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A former Republican candidate and supporter of Donald Trump is under arrest in New Mexico for allegedly conspiring to shoot up the homes of state Democratic officials.
On Monday afternoon (Jan. 16), Chief Harold Medina of the Albuquerque, New Mexico Police said in a press conference that Solomon Peña was arrested in connection with a series of shootings targeting the homes of Democratic lawmakers. The Albuquerque Journal reported that a SWAT team went to Peña’s home and arrested him after an hour-long standoff. “It is believed he is the mastermind,” Medina said. Peña had run unsuccessfully for a seat in the state House of Representatives last November and declared that he should’ve won, even going to the homes of three of the targeted officials saying that they should not certify the results.
A police statement said that Peña hired four men to carry out the shootings and “sent text messages with addresses where he wanted them to shoot at the homes.” It is believed that he was present for the last of the shooting incidents Jan. 3rd, where shots were fired into the home of State Senator Linda Lopez, with bullets nearly missing her 10-year-old daughter. According to APD Deputy Cmdr. Kyle Hartsock, the handgun he used “malfunctioned” when he tried to fire it. The first incident took place Dec. 4 at the home of Bernalillo County commissioner Adriana Barber, and the next was Dec. 8 targeting the home of state Representative Javier Martinez. The next took place Dec. 11 at the home of Bernalillo County commissioner Debbie O’Malley.
“APD essentially discovered what we had all feared and what we had suspected — that these shootings were indeed politically motivated,” Mayor Tim Keller said to the press. “They were dangerous attacks not only to these individuals … but, fundamentally, also to democracy.” Democratic New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and House Republican Leader Ryan Lane issued statements condemning violence and praising law enforcement’s response.
Peña has a checkered past, previously serving seven years in prison for theft and other charges. He has also been an avid supporter of former President Donald Trump, even sporting a red sweatshirt with his “Make America Great Again” slogan bearing his signature in gold. Peña also claimed to have been present at the riots at the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6, 2021.
The current images of Iran on the news and social media are of impassioned protests from a resilient people who’ve had enough of their country’s oppressive Islamic regime. Most recently, the regime’s brutal retaliation methods have taken center stage, yet the Iranian people continue to resist.
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These uprisings, which have rippled across the globe and ignited similar protests among the Iranian diaspora in U.S., throughout Europe and beyond, were sparked by the murder of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on Sept. 16, 2022. Her death was the result of beatings by the Islamic regime’s morality police, given as a punishment for her insufficient hijab — in this case, her head covering.
In the nearly four months since Amini’s death, the Center for Human Rights in Iran reports the wrongful imprisonment of more than 18,000 protestors and over 500 government-sanctioned murders, including barbaric public hangings. Among the prisoners facing possible execution are doctors, journalists, athletes, actors, directors, poets and musical artists. These include rappers Toomaj Salehi, Saman Yasin and Behrad Ali Konari, who are charged with “corruption on earth,” a capital offense in Iran. Per Newsweek, Yasin was convicted of this crime October, with a petition to save his life garnering thousands of signatures.
Early in the protests, Iranian musician Shervin Hajipour was also arrested for his song “Baraye.” Hajipour took the song’s heart-wrenching lyrics from online messages posted by Iranians speaking about what they are protesting, his emotional delivery resonating whether listeners understood the Farsi-language lyrics or not. In October, Coldplay performed a version of the song with Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani at the band’s two stadium shows in Buenos Aires. And 95,000 of 115,000 submissions to the Recording Academy for its new special merit award, song for social change, were for “Baraye.” (The Islamic regime forced Hajipour to take down the song — although it lives on via social media.)
Since October, when Hajipour was released on bail to await trial, there has been no news on the musician’s whereabouts. Still, “Baraye” is the movement’s unofficial anthem — and is sung at global Iran protests, which continued this week (Jan. 8), as thousands of people marched in solidarity in London, Lyon and Rome.
This Iran of today stands in sharp contrast to the Iran of less than 50 years ago. At that time, under the rule of the country’s monarch, or shah, Iran was thriving in industry, healthcare and education. It was a progressive country becoming a player on the global stage — yet there was dissatisfaction among Iran’s lower classes.
Tapping into this longstanding discontent, the Islamic Revolution took place over the course of less than three months. The Islamic Republic of Iran was established by referendum on April 1, 1979. Overnight, the country rewound back 1,357 years to the time of the Prophet Muhammed and fundamentalist Islamic laws. Gone were all the entertainment venues. Artistic voices were silenced. Women were required to shroud themselves. The excitement of having a new regime that promised freedom of expression was quickly replaced with cowering fear.
As hardstyle queen Lady Faith puts it, “On one hand, you had so much history on display at all times, a representation of an advanced cultural history full of color and happiness. On the other hand, you have a regime that did everything in their power to cover the people in darkness, stamp out individual lights and force an entire population to live in the past.”
Many families fled the country, including that of house music stalwart Dubfire, who left with his family during the Islamic Revolution when he was seven years old, settling in Washington D.C. Dubfire – who won the Grammy for best remixed recording (non-classical) in 2002 – didn’t get immersed in Western music until he moved to the U.S., but was always drawn to the “atmosphere and sonic power” of traditional Iranian instruments.
Other families, like that of Faith, remained in Iran. Faith was born after the Islamic Revolution and grew up surrounded by art, in the form of the music and fashionable creations of her clothing designer mother, both of which were hugely influential on her. While she was gestating as an artist at home, nonconformist Faith was a misfit at school and a target for the morality police. In part to protect Faith’s safety, her family eventually moved to Portland. Her songs “Speak My Mind,” “We the People” and “Different” carry direct links to her teenage experiences in post-revolution Iran.
Up-and-coming producer Starfari, on the other hand, was born and raised in the U.S., long after the establishment of the Islamic regime. He visited Iran for the first time when he was 16, experiencing the country as a tourist.
In many ways, the oppression of the Islamic Republic has impacted these artists and their styles, with electronic music functioning as both a release for their challenging experiences and as a platform to pay homage to their homeland. Here, the three discuss how this heritage has helped shape their work, along with their feelings about the current protests.
What are your thoughts and feelings about what’s been happening in Iran since Mahsa Amini’s murder?
Starfari: My thoughts and feelings are mixed. I think it’s horrible what’s happening now, and especially what’s been happening the last 40 years, but I think it’s incredible that people are coming together to fight for what they believe. It’s surprising and remarkable how the people have held up, worked together, helped each other, and stayed resilient through it all. They’ve had enough. They have nothing to lose. The courage of the people of Iran should be praised. Since the beginning, I was optimistic that the people would be successful — even though my older relatives and parents weren’t. Regardless, Iran will never be the same.
Dubfire: Even though I never returned, I still feel a strong connection to my birthplace and people. Like most Iranians scattered around the globe, I too feel incredibly inspired by the brave youth, especially women, who are leading the movement for change. Their slogan “Woman, Life, Freedom,” as well as the protest song, “Baraye,” by Shervin Hajipour, has captured the hearts and minds of Iranians and non-Iranians the world over, including many of my artist friends. While the resistance to the Islamic Regime is not a new topic in Iran, the sheer energy and intersectionality of this current movement — along with the immediate access to online information — make it the [Iranian people’s] most promising crusade for change to date.
Lady Faith: The world is so colorful these days, and this Iranian regime is working overtime to keep its population isolated from having dreams and believing their lives could be better. This regime is determined to impose their will on everybody, because without the suppression, freedom for the people ends their corruption. Change, however, is inevitable sometimes.
Dubfire
Esteban Starfish
What are your impressions of the musical artists that have been arrested by the Islamic regime?
Dubfire: I was not familiar with any of these artists prior to the protests. Toomaj had previously been jailed [Salehi was arrested in September 2021 for speaking against the regime], yet he had the courage to once again openly criticize this regime from the streets of Iran. Despite the regime’s attempts to silence these pivotal artists, what we are witnessing is the opposite effect: They have been propelled into the international spotlight and are fueling much stronger opposition to this regime and its atrocities.
