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June 13, 2025 - USAID official and three corporate executives plead guilty to decade-long bribery scheme involving over $550 million in contracts

(Credit: TheRealStateofAmerica/Instagram)

Four men, including a government contracting officer for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and three owners and presidents of companies, have pleaded guilty for their roles in a decade-long bribery scheme involving at least 14 prime contracts worth over $550 million in U.S. taxpayer dollars.

  • Roderick Watson, 57, of Woodstock, Maryland, who worked as a USAID contracting officer, pleaded guilty to bribery of a public official;
  • Walter Barnes, 46, of Potomac, Maryland, who was the owner and president of PM Consulting Group LLC doing business as Vistant (Vistant), a certified small business under the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 8(a) contracting program, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official and securities fraud;
  • Darryl Britt, 64, of Myakka City, Florida, who was the owner and president of Apprio, Inc. (Apprio), a certified small business under the SBA 8(a) contracting program, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official; and
  • Paul Young, 62, of Columbia, Maryland, who was the president of a subcontractor to Vistant and Apprio, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official.

In addition, Apprio and Vistant, both of which contracted with USAID, have agreed to admit criminal liability and enter into three-year deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs) in connection with criminal informations filed today in the District of Maryland. As part of these resolutions, both Apprio and Vistant admitted to engaging in a conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official and securities fraud. The DPAs entered into with Apprio and Vistant require each company to, among other obligations, provide ongoing cooperation with and disclosures to the Justice Department, implement a compliance and ethics program, and report to Justice Department regarding remediation and implementation of these compliance measures.

“The defendants sought to enrich themselves at the expense of American taxpayers through bribery and fraud,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their scheme violated the public trust by corrupting the federal government’s procurement process. Anybody who cares about good and effective government should be concerned about the waste, fraud, and abuse in government agencies, including USAID. Those who engage in bribery schemes to exploit the U.S. Small Business Administration’s vital economic programs for small businesses — whether individuals or corporations acting through them — will be held to account.”

“Watson was entrusted to serve the interests of the American people — not his own — and his criminal actions for his own personal gain undermine the integrity of our public institutions,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “Public trust is a hallmark of our nation’s values, so corruption within a federal government agency is intolerable. This office, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to pursue and prosecute corruption at every level to ensure accountability and protect public trust.”

“The guilty pleas reflect the FBI’s unwavering commitment to holding accountable all those who abuse the authority and responsibility of public service,” said Assistant Director Joe Perez of the FBI’s Criminal Division. “The actions of the defendants in this scheme serve to erode public trust. The FBI is focused on rebuilding this trust and protecting American taxpayers from corruption through investigations such as these.”

“Corruption in government programs will not be tolerated. Watson abused his position of trust for personal gain while federal contractors engaged in a pay-to-play scheme,” said Acting Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Sean Bottary of the USAID Office of Inspector General (USAID-OIG). “USAID-OIG is firmly committed to rooting out fraud and corruption within U.S. foreign assistance programs. Today’s announcement underscores our unwavering focus on exposing criminal activity, including bribery schemes by those entrusted to faithfully award government contracts. We appreciate our longstanding partnership with the Department of Justice in holding accountable those who defraud American taxpayers.”

“Watson exploited his position at USAID to line his pockets with bribes in exchange for more than $550 million in contracts. While he helped three company owners and presidents bypass the fair bidding process, he was showered with cash and lavish gifts,” said Chief Guy Ficco of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). “Through its financial crime investigations, IRS-CI works to protect taxpayer dollars and ensure government funds are awarded based on merit — not corruption. In close coordination with our law enforcement partners, IRS-CI helped put an end to their greed and criminal conduct. Now, Watson and his co-conspirators will face justice.”

Overview of Bribery Scheme

According to court documents, beginning in 2013, Watson, while a USAID contracting officer, agreed with Britt to receive bribes in exchange for using Watson’s influence to award contracts to Apprio. As a certified small business under the SBA 8(a) contracting program, which helps socially and economically disadvantaged businesses, Apprio could access lucrative federal contracting opportunities through set-asides and sole-source contracts exclusively available to eligible contractors without a competitive bid process.

Vistant was a subcontractor to Apprio on one of the contracts awarded through Watson’s influence. After Apprio graduated from the SBA 8(a) program and it was no longer eligible to be a prime contractor for new contracts with USAID under this program, the scheme shifted so that Vistant became the prime contractor and Apprio became the subcontractor on USAID contracts awarded through Watson’s influence between 2018 and 2022.

During the scheme, Britt and Barnes paid bribes to Watson that were often concealed by passing them through Young, who was the president of another subcontractor to Apprio and Vistant. Britt and Barnes also regularly funneled bribes to Watson, including cash, laptops, thousands of dollars in tickets to a suite at an NBA game, a country club wedding, down payments on two residential mortgages, cellular phones, and jobs for relatives. The bribes were also often concealed through electronic bank transfers falsely listing Watson on payroll, incorporated shell companies, and false invoices. Watson is alleged to have received bribes valued at more than approximately $1 million as part of the scheme.

In exchange for the bribe payments, Watson influenced the award of contracts to Apprio and Vistant by manipulating the procurement process at USAID through various means, including recommending their companies to other USAID decisionmakers for non-competitive contract awards, disclosing sensitive procurement information during the competitive bidding process, providing positive performance evaluations to a government agency, and approving decisions on the contracts, such as increased funding and a security clearance.

Apprio and Vistant also agreed to resolve concurrently with the Justice Department in its separate Civil False Claims Act investigations relating to the bribery scheme.

Overview of Vistant Securities Fraud Scheme

According to court documents, in 2022, Barnes and Watson defrauded a licensed small business investment company (SBIC), in furtherance of the bribery scheme, by inducing it into executing a credit agreement with Vistant. Through the credit agreement, Barnes caused Vistant to issue stock warrants that, if exercised, would result in the SBIC having a 40% equity stake in Vistant. The credit agreement also provided for a $14 million loan to Vistant from which Barnes could pay himself a $10 million dividend. Prior to executing the credit agreement, Watson agreed at Barnes’s request to speak with the SBIC about Vistant’s performance as a government contractor on USAID contracts. When speaking with the SBIC, Watson omitted that Barnes had bribed Watson to obtain USAID contracts for years. Watson’s endorsement of Vistant thereafter induced the SBIC to enter into the credit agreement with Barnes.

