Tag Archives: Wisconsin

Guardian: Throwing their bodies on the gears: the Democratic lawmakers showing up to resist Trump

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Republicans may literally own social media platforms, but some Democrats are buying back legitimacy with protests

A flock of Ice agents, some masked, some sporting military-operator fashion for show, smooshed the New York City comptroller, Brad Lander, up against a wall and handcuffed him in the hallway of a federal courthouse in early June, shuffling the mild-mannered politician into an elevator like the Sandman hustling an act off the stage 10 miles north at Harlem’s Apollo Theater.

Like at the Apollo, Lander’s arrest was a show. News reporters and cellphone camera-wielding bystanders crowded the hall to watch the burly federal officers rumple a 55-year-old auditor asking for a warrant.

“I’m not obstructing. I’m standing here in this hallway asking for a judicial warrant,” Lander said. “You don’t have the authority to arrest US citizens.”

“This is an urgent moment for the rule of law in the United States of America and it is important to step up,” Lander told the Guardian after the arrest. “And I think the dividing line for Democrats right now is not between progressives and moderates. It’s between fighters and folders. We have to find nonviolent but insistent ways of standing up for democracy and the rule of law.”

…

“There’s a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can’t take part,” Mario Savio, a student leader in the free speech movement, a campaign of civil disobedience against restrictive policies on student political activity, said 60 years ago during a campus protest. “You can’t even passively take part. And you’ve got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you’ve got to make it stop.”

…

Hannah Dugan, a Wisconsin judge, allowed a man to leave through the back doors of her courtroom, allegedly in response to the presence of immigration officers waiting to arrest him. FBI agents subsequently arrested Dugan in her Milwaukee courtroom on 25 April, charging her with obstruction.

The FBI director, Kash Patel, posted comments about her arrest on X almost immediately, and eventually posted a photograph of her arrest, handcuffed and walking toward a police cruiser, with the comment: “No one is above the law.” Digitally altered photographs of Dugan appearing to be in tears in a mugshot proliferated on social media. Trump himself reposted an image from the Libs of TikTok website of Dugan wearing a Covid-19 mask on the day of her arrest.

Three days later …

It’s long read — best to click on the link below and read the article in its entirety.

Throwing their bodies on the gears: the Democratic lawmakers showing up to resist Trump
Republicans may literally own social media platforms, but some Democrats are buying back legitimacy with protests

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/30/democrats-trump-resistance

Washington Post: Lawsuit accuses Musk of bribing Wisconsin voters with cash prizes

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A Wisconsin nonprofit organization focused on fighting for fair elections has filed a legal complaint alleging that billionaire Elon Musk illegally bribed voters by giving out cash prizes this year in his attempt to help conservatives take control of the swing state’s Supreme Court.

The complaint, provided to The Washington Post by lawyers representing the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign and two Wisconsin voters, claims that Musk, his America PAC and a Musk-linked entity known as United States of America Inc. violated the state’s election law in “a brazen scheme to bribe Wisconsin citizens to vote.”

The complaint stems from actions of the Tesla and SpaceX CEO ahead of the Wisconsin Supreme Court election this spring, when he handed out $1 million checks to Wisconsin voters and when his super PAC, America PAC, paid registered voters $100 each for signing petitions and providing their contact information.

State law, the complaint notes, bars offering or giving “any amount of money over $1” to induce anyone to go to the polls, vote or vote for a particular person. The complaint also claims the actions violated the state’s prohibition on unauthorized lotteries.

The plaintiffs are asking the court to declare that the conduct broke state law and to bar Musk and the defendants from replicating such conduct in future Wisconsin elections. They are also asking the court to award damages “to the extent supported by law.”

Lawsuit accuses Musk of bribing Wisconsin voters with cash prizes
A complaint says Musk violated the state’s election law in “a brazen scheme to bribe Wisconsin citizens to vote” during the state’s high-stakes Supreme Court election.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/06/11/lawsuit-accuses-musk-bribing-wisconsin-voters-with-cash-prizes

Also here:

Lawsuit accuses Musk of bribing Wisconsin voters with cash prizes
A complaint says Musk violated the state’s election law in “a brazen scheme to bribe Wisconsin citizens to vote” during the state’s high-stakes Supreme Court election.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/lawsuit-accuses-musk-of-bribing-wisconsin-voters-with-cash-prizes/ar-AA1GvnwU

Huffington Post: Kristi [Bimbo #2] Noem Said An Immigrant Threatened To Kill Trump. The Story Quickly Fell Apart.

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Investigators actually believe the man may have been framed so that he would get arrested and be deported from the U.S., a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.

A claim by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi [Bimbo #2] Noem that an immigrant threatened the life of President Donald Trump has begun to unravel.

