Tag: elections

Black Democrats Attack Longtime Dem Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz for Decision to Run in District with Large Black Population

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Black Democrats are lashing out at longtime Democrat Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz for her decision to run for reelection in a district with a majority black population.

Wasserman Schultz was first elected to Congress in 2004 to represent Florida’s 25th District.

However, Wasserman Schultz is now running in Florida’s 20th Congressional District after Republican lawmakers redistricted and reshaped the map.

Wasserman Shultz is now running in an area that was represented by Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a black lawmaker who resigned earlier this year after she was indicted on fraud charges.

Black Democrats are now coming for Wasserman Schultz and attacking her for running in district with a large black population.

The Hill reported:

Some Black Democrats are frustrated with Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s (D-Fla.) decision to run in a South Florida congressional district home to a large Black voting population, sparking an intraparty clash that is poised to become a defining battle of the campaign season.

Wasserman Schultz, a veteran lawmaker who has served in Congress since 2005, is running in Florida’s 20th Congressional District, which had been represented by former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) for four years before she resigned in April. Wasserman Schultz’s bid comes after GOP-led redistricting efforts in the state reshaped her current 25th District, making it far more favorable for Republicans.

But her political opponents and other critics argue that her move not only disregards the district’s unique history and undermines opportunities for Black political representation, but is also a slight to Black voters.

“I think, for sure, it was a bad move by the congresswoman to run in this district. It was selfish and all about her, her career, and not about the community. She failed to do any meaningful dialogue with the community before announcing her run, and it comes off as a hostile takeover of the district,” said Elijah Manley, a 27-year-old Black Democrat and progressive organizer running against her in the primary.

“I mean, so many people she ignored and didn’t have conversations with, from the Florida Legislative Black Caucus, and the chair of that caucus as well, to the Black elected officials.”

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Swalwell Ordered By FEC To Return Campaign Contributions

Former California congressman Eric Swalwell was ordered by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) June 15 to return all donations received during his bid for governor before dropping out of the race.

The agency charged with enforcing federal campaign finance laws threatened Swalwell with an audit or enforcement action if he fails to give back $30,075 in contributions that 16 donors made to his campaign committee, according to a letter sent to the former candidate.

“Failure to comply with the provisions of the Act may also result in an enforcement action against the committee.“

In the letter, FEC Senior Campaign Finance Analyst Mary Seiler also stated Swalwell would not be eligible to request a time extension to give the money back.

According to the letter, the FEC requires candidates to return contributions to the donors if they drop out of a race. Swalwell did return some of the donations, but not all of them, according to the agency.

General election contributions can’t be used to pay off primary debts or other obligations, the FEC noted.

All refunds were required to be made by July 20. If not, the commission may take further legal action in the case, the FEC said.

Swalwell and his attorney, Sara Azari, didn’t return requests for comment about the FEC’s demands.

Swalwell dropped out of the governor’s race in April after multiple women stepped forward with sexual assault allegations, which he has denied. He also faced a U.S. House of Representatives ethics investigation over the accusations and a call from his party to resign.

The former congressman and candidate continues to face criminal and ethical investigations over the allegations.

His official state campaign finance disclosure information shows Swalwell collected donations from individuals and organizations until the day he resigned April 13. The last-minute donors included the United Food and Commercial Workers Western States Council Candidate PAC, California Dairies, real estate developer Jeff Worthe, and Greater Anesthesia Service and PAC – each of which gave him $39,200.

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News Outlet Caves to Democratic Senate Candidate, Kills Poll That Makes Her Look Bad

The already-dramatic Democratic primary contest in Michigan just got a new plot twist.

A poll run on behalf of a news outlet ended up getting killed from coverage after complaints from the third-place candidate’s campaign, according to Politico.

And one of the nation’s best-known pollsters has gone public with his contempt for the decision.

Washington Beltway-based Politico reported Wednesday that state Sen. Mallory McMorrow’s campaign raised serious questions about the poll’s results with Michigan Information & Research Service, a news outlet that covers the state’s lawmakers in Lansing.

It’s understandable that any campaign might object to a poll that shows its candidates with single-digit support — and the poll in question had McMorrow at only 6 percent.

