Vigilant News

Eternal Vigilance is the price of liberty.

Midterms

Midterm Aftermath: the Winners, the Losers, the Cheaters

By ,

Despite many sound victories, the anticipated “Red Wave” wasn’t quite as massive as projected in certain key areas. Whether or not that was by design or it all played out honestly remains to be seen, but conservative voters remain skeptical that some critical races were not rife with fraud.

Tabulators experienced “county-wide system outages” in Mercer county New Jersey:

From the New Jersey Globe:

Voting machines throughout Mercer County are facing technical difficulties this morning, but no voters are being turned away and machine votes are still being cast.

The issue involves a programming glitch with optical scanners, which count votes after ballots are filled out.

Programmers from the voting machine manufacturer, Dominion, are in site trying to work through the problem, the New Jersey Globe has confirmed.

“There is a slot on the top of the scanner and voters can vote and are voting manually,” said Mercer County Clerk Paula Sollami Covello.  “We are asking poll workers to use the official ballots because they can still vote them manually, and place them in the slot in the scanning machines and we will count them manually.”

While issues with optical scanners won’t prevent voting — ballots are still being printed properly – it could delay the counting of votes tonight.  That might impact the speed by which election return in Hamilton, Lawrence, East Windsor, Hightstown and Robbinsville – all towns in New Jersey’s 3rd congressional district potentially impedes counts in the closely watched House race between Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown) and Republican Bob Healey.

 

In Michigan, where polls closed at 8:00PM The Gateway Pundit has exclusive video and photographic evidence that the City of Detroit in Michigan was collecting thousands of ballots significantly after the legal deadline in 2022.

As per Gateway Pundit:

We can exclusively report that the City of Detroit was handling and beginning to process a significant number of ballots at 11:30PM on election night.

We can exclusively report that the City of Detroit was handling and beginning to process more ballots at 1:22AM on election night.

Where did these ballots come from?

Why are they arriving at the Detroit Bureau of Election so suspiciously late on election night?

What could possibly account for so many ballots arriving so late?

In Maricopa county, tabulators did not work starting at 6 am when the polls opened. You can read more about that in our election-day coverage.

In Illinois, voters are being told to use the provided sharpies, or their vote may not count! In addition, the Champaign County Illinois Clerk’s Office announced the computer server is under cyber-attack.

But despite these irregularities, there were many sound victories.

Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Marco Rubio sealed their wins early in the evening as Florida turned blood red. Rand Paul was also an early victory, effortlessly winning his third term in the Kentucky Senate race.

In Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine won his reelection, as did Chris Sununu in New Hampshire, Kevin Stitt in Oklahoma, Greg Abbot in Texas, and Brian Kemp in Georgia.

As for the losers, some races were close and some lost big. Stacey Abrahms managed to waste over $105 Million on her failed campaign. Beto O’Rourke secured a hat-trick, having lost a presidential, a Senate, and a Gubernatorial race now as well.

Close race losers include Tudor Dixon in Michigan, who lost to Gretchen Whitmer. The Pennsylvania race between Oz Fetterman was also close but inevitably swung in favor of Fetterman.

All eyes seem to be on the Races in Arizona, and the Senate race in Georgia between Herschel Walker and Rafael Warnock.

Updates to come.

 

Election Observers Deployed by House Republicans to Investigate Irregularities in Tight Races

By ,

Republicans in Congress, determined to use their oversight authority to keep tabs on midterms, have deployed dozens of trained observers to key races around the country.

The effort is being led Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Il), who is the top Republican on the House Administration Committee, and includes the training and deployment of House staff as observers under the authority of Congress and investigating how federal agencies are implementing Joe Biden’s executive order to expand voter registration.

Davis has so far written to at least one state election chief that the effort preserves the right for a candidate who feels his or her race was wrongly counted to contest it in Congress.

“As in past elections, the House will use this legal authority to credential and deploy trained congressional staffers to serve as official House election observers in close, or particularly cumbersome congressional elections, in the coming weeks,” the Illinois Republican wrote Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose on Oct. 20, laying out his plans. “This allows us to prepare for the possibility that a candidate could later contest the race in the House of Representatives.

“The Committee takes seriously its responsibility regarding federal elections, and we are committed to making sure all lawful ballots in congressional races are counted fairly, accurately, and according to law.”

Davis Letter to Frank LaRose (PDF)

Davis wrote that House staffers who will deployed have been “trained by experts in election observation and instructed that they play no formal or advocacy role in the administration of the election or the vote counting process; they are to function exclusively as observers.”

In addition to the observers, Davis and other ranking Republicans on committees have been peppering state, local and federal agencies with questions about tactics they are using and disputes that have already arisen early in the midterms.

For instance, Davis sent Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton a letter Wednesday demanding an investigation into voter registration mailers sent out by Planned Parenthood and Democrat candidate for governor Beto O’Rourke that he said might not have complied with state law.

“It is deeply troubling that Planned Parenthood and Mr. O’Rourke’s campaign sent voter registration forms that may not conform to state law to individuals who, in some cases, have been deceased for over a decade,” Davis wrote. “It goes without saying: Situations like this have a negative effect on voter confidence at a time we can least afford it. Texas voters must be assured not only that their vote will count, but that all — and only — legal votes will be counted.

“I understand you have launched your Election Integrity Division to investigate instances like this, and I encourage you to direct them to pursue this with all due haste.”

Letter to AG Paxton (PDF)

Likewise, earlier this month Davis sent a letter to Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold asking to be briefed on an investigation into how voter registration notices were sent out to 30,000 non-citizens who aren’t legally allowed to cast ballots.

“As you know, situations like this have a negative effect on voter confidence in elections at a time we can least afford it,” the Illinois lawmaker wrote. “Colorado must ensure that its voter registration lists are well-maintained and accurate and hold itself to the highest standards for all registration notices. The fact that roughly 30,000 names and addresses ‘accidentally’ slipped through the process is deeply concerning.”

Letter to Colorado SOS (PDF)

The effort stretches all the way back to the spring, when House Administration Committee Republicans were flabbergasted by what they witnessed at Atlanta voting centers in Fulton County during the spring primaries. Davis said the problem observed, including polling locations that could not operate at full capacity, “do real damage to voter confidence in our election systems and outcomes at a time when we can least afford it.”

“I write today to express my concern about information my staff received during their trip regarding last minute security and other software updates that were made to the county’s electronic pollbooks (EPBs), which caused polling locations to open at less-than-full capacity, and request an explanation on how you will ensure that all of the county’s devices will be updated in time for the polls to open in November, specifically ensuring that minority and majority polling locations are not disproportionately affected,” Davis wrote the chairwoman of the Fulton County Elections Board on June 3.

Letter to Fulton County Elections (PDF)

Davis and other GOP colleagues in the House have also been investigating how federal agencies have been responding to Biden’s executive order to use tax dollars to expand voter registration across the country.

Rep. Glenn Thompson (Pa.), the top Republican on the House Agriculture Committee, was able to confirm that the U.S. Agriculture Department is helping collect voter registrations when poor Americans seek food stamps and other welfare benefits.

USDA believes the National Voter Registration Act 1993 requires it “to offer voter registration opportunities to any person who applies for or renews an application for public assistance, which includes the acceptance of the completed voter registration form and transmittal to State election officials,” the agency wrote recently.

Davis wrote several agencies this summer expressing concern that Biden’s order to agencies “goes beyond the power of the President and the statutory authority given to federal agencies” by Congress and digging into the tactics they are using to encourage voter registration.

Jim Jordan Foreshadows “Big Moments” For GOP Influence and Biden Family Investigations

By ,

Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan claims that there’s been a seismic shift regarding the ongoing federal investigation of President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden.

In an interview, the Ohio Republican suggested “something is up” with the probe because of a new interest in the story by many of the same media outlets that initially dismissed reports of corruption evidence stemming from materials and emails obtained from a laptop he reportedly abandoned at a computer repair store in Delaware in 2019.

“You mentioned those two stories from the Washington Post 10 days ago. I understand they were four minutes apart. One was at 11:00. One was at 11:04. So two eight-page-long stories four minutes apart from the news organization that said 18 months ago there was no story here, this was Russian disinformation,” Jordan said.

“Remember, it started off as, ‘Oh, it wasn’t his laptop.’ Then it was, ‘Well, it was his laptop, but it was Russian disinformation.’ Now it’s, ‘No, it wasn’t Russian disinformation, but Joe had nothing to do with it.’ And now, finally, it is, ‘Well, Joe had something to do with it, but he really didn’t do anything wrong.’ In fact, that’s what his chief of staff, Ron Klain, told us last Sunday on the Sunday shows,” he added.

“It sure looks like Joe Biden was involved,” Jordan continued.  “So, my, how this story has changed. And now, we find out these text messages and emails that link the entire family, not just Hunter and Joe and — but also uncle, the — Joe’s brother, James Biden, is involved in this as well.”

A report from Politico notes how Republicans are in a strong position to regain control of the U.S. House of Representatives, which will give Jordan extreme power.

Politico reported:

The eight-term Ohio Republican is on the brink of leadership-blessed power in a Republican majority, set to wield the Judiciary Committee’s powerful mallet should the GOP flip the House in November, as is likely. Jordan’s ascension will mark a new pinnacle not only for himself but for the pro-Trump Freedom Caucus — empowering its last original co-founder still in Congress to handle impeachments, immigration, and more.

That perch will give him new chances to wage bare-knuckle political combat against Democrats, with the Biden White House already preparing aggressive pushback to nascent House Republican investigations. But it will also give Jordan an opening to embrace his old-school Freedom Caucus self by choosing issues where his cachet with conservative and younger members paired with an off-the-Hill influence can help him move the party in his more Trumpian direction.

And that influence is real: Interviews with nearly a dozen lawmakers underscore that while other House GOP leaders may run afoul of the party’s base, Jordan continues to wield unparalleled sway within it. His cred within the Trump world and conservative media gives him tools to — when and if he wants — undercut the leadership colleagues who’ve elevated him as he backed them from the minority.

In an interview with Politico, Jordan spoke about “four big moments” in 2023 that he thinks a GOP-controlled House will focus on — the debt ceiling, surveillance reform, funding the government, and the farm bill.

“The old line is, the guy who takes you to the Super Bowl gets to coach the game,” Jordan said. “So I think if we win, I think [Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy] is going to be the speaker. Then it’s important we do what we said we were gonna do, and do what the American people elected us to do.”

The Politico report added: “That approach has left Democrats all but ready to throw salt over their shoulder when Jordan draws near, viewing him as the quintessential Donald Trump acolyte. Speaker Nancy Pelosi blocked him from the Jan. 6 committee, and Democrats have contrasted his treatment of Trump probes with his actions during the Benghazi probe to allege that he spreads misinformation.”

“Democrats see Jordan’s remarks at CPAC earlier this year — where he said that GOP investigations would help frame up the 2024 race and that Republicans need to make sure that [Trump] wins another term — as indicative of how he would run the committee,” the report added.

Desantis and Trump Have a Very Public Disagreement Over Colorado Senate Candidate

By ,

This isn’t the first public display of a major rift forming between the two top contenders for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024, but it might be the most severe disagreement to date.

On Sunday, Ron DeSantis endorsed Joe O’Dea, an openly anti-Trump Republican Senate candidate who has managed to close the gap in a historically blue state.

It wasn’t long before Donald Trump expressed his opinion on Truth Social, calling the move a “BIG MISTAKE!”

The Washington Examiner recently reported that DeSantis would be recording a robocall for O’Dea, who’s trailing Democrat incumbent Sen. Michael Bennet by 7.5 percent in the RealClearPolitics polling average, although the gap has been narrowing in what was expected to be an easy Democratic win.

Desantis in the robocall said:

“Hello this is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. America needs strong leadership desperately. That’s why I’m endorsing Joe O’Dea for U.S. Senate. Colorado, please vote for Joe O’Dea,”

“I’ve watched Joe from a distance. And I’m impressed.”

The Flordia Governor goes on to say that O’Dea, a 60-year-old businessman, “isn’t a career politician. He’s a contractor. He’s built a company from nothing. He’s a leader who knows how to fight and get results. Michael Bennet votes with Joe Biden 98 percent of the time. The results have been a disaster for the American people,”

“Colorado needs new leadership.”

“Joe’s focused on building the wall and cracking down on crime,” DeSantis noted. “He’ll stand up to the big spending politicians in both parties and cut red tape. Vote Joe O’Dea and let’s turn Colorado red!”

Some see this robocall as a “pointed rejection” of Donald Trump, as O’Dea has been vocal on CNN about his intention to distance himself and his campaign from the former president.

O’Dea recently appeared on CNN, where he promised to work against any attempt by Trump to secure the Republican nomination for the third time.

“I don’t think Donald Trump should run again,” O’Dea said. “I’m going to actively campaign against Donald Trump and make sure that we have got four or five really great Republicans right now.

“Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Tim Scott, they could run and serve for eight years,” he added. “I’m going to do my job as a U.S. senator to make sure that they have good campaigns in the primary here, so we have a good selection of candidates for 2024.”

Trump took to Truth Social the following day to denounce O’Dea.

“There’s this RINO character in the Great State of Colorado, Joe O’Dea, that is running against the incumbent Democrat for the United States Senate, who is having a good old time saying that he wants to ‘distance’ himself from President Trump, and other slightly nasty things,” Trump wrote.

“He should look at the Economy, Inflation, Energy Independence, defeating ISIS, the Strongest EVER Border, Great Trade Deals, & much more, before he speaks. MAGA doesn’t Vote for stupid people with big mouths. Good luck Joe!”

Given that, DeSantis‘ “BIG MISTAKE” endorsement represents the most public break between the two biggest names competing for the 2024 GOP nod.

There have been more private signs of a break, with Trump (now a Florida resident) not endorsing DeSantis in his 2022 re-election bid and DeSantis not particularly eager for the former president’s help on the campaign trail.

A Trump adviser told The Washington Post last month that while DeSantis and Trump used to talk regularly, “those days are gone”

Biden Could Kill Musk’s Twitter Bid, Threatens to Investigate Acquisition as National Security Threat

By ,

The Biden DOJ may be set to investigate Elon Musk’s Twitter bid under the pretense that the takeover of the social media giant could threaten national security.

What is being colloquially referred to as the “Biden crime family” has now been flagged over 150 times for illicit banking transactions with foreign players, most notably in China and Ukraine.

The DOJ has so far ignored the potential criminal business dealings of Joe, Hunter, and James Biden, dealings that could essentially boil down to foreign bad actors having leverage over a sitting president of the United States. Instead, It appears that the DOJ sees Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter as the real threat to national security. The top social media platforms have been covering for the Biden regime since Biden announced his presidential bid, so it is little wonder why Biden’s DOJ sees the Musk takeover of Twitter as a threat as he has promised that free speech on the platform will be a primary focus.

Markets Insider reported:

The US government is weighing national security reviews for some of Elon Musk’s ventures, including his Twitter takeover deal, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, citing people with knowledge of the matter.

Musk’s plans to purchase Twitter for $44 billion with the help of foreign investors, including Saudi Arabia’s Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, and Binance Holdings which was founded by a Chinese businessman, have concerned Biden administration officials, the people told Bloomberg.

The government was considering which tools they could use to review Musk’s deals, the people added. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS), which is run by the US Treasury Department and reviews foreign buyers’ acquisitions of American businesses, could be an option, per Bloomberg.

The CFIUS carries out security reviews if a “transaction threatens to impair the national security of the United States,” according to federal regulations. When reviewing a transaction, the CFIUS can recommend to President Joe Biden that the deal be suspended or prohibited, per the regulations.

If the Twitter deal is reviewed by CFIUS for national security reasons, as reported by Bloomberg, Biden has the ability to stop the acquisition from going ahead. In recent months, Musk had requested the deal be called off.

With what is looking to be a “red wave” heading into midterms, it is very likely that a Republican-dominated House and Senate, as Newt Gingrich has predicted, could move forward with investigations into Anthony Fauci and the origin of COVID-19, as Ron Paul (R-KY) has promised, as well as investigations into the Biden Administration itself as promised by Jim Jordan (R-OH).

In short, free speech means the tech overlords won’t be able to hold back the veritable flood of information that could be blasted on the platform if and when these promised investigations start to yield fruit.

In addition, it seems as though Twitter will receive a thorough gutting of employees should Musk be successful in his bid. According to WaPo, Elon Musk has told potential investors in his bid to buy Twitter that he plans to cut the workforce by nearly 75 percent. But even if Musk does not take over the company, Twitter plans to slash nearly a quarter of employees due to a massive payroll cut.

The Post makes clear the corporate media’s chief concern about such cuts: that they would potentially “[cripple] the service’s ability to combat misinformation, hate speech, and spam.” 

Of course, as the last six years have shown us, not everyone seems to be in agreement with what is misinformation as well as what does and doesn’t qualify as “hate speech”. 

As it stands, a successful purchase of Twitter by Musk would likely be a powerful boon to the America First movement. If the Biden regime successfully squashes the acquisition it won’t be the end of the world as Twitter, though far from perfect, has already eased up considerably on censorship in the lead-up to this buyout, and there is no shortage of alternative platforms.