Category: 2018

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Judicial Watch Obtains IRS Documents Revealing McCain’s Subcommittee Staff Director Urged IRS to Engage in “Financially Ruinous” Targeting of Tea Party Groups

John-McCain

McCain minority staff director Henry Kerner to IRS official Lois Lerner and other IRS officials: “the solution is to audit so many that it becomes financially ruinous”

July 17,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Washington DC, Judicial Watch today released newly obtained internal IRS documents, including material revealing that Sen. John McCain’s former staff director and chief counsel on the Senate Homeland Security Permanent Subcommittee, Henry Kerner, urged top IRS officials, including then-director of exempt organizations Lois Lerner, to “audit so many that it becomes financially ruinous.” Kerner was appointed by President Trump as Special Counsel for the United States Office of Special Counsel.

The explosive exchange was contained in notes taken by IRS employees at an April 30, 2013, meeting between Kerner, Lerner, and other high-ranking IRS officials. Just ten days following the meeting, former IRS director of exempt organizations Lois Lerner admitted that the IRS had a policy of improperly and deliberately delaying applications for tax-exempt status from conservative non-profit groups.
Lerner and other IRS officials met with select top staffers from the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee in a “marathon” meeting to discuss concerns raised by both Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) that the IRS was not reining in political advocacy groups in response to the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision. Senator McCain had been the chief sponsor of the McCain-Feingold Act and called the Citizens United decision, which overturned portions of the Act, one of the “worst decisions I have ever seen.”

In the full notes of an April 30 meeting, McCain’s high-ranking staffer Kerner recommends harassing non-profit groups until they are unable to continue operating. Kerner tells Lerner, Steve Miller, then chief of staff to IRS commissioner, Nikole Flax, and other IRS officials, “Maybe the solution is to audit so many that it is financially ruinous.” In response, Lerner responded that “it is her job to oversee it all:”
Henry Kerner asked how to get to the abuse of organizations claiming section 501 (c)(4) but designed to be primarily political. Lois Lerner said the system works, but not in real time. Henry Kerner noted that these organizations don’t disclose donors. Lois Lerner said that if they don’t meet the requirements, we can come in and revoke, but it doesn’t happen timely. Nan Marks said if the concern is that organizations engaging in this activity don’t disclose donors, then the system doesn’t work. Henry Kerner said that maybe the solution is to audit so many that it is financially ruinous. Nikole noted that we have budget constraints. Elise Bean suggested using the list of organizations that made independent expenditures. Lois Lerner said that it is her job to oversee it all, not just political campaign activity.

Judicial Watch previously reported on the 2013 meeting. Senator McCain then issued a statement decrying “false reports claiming that his office was somehow involved in IRS targeting of conservative groups.” The IRS previously blacked out the notes of the meeting but Judicial Watch found the notes among subsequent documents released by the agency.

Judicial Watch separately uncovered that Lerner was under significant pressure from both Democrats in Congress and the Obama DOJ and FBI to prosecute and jail the groups the IRS was already improperly targeting. In discussing pressure from Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat-Rhode Island) to prosecute these “political groups,” Lerner admitted, “it is ALL about 501(c)(4) orgs and political activity.”
The April 30, 2013 meeting came just under two weeks prior to Lerner’s admission during an ABA meeting that the IRS had “inappropriately” targeted conservative groups. In her May 2013 answer to a planted question, in which she admitted to the “absolutely incorrect, insensitive, and inappropriate” targeting of Tea Party and conservative groups, Lerner suggested the IRS targeting occurred due to an “uptick” in 501 (c)(4) applications to the IRS but in actuality, there had been a decrease in such applications in 2010.

On May 14, 2013, a report by Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration revealed: “Early in Calendar Year 2010, the IRS began using inappropriate criteria to identify organizations applying for tax-exempt status” (e.g., lists of past and future donors). The illegal IRS reviews continued “for more than 18 months” and “delayed processing of targeted groups’ applications” in advance of the 2012 presidential election.
All these documents were forced out of the IRS as a result of an October 2013 Judicial Watch Freedom of Information (FOIA) lawsuit filed against the IRS after it failed to respond adequately to four FOIA requests sent in May 2013 (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. Internal Revenue Service (No. 1:13-cv-01559)). Judicial Watch is seeking:

All records related to the number of applications received or related to communications between the IRS and members of the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate regarding the review process for organizations applying for tax exempt status under 501(c)(4);
All records concerning communications between the IRS and the Executive Branch or any other government agency regarding the review process for organizations applying for tax exempt status under 501(c)(4);
Copies of any questionnaires and all records related to the preparation of questionnaires sent to organizations applying for 501(c)(4) tax exempt status.
All records related to Lois Lerner’s communication with other IRS employees, as well as government or private entity outside the IRS regarding the review and approval process for 501 (c)(4) applicant organizations.
“The Obama IRS scandal is bipartisan – McCain and Democrats who wanted to regulate political speech lost at the Supreme Court, so they sought to use the IRS to harass innocent Americans,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “The Obama IRS scandal is not over – as Judicial Watch continues to uncover smoking gun documents that raise questions about how the Obama administration weaponized the IRS, the FEC, FBI, and DOJ to target the First Amendment rights of Americans.”

