Tag: transparency

House kills effort to release all congressional sexual misconduct and harassment reports

The House on Wednesday voted to scuttle an effort by Republican Rep. Nancy Mace to shed more light on sexual misconduct allegations against members of Congress.

Mace, a conservative Republican who is running to be governor of South Carolina, forced a floor vote on her resolution directing the House Ethics Committee to make public all reports on allegations of congressional lawmakers and aides engaging in sexual misconduct or harassment.

But in a 357-65 vote, the House voted to refer the Mace resolution to committee — a move that effectively killed it.

The Ethics Committee had encouraged members to vote to refer the resolution. In a joint statement, the Republican and Democratic leaders of the committee argued it “could chill victim cooperation and witness participation in ongoing and future investigations” and would make it harder for the committee “to investigate and eliminate sexual misconduct in the House.”

“Here and elsewhere, perpetrators of sexual misconduct should never be shielded from responsibility for their misdeeds,” Chairman Michael Guest, R-Miss., and ranking member Mark DeSaulnier, D-Calif., said.

But, they added, “victims may be retraumatized by public disclosures of interim work product, excerpts of interview transcripts, and certain exhibits. And witnesses, who often only speak to the Committee confidentially or on condition of future anonymity, could fear retaliation if their cooperation is made public.”

Mace has spoken openly about her own experiences as a sexual assault survivor, and she’s been at the center of the fight over releasing the government’s Jeffrey Epstein files. She was one of just four House Republicans who teamed with Democrats on a discharge petition last fall that circumvented her own GOP leadership and eventually led to the Justice Department’s release of the Epstein files.

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Zohran Mamdani Has Already Broken His Promise to Be Transparent

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has come under fire for using the encrypted messaging app Signal to communicate with elected officials while conducting government business.

On the campaign trail, Mamdani repeatedly promised his administration would be transparent. Yet, a Politico report revealed that the mayor used Signal from a personal phone number to communicate with elected officials and political strategists. In at least one of these exchanges, he discussed official city business.

Three people with knowledge of the matter told POLITICO that as mayor Mamdani has used the encrypted messaging app to communicate with fellow elected officials and political advisers. In at least one instance, he’s discussed government business over the app, according to one of those people, who like the others, was granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive issue.

POLITICO independently confirmed that Mamdani’s Signal account, registered to his personal cell phone number, remains active.

Norman Siegel, a veteran First Amendment lawyer who previously helmed the New York Civil Liberties Union, said mayors should never use Signal to communicate with other government officials as a rule of thumb — and that there’s another particularly important reason why Mamdani himself should avoid the app.

“With our new mayor, so much of what he’s articulating is a breath of fresh air,” Siegel said. ”I would urge him to not engage in Signal or similar kinds of applications that basically are meant to hide information and prevent the public from knowing the inner workings of government.”

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Report: Jasmine Crockett Event Escorts Atlantic Reporter Out, Campaign Called Capitol Police on CNN Journalist

National media coverage of Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s Texas Senate campaign has led to direct confrontations with journalists, including the removal of an Atlantic reporter from a rally and a call to Capitol Police over a CNN reporter’s visit to a campaign office.

Semafor shared that security personnel directed Atlantic reporter Elaine Godfrey to leave a campaign rally for Rep. Jasmine Crockett in Texas on Monday. The outlet wrote that Godfrey has reported on Crockett in depth and that the coverage appeared to “frustrate” the congresswoman. Crockett had previously agreed to participate in a profile with the reporter last year, but later informed her that she was “shutting down the profile and revoking all provisions” before the story ran.

In a statement first shared with Semafor, Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg remarked, “In a democracy, elected officials answer questions from the press rather than hide from them. This is completely unacceptable behavior by Rep. Crockett and her team, and needs to be addressed immediately.” 

Semafor further noted that earlier this month Crockett’s campaign contacted the U.S. Capitol Police regarding CNN reporter Edward-Isaac Dovere, asserting he may have trespassed while attempting to visit a campaign office location. 

The developments raise broader questions about transparency and accountability given that Crockett is an elected official.  In December, after launching her Senate campaign, Crockett dodged questions during a CNN interview about her 2024 comments comparing Latino Trump supporters to slaves. When asked whether she believed Latino Trump voters had a “slave mentality,” she said that was not what the remarks meant but did not directly answer whether she stood by the comparison, instead arguing that some voters did not believe they were getting the policies they expected. 

The reported incidents also come as a recent poll found Crockett leading Talarico 56 percent to 44 percent, a 12-point advantage.

Democratic strategist James Carville expressed on the Politicon podcast that Crockett “violates the first rule of politics,” arguing that “in politics we always make it about the voters and never about yourself.” He added, “You listen to her talk. It’s a lot more about herself than it is to voters.” Carville further explained, “What wins elections is not sitting there talking about yourself,” and said winning elections is about “being part of framing issues and understanding where people are coming from,” concluding, “I don’t think Congressman Crockett is very good at that. I’ll be very frank.”

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Sources Blame Senator McConnell for UFO Transparency Law Failure

In 2025, Senator Mitch McConnell and his staff played a central role in the derailment of major Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) transparency legislation, according to sources who spoke to Liberation Times.

Sources identify Terry Carmack, McConnell’s chief of staff, as the staffer who they say pressed to have the UAP Disclosure Act (UAPDA) stripped from the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), after Representative Eric Burlison had submitted it as an amendment. 

One source claimed to Liberation Times, “Mitch has always worked against it [UAP disclosure] – he is the number one villain – number two is Terry.”

During a UAP hearing on 9 September 2025, convened by the House Oversight Committee’s Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, Burlison said he had only recently learned that his UAPDA amendment had not made it into the House NDAA package. 

He suggested the decision was made on ‘germaneness’ grounds—House procedure for whether an amendment is considered relevant to the underlying bill—and he added in frustration:

“Just last night, I tried to get an amendment onto the National Defense Authorization Act that fit in the germaneness [meaning relevant to a subject under consideration] of that bill to have UAP disclosure, and conveniently it was named non-germane, mostly deemed by staff, not even an elected official – this is the kind of stuff we repeatedly see.”

In a recent appearance on the Psicoactivo Podcast, Burlison said there was a final, narrow window to add the UAPDA during ‘conference’—the closed-door phase when House and Senate negotiators reconcile their competing NDAA versions into a single compromise bill. 

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Judge Orders Release of Secret Tyler Robinson Hearing in Charlie Kirk Assassination Case, Transparency Wins Over Defense Objections

A Utah judge has ruled that transcripts and audio from a previously sealed hearing in the high-profile assassination case of conservative icon Charlie Kirk will be made public, albeit with redactions.

Fourth District Court Judge Tony Graf announced during a Monday video hearing that a redacted transcript of an October 24 closed-door session will be released by the end of the following day, with audio potentially released within two weeks.

The decision comes amid intense scrutiny of the case against 22-year-old Tyler James Robinson, who is accused of fatally shooting Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, during a speaking event at Utah Valley University on September 10.

Kirk was struck by a single bullet to the neck while addressing thousands on campus as part of his “American Comeback Tour.” He leaves behind his wife, Erika Kirk, and two young children.

Robinson faces seven felony charges, including aggravated murder, a capital offense in Utah, where prosecutors are seeking the death penalty, potentially by firing squad.

The secret October hearing focused on whether Robinson could appear in future court proceedings in civilian clothing and without visible restraints.

Judge Graf ultimately ruled that Robinson could wear street clothes but must remain shackled for security reasons, citing the “extraordinarily serious” nature of the charges.

Defense attorney Staci Visser has vigorously fought against media access, arguing that cameras and public scrutiny could prejudice potential jurors and create an unfair trial.

During earlier proceedings, Visser complained about media capturing images of Robinson in shackles, stating, “We don’t want the chaos that is out in the media in this courtroom,” according to a report from the New York Post.

However, Kirk’s widow, Erika, has been a strong advocate for openness, pushing for cameras in the courtroom to allow the public to see Robinson and counter any emerging conspiracy theories surrounding her husband’s murder.

Media coalitions, including local and national outlets, have also demanded greater access, requesting limited redactions to sealed materials and the opportunity to challenge future closures.

Robinson has appeared mostly via video or audio from jail. His first in-person court appearance earlier this month showed him calm, even chuckling with his lawyers, while family members attended in support.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 18, with ongoing debates over media coverage expected to continue into January.

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Clinton Spox Releases Another Statement on Epstein File Dump

Clinton’s spokesperson called on the Justice Department to release the remaining photos of Bill Clinton buried in the Epstein files.

On Monday, Clinton spokesman Angel Ureña accused the Trump Administration of protecting someone or something after the DOJ partially released Epstein files last week.

The Justice Department last Friday released a new batch of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex-trafficking cases.

The trove of documents was released after a federal judge in New York recently ordered the release of Jeffrey Epstein documents related to a 2019 sex trafficking case.

Last month, President Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act into law to release all files related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.

The new trove of documents includes never-before-seen photos of Bill Clinton in a hot tub, swimming with a mystery woman.

The individual’s face was redacted which means she is either a sex-trafficking victim and or a minor.

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DOJ Wins Motion to Unseal Documents on Investigation into Trump Shooter Thomas Crooks

The Department of Justice announced that it successfully moved to unseal documents related to the investigation into would-be Trump assassin Thomas Crooks. 

“The Department of Justice received court approval to disclose to Congress documents gathered as part of the FBI’s investigation of Thomas Crooks and his attempt to assassinate President Trump,” the Western District of Pennsylvania announced on X.

A copy of the motion and order can be found here.

On July 13, Thomas Matthew Crooks shot President Trump in the ear from a nearby rooftop as he was speaking in Butler, Pennsylvania. One rallygoer was killed in the shooting, and two were injured.

Questions still remain surrounding the failure by law enforcement and Secret Service to secure the area, as well as Crooks’s background.

