[NY Post] Philadelphia US Attorney Jacqueline Romero allegedly retaliated against a federal prosecutor working in her office after he accepted a temporary detail to investigate and prosecute Hunter Biden, three sources exclusively told The Post in bombshell new allegations of Justice Department misconduct.
Romero allegedly told Assistant US Attorney Derek Hines last year that she was cool to the idea of him joining what was then a pre-indictment criminal investigation of the first son, 54, related to millions of dollars in foreign income.
Romero, who was nominated to her post by President Biden in the spring of 2022, mentioned she had a connection to the Biden family; noted Hunter’s late brother Beau, who died in 2015 of brain cancer, once worked in the office; and left little doubt that she believed Hunter shouldn’t face charges, according to the three sources, who were briefed by people with direct knowledge of the matter.
After Hines accepted the Hunter Biden detail, a move Romero ultimately did not block, the Philadelphia US Attorney’s office terminated Hines’ access to his downtown office building, typically gained through a badge known as a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card, the three sources said.
A spokeswoman for Romero broadly denied the allegations — prompting The Post’s sources to suggest congressional hearings with all parties under oath.
Hines, 37, joined the team of Delaware US Attorney David Weiss alongside another outside prosecutor, Leo Wise, shortly before Weiss announced on June 20 a doomed plea deal in which Hunter Biden admitted to tax and gun crimes.
Federal prosecutors on detail typically retain their offices and building access because they are expected to return after their assignment and maintain a connection to casework and colleagues in the meantime, four former federal prosecutors told The Post.
Although Hines is technically still an employee of the Philadelphia US attorney’s office while on detail to Weiss, "he has to go up and sign in like any other visitor" if he were to come to the headquarters located next to historic Independence Hall, according to one current employee.
A different source said the situation was "absolutely symbolic of [Romero] being on a power trip and thinking she can get away with anything."
Romero and her lieutenant, first Assistant US Attorney Nelson Thayer, co-lead the Philadelphia office and are considered partners on management decisions, sources said.
One source said that colleagues were told by Thayer that Hines was "banned" from the office. Another source said they had no knowledge of the purported utterance, but added that it wouldn’t surprise them.
A spokeswoman for Romero told The Post Monday night: “AUSA Thayer did not communicate to colleagues that AUSA Hines was ‘banned’ from the office.”
The alleged actions against Hines could portend long-term consequences for the prosecutor, whom sources described as apolitical and well-liked around the Philadelphia office — where he worked as deputy chief of the narcotics unit after transferring in 2020 from Baltimore.
A spokeswoman for Romero, who is considered a potential Biden judicial nominee, insisted Monday that Hines has not faced retaliation and would not experience it in the future.
“The representations about AUSA Hines’ detail are inaccurate. US Attorney Romero never discouraged Derek Hines from accepting the detail. In fact, she did support, authorize, and sign off on his detail,” the rep said in a statement, which notably did not address Hines’ building access.
“Members of this office had relationships with Beau Biden, as colleagues, friends, and supervisors, when he was an Assistant US Attorney here,” the statement added. “USA Romero does not have a relationship with the Biden family and didn’t express any view on the merits of the Hunter Biden investigation.”
[Breitbart] President Joe Biden on Sunday appeared to confuse French President Emmanuel Macron with his late predecessor Francois Mitterrand who died in 1996.
The historical stumble came during a campaign speech in Las Vegas, where the octogenarian was recounting meeting leaders of G7 countries in 2021 in Cornwall, England. During the address to supporters, Biden mentioned speaking to the two-term (1981—95) French leader, confusing him for Macron.
"It was in the south of England. And I sat down and I said, ’America is back,’ and Mitterrand from Germany, I mean from France, looked at me and said — said, "you know what — why — how long you back for?"
"And I looked at him, and the — and the chancellor of Germany said, ’What would you say, Mr. President, if you picked up the paper tomorrow in the London Times and the London Times said, ’A thousand people break through the House of Commons, break down the doors, two Bobbies are killed to stop the election of a prime minister. What would you say?"
"I never thought about it from that perspective. What would we say if that happened in another democracy around the world?" he continued.
The White House later posted the remarks, which had the name Mitterrand excised and replaced with Macron.
Mitterrand, who was France’s president from 1981 to 1995, died in 1996 at the age of 79.
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/06/2024 07:53 ||
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Link ||
[11135 views]
Top|| File under: Tin Hat Dictators, Presidents for Life, & Kleptocrats
#1
There likely is no greater threat to the Republic or open affront to our freedom and democracy.
[Breitbart] The Race Card™. Don't leave home without it. Conehead doesn't
Chicago’s "progressive" Mayor Brandon Johnson blew up on a reporter on Monday when he was asked if he plans to visit the U.S. southern border, and he insisted that he does not have time because he is busy "with a black wife raising three black children on the west side of the city of Chicago."