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Owner of New Jersey Hedge Fund Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Defrauding Investors of $4 Million

Golden Globes Nominations

July 16,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Montclair NJ,  The owner and manager of a New Jersey hedge fund was sentenced today to 72 months in prison for defrauding two investors of $4 million, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Nicholas Lattanzio, 62, of Montclair, New Jersey, was previously convicted on all counts of an indictment charging him with two counts of wire fraud and two counts of securities fraud following a three-week trial before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty, who imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
From June 2013 through November 2014, Lattanzio orchestrated a large-scale scheme through which he, his hedge fund, the Black Diamond Capital Appreciation Fund L.P. (BD Fund), and several other related entities collected millions of dollars in upfront fees from two unsuspecting corporate investors in exchange for the promise of future loans or investment opportunities that did not materialize. Instead of investing the victims’ money as promised, Lattanzio stole the majority of the funds and used them to pay himself more than $500,000 in salary. He used the money for numerous personal expenses, including the purchase of a $1 million home in Montclair, New Jersey, a new Range Rover, a $10,000 diamond ring, and the payment of $500,000 in credit card debt that he incurred for other personal expenses. Lattanzio lied to the victims about the status of their funds to conceal the scheme and mislead them into believing that their investments were safe.

In addition to the prison term, Judge McNulty sentenced Lattanzio to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $3.93 million.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, for the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s New York Regional Office, under the direction of Marc P. Berger, and the N.J. Bureau of Securities, within the State Attorney General’s Division of Consumer Affairs, under the direction of Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas P. Grippo and Daniel V. Shapiro of the Economic Crimes Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Gaeta of the Office’s Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Unit.

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Grossman Calls Out NRCC Chair ,Says NRCC Needs New Leadership In Tune With Trump Era

grossman

July 11,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Somers Point NJ, Republican Congressional candidate Seth Grossman today hit back at NRCC Chair Steve Stivers and said that Stivers should resign over his failure to support Pro-Trump candidates — a trend that if continued would lead to Democrats taking House control in the Fall election.

“Instead of calling on me to get out of the race, the NRCC should support candidates who support the President’s Agenda.   They should stop giving ammo to the radical left to use against Republican candidates,” Grossman said. “Steve Stivers should resign immediately for failure to support the President and his Agenda.”

Grossman, a strong Trump supporter and thorn in the side to the GOP Establishment, doubled down on attacks against him this week.

“These silly attacks are simply bizarre to both friend and foe who have known me for decades here in Atlantic County,” Grossman said.  “I’ve been an outspoken opponent of racism and anti-Semitism for decades — everyone knows that.  But what is just crazy is how the National Republican Party is freaking out over sharing a post from Allen West, a retired Black Army Commander,” declared Seth.

“In 2014, the same Media Matters falsely attacking me, led the call to protest our police officers, leading to many of their deaths,” Grossman said. “Republican leaders in Washington, and career politicians like Jeff Van Drew, should apply the same standards to those whose false and hateful generalizations helped cause the deaths of 126 police officers in 2016.”

“Republicans have to stop worrying about offending people and start telling the truth about some of the problems we have in this country,” Grossman said.  “President Trump won because he recognized what 17 other Republican candidates and the NRCC chair didn’t see – that Americans want straight talk, not weak and timid career politicians afraid to tell the truth.”

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CD12 GOP Candidate Daryl Kipnis Condemns Statue of Liberty July 4 incident

Black woman statue of liberty1

July 7,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Somerset NJ, CD12 GOP Candidate Daryl Kipnis on the Statue of Liberty July 4 incident,“On a day where our country owes a great deal of thanks to, among others, our veterans, our first responders, and those who secure our borders, we instead see members of the unhinged, radical Left hijacking our national monuments as thousands visit to explore our great history and meaning of our nation.”

“This foolhardy incident at the Statue of Liberty is legitimized by radical, elected members of the Democrat Party at every level of government, including Maxine Waters, Nancy Pelosi and my opponent in Congress, Bob Menendez and Kirsten Gillibrand in the U.S. Senate, Governor Phil Murphy in New Jersey, and Mayor Bill de Blasio in New York City, whose rhetoric inspires others to needlessly endanger the lives of our first responders to advance their agenda of lawlessness.”

“While the First Amendment right to protest is a very important part of what we celebrate today, the members of the so-called “Resistance” in elected office are encouraging total willful and wanton abandon of the need to do so peacefully and responsibly so that their protests do not end up endangering other citizens or, in this case, police and rescue workers. We are, indeed, a nation of laws.”

“Thankfully, this particular situation ended peacefully and without injury, but by failing to hold other members of their party accountable for encouraging escalating radicalism, members of the Democrat leadership condone it, and therefore own any harm to the American people that may arise out of it in the future.”

