Uh Oh: Lead Detective in Weinstein Coached Witnesses, Instructed Them To…

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According to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the lead detective in the Harvey Weinstein sexual assault investigation acted inappropriately. The detective not only coached witnesses on what to say but instructed them to delete text messages before handing their phones over to prosecutors, WABC-TV reported. . .

The DA’s office sent Weinstein attorney Benjamin Brafman a letter on Tuesday saying it had been contacted last week by an attorney for “Complainant 2,” who is the complaining witness behind three counts in the case against Weinstein.

According to the letter, the witness told the DA’s office that she had expressed concern about turning over phones to prosecutors because they contained personal information.

Det. Nicholas DiGaudio, prosecutors said, then allegedly told the witness to “delete anything she did not want anyone to see” before turning over the phones. The witness also told prosecutors that the detective said they would conceal the deletions from the DA’s office.

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“The Manhattan DA’s office needs to enter the 21st century. This is the age of technology. People keep loads of personal info on their phones that they prefer remains confidential,” DEA President Michael Palladino said in a statement. “A woman should not have to surrender confidential intimate information that’s immaterial to the case to defend herself against a sexual predator,” he continued. “That’s being victimized twice. Detective DiGaudio was sensitive to that.” (Read more from “Uh Oh: Lead Detective in Weinstein Coached Witnesses, Instructed Them To…” HERE)

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FLASHBACK: Warren Said Her Parents Eloped Because of Racism Against Her Mom’s Native American Ancestry

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In a June 29, 2012 interview with NECN’s Jim Braude on the BroadSide television program, Elizabeth Warren stated that her parents had to elope in 1932 because her father’s parents objected to her mother’s Cherokee and Delaware ancestry. Warren stated:

Actually, you have it wrong about what it is I believe. My mom and dad were very much in love with each other and they wanted to get married and my father’s parents said absolutely not. You can’t marry her because she’s part Cherokee and she’s part Delaware. And um, after fighting it as long as they could, my parents went off, they eloped. It was an issue in our family the whole time I grew up about these two families. It was an issue still raised at my mother’s funeral. So what I know about my parents is I know that in that little town they grew up in that my father’s parents knew enough about my mother and her family to say I have no doubts.”

With the latest news of the results from Warren’s DNA test, which show that the part of her DNA derived from so-called “Native American” ancestry is between 1/64th and 1/1,024th, and that that ancestry is actually Mexican, Peruvian, and Colombian, it might be useful to consider if Warren’s story about the supposed prejudice of her grandparents might be made out of whole cloth.

One determined researcher, Cherokee genealogist Twila Barnes, did some background checking, and found some interesting tidbits that led her and her team to suggest that the marriage of Warren’s parents was a typical marriage from the era of the Great Depression, and not an elopement triggered by racial bias. First, the marriage was performed by a prominent minister who later helped found Southern Methodist University, not a justice of the peace.

Another tidbit: Warren’s father only turned 21, the legal age to marry in Oklahoma at the time roughly two months before the wedding, so the idea that the couple fought it “as long as they could” sounds a bit stretched, since once her father turned 21 it was legal for him to marry.

(Read more from “Flashback: Warren Said Her Parents Eloped Because of Racism Against Her Mom’s Native American Ancestry” HERE)

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Police Officer Charged With Raping Woman During Traffic Stop

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An unnamed woman has accused Ryan Macklin, a six-year veteran police officer in Maryland, of sexually assaulting her during a late-night traffic stop on Thursday night. After a preliminary investigation, Macklin was charged with rape and a host of other charges.

The unidentified woman appears to be in the country illegally, though this has not been confirmed. Maryland’s Prince George’s County Police Chief Hank Stawinski repeatedly said that the woman was targeted because she was female, and not because of her “immigration status.”

Macklin, 29, pulled over the woman around 1 a.m. while on duty and in uniform. After apparently entering the woman’s car, Macklin allegedly forced her to perform a sexual act on him.

The alleged victim was seemingly hesitant to come forward, only notifying authorities after friends coaxed her into it several hours after the incident.

The officer was arrested on Monday and charged with first-degree rape, second-degree rape, perverted sexual acts, second-degree assault, and fourth-degree sex offense, according to The Blaze. For now, Macklin has been suspended without pay. (Read more from “Police Officer Charged With Raping Woman During Traffic Stop” HERE)

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This Is What Happened With the Stormy Daniels Lawsuit

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A federal judge on Monday dismissed porn star Stormy Daniels’ defamation lawsuit against President Trump, saying the president was well within his First Amendment rights when he took to Twitter to mock her.

Judge S. James Otero said Mr. Trump was using understandable hyperbole when he accused the woman, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, of a “con job” after she released a sketch artist rendering of a man she said threatened her to stay silent about her alleged sexual encounter with Mr. Trump years ago.

The judge, a Bush appointee, said the back-and-forth was standard politicking from both sides, and he wouldn’t step in to limit the president’s ability to fight back.

“In short, should plaintiff publicly voice her opinions about Mr. Trump, Mr. Trump is entitled to publicly voice non-actionable opinions about plaintiff,” he ruled. “To allow plaintiff to proceed with her defamation action would, in effect, permit plaintiff to make public allegations against the president without giving him the opportunity to respond. Such a holding would violate the First Amendment.” . . .

[Avenatti] also said the judge’s ruling was “limited,” and insisted they’ll pursue Mrs. Clifford’s other lawsuits against Mr. Trump and his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen, who she says paid her $130,000 in hush money to keep her from talking about an alleged sexual encounter from years ago. (Read more from “This Is What Happened With the Stormy Daniels Lawsuit” HERE)

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Clinton Grilled About Husband’s White House Sex Scandal. Her Response Means Everything.

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By The Blaze. Hillary Clinton claimed Sunday that her husband’s extramarital affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky in the 1990s was not an “abuse of power.”

The former secretary of state also expressed her belief that then-President Bill Clinton was right to not resign after he was impeached for lying and obstructing justice.

“Asbolutely not,” Clinton said when asked on CBS’ “Sunday Morning” whether her husband should have resigned the presidency over his affair and the subsequent scandal. . .

When pressed about whether a sexual relationship between the world’s most powerful leader and an office intern constitutes an imbalance of power, Clinton merely noted that both individuals were adults at the time. . .

“But let me ask you this: where’s the investigation into the current incumbent, against whom numerous allegations have been made and which he dismisses, denies, and ridicules,” Clinton said.

(Read more from “Clinton Grilled About Husband’s White House Sex Scandal. Her Response Means Everything.” HERE)

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Hillary Clinton Says Husband’s Affair Was Not an Abuse of Power

By Fox News. Hillary Clinton vehemently denied in an interview Sunday that her husband’s extramarital affair with then-White House intern Monica Lewinsky was an abuse of power and added that former President Bill Clinton was right not to resign amid a scandal that led to his impeachment on perjury and obstruction charges.

“Absolutely not,” the former first lady said during the CBS “Sunday Morning” interview when asked if Bill Clinton should have stepped down.

“It wasn’t an abuse of power?” CBS News correspondent Tony Dokoupil asked.

Clinton responded: “No. No.”

Hillary Clinton, who went on to be elected to the Senate and served as President Obama’s secretary of state, said the relationship was not an abuse of power because Lewinsky “was an adult.” At the time of the affair, Lewinsky was 22. (Read more from “Hillary Clinton Says Husband’s Affair Was Not an Abuse of Power” HERE)

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MSM Lies, Conservatives Mad: The Trump Administration Really Hasn’t Banned Transgender Americans From Military Service

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LGBT activist organization Lambda Legal argued in front of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on October 10 in an ongoing effort to challenge President Trump’s “transgender military ban.”

The issue began in 2017 when President Trump tweeted a statement that the Human Rights Campaign says meant “thousands of transgender service members and countless more potential recruits found their worlds turned upside down.” The tweets indicated transgender individuals would be banned from serving in the armed forces, reversing an Obama administration policy. This spurred multiple lawsuits and ongoing controversy.

For example, Sarah McBride, a HRC spokesperson, said this “is part of a broader effort to push transgender people back into the shadows and out of public life. From the bipartisan chorus of members of Congress to leading medical associations to several federal courts, every passing day we see further proof that this president’s policy is animus-fueled, dangerous and unconstitutional.”

But as has been often the case in these highly politicized debates, the reality does not quite reflect the narrative. The transgender policy is detailed in a 44-page memorandum to the president, written by Defense Secretary James Mattis on February 22, 2018. The document titled “Military Service by Transgender Individuals” is an exhaustive review of the concerns related to both aspiring service members who are transgender and transgender people already serving. . .

The details are remarkable and staggering in complexity. The paper uses compassionate language and illustrates an underlying respect for transgender individuals and an appreciation of their unique struggles without compromising accuracy and honesty. (Read more from “Stop Lying: The Trump Administration Has Not Banned Transgender Americans From Military Service” HERE)

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High School Band Who Depicted Shooting Cops During Half-Time Performance Faces a Massive Penalty

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By Townhall. Last week the Forest Hills High School band’s half-time performance depicted police officers being shot. The school faced fierce backlash because two local police officers had just been killed in the line of duty.

Now, the band is being penalized by the the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) and could face up to a year-long performance ban, the Clarion Ledger reported. The school district will be allowed to appeal the decision, MHSAA president Todd Kelly said. . .

Ward 6 Councilman Aaron Banks, whose territory includes the high school, is defending the band.

“Let’s be clear, the band students of Forest Hill should not be punished due to a bad decision made by a teacher,” he wrote in a Facebook post.

A group of parents and community leaders held a press conference on Friday, saying the decision penalizes the kids, which they feel is unfair. (Read more from “High School Band Who Depicted Shooting Cops During Half-Time Performance Faces a Massive Penalty” HERE)

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High School Band’s Halftime Show Depicts Cops Being Shot – and That’s Not Even the Worst Part

By Townhall. A high school band in Brookhaven, Mississippi is facing fierce backlash after a half-time performance depicting police officers being shot. The Forest Hills High School band performed the skit at a neighboring high school less than a week after two police officers were killed nearby.

Pictures and videos of the band’s performance went viral on social media. Students were dressed as medical personnel holding SWAT team members at gunpoint.

According to Jackson Public Schools Superintendent Errick L. Greene, the performance was based loosely on the movie “John Q.”

(Read more from “High School Band’s Halftime Show Depicts Cops Being Shot – and That’s Not Even the Worst Part” HERE)

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Teacher Who Talked About Trump Adviser ‘Eating Glue’ Under Investigation

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By Daily Caller. A teacher who said President Donald Trump’s senior adviser Stephen Miller ate glue as a child is under review by the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District in California for disclosing information of the former student.

Nikki Fiske, 72, revealed accounts of having Miller, 33, in her class when he was 8-years-old to The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday.

The school placed her on “home assignment,” which means Fiske is not at work but retains employment status, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) spokeswoman Gail Pinsker told The Daily Caller News Foundation. Pinsker emphasized that Fiske “is not suspended.”

“He [Miller] was a strange dude,” Fiske said to The Hollywood Reporter. “I remember he would take a bottle of glue — we didn’t have glue sticks in those days — and he would pour the glue on his arm, let it dry, peel it off and then eat it. . .

“The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District is looking into this matter and has placed Nikki Fiske on home assignment pending the completion of the review,” Pinsker told TheDCNF over the email. (Read more from “Teacher Who Talked About Trump Adviser ‘Eating Glue’ Under Investigation” HERE)

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Teacher Who Recounted Trump Aide Eating Glue as a Child Is Placed on Paid Leave

By LA Times. A teacher who recounted how a senior aide to President Trump ate glue as a third-grader is in trouble with her employers.

