Connect with us

Politics and Current

New York’s mayor deflects questions about bribery allegations as potential witness speaks at City Hall

Published

on

Eric Adams, theGrio.com

NEW YORK (AP) – New York City Mayor Eric Adams has delivered his most thorough public defense yet since his indictment on federal bribery chargesinsisting the case is a “test” that is not going to distract him from governing as he answered specific questions about the investigation for greater than an hour on Tuesday.

However, just as the mayor began to talk to reporters alone in front of the City Hall rotunda, a potential witness from one in every of… extensive investigations just a few steps away, he was wrapping up his own press briefing, complaining that he was the victim of a corruption “shake-up.”

This whiplash-inducing morning at City Hall reflects the deepening turmoil that has gripped the Democratic administration in recent weeks, raising questions about whether Adams can proceed to run the nation’s largest city while shuttling between court hearings and coping with an exodus of top lawmakers.

Stepping to the rostrum, a smiling Adams began his remarks together with his favorite joke: “This will go down in my book.”

But if the mayor wanted to precise his trademark pride, the mayor also seemed evasive and isolated. Adams often involves Tuesday briefings with company triumphant walking music and a phalanx of deputies, including his chief legal adviser. But currently his best lawyer resigned. On Monday evening, one in every of his closest advisers also resigned. Another federal subpoena was served on Friday.

This time he was alone. Although Adams spoke extensively with reporters, he declined to reply questions about the law he’s accused of committing, whether his security clearance was downgraded as a results of the criminal case and whether he truly believes – as he repeatedly suggested — that the investigation is politically motivated.

Instead, the mayor presented himself as a battle-tested executive, confident in his ability to beat “obstacles.”

“As this case progresses, some people will say, ‘You know what, we’ve gone after Eric Adams,’” he said. “It’s a test for people who automatically come with their heart one way. The information will continue to show that I am not breaking the law.”

Federal prosecutors accused Adams of soliciting and accepting illegal campaign contributions and luxury travel advantages price greater than $100,000 from Turkish officials and other foreigners trying to buy his influence.

In return, they are saying he performed official favors for Turkey, including pushing through the opening of the consulate constructing in Manhattan over the objections of fireside safety officials who said it was unsafe to live in.

The charges against Adams come as federal investigators pursue multiple investigations linked to several top officials in his administration, including the brother of his former police commissioner; a consulting firm run by one other brother of his school, the chancellor and deputy mayor for public safety; and one in every of his top advisors and closest confidantes, Tim Pearson.

Pearson resigned On Monday evening, just a few weeks after the police commissioner’s arrival, Edward Cabanand rector of the varsity, David Banks, announced that they were stepping down. They all denied any irregularities.

Outside City Hall, Brooklyn juice bar and nightclub owner Shamel Kelly held his own news conference Tuesday wherein he said he was the victim of a corrupt scheme that involved a mayoral aide and police.

While looking for help with multiple noise complaints, Kelly said a City Hall worker put him in contact with the owner of a nightclub security company who told him he could make the complaints go away for a fee. Kelly said he later learned that the safety company was run by James Caban, the dual brother of the previous police commissioner.

“I felt like someone was forcing me,” Kelly told reporters. He provided video of dozens of officers just outside the doors of his Coney Island business in reference to one in every of the alleged noise complaints, which Kelly’s lawyers say was referred to federal prosecutors.

James Caban’s attorney, Sean Hecker, said his client “unequivocally denies any wrongdoing.”

Adams said he was unaware of the allegations first reported weeks ago, but that “no one should treat a business owner unfairly in any way.”

Then, surrounded by signs detailing his political achievements, Adams discussed his own experiences of adversity, recalling his difficult childhood in working-class Queens and his struggles with dyslexia and diabetes that almost left him blind.

“I have faced difficult moments throughout my life, and despite all these difficult moments, I have been called the mayor of New York,” he said.

Later that evening, Adams joined a bunch of Black clergy leaders who gathered in a prayer circle outside City Hall, accompanied by his top aide, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, whose home was also searched by investigators on Friday.

“You don’t give up in hard times, you keep lifting up in hard times,” Adams said, as his allies chanted “four more years” and showered the mayor with “hallelujahs.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has the facility to remove the mayor from office, said this week she was giving Adams a probability to point out he can still run town after his criminal case ends.

As Adams sought to make his political case, his lawyers were busy ramping up their legal defense.

In a court filing Tuesday, Adams’ lawyers asked the judge to analyze leaks to the media from prosecutors and, if confirmed, take appropriate measures, including dismissing the indictment.

This success got here the day after his lawyer he turned to the judge dismiss the bribery charge – one in every of five charges against him – arguing that the main points of the alleged conduct didn’t meet the compensation threshold.

A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan declined to comment on the case.

Adams is scheduled to return to court Wednesday morning.

Featured Stories

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Politics and Current

Deadlines to register to vote are approaching in these swing states

Published

on

By


With just over a month left until Election Day, the deadline to register to vote is fast approaching in seven key swing states ahead of the 2024 presidential election. If you reside in considered one of these swing states, it is time to duck in and register before it’s too late.

Below are voter registration deadlines and early voting information for the next swing states.

Arizona

Arizona voters have until October 7 to register to vote. Arizona offers voter registration options online or by mail, in addition to in person by the tip of the day. Registration should be accomplished online by 11:59 p.m. MST, in person at your local elections office before close of business, or mailed by October 7 if mailed.

Early voting will happen between October 9 and November 1, 2024.

Georgia

Eligible Georgians can register to vote or on the Internet or in person until October 7. To be considered eligible, you need to be a United States citizen, a legal resident of the county, 17 or 18 years of age on Election Day, and never be serving a sentence for a criminal offense involving moral turpitude and never have been found by a judge to be mentally incompetent.

Early voting in Georgia runs from October 15 to November 1.

Michigan

Michigan voters can register to vote online or by mail by October 21. However, keep in mind that this state is considered one of nearly two dozen that supply same-day voter registration. Unregistered voters will have the ability to register on the polls on November 5 at 8 a.m. using photo ID, but it surely is best to register in advance to avoid possible disruptions.

According to Michiganvoting.org, early voting in Michigan is dependent upon the community, but most individuals can vote from October 26 through Sunday, November 3.

Nevada

Nevada offers online voter registration. To vote in Nevada, you possibly can register by mail by printing a voter registration form, completing it, and mailing it to your local elections office. Nevada joins Michigan in offering same-day voter registration before businesses close on November 5.

Early voting in Nevada runs from October 19 to November 1.

North Carolina

The North Carolina voter registration deadline for the 2024 general election is Friday, October 11 at 5 p.m.

Only North Carolina offers it online voter registration current customers in the country. The rest must register in person or by post.

Same day voting is feasible with strict qualifications. According to to the North Carolina Board of Elections, individuals who may register on the identical day are prospective voters who’ve turn out to be naturalized U.S. residents or who’ve had their civil rights restored after serving a sentence for a criminal offense before Election Day, but after the regular voter registration deadline, may register and vote during early voting or on Election Day.

Early voting in North Carolina takes place in person from October 17 to November 2.

Pennsylvania

The deadline to register to vote in Pennsylvania is October 21. Voters can register online, in person or by mail. Early voting in Pennsylvania varies by county. Click here for more information.

Wisconsin

Voters can register to vote in Wisconsin online, in person or by post by October 16. Voter registration can also be possible on election day. Early voting is taken into account in-person, absentee voting. and varies depending on location.

Post views: 139


This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
Continue Reading

Politics and Current

Police in Mississippi tasered a black man 18 times until he was covered in his own vomit, Justice Department says

Published

on

By

Mississippi Cops Shocked Black Man with Tazer 18 Times Until He Was Covered In His Own Vomit, DOJ Says

A Mississippi city that made headlines when a video of its police chief bragging about shooting a black man 119 times went viral is now the topic of a damning latest report by the U.S. Department of Justice alleging widespread civil rights violations .

Since 2021, Lexington police have arrested roughly a quarter of the town’s residents and issued greater than $1.7 million in fines during that period – The Justice Department made the disclosure Thursday after a nearly year-long investigation. That works out to about $1,400 for each man, woman and child in the Delta town of 1,200, positioned in certainly one of the poorest counties in the country.

The money was intended to finance the Police. For 2021-2023, Lexington increased police spending from $662,925 to $965,130.

Police in Mississippi shocked a black man with a Taser 18 times until he was covered in his own vomit, Justice Department says
Lexington Police Department patrol automobile. (Police Department on Facebook/Lexington)

“Lexington has turned the prison into the kind of debtors’ prison that Charles Dickens described in his novels written in the 19th century,” said Todd Gee, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi.

The Justice Department said black residents, who make up 76 percent of the town’s population, were particularly targeted and arrested for minor offenses resembling profanity. This is not any surprise given Lexington’s recent history.

In 2022, Police Chief Sam Dobbins, appointed to the position a 12 months earlier, was fired after he was recorded bragging that he shot “that N—- 119 times, OK?”

A 12 months later, his term was cut short when a former LPD officer released an audio recording
recording of Dobbins’ comments. He claimed to have killed 13 people in the road of duty, said he didn’t confer with “queers” and told one other officer, “I don’t care if you kill a motherfucker in cold blood.”

The Justice Department found a rise in low-level arrests targeting black people coincided with Dobbins’ nominationwhich is white. Under his leadership, Lexington police had a mean per capita arrest rate greater than 10 times higher than the remaining of the state, prosecutors said.

According to community members cited in the Justice Department report, Dobbins’ deputy, Charles Henderson, has replaced him as chief and continues to foster a “culture of abuse and harassment.”

In one incident, which occurred hours after the Justice Department announced it was opening an investigation into Lexington police, officers chased a black man – accused of obstruction – into a field and used a Taser on him nine times. The man began to foam on the mouth; certainly one of the officers then noticed that the probe he fired had hit the suspect in the top.

The man, who suffered from a behavioral disorder, has been arrested three times this 12 months for trespassing and stealing a cup of coffee and a bag of sugar. Each time, police illegally detained him until old charges for previous offenses were settled. But with each arrest, one other wonderful was added, and by November 2023, the unemployed and asset-less man owed greater than $7,500, the Justice Department said.

“Through a combination of poor leadership, retaliation, and a complete lack of internal accountability, LPD has created a system in which officers can ruthlessly violate the law,” the Justice Department report said.

They were often brutal in enforcing the law, sometimes using cattle prods to force compliance, said Assistant U.S. Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Kristen Clarke.

“For example, officers used a Taser to strike a black man 18 times until he was covered in his own vomit and could not speak or talk,” Clarke said.

Local civil rights activist Jill Collen Jefferson was arrested in 2023 for recording a traffic stop. She said Lexington residents essentially live in a police state.

“They are arresting them for things like taking too long to get out of their car at the grocery store…the police have waged a complete and total campaign of fear and control over Black citizens” – Jefferson he told the Mississippi Free Press.

The report shows that city officials expressed willingness to implement reforms after being informed of the Justice Department’s findings in February. They not arrest or detain people for outstanding fines, for instance.

“But … LPD has an ongoing pattern or practice of unconstitutional conduct and additional measures are necessary to stop it,” the report concluded.

This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
Continue Reading

Politics and Current

Kamala Harris reacts to attacks on her race: ‘I don’t listen to it. I really know clearly who I am.”

Published

on

By

All the Smoke, Kamala Harris

In a brand new interview on the favored sports podcast “All The Smoke,” Vice President Kamala Harris responded to attacks on her racial identity that falsely questioned her blackness.

When asked by co-host Matt Barnes, a former NBA player who was herself born right into a multi-ethnic family, with an Italian mother and a black father, about how she was misrepresented by former President Donald Trump, Harris, whose father is a black Jamaican and whose mother is Indian, it explained how silly these attacks looked.

“You’ve always been confident in who you are, but what do you think when you see people question who you are?” Barnes said.

“First of all, I don’t listen to it. I’m really clear about who I am, and if another person is not, they’ve to undergo their very own therapy, it’s none of my business,” Harris said. “My mother was very clear; she raised two black girls to be two proud black women. And that was never a matter.

The false questioning of Harris’ blackness was amplified by former President Donald Trump, who was interviewed on the NABJ conference in August and used the stage to spread a lie about how Harris identified.

During the All the Smoke interview, Harris further explained why questions on multi-ethnicity or mixed race must bear in mind America’s complex history, with segregation tied to systems similar to “one drop rule”, which meant that anyone with even one ancestor of African descent was considered black and discriminated against by law.

Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris waits to speak during a campaign rally at 900 United Auto Workers on August 8, 2024 in Wayne, Michigan. (Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

“Over the years, journalists – some, not most – wanted to talk about it, and I said OK, if you want to have that conversation, I’m willing to do it, but sit down and get comfortable for a few hours if you want to start talking about race in America.” Harris said truthfully, as Barnes and co-host Stephen Jackson nodded in agreement.

“You want to talk concerning the 1/8 rule? You want to speak about what this implies by way of who you’re perceived to be, and the impact it could have on the remaining of your life, no matter who you really are, by way of your God-given abilities and the rights you could have and it is best to Possess?”

Harris, an HBCU (Historically Black College) and Howard University graduate, also spoke concerning the importance of HBCUs and why the Biden-Harris administration helped invest $16 billion at school funding.

“So a big part of my work, especially in the Senate and now as vice president, has been to increase federal funding for HBCUs. Because again, I know they are centers of academic excellence, centers of academic excellence, but they don’t necessarily have the same types of resources,” Harris explained.

“When I was a senator, I was liable for helping get billions to literally modernize the physical structure since it’s old. And I think increasingly more persons are realizing what you are saying – possibly we have skipped an era, but we’re getting back to a degree where more people understand what our HBCUs do and supply them with more financial support. But we’ve got to.

During the interview, the vice chairman talked about her economic plan for America should she be elected president and the way she deals with right-wing political attacks for being a stepmother.

To watch the total interview, visit the web site YouTube channel for “All the Smoke”.

Featured Stories

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
Continue Reading
Advertisement

OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe Us To Receive Our Latest News Directly In Your Inbox!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Trending