“No matter what slogans or issues are put on display in any given instance, know this- these protests are ultimately about one thing and one thing only: total control of every level of government within the United States of America by a political party that has completely embraced two things and two things only: Authoritarian Socialism, and the absolute ostracism of all freedom-loving people who disagree with it.”

“If my opponent and the rest of these elected Democrats have become so consumed by their refusal to accept the results of the 2016 Presidential election that they don’t care if their fellow Americans end up hurt, or heaven forbid, killed during these ‘protests,’ they must resign right now.”

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Some Hope in the Search for the Cure for Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease

Ridgewood Police Alzheimer's patient was found

file photo by Boyd Loving of RPD searching for a senior suffering from Alzheimer’s

July 7,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia and affects about 50 million people worldwide, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. There is still no cure for the disease or way to stop its progression, although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved some medications to treat symptoms related to memory loss, language and other thought processes.

Phase II Clinical Study of Elenbecestat Demonstrates Safety and Tolerability in MCI and Mild to Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease at 18-Months

Eisai Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, CEO: Haruo Naito, “Eisai”) and Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) (Headquarters: Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, CEO: Michel Vounatsos, “Biogen”) announced today that elenbecestat was generally safe and well tolerated in a Phase II clinical study (Study 202) of the oral BACE (beta amyloid cleaving enzyme) inhibitor elenbecestat (development code: E2609) conducted in the United States, and the results demonstrated a statistically significant difference in amyloid beta (Aβ) levels in the brain measured by amyloid-PET (positron emission tomography). A numerical slowing of decline in functional clinical scales of a potentially clinically important difference was also observed, although this effect was not statistically significant. This study, a Phase II study of 70 patients, is the first study of a BACE inhibitor to show a statistically significant difference in amyloid beta in the brain while also suggesting a delay of clinical symptom decline in exploratory endpoints.

Study 202 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02322021) is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel-group 18-month Phase II clinical study in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer’s disease, or mild to moderate dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease with confirmed amyloid pathology by PET screening. Seventy patients were randomized to four treatment arms receiving elenbecestat (5, 15, or 50 mg) or placebo daily. During the study period, more than half the patients in the elenbecestat 5 mg and 15 mg arms were switched to the 50 mg arm for three months or more. The 50 mg treatment arm plus the group switched to the 50 mg arm are hereafter referred to as “50 mg total arm” (38 subjects) with a mean duration of approximately 11 months on 50 mg per day.

Elenbecestat demonstrated acceptable safety and tolerability profile through 18 months of study drug administration. In the elenbecestat 50 mg total arm, the six most common adverse events observed were contact dermatitis, upper respiratory infection, headache, diarrhea, fall, and dermatitis. No serious adverse reactions suggestive of hepatic toxicity were observed in this study.

In addition to the safety objectives, the study assessed Aβ in the brain at 18 months as measured by amyloid PET as well as efficacy in terms of clinical symptoms, which were exploratory objectives in this study.

The elenbecestat 50 mg total arm demonstrated a statistically significant difference in Aβ levels in the brain as measured by amyloid PET compared with placebo (35 subjects participated in this longitudinal amyloid PET assessment). This is the first time in which a significant effect in Aβ in the brain using a BACE inhibitor was confirmed in a clinical study of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) through moderate Alzheimer’s dementia.

CDR-SB (Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes) was an exploratory endpoint to assess efficacy in terms of clinical symptoms. The study showed numerically less decline in CDR-SB for the elenbecestat 50 mg total arm as compared to placebo of a potentially clinically important difference (41 subjects participated in this assessment), which was not statistically significant. Further, a similar magnitude and direction of differential in decline was observed in a post-hoc analysis of ADCOMS, Eisai’s newly developed assessment scale (Alzheimer’s Disease Composite Score) in the elenbecestat 50 mg total arm as compared to placebo. The study was not powered to show statistical significance compared to placebo on clinical symptoms.

Eisai plans to present detailed results of the study at a future medical meeting.

Elenbecestat, discovered by Eisai, has been jointly developed by Eisai and Biogen since March 2014. The two companies are currently conducting two global Phase III clinical studies (MISSION AD1/2) in early Alzheimer’s disease.

“It is highly encouraging that Study 202 confirmed elenbecestat’s treatment effect in reducing amyloid in the brain and suggested a slowing of clinical decline. Eisai and Biogen will continue to work together to advance the ongoing Phase III program (MISSION AD) in order to contribute a new potential treatment option to Alzheimer’s disease patients as soon as possible,” said Lynn Kramer, MD, Chief Clinical Officer and Chief Medical Officer, Neurology Business Group, Eisai.

“Biogen is heartened by the safety and tolerability results of this study of elenbecestat,” said Alfred Sandrock, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice president and chief medical officer at Biogen. “We remain committed to research in Alzheimer’s, an area of significant unmet need with a devastating impact on those living with the disease, their families, friends, and society.”