Overview of Apprio Securities Fraud Scheme

According to court documents, in 2023, Apprio, acting through Britt, engaged in a scheme in which Apprio fraudulently induced a private equity firm, which had an investment pool that was licensed as a SBIC, to purchase from Apprio’s parent company a 20% equity stake in the company for $4 million and simultaneously extend it a $4 million loan secured by shares of Apprio stock. In addition to making false material representations in the stock purchase and loan agreements, Britt intentionally omitted during his negotiations the material fact that he had bribed Watson for years, which was intended to deceive and induce the private equity company into executing the agreements.

Deferred Prosecution Agreements with Apprio and Vistant

The Justice Department reached its resolution with Apprio based on several factors, including Apprio’s credit for clearly accepting responsibility for its criminal conduct, fully cooperating in the investigation and engaging in timely remedial measures. Based on these factors, the criminal penalty calculated under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines reflects a 10% reduction off the bottom of the applicable Guidelines fine range pursuant to the Criminal Division Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy (CEP). According to court documents, Apprio agreed that the appropriate criminal penalty based on the law and facts in its case is $51,673,185; however, Apprio also met its burden of establishing an inability to pay the criminal penalty sought. Based on the Justice Department’s independent analysis, it determined that paying a criminal penalty and civil settlement greater than $500,000 would substantially threaten the continued viability of Apprio. Accordingly, the Justice Department determined that the appropriate resolution of this case is a DPA and a payment of $500,000 in a civil settlement.

Similarly, the Justice Department reached its resolution with Vistant based on a number of factors, including Vistant’s credit for clearly accepting responsibility for its criminal conduct and cooperating with the investigation. Although Vistant’s cooperation was initially delayed and limited, Vistant began to fully cooperate thereafter. Vistant also received credit for engaging in timely remedial measures. Based on these factors, the penalty calculated under the Guidelines reflects a 5% reduction off the bottom of the applicable Guidelines fine range pursuant to the CEP. Vistant agreed that the appropriate criminal penalty based on the law and facts in its case is $86,407,740; however, Vistant also met its burden of establishing an inability to pay the criminal penalty sought. Based on the Justice Department’s independent analysis, it determined that paying a criminal penalty and civil settlement greater than $100,000 would substantially threaten the continued viability of Vistant. Accordingly, the Justice Department determined that the appropriate resolution of this case is a DPA and a payment of $100,000 in a civil settlement.

Watson is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 6, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Young is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 3 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Britt is scheduled to be sentenced on July 28 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Barnes is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 14 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

The FBI, USAID-OIG, and IRS-CI are investigating the cases.

Trial Attorneys Matt Kahn and Brandon Burkart of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Kibbe for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the cases.

(Office of Public Affairs/DOJ, 6/13/2025)  (Archive)

June 14, 2025 - The unholy union of Huma Abedin and Alex Soros

June 14, 2025 - French newspaper Le Monde finally discovers the Ukrainian Army is rife with Neo-Nazis

Ukrainian Nazis: a bigger problem than the media will ever acknowledge. (Credit: The Gateway Pundit)

The western media has been willingly blind to one of the worst-kept geopolitical secrets of our times: that the heroic ‘defenders of democracy’ in Ukraine are, in many cases, a bunch of Neo-Nazis running around unchecked.

The French premier newspaper Le Monde has just released the result of a 10-day investigation on the 3rd assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and to their ‘surprise’ and dismay found out that the militants go around openly and proudly wearing neo-Nazi symbols.

Of course, no one needed the Le Monde deep dive, since the information is readily available about the Nazi Azov Brigades and their heirs of the 3rd assault brigade.

And, what’s more, no one is hiding the fact that the Nazi collaborator and war criminal Stephan Bandera has been turned into a Ukrainian national hero.

Slavyangrad reported:

“According to Le Monde, hundreds of servicemen of the 3rd Assault Brigade — the direct heirs of the Azov Regiment — continue to openly use Nazi symbols. The photo shows swastikas, greeting gestures, and SS emblems.

Despite the ‘reform’ and the formal inclusion of the brigade in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, radical symbols have not disappeared. Journalists note: this is not a matter of chance, but of a conscious choice – either based on ideological convictions or as a tool of intimidation.

On June 14, in Kiev, on the day of the ‘March of Equality’ [Gay Pride], radicals from the ‘Carpathian Sich’ held an alternative ‘March of Tradition’. Participants were captured on camera demonstrating a Nazi salute.”

Watch: Nazi salutes, swastikas, SS emblems… Le Monde Investigation on the 3rd assault brigade.

(Clipping from LeMonde video)

(Read more: The Gateway Pundit: 6/23/2025) (Archive)

June 14, 2025 - Highlights of Democrat Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses shot in their homes

Authorities reportedly have identified Vance Boelter as the top suspect in the killings of Democratic Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, as well as wounding Democratic Minnesota State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, on Saturday, according to The Associated Press.

Law enforcement believes that Vance Luther Boelter allegedly killed Hortman and her husband early Saturday morning before going on to shoot and seriously injure Democratic State Sen. John Hoffman of Minnesota and his wife, according to the AP.

Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz reportedly tapped Boelter in 2019 to serve on the Governor’s Workforce Development Board after having previously served on the Governor’s Workforce Development Council under former Democratic Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, according to the New York Post.

Police said they encountered the shooter, who they reportedly believe to be Boelter, at Hortman’s home and exchanged fire before the individual managed to slip away. The individual who engaged law enforcement at the scene posed as a policeman in order to carry out the attacks on Hortman and Hoffman.

Police found “No Kings” signs in the suspect’s vehicle, and advised residents not to attend planned anti-Trump “No Kings” protests in a Facebook post. Walz stated that Hortman’s murder was a “politically-motivated assassination” during a Saturday news conference, and authorities said they have recovered a manifesto as well as a list of other targets. (Read more: The Daily Caller, 6/14/2025)  (Archive)

REPORT: CNN reports that the suspect in the Minnesota shooting had a list of 70 names of political leaders and locations, including abortion clinics.

Here is what we know, according to CNN:

– Law enforcement found a “hit list” with about 70 names on it.

– Names included “abortion providers, pro-abortion rights advocates, and lawmakers in Minnesota and other states.”