Lady Faith: One of the most effective ways to communicate is through music, and great Iranian artists such as Shervin and Toomaj have done just that. The Iranian regime knows the power of music to a population that wants to dream of a better future. Music is more powerful than guns, batons, pepper spray or even the most fearsome Basiji.
“Baraye” has received global attention including a 2023 nomination for the special-merit best song for social change Grammy. What do you think it will mean for Iranians across the globe if it wins?
Dubfire: Music has always been in part political, and so I’m thrilled to see Shervin’s beautiful and haunting “Baraye” resonating with so many people around the globe. As an Iranian Grammy-winning artist myself, I feel proud that his protest song has flooded the organizations’ submission box in an important new category, which is bound to be a highlight of all future awards and will undoubtedly embolden the revolutionaries in Iran.
Lady Faith: A Grammy for Shervin will be a powerful acknowledgment by the Western community of our struggles and sacrifices. Global attention will bring about change.
Starfari: It would show that the power of art extends beyond just personal enjoyment, to its strength in providing a lasting human connection around the world. It will also show that the music and art world stand in solidarity with the people, most importantly the women, of Iran.
What are some of your own experiences in Iran?
Dubfire: Most of what I recollect from those early childhood years [is] a bit hazy, but I was very happy and free, surrounded by the love I felt around my extended family. Our gatherings always involved the most lavish display of Persian cuisine one could imagine, and poetry readings backed by live instrumentation.
I have scattered memories of the revolution. My mother worriedly turning off all the lights in our home and holding my brother and I in the darkness while peering out at the madness in the streets. The fires, marches, chants and random acts of violence on full display. And me yearning for my father’s protection, absent at the time, as he was pursuing his doctorate in Washington, D.C.
Lady Faith: I was born in Tehran and the Islamic Republic of Iran is all I had ever known. It was adherence to a strict interpretation of Islamic law. For me, this was life as normal, but for my parents, it was a transitional time where everything changed and there was societal pressure to conform.
I developed a pretty rebellious spirit. It wasn’t long before I attracted the attention of the morality police, or Basij. These radicals, either plainclothes or covered in head to toe, were constantly chasing me and my friends. It was a lifelong game of hide-and-seek. I was never caught, but for those that were, the punishments were severe. I personally was threatened at gunpoint for playing Metallica within earshot of the Basij. It’s sad that almost every group of Basij had a conservative female or two with them. Women suppressing other women. Shameful!
Starfari: [When I visited], Iran had a much more somber feel at times than the photos. It was cold and rainy in Tehran. There were soldiers on many corners wielding automatic weapons. The energy I felt in homes of friends and family and in restaurants or out and about from the people was warm and welcoming. The people of Iran are how I had expected, at least the ones I met. I even went snowboarding! It seems to surprise people that Iran isn’t a desert.
Lady Faith
Courtesy of Lady Faith
What was it like assimilating to American culture? How did music help you in that process?
Dubire: The biggest challenge for my parents, brother and I was that we suddenly found ourselves in a strange and unfamiliar place, isolated from our relatives, most of whom stayed behind. Soon after, we were subjected to a great deal of hostility due to the prevailing hostage crisis. Intense images of Ayatollah Khomeini and his followers chanting “Death to America” were all over the media, and we watched in horror as life back home became even more foreign to us. And though we didn’t really feel welcome in our new home, we had no choice but to stay and rebuild our lives from scratch.
This was especially hard on my parents who had to work odd, low-paying jobs and long hours. Since I didn’t speak the language, I spent a great deal of time expressing myself through drawing, which in later years extended to photography and music. I quickly realized that I had a deep passion for the creative arts.
Lady Faith: The journey was not easy. It was a complex time, and music became my salvation. I had a passion for heavy metal and gangster rap, and while my family was very musical, these styles were taboo in Iran. I would listen with my friends behind closed doors. Music helped blunt the transition from the negative and colorless things that surrounded me wherever I went out in public. I was particularly rebellious during my teenage years. I am so lucky that my family was able to bring me to America. I truly understand the suppression going on among the youth and females in Iran. It breaks my heart to see their struggles.
Starfari
Priscilla Anne
Have the uprisings in Iran and the murders of Iranian people by the Islamic regime served as inspiration for you to create anything of your own?
Dubfire: Yes of course, but perhaps there is a different angle or approach I can take, musically speaking, which isn’t obvious and would resonate deeper into the fabric of the global electronic music community to galvanize the masses towards a specific goal. I will actually find out once I dive back into the studio [early this year.]
Lady Faith: The situation in Iran right now is very stressful and has great impacts on all Iranians. It is a cause that is very important, and I am still processing my feelings. When the time is right, I will consider making a musical contribution to the cause — but right now I do not wish to make any promises to my fans that I may not fulfill.
Starfari: I think what’s most important as far as my involvement in providing a response is my connection to people here in the States. When they can see something they have a connection to, it’s easier to make the horrors be more tangible.
What is your hope for the future of Iran?
Lady Faith: I hope and pray that there is major change in Iran, where its amazing people can become individuals living their own lives how they want and are allowed to dream of things that are not forced upon them. I have been blessed to be a part of the American society where freedom is something we take for granted — but I have lived in both environments, and I truly hope that more Iranians get to experience just a touch of what we get to take for granted.
Dubfire: We can all contribute by shining a spotlight on, and echoing the voices of, the brave protesters in Iran who are risking their lives for basic freedoms and democracy.
Kaya Jones considers herself pro-life, and in a sensitive new interview, the 38-year-old singer has explained why. Speaking with Students for Life on Jan. 5, the former Pussycat Dolls member revealed that she has had three abortions in her lifetime — all of which she says she deeply regrets — and claimed that she was once pressured to seek out the procedure back in her girl group days.
Jones started out by revisiting a statement she’s made before — that being a Pussycat Doll was like being in a prostitution ring — and compared her alleged experiences to Britney Spears‘ conservatorship. Specifically, Jones referenced how Spears once likened her conservatorship, which was terminated in 2021, to being sex trafficked.
“It feels like you’re a slave, literally, to your dream,” Jones said. “You have no access to personal thoughts, space, choices, decision. You are an owned commodity. What you eat has been decided for you, where you live is gonna be decided for you. Ultimately, you can’t have a child. The level of control is to the point of, ‘Who am I?’”
According to Jones, she experienced an epiphany during a Pussycat Dolls performance, during which she says she spotted two little girls in the crowd watching her with adoration. “At that moment, I was going through an abortion,” she recalled. “I’m losing my child in real time. Nothing on me in that moment said, ‘Caution: this is a lie.’ And I was a lie in that moment. There was nothing beautiful about me. I was tainted. I was living in my worst self.”
“I was basically saying: you can be sexually overly-perverse, doing things that you’re not happy about,” she continued, describing the message she felt she was sending to those two girls in the audience. “Low self esteem leads to promiscuity ultimately, which leads to you having an abortion that you wish you’d never even encountered because it’s painful beyond measure.”
“Do you ever get over it? Never,” she added. “It is something that you will live with for the rest of your life.”
The National Diversity Coalition for Trump ambassador went on to outline her three abortion experiences. The first happened when she was 16 or 17, which she says desensitized her to the gravity of the procedure. When she found out she was pregnant while still in the Pussycat Dolls, she says she was “told to get rid of it.”
Long after she left the Pussycat Dolls in 2004, Jones said she became pregnant at 30 after being sexually assaulted by someone she trusted at the time. She said the assault was caused by poor self esteem she developed “going through these forms of abuse in my earlier life.” Due to the stress of the situation, Jones says there were complications with the pregnancy that led to another abortion.
Abortion has, of course, been a particularly hot button issue since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year. Many of Jones’ fellow musicians spoke out against the decision, with artists like Phoebe Bridgers and Halsey even sharing personal stories of how abortion had at one point been a beneficial or life-saving form of healthcare for them.
Jones sees abortion differently, though. “Children are a blessing from God,” she concluded. “I hope to one day be able to be a mom, I hope to be a wife and get to to be able to share what I do believe is the greatest gift, and ultimately the greatest job you’ll ever have on this planet as a woman, to be a mother.”
See Kaya Jones’ interview with Students for Life below.
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We couldn’t make this up with we tried. Lynette Hardaway of the infamous MAGA-loving and Black self-hating duo Diamond & Silk has passed away.
It was Donald Trump himself who announced her passing via a post on his Truth Social Network.
“Really bad news for Republicans and frankly, ALL Americans. Our beautiful Diamond, of Diamond and Silk, has just passed away at her home in the State she loved so much, North Carolina,” wrote Cheeto.
For those of you who may be interested, Hardaway was Diamond.
Trump added, “Silk was with her all the way, and at her passing. There was no better TEAM anywhere, or at any time! Diamond’s death was totally unexpected, probably her big and precious HEART just plain gave out. Rest In Peace our Magnificent Diamond, you will be greatly missed!”
We’d safely bet Trump didn’t actually write that himself. About a month ago, Hardaway was hospitalized after coming down with COVID-19. Ironically, it was Diamond & Silk’s spewing of COVID-19 disinformation—they are anti-vaxxers—that got them booted from right-wing network FOX News back in 2020. So this makes Hardaway just the latest celeb or noteworthy anti-vaxxer to reportedly die from what they called a “hoax”—that being COVID-19.
Reactions to Hardaway’s passing span from indifference to potent slander. The MAGA crowd has the sads, but you can’t really trust that they have actual feelings, respectfully.
“Diamond —of the right-wing, Trump- loving duo Diamond and Silk— has died. In late November, she was hospitalized due to COVID-19. The duo was fired by Fox News a couple years ago for spreading misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccines,” tweeted political activist and professor Mark Lamont Hill. “You cannot script this stuff.”
Also worth noting, the grift is already in effect.
Peep more reactions to Hardaway’s untimely passing in the gallery.
5. Allegedly.
10. Easy guess who this guy votes for.
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Controversial Republican politician George Santos has made headlines again, this time for flashing a white nationalist symbol during a vote in the House of Representatives last week.
Santos, the elected Republican representative from New York, was making his vote for Kevin McCarthy (R-Ca.) in the tenth round of his bid to become Speaker of the House of Representatives on Thursday (Jan. 5th). As he did by raising his right hand, his left arm was folded across his waist and observers noted from the coverage on C-SPAN that his left hand made a sideways “OK” gesture.
The gesture has been appropriated by white nationalists as an expression of white supremacy, which was first boosted by right-wing trolls on the 4chan website in jest. There are those who use the gesture as a way to “trigger liberals,” as shown by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Santos’ action was not received well by many, including another Representative from New York, Democrat Ritchie Torres who derisively wrote on Twitter: “George Santos is not biracial but tri-racial. He has Latino, black, and now white power.”
Santos has been constantly under fire ever since he admitted to lying about large swaths of his work and education history after an investigation by the New York Times in late December found many discrepancies in his story. Further investigations also found that Santos had attended a gala in Manhattan that was frequented by numerous white nationalist figures and prominent supporters of former President Donald Trump.
Santos was sworn in after McCarthy finally was elected speaker on Friday night (Jan. 6th). The troubles for the congressman aren’t over – on Monday morning (Jan. 9th), a formal ethics complaint was filed against him with the Federal Election Commission by the Campaign Legal Center. The Washington D.C.-based nonprofit group contends that Santos illegally used campaign funds for personal use. Authorities in Brazil have also announced that they will reopen a fraud case against Santos involving a stolen checkbook in 2008 in Rio de Janeiro.
