The FBI search of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence on Monday was prompted by a tip to investigators about the possibility of additional classified documents at the Palm Beach club, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
CNN previously reported that investigators from the FBI and the DOJ met with Trump attorneys at Mar-a-Lago in June, seeking more information about classified material that had been taken to Florida after Trump departed the White House. Following that meeting, where investigators looked around the room where the documents were being stored, the Wall Street Journal reports that“someone familiar with the stored papers told investigators there may be still more classified documents at the private club” beyond what Trump turned over to the National Archives earlier this year.
CNN has not confirmed the WSJ report.
Monday’s search warrant execution pertained to both the handling of classified documents and the Presidential Records Act.
For months, investigators have been looking into how Trump handled material taken with him when he left the White House after the National Archives and Records Administration referred the case to the Justice Department earlier this year.
‘Never seen anything like this’: Violent posts increase online after FBI Mar-a-Lago search
The Monday search followed a belief from authorities that the former President or his team had not returned all the documents and other materials that were property of the government, according to a person familiar with the matter. There had been suspicion that Trump representatives were not being completely truthful with investigators, according to another person familiar with the matter.
The concern rose after the former President returned some 15 boxes of materials to the National Archives in January.
Before FBI agents arrived at Trump’s private club earlier this week and searched his residence, people around the former President had been under the impression that the probe into how he handled classified information had stalled, according to two sources familiar with the thinking.
It remains unclear why those around the former President believed the investigation had stalled, but in June, his attorneys received a letter from investigators asking them to preserve the remaining documents in his possession “until further notice,” one source told CNN.
The Mar-a-Lago search, which focused on the area of the club where Trump’s offices and personal quarters are located, marked a major escalation of the classified documents investigation. Federal agents removed boxes of material from the Palm Beach property. The Secret Service had about an hour heads up before the FBI executed the warrant, a source familiar with the situation told CNN.
The Wall Street Journal’s report comes amid increased pressure for the Justice Department to provide a public statement about the unprecedented move to search for a former President’s home.
In the wake of then-President Donald Trump’s infamous photo-op at the height of the George Floyd protests, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley penned a lengthy and vociferous critique of Trump in a resignation letter he ultimately never sent, The New Yorker reported on Monday.
On June 1, 2020, Milley accompanied Trump on a walk from the White House to St. John’s Church, where he was photographed wearing his combat uniform and moving with the President’s entourage through Lafayette Square. Protesters had been forcibly cleared out of the area minutes before.
The images provoked a swift wave of criticism from lawmakers and several senior former military officials who said they risked dragging the traditionally apolitical military into a contentious domestic political situation.
Milley’s letter was dated June 8, a week after the incident, according to The New Yorker. The article was based on “The Divider: Trump in the White House 2017-2021,” a forthcoming book by Peter Baker and Susan Glasser.
“The events of the last couple weeks have caused me to do deep soul-searching, and I can no longer faithfully support and execute your orders as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,” Milley wrote, according to The New Yorker. “It is my belief that you were doing great and irreparable harm to my country. I believe that you have made a concerted effort over time to politicize the United States military.”
The report said Milley sought advice regarding the resignation letter, including from former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Joseph Dunford, retired Army Gen. James Dubik, an expert on military ethics, as well as members of Congress and former officials from the Bush and Obama administrations.
Milley ultimately decided not to quit.
“F*** that s***,” Milley told his staff, according to The New Yorker. “I’ll just fight him.”
“If they want to court-martial me, or put me in prison, have at it,” Milley added. “But I will fight from the inside.”
A spokesman for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs declined to comment to CNN about the report.
Milley would later publicly apologize for his involvement in the incident in a pre-recorded speech at the National Defense University.
“I should not have been there. My presence in that moment and in that environment created a perception of the military involved in domestic politics. As a commissioned uniformed officer, it was a mistake that I have learned from, and I sincerely hope we all can learn from it,” Milley said during the address.
Sixty people earned more than $1 million yet paid no tax in 2019-20, Australia’s highest earners live in Perth, and the country’s lowest incomes have been recorded in regional New South Wales.
Key points:
ATO data shows 60 Australians who earned more than $1 million in 2019-20 did not pay a cent of income tax
Eight of the nation’s highest-earning postcodes were in Sydney, while five of the lowest-earning postcodes were in regional NSW
Doctors continue to dominate in terms of highest incomes, while apprentices and food workers struggle
The Australian Taxation Office’s (ATO) latest taxation statistics are based on the tax returns of almost 15 million Australians for 2019-20.
Analysis of the data by the Australia Institute reveals there were 60 Australians who earned more than $1 million in that financial year who did not pay a cent of income tax, compared to 66 the year before.
On average these 60 individuals earned $3.5 million each.
Managing your tax affairs is an allowable tax deduction. Some of those who earned more than a million dollars but paid no tax claimed this deduction.
“Some people earning a million dollars or more paid on average $80,000 each to manage their tax affairs, which reduced their taxable income below the tax-free threshold,” Australia Institute senior economist Matt Grudnoff said.
Matt Grudnoff says Australia’s tax system is full of complexity and loopholes.
Another allowable deduction is litigation costs for managing your tax affairs.
Of those earning a million dollars but paying no tax who claimed this deduction, the average amount claimed was $250,000.
“Our taxation system is full of complexity and the latest tax statistics show that some people on very large incomes are able to pay very smart people very large sums of money to take advantage of that complexity to reduce the amount of tax they have to pay, Mr Grudnoff said.
“This highlights the need in Australia for a Buffett rule, which sets a minimum rate of tax based on people’s gross income. This would prevent high-income earners from using lots of deductions to avoid paying tax.”
Nearly 2.3 million Australians declared rental income to the ATO in 2019-20, and the data show around 72 per cent of landlords owned one rental property, 19 per cent owned two, while nearly 86,000 people owned four or more.
On average, they made a loss (were negatively geared), but those losses shrank in 2019-20 as the Reserve Bank cut interest rates before and early on during the COVID pandemic, reducing the interest deductions claimed by landlords. The median loss was $400 and the average just $73.
What are Australia’s richest and poorest postcodes?
The ATO figures show eight of the nation’s highest-earning postcodes were in Sydney, while five of the lowest-earning postcodes were in regional NSW.
In 2019-20, Western Australia’s Cottesloe and Peppermint Grove, which share the postcode 6011, topped the list with an average taxable income of $325,343.
The next highest earners were in Sydney postcode 2027, which takes in the harborside suburbs of Darling Point and Edgecliff. Here the average taxable income was $205,957.
In third place was postcode 2023, Sydney’s Bellevue Hill, where the average taxable income was $195,204.
Eight of the top 10 postcodes are in Sydney, according to the 2019-20 taxation statistics.
Those living in regional NSW were among the nation’s lowest average income earners.
In Gurley NSW (postcode 2398), Burren Junction, Drildool, Nowley (postcode 2386) and Boomi, Garah (postcode 2405). Here the average taxable incomes were negative, likely due to farming losses.
Five of the lowest earning postcodes were in regional NSW.
Surgeons reap more than $400,000 on average while a hospitality worker struggles
Doctors continue to dominate in terms of earning the highest average incomes, while apprentices and food workers struggle.
Surgeons had the highest average income with anaesthetists earning only slightly less.(Unsplash: Jafar Ahmed)
The taxation statistics showed surgeons had the highest average income – $406,068 – with anaesthetists earning only slightly less ($388,814), internal medicine specialists ranked third ($310,848) and financial dealers ranked fourth ($279,790).
Surgeons continue to be the highest paid in the country.
As per usual, hospitality workers, who are often younger and work in part-time or casual jobs, represented occupations with the lowest average taxable incomes.
The lowest paid were apprentice hospitality workers ($19,877), fast food cooks ($20,447), apprentice trainees in sport and recreation ($20,447) and apprentices in cleaning services ($24,330).
Fast food workers are still among the lowest paid in the country.
What does the average person earn?
In contrast to the millionaires, the average taxable income for Australians was $63,882 in 2019-20, up just 2.1 per cent on the previous tax year.
Men continued to earn more than women, averaging $74,559 versus $52,798.
Men continued to earn more than women in the latest figures.(ABC News: David Maguire)
The median, or middle, earning Australian made $48,381, with men ($56,746) still earning considerably more than women ($41,724) on this measure, which effectively removes the effect of extremely high and low incomes.
Australians continued to find a wide range of work-related expenses to deduct, with nearly 9.4 million people claiming an average deduction of $2,303, although the typical deduction was a more modest $1,092.
Again, unlike some millionaires, the typical Australian claimed just $180 for managing their tax affairs.
That typical, median Australian paid $11,330 in income tax, which was just under a quarter of their taxable earnings.
The bulk of Australians (41.5 per cent) who filed tax returns in 2019-20 fell in the $37,001–$90,000-a-year income bracket, but the majority of tax collected (68.4 per cent) came from those earning over $90,000 a year.
Most of that came from the upper-middle income group earning between $90,001–$180,000, rather than the smaller cohort earning above $180,000.
Almost 1.4 million Australians declared an income or loss from running a non-farming business, although the average profit was just $27,417 and the median $12,227, indicating that many of these are likely to be side hustles.
The early effects of the pandemic were also apparent in the number of taxpayers declaring that they had received Australian government allowances and payments, which jumped from 933,806 in 2018-19 to 1,674,555.
A further 683,443 people who filed a return to the ATO collected an Australian government pension.
The median Australian had less than $50,000 in superannuation funds, while the average balance was much higher at $145,388, skewed upwards by the extremely large super funds held by a relative handful of individuals.
Where does the ATO collect its taxes?
The 2019-20 taxation statistics show that individuals continue to be by far the biggest source of tax revenue, contributing almost 53 per cent of collections.
Companies contributed about 21 per cent of the government’s tax revenue and, despite there currently being $3.4 trillion worth of superannuation assets (May 2022), in 2019-2020 super funds contributed just over $20 billion in taxes due to heavily reduced tax rates.
Individuals pay the largest share of income taxes, and that share continues to grow.(Supplied: ATO)
The Albanese government last week released a discussion paper on restricting the ability of multinationals able to shift profits overseas disguised as interest and royalties.
ATO data shows 5,399 companies declared interest expenses overseas worth $44.1 billion and 1,538 companies declared royalty expenses overseas of $8.8 billion.
Overall, 32 per cent of mining companies that produced an income paid tax. This ranged from 13 per cent in exploration to 44 per cent in construction material mining.
Overall, 32 per cent of mining companies that produced an income paid tax. (The Australia Institute, ATO Taxation Statistics.)
“With the largely foreign-owned mining industry and employing relatively small numbers of workers, tax is one of the few benefits the industry could provide to the rest of Australia,” Mr Grudnoff said.
“But the taxation statistics show that many mining companies continue to pay no tax.
“It is high time the government targets this industry for tax reform to ensure that it started to pay its fair share of tax.”
An SUV driver who on Thursday evening allegedly struck people along a parade route in Gallup, New Mexico, has been accused of aggravated DWI and other charges, according to the New Mexico State Police.
In total, 15 people with non-life-threatening injuries were transported to hospitals from the Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial Centennial Celebration event, state police officials said Friday in a news release.
Gallup police were told several people in a Chevrolet Tahoe parked along the route of the Ceremonial Night Parade were drinking alcohol, according to state police. As officers approached the SUV, the driver took off and both officers were injured, state police said.
“The Tahoe continued eastbound on West Coal Avenue toward parade participants while officers attempted to move spectators out of the Tahoe’s path,” the release says.
A video taken by witness Sean Justice shows a group of people performing in the street when the crowd burst into screams, with people leaping up and rushing in the opposite direction of what appears to be a moving SUV.
A statement from Gallup city officials said the SUV hit pedestrians, vehicles and a business before it was stopped.
Another video captured by witness Keisha Joe shows what appears to be the SUV which was driven through the parade. In front of the SUV is a damaged car on the sidewalk, its front door crumpled in.
A 33-year-old man who was allegedly driving was arrested and is accused of aggravated DWI, one count of accident involving injury/great bodily harm, 14 counts of accident involving injury/not great bodily harm and other charges, according to state police . The man, a resident of Pinedale, had a suspended/revoked license, the news release said.
Authorities said there is no evidence of a hate crime.
The two male passengers in the SUV were taken to the Gallup Detox Center.
“We are deeply saddened by this incident. We encourage everyone to attend the remaining Gallup Inter-Tribal Ceremonial events,” city officials said. “The city is working with multiple agencies to ensure safety is of the highest priority. We will begin healing together in this celebration of cultural connections.”
The Gallup Intertribal Ceremony will continue as scheduled. Thursday was the first night of the 11-day-long event. Another parade is scheduled for August 13, according to the event website.
“We’re incredibly saddened and shocked by the life-threatening and traumatic incident that took place last night when a vehicle drove through the Ceremonial Night Parade,” Melissa Sanchez, the executive director of the New Mexico Tourism Department Intertribal Ceremonial Office, said in the release. “We await as law enforcement continues to gather the facts regarding this ongoing situation. Right now, safety is the top priority for community members, participants, travelers, and event staff and volunteers.”
Gallup is in northwestern New Mexico, a little more than a two-hour drive west of Albuquerque. It is home to the Navajo Regional Office Bureau of Indian Affairs.
“We are grateful that no lives were lost due to this senseless act by a few individuals. The perpetrators must be held accountable to the fullest extent. My family and I, as well as many of our Navajo people, witnessed the tragic events firsthand,” Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said in a news release. “We saw children who were shedding tears and people shaking with fear and we did our best to comfort them and let them know that everything would be OK.”
Navajo Nation Council Speaker Seth Damon released a statement saying, “The Navajo Nation stands with resilience against any acts of violence and sends prayers of protection to those affected. This was a traumatic and triggering event for many, especially for our youth, elders, and our veterans who acted quickly.”
“Hold Gallup in your prayers tonight as we come together in faith and strength for one another. May the Creator and Holy People bless you all tonight as we move forward together,” he said.
A Texas jury has decided to penalize Alex Jones with $45.2 million in punitive damages in a lawsuit filed by the parents of Sandy Hook shooting victim Jesse Lewis.
The award, which the judge could reduce, came one day after the jury settled on $4.1 million in compensatory damages.
The jurors began deliberating around 12:30 pm CT on Friday, after Judge Maya Guerra Gamble reminded them that in a default judgment against him Jones was already found liable for defamation and “intentional infliction of emotional distress” against Lewis’ parents, Scarlett Lewis and Neil Hesslin.
In an emotional closing argument Friday, Lewis and Heslin’s attorney Wesley Todd Ball said to the jury, “We ask that you send a very very simple message, and that is, stop Alex Jones. Stop the monetization of misinformation and lies. Por favor.”
Ball urged the jurors to “deter Alex Jones from ever doing this awfulness again” and “to deter others who may want to step into his shoes.”
Jones’ attorney, Federico Andino Reynal, argued for a far lower sum, suggesting that the jurors should multiply Jones’ purported earnings per hour of $14,000 and the 18 hours that he said Jones talked about Sandy Hook on Infowars, for a sum of around a quarter million dollars.
On Thursday, in the first phase of the trial, the jury awarded the parents $4.1 million in compensatory damages, a far smaller amount than the $150 million the parents’ attorneys had sought. In his closing argument, Ball thanked the jury for their decision to award the $4.1 million, saying it had already made a huge difference in the parents’ lives, and asked them to award enough in punitive damages to bring the total to $150 million.
Punitive damages are a form of punishment for a defendant’s behavior. Jones, the head of the conspiratorial media outlet Infowars, repeatedly lied about the Sandy Hook massacre. I have stoked conspiracy theories about the victims and their families, prompting multiple defamation lawsuits. He has since acknowledged that the mass shooting occurred.
Jones claimed in his testimony that a jury award of just $2 million would destroy him financially. But on Friday morning the jurors heard testimony about Jones’ wealth from an economist, Bernard Pettingill, Jr., who estimated Jones has a net worth of between $135 million and $270 million.
Pettingill, Jr., who examined several years of records for Jones and Infowars’ parent Free Speech Systems, said Jones used a series of shell companies to hide his money.
Jones used two large loans to make it appear he was broke when in fact he was not, Pettingill, Jr. testified.
“Alex Jones knows where the money is, he knows where that money went and he knows that he is going to eventually benefit by that money,” Pettingill, Jr. said.
After one of the jurors asked about the difference between Jones’ money and his company’s money, Pettingill, Jr. said “you cannot separate Alex Jones from the companies. He is the companies.”
Jones “monetized his shtick,” he added, even suggesting that Jones could teach a college course about his techniques.
Jones’ fear-mongering rants on Infowars have, for many years, been paired with ads for supplements, documentaries, and other products Infowars sells. Pettingill, Jr. said the money poured in, identifying nine different companies that are owned by Jones.
“He is a very successful man, he has promulgated some hate speech and some misinformation, but he made a lot of money and he monetized that,” Pettingill, Jr. said on the stand. “My thinking about him is he didn’t ride a wave, he created the wave.”
Jones testified earlier in the week about his alleged financial troubles after social media giants like Facebook and Twitter banned his content from their platforms.
“I remember him saying that, but the records don’t reflect that,” Pettingill, Jr said.
During closing arguments, Ball asserted that Jones has even more money hidden away in other places and argued that $4.1 million was a drop in Jones’ proverbial bucket. “He’s probably already made it back in donations” from fans, Ball said.
Alyssa Farah Griffin and Ana Navarro, two conservatives who have been extraordinarily critical of former President Donald Trump, were officially announced on Thursday as a permanent co-hosts of “The View.”
Co-host Whoopi Goldberg made the announcements during two live segments on the ABC daytime talk show.
Griffin said she was “honored” to become a co-host and Navarro described it as an “enormous, incomparable privilege.”
The appointment of Griffin and Navarro to permanent seats on the show is not entirely surprising. Both have regularly co-hosted the show and several news organizations reported recently that Griffin would soon be announced as an official co-host.
Griffin resigned in December 2020 from the Trump administration, in which she’d held several positions, including White House communications director. Griffin has since leveled searing criticism at her former boss and colleagues who have covered for him.
Navarro, a longtime Republican strategist and commentator who has been a contributor on “The View” since 2019, has for years spoken in no-holds-barred terms against Trump and his allies.
Both Griffin and Navarro are CNN political commentators. A CNN spokesperson said they will both continue in their role with the cable news network while also hosting “The View.”
“The View” has been in search of a conservative co-host since Meghan McCain left the program last summer.
“We promised to take a little time to fill the seat and we have found the right match and a welcome addition to the show with Alyssa,” executive producer Brian Teta said in a statement. “She is willing to share her unique political experience and brings a strong conservative perspective while holding her own de ella in tough debates with her co-hosts and guests on both sides of the aisle.”
“Ana has made an indelible impact on ‘The View’ since the first time she joined us at the table,” Teta added. “She is a strong independent thinker with savvy insight, not to mention that she is whip-smart and fiercely funny. We are very happy to officially welcome her as a co-host.”
