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REMINDER: DC Insider Michael Whatley Only Cares About Boosting His Stock Portfolio At North Carolina's Expense
RALEIGH, North Carolina, July 14 -- The North Carolina Democratic Party posted the following news:
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REMINDER: DC Insider Michael Whatley Only Cares About Boosting His Stock Portfolio At North Carolina's Expense
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After recent reporting exposed Michael Whatley for pushing FEMA recommendations that could spike his stocks while raising costs on disaster victims, here is a reminder that DC insider and Big Oil lobbyist Michael Whatley is running for U.S. Senate with a number of conflicts of interest and has repeatedly supported policies that benefit his stock portfolio while hurting North Carolina
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RALEIGH, North Carolina, July 14 -- The North Carolina Democratic Party posted the following news:
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REMINDER: DC Insider Michael Whatley Only Cares About Boosting His Stock Portfolio At North Carolina's Expense
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After recent reporting exposed Michael Whatley for pushing FEMA recommendations that could spike his stocks while raising costs on disaster victims, here is a reminder that DC insider and Big Oil lobbyist Michael Whatley is running for U.S. Senate with a number of conflicts of interest and has repeatedly supported policies that benefit his stock portfolio while hurting North Carolinafamilies:
* BIG OIL STOCKS: Whatley continuously pushed for the Iran war, spiking his Big Oil stocks by up to $219,660 and raising prices at the pump for North Carolina families. Whatley also cheered on Trump's military action in Venezuela, which he reaped a "windfall" of up to $63,000 from his Big Oil stocks in a single weekend.
* DUKE ENERGY STOCKS: Whatley, who has up to $445,000 invested in Duke Energy, has refused to take a stance on proposed rate hikes. He would see "boost[ed] profits" if a hike went into effect.
* This isn't a surprise, given Whatley's decades-long career as a lobbyist for utility companies, including "argu[ing] in favor of rate increases" for Duke Energy.
* BIG PHARMA STOCKS: Whatley actively pushed for a bill that changed prescription drug regulation, increasing drug prices for North Carolina seniors and benefiting up to $265,000 of his Big Pharma stock.
* PRIVATE INSURANCE STOCKS: As the c o-chair of the FEMA Review Council's Final Report Subcommittee, Whatley's report included recommendations pushing for the privatization of flood insurance, which could benefit up to $190,000 of stock he holds at the expense of disaster victims.
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Original text here: https://www.ncdp.org/media/reminder-dc-insider-michael-whatley-only-cares-about-boosting-his-stock-portfolio-at-north-carolinas-expense/
Police Body Cam Footage Catches Lombardo Demanding Special Treatment After Breaking the Law
LAS VEGAS, Nevada, July 14 -- The Nevada Democratic Party posted the following news release:
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Police Body Cam Footage Catches Lombardo Demanding Special Treatment After Breaking the Law
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In new police body camera footage obtained by the Associated Press, Joe Lombardo was caught using his position of power to avoid accountability after breaking the law and being pulled over by a Metro Police officer trying to do their job.
Lombardo was pulled over by Metro Police for running a red light and quickly let off the hook after he interrupted the officer to say "I'm Joe Lombardo." While the
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LAS VEGAS, Nevada, July 14 -- The Nevada Democratic Party posted the following news release:
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Police Body Cam Footage Catches Lombardo Demanding Special Treatment After Breaking the Law
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In new police body camera footage obtained by the Associated Press, Joe Lombardo was caught using his position of power to avoid accountability after breaking the law and being pulled over by a Metro Police officer trying to do their job.
Lombardo was pulled over by Metro Police for running a red light and quickly let off the hook after he interrupted the officer to say "I'm Joe Lombardo." While theofficer was relaying the traffic stop violation, Lombardo dismissed the officer saying, "come on, man" before quickly driving away.
Transcript:
Officer: Hello. How are you doing, sir?
Lombardo: Good
Officer: Sergeant Pacheco, Metro Police. The reason I'm stopping you is for the...
Lombardo: I'm Joe Lombardo
Officer: I'm aware. For the red light violation back there. Your right turn onto Giles here.
Lombardo: Come on, man
Officer: You're good to go, sir. Appreciate you. Have a good day
After getting caught skirting the law, Joe Lombardo owes Nevadans a lot of answers:
1. Why does Lombardo think he can name drop his way out of a ticket? How many times has he done this before?
2. Did Lombardo feel emboldened to break the law because he expects to avoid any consequences?
3. Does he think his role as Governor exempts him from following the law?
4. Does Lombardo think everyday Nevadans should be able to do this whenever they want to avoid being held accountable? Or is this treatment only reserved for him?
5. Is this part of Lombardo's 'tough on crime' approach?
6. Why was Lombardo without his security detail?
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Original text here: https://nvdems.com/police-body-cam-footage-catches-lombardo-demanding-special-treatment-after-breaking-the-law/
One Year Later - Republicans Struggle To Sell Big, Ugly Bill Everyone Hates
WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
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One Year Later - Republicans Struggle To Sell Big, Ugly Bill Everyone Hates
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House Republicans are consistently lagging in public polls, with their Big, Ugly Bill being a leading reason why. The legislation is currently underwater by double digits according to recent polling, and it's been turned into such a political liability that President Trump and Republicans barely ever mention the megabill anymore.
From recent CNN coverage:
At its ceremonious signing, the act seemed poised
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
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One Year Later - Republicans Struggle To Sell Big, Ugly Bill Everyone Hates
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House Republicans are consistently lagging in public polls, with their Big, Ugly Bill being a leading reason why. The legislation is currently underwater by double digits according to recent polling, and it's been turned into such a political liability that President Trump and Republicans barely ever mention the megabill anymore.
From recent CNN coverage:
At its ceremonious signing, the act seemed poisedto be a defining legislative achievement for Republicans to run on in November.
But 12 months later, the law's cutbacks to key safety-net programs such as Medicaid and food stamps have fueled a chorus of criticism...].
Roll Call had an even starker take on the challenge House Republicans face selling their hated bill:
A year after President Donald Trump signed into law the party's flagship reconciliation measure dubbed the "one big beautiful bill," Republicans are repackaging it into bite-sized messages that are centering the party's platform ahead of tough midterm elections.
That's even as the sweeping law as a whole -which enacted permanent tax cuts and temporary breaks promised by Trump while slashing Medicaid, federal food stamps and student loan programs -has polled poorly in key battleground districts.
REMINDER: The round of awful coverage comes as the DCCC is holding vulnerable Republicans accountable for their vote in support of the Big, Ugly Bill. As the public continues to feel the pain of Republicans' rising prices, House Democrats will continue to prosecute the case that the surge in health care costs lays squarely at the feet of House Republicans-costing them the majority.
DCCC Spokesperson Viet Shelton:
"House Republicans are running scared as they come to terms with the fact that voters hate their Big, Ugly Bill, and that it's going to cost them the election. While they try to distance themselves from the politically toxic legislation, Democrats will hold them accountable for the pain and suffering they've caused millions of Americans."
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Original text here: https://dccc.org/one-year-later-republicans-struggle-to-sell-big-ugly-bill-everyone-hates/
More Attacks Fly in MI-10 Republican Primary
WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
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More Attacks Fly in MI-10 Republican Primary
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Justin Kirk : "Mike Bouchard [Jr.] is relying upon his family name to go to Congress, but can voters depend on him to show up and vote on the House floor"
The Republican primary in Michigan's 10th Congressional District is getting messier and messier.
Macomb Daily reported that Justin Kirk went after Mike Bouchard Jr. for " relying upon his family name to go to Congress " while failing to vote for Donald Trump in 2020 - " missing
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WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
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More Attacks Fly in MI-10 Republican Primary
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Justin Kirk : "Mike Bouchard [Jr.] is relying upon his family name to go to Congress, but can voters depend on him to show up and vote on the House floor"
The Republican primary in Michigan's 10th Congressional District is getting messier and messier.
Macomb Daily reported that Justin Kirk went after Mike Bouchard Jr. for " relying upon his family name to go to Congress " while failing to vote for Donald Trump in 2020 - " missingnearly three-quarters of statewide elections dating back to 2012."
MIRS noted that Bouchard Jr. has " by far, the thinnest voting record of all 55 congressional candidates running in Michigan." Data shows " Bouchard failed to vote in every election between November 2016 and February 2024."
This is the latest attack Bouchard Jr. faces from his primary opponents, after he was booed by a crowd of grassroots Republicans last month.
Read more:
Macomb Daily: GOP congressional hopeful Kirk blasts Bouchard for 'dismal' voting record
* Republican 10th Congressional District candidate Justin Kirk went on the attack Wednesday against fellow GOP hopeful Michael Bouchard, issuing a news release criticizing Bouchard for missing nearly three-quarters of statewide elections dating back to 2012.
* "Mike Bouchard is relying upon his family name to go to Congress, but can voters depend on him to show up and vote on the House floor," Kirk said in the release. "Bouchard's dismal voting record is evidence of a candidate not willing to perform the most basic duty in our form of government."
* Kirk based his assertion on a report from Michigan's Qualified Voter File... The file indicates Bouchard failed to vote in every election between November 2016 and February 2024. He voted in the November 2012 general election, the March 2016 presidential primary election (absentee), the November 2016 general election, the August 2024 primary election, and the November 2024 general election.
* Kirk acknowledged Bouchard's honorable service in the United States Army during much of the in question, but said Bouchard's voting record falls "far below" the average of active-duty service members. He also pointed out Sheriff Bouchard ran in four elections that his son did not vote in.
* "Bouchard failed to vote for President Trump in the crucial 2020 election," Kirk said.
* By contrast, Kirk, a lifelong Macomb County resident, says he voted for Trump in all three elections when he was on the ballot.
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Original text here: https://dccc.org/more-attacks-fly-in-mi-10-republican-primary/
Michigan Democratic Party: New Report - "Huizenga's Campaign Paid His Brother's Business $400,000 as He Sold the Congressman's Condos"
LANSING, Michigan, July 14 -- The Michigan Democratic Party issued the following news release:
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New Report: "Huizenga's Campaign Paid His Brother's Business $400,000 as He Sold the Congressman's Condos"
New reporting by The Detroit Metro Times revealed that Republican Congressman Bill Huizenga paid his brother Jim Barry's company $400,000 using campaign funds while Barry worked as a full-time real estate agent, selling homes for Bill Huizenga's luxury condo company.
The Metro Times reported that "Huizenga for Congress paid JB America LLC, a company owned by his half-brother James 'Jim'
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LANSING, Michigan, July 14 -- The Michigan Democratic Party issued the following news release:
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New Report: "Huizenga's Campaign Paid His Brother's Business $400,000 as He Sold the Congressman's Condos"
New reporting by The Detroit Metro Times revealed that Republican Congressman Bill Huizenga paid his brother Jim Barry's company $400,000 using campaign funds while Barry worked as a full-time real estate agent, selling homes for Bill Huizenga's luxury condo company.
The Metro Times reported that "Huizenga for Congress paid JB America LLC, a company owned by his half-brother James 'Jim'Barry, at least $400,714." During this time period, Barry served as "treasurer and registered agent" for Huizenga's luxury condo company and Barry "marketed and sold several of the condos," which went for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The reporting comes amid increased scrutiny over Rep. Huizenga's self-dealing. Huizenga has faced investigations into his campaign finance operations before, including for failing to disclose tens of thousands of dollars in reimbursements to his wife and for using campaign funds to travel to Walt Disney World. Recent reporting from the Daily Beast detailed Huizenga's lavish spending on "Montana snowmobile rentals," "golf, dining, and cigars in Florida," a "five-star, ski-in/ski-out hotel," and luxury Puerto Rico restaurants.
"This is not the first time that Bill Huizenga has come under scrutiny for self-dealing," said Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel. "Whether it's the use of campaign dollars to pad his family's bank accounts, voting to give himself a tax break and tripling his wealth in Congress, or using his campaign to bankroll luxury travel, Huizenga's priority is clearly not the people of Michigan."
Read more below:
Detroit Metro Times: Huizenga's campaign paid his brother's business $400,000 as he sold the congressman's condos
* Republican U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga's campaign has paid more than $400,000 to a company owned by his brother, who has simultaneously worked as a full-time real estate agent and helped sell luxury condos owned by Huizenga and his wife, a Metro Times review of campaign finance filings, corporate records, property records, and other public documents found.
* From 2013 through 2025, Huizenga for Congress paid JB America LLC, a company owned by his half-brother James "Jim" Barry, at least $400,714 for campaign management, consulting, strategy work, and reimbursements.
* The payments are drawing new attention as Huizenga seeks reelection in Michigan's 4th Congressional District, a once-reliably Republican seat that Democrats increasingly view as within reach amid growing voter frustration with President Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress.
* Federal and Michigan campaign finance records reviewed for the research showed no other federal or state campaign paying JB America for campaign services.
* Huizenga and his wife, Natalie, co-own the Cottages at Riverbend Inc., a real estate company formed in 2015 to own, manage, and develop property. Huizenga reported holding a 75% interest in the business, which developed a 24-unit luxury condominium community in Zeeland.
* Corporate filings listed Natalie Huizenga as the company's president and secretary, while Barry served as treasurer and registered agent.
* Barry also marketed and sold several of the condos through his real estate work. Videos posted to his real estate YouTube channel featured him promoting properties at the Cottages at Riverbend that were later sold by the company for prices ranging from about $300,000 to $435,000.
* The campaign's payments to Barry and other members of Huizenga's family previously attracted an FEC complaint.
* In 2018, the Michigan Democratic Party and Muskegon resident Ryan Bennett accused Huizenga's campaign of using campaign money for personal expenses and failing to properly disclose more than $41,000 in reimbursements to Huizenga, his wife, Barry, Barry's company, and another family member.
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Original text here: https://michigandems.com/new-report-huizengas-campaign-paid-his-brothers-business-400000-as-he-sold-the-congressmans-condos/
DNC: Corruption Watch - Trump's DOJ to Drop Charges Against $722 Million Crypto Fraudster
WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Democratic National Committee posted the following news release:
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Corruption Watch: Trump's DOJ to Drop Charges Against $722 Million Crypto Fraudster
Trump has pardoned more than 70 convicted fraudsters while in office
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Donald Trump's Department of Justice (DOJ) is set to drop charges against a cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors of $722 million. The fraudster, Matthew Goettsche, put together a team of lawyers with connections to Trump to lobby for the charges to be dismissed.
Trump has already pardoned or granted clemency to more than 70
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WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Democratic National Committee posted the following news release:
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Corruption Watch: Trump's DOJ to Drop Charges Against $722 Million Crypto Fraudster
Trump has pardoned more than 70 convicted fraudsters while in office
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Donald Trump's Department of Justice (DOJ) is set to drop charges against a cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors of $722 million. The fraudster, Matthew Goettsche, put together a team of lawyers with connections to Trump to lobby for the charges to be dismissed.
Trump has already pardoned or granted clemency to more than 70people convicted of fraud, including would-be targets of JD Vance's "anti-fraud" task force, such as those involved in healthcare and nursing home schemes. Trump's pardons have potentially given hundreds of millions of dollars owed to taxpayers and victims of fraud back to the convicted fraudsters.
In response, DNC Spokesperson Jaelin O'Halloran released the following statement:
"Donald Trump has infected the White House with a culture of fraud and corruption that is costing taxpayers millions of dollars. Under Trump's watch, we have a two-tiered system: if you are a wealthy donor or ultra-rich elite, you can commit massive financial crimes and get away with it. Meanwhile, everyday Americans are forced to play by the rules while still struggling to make ends meet in Trump's economy. Trump has used the presidency to line his own pockets and enrich his family and friends, leaving ordinary Americans to foot the bill for his fraud and corruption."
As Trump continues to pardon fraudsters and his administration drops investigations into corrupt schemes, the Trump family's net worth continues to explode by hundreds of millions of dollars. Trump has paused investigations into companies and billionaires who have enriched his family and businesses, including securities fraud cases and investigations into crypto billionaires who infused over $1 billion into Trump-owned crypto ventures.
Meanwhile, Trump's family continues to engage in extensive amounts of self-dealing. Trump made more than 3,600 stock trades in the first quarter of 2026 alone, potentially valued at more than $100 million, investing in companies with business in front of the administration.
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Original text here: https://democrats.org/corruption-watch-trumps-doj-to-drop-charges-against-722-million-crypto-fraudster/
DCCC Statement on Ken Paxton's Rio Grande Valley Appearance with Tano Tijerina and Eric Flores
WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
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DCCC Statement on Ken Paxton's Rio Grande Valley Appearance with Tano Tijerina and Eric Flores
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Ahead of Tano Tijerina and Eric Flores cozying up with Ken Paxton in McAllen, TX, DCCC spokesperson Madison Andrus released the following statement:
"You are the company you keep.
"If Tano Tijerina and Eric Flores are hellbent on rolling around in the mud with scandal-ridden fraudster Ken Paxton they can be our guests. This latest appearance makes it even more clear - Tijerina and
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, July 14 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
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DCCC Statement on Ken Paxton's Rio Grande Valley Appearance with Tano Tijerina and Eric Flores
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Ahead of Tano Tijerina and Eric Flores cozying up with Ken Paxton in McAllen, TX, DCCC spokesperson Madison Andrus released the following statement:
"You are the company you keep.
"If Tano Tijerina and Eric Flores are hellbent on rolling around in the mud with scandal-ridden fraudster Ken Paxton they can be our guests. This latest appearance makes it even more clear - Tijerina andFlores refuse to be independent fighters for South Texans. They're once again sucking up to corrupt politicians who are protecting predators, raising costs at the gas pump, raising prices at the grocery store, and raising Texans' health care bills."
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Original text here: https://dccc.org/dccc-statement-on-ken-paxtons-rio-grande-valley-appearance-with-tano-tijerina-and-eric-flores/