Biogen Safe Harbor
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements about results from the Phase II study of elenbecestat, the potential effects of elenbecestat, Biogen’s strategy and plans, and the potential of Biogen’s commercial business and pipeline programs. These forward-looking statements may be accompanied by words such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “except,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “possible,” “will,” and other words and terms of similar meaning. Drug development and commercialization involve a high degree of risk, and only a small number of research and development programs result in commercialization of a product. Results in early stage clinical trials may not be indicative of full results or results from later stage or larger scale clinical trials and do not ensure regulatory approval. You should not place undue reliance on these statements or the scientific data presented.

These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in such statements, including, without limitation: the risk that we may not fully enroll our clinical trials or enrollment will take longer than expected, unexpected concerns may arise from additional data, analysis, or results obtained during our clinical trials, regulatory authorities may require additional information or further studies, or may fail or refuse to approve or may delay approval of Biogen’s drug candidates, the occurrence of adverse safety events, we may encounter other unexpected hurdles, which may be impacted by, among other things, the occurrence of adverse safety events, failure to obtain regulatory approvals in certain jurisdictions, or failure to protect intellectual property and other proprietary rights, or uncertainty of success in the development and potential commercialization of elenbecestat.. The foregoing sets forth many, but not all, of the factors that could cause actual results to differ from our expectations in any forward-looking statement. Investors should consider this cautionary statement, as well as the risk factors identified in Biogen’s most recent annual or quarterly report and in other reports Biogen has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These statements are based on Biogen’s current beliefs and expectations and speak only as of the date of this press release. Biogen does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

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Border Patrol Agents Rescue 64 Illegal Aliens Trapped in Tractor Trailers

illegal immigrants3

July 6,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Washington DC,  U.S. Customs and Border Protection arrested nine U.S. citizens for smuggling 64 illegal aliens in five separate events over the weekend.

“In addition to securing and protecting our nation’s borders, frontline Border Patrol agents are committed to reducing heat-related injuries and preventing deaths along our borders,” stated U.S. Border Patrol Acting Chief Carla L. Provost. “These rescues are a result of stepped-up enforcement at our immigration checkpoints coupled with our search and rescue efforts that are key to preventing unnecessary loss of life.”

In the last two months, Border Patrol agents have thwarted 42 smuggling attempts involving tractor trailers, rescuing 406 people from possible death due to soaring temperatures along the Southwest border.
On June 30, agents arrested an adult female for attempting to smuggle 10 individuals through a Border Patrol immigration checkpoint. The individuals were discovered in the sleeper cab of the truck after a Border Patrol K-9 alerted to the presence of narcotics and people in the tractor trailer.

That same day, two adult females driving a box truck were arrested for smuggling 7 illegal aliens through the same Border Patrol immigration checkpoint. The individuals were concealed and locked inside of the truck. Three hours later, agents arrested two men attempting to smuggle 21 people concealed inside a box truck. After a K-9 alerted, agents conducted a search of the cargo area and discovered people hiding behind stacks of tires.

On July 1, agents arrested two individuals attempting to smuggle 14 people through a Border Patrol immigration checkpoint. The individuals were discovered concealed in the sleeper compartment of the truck. Later that day, agents arrested two people for smuggling 12 people who were locked in the trailer compartment of an 18-wheeler. All of the smugglers were turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for prosecution.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Border Patrol has stepped up its search and rescue efforts in an attempt to prevent heat-related deaths along the Arizona border. This week, temperatures in Arizona are expected to exceed 115 degrees.

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US Supreme Court Hands the Trump Administration its Second Major Victory This Week

Stock Photo of the Consitution of the United States and Feather Quill

June 27,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Washington DC, for the second time in a week the US Supreme court gave the Trump administration a major win . First on Tuesday the Supreme Court upheld President Trump’s travel ban affecting several mostly Muslim countries, offering an endorsement of the president’s executive authority on immigration in one of the hardest-fought battles of this term.

The 5-4 ruling marks the first major high court decision on a Trump administration policy and it upholds the selective travel restrictions.

Today in perhaps a more significant issue for New Jersey Taxpayers and in a major legal and political defeat for municipal and state unions, the Supreme Court ruled once again 5-4 that state government workers cannot be forced to pay so-called “fair share” fees to support collective bargaining and other union activities.

Unions claim 5 million government employees in 24 states including New Jersey and the District of Columbia will be affected by this ruling.

The so called “Janus decision” is seen as a victory for Free Speech advocates . Teachers and other public sector members will now have freedom to choose to voluntarily join a union if they decide it will serve their interests, rather than endure compulsory fees to unions that put their own agenda first. Public sector unions will no longer be able to force non-members to pay bloated “agency fees” as a condition of employment.