Johnson notoriously canceled his planned and announced trip to the border in October, and since then, he has claimed he still intends to make the trip to see the mess down there with his own eyes. Instead of going himself as he had planned to, the mayor sent Beatriz Ponce de Leon, the deputy mayor of immigrant, migrant and refugee rights, and a small delegation to the border to tour several cities in Texas.
The media has periodically asked when he plans to reschedule his trip, but he has yet to deliver any answers. But on Monday, Johnson went off after being asked once again for a date for his trip.
After being asked for a date, he replied in an elevated and frustrated tone, "I have children who attend school who have soccer games, y’all!"
"You know, you all are asking me as if I am not a parent in this city," he continued. "I get it, I’m mayor, I get it."
"But you’re asking me to give you a date and I have to court — do you understand that you have not had a mayor like me, I get that."
He exploded. This alludes to the fact that the last handful of mayors did not have young children while in office. Indeed, the recently deposed mayor, Lori Lightfoot was involved in a childless same-sex relationship.
I have a wife, I have children, they have schedules," he ranted on. "And plus, we still have public safety we have to address, we still have the unhoused that we have to address. I still have a budget that I have to address, and I’m doing all of that with a black wife raising three black children on the west side of the city of Chicago."
"I am going to the border as soon as possible," he barked in conclusion.
Johnson has taken much heat over his policies to care for the flood of Joe Biden’s border crossers, and not just from the media.
He has also tried to get his operative, Beatriz Ponce de Leon, to find other ways to offload some of the illegals that have come to Chicago. De Leon was the staffer Johnson sent to St. Louis to try and get the Gateway City to take some busloads of illegals off Chicago’s hands.
The idea seems to have ended up stillborn because no word of any deal with St. Louis officials has been heard since the idea was floated back in October.
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/06/2024 07:48 ||
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Link ||
[11132 views]
Top|| File under: Tin Hat Dictators, Presidents for Life, & Kleptocrats
#1
His statement implies that a "black wife" is somehow a greater burden than just "a wife..."
Sounds rayciss to me.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
02/06/2024 9:18 Comments ||
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#2
Have you seen how they act in public? Just imagine that at home.
Posted by: Chris ||
02/06/2024 10:26 Comments ||
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#3
Sort of undercuts the crisis and emergency labels when they are a lower priority than Tee Ball and Cub Scouts.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
02/06/2024 10:53 Comments ||
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[Gateway] On Sunday the US Senate finally released James Lankford’s Joe Biden approved open borders bill to screw Americans.
The so-called border bill gives $60 billion to Ukraine and only $20 billion to US border security.
The bill ensures that the US borders remain open indefinitely with 5,000 allotted illegals a day and whoever else manages to make it across.
This bill was designed by Lankford and Senate Republicans along with Chuck Schumer to give power to Democrats and bail out Joe Biden who opened the borders in his first act as president.
Lankford went on with Jake Tapper on CNN earlier today and threw a hissy fit after Elon Musk’s name was brought up.
The X owner tweeted this out following the news of the horrific open borders plan.
#6
This would have been the death-blow to an American Gulliver currently tied-down by tens of thousands of Marxist Lilliputians lead by Team Obama et al. Trump seems ascendant and destined to be on the 2024 ballot, with levels of approval that may crush even the most ardent demokrat cheating techniques. Smelling this through revelations in the non-traditional media sources practicing actual journalism, the right wing of the uniparty is rushing to the exits proclaiming disbelief on how such a disastrous piece of crap ever got written. Kudos to Rubio, Paul, Cruz and the others who helped bring this to, light, and shame, utter shame to Lankford and Mitch McConnell for betrayal beyond words.
#7
Things to watch at this point: Several GOP senators say this isn't even making it to the senate floor now. Is that the case or is this the "lull everyone to sleep" moment? Assuming it does die aborning, is it due to miscalculation or was this trial balloon purposely sent up to make way for something that's only 95% as bad to pass in a rush?
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
02/06/2024 13:18 Comments ||
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#8
Biden's mumbling some anti-MAGA and gonna barnstorm the nation over this. He can't even do an interview or debate (or answer questions til Thursday) and he's gonna convince Americans that TRUMP fails the border security
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/06/2024 13:29 Comments ||
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#9
This appearance is a disaster
Posted by: Frank G ||
02/06/2024 13:30 Comments ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[NY Post] Philadelphia US Attorney 
[Breitbart] President Joe Biden on Sunday appeared to confuse French President Emmanuel Macron with his late predecessor Francois Mitterrand who died in 1996.