[Bimbo #2] Noem announced an arrest of a 54-year-old man who was living in the U.S. illegally, saying he had written a letter threatening to kill Trump and would then return to Mexico. The story received a flood of media attention and was highlighted by the White House and Trump’s allies.

But investigators actually believe the man may have been framed so that he would get arrested and be deported from the U.S. before he got a chance to testify in a trial as a victim of assault, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The person could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

Let’s just say that Kristi [Bimbo #2] Noem is one of the dimmest bulbs ever to hold a cabinet-level office.

Kristi Noem Said An Immigrant Threatened To Kill Trump. The Story Quickly Fell Apart.
Investigators actually believe the man may have been framed so that he would get arrested and be deported from the U.S., a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ap-us-trump-threat-ice-arrest_n_683a1761e4b06a21c073aacd

Alternet: ‘One of the worst’: Kristi [Bimbo #2] Noem slammed for ‘false accusation’ against man who was framed

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Authorities have acknowledged an error in their initial assessment of a Wisconsin man who was arrested last month under suspicion of threatening President Donald Trump, CNN reported Tuesday.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Secretary Kristi Noem had previously labeled Ramón Morales Reyes, an undocumented immigrant, as a potential threat based on threatening letters allegedly written by him. However, a subsequent investigation revealed that Morales Reyes, who cannot read or write in English, was framed by Demetric Deshawn Scott, a 52-year-old man from Milwaukee.

Bimbo #2 doesn’t care who or what she hurts. Just ask her goat or puppy.

Never mind, the goat & puppy are dead — Bimbo #2 shot them.

‘One of the worst’: Kristi [Bimbo #2] Noem slammed for ‘false accusation’ against man who was framed

https://www.alternet.org/kristi-noem-dhs

Independent: New video shows Judge Hannah Dugan with federal agents in moment that led to her arrest

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Attorneys for Wisconsin county judge call the case against her ‘entirely unconstitutional’

Newly obtained surveillance footage from inside a Wisconsin courthouse shows a county judge speaking with federal law enforcement officers before they arrested an undocumented immigrant moments after his hearing in the judge’s courtroom.

A week later, Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan was placed in handcuffs and accused of obstructing his arrest.

Footage from April 18 provided to The Independent from a public records request shows at least six plain-clothes agents in ball caps and hooded sweatshirts arriving on Dugan’s floor. At one point, one agent sits directly across from Dugan’s courtroom.

Minutes after Dugan’s arrival, agents see Eduardo Flores-Ruiz and his attorney entering the courtroom. Flores-Ruiz faces domestic abuse charges stemming from an argument with his roommates, according to a criminal complaint.

Dugan can be seen speaking to a pair of agents sitting on a bench in the courthouse hallway, and then appears to direct them down the hall. According to the criminal complaint, the agents told the judge they had an administrative warrant, which is typically issued by immigration authorities without a judge.

The judge allegedly told the agents to see the chief judge about their plans to make an arrest inside the courthouse. The complaint accuses Dugan of exhibiting “confrontational, angry demeanor” when speaking with federal agents. The surveillance footage does not include any audio.

Dugan is standing still in the video while speaking with two agents, who appear relaxed and slouched on the benches. One agent begins to walk down the hall while Dugan continues speaking with the other agent. Dugan then gestures towards the other end of the hall. She walks the opposite direction when the agents walk away.

None of the videos show the inside of her courtroom. A hearing for Flores-Ruiz lasted only a few minutes. Federal prosecutors allege Dugan directed Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out of her courtroom through a non-public door.

But video footage shows the door was just a few feet from the main entrance. Flores-Ruiz and his attorney walk past federal agents as they head towards the elevator. One agent follows them to the elevator. According to a criminal complaint, the agent shared an elevator to the lobby with the both of them.

Looks like ICE’s Gestapo thugs have no evidence worth mentioning.

Video shows Judge Hannah Dugan with federal agents in moment leading to her arrest
Attorneys for Wisconsin county judge call the case against her ‘entirely unconstitutional’

https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/judge-hannah-dugan-video-ice-arrrest-b2762081.html

Irish Star: US citizen detained by immigration officials who thought Real ID was a fake

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Immigration officials detained a US citizen during a raid on a construction site, as video footage showed numerous officers rushing to handcuff the man while others shouted in his defense

A US citizen was detained during an ICE raid at a construction site and claims he was ‘tackled’ and ‘handcuffed, hard,’ as police accused his REAL ID of being a fake.

Leonardo García Venegas, 25, was detained at the Foley, Alabama, site where he was working as ICE agents raided the place. A video of the incident aired by Telemundo showed the scene as authorities on the site had García Venegas bent over while multiple officers rushed over to put handcuffs on him, and someone yelled in the background, ‘he’s a citizen!’

Garcia was kept in a vehicle until officers released him. He says he took out his wallet and ID and showed them his REAL ID.

“They took out my wallet, took out my ID,” he said in an interview. “And they told me it was fake. Said it wasn’t valid and that it was fake. My ID. They handcuffed me, and they handcuffed me really tight.”

“Very hard.”

“Apparently, a REAL ID is not valid anymore. He has a REAL ID,” his cousin Shelah Venegas said.

García Venegas was born in Florida to Mexican parents and is a US citizen.

“We all made sure we have the REAL ID and went through the protocols the administration is asking for….. He has his REAL ID, and then they see him, and I guess because his English isn’t fluent and/or because he’s brown, it’s fake, it’s not real.”

The arrest left Venegas shaken, but mostly afraid for his brother, who is in the country illegally and was arrested and detained.

Venegas says he wants to sue but was told by lawyers that prosecuting a federal agent would be nearly impossible.

Pigs just gotta be pigs. ICE will be reformed only from top down, by rolling heads. Once enough people are fed up with their Gestapo behavior, it will happen.

US citizen detained by immigration officials who thought Real ID was a fake
Immigration officials detained a US citizen during a raid on a construction site, as video footage showed numerous officers rushing to handcuff the man while others shouted in his defense

https://www.irishstar.com/news/us-news/citizen-detained-immigration-officials-who-35283394

Newsweek: Trump Administration Accused of Declaring ‘Fake’ Emergency By 15 States

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A coalition of attorneys general across 15 states is suing the Trump administration over declaring a “national emergency” on the first day of Donald Trump‘s presidency.

On January 20, President Trump declared a “national energy emergency” via executive order, over what he claimed to be “our Nation’s inadequate energy supply.”

The attorneys general from Washington and California say this is not true, and that US energy production is actually at “an all time high.”

“Washington state filed suit today alongside 14 other states to challenge the president’s fake “energy emergency,” declared to line the pockets of Big Oil by handing out free passes to pollute our environment,” said Washington Attorney General Nick Brown on May 9.

Trump administration accused of declaring ‘fake’ emergency by 15 states
The president has been accused of creating a “fake” energy emergency in order to “line the pockets of Big Oil,” according to 15 states.

https://www.newsweek.com/trump-administration-fake-energy-emergency-15-states-2070864

Christian Post: Elon Musk thanks pastor for invoking ‘hedge of protection’ around him

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‘I think we’re going to need divine protection, frankly’

SpaceX CEO and DOGE chief Elon Musk thanked a pastor who publicly prayed for him during a large town hall in Wisconsin.

The pastor, who remains unidentified as of Monday, asked for divine protection amid what he framed as Musk and President Donald Trump’s battle against evil.

Elon Musk thanks pastor for invoking ‘hedge of protection’ around him
SpaceX CEO and DOGE chief Elon Musk thanked a pastor who publicly prayed for him during a large town hall in Wisconsin

Elon Musk thanks pastor for invoking ‘hedge of protection’ | Politics

Latin Times: Musk’s AI Chatbot Defies its Maker, Declaring Million-Dollar Wisconsin Voter Giveaway ‘Likely Violates Federal Law’

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Musk is such a sleazeball that even his AI-powered bot can see through him.

Musk’s AI Chatbot Defies its Maker, Declaring Million-Dollar Wisconsin Voter Giveaway ‘Likely Violates Federal Law’

Musk’s AI Chatbot Defies its Maker, Declaring Million-Dollar Wisconsin Voter Giveaway ‘Likely Violates Federal Law’

The Independent: Milwaukee mother of 5 deported to Laos ‘shaken’ as she faces decades without family in U.S.

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Mother of 5 deported to a country she’s never known …

A Milwaukee woman who was deported to Laos by the Trump administration earlier this month is deeply “shaken” by the prospect of spending more than a decade away from her partner and five children back home in Wisconsin, activists helping the family told The Independent.

Ma Yang, a 37-year-old Hmong-American, has been living in a government facility outside the Laotian capital of Vientiane for the past couple of weeks after being forced to leave her family and friends in the U.S.

…

Yang was taken to a military hospital on Monday night by the Laotian authorities after staying for days without insulin for her diabetes and running out of her medication for high blood pressure.

Milwaukee mother deported to Laos ‘shaken’ as she faces decades without family in U.S.
Milwaukee mother deported to Laos ‘shaken’ as she faces decades without family in U.S. – SPECIAL REPORT: Despite being born in Thailand and becoming a permanent U.S. resident, Ma Yang has been sent to the other side of the world to a country where she knows no one. Alisha Rahaman Sarkar traces her journey to the Laotian capital of Vientiane

Milwaukee mother deported to Laos ‘shaken’ as she faces decades without family in U.S.