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Border Patrol Agents Arrest 6 Criminal Aliens including a Convicted Murderer and Gang Members over the Weekend

18lIsD.So .911

June  26,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Washington DC, U.S. Customs and Border Protection made six significant arrests, including MS-13 and 18th Street gang members and a convicted murderer, along U.S. borders over three days. The arrests, made by U.S. Border Patrol agents, took place across the United States, from Vermont to the California coast.
“Human smuggling is a violent criminal enterprise that puts the safety of our communities and our country at risk,” said U.S. Border Patrol Acting Deputy Chief Scott A. Luck. “Attacking this problem is a top Department of Homeland Security priority. We are committed to using the wealth of resources, technology and expertise at our disposal not only to disrupt the current activity, but to identify and dismantle the criminal organizations behind it.”

In Fiscal Year 2018 through the end of May, Border Patrol agents have arrested 5,000 people with criminal records who have attempted to enter the United States illegally. Additionally, Border Patrol agents have arrested more than 505 criminal gang members to include Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), 18th Street gang and Mexican Mafia.

On June 22, Border Patrol agents arrested a Mexican national near El Centro, California who was convicted of child molestation and a suspected MS-13 gang member near McAllen, Texas. Both were referred for prosecution and removal.

A Peruvian national and a Mexican national were apprehended on June 23 near Averill, Vermont. Record checks revealed that both subjects were previously deported. The Mexican national admitted to being a member of the 18th Street gang. Both individuals were processed for prosecution and removal.

On June 24, an El Salvadoran national who verbally admitted to being an active 18th Street gang member was arrested by Border Patrol agents near Rio Grande City, Texas. The subject was processed for prosecution and removal.
That same day, a Mexican national, who was previously convicted of murder and served 32 years in prison, was apprehended near San Ysidro, California. The individual will be processed for prosecution and removal. Lastly, an El Salvadoran national, who admitted to being a MS-13 gang member, was arrested by Border Patrol agents near Three Points, Arizona.

Border Patrol agents were able to identify their criminal histories and gang affiliation by a search of CBP and FBI biometric databases. The databases provide rapid identification of individuals with outstanding criminal warrants by electronically comparing a live-scanned fingerprint against a nationwide database of biometrically indexed fingerprints.

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IRS Documents Reveal Senator John McCain’s Subcommittee Staff Director Urged IRS to Engage in “Financially Ruinous” Targeting of Tea Party Groups

John-McCain

 

June 25,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood bog

Washington DC,  Judicial Watch today released newly obtained internal IRS documents, including material revealing that Sen. John McCain’s former staff director and chief counsel on the Senate Homeland Security Permanent Subcommittee, Henry Kerner, urged top IRS officials, including then-director of exempt organizations Lois Lerner, to “audit so many that it becomes financially ruinous.” Kerner was appointed by President Trump as Special Counsel for the United States Office of Special Counsel.

The explosive exchange was contained in notes taken by IRS employees at an April 30, 2013, meeting between Kerner, Lerner, and other high-ranking IRS officials. Just ten days following the meeting, former IRS director of exempt organizations Lois Lerner admitted that the IRS had a policy of improperly and deliberately delaying applications for tax-exempt status from conservative non-profit groups.
Lerner and other IRS officials met with select top staffers from the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee in a “marathon” meeting to discuss concerns raised by both Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) that the IRS was not reining in political advocacy groups in response to the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision. Senator McCain had been the chief sponsor of the McCain-Feingold Act and called the Citizens United decision, which overturned portions of the Act, one of the “worst decisions I have ever seen.”

In the full notes of an April 30 meeting, McCain’s high-ranking staffer Kerner recommends harassing non-profit groups until they are unable to continue operating. Kerner tells Lerner, Steve Miller, then chief of staff to IRS commissioner, Nikole Flax, and other IRS officials, “Maybe the solution is to audit so many that it is financially ruinous.” In response, Lerner responded that “it is her job to oversee it all:”
Henry Kerner asked how to get to the abuse of organizations claiming section 501 (c)(4) but designed to be primarily political. Lois Lerner said the system works, but not in real time. Henry Kerner noted that these organizations don’t disclose donors. Lois Lerner said that if they don’t meet the requirements, we can come in and revoke, but it doesn’t happen timely. Nan Marks said if the concern is that organizations engaging in this activity don’t disclose donors, then the system doesn’t work. Henry Kerner said that maybe the solution is to audit so many that it is financially ruinous. Nikole noted that we have budget constraints. Elise Bean suggested using the list of organizations that made independent expenditures. Lois Lerner said that it is her job to oversee it all, not just political campaign activity.

Judicial Watch previously reported on the 2013 meeting. Senator McCain then issued a statement decrying “false reports claiming that his office was somehow involved in IRS targeting of conservative groups.” The IRS previously blacked out the notes of the meeting but Judicial Watch found the notes among subsequent documents released by the agency.

Judicial Watch separately uncovered that Lerner was under significant pressure from both Democrats in Congress and the Obama DOJ and FBI to prosecute and jail the groups the IRS was already improperly targeting. In discussing pressure from Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat-Rhode Island) to prosecute these “political groups,” Lerner admitted, “it is ALL about 501(c)(4) orgs and political activity.”
The April 30, 2013 meeting came just under two weeks prior to Lerner’s admission during an ABA meeting that the IRS had “inappropriately” targeted conservative groups. In her May 2013 answer to a planted question, in which she admitted to the “absolutely incorrect, insensitive, and inappropriate” targeting of Tea Party and conservative groups, Lerner suggested the IRS targeting occurred due to an “uptick” in 501 (c)(4) applications to the IRS but in actuality, there had been a decrease in such applications in 2010.

On May 14, 2013, a report by Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration revealed: “Early in Calendar Year 2010, the IRS began using inappropriate criteria to identify organizations applying for tax-exempt status” (e.g., lists of past and future donors). The illegal IRS reviews continued “for more than 18 months” and “delayed processing of targeted groups’ applications” in advance of the 2012 presidential election.
All these documents were forced out of the IRS as a result of an October 2013 Judicial Watch Freedom of Information (FOIA) lawsuit filed against the IRS after it failed to respond adequately to four FOIA requests sent in May 2013 (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. Internal Revenue Service (No. 1:13-cv-01559)). Judicial Watch is seeking:

All records related to the number of applications received or related to communications between the IRS and members of the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate regarding the review process for organizations applying for tax exempt status under 501(c)(4);

All records concerning communications between the IRS and the Executive Branch or any other government agency regarding the review process for organizations applying for tax exempt status under 501(c)(4);
Copies of any questionnaires and all records related to the preparation of questionnaires sent to organizations applying for 501(c)(4) tax exempt status.
All records related to Lois Lerner’s communication with other IRS employees, as well as government or private entity outside the IRS regarding the review and approval process for 501 (c)(4) applicant organizations.
“The Obama IRS scandal is bipartisan – McCain and Democrats who wanted to regulate political speech lost at the Supreme Court, so they sought to use the IRS to harass innocent Americans,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “The Obama IRS scandal is not over – as Judicial Watch continues to uncover smoking gun documents that raise questions about how the Obama administration weaponized the IRS, the FEC, FBI, and DOJ to target the First Amendment rights of Americans.”

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Voters Blame Parents, Not Feds, For Children Crisis at the Border

immigration-9

June 23,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, according to Rasmussen Reports , most voters blame the parents of the separated children at the border for the latest illegal immigration crisis, not the federal government.

When families are arrested and separated after attempting to enter the United States illegally, 54% of Likely U.S. Voters say the parents are more to blame for breaking the law. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that only 35% believe the federal government is more to blame for enforcing the law. Eleven percent (11%) are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

To help understand the current political debate over the children issue, a closer look shows that 82% of Republicans and 56% of voters not affiliated with either major political party feel the parents are more to blame for breaking the law. But 60% of Democrats say the government is more to blame for enforcing the law.

Seventy-five percent (75%) of Democrats think the Trump administration is too aggressive in trying to stop the flow of illegal immigrants into the United States, a view shared by only 23% of Republicans and a plurality (46%) of unaffiliated voters.

Among all voters, 49% say the administration is too aggressive trying to stop illegal immigration. Twenty-five percent (25%) say it’s not aggressive enough, while 21% view the administration’s policies as about right.

Fifty-four percent (54%) agree with President Trump when he says, “The United States will not be a migrant camp. And it will not be a refugee-holding facility – it won’t be.” Thirty percent (30%) disagree, while 16% are undecided.

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Median Age in the USA Increases to 38 years Old

seniors working artchick

file photo by ArtChick

June 23,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Washington DC, Approximately half (51.4 percent) of the nation’s 531 counties that were getting younger between April 2010 and July 2017 were in the Midwest, according to newly released 2017 population estimates. Out of the counties that were getting younger, the South also had a high proportion (32.4 percent) of the counties that experienced a decrease in median age — the age where half of the population is younger and the other half is older— followed by the West (14.1 percent), and the Northeast (2.1 percent).
“Nationally, almost 17 percent of counties saw a decrease in median age from April 2010 to July 2017. The majority of the counties getting younger were in the Midwest, and of these counties with 10,000 people or more in July 2017, some of the largest decreases were in North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska,” said Molly Cromwell, a demographer at the U.S. Census Bureau. “Williams County, N.D., had the largest decrease in median age, declining by 7.1 years.”
Despite the decrease in median age in many of the Midwest’s counties, a majority of counties in the country continued to grow older. The nation as a whole experienced a median age increase from 37.2 years to 38.0 years during the period 2010 to 2017. This continued aging of the country is consistent with the projected changes to the nation’s population through 2060.
“Baby boomers, and millennials alike, are responsible for this trend in increased aging,” Cromwell said. “Boomers continue to age and are slowly outnumbering children as the birth rate has declined steadily over the last decade.”
Last year, Florida had the largest percentage of seniors (age 65 and older) with 20.1 percent, followed by Maine (19.9 percent) and West Virginia (19.4 percent). Maine also saw its median age increase to 44.7 from 42.7 years old in 2010, making it the state with the highest median age.
On the other hand, Utah had the smallest percentage of its population age 65 and older (10.8 percent), followed by Alaska (11.2 percent) and the District of Columbia (12.1 percent). Utah is also the state with the lowest median age (30.9 years).
View our graphics on change in median age from 2010 to 2017 at the county level and the median age in 2017 to see how the nation has changed.
Population Continues to Become More Diverse

At the same time that the U.S. population becomes older, it also is becoming more diverse by race and ethnicity. Nationally, the population of all race and ethnic groups, except for the non-Hispanic white alone group, grew between July 1, 2016, and July 1, 2017. View our graphic on the age and race distribution from 2010 to 2017 to see how the nation has grown more diverse. References below to the race and ethnic compositions of county populations apply only to those counties with a total population of 10,000 or more.
The Hispanic population increased 2.1 percent to 58.9 million.
The black or African-American population increased 1.2 percent to 47.4 million.
The Asian population increased 3.1 percent to 22.2 million.
The American Indian or Alaska Native population increased 1.3 percent to 6.8 million.
The Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander population increased 2.1 percent to 1.6 million.
The population of those Two or More Races increased 2.9 percent to 8.7 million.
The white alone-or-in-combination population increased 0.5 percent to 257.4 million.
The non-Hispanic white alone population decreased .02 percent to 197.8 million.
The Hispanic Population (All Races)
The Hispanic population made up 18.1 percent of the nation’s total population in 2017, primarily due to natural increase (the difference between births and deaths).
California had the largest Hispanic population (15.5 million), and Texas saw the largest numeric increase in Hispanic population (234,000 people).
Los Angeles County, Calif., had the largest Hispanic population of any county (4.9 million), and Starr County, Texas, had the highest percentage of Hispanics with 96.3 percent.
The Black or African-American Population

Texas had the largest black or African-American population (3.8 million) and the District of Columbia had the highest percentage of the black or African American alone-or-in-combination population (48.8 percent).
Cook County, Ill., had the largest black or African-American population of any county (1.3 million).
Clark County, Nev. had the largest numeric increase of black or African-American population of any county (14,000). There were 104 counties nationwide that had a majority black or African-American population, led by Holmes County, Miss. (83.2 percent).
The Asian Population
Asians were the fastest-growing racial group in the nation. Their increase is primarily due to net migration.
California had the largest Asian population (6.8 million).
Hawaii was the only state where the Asian population represented a majority of the population (57.1 percent).
The American Indian or Alaska Native Population
California had the largest American Indian or Alaska Native population (1.1 million), and Alaska had the highest percentage (20.0 percent).
Los Angeles County, Calif., had the largest American Indian or Alaska Native population of any county at 233,000.
Oglala Lakota County, S.D., had the largest percentage of the American Indian or Alaska Native population (93.9 percent).
The Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander Population
The median age of the Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander population increased the most of any race group (2.3 years), rising from 26.4 years old in April 2010 to 28.7 years old in July 2017.
Hawaii had the largest number (382,000) and proportion (26.8 percent) of the Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander population.
Honolulu County, Hawaii, had the largest Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander population (245,000) in 2017. Clark County, Nev., had the largest numeric increase for the Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander population (1,400) in 2017.
The Two or More Races Population
Those who identify as two or more races made up the second-fastest growing race group (2.9 percent) in the nation. Their growth is due primarily to natural increase.
The two or more races group had the youngest median age of any other race group at 20.4 years.
California had the largest two or more races population (1.5 million) and Hawaii had the highest proportion (23.8 percent).
White Alone-or-in-Combination and the Non-Hispanic White Alone Population
The non-Hispanic white alone group was the only race group to experience population decline between 2016 and 2017 (-0.02 percent). Of all the alone-or-in-combination race groups, the white alone-or-in-combination group grew the slowest (0.5 percent).
Both the non-Hispanic white alone and white alone-or-in-combination populations had the highest median ages compared to the other race groups at 43.5 years and 39.2 years, respectively. The non-Hispanic white alone population is projected to continue aging and declining, with one-third of children projected to be non-Hispanic white alone by 2060, as compared to over one-half projected to be older adults.
The four states with the largest percentage of non-Hispanic white alone populations: Maine (93.3 percent), Vermont (92.9 percent), West Virginia (92.2 percent) and New Hampshire (90.5 percent) are also the four oldest states by median age with 44.7, 42.9, 42.5 and 43.1 years old, respectively.
This is the last of the population estimates for 2017. Previous estimates include national, county, metro area, city and town population estimates. The population estimates as of July 1, 2017, do not reflect displacement or other migratory changes to the nation’s population due to Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria in August and September 2017. For information on how the country is projected to change through 2060, view our previous release, Older People Projected to Outnumber Children for First Time in U.S. History.

 

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U.S. Supreme Court Rules Dead People Do Not Have a Right to Vote

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June 13,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Washington DC , The U.S. Supreme Court sided with the state of Ohio Monday upholding its practice of purging people from registration rolls if they fail to vote. In a 5-4 decision, in a case know as Husted v. A. Philip Randolph the court ruled Ohio could continue to remove individuals from voter rolls if they had not voted in two federal elections and have not responded to a confirmation notice or updated their registration.

The plaintiffs in the case, Husted v A. Philip Randolph Institute, argued the Ohio law violated the National Voter Registration Act – that “just as you have a right to vote, you have a right not to vote” – claiming the state’s purges risk disenfranchising eligible voters.

Voter rolls have been a point of contention for years .Many critics claim inactive voter rolls create opportunity for voter fraud .

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“Right to Try Act ” ,”Terminally Ill” a new tool to make potentially lifesaving decisions about their treatment

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“People who are terminally ill should not have to go from country to country to seek a cure — I want to give them a chance right here at home.”

President Donald J. Trump 

May 31,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Washington DC , in a historic move and another campaign promise met Congress passed the Right to Try Act of 2017, sending a priority bill to President Donald J. Trump for his signature.
The “Trickett Wendler, Frank Mongiello, Jordan McLinn, and Matthew Belllina Right to Try Act of 2017” passed Congress on May 22, 2018.
The bill amends Federal law to allow certain unapproved, experimental drugs to be administered to terminally ill patients who have exhausted all approved treatment options and are unable to participate in clinical drug trials.
Eligible drugs must have undergone the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Phase I (safety) testing.
The bill requires any manufacturer or sponsor of an eligible investigational drug to report to the FDA on any use of the drug on a “Right to Try” basis.
The FDA will post an annual summary report of “Right to Try” use on its website.
The bill limits the liability of drug sponsors, manufacturers, prescribers, or dispensers that provide or decline to provide an eligible investigational drug to an eligible patient.

A RIGHT TO LIFE: Right to try legislation returns treatment decisions back to patients, giving them the right to make healthcare choices that could save their lives.
“Right to Try” gives the over 1 million Americans who die from a terminal illness every year a new tool to fight and make potentially lifesaving decisions about their treatment.
According to the National Cancer Institute, an estimated 609,640 Americans will die from cancer alone in 2018.
Prior to this legislation, options for terminally patients who had exhausted all treatment options were extremely limited:
Many terminally ill patients were considered too sick for clinical trials of new medication. In fact, only 3 percent of cancer patients today are enrolled in clinical trials.
The FDA’s “compassionate use” application is complicated and time-consuming, resulting in only about 1,200 approved applications per year.
With President Trump’s signature the Federal government joins with 40 States that have approved the right of terminally ill patients to try potentially lifesaving drugs.

MAKING HEALTHCARE WORK FOR AMERICANS: Every day, President Trump is working to fix America’s broken healthcare system and return healthcare decisions to individuals.
On May 11, 2018, the President issued his blueprint to lower prescription drug prices, taking action to put American patients first.
President Trump has signed multiple Executive Orders and approved new funding to target the scourge of opioid abuse and is taking the fight to drug abuse across the Nation.
In March 2018, President Trump’s Administration released the President’s plan to put patients back in charge of their own health information.
President Trump is putting healthcare decisions back into the hands of Americans by repealing Obamacare’s individual mandate, ending the healthcare rationing board, and providing more affordable options outside of Obamacare.

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In 1863, on this day the 54th Massachusetts African-American regiment leaves Boston for combat in the South

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May 28,2018

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Boston Ma, On #ThisDayinHistory 1863, the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, the most famous African-American regiment of the war, leaves Boston for combat in the South. For the first two years of the war, President Abraham Lincoln resisted the use of black troops despite the pleas of men such as Frederick Douglass, who argued that no one had more to fight for than African Americans. Lincoln finally endorsed, albeit timidly, the introduction of blacks for service in the military in the Emancipation Proclamation. On May 22, 1863, the War Department established the Bureau of Colored Troops to recruit and assemble black regiments. Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, the idealistic scion of an abolitionist family, headed the 54th. After being selected by Massachusetts Governor John Andrew to organize and lead the 54th, Shaw carefully selected the most physically fit soldiers and white officers with established antislavery views. The regiment included two of Frederick Douglass’s sons and the grandson of Sojourner Truth. On July 18, 1863, the 54th took on a bold but doomed attack against Fort Wagner, South Carolina, in which Shaw was killed and the 54th suffered heavy casualties. The story of the 54th Massachusetts was immortalized in the critically acclaimed 1990 movie Glory.

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These Tiny Homes are a Big Help to Veterans

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Former police officer and Air Force veteran Donnie Davis chats with Ben and Kellie about Operation Safe Haven, a micro-housing community formed with homeless and PTSD-afflicted veterans in mind. The program houses qualifying veterans in tiny houses for up to two years, and offers counseling and therapy animals as well. It’s a wonderful way to help those in need while transitioning back to civilian life.

Learn more about Operation Safe Haven here: https://opsafehaven.com/

Pickler & Ben is an hour-long, multi-segmented lifestyle talk show filmed in Nashville and hosted by country star Kellie Pickler — known for her quick-wit and bubbly personality — and journalist Ben Aaron, a funny, curious, and good-natured New Yorker.

Find out where to watch: