November 12, 2026

02 U.S. Politics

Senate Democrats Block Stock Trading Ban With Voter ID Provision › American Greatness– amgreatness.com

pgnewser October 1, 2026 0

Senate Democrats Block Stock Trading Ban With Voter ID Provision › American Greatness– amgreatness.com
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EXCERPT:

Senate Democrats on Wednesday blocked legislation that would have banned members of Congress from trading stocks while also imposing a voter identification requirement.

The Senate voted 53-47 along party lines, leaving the “Stop Insider Trading Act” seven votes short of the 60 needed to advance.

The House had previously approved the legislation with support from Republicans and 13 Democrats. Wednesday’s Senate vote effectively ends the measure’s chances of reaching President Donald Trump’s desk before the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

While the legislation sought to prohibit lawmakers from trading individual stocks, Democratic opposition centered largely on Republicans’ inclusion of a voter ID provision.

Republicans have separately sought passage of the SAVE America Act, legislation that would establish voter identification requirements. Democratic opposition has prevented that measure from advancing, prompting Republicans to attach voter ID provisions to other legislation.

The Senate vote puts Democrats on record opposing a measure that combined two priorities Republicans have promoted ahead of the midterms: restricting congressional stock trading and strengthening identification requirements for voting.

The House’s passage of the legislation, including votes from 13 Democrats, demonstrated some bipartisan support for banning congressional stock trading. But the addition of the voter ID provision helped ensure the legislation could not secure the Democratic votes necessary to overcome the Senate’s 60-vote threshold.

 

Trump says ‘very bad’ Canada is being ‘taught a little lesson’ as trade action escalates– www.cbc.ca

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Trump says ‘very bad’ Canada is being ‘taught a little lesson’ as trade action escalates– www.cbc.ca
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EXCERPT:

U.S. President Donald Trump’s war of words with Canada continued Wednesday as he veered off a prepared script at an event marking Hispanic Heritage Month in the States to chastise Canadian leaders for being what he called “very bad.”

Speaking at the White House, Trump said the U.S. was “stupidly run” before he got the job because past leaders allowed automakers to move assembly plants offshore, including to Canada.

Canada has had a large-scale domestic auto manufacturing industry since 1904, developing at roughly the same time as the one in the U.S.

Still, Trump said past presidents “allowed other countries to make our cars and sell them to us,” and he is ending that now with his high-tariff regime. The Trump administration has repeatedly made it clear that it wants to hollow out Canada’s auto industry.

“Canada has taken advantage of us for so many years. The worst of any country,” Trump said.

Inside Jack Smith’s Trump dragnet– www.theblaze.com

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Inside Jack Smith’s Trump dragnet– www.theblaze.com
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EXCERPT:

Jack Smith, the Biden regime’s former special counsel, is back in the news with his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. The Oversight Project has uncovered new records that don’t focus on the settled question of why Smith used federal power to target political enemies, but instead on how he was able to do it.

Understanding the “how” is more important at this stage. We all know why the weaponization of the Biden years happened. It happened because they wanted to extinguish a political movement so that people from around the country could never truly shake up Washington, D.C., again.

For those who believe Smith’s investigation crossed the line from legitimate law enforcement into political targeting, that broader reach is the central issue.

We also know why it can happen again if Democrats take back power.

In Democrats’ minds, they have unfinished business. They regard Donald Trump and his supporters as too great a threat to stop short the next time. That makes it essential to understand how the weaponization of government happened, how it could happen again, and what reforms are needed now to prevent a repeat.

Instead, systemic reform has largely fallen by the wayside, replaced by political declarations that government weaponization has been solved once and for all.

With few signs of meaningful accountability, the need for concrete action is urgent.

January 6 gