National Organization Chooses Utah for Home Base
What: Senator Daniel Thatcher is announcing that nominations are open for the first-ever American Citizen Award. Nominations will be accepted until March 23, 2018. People from across the United States are being urged to recognize local people doing extraordinary things for others by nominating them to this prestigious award.
“The awards were created to recognize people, from all walks of life, who work tirelessly to make a positive impact on society and whose selfless giving for the benefit of others would otherwise go unrecognized.” - Michael Faulkner, Founder, British Citizen Awards
The American Citizen Award will recognize 50 extraordinary individuals for their selfless accomplishments which positively impact their communities at a formal medal presentation ceremony to be held at the Utah State Capitol Building on May 31, 2018.
The endeavor to recreate in the U.S., what has been so well received in the U.K. since 2015, is a collaboration between The Awards Recognition Bureau (UK), Red Shoes Living (US), Utah State Senator Daniel Thatcher and a diverse group of U.S. Patrons, Ambassadors and Corporate Partners.
In the UK, The British Citizen Award program has attracted support from several high-profile Patrons, including Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, who stated: “The greatest kindness you can afford to give someone is to listen. This organization listens to the citizens of this great country and not only hears the stories but rewards monumental efforts.”
Who:
Senator Daniel Thatcher, Utah Senate District 12
Michael Faulkner, Founder, British Citizen Awards
Lonnie Mayne, Red Shoes Living
Lew Cramer, CBC Advisors
Joni Crane, Boy Scouts of America
Scott Howell, Former Utah State Senator
When:
Tues., Nov. 21, 2017 at 11:00 a.m.
Where:
Utah Capitol, Rotunda
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USDA Invests More Than $1 Billion to Improve Health Care in Rural Areas
WASHINGTON, Nov. 17, 2017 – U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue today announced that USDA provided more than $1 billion in Fiscal Year 2017 to help improve access to health care services for 2.5 million people in rural communities in 41 states.
“USDA invests in a wide range of health care facilities – such as hospitals, clinics and treatment centers – to help ensure that rural residents have access to the same state-of-the art care available in urban and metropolitan areas,” Perdue said. “I understand that building a prosperous rural America begins with healthy people. Ensuring that rural communities have access to quality medical care is a top priority for USDA.”
USDA invested in 97 rural health care projects that served 2.5 million people in Fiscal Year 2017 through the Community Facilities Direct Loan Program. The loans can be used to fund essential community services. For health care, this includes constructing, expanding or improving health care facilities such as hospitals, medical clinics, dental clinics and assisted-living facilities, as well as to purchase equipment. Public bodies, non-profit organizations and federally recognized tribes in rural areas and towns with up to 20,000 people are eligible for these loans.
USDA financed Community Facilities direct loan projects in the following states: Alaska, Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
The following are a few examples of rural health care projects that USDA funded during FY 2017:
Funding from USDA’s Community Facilities Direct Loan program is playing a major role in Ontario, Ohio. Avita Health System received $91.4 million to transform a vacant section of a shopping mall into a state-of-the-art hospital that provides vital health care, including substance use disorder treatment and mental health services. These services are essential for Ohio communities that have been affected by the opioid epidemic in recent years. The hospital, which opened in March 2017, serves more than 124,000 rural residents in Richland and Crawford counties.
In addition to health care, the new hospital is providing an economic boost in the form of good-paying, rural-based jobs. It has also been a lifeline to struggling stores and businesses by increasing foot traffic (and therefore business) in what had been a dying shopping mall that struggled after the closure of one of its major anchor stores.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; homeownership; community services such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
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New Classified Clinton Emails
November 17, 2017
(Weekly Update: Live with Tom Fitton)
New Clinton Classified Emails Reveal More Pay for Play
Judicial Watch Sues Kentucky Over Dirty Voter Registration Rolls
We Sue DOJ for Communications On “Russian Lawyer” – Was She Working with Clinton/Obama Operation?
New Clinton Classified Emails Reveal More Pay for Play
While there are now belated rumbles in Washington about a Department of Justice investigation of Hillary Clinton’s email practices, we continue to steadily discover for you and the American people the nature of the corruption going on behind the scenes at her State Department.
This week we released 109 pages of Hillary Clinton emails from her tenure as secretary of state. The documents include two email exchanges classified confidential and a 2011 exchange with Sid Blumenthal about “serious trouble for the Libyan rebels.”
The newly produced emails were part of 72,000 pages of documents the FBI recovered last year in its investigation into Clinton’s use of an unsecure, non-government email system. The records include emails Hillary Clinton attempted to delete or did not otherwise disclose. These emails are also available on the State Department’s website.
Two heavily redacted emails marked Classified Confidential included a November 2011 exchange under the Subject: “Egyptian MFA on Hamas-PLO talks,” and a June 28, 2011 email from Clinton to Abedin in which Clinton writes “I have now promised the Kuwaiti PM 3 times that I will deliver an address at the Oxford Islamic Center. Pls be sure that’s on the list for next Fall/next year.”
On March 9, 2011, Sid Blumenthal emailed Clinton about the situation in Libya, with the subject line “H: serious trouble for Libyan rebels. Sid” The email discusses urging leaders of the National Libyan Council (NLC) “to consider hiring private troops (mercenaries) to support, organize, and train the rebel forces in Libya.” Blumenthal adds: “A small number of private troops could turn the battle against Qaddafi’s forces, particularly if they are equipped with sophisticated anti-aircraft weapons.” Clinton asks former aide Huma Abedin to “print for me w/o any identifiers”.
The Washington Times reported Libyan officials were deeply concerned in 2011 that Clinton was responsible for weapons being funneled to NATO-backed rebels in Libya with ties to al Qaeda.
On October 6, 2009, Clinton’s then-Chief of Staff, Cheryl Mills emails “I am purposefully on gmail” to Abedin and Maggie Williams, former campaign manager for Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign. [Emphasis added] Mills was responding to an October 4, 2009, email from Clinton, most of which was redacted.
On January 6, 2012, Clinton can be seen “expediting” a citizenship request so the requestor can get a government job in policy or law enforcement:
I am told by Citizenship and Immigration (CIS) caseworkers that it may be at least another 8 months before they get to me, making the total time more than a year (they advertise 6 months total turnaround time).
Would you consider helping me by reaching out to DHS Secretary Napolitano or CIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas who reports to her on my behalf? The ask is to simply consider moving up my applications for review ASAP. My application is complete, straight forward and I have nothing to hide.”
Clinton responds: “I’m copying Huma [Abedin] and asking her to see if we can help expedite this for you because we want you to be a citizen as soon as possible! I’ve got my fingers crossed. Happy New Year–H.”
On August 4, 2009, Terrence Duffy, a donor to the Clinton Foundation and executive chairman of the derivatives giant CME Group, asks Clinton for her assistance in setting up meetings with Asian leaders.
I am planning a trip to Asia for October 3-10. While there, I will be traveling to Beijing, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Singapore and I was wondering if there is any way you could help set up a meeting or 2 with some elected officials in any of those regions. Once again, you’re doing an amazing job and all of America is very fortunate to have you as our Secretary of State.”
Clinton responds: “Terry–I’m emailing from Capetown [sic], one of my favorite cities in the world. I’m copying your email to Huma so she can follow up w you regarding your Asia trip. Hope you’re well. All the best, H.”
We previously reported that Duffy had also asked Clinton in September to arrange “government appointments” for his October trip. Duffy gave $4,600 to Hillary’s 2008 presidential campaign; in November 2013 CME Group paid Hillary Clinton a $225,000 speaking fee and has donated between $5,001 and 10,000 to the Clinton Foundation.
In November 2016, the State Department was ordered to produce no less than 500 pages of records a month to Judicial Watch. We filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit in May 2015 after the State Department failed to respond to a March 18, 2015, FOIA request (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of State (No. 1:15-cv-00687)). The lawsuit seeks:
All emails sent or received by former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in her official capacity as secretary of State, as well as all emails by other State Department employees to Secretary Clinton regarding her non-“state.gov” email address.
Under the current pace of production, the Clinton emails and other records won’t fully be available for possible release until at least 2020.
These new Clinton emails add to the pile of evidence demonstrating the need for a serious criminal investigation of Hillary Clinton and her associates. It is shameful that this State Department is releasing these Clinton emails so slowly.
I trust President Trump agrees the State Department and Justice Department need to follow the rule of law and stop covering for Hillary Clinton and the Obama administration.
Judicial Watch Sues Kentucky Over Dirty Voter Registration Rolls
For some time, through our Election Integrity Project, we have been keeping an eye on states that can’t seem to keep their voter registration rolls cleaned as federal law requires. And, when the situation is egregious enough, we go to court to ensure the law is followed.
This week we sued the Commonwealth of Kentucky over its failure to take reasonable steps to maintain accurate voter registration lists. Our lawsuit argues that 48 Kentucky counties have more registered voters than citizens over the age of 18. We filed the suit in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Central Division (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. Alison Lundergan Grimes et al. (No. 3:17-cv-00094)).
Kentucky was one of 12 states to which we sent notice-of-violation letters this year threatening to sue because they have counties in which the number of registered voters exceeds the number of citizens of voting age. Both the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and the Help America Vote Act require states to take reasonable steps to maintain accurate voting rolls.
Judicial Watch analyzed registration data and compared it to the most recent census data to determine the registration rates of United States counties. In our complaint, we note that Kentucky’s registration rates are sky high, and are national outliers:
Whenever a jurisdiction has more voter registrations than individuals old enough to register – in other words, a registration rate exceeding 100% of adult residents – it is a strong indication, recognized by federal courts, that the jurisdiction is not taking the steps required by law to remove the registrations of ineligible registrants.
Kentucky leads every other state in the nation in the number of counties in which total registration exceeds the citizen voting-age population. Specifically, the number of voter registrations exceeds the number of age-eligible citizens in 48 Kentucky counties, or 40% of all Kentucky counties.
We also note that Kentucky is one of only three states in the country where the statewide active registration rate is greater than 100% of the age-eligible citizen population.
We cite several other deficiencies in Kentucky’s handling of voter registration and related issues. Kentucky is required by law to disclose to the federal Election Assistance Commission the number of inactive registrations it carries on its voter rolls. It failed to do so.
Kentucky is also required to report the number of address confirmation letters it sent to citizens who were thought to have moved out of state. It failed to release this information as well.
Kentucky is also required by federal law to keep registration-related records and to make them publicly available on request. We made such a request, and Kentucky initially promised to disclose these records. But it broke this promise and, to date, has failed to make records available.
We point out that Kentucky’s inflated voter rolls indicate that it is not complying with federal laws requiring it to cancel the registrations of citizens who have died or moved elsewhere. This conclusion is bolstered by Kentucky’s failure to divulge registration-related records it is required to disclose by federal law. In our lawsuit, we ask the court to declare Kentucky in violation of Section 8(a)(4) of the NVRA; to require it to implement a program to remove ineligible registrants; and to compel it to turn over relevant records and information.
Kentucky has perhaps the dirtiest election rolls in the country. Federal law requires states to take reasonable steps to clean up their voting rolls – and clearly Kentucky hasn’t done that. Dirty voting rolls can mean dirty elections. This lawsuit aims to ensure that citizens can have more confidence that elections in Kentucky won’t be subject to fraud. (JW previously filed successful lawsuits under the NVRA against Ohio and Indiana that resulted in those states taking several actions to clean up their voting rolls.)
We have a top-notch team on this case. Judicial Watch Senior Attorney and Director of its Election Integrity Project. Robert Popper recently provided testimony to the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity concerning the NVRA. Popper was formerly deputy chief of the Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department.
The Kentucky action isn’t our only direct lawsuit, as we are also in court now against the State of Maryland and Montgomery County over their failure to release documents in violation of the NVRA.
Watch this space for updates on these lawsuits to preserve our elections from fraud and abuse.
We Sue DOJ for Communications On “Russian Lawyer” – Was She Working with Clinton/Obama Operation?
To what extent was the Obama administration involved in the effort to take down President Trump? We hope to uncover some of the truth.
We just filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice for all records of communications relating to Russian attorney Natalia Veselnitskaya’s immigration parole. (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Justice (No. 1:17-cv-02357)).
We filed suit after the Justice Department failed to respond to an August 4, 2017, FOIA request seeking:
Any and all records of communications sent to or from officials in the Offices of the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General regarding an immigration parole issued to Russian national Natalia Veselnitskaya between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2016.
Fox News recently reported on a meeting between Fusion GPS and Veselnitskaya:
The co-founder of Fusion GPS, the firm behind the unverified Trump dossier, met with [Veselnitskaya] before and after a key meeting she had last year with Trump’s son, Fox News has learned. The contacts shed new light on how closely tied the firm was to Russian interests, at a time when it was financing research to discredit then-candidate Donald Trump.
The opposition research firm has faced renewed scrutiny after litigation revealed that the DNC and Hillary Clinton’s campaign paid for that research. Congressional Republicans have since questioned whether that politically financed research contributed to the FBI’s investigation of Russian collusion with the Trump campaign – making Fusion’s 2016 contacts with Russian interests all the more relevant.
The “Russian lawyer” who finagled a meeting with Donald Trump, Jr., evidently wasn’t supposed to be in the country. We want to know what the Obama Justice Department knew and when it knew about what Ms. Veselnitskaya was up to.
This lawsuit is one of nearly two dozen Judicial Watch filed to expose the apparent corruption behind the effort to destroy President Trump during the campaign last year – an effort which continues to this day.
Until next week …
Tom Fitton
President