If your name is Marjorie Taylor Greene and you’re looking to license music from a certain legendary hip-hop star … let’s just say you can forget about Dre. Dr. Dre has addressed the controversial Georgia congresswoman following a video she posted using his and Snoop Dogg‘s 1999 smash hit “Still D.R.E.” to celebrate Kevin McCarthy’s choppy Speaker of the House win — and the artist isn’t happy.
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“I don’t license my music to politicians, especially someone as divisive and hateful as this one,” Dre said in a scathing statement about Greene to TMZ Monday (Jan. 9).
Billboard has reached out to Snoop Dogg for comment.
The video in question — posted Monday morning on Greene’s social media accounts — features the Republican representative strutting through the halls of Congress in slow motion, grinning at the camera as Dre’s infamous piano riff repeats on a loop. Toward the end, it calls back to a photograph taken of her on the House floor during McCarthy’s speakership vote, holding up her phone to show she’s conversing with “DT” — presumably former president Donald Trump.
The video then cuts to footage of McCarthy being confirmed as the new Speaker of the House, a title he won only after several grueling days of back-and-forth between members of the Republican party and 15 rounds of voting. Greene had backed McCarthy in the speakership vote, and she immediately posted a selfie with the California congressman after he was declared winner.
Reactions to Greene’s video ranged from amusement to anger, with many calling on Dre to address the use of his song, which reached a new Billboard Hot 100 peak of No. 22 last year after the rapper performed at the 2022 Super Bowl. “Hey @drdre & @SnoopDogg y’all cool with this lunacy?” tweeted House of Cards actor Michael Kelly, re-sharing Greene’s post.
“@DrDre @SnoopDogg, did you approve this?” tweeted the Lincoln Project.
“Marjorie Taylor Greene using Dr. Dre songs for her campaign videos,” commented another. “We’re living in an episode of South Park.”
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Rep. Hakeem Jeffries decided that his first order of business as the new House Minority Leader was to address the division in the House of Representatives between the Republicans and Democrats. The congressman then launched into a speech employing the alphabet that took some slight digs at Republicans and urged collaboration.
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, 52, graciously extended his party’s hand to the newly-elected House Speaker, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, and members of his party vowing to find “common ground” in their future proceedings.
“We do extend our hand of partnership to you and want to make clear that we extend and intend to try to find common ground whenever and wherever possible on behalf of the American people,” Jeffries said. “Not as Democrats, not as Republicans, not as independents, but as Americans. But I also want to make clear that we will never compromise our principles.”
Jefferies then launched into his “Alphabetical Slaughter” (Look up this classic from Papoose) speech, using each letter of the alphabet to deliver a poignant line.
The speech in full below:
House Democrats will always put American values over autocracy, benevolence over bigotry, the Constitution over the cult, democracy over demagogues, economic opportunity over extremism, freedom over fascism, governing over gaslighting, hopefulness over hatred, inclusion over isolation, justice over judicial overreach, knowledge over kangaroo courts, liberty over limitation, maturity over Mar-a-Lago, normalcy over negativity, opportunity over obstruction, people over politics, quality of life issues over QAnon, reason over racism, substance over slander, triumph over tyranny, understanding over ugliness, voting rights over voter suppression, working families over the well-connected, xenial over xenophobia, “Yes we can” over “You can do it,” and zealous representation over zero-sum confrontation.
We will always do the right thing by the American people, so let us not grow weary of doing good for the American people who will reap the benefit of the harvest if we do not give up. God bless you, God Bless the house, and God bless the United States of America.
Salute to Rep. Hakeem Jeffries.
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Rep. Cori Bush is currently making waves in the U.S. House of Reprensativies amid the ongoing debacle that is the Speak of the House selection process. After Rep. Kevin McCarthy repeatedly failed to gain support from his Republican Party cohorts, Bush claims that a Black Republican congressman is being used as a “prop” by the MAGA faction of the party.
Rep. Cori Bush, 46, is one of the rising star members of Congress after assuming office back in 2021 and is known for her outspoken views and unwavering critique of the GOP. The Democratic Party congresswoman fired a shot toward the opposing party after McCarthy failed yet again to assume the Speaker role due to some fringe members of the Republican Party withholding their vote over dissatisfaction with some of his positions.
Bush took to Twitter to blast Republican Congress members for attempting to push a Black candidate among its ranks for the Speaker role in Rep. Byron Donalds. In the tweet, Bush wrote, “FWIW, @ByronDonalds is not a historic candidate for Speaker. He is a prop. Despite being Black, he supports a policy agenda intent on upholding and perpetuating white supremacy.”
Bush continued with, “His name being in the mix is not progress—it’s pathetic.”
Donalds’ little feelings were hurt and tweeted back, “FWIW, nobody asked @CoriBush her opinion on the matter. Before you judge my agenda, let’s have a debate over the policies and the outcomes. Until then, don’t be a crab in a barrel!”
Rep. Dan Bishop, getting in the middle of Black people’s business uninvited, called Bush racist for her jab at Donalds.
And as of this writing, Rep. McCarthy is still not the Speaker of the House.
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Photo: Getty
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Herschel Walker endured several jabs at his intelligence, fitness for office, and character during his Senate campaign run. It has now come out that a member of his campaign staff is accusing a notable Republican Party activist of sexually assaulting him.
The Daily Beast exclusively reports that American Conservative Union chairman Matt Schlapp allegedly groped the crotch of a male staffer in Walker’s camp this past fall. The unnamed staffer says that Schlapp, who is the lead organizer for the powerful Conservative Political Action Conference, committed the alleged act while driving.
From The Daily Beast:
The staffer said the incident occurred the night of Oct. 19, when Schlapp, chair of the American Conservative Union and lead organizer for the influential Conservative Political Action Conference, “groped” and “fondled” his crotch in his car against his will after buying him drinks at two different bars.
The staffer described Schlapp, who had traveled to Georgia for a Walker campaign event, as inappropriately and repeatedly intruding into his personal space at the bars. He said he was also keenly aware of his “power dynamic” with Schlapp, widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in national conservative politics.
Walker’s failed bid for Georgia’s U.S. Senate seat revealed the incredible lengths conservative pundits and voters would go to ensure a win for their candidate. Despite several unsavory news items that came out during Walker’s campaign run, the former football star still enjoyed high levels of support from the Republican Party base.
Schlapp, via his attorney, is denying the charge and threatened a legal response to what their side framed as a hit piece.
Read the rest of The Daily Beast‘s report here.
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Photo: Alex Wong / Getty
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As Republicans continue to hold up the congressional duties of our elected officials due to their reluctance to vote in Kevin McCarthy as the Speaker of the House, newly elected member of U.S. Congress Robert Garcia already knows how he plans on being sworn in once things get back to normal, and it’s a pretty interesting way of going about his inauguration.
Earlier this week the California congressman took to Twitter to reveal that when it comes time to get sworn into the 118th United States Congress, Robert Garcia will be using three items that mean the world to him including a photo of his parents whom he lost to the COVID pandemic, his certificate of citizenship, and an original copy of Superman #1 from the Library of Congress.
While the picture and certificate of citizenship makes sense, it’s interesting that he chose the priceless comic book as an item to use as he prepares to work for the people of the United States. Still, the first Latino and first openly gay mayor to ever be elected to be Mayor of Long Beach, California told Buzzfeed that the reason he chose the comic book is because he “learned to read and write English reading comics as a kid,” and ultimately “Never stopped reading.” Neither have we.
As for why he chose the Man of Steel over other superheroes, Garcia said, “I’ve read almost all genres, but Superman is always the character that stood out and spoke to me the most.”
He must’ve been heartbroken like the rest of us when he found out that Henry Cavill wasn’t going to be returning as Superman in James Gunn’s reboot of Warner Bros. DCEU.
Unfortunately for Garcia, he won’t be taking that Superman oath anytime soon as far-right MAGA Republicans and Conservative Republicans continue to bicker over who’ll be the next Speaker of the House and begin swearing in the next members of congress. But when that time does come, y’all know Robert Garcia will be flying high like his favorite superhero.