patronis will actually put on the gear. We are hoping he does. The camera will be rolling.
Visit The Floridian
IMPEACHMENT COMETH AGAIN? >> Pelosi appears ready to file “interference” charge against Trump
RAISING CASH >>> Rebman Lopez outraises all Republican non-incumbent 2020 House candidates
UNELECTABLE? >>> Trump calls Bloomberg a “racist” over “stop and frisk” remarks
“Rep. Waltz Lends More Praises For Trump’s 2021 Budget” by The Floridian’s Daniel Molina – As it was recently reported, President Trump has received an onslaught of criticism from Democrats for his 2021 proposed budget. However, Florida’s leadership is championing the proposal, and Florida Rep. Michael Waltz (R) is one of the voices congratulating the President. In a statement regarding the proposal, “which prioritizes the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and Everglades restoration projects, Rep. Waltz expressed his gratitude for the work the President is doing. He elaborated that “our space industry is on the cusp of exploration – and much of that exploration begins in Florida.” Waltz added that “space is in Florida’s DNA – and I’m confident that President Trump’s support of NASA will be the boost the agency needs to put the next man and first woman on the moon.” The freshman congressman concluded that “the President is committed to Florida and supports restoration of the Everglades to improve water quality, which is essential to Florida’s economy.” The President’s proposed budget includes $250 million that would be used for Everglades Restoration efforts, which is a $50 million increase from the 2020 Fiscal Year. When giving his statement, the Republican lawmaker was joined by a bipartisan group that supported the President’s environmental commitment.
“DNC Fires Back at Trump’s New Hampshire Visit” by The Floridian’s Daniel Molina – As the primaries are underway to determine who will be challenging President Trump in the upcoming November election, President Trump took a trip to New Hampshire to talk to voters and make his case to Keep America Great. In response, the Democratic National Committee sent out a statement regarding the President’s stop in the state, noting that the President “and his allies are afraid of the threat our party poses to his reelection chances” before concluding that “they should be.” Elaborating on their strategy to defeat the President in November, the email sent out to supporters explained that “the DNC has already begun hiring and training organizers in key battleground states, holding Trump and his administration accountable through the DNC War Room, and ensuring Democratic candidates have access to world-class data and campaign infrastructure.” The DNC added that “each of those programs will be key to Democratic victory this year – and they require” a “generous, early investment” of donations. After a series of hits in recent weeks beginning with the President being acquitted of both articles of impeachment that were aimed against him, Democrats are looking to keep the House, gain the Senate and also turn the White House blue in November. However, the path has been riddled with difficulties as the Iowa Caucus proved to be a controversial start to the election process.
“Trump Meets With Parkland Families Ahead of Massacre Anniversary” by The Floridian’s Daniel Molina – In an effort to combat gun violence and ensure that schools are safer since the tragic Parkland shooting, President Trump met with family members of the Parkland victims along with Florida Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R). In a statement released by the sunshine state lawmaker, Diaz-Balart commented on the meeting, saying that “it was a privilege to join the President and Parkland families at the White House today to announce the launch of schoolsafety.gov, a website designed to assist the public with school safety and security best practices.” He added that “the creation of a federal clearinghouse for school safety has been a top priority for the Administration and the Parkland families, and I have been working with my colleagues to codify this effort in statute with the Luke and Alex School Safety Act.”
Diaz-Balart asserted that “it is imperative that our communities have access to this vital information, and I look forward to continuing to work with the Administration to ensure the safety of our children and our schools.” The issue of gun control and school safety has been a central concern in the upcoming presidential election with several candidates such as New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg (D) making it a part of his platform. Ryan Petty, father of 14-year-old Alaina Petty, expressed that “it was a phenomenal day for us. This is two years of work with this administration to first set up the federal school safety commission and then get to the point where this federal school clearinghouse is actually up live and working.”
“Florida E-Verify bill advances with 'compromise' exempting ag industry, small businesses” by WFTS’s Forrest Saunders – A crackdown on the hiring of undocumented immigrants is getting closer. Florida lawmakers, on Tuesday evening, pushed a bill requiring employers to use the e-verify system to check the immigration status of new hires. Senate Bill 664 cleared its first committee hurdle with a split vote but not without changes. Chair of the Judiciary Committee, Sen. David Simmons (R-Longwood), got the approval of a major amendment essentially rewriting the legislation. Simmons calling it “something between the two extremes that exist.” The change spreads out deployment over two years. It allows employers to use approved systems similar to E-Verify. Plus — it exempts small businesses and the ag industry. Sponsor Sen. Tom Lee called the new version "a compromise" as the measure faces an uncertain GOP majority— despite the governor’s backing. Many have worried the original language would have led to short-term job shortages, potentially costing employers billions. “I think we’re in a pretty good place,” Lee said. “I think this bill will flush out a lot of the options we have going forward on how to strengthen the bill. As people learn more about it, I think this is going to pass.” Democrats who voted against the bill tried tacking on additional amendments to exempt other industries like health care or tourism. All failed to get approval. Following the committee’s decision, Senate Minority Leader Audrey Gibson (D-Jacksonville) urged her colleagues to try a different method of immigration reform. “We should not capture people in a flawed system,” Gibson said. “We could take our time.”
“Lawmaker proposes merging New College of Florida with FSU” by WTSP’s Beau Zimmer – The campus of New College of Florida in Sarasota is abuzz with questions and concern. Students are trying to make sense of proposed legislation out of Tallahassee which would have Florida’s only honors public liberal arts university taken over by FSU. “I first heard about it this morning from my roommate,” said student Bug Dykema. “People just wondering what’s going to happen and when it’s going to happen.” Students Alexandra Barbat and Ellie Young aren’t wasting any time. They’ve already started contacting Florida lawmakers and have started encouraging their classmates to write letters to the editor for newspapers across the state. “The first thing we do is we flood their phone lines,” Barbat said. Her friend Ellie Yong also agreed to help make calls. “I lost too much sleep to just sit back and do nothing,” Young said. “I’ve been upset about this all day.” “We just need to be loud and vocal and let them know that even though we’re a small college we have a loud voice,” Barbat said. Students say while they understand the state’s duty to search for efficiencies, they don’t believe lawmakers understand the value of what New College provides. “I really don’t think they did their homework on this,” said Sarasota-area attorney Chad Bickerton. “They have reduced a unique place like New College to one economic factor.” The bill’s sponsors say the state of Florida spends on average more money per diploma for students at New College than it does for students at FSU and that by combining the two schools the state can save desperately needed money. “New College produced more Fulbright Scholars that Harvard and Yale and no one is ever going to try to make Harvard and Yale condense into another school,” Bickerton said. Ellie Young says she’s offended by the lawmaker’s line of thinking. “The idea that my degree is inefficient because it costs some amount more than what it would cost at FSU -- what you’re really telling me is that the value of education -- the valuer of my college degree is reduced down to however much it costs which I take great issue with,” she said.
“AAA: Florida Gas Prices Decline Six Cents, Brevard County Drivers Paying $2.36 at the Pump” by Space Coast Daily – Florida gas prices are declining again after briefly rising early last week. The state average jumped 6 cents per gallon, Tuesday. However, that increase was cut in half by the weekend. Florida drivers are now paying an average price of $2.39 per gallon. That’s 17 cents less than this year’s high, and 2 cents more than this year’s low. Sunday’s state average is 2 cents per gallon more than this time last week, and 14 cents more than this time last year. Last week’s increase snapped an 18-day streak of declines for a total discount of 19 cents. “Retail gas prices increased last week, despite fundamentals that suggested a decline,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Fuel supplies are strong, demand is down, and crude and gasoline futures have remained low. However, retailers likely raised prices to offset the cost of new fuel contracts that come with a new month. Despite the initial bump, pump prices are falling again, and could reach the low $2.30s in the coming weeks.”
“Two dolphins were shot, stabbed and killed off the Florida coast. There's a $20,000 reward for answers” by CNN’s Madeline Holcombe – Two dolphins were found shot and stabbed within a week off the Florida coast, and authorities are now looking for whoever is responsible. At least 29 dolphins have been stranded in the Southeast since 2002, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries, with four incidents just last year. There is evidence they were shot by guns or arrows or impaled with objects like fishing spears, NOAA Fisheries said in a news bulletin Tuesday. Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission discovered the first dolphin off of Naples late last week, according to NOAA Fisheries. The dolphin died from what appears to be a bullet or sharp object wound, the bulletin said. That same week, Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge researchers found a dolphin with a bullet in its left side along Pensacola Beach. And in May, NOAA officials found a deceased dolphin off Captiva Island with a fatal puncture wound to its head. NOAA officials are seeking any information from the public and are offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information that leads to a civil penalty or criminal conviction in the case. Humans feeding wild dolphins may have made the animals associate people and boats with food, which could have put them in the position for someone to intentionally harm them, the bulletin said. NOAA Fisheries recommends people can help prevent harm by not feeding wild dolphins.
“Florida’s attorney general says she’s confident in case against embattled guardian” by Click Orlando’s Adrianna Iwasinski Both the Office of Attorney General and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement have been investigating Rebecca Fierle for almost seven months and on Monday, the embattled guardian was arrested. On Tuesday, investigators released the arrest warrant, which details what finally led to Fierle getting booked into jail and charged with two felony counts. Fierle bonded out shortly after 10 a.m. Tuesday and braced herself as reporters and photographers surrounded her and peppered her with questions. While she had no comment about the charges against her, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody did. “We’re not going to sit back and let people who are in positions of trust take advantage of that position and abuse and neglect our seniors,” Moody said outside a cyber security event located a few miles from where Fierle was jailed hours before. Moody said she feels confident in the state’s case against Fierle, who will soon have to face a judge in Hillsborough County on the aggravated abuse and neglect charges she faces. That is where she will have to enter her plea since that is the county where one of her clients died. Fierle’s arrest centers around how she handled the guardianship of Steven Stryker, who died in May 2019 at a Tampa hospital. Court records reveal Steven Stryker was one of Fierle’s clients who she had placed a do not Resuscitate order on, despite his pleas to get that changed.
“Where are Democratic candidates ahead of Florida Primary? WINK News checks in” by Wink News’s Jack Lowenstein – The New Hampshire Democratic primary election is underway Tuesday. The results will determine which candidates will start campaigning heavily in Florida. We looked at how the New Hampshire primary could impact Florida’s in March. We also looked at what is currently almost no advertisement in Florida by Democratic candidates. Four states: Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. “Not only will they determine who’s ahead, but they will determine who is out of the race,” said Peter Bergeson, an FGCU political science professor. Meanwhile, in Florida, there is only one Democratic candidate currently advertising for his campaign on television. That’s billionaire Michael Bloomberg, former mayor of New York City. Bloomberg is getting a jump on the primary here with 35 days to go. “Mike has already been there several times, with the largest campaign in the state,” said Alejandra Soto, Bloomberg’s national campaign spokesperson. “Already have multiple offices in Orlando, Little Havana, St. Petersburg. One hundred trained field organizers are on the ground.” We reached out to every other candidate’s campaigns to see if and when they’ll set up shop here in Florida. “We have staff from Pensacola all the way down to the Keys,” said Kimberly Diaz Scott, Elizabeth Warren’s campaign director in Florida. “And the Florida for Warren team has been growing our operations for months.” Warren’s campaign director told us the senator has been here once and will be back before early voting starts March 7.
“Bill would reduce Florida drivers license suspensions for failing to pay fines” by News 4 Jax’s Jake Stofan – In 2017, 1.1 million Floridians had their drivers licenses suspended for failure to pay fines. “This amounts to 72% of the total drivers license suspension notices that year,” said Ashley Thomas with the Fines and Fees Justice Center. When people can’t drive, criminal justice advocates say it makes it harder to work and harder to pay. “Suspending a drivers license because of fees and fines threatens not only a driver's ability to get to work, but being able to drive for work,” said Alex Miller with the Florida Trucking Association. But a bill moving through both the House and the Senate aims to reduce those license suspensions by making it easier for people to get on affordable payment plans. “You have 30 days to engage your Clerk of Court to say that you want to create a payment plan. After that, you have another 60 days to work out the mechanics of what that is,” said bill sponsor Rep. Byron Donalds. Unlike in previous years, this year’s bill doesn’t completely do away with drivers license suspensions for failing to pay fines and fees. It also doesn’t allow the debts to be dropped. “But by putting them on a reasonable payment plan that’s based on their ability to pay, their ability to comply with the payment plan will increase,” said Thomas. Donalds said at the end of the day, the current system isn’t working. “I know in Collier County there's $94 million in uncollected fines and fees associated with drivers license suspension. So the clerks aren't getting the money now,” said Donalds. Clerks of Courts have not taken an official stance on the legislation, but their statewide office said in a statement: “It is a priority component of the Clerks’ legislative agenda this year to work with the legislature on innovative solutions that help reduce driver license suspensions, without eliminating the ability to do so when necessary.”
“Bernie Sanders Wins New Hampshire Primary” by Wall Street Journal’s Chad Day, Eliza Collins and Joshua Jamerson – Sen. Bernie Sanders won the New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary Tuesday night in a narrow victory that ensures the race to challenge President Trump this November will remain heated. With more than 85% of precincts reporting, Mr. Sanders, who is from neighboring Vermont, had 25.7% of the vote, followed by Pete Buttigieg with 24.4% and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota with 19.7%. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and former Vice President Joe Biden, who each have previously led the Democratic field in national polling, lagged well behind with less than 10% of the vote. “Let me say tonight that this victory here is the beginning of the end for Donald Trump, ”Mr. Sanders said to loud cheers at a watch party in Manchester. He also struck a tone of unity as he thanked his fellow candidates, who he said he respected. “No matter who wins, and we certainly hope it’s going to be us, we’re going to unite together. We are going to unite together and defeat the most dangerous president in the modern history of this country,” Mr. Sanders said. The 78-year-old self-described democratic socialist, who represents neighboring Vermont, had expected a strong showing here would propel him into contests in Nevada and South Carolina, two states where he lost to Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential primary. That year, Mr. Sanders easily won in New Hampshire with more than 60% of the vote.
“Andrew Yang ends 2020 presidential campaign” by CNN’s Dan Merica and Kate Sullivan – Andrew Yang suspended his political campaign on Tuesday in New Hampshire, ending the upstart run that vaulted the businessman from complete obscurity to a Democratic contender backed by a devoted following known as the Yang Gang. "While there is great work left to be done, you know I am the math guy, and it is clear tonight from the numbers that we are not going to win this race," Yang told supporters in Manchester. He continued: "I am not someone who wants to accept donations and support in a race that we will not win. And so, tonight I am announcing I am suspending my campaign for president." Yang said he did not make the decision lightly, and that he had every intention of staying in the race until the very end. But, he said, he was "persuaded that the message of this campaign will not be strengthened by my staying in this race any longer." The entrepreneur said his campaign had "outlasted over a dozen senators, governors and members of Congress to become the most exciting force in this entire race." "The Yang Gang has fundamentally shifted the direction of this country and transformed our politics, and we are only continuing to grow," Yang continued.
Yang's decision comes a week after a disappointing finish in Iowa, where the campaign invested millions and spent two weeks on a bus tour leading up to the caucuses. The investment didn't pan out: Yang finished with just 1% support in Iowa and, after leaving the state with depleted resources, had to lay off staff as he looked to trim his campaign's costs.
“Michael Bennet ends 2020 presidential campaign” by CNN’s Dan Merica – Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet ended his 2020 presidential campaign on Tuesday in a speech to supporters in New Hampshire. "I think it's fitting for us to end the campaign tonight," Bennet told a crowd in Concord. He continued: "I really want to say that I appreciate the fact that you gave me a chance here, and you're giving all the other candidates a chance. I wish all those candidates well that are going beyond New Hampshire." Bennet said he would support the Democratic nominee for president, and said, "I am going to do absolutely everything I can do as one human being to make sure that Donald Trump is a one-term president." "It's not just about who's in the White House," Bennet continued. "We've got to win a majority in the Senate and I will campaign all over this country to make sure we win that majority in United States Senate."
Bennet's candidacy sputtered from the outset, with the Colorado senator failing to qualify for the majority of Democratic debates. But the Democrat stuck in the race long after his momentum stalled, turning his operation almost entirely to New Hampshire as it became clear he did not have a path to victory in Iowa.
“Trump pulls former US attorney Jessie Liu’s nomination for Treasury role” by Fox News’s Andrew O'Reilly – President Trump has withdrawn his nomination of Jessie Liu to serve as a top Treasury Department official, Fox News has learned. The president’s move to withdraw Liu’s nomination comes just hours after four Justice Department lawyers quit following a move by senior leaders at the department to overrule the prosecutors' judgment by seeking a lesser sentence for long-time Trump ally Roger Stone after he was found guilty of lying to Congress. Liu is a former U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., who before her nomination oversaw the prosecutions of Stone and former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn over charges of false statements to the FBI. Trump previously had considered her for associate attorney general, the third-highest office in the Justice Department, but she withdrew her name from consideration last March. Attorney General William Barr instead appointed her as chairwoman of the Attorney General's Advisory Committee of United States Attorneys (AGAC). Liu, 46, was an assistant U.S. attorney in Washington from 2002 until 2006 and prosecuted violent crimes, drug-trafficking and fraud cases. She later served as deputy chief of staff for the Justice Department's national security division, a counsel to the deputy attorney general and as a deputy assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's civil rights division.
“A California lawmaker wants to punish registered voters who don't cast a ballot” by CNN’s Leah Asmelash – Voting in the United States has long been considered both a right and a responsibility. But one California lawmaker hopes to make casting a ballot a legal obligation. Assemblyman Marc Levine introduced a bill last week that would essentially require every registered voter to cast a ballot -- even if it's an empty one. Levine wrote in a news release addressing the proposal, known as AB 2070, that other nations such as Belgium and Australia already have rules about compulsory ballot casting, and the United States -- or at least California -- should join them. "Democracy is not a spectator sport -- it requires the active participation of all its citizens," said Levine, a Democrat representing parts of Marin and Sonoma counties, in a statement. "California is a national leader on expanding voting rights to its citizens. Those rights come with a responsibility by registered voters to cast their ballot and make sure that their voice is heard by their government. This is not a time to be complacent at the ballot box," he said. The proposed legislation would also come with a penalty for those who still choose to not cast a ballot, though that penalty has not yet been outlined.
The bill, which would go into effect in 2022, is set to be considered by the California State Assembly this spring.
“Jussie Smollett indicted on 6 counts for allegedly lying to police about attack claims” by Fox News’s Mariah Haas – Jussie Smollett has been indicted by a grand jury on six counts of disorderly conduct for allegedly lying to police about his claims of a racist and homophobic attack against him in January 2019, a special prosecutor said Tuesday. Special prosecutor Dan Webb issued a statement announcing the indictment against the 37-year-old former "Empire" star. The actor is due in court on Feb. 24, Fox 32 reported citing a source. mollett's attorney, Tina Glandian, said in a statement on Tuesday: "This indictment raises serious questions about the integrity of the investigation that led to the renewed charges against Mr. Smollett, not the least of which is the use of the same CPD detectives who were part of the original investigation into the attack on Mr. Smollett to conduct the current investigation, despite Mr. Smollett's pending civil claims against the City of Chicago and CPD officers for malicious prosecution. And one of the two witnesses who testified before the grand jury is the very same detective Mr. Smollett is currently suing for his role in the initial prosecution of him."
“With impeachment in rear view, Pelosi looks to next attack on Trump” by POLITICO’s Heather Caygle and Sarah Ferris – Speaker Nancy Pelosi is looking to make a sharp pivot ¨from the heated politics of impeachment and lash President Donald Trump in another key area: the economy. In a series of private meetings this week, Pelosi has all but explicitly told her members that with the election just nine months away, it’s time for Democrats to shift the spotlight away from the Ukraine scandal and other controversies ensnaring Trump. To further underscore that point, Pelosi hosted a special speaker’s meeting on Tuesday with a top Obama economics adviser to explain to Democrats why the economy isn’t actually as strong as Trump claims and how they can message that to voters. For moderate Democrats in competitive districts— including those where Trump dominated in 2016 — the shift away from impeachment less than a week after the Senate acquitted the president is a welcome reprieve. “I’m glad that we’re shifting and pivoting to something else. Every time I poll in my area, it’s always the same thing: education, health care and the economy,” said Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas, who is facing a fierce primary challenger from the left in his sprawling south Texas district. The centrist Democrat said he sees Pelosi’s shift to the economy as a signal that talk of impeachment and investigations are over in the House, at least for now. A series of ongoing court cases, though, could renew the push among some Democrats to investigate Trump, including the bid to interview former White House counsel Don McGahn. But Democrats risk appearing as sore losers in light of the president’s acquittal.
“U.S. and Taliban Move Toward Deal to End War” by Wall Street Journal’s Jessica Donati – The U.S. and Taliban are expected to announce a reduction in violence in Afghanistan as early as Wednesday, which could lead to the signing of a deal to withdraw all U.S. troops, people familiar with the matter said. All parties cautioned that progress remained fragile, and that many issues could derail the process even before it has fully begun. President Trump signed off on the proposed plan even as violence continued to dominate events in Afghanistan, the people familiar with the matter said. Earlier this week, he traveled to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to receive the remains of two U.S. troops killed over the weekend. White House officials didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. “Some good news could be forthcoming,” national security adviser Robert O’Brien told CBS News on Tuesday. “There will have to be reduction in violence and meaningful inter-Afghan talks.” The U.S. military said the troops were killed in an apparent insider attack in eastern Nangarhar province. The motivation for such attacks, when Afghan forces turn on their foreign partners, is often unclear. The Taliban didn’t claim any role in the killings on Saturday, which also wounded six other U.S. troops. On Tuesday, in a further indication of the fragility of the talks, a deadly suicide attack targeting an Afghan military university shattered a period of relative quiet in the capital Kabul. No group claimed responsibility. The people familiar with the matter said that spoilers on all sides, including the Afghan government which has been cut out of the talks so far, could have reasons for seeking to scuttle the agreement. While the timing of an announcement was still tentative early Wednesday, the start of a weeklong reduction in violence would mark a major step in the process toward reaching an agreement to end the U.S. role in the 18-year war.
“Prosecutors Quit Roger Stone Case After Justice Department Seeks Less Prison Time” by Wall Street Journal’s Aruna Viswanatha and Byron Tau – Four federal prosecutors withdrew from the case against Roger Stone on Tuesday, with one resigning as an assistant U.S. attorney, as the Justice Department reversed itself and recommended less prison time for President Trump’s longtime confidant. The Justice Department’s move to withdraw the recommendation it made on Monday to a U.S. judge and propose a more lenient one came hours after President Trump criticized in a tweet the original request that Mr. Stone spend more than seven years behind bars. After the reversal became public, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Kravis, one of the government attorneys who prosecuted Mr. Stone, withdrew from the case and resigned from his post, according to a court filing. Three other prosecutors, Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron Zelinksy and Adam Jed and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Marando, also said in court filings that they were withdrawing from the case. The fast-moving developments came one day after prosecutors asked for a seven-to-nine-year sentence following Mr. Stone’s conviction last November for lying to Congress and witness tampering in connection with Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and any contacts between Russia and the Trump campaign. It was an unusual reversal by the Justice Department, which typically hews to a set of legal guidelines when recommending punishments. Mr. Trump had harshly criticized the initial request in a tweet and later did so at the White House. “I thought the whole prosecution was ridiculous,” he said in the Oval Office. “I think it’s a disgrace.”
President Donald Trump @realDonaldTrump - Two months in jail for a Swamp Creature, yet 9 years recommended for Roger Stone (who was not even working for the Trump Campaign). Gee, that sounds very fair! Rogue prosecutors maybe? The Swamp!
Chuck Schumer @SenSchumer - To the DOJ Inspector General:
I’m calling for an immediate investigation of why the Roger Stone sentencing recommendations by career prosecutors were countermanded.
The American people must have confidence that justice in this country is dispensed impartially.
Rick Scott @SenRickScott - Communist China has proven that it cannot be trusted, which is why I asked the @WHO to do their own in-depth analysis on the extent of the spread of #Coronavirus.
We need to get an up-to-date picture of the threat we face.
Marco Rubio @marcorubio - The legitimate Interim President of @jguaido is back in #Venezuela after a successful international trip in which the U.S. and international community made clear they will never accept the illegitimate #MaduroRegime
Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell @RepDMP -It's shameful and dangerous that all it took for AG Barr to undermine the rule of law was a tweet. Barr owes the American people an explanation. The president's attempt to subvert our justice system must be checked by the DOJ Inspector General.
Rep. Ted Deutch @RepTedDeutch - Florida received a C- from @GiffordsCourage’s 2019 Gun Law report & ranked 28th for gun-related deaths.
FL officials have a responsibility to prevent gun violence & keep our cities safe.
Rep. Lois Frankel @RepLoisFrankel - Port Everglades must modernize & expand, or new ships will pass us by - taking with them thousands of new jobs & millions of dollars from the South Florida economy.
I'm excited to see this critical port deepening project officially begin!
Rep. Brian Mast @RepBrianMast - This funding will go a long way toward helping us get critical water infrastructure projects like the EAA Southern Storage Reservoir built ahead of schedule!
Chip LaMarca @ChipLaMarca- Thank you for clarifying that bills like ours in the @FLHouseofReps
(HB 7051) are not “pay to play” and will only benefit those intercollegiate athletes who seek to enter the free market with ingenuity and creativity outside of their team play.
Shevrin Jones @ShevrinJones- Just before you think about giving up, remember there's always someone depending and looking up to you, praying that you make it. #GM
Rep. Amy Mercado @AmyMercado -Presented House Bill 1259 Restrictive Housing for Incarcerated Pregnant Women by @ShevrinJones and Mercado, it passed unanimously.
