Tag: republicans

Former Missouri GOP House Speaker Sentenced to Prison for Pandemic Fraud – Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison

A true man of the people, Former Missouri House Speaker John J. Diehl Jr. was sentenced to 21 months in prison on fraud-related charges.

Diehl was Missouri House Speaker in 2015 until he resigned after he was caught sending sexually explicit emails to an intern.

First Alert reported:

Diehl admitted that on March 30, 2020, he applied for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan on behalf of his law firm, the Diehl Law Group. The loan program was designed to help struggling small businesses during the pandemic.

Less than a month after applying for the loan, an advance of $1,000 was deposited into the Diehl Law Group bank account. He later made a $1,320.15 payment to a country club for personal dues and charges.

Then, on June 9, 2020, the remainder of the loan, $93,900, was put into the law firm’s bank account. Diehl reportedly transferred some of that money into his personal bank accounts. On Sept. 16, 2020, Diehl also transferred $50,039.55 of the EIDL proceeds to the Diehl Law Group’s retirement plan, in which Diehl was the only participant.

Diehl was was sentenced to prison this week.

Diehl admitted to taking $370,000 in small business administration loans. He will also have to pay a $50,000 fine.

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OUTRAGEOUS! Weak-Kneed RINO John Thune Mocks American Voters — Labels Fight to Push SAVE America Act is Nothing But a Propaganda by ‘Paid Influencers’

Senate Republican Leader John Thune (R-SD) has once again proven why he’s the poster child for the spineless RINO establishment.

In a stunning display of arrogance and detachment from the American people, Senate Majority Leader John Thune dismissed the growing grassroots movement demanding passage of the SAVE America Act, suggesting the pressure campaign is nothing more than a manufactured effort by a so-called “paid influencer ecosystem.”

During a conversation with NBC News, Thune downplayed the mounting calls from conservatives, activists, and voters urging the Senate to pass the SAVE America Act.

When asked about the increasing pressure to move the bill forward, Thune suggested much of the noise is coming from a coordinated online campaign.

NBC News reporter Brennan Leach caught the mask-slip on X, reporting:

“I asked Thune if he feels pressure to pass SAVE America Act mounting:

‘A lot of that is, it’s in that kind of, you know, paid influencer ecosystem,’ he said.

Adds there’s support among GOP Sens, but ‘the process & how do you ultimately try & get a result is still unclear to me.’”

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GOP Congressman Running For Florida Governor Admits To Selling Marijuana Despite Opposing Legalization And Sentencing Reform

A GOP congressman running for governor in Florida who has opposed marijuana legalization in the state and sponsored federal legislation to upend a Washington, D.C. sentencing reform law has admitted for the first time that he was arrested for selling cannabis as a young adult.

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), a Trump-endorsed GOP candidate vying to replace Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), was pressed on the apparent disconnect during an interview with CBS Miami that aired on Saturday.

While it was previously known that Donalds faced an arrest over marijuana in 1997—only to have the charges dropped years later as part of a pre-trial diversion program—this marked the first time he’s publicly admitted to selling small amounts of cannabis and acknowledged that he benefitted from the type of criminal justice reform law he’s worked to undermine in the District of Columbia.

“Honestly, I was walking down the street, I was leaving a party, officers came up, asked me if I would empty my pockets. I said, ‘Yes, of course.’ I had a dime bag of marijuana in my pocket. That’s the story,” the congressman said. “It was bad decisions. I can’t undo that decision.”

Donalds said he sold “low-level amounts” of marijuana, reiterating that he made “terrible decisions” and that it was among the things he did in his early adulthood that he wishes he could “undo.”

“I wish I could undo [it]. I wish I could, but I can’t do that,” he said. “I would tell people, if you examine my life since 20 years old, my life has really been a story of redemption.”

But that redemption arc was made possible, in part, thanks to sentencing policy that afforded Donalds a level of relief that he’s sought to deprive D.C. residents of—a point that Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) raised during a House floor debate last year where she slammed her GOP colleague over the apparent double standard.

“Imagine standing in front of a judge with your life hanging in balance, and instead of prison you’re given a promise of mercy. Your record is wiped clean, and you’ve got a second chance at life,” Crockett said. “Imagine turning that into a promotion and you go to college and get a job and even become a member of Congress. That’s what redemption looks like.”

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Sen. John Kennedy: Trump Had “No Choice” But to Strike Iran

Senator John Kennedy is pushing back against growing criticism from Democrats over President Donald Trump’s recent military strikes against Iran.

During a new interview on Newsmax, Kennedy made the case that Trump’s actions were not the beginning of another endless Middle East conflict—but rather an effort to prevent a far larger and more dangerous war from erupting.

“President Trump did not start a war by entering Iran,” Kennedy said during the interview. “He is trying to stop a war.”

The Louisiana senator explained that intelligence briefings and basic strategic realities point to the same conclusion: Iran’s leadership had no intention of abandoning its nuclear ambitions.

According to Kennedy, Iran’s ruling regime—which he described as religious zealots—was actively rebuilding its military capabilities after previous strikes earlier this year.

“They were not going to ever stop trying to develop a nuclear warhead,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy noted that after the United States bombed Iranian targets in June, the regime quickly began rebuilding its missile arsenal and expanding weapons production.

“They were manufacturing hundreds of missiles a month,” he explained.

Even more concerning, Kennedy said, was Iran’s growing cooperation with global adversaries.

The regime’s strategy, according to the senator, involved working with China and Russia to produce such a massive stockpile of missiles that any attempt to strike Iran would risk triggering a regional catastrophe.

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GOP Rep. Nancy Mace Plans to Investigate Outgoing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem: ‘We Need to Hold Our Own Accountable’

Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina said Friday that she plans to investigate outgoing Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem regarding a potential misuse of taxpayer funds.

“I trust President Trump and his judgment here,” Mace said of Trump’s decision to fire Noem during an interview with Newsmax.

“One of my questions is Corey Lewandowski. Is he going with her? Where is he going in all of this?” Mace asked.

Lewandowski served as President Donald Trump’s first campaign manager during his 2016 White House run and has remained close to the commander in chief.

He was also considered a “special government employee” who was serving as an adviser to Noem, Mediate reported.

Fox News’s Jacqui Heinrich reported on Thursday that, “Noem had sought to appoint Lewandowski as her chief of staff, but the president blocked that decision amid these rumors of an [extra-marital] affair.”

In the Newsmax interview, Mace also praised Louisiana Republican Sen. John Kennedy, whose tough questioning of Noem during a Senate hearing on Tuesday is widely seen to have been key to Trump’s ousting her.

“The second thing is, I want to thank, I’m very grateful to Republican Senator Kennedy,” Mace added. “I had no idea how much money — hundreds of millions of dollars — that Kristi Noem had wasted on her personal PR for all those TV ads that are running across the country that have nothing to do with deporting illegal aliens.”

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Embattled Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales Bows Out of 2026 Runoff Race After Explosive Affair Scandal With Staffer Who Later Took Her Own Life

Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) suddenly announced Thursday that he will not seek reelection to Congress amid a rapidly growing scandal involving an alleged affair with a staff member, which has shaken Washington and prompted a House Ethics investigation.

The Texas lawmaker, who serves the 23rd Congressional District along the southern border, said he will complete his current term but will not run in 2026 after weeks of increased pressure from Republican leaders and grassroots conservatives.

In a social media statement, Gonzales stated he had made the decision “after deep reflection and with the support of my loving family” not to pursue another term in Congress.

“At 18, I swore an oath to defend our nation against all enemies, foreign and domestic. During my 20 years in the military and three terms in Congress, I have fought for that cause with absolute dedication to the country that I love.

From confronting the border crisis to standing with my communities after the worst school shooting in Texas history, my philosophy has never changed: do as much as you can, and always fight for the greater good.

After deep reflection, and with the support of my loving family, I have decided not to seek reelection, while serving out the remainder of this Congress with the same commitment I have always had to my district.

Through the rest of my term, I will continue fighting for my constituents, for whom I am eternally grateful.

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Miami GOP Secretary’s Group Chat Pushes Antisemitism, ‘Killing N-ggers’

The recent uptick in antisemitic and racist language being disseminated by younger GOP activists nationwide has largely been fueled by a younger generation that follows extremist online influencers like Tucker Carlson and Nick Fuentes, and Republican gubernatorial candidate James Fishback.

It appears this has now spread to the Miami-Dade Republican Party.

In a disturbing series of group chat entries obtained by The Floridian, Miami GOP Secretary Abel Alexander Carvajal ran a group chat in which the N-word was used over 200 times and members celebrated the removal of an African-American activist from the FIU College Republicans.

Carvajal’s chat, titled “Uber Retards Yapping Inc.,” gives a shocking glimpse into the GOP’s younger element of college students who espouse hateful ideas. Even more concerning are the chat’s members: Carvajal, who is Secretary of the Miami-Dade GOP; Dariel Gonzalez, who is the FIU College Republicans Membership Director; and Ian Valdes, the FIU Turning Point chapter president.

For months, Carvajal created and served as the administrator of the chat. Many times he participated in the conversations. At no point did Carvajal close the chat or attempt to calm the narrative. He labeled his own control of the chat as “MaoTze Abel,” a joking reference to dictator Mao Zedong.

The chat goes beyond racist language. Sources have confirmed that Carvajal has recruited members of this racist and antisemitic element into the Miami-Dade GOP to serve as committeemen and committeewomen.

“Total Negro Death!” shouts Dariel Gonzalez, who has recently applied to become a GOP committeeman.

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House Ethics Committee Establishes Investigative Subcommittee Into Rep. Tony Gonzales Over Allegations Involving Staffer Who Later Died

The committee said Tuesday it “voted to establish an Investigative Subcommittee” to determine “whether Representative Tony Gonzales violated the Code of Official Conduct or any law, rule, regulation, or other applicable standard of conduct in the performance of his duties or the discharge of his responsibilities.”

According to the announcement, the inquiry will examine allegations that Gonzales may have “engaged in sexual misconduct towards an individual employed in his congressional office; and/or discriminated unfairly by dispensing special favors or privileges.”

The committee also emphasized that the step does not represent a finding of wrongdoing. “The Committee notes that the mere fact of establishing an Investigative Subcommittee does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred,” the statement explained.

The announcement comes after a prior probe by the Office of Congressional Conduct (OCC), the independent congressional ethics watchdog. Punchbowl News previously reported the OCC had been examining allegations of an extramarital relationship between Gonzales and a staff member, Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, who worked in his office from 2021 until her death. Under House rules, members are prohibited from engaging in a “sexual relationship” with an employee under their supervision. 

Santos-Aviles, 35, died in September 2025 after pouring gasoline on herself and setting herself on fire at her home in Uvalde, Texas. She left behind an eight-year-old son and a husband, from whom she had been separated for several months. Family members maintained she did not intentionally start the fire. Surveillance footage obtained by investigators showed she was alone when the blaze began, and the Uvalde Police Department stated it did not suspect anyone else was involved or that foul play had occurred.

Reports about the alleged relationship emerged after her death. Gonzales has previously denied having an affair with Santos-Aviles.

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Nancy Mace lashes out as $1.9 million Capitol Hill home scandal implodes

Congresswoman Nancy Mace is under investigation for allegedly overcharging a taxpayer-funded program meant to provide out-of-town lawmakers for housing, meals, and travel expenses.

The House Ethics Committee is looking into whether Mace, a Republican from South Carolina, ‘engaged in improper reimbursement practices’ for her former $1.98 million Capitol Hill home she shared with her ex-fiancé.

Mace and Patrick Bryant, who broke off their 18-month engagement in 2023, were co-owners of a DC townhouse until 2024. That DC property is at the center of the new probe. 

Members of Congress are allowed to be reimbursed for housing expenses if they maintain a residence in their home district and Washington, DC.

But the program, launched in 2023, has drawn scrutiny because the reimbursement process does not require a detailed expenditures list for lawmakers to get their money back.

A new report by the Office of Congressional Conduct (OCC), a nonpartisan group that investigates misconduct on Capitol Hill, claims that Mace was overpaid $9,500 for her housing costs.

‘Information available to and reviewed by the OCC suggests that Rep. Mace was reimbursed more than the true costs for the property during several months in 2023 and 2024,’ the OCC report alleges. 

Mace did not speak with the OCC during their investigation, the report says. 

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SCOTUS Shuts Down New York’s Bid To Redistrict GOP Seat Ahead Of 2026 Midterms

The U.S. Supreme Court shut down a bid by New York courts to redistrict a Republican-controlled congressional seat ahead of the 2026 midterms on Monday.

In its 6-3 ruling, the high court granted an emergency application to temporarily stay (“pause”) a state judge’s efforts to redraw Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis’ congressional district. Malliotakis has represented New York’s 11th Congressional District since 2021 and won reelection by 28 points during the 2024 election.

As described by The Hill, “A state judge had ordered the boundaries be redrawn after ruling the district dilutes black and Latino voting strength in violation of the state constitution.” The Supreme Court’s Monday order “granted Malliotakis’s emergency application to block that ruling as the litigation proceeds, effectively restoring her existing district lines for the midterms.”

The high court noted that the New York court’s ruling “is stayed pending the disposition of the appeal in the New York state courts” and the filing of a petition at SCOTUS asking the justices to take up the case. The Supreme Court’s stay will terminate if it declines to hear the case or if it agrees to take up the case and renders a verdict on the matter.

Associate Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson would have denied Malliotakis’ request for relief.

Associate Justice Samuel Alito authored a concurring opinion in which he expressed agreement with the court’s decision and blasted the New York judge’s directive “that blatantly discriminates on the basis of race.” He noted how the “New York Supreme Court (that State’s trial-level court) ordered the New York Independent Redistricting Commission to draw a new congressional district for the express purpose of ensuring that ‘minority voters’ are able to elect the candidate of their choice.”

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