Crooks used a range finder device and flew a drone at the Butler rally site between approximately 3:50 and 4:05 pm that day, during a period when the Secret Service was allegedly experiencing connectivity issues.

An eyewitness at the scene told the BBC that several people witnessed the shooter crawling on the roof of a local building with a rifle before Trump was shot, but they did not act until Trump was shot. According to later reports, a police officer encountered the shooter on the roof but let him go after he pointed the gun at him and before he shot Trump.

It seems unlikely we will get answers, as the FBI recently concluded that he acted alone.

The records sought by the DOJ, “such as telephone and internet service providers, email services, financial institutions, and others,” relate to the grand jury investigation and were obtained under a grand jury subpoena.

“The United States seeks to disclose pre-existing business records that were created for purposes independent of the Crooks grand jury investigation. Disclosure will reveal only the information contained in the documents, and will not reveal what, if anything, occurred before the grand jury,” the motion reads.

“By moving to unseal these documents, we hope to give the American people more answers about that fateful day in Butler, Pennsylvania,” Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on X, touting the Trump Administration as “the most transparent administration in American history.”

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Epstein files release in chaos as Trump officials scramble to redact thousands of documents hours before deadline

Donald Trump‘s Department of Justice is working around the clock to redact thousands of pages from the Epstein files before their legally required release Friday.

White House officials are bracing for the release of the files after Trump has been the subject of rampant speculation about his connection to Epstein. 

Also believed to be in the files are former President Bill Clinton, the former Prince Andrew, and others.

There are fears that the same rushed workflow and deadline could lead to similar mistakes to the release of the JFK assassination files, which unintentionally revealed the social security numbers of more than 200 people. 

Pam Bondi’s DOJ lawyers are worried that the the Justice Department’s National Security Division don’t have the proper guidance on how to provide the most information legally possible. 

Attorneys for the DOJ are reportedly working on over 1,000 documents per week to get the files ready in time to meet their deadline, CNN reported. 

They must be able to edit the files to protect the victims of the late billionaire pedophile and meet executive and legal privacy requirements. Many are preparing for more to be redacted than is legally necessary. 

‘Either they’re going to screw it up or they’re going to withhold things. It wouldn’t surprise me. Some of it may be incompetence as much as deliberate,’ a non-DOJ lawyer awaiting the release said. 

The DOJ has asked additional counter-intelligence specialists to drop everything else they were doing to process the files. Some refused the assignment.  

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UFO Transparency Stalls Again as Congressional Leaders Fail to Act Despite Growing Attention

Congressional leadership has abandoned full enactment of the proposed Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Disclosure Act (UAPDA) after it was not included in the final National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2026, due to be signed by President Trump.

Liberation Times understands that the proposed legislation—first introduced in 2023 by then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (Democrat) and Senator Mike Rounds (Republican), a member of the Senate Intelligence and Armed Services Committees—now faces an uncertain future.

After initial resistance in 2023—reportedly from some in House and Senate leadership—a mostly gutted version of the UAPDA was ultimately enacted via the 2024 NDAA. 

In response, Senators Schumer and Rounds entered into a colloquy on the Senate floor expressing their disappointment with House Republicans and pledged to continue pursuing the full legislation, including the creation of an independent Review Board: a nine-member panel of U.S. citizens appointed by the President, and confirmed by the Senate. 

Under the proposal, the Board would have authority to assess and advise on the public release of UAP-related information and records, alongside provisions requiring the government to secure possession of any recovered UAP material and related biological evidence that may have been transferred to private entities—potentially placing it beyond the reach of Congress and the American public.

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Taxpayers Asked To Fund A Hospital Takeover They’re Not Allowed To See

When Connecticut lawmakers pushed the UConn Health hospital acquisition bill through the November special session — without a public hearing — it was clear transparency was not the priority.  

Now UConn Health, the state-run hospital system preparing to spend roughly half a billion taxpayer dollars acquiring Waterbury Hospital, has taken that secrecy a step further. Under the legislation rushed through the November special session — which authorizes UConn Health not just to purchase Waterbury Hospital but potentially to acquire additional struggling hospitals in the future — the financial stakes extend far beyond a single transaction. Yet in its Certificate of Need filing, UConn has asked state regulators to seal its cost and market impact review (CMIR) — the central analysis used to evaluate how the deal would affect prices, competition, access, and the financial risks taxpayers may ultimately assume.

The legislature avoided public scrutiny when passing the legislation. UConn Health is now avoiding scrutiny on the financials themselves. 

According to its filing, UConn Health plans to invest $195 million in Waterbury Hospital over the next two years, including $13 million paid directly to Prospect Medical Holdings, the California based, bankrupt for-profit chain that allowed the hospital to deteriorate. But the upfront investment represents only a small portion of the true cost. The bulk will come from $390 million in UConn 2000 bonds, state-backed debt. Once interest is included, taxpayers will ultimately shoulder roughly $500 million. 

The financial risk is not theoretical. It falls squarely on Connecticut residents. 

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