Newark Mayor Sues Alina Habba, Proud Boys Seek $100M, Trump's Legal Battles & National Guard Deployment

Legal Battles and Lawsuits

• ⚖️ Newark Mayor Ras Baraka is suing Alina Habba for defamation, false arrest, and malicious prosecution following his arrest by ICE agents.
• 💰 The Proud Boys have filed a $100 million lawsuit against the government, claiming their constitutional rights were violated during prosecutions related to January 6th.
• 🏛️ A judge dismissed criminal charges against Elias Costianes, a January 6th defendant who was pardoned, with the DOJ opting to drop the case.
• 👮 A DC Police lieutenant who assisted Enrique Tarrio by warning him about an impending arrest has been sentenced to 18 months in prison.
• 📄 Donald Trump is attempting to move his 34 felony count appeal from New York state court to federal court.

National Guard Deployment and Protests

• 🚨 The National Guard was deployed to Los Angeles by Donald Trump, reportedly against Governor Newsom's will, leading to a planned lawsuit from California's Attorney General.
• ✊ Protests erupted in LA due to ICE raids on day laborers and the deceptive practice of luring individuals to courthouses for deportation.
• 🗣️ Tom Homan is criticized as an architect and facilitator of policies targeting immigrants, with concerns raised about his authority and role.
• 🚫 Trump's administration is reportedly considering a ban on masks at protests while ICE agents are allowed to wear them.

Political Appointments and Government Roles

• 📈 A 22-year-old former Trump campaign worker with no apparent national security expertise, Thomas Fugate, has been appointed to oversee the government's main hub for terrorism prevention.
• 🧑‍⚖️ Joshua J. Smith, a former federal inmate pardoned by Trump, has been appointed as the deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
• 🕵️ An investigation into a Pentagon leak revealed an adviser, Justin Fulture, falsely claimed knowledge of warrantless NSA surveillance to gain influence.

Mike Lindell's Defamation Trial

• 🎤 Mike Lindell is testifying in his defamation trial against Eric Coomer, claiming he spent over $70 million pursuing election fraud claims and is now in financial ruin.
• 🗣️ Lindell's defense strategy is to argue he believed his claims to be true, rather than proving their accuracy, and he also blames Coomer for blocking him from airtime on Newsmax.
• ⚖️ Lindell likened Coomer to a getaway driver in a heist, indicating his continued attacks even while on the stand.

Swatting Hoaxer Pleads Guilty

• 💻 Thomas Sabo has pleaded guilty to leading a scheme that targeted politicians and influencers with swatting attacks, including threats of mass shootings and bombings.
• 🎯 The scheme involved false reports to law enforcement and targeted at least 25 members of Congress, executive branch officials, judges, and media members.
• ✅ The Biden administration's DOJ is credited for the accountability in this case.