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District has placed veteran teacher Nikki Fiske on “home assignment” while it decides what to do, if anything, about disclosures she made about a young Stephen Miller.

Miller, 33, has grown up to be a senior advisor to Trump. But his prospects did not appear so promising to Fiske when Miller was a student in her classroom at Franklin Elementary School.

“Do you remember that character in Peanuts, the one called Pig Pen, with the dust cloud and crumbs flying all around him? That was Stephen Miller at 8,” Fiske recounted in an article posted Wednesday by the Hollywood Reporter. “I was always trying to get him to clean up his desk — he always had stuff mashed up in there.” (Read more from “Teacher Who Recounted Trump Aide Eating Glue as a Child Is Placed on Paid Leave” HERE)

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California Teacher Accused of Molesting Children Dead in Apparent Suicide

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By The Daily Caller. A California teacher who was on trial for allegedly molesting five students was found dead Wednesday from an apparent suicide.

David Michael Bruce, 68, was found dead in his home near Los Angeles, The Orange County Registrar reported. Officials believe Bruce took his life pending an autopsy to determine the official cause of the death, according to Orange County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Carrie Braun. . .

Bruce taught at Sycamore Junior High School in Anaheim, California, and retired in 2010, according to The AP. . .

Bruce allegedly admitted to performing lewd acts with male students during a phone call police arranged with a victim, The Registrar reported. Police also found erotic photos of young boys in Bruce’s home. . .

Bruce faced a possible life sentence if convicted, but the case was dismissed after his death. The retired drama teacher was arrested in 2015 and charged eight felony counts of lewd acts upon a child under 14 and two felony counts of lewd acts on a child age 14 or 15 after the sister of one of the alleged victims came forward. (Read more from “California Teacher Teacher Accused of Molesting Children Dead in Apparent Suicide” HERE)

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Ex-California Teacher, Former Mt. Pleasant Teacher, Dead on Last Day of Trial

By Morning Sun. A former Mt. Pleasant teacher and graduate, retired after a long career in California, apparently killed himself Wednesday while facing trial for molesting five students, the Associated Press reported.

Closing arguments were scheduled that day but David Michael Bruce, 68, did not show up in court.

He was found dead in his home in an unincorporated area of Anaheim south of Los Angeles.

“He was discovered by a friend or another individual, and they called law enforcement,” Orange County sheriff’s spokeswoman Carrie Braun said.

Bruce was a graduate of Mt. Pleasant High School who taught art at Rosebush Elementary and Mt Pleasant High School from 1972 to 1979. (Read more from “Ex-California Teacher, Former Mt. Pleasant Teacher, Dead on Last Day of Trial” HERE)

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Football Legend Calls for CNN Host to Be Fired for Racist Comments About Kanye West

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Football legend-turned-activist Herschel Walker is calling for CNN to fire Don Lemon after the “CNN Tonight” host laughed when rapper Kanye West was referred to as “the token negro of the Trump administration” during a segment that aired Tuesday night.

The segment — which has been slammed as “racist” — began with Lemon asking if President Donald Trump is simply “using Kanye as a prop to win over black voters before the midterms.” . . .

Sellers’ remark prompted laughter from Lemon and fellow panelist Tara Setmayer, who followed up by saying West is “the token negro of the Trump administration.”

Walker, who has openly supported Trump, is also an outspoken advocate for mental health issues – which were also mocked during the segment. Walker took to Twitter to express his disbelief.

“Went to bed appalled over Don Lemon’s despicable behavior laughing at Tara Setmayer and Bakari Sellers’ awful remarks about Kanye West’s visit with [Trump]! Woke up wondering why CNN doesn’t take all three off the air?” Walker tweeted, adding the hashtag “#Shameful.” (Read more from “Football Legend Calls for CNN Host to Be Fired for Racist Comments About Kanye West” HERE)

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