The race’s two leaders, meanwhile, were “Dr.” Abdul El-Sayed — a far-left progressive endorsed by socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders and a candidate who has made potentially questionable claims to being a physician — and U.S. Rep. Haley Stephens, a more establishment pick who has been endorsed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

El-Sayed had 42 percent support, according to the poll. Stevens had 33 percent.

With the Aug. 4 state primary date fast approaching, the McMorrow team hit back hard.

According to Politico, the campaign approached Michigan Information & Research Service with serious questions about the poll’s findings — beyond the dismal showing of the candidate herself — the only Caucasian among the three serious contenders.

For instance, Politico reported, the poll found zero percent of black voters saying they were undecided. Stevens, a black woman, dominated in that demographic with 69 percent, according to the poll, while El-Sayed, the son of Egyptian immigrants, brought in 31 percent.

It also found Stevens with only 5 percent support in Oakland County, her home base, according to Politico.

Kyle Melinn, a news editor with Michigan Information & Research Service, told Politico the news outlet abandoned coverage of the poll after hearing from McMorrow’s campaign.

However, he said he first talked to other pollsters about concerns about the poll’s findings. He said they agreed there was a problem.

MIRS didn’t run with the poll, Melinn told Politico, “because I didn’t feel comfortable with it.”

The pollster behind the survey, Steve Mitchell of Mitchell Research & Communications, told Politico that McMorrow’s campaign put “intense pressure” on MIRS not to run with the poll.

“The poll, in the eyes of the McMorrow campaign, understated their support,” Mitchell, whose firm Mitchell Research & Communications conducted and paid for the poll, told Politico. “And they put intense pressure on MIRS, and therefore MIRS decided that they weren’t going to run the survey. That’s their decision, and I support their decision.”

One potential area of concern was the method used to solicit responses. According to Politico, the poll relied on the technique known as “text to web,” in which potential respondents are contacted by text. If they are participating in the survey, they go to a link included in the text to fill out their answers.

According to Politico, McMorrow’s campaign said that it opened the door to text recipients abusing the link, either by participating in the poll numerous times or passing the link on to others who aren’t part of the initial polling survey. That could have polluted the results.

However, Nate Silver, founder of the polling website FiveThirtyEight and a national voice when it comes to political polling, published a post on the social media platform X Wednesday, excoriating the MIRS decision.

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Nigerian Court Orders Decertification of Five Opposition Parties Before Election

A Nigerian high court judge on Monday ordered the national election commission to decertify five opposition political parties, including the leading challenger to President Bola Tinubu, the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The move will leave ballots looking considerably less crowded when the next election is held in January.

ADC immediately rejected the order by Judge Peter Lifu, calling it a “direct invitation to anarchy.”

“We actually don’t think it’s legal. What is unfolding is political. The courts is just the vehicle for promoting the political agenda. Everything is politics. What is at stake is not just the politics of African Democratic Congress, it’s also about the sanity of the judicial institution,” ADC spokesman Bolaji Abdullahi said.

“We have no doubt in our mind that it’s a panicky measure taken in reaction to our announcement that Right Honorable Rotimi Amaechi will be the running mate. So, to kill the momentum of that story, they had to come up with this,” he charged.

Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is a former state governor and transportation minister who was announced as ADC’s vice presidential candidate on Monday, joining presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar.

Abubakar is a businessman who previously served as vice president from 1999 to 2007. He has run for several offices since then, and says his 2027 presidential race will be his last election. Amaechi was the runner-up in the party primary.

ADC described the alliance of Abubakar and Amaechi as a “unity and rescue ticket” that combines the strengths of “two tested statesmen” who also happen to enjoy political influence in different parts of Nigeria, giving the party a favorable electoral map in the general election.

“Together, Atiku Abubakar and Rotimi Amaechi embody a truly national ticket — one that bridges regions, generations, and political traditions,” party spokesman Abdullahi said when announcing Amaechi’s addition to the ticket.

Judge Lifu’s order was prompted by complaints that the parties did not meet the minimum standards for certification. Under Nigerian law, a party must either hold one elected seat at any level of government or win at least 25 percent of the votes in one Nigerian state during a presidential election to avoid decertification.

Abubakar’s media aide Paul Ibe slammed the ruling as “judicial rascality” and an effort by incumbent President Bola Tinubu to cripple the opposition ahead of the next election.

“The so-called deregistration of the African Democratic Congress, along with other parties, by Justice Peter Lifu may yet be the biggest manifestation of Tinubu’s hell-bent bid to undermine the opposition and entrench a de facto one-party state,” he charged.

ADC national chairman David Mark denounced the judgment as “an arrow fired at the heart of Nigeria’s democracy.”

“The judgement cannot stand. It will be set aside because it does not pass the test of law and due process,” he said.

Ibe and Mark both reassured party supporters that the ADC will be on the ballot in January. “I assure all our candidates, members and supporters that this temporary setback will be overcome through the judicial process,” Mark said.

The INEC itself opposed the lawsuit that was brought to Lifu’s court, dismissing the plaintiffs as “busybodies” and arguing that no ruling should be handed down until pending appeals were resolved.

Lifu countered that the words in the relevant section of the Nigerian constitution are “plain, direct, express and simple and should be given their literal meaning.”

“Proliferation of political parties without any purposeful and intentional design to promote democratic ideals should be discouraged. Any tendency to pollute the political environment by exploiting uninformed members of the electorate must be frowned upon by the court,” he said.

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FBI Raids Soros-Connected Ohio Voter Mobilization Group In Fraud Investigation

Federal investigators executed search warrants at the headquarters of a Soros-aligned voter mobilization organization in Ohio as part of what sources described as an ongoing fraud investigation.

FBI agents searched the offices of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative on June 11 and conducted interviews with members of the organization across the state, according to reports. Some agents reportedly served subpoenas or sought to seize electronic devices during the operation.

Multiple sources familiar with the matter later told CBS News that the federal action was tied to a fraud-related investigation.

The Department of Justice declined to discuss the specifics of the case.

“Search warrants are authorized by a judge and anything said by any organization or others in the media is unfounded speculation, as the target of any investigation is not privy to the search warrant affidavit until after indictment,” a DOJ official told Fox News Digital.

The Ohio Organizing Collaborative is a nonprofit group involved in voter registration and voter mobilization efforts and works closely with Democrats in Ohio. The organization has also played a prominent role in statewide ballot campaigns and referendum efforts.

The investigation is part of the Trump administration’s effort to increase enforcement of election-related laws and allegations of voter fraud.

Tax records show the organization reported more than $10 million in revenue during 2024.

Funding for the group has come from several major Democratic-aligned organizations and labor unions, including entities connected to the Soros family, the New Venture Fund, the Tides Foundation, the American Federation of Teachers and the Service Employees International Union.

According to the report, the Soros family’s Foundation to Promote Open Society provided approximately $1.9 million to the organization between 2019 and 2020.

The Open Society Action Fund later contributed an additional $1 million to a related organization in 2021 and another $1 million in 2023.

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California GOP Senator Suggests Putting Marijuana Back On The Ballot To ‘Reverse’ Legalization

A California Republican senator says it is time to have a “serious discussion” about putting a measure on the ballot to potentially “reverse” legalization of marijuana in the state—also raising concerns about President Donald Trump’s move to reschedule cannabis at the federal level.

“I think it’s time to assess the effects, the significant unintended consequences of the legalization of marijuana, which has not just happened in California, but in other states too,” Sen. Roger Niello (R) said at a hearing of the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee last week.

“Now we can’t change it without going back to the people, but I think we should have a serious discussion, a serious analysis of the obvious…unintended negative consequences I don’t think that the writers of the proposition cared about,” he said as first reported by State Affairs, referring to the cannabis legalization ballot initiative that California voters approved in 2016. “I think these could have been predicted. They just wanted recreational use to be legalized.”

Niello raised concerns that “we’re even seeing our current president now advocating that by downplaying the classification of marijuana at the federal level.”

“We have seen significant negative consequences of this legalization, both here as well as in other states,” the senator, who was speaking at a hearing at which lawmakers approved a bill to legalize marijuana dispensary drive-thru windows in California, said. “I think it’s time for us to have a serious analysis of that, and whether or not we want to develop a proposition to go back to the voters and either reverse it or somehow reform it so that we don’t continually deal with the problems that we do.”

“I oppose the legalization of marijuana,” he said, citing data about cannabis use by young people and an alleged link to mental health problems and claiming that the 2016 reform was “written to please everybody” which resulted in a “dysfunctional policy that is bound for unintended consequences.”

Elsewhere in the U.S., marijuana legalization opponents are currently collecting signatures to put measures to roll back the reform in Maine and Massachusetts—though those anti-cannabis campaigns have faced accusations of misleading petitioning tactics.

A separate anti-marijuana effort in Arizona for a similar measure was dropped after its lead organizer said his initial concerns about the legal cannabis industry were misplaced.

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What’s In A Name? Alaska GOP Succeeds In Stopping Democrats From Stealing The Senate Election

Alaska’s election officials may have just saved a U.S. Senate seat from one of the more brazen ballot schemes in recent memory. The state’s Division of Elections issued a preliminary ruling this week that Dan J. Sullivan of Petersburg is ineligible to appear on the 2026 Senate ballot, dealing a significant blow to Democrats – in what Republicans have characterized as a coordinated Democratic effort to siphon votes from incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan through deliberate name confusion.

Dan J. Sullivan is a 69-year-old retired teacher who filed to run as a Republican for the U.S. Senate mere days before the late-May filing deadline. Not only is his name virtually identical to the incumbent senator’s, but he’s also recycled the incumbent’s former campaign slogan, and is using a logo similar to the senator’s own branding. The attempt to deceive voters is obvious, and under Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system, where ballot position and name recognition carry outsized weight, the potential for voter confusion was significant and consequential

According to a report from the Anchorage Daily News, Carol Beecher, director of the Division of Elections, made the state’s position clear in a letter to Dan J. Sullivan on Wednesday. “Based on a review of the evidence presented and in the Division’s possession, the Division has determined that the preponderance of evidence does not support your eligibility for the office of United States Senator,” Beecher wrote.

The ruling is preliminary, with the fake Sullivan given until 5 p.m. Thursday to submit additional evidence before the division issues its final decision.

Sullivan’s response to scrutiny has been consistent and unconvincing. He denied coordinating with Democratic operatives and presented himself as a legitimate independent GOP candidate, but he also refused to submit a sworn affidavit requested by Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, who announced Monday that the state was investigating his candidacy and warned him he could face exposure for perjury if his sworn answers proved false.

Sullivan called the allegations baseless, argued Dahlstrom’s questions were irrelevant, and insisted the state had no “credible basis” to remove him from the ballot. On Thursday morning, after receiving the preliminary ineligibility notice the night before, Sullivan said he would not be available for comment and added, “We decide where we go next.”

The paper trail contradicts Sullivan’s denials. According to voter registration records attached to formal complaints filed by the Alaska Republican Party, the fake Sullivan listed his party affiliation as “undeclared” as recently as March 26, 2026. Before 2024, he had consistently been listed as undeclared or nonpartisan. Last year, he was affiliated with the Alaskan Independence Party.

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 FBI Raids Ohio Democrat Ballot Harvesting Group’s Headquarters — This Follows Thousands of Suspect Registrations in 2024 Election

The FBI raided the Cleveland headquarters of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative (OOC) on Thursday, as part of an ongoing federal investigation into suspected ballot harvesting and voter fraud operations in the key swing state of Ohio.

Agents also fanned out across the state, showing up at the homes of OOC leaders, staff members, volunteers, and connected community organizers in places like Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati. They served subpoenas, seized electronic devices, and questioned people directly about voter fraud.

The Ohio Organizing Collaborative presents itself as a “pro-democracy” voter registration nonprofit focused on underrepresented communities. In reality, it functions as a Democrat-aligned operation deeply embedded in progressive get-out-the-vote efforts across Ohio’s major cities.

Amuse reported:

Here is more information on the FBI raids. The FBI hit the main office and several homes of the Democrat operatives.

Via the Statehouse News Bureau:

The Ohio Organizing Collaborative, a group that organizes political activities for Democratic and progressive causes, has been raided by the FBI.