– A Father’s Day card was found that was addressed to the suspect in a bag full of ammo.

– Flyers that said “No Kings” were found in the vehicle.

– The suspect, who has been identified as Vance Boelter by the AP, had a tactical vest on.

Minnesota Gunman Vance Boelter’s Wife Detained for Questioning After Traffic Stop Uncovers Gun, Ammo, Cash, and Multiple Passports

 

Vance and Jennifer Boelter (Credit: public domain)

June 14, 2025 - A North Carolina state Rep calls for President Trump’s beheading while displaying effigies of the decapitated heads of Trump and Stephen Miller

North Carolina Rep. Julie Von Hoelen (Credit: Libs of Tok Tok)Rep. Julie von Haefen attended the “No Kings” protest yesterday in North Carolina holding an effigy of what appeared to be the decapitated heads of Trump and his senior policy advisor Stephen Miller.

“Amazing turnout all across the Triangle today, including this event at the Capitol hosted by @wakedems and @ncdemocrats #lfg #nokings #nokingsprotest #nokingsinamerica #raleigh #raleighnc,” she wrote in a Facebook post.

As well as the gruesome heads of Trump and Miller, von Haefen appeared to be waving a banner that said: “In These Difficult Times, Some Cuts May Be Necessary.”

Stephen Miller’s forehead was also engraved with a swastika, a reference to Nazi symbolism. Miller himself is Jewish.

(…) Von Haefen appears to be sheltering herself from criticism by locking her X account.

The stunt brings back memories of the disgraced comedian Kathy Griffin, whose career and life went into meltdown after she held up a photo of Trump’s decapitated head shortly after he took office in 2017. (Read more: The Gateway Pundit, 6/15/2025)  (Archive)

June 15, 2025 - Japan releases bombshell vax vs. unvax data on 18 million people

(Credit: The Vigilant Fox)

A COVID vaccine database covering 18 million citizens has just been released for the first time.

After reviewing the data, a top professor warned: “The more doses you get, the sooner you’re likely to die.”

The most terrifying finding was a deadly spike just 3 to 4 months after the final shot.

On June 15th, a group of brave Japanese truth seekers did what their government wouldn’t—they released a bombshell broadcast exposing vaccine data from over 18 million people.

Journalist Masako Ganaha posted on X: “If the government won’t do it, then the people should investigate the mass deaths of Japanese people! Database of 18 million vaccinated people revealed for the first time!”

The video featured Member of the House of Representatives Kazuhiro Haraguchi, Dr. Yasufumi Murakami, and the Information Disclosure Request Team.

Dr. Yasufumi Murakami isn’t just some fringe voice. He’s a respected professor at the Tokyo University of Science, where he serves as vice director at the Research Center for RNA Science.

He holds a Doctor of Pharmaceutical Science from the University of Tokyo and has authored over 100 scientific publications.

But when the data went public, things got deeply unsettling.

Pharma insider Aussie17 shared a clip from the broadcast on X.

(…) Then came a graph that was impossible to ignore. It showed a clear pattern: the more vaccine doses a person received, the sooner they died after their final shot.

The title translates to: “Number of days from final vaccination to death and number of deaths.”

The note on the right reads: “As the number of vaccine doses increases, the peak in deaths appears sooner.”

(Read more: The Vigilant Fox, 6/17/2025)  (Archive)

 

June 16, 2025 - FBI gives Congress intel on alleged Chinese plot to create fake mail-in ballots in 2020

According to Patel, the documents reveal that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was involved in a scheme using fake IDs to fraudulently obtain and cast mail-in ballots in favour of Biden. (Credit: public domain)

EXCLUSIVE: @FBIDirectorKash & @FBIDDBongino: Expose the FBI and Gascón’s Konnech–CCP Election Software Cover-Up

Strong evidence shows that corrupt FBI officials and former LADA George Gascón deliberately concealed CCP infiltration of U.S. election systems—because exposing it would have politically benefited
@realDonaldTrump @Kash_Patel & @dbongino now have a rare opportunity: expose how deeply politicized the FBI became, remove CCP-controlled software from America’s elections, and finish an investigation that was already 90% complete before it was sabotaged.

At the center of the scandal is Konnech, a Michigan-based election software company secretly developed and financed by two Chinese firms—Jinhua Yulian Network and Jinhua Hongzheng Technology—under contract with China’s National People’s Congress and in partnership with state-owned giants like Huawei, China Telecom, China Unicom, China Mobile, and Lenovo.

Konnech’s flagship product, PollChief, is used to manage poll worker scheduling, equipment deployment, and logistics in major U.S. cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Detroit, Washington D.C., Fairfax County, and St. Louis.

In early 2021, @TrueTheVote’s Catherine Engelbrecht and Gregg Phillips discovered that Konnech was storing the personally identifiable information (PII) of U.S. election workers, judges, and voters on servers in China. Using open-source tools like Binary Edge, they traced PollChief to Chinese IP addresses—where they found unsecured databases containing names, Social Security numbers, addresses, bank information, voter roll data, polling location schematics, provisional ballot serial numbers, and even passwords for voting machines.

They alerted FBI field offices in Detroit and San Antonio, where agents took the threat seriously and launched a 15-month counterintelligence investigation. But in April 2022—just before the release of Dinesh D’Souza’s 2000 Mules, a film on 2020 election fraud featuring True the Vote—FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. intervened and flipped the investigation on its head.

Field agents warned Engelbrecht and Phillips that they, not Konnech, were now considered the threat. Two senior female FBI officials in Washington D.C. were reportedly preparing criminal charges against them rather than Konnech’s CEO Eugene Yu. Engelbrecht was warned she and Phillips might be prosecuted for accessing Konnech’s data on Chinese servers.

The FBI even tipped off Konnech about the investigation—compromising the case—and began circulating internal accusations that Phillips had committed cybercrimes, referring those allegations to the CIA and NSA. Phillips said their goal was to “Roger Stone” him—publicly smear and criminalize him as they had done to Trump allies.

In fear for their safety, a field agent advised Engelbrecht and Phillips to take the “nuclear option”—go public. On August 13, 2022, they did just that at The Pit, a closed-door briefing in Arizona with 200 cybersecurity experts, journalists, and election integrity investigators.

Two weeks later, Konnech sued them. In a stunning series of courtroom actions, Engelbrecht and Phillips were jailed and held in solitary confinement—until the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered their immediate release. The FBI stood by and let it happen. After their release, they published thousands of documents exposing Konnech’s ties to China. Within days, Konnech dropped the lawsuit.

Meanwhile, independent researchers quickly pieced together Eugene Yu’s background. Born in China, Jianwei Yu (于建伟) graduated from Zhejiang University in 1982 and worked for the CCP from 1983 to 1985 as a project manager in the Guangzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone. He moved to the U.S. in 1986 to pursue an MBA at Wake Forest University.

In 2002, Yu founded Konnech. By November 2005, he had launched a Chinese subsidiary—Jinhua Yulian Network—funded and overseen by the CCP. That same year, he was profiled as an “overseas scholar” in a Chinese-language publication by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) and the American Zhu Kezhen Education Foundation (AZKEF).

CAST is a formal CCP arm linking Chinese leadership with overseas scientists and technologists. AZKEF, where Yu served on the finance committee, flew U.S. researchers—including Harvard’s Charles Lieber—to Chinese universities. Lieber was later arrested for failing to disclose his ties to China’s Thousand Talents Plan, one of the CCP’s many programs that recruit foreign experts to encourage the illicit transfer of intellectual property back to China.

Konnech’s Chinese ties ran deep. It partnered with Michigan State University’s Confucius Institute, developed software in CCP-run tech parks, and directly served China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

On January 25, 2006, Yu’s Chinese company was accepted into the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Jinhua Science and Technology Park—a CCP-controlled tech incubator. From that point on, Jinhua Yulian Network and Konnech, were financed, developed, and controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.

Just a month later, on February 25, 2006, Yu registered the domain yu-lian .cn for Jinhua Yulian Network using his Konnech email address (eyu@konnech .com). Archived versions of the company’s Chinese-language website show Yu praising “Comrade Jiang Zemin” and the Chinese Communist Party, while promoting Konnech’s software products used by the National People’s Congress, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Election Management Solutions Detroit, and U.S. Overseas Voters.

In December 2006, Konnech partnered with the Confucius Institute to build a Chinese communication platform called ChineseBrief .com. Yu registered CNBrief LLC, launched www.cnbrief .com, and displayed a banner in Chinese that translated to: “Chinese Brief – Overseas Chinese Network.”

Confucius Institutes are CCP-funded cultural centers embedded in Western universities that U.S. intelligence agencies and lawmakers have long warned operate under the direction of the CCP.

On July 18, 2007, an archived Chinese government website showed Yu offering a 5 million yuan (~$700,000 USD) software development contract on behalf of Jinhua Yulian Network, again using his Konnech email address and website.

From Just the News:

The newly declassified intelligence reports from August 2020 weren’t corroborated or fully investigated and instead were recalled from intelligence agencies at about the time that then-FBI Director Chris Wray testified there were no known plots of foreign interference ahead of the 2020 election in which Biden defeated Donald Trump, officials told Just the News.

The new documents were turned over to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who had first raised concerns to the bureau that the intelligence hadn’t been fully vetted, and instead was just dismissed even though there was evidence of the fake licenses.

“Thanks to the oversight work and partnership of Chairman Grassley, the FBI continues to provide unprecedented transparency at the people’s Bureau,” Patel told Just the News in a statement. “To that end, we have located documents Chairman Grassley requested, which detail alarming allegations related to the 2020 U.S. election.

“Specifically, these include allegations of plans from the CCP to manufacture fake driver’s licenses and ship them into the United States for the purpose of facilitating fraudulent mail-in ballots – allegations which, while substantiated, were abruptly recalled and never disclosed to the public,” Patel also said.

“In accordance with Chairman Grassley’s request for documents, I have immediately declassified the material and turned the document over to the Chairman for further review.”

(Read more: Just the News, 6/17/2025)  (Archive)

UPDATE:

In December 2020 a Chinese Whistleblower Sent The Gateway Pundit Video, Photos of Alleged Chinese Counterfeit US Ballot Printing Operations – This Week the FBI Confirmed This Chinese Counterfeit Ballot Manufacturing Operation Was Real …Update: YouTube Took Down the Video But We Still Have Them Posted Below

June 17, 2025 - Letitia James directed funds to Hochul's husband’s firm before her $10M shield

Kathy Hochul is sworn in on August 24, 2021, as William Hochul holds the Bible, shortly after Andrew Cuomo’s resignation. (Credit: Getty images)

Twenty-four hours.

That’s how long it took between The Guardian reporting that a federal grand jury had been impaneled in Virginia to investigate New York Attorney General Letitia James and the NY Post revealing that Governor Kathy Hochul had secured a $10 million taxpayer-funded legal defense shield, and sources confirming the FBI had opened a formal criminal investigation into James.

For two decades, James built her career prosecuting financial fraud. She secured a $355 million judgment against Donald Trump for property misrepresentations. She declared “no one is above the law.”

But when these federal investigations escalated in May, the pattern was already clear: over the prior year, the Attorney General had begun channeling taxpayer funds to the firm employing the Governor’s husband. By the time Hochul approved a $10 million legal shield for James, those payments were ongoing—and would ultimately total $483,404.

The numbers tell the story:

Fourteen months—how long Davis Polk & Wardwell went without receiving a single payment from the Attorney General’s office, despite having a $325,000 contract.

Four months—how long after the Governor’s husband joined Davis Polk’s White Collar Defense unit before the first payment finally arrived: $231,644.

Sixteen months—how long payments flowed to the Governor’s husband’s firm before James needed federal protection.

Twelve days after the FBI investigation was confirmed, Hochul was standing before reporters, her voice rising: “Hell, yeah,” federal prosecutors were targeting Democrats.

This is the story of what the public records reveal about power protecting power in New York

Timeline: Key Events

Date Event What the Records Show
Feb 1, 2023 Davis Polk contract begins (Contract C106569, $325,000) No payments flow for 14 months
Jan 2, 2024 William Hochul joins Davis Polk ($949,946 in 2024) Governor’s husband enters White Collar Defense unit
Jan 31, 2024 Contract C106569 expires No visible authority for continued payments
Mar 8, 2024 Expired contract approved/filed 37 days after expiration—unusual delay
Apr 30, 2024 First AG payment to Davis Polk ($231,644) Four months after William Hochul joined
Aug 23, 2024 Contract amended (+$250,000, extends to Jan 2026) Total value now $575,000
Dec 17, 2024 Our investigative reporting begins on James’s financial issues Campaign spending, financial disclosures questioned
Mar 18, 2025 Gilbert publishes HAMP ineligibility article Brooklyn property mortgage fraud exposed
Mar 18, 2025 Our investigation exposes handwritten mortgage modifications Evidence of retroactive document changes to circumvent federal lending rules
Apr 1, 2025 Virginia residency declaration exposed James’s false “principal residence” claim revealed
Apr 14, 2025 FHFA criminal referral to DOJ Federal agency accuses James of falsifying documents
Apr 18, 2025 James’s office calls allegations “baseless” on social media Official AG accounts used for personal defense
May 8, 2025 Guardian reports federal grand jury impaneled in Virginia Investigation escalates to criminal proceedings
May 8, 2025 NY Post reports FBI investigation in Northern District Multipronged federal investigation confirmed
May 8, 2025 Hochul’s budget passes with $10M legal defense fund For employees facing federal “retaliation”
May 21, 2025 Hochul: “Hell, yeah” investigations are political Public defense of federal investigation target

The Player Enters

On January 2, 2024, William Hochul Jr. walked into Davis Polk’s Manhattan offices for his first day of work. The Governor’s husband had left his position at Delaware North for a prestigious role in the firm’s White Collar Defense & Investigations unit.

His compensation: $949,946 during 2024

His specialty: defending clients against federal criminal investigations.

Twenty-nine days later, the Attorney General’s contract with Davis Polk expired.

The Paperwork Problem

What happened next raises questions about basic government accountability.

State contracting rules require prompt filing of agreements. But Contract C106569 sat unfiled for 401 days after it began—including 37 days after the contract had already expired. This delay is extraordinary—most government contracts are filed immediately or within days of execution.

When it finally surfaced on March 8, 2024, state records offered no explanation for the delay. According to State Comptroller definitions, this “Transaction Approved/Filed Date” represents “the date the transaction was approved by the Comptroller’s Office or the date that a State authority contract was filed with the Office of the State Comptroller.”

Public records show no amendment authorizing payments during the gap. No emergency extension. Just a contract approved/filed well after it had expired—a contract that had generated zero payments since its February 2023 inception.

What work, if any, Davis Polk performed during this period remains unclear from available records. What’s certain is that no payments were authorized or made. (Read more: White Collar Fraud, 6/17/2025)  (Archive)

June 18, 2025 - A Dangerous Moment – The Targeting of Tulsi Gabbard

(Credit: Conservative Treehouse)

For the sake of urgency I’m going to talk in direct and bold terms about the targeting of Tulsi Gabbard. The IC system is attempting to remove her as a disruptive influence by using Iran as a wedge to get her out, but the issue they have with Director Gabbard has nothing to do with Iran.

CTH approaches this after being very concerned about Tulsi Gabbard’s ability.  Not because of intent, but rather we doubted her understanding of the scope of the IC opposition aligned against an effective Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

Gabbard started out with these weaknesses, but she learned quickly – grasped the opposition– and has become a transformative force within the Intelligence Community.  Director Gabbard’s recent efforts within the Intelligence Community Inspector General office is another feather in her cap of competence.  Gabbard is now a threat.

If President Trump allows or supports the removal of DNI Gabbard, he is opening up the backplate of his armor, and making himself vulnerable.

The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Chairman Tom Cotton, the disassembled National Intelligence Council and a host of Intelligence Community embeds would like to see Gabbard removed.   DC wants to see her removed because the traditional role of the DNI has been a willfully blind tool of the Intelligence Community; Gabbard is not that.

As DNI Mrs Tulsi Gabbard has ♦ chased down intelligence community leakers, ♦ released the JFK files, ♦ released Joe Biden’s domestic terrorism surveillance plan, ♦ intercepted an NIC plot to impeach President Trump (confirmed by Rubio), ♦ taken control of the Presidential Daily Briefing, ♦ and more recently begun to confront the weaponized corruption within the IC Inspector General organization. These are actions, not words, and those actions speak boldly.  Suffice to say, her effectiveness has placed a target on her back.

In the past few weeks, ever since she began intercepting the ICIG issues and using her own personnel to monitor the IC network, she has been targeted with several direct smear campaigns. It is obvious the targeting is coming from inside the intelligence apparatus, and perhaps even the orbit around/under CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

Tulsi Gabbard did make a strange video about nuclear weapons contrast against the horrific outcomes in Japan, but that seemed to be more of a personal video entry expressing a deep concern about nuclear weapons from her own perspectives.  I said it was weird when I saw it, but I put that expression into the context of ‘surfboard Tulsi‘, the DNI peacenik. No biggie.

However, with the Israel -v- Iran conflict encompassing the White House, there is a transparent objective to weaponize Tulsi Gabbard’s activity as a contrast against President Trump supporting military conflict in Iran.

This contrast is being stimulated by the same elements who want to see her removed for the reasons noted above.

The latest narrative du jour in the files includes:

WASHINGTON DC – […] Trump has increasingly mused about nixing Gabbard’s office completely, an idea he floated when he gave her the job. In the White House there have been discussions about folding its mandate into the CIA or another agency, according to one of the people familiar with his response to the video and two others familiar with the matter — though it’s unclear what that would mean for Gabbard. The Director of National Intelligence serves as the president’s principal intelligence adviser and oversees the sprawling U.S. spy community. (link)

First, “nixing Gabbard’s office completely” is exactly what the bad elements of the Intelligence Community would love to see.  Second, “folding its mandate into the CIA” is like a dream come true for the darkest elements of the IC and Senate enablers. And Third, “serves as the president’s principal intelligence adviser” is false.  That’s the job of the National Security Advisor, Marco Rubio.

If there is one hope amid this looming and increasing drumbeat to remove her, it is that Marco Rubio likely can see exactly what the motives and intentions are from his former colleagues.  The elements targeting DNI Gabbard all come from SSCI Chairman Marco Rubio’s old tribe.

SoS/NSA Rubio might save her, as too may Vice President JD Vance.  Both of them are at the perfect distance to see the assembled drumbeat against Gabbard for what it is, a coordinated Intelligence Community operation.  At least that is my hope.

