>300 #House lawmakers were reimbursed ≥$5.2M for #food & #lodging while on official business in Washington last year under a new, #TaxpayerFunded prgm that doesn’t require receipts.
The prgm, which kicked off last yr after a #Republican-led House panel passed it, was intended to make it easier for lawmakers to maintain separate homes in DC & their home districts.
But critics argue that its reliance on the #HonorSystem esp given [#HouseRepublicans dearth of honor] & lack of #transparent record-keeping makes it ripe for abuse.
The reimbursement scheme’s lack of receipt requirements is a “ridiculous loophole … Clearly it becomes very difficult to tell whether or not it’s a legitimate payment & whether it’s proper,” said Craig Holman, a lobbyist for the good govt group Public Citizen.
The prgm has only a few rules: Lawmakers cannot be repaid for principal or interest on their mortgages, they can only get reimbursement for days they’re actually working in or flying to DC, & they can’t ask for more than their actual expenses. They’re also subject to daily spending caps determined by the GSA. They are “strongly encouraged,” but not required, to keep #records of their #expenses, acc/to guidance issued by the #House Cmte on Admin.
An earlier version of this article said that Rep #MattGaetz (R-Fla.) was the reimbursement program's top spender for 2023. That analysis was based on data released by the #House as of last week. But additional data The Post reviewed Tuesday showed that Rep #JackBergman (R-Michigan) was reimbursed for more than Gaetz was.
Tho votes were still being counted Tues afternoon & the Modi-led #BJP could still form the govt, it was projected to fall short of its showing in 2014, when #Modi swept to #power on a wave of national #anger over #corruption, or 2019, when buoyed by #nationalist sentiment over a border clash w/ #Pakistan. Such a result would be rare for the politician who has never failed to secure a majority in a 23+yr political career & cultivates an image as a #populist#strongman & a serial winner. #India
'A Conservative minister whose family farms beef & lamb signed off on a £5m advertising campaign encouraging people to eat more red meat – despite government advice that doing so can pose health risks'.... nothing to see here.
No corruption, no skewed govt. spending to hep out Minister's families, no manipulation of health advice.... nope, noting to see here at all.
“'I think that the justices on the court — I know many of them personally — I think they’re deeply concerned about [Trump’s conviction], as we are. So I think they’ll set this straight, but it’s going to take awhile.'
Johnson went on to say 'this will be overturned, guys, there’s no question about it. It’s just going to take some time to do it.'”
Translation: we Republicans own the Supreme Court….
Jesse #Barrett is a trial lawyer & managing partner at SouthBank Legal. He heads the firm’s Washington, DC, office, which opened after Justice Barrett joined the high court.
"It [i.e., Trump's "bear hug" posting about Alito on Truth Social] was a marvelous distillation of the corrupt conservative-supermajority Supreme Court that Trump helped to create and which he sees as his ultimate salvation against the four – count ’em, FOUR – ongoing criminal prosecutions he faces."
"the case is notable because Fox Corporation—the parent company of Fox News— is directly paying the family of a Supreme Court justice, which neither Barrett nor her husband are required to disclose."
The rot in the court is a feature of the Federalist Society, not a bug. As long as there is a pipeline for FedSoc to put right wing activists into the court, you'll have this corruption.
Once again, the importance of a free press is proven.
" Fox Corporation—the parent company of Fox News— is directly paying the family of a Supreme Court justice, which neither Barrett nor her husband are required to disclose."
' Why would a media company based in New York City hire a lawyer based in D.C. for a lawsuit filed by a man in Illinois?'
"Tens of millions of Americans reasonably doubt that Alito can fairly discharge his duties. Alito is gaslighting the American people—a technique he learned from Trump. Having been caught in his lie he is doubling down on the lie—while pretending to be aggrieved that Americans doubt his veracity.
This debacle is a stain on the Court and an indictment of Justice Robert’s leadership."
“Justice Alito has no problem telling American women they lack the right to make decisions about their own bodies and health. But apparently, he can’t tell his wife to take down a flag that calls the integrity of his decisions on the Supreme Court into question. He doesn’t care. He has life tenure and there are no repercussions binding ethics rules he must obey.”
"In the lawsuit, Hinds said that on April 7, 2023, barely one week after former Metropolitan Transit System employee Grecia Figueroa accused Fletcher of sexually assaulting her, the UC San Diego lecturer went to UC San Diego's Office of Student Disability Services to inform them that one of her students went to Hinds with a report that Fletcher had sexually harassed her...
Less than two hours later on the same day, April 7, Hinds said a different UC San Diego administrator sent her an email requesting the name of the student who reported the harassment, as well as confirmation that it was Fletcher who allegedly harassed her."
"U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has formally refused to recuse from any and all cases involving indicted ex-president Donald Trump or the January 6, 2021 attack on the seat of the American government and American democracy itself."
Constitutional law scholar and professor of law Eric Segal responds:
“To be clear, if we found a love letter written to Donald Trump from Sam Alito saying, ‘Can’t wait till you’re back in office,’ Alito still would not recuse. He has no moral compass at all.”
What Trump promised oil CEOs as he asked them to steer $1 billion to his campaign
"Donald Trump has pledged to scrap President Biden’s policies on electric vehicles and wind energy, as well as other initiatives opposed by the fossil fuel industry."
"“It certainly meets the definition of #corruption as the founding fathers would have used the term,” Senator Sheldon Whitehouse said about Trump’s audacious $1bn request for big checks to top fossil-fuel executives that took place in April at his Mar-a-Lago club.
Whitehouse added: “The #QuidProQuo – so called – is so very evident … I can’t think of anything that matches this either in terms of the size of the bribe requested, or the brazenness of the linkages.”"