Ohio Organizing Collaborative Board Member Prentiss Haney said FBI agents came to the organization’s Cleveland office yesterday. He said agents have fanned out and questioned people who work with his organization. Haney said agents have searched and sometimes taken laptops and electronic devices as well as interviewed people who work with the organization.

“This is not normal business. I mean there’s no reason for over 100 agents to be knocking on the doors of everyday Ohioans,” Haney said. “Demanding and accusing people of voter fraud as if it was a witch hunt and, and scaring them with the children, following them in their cars to school and to work. I mean this was a full-out assault. I mean, we haven’t seen anything like this since Selma. And so this was completely um politically motivated.”

The Ohio Organizing Collaborative has a documented history of voter registration fraud. In 2017, paid canvasser Rebecca A. Hammonds, who worked directly for the group, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of falsely registering people to vote and forging signatures on voter registration forms. She was sentenced to six months in jail. Some of the fraudulent registrations were even submitted for dead people.

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DHS Directs ICE To Deport Illegal Aliens Who Vote In American Elections

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) General Counsel James Percival has directed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to impose strict penalties, including deportation, on illegal aliens who vote in American elections.

According to a DHS press release, the Immigration and Nationality Act directs the removal of aliens who illegally vote or make a false claim to US citizenship.

DHS states that these provisions allow for the removal of illegal aliens if they illegally participate in our elections. No criminal conviction is required for their removal.

Percival said, “The importance of free, fair, and honest elections is without question. Echoing the words of President Trump, ‘the right of American citizens to have their votes properly counted and tabulated, without illegal dilution, is vital to determining the rightful winner of an election.”

Percival added, “Illegal voting by aliens dilutes the votes of American citizens and undermines our democracy. It must have consequences.”

DHS says the directive will help further implement policies similar to those from President Donald Trump’s March 2025 executive order, “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections.”

Trump’s order directs actions across the federal government, including the verification of voter eligibility, grant administration, information-sharing, enforcement of federal integrity laws, improving voting systems, and criminal prosecution of unlawful voting by aliens.

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ActBlue CEO Repeatedly Pleads the Fifth as Congress Probes Foreign Donations

ActBlue CEO Regina Wallace-Jones repeatedly invoked her Fifth Amendment rights Wednesday during a congressional hearing on allegations the Democrat fundraising platform accepted foreign-linked donations.

Wallace-Jones declined to answer a series of questions from Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) regarding alleged foreign donations, fraud controls, and the departure of ActBlue’s legal team.

“On the advice of my counsel, I respectfully decline to answer this question pursuant to my Fifth Amendment rights under the Constitution.”

Jordan asked Wallace-Jones about reports that millions of contributions processed by ActBlue in 2024 showed signs of foreign origin.

“Your board chairman said 38 million contributions in 2024 had the signs of foreign origin,” Jordan said. “How much fraud is too much fraud?”

Wallace-Jones pleaded the Fifth Amendment and declined to answer. Jordan then asked how many foreign contributions ActBlue accepted and whether the platform received donations from Russia. Wallace-Jones again declined to respond.

The Ohio Republican also questioned Wallace-Jones about the departure of ActBlue’s in-house legal team and whether the fundraising platform had weakened its fraud-prevention standards.

“Why did your entire legal team quit?” Jordan asked.

Wallace-Jones invoked the Fifth Amendment. Jordan later asked whether ActBlue had weakened its fraud standards to benefit Democrat candidates, drawing the same response.

The hearing comes weeks after a congressional staff report accused ActBlue of accepting illegal foreign donations during the 2024 election cycle and covering up the activity. The report also claimed that every member of ActBlue’s legal and compliance team either resigned, was fired, or took extended leave. It cited subsequent media reports alleging that the departures were linked to concerns over the platform’s donation practices.

A separate congressional staff report released in 2025 alleged that two policy changes adopted by ActBlue in 2024 led to an increase in fraudulent contributions on the platform. Investigators further alleged that internal training materials instructed employees to search for reasons to approve donations rather than flag potentially suspicious transactions.

The House Administration Committee launched its probe of ActBlue in October 2023. In a letter to committee chairman Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI) that year, then-CEO Regina Wallace-Jones assured Congress that “only donations with passport information are processed.”

ActBlue has helped raise more than $19 billion for Democratic candidates and causes since its founding in 2004.

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