I am not confident they will succeed removing her.  However, what I am confident about is that if DNI Tulsi Gabbard is removed, she will not be replaced, and that’s as good as a win for the bad actors trying to target and survive Trump.

President Trump has no more juice or influence in the Senate.  That time is over.  Trump has exhausted all of the political capital he held in the upper chamber.  Every Republican Senator now smiles, nods and does whatever the heck they want regardless of how it impacts President Trump.  This is especially true for the SSCI who would control confirmation of a DNI replacement.  They Republicans do not have to pretend any longer, Trump’s juice is gone.

If President Trump allows the Brutus crew in his orbit to isolate, ridicule and marginalize Tulsi Gabbard, he will be putting a significant part of his administration at risk.  This is the Six Ways from Sunday crowd.  (Read more: Conservative Treehouse, 6/18/2025)  (Archive)

June 18, 2025 - What Tulsi Gabbard actually said in her opening statement regarding Iran’s nuclear program

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard delivers opening remarks at a House Intelligence Committee hearing, March 26, 2025. (Credit: video clipping)

In Tulsi Gabbard’s testimony regarding Iran’s nuclear program, there are  indications of selective reporting or misrepresentation about what she said.

In March 2025, Tulsi Gabbard, as Director of National Intelligence, testified before Congress that the U.S. intelligence community assessed Iran was not actively building a nuclear weapon and that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had not reauthorized the nuclear weapons program suspended in 2003.

She noted, however, that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile was at unprecedented levels for a non-nuclear state and that public discussion of nuclear weapons in Iran had increased, potentially emboldening advocates within the regime.

Some media reports have claimed the White House or media outlets deceptively edited or framed Gabbard’s testimony to suggest she warned Iran was closer to developing nuclear weapons

(White House Deceptively Edits Tulsi Gabbard’s Testimony To Make It Look Like She Was Warning Iran Was Close to Nukes/Mediaite, 6/18/2025)

President Trump’s public dismissal of Gabbard’s assessment in June 2025, claiming Iran was “very close” to a nuclear weapon, created a narrative divergence. Gabbard responded by asserting she and Trump were “on the same page.”

On March 26, 2025, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard delivered opening remarks at a House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence hearing for the Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community. The complete opening statement is linked below and this is what she said about Iran:

Iran continues to seek to expand its influence in the Middle East, despite the degradation to its proxies and defenses during the Gaza conflict. Iran has developed and maintains ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and UAVs, including systems capable of striking U.S. targets and allies in the region. They’ve shown a willingness to use these weapons, including during a 2020 attack on US forces in Iraq and in attacks against Israel in April and October 2024. Iran’s cyber operations and capabilities also present a serious threat to U.S. networks and data. The IC continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme leader Khomeini has not authorized the nuclear weapons program that he suspended in 2003. We continue to monitor closely if Tehran decides to reauthorize its nuclear weapons program. In the past year, we’ve seen an erosion of a decades long taboo in Iran on discussing nuclear weapons in public likely emboldening nuclear weapons advocates within Iran’s decision-making apparatus. Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile is at its highest levels and is unprecedented for a state without nuclear weapons. Iran will likely continue efforts to counter Israel and press for U.S. military withdrawal from the region by aiding, arming, and helping to reconstitute its loose consortium of like-minded terrorists, actors, which it refers to as its “Axis of Resistance.” Although weakened, this collection of actors still presents a wide range of threats including to Israel’s population, U.S. forces deployed in Iraq and Syria, as well as U.S. and international military and commercial shipping and transit.

(ODNI.gov, 3/26/2025)

June 18, 2025 - Chaos swirls through a DNC desperate for cash

The Democrat National Committee (DNC) is running out of money.

Some of the sources for their contributions have disappeared. It is estimated that annually $15 billion per year was laundered from USAID to non-profits and NGOs controlled by the Democrats.

This funded the lifestyles of thousands of left wing activists with salaries of $200,000 to $500,000. In turn, they would regularly make donations of thousands of dollars to Democrats in order to keep the fraud flowing.

Now that Trump and DOGE have ended that scam, this is starting to show up in Democrat fundraising numbers. Tens of thousands of their activist donors have lost their jobs which were funded by USAID.

Just months into the tenure of a new party leader, Ken Martin, the Democratic National Committee’s financial situation has grown so bleak that top officials have discussed whether they might need to borrow money this year to keep paying the bills.

Fund-raising from major donors — some of whom Mr. Martin has still not spoken with — has slowed sharply. At the same time, he has expanded the party’s financial commitments to every state, and even to far-flung territories like Guam.

(…) In an interview on Tuesday, Mr. Martin acknowledged that his early efforts to rebuild the party had been “overshadowed by some of this inside baseball stuff.” But he said he was bringing about meaningful change, pointing to increased investments in all 57 state parties, including the territories and Washington, D.C. He also noted that the D.N.C. was helping organize more than 100 town halls in Republican districts, carrying out an extensive 2024 postmortem and creating a war room to counter President Trump.

“I know there’s a lot of people that are carrying grudges, that are still litigating the campaign that their person didn’t win,” Mr. Martin said. “I am not one of those people. There’s no sense of living in the past. I have no enemies other than Donald Trump and the Republican Party.”

Six people briefed on the party’s fund-raising, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss its finances frankly, said big donors — who are an essential part of the party’s funding — had been very slow to give to the party this year as Mr. Martin solicits contributions. His commitment to state parties, which amounts to $1 million in monthly spending, has further strained the finances.

Senior D.N.C. officials have discussed the possibility of borrowing money in the coming months to keep the operations fully funded, according to two people with direct knowledge of the private discussions who insisted on anonymity. (Read more: New York Times, 6/18/2025)

June 20, 2025 - Kash Patel is blocking FBI whistleblowers Garret O'Boyle and Steve Friend from returning to work

Garrett O’Boyle and Steve Friend are guests of  Kash Patel at his Las Vegas premiere of “Government Gangsters” on September 29, 2024. (Credit: Breanna Morello/YouTube clipping)

FBI whistleblowers Garret O’Boyle and Steve Friend were set to make their return to work for the federal government, but that’s suddenly changed.

After the news broke on my show, their return to government was shut down.

Sources close to the incident are saying this was Director Patel’s decision.

If true, do we just abandon our allies?

My answer?

Never.

Full Segment

June 20, 2025 - Bernie Sanders encourages activists at a ‘Fight the Oligarchy’ rally to obstruct ICE agents

“We got to figure out a way to stop ICE from what they are doing as soon as possible,” Bernie said in McAllen, Texas, on Friday.

McAllen has been overrun by the Mexican cartel thanks to Democrats’ open borders policies. Still, Bernie doesn’t care because he lives in Vermont and doesn’t have to suffer the consequences of his actions.

WATCH:

(Read more: Gateway Pundit, 6/21/2025) (Archive)

June 20, 2025 - Judicial Watch: FBI is still hiding Biden Twitter censorship records

We were in court this week for a hearing ordered by U.S. District Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan in our FOIA lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice for “Twitter Files” records concerning Hunter Biden’s laptop and other censorship. The only issue remaining in the lawsuit is the FBI’s continued hiding of records documenting two meetings between Twitter and the Biden FBI.

We filed the April 2023 lawsuit against the Justice Department, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence after the FBI failed to respond to a December 2022 FOIA request for the records of any FBI official and key Twitter employees between June 2020 and December 2022 (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Justice (No. 1:23-cv-01163)).

The lawsuit references Yoel Roth, Vijaya Gadde, and Jim Baker, who were prominent in internal discussions at Twitter about censoring the New York Post’s Hunter Biden laptop story, as journalist Matt Taibbi revealed in the December 2022 release of the “Twitter Files.”

It is frustrating beyond belief for us to have to go to federal court for basic information on Biden’s abuse of the FBI, using Twitter to censor and monitor Americans.

Earlier this year, FBI Director Kash Patel committed the FBI to a “new era” of transparency:

The FBI is entering a new era—one that will be defined by integrity, accountability, and the unwavering pursuit of justice. There will be no cover-ups, no missing documents, and no stone left unturned — and anyone from the prior or current Bureau who undermines this will be swiftly pursued. If there are gaps, we will find them. If records have been hidden, we will uncover them. And we will bring everything we find to the DOJ to be fully assessed and transparently disseminated to the American people as it should be. The oath we take is to the Constitution, and under my leadership, that promise will be upheld without compromise.

Through FOIA and other direct litigation, we continue to investigate and litigate the broad range of censorship that had been imposed upon tens of millions of Americans.

In November 2024, we uncovered records from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revealing an extensive effort by government and non-government entities to monitor and censor social media posts on fraud during the 2020 election.

In June 2024, heavily redacted Homeland Security records from a Judicial Watch FOIA lawsuit showed state election officials in the days before and after the 2020 election flagging online content deemed “misinformation” and sending it to the Center for Internet Security (CIS), a DHS-funded nonprofit, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which is a division of DHS, the Election Integrity Partnership (EIP), which was created to flag online election content for censorship and suppression, and others.

In December 2023, Homeland Security records from the same lawsuit showed a close collaboration between its Cybersecurity and Information Security Agency (CISA) and the leftist Election Integrity Partnership (EIP) to engage in “real-time narrative tracking” on all major social media platforms in the days leading up to the 2020 election.

In November 2023, we uncovered Homeland Security records that showed the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) communicating during the 2020 election campaign with the Election Integrity Partnership (EIP). The CISA records showed government involvement in the EIP pressure on Google, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, Pinterest, Reddit and other platforms to censor “disinformation.”

In September 2022, we sued the Secretary of State of the State of California for having YouTube censor a Judicial Watch election integrity video. In March 2025, Judicial Watch asked the Supreme Court of the United States to review the case.

In July 2021, we uncovered records from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which revealed that Facebook coordinated closely with the CDC to control the Covid narrative and “misinformation” and that over $3.5 million in free advertising was given to the CDC by social media companies.

In May 2021, we revealed documents showing that Iowa state officials pressured social media companies Twitter and Facebook to censor posts about the 2020 election.

In April 2021, records from the Office of the Secretary of State of California revealed how state officials pressured social media companies (Twitter, Facebook, Google (YouTube)) to censor posts about the 2020 election. Included in these records were “misinformation briefings” emails that were compiled by communications firm SKDK, which lists Biden for President as their top client of 2020. The records show how the state agency successfully pressured YouTube to censor a Judicial Watch video concerning mail-in voting and a Judicial Watch lawsuit settlement about California voter roll clean up. (Judicial Watch, 6/20/2025)

June 20, 2025 - Minnesota assassin writes letter to FBI claiming Tim Walz instructed him to kill Minnesota Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith

Vance Boelter, 57, the suspect in the assassination and attempted assassination of Minnesota state lawmakers, made the claim that Governor Tim Walz instructed him to kill US Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) in order for the governor to run for her role in the Senate, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune.

The letter claims that he was trained by the US military unofficially, and that Walz told him to kill Klobuchar as well as other lawmaker, the outlet said, citing two sources familiar with the letter.

According to another report from Alpha News, citing multiple sources familiar with the investigation into Boelter and the shootings, said in a “confession letter” intended for FBI Director Kash Patel, Boelter confirmed that he was the “shooter at large in Minnesota involved in the 2 shootings.” (Read more: The Post Millennial, 6/20/2025)  (Archive)

In a rambling, conspiratorial letter addressed to the FBI, alleged assassin Vance Boelter claimed Gov. Tim Walz instructed him to kill U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar so that Walz could run for the U.S. Senate, according to two people familiar with the contents of the letter.

The letter is the clearest evidence yet of Boelter’s mindset after the targeted violence against Minnesota politicians last week. It is incoherent, one and a half pages long, confusing and hard to read, according to two people familiar with the letter’s contents. It includes Boelter alleging he had been trained by the U.S. military off the books, and that Walz, who is not running for Senate, had asked him to kill Klobuchar and others.

(…) Klobuchar said in a statement Friday that, “Boelter is a very dangerous man and I am deeply grateful that law enforcement got him behind bars before he killed other people.”

She was not the only other politician named; the letter included a seeming reference to U.S. Sen. Tina Smith. (Read more: Minnesota Star Tribune, 6/20/2025)

June 20, 2025 - A very angry State Dept. Visa Specialist admits to helping illegals evade deportation

‘F*CK AMERICANS, F*CK ISRAEL’: US State Dept. Visa Specialist Admits to Helping Illegals Evade Deportation: “Don’t Admit the Truth, Don’t Tell Them What You Did”

“I do say it to cab drivers that are from, like, Hispanic descent. I’m like, ‘don’t talk to the police’… If you want a loophole, keep your mouth shut.”

“F**ck these people [Israelis]… I hate them to death.”

June 20, 2025 - Trump calls for the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate alleged fraud in the 2020 election.

June 23, 2025 - Anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil leads ‘Free Palestine!’ chant in NYC after release from ICE custody

Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and former Columbia University graduate student, was released from ICE detention in Jena, Louisiana, on June 20, 2025.

The rally happened outside the Cathedral of St. John the Divine which is near Columbia University, NBC News reported on Monday.

Khalil, who is a graduate of Columbia, was arrested in March after leading radical protests on the campus, per Breitbart News. The article noted President Donald Trump had previously promised to deport foreign students fomenting anti-Semitic and anti-Israel protests on campuses.

While addressing the crowd, Khalil said, “Mahmoud Khalil is a human rights defender. Mahmoud Khalil is a freedom fighter. Mahmoud Khalil is a refugee. Mahmoud Khalil is a father and husband. And, above all, Mahmoud Khalil is Palestinian.”

Video footage shows him leading the chant, “Free, free Palestine!” as the crowd joined him:

A federal judge recently issued a ruling that Khalil be released from ICE custody. The Breitbart News report said U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, had “previously rejected Khalil’s request to be released from ICE custody, explaining that he had ‘not put forward factual evidence as to why it might be unlawful to detain him’ regarding the charge that he reportedly omitted information on his green card application.”

Video footage appears to show his arrival back in New York City after his release accompanied by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY):

(…) In early April, Emirati political analyst Dr. Salem Al-Ketbi warned that university campuses across the United States are now “targets for extremist organizations that exploit immigration laws to embed operatives, secure future U.S. citizenship, and cultivate a new generation of pro-terror activists — often under the radar,” per Breitbart News. (Read more: Breitbart News, 6/23/2025) (Archive)

June 23, 2025 - Hunter Biden sued for unpaid legal bills, including his Delaware gun case

Hunter Biden and his attorney Abbe Lowell, a partner of DC firm Winston & Strawn, depart a House Oversight Committee meeting, January 2024. (Credit: Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

Hunter Biden owes the law firm that represented him in federal investigations, including his Delaware gun case, “substantially in excess of $50,000,” according to a lawsuit filed against the former first son on Monday.

“This is breach of contract action against Mr. Biden for unpaid legal fees,” reads the complaint against Hunter filed in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia by Winston & Strawn LLP.

The lawsuit notes that Hunter, 55, hired Winston & Strawn “to represent him in several complex matters, including criminal trial in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware,” and that the firm provided him “with extensive legal services in those matters which generated a substantial amount of fees.”

Winston & Strawn claims Hunter has dodged the firm’s “repeated” efforts to collect those fees.

“Although a portion of those fees have been paid, Mr. Biden presently owes [Winston & Strawn] substantially in excess of $50,000 in fees and interest that are due and payable,” the complaint stated.

“Despite repeated requests for payment, Mr. Biden has failed to pay the amounts he owes.

(…) The firm said it “incurred substantial financial damages” because of Hunter’s alleged “breach of the Engagement Contract.”

An initial hearing in the case is slated for Sept. 19. (Read more: New York Post, 6/23/2025)  (Archive)

June 24, 2025 - Ex-Biden aide Neera Tanden tells Oversight Committee she was authorized to use autopen

Trump’s White House counsel sent a letter to Biden aide Neera Tanden this morning, as she appears before the House Oversight Committee amid a probe into Biden’s mental fitness as president — The letter argues that asserting executive privilege is “not justified” because of the nature of the allegations.

“The President authorizes you to provide unrestricted testimony to the House Oversight Committee, irrespective of potential privilege.”

Washington Examiner, 6/24/2025

A top former aide to former President Joe Biden testified behind closed doors Tuesday for more than four hours as part of the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into his mental fitness to serve and his White House’s use of an autopen, confirming she was authorized to use the automatic signature device while pushing back on concerns about alleged manipulation or malfeasance.

Neera Tanden, who served as director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, explained in her opening remarks Tuesday that she was given authority to wield the autopen. She said she “was responsible for handling the flow of documents to and from the president” and was authorized to direct autopen use from October 2021 to May 2023 when she was serving as staff secretary and senior adviser to Biden.

Ex-Biden Aide Neera Tanden Admits Under Oath to House Oversight Committee That She Controlled Joe Biden’s Autopen

UPDATE 6/26/2025

Now, a crucial new detail has emerged regarding the closed-door testimony.  According to an Oversight Project press release, Tanden would utilize the autopen without actually verifying from Biden himself that it was an authorized action.  From the release:

“…she would send decision memos to Biden’s inner circle with no visibility of approval between sending the memo and receiving it back.  Tanden’s testimony confirms that she affixed Biden’s signature onto presidential documents without direct knowledge that Biden authorized the given action.

“Given Biden’s clearly deteriorating condition and lack of capacity, it was incumbent on Tanden to actually confirm that Biden himself was capable of and actually making decisions.  Instead, it appears that a close cabal of advisors were put between the autopen and the President.”

Oversight Project President Mike Howell joined Chanel Rion on OANN’s Fine Point to discuss the autopen scandal:

The Washington Examiner also reported yesterday that Tanden “was also authorized to direct that autopen signatures be affixed to certain categories of documents” and that the administration used the “system for authorizing the use of the autopen that [she] inherited from prior administrations” through her tenure as staff secretary.

President Trump earlier this month called the autopen saga “the biggest scandal outside the rigged 2020 election,” saying that he wasn’t a “big autopen person, fortunately.” President Trump added that the autopen is used when you get “thousands of letters from…people all over the country” and that is where the autopen “starts and stops.”

President Trump said that Biden “was never for open borders…transgender for everybody…men playing in women’s sports…frankly, I said it during the debate and I say it now, he didn’t have much of an idea what was going on.”

In January 2021, President Trump prophesized that, “The 25th Amendment is of zero risk to me, but will come back to haunt Joe Biden and the Biden administration. As the expression goes, be careful what you wish for.”

Howell would go on to discuss the 25th Amendment with Rion:

(Read more: Gateway Pundit, 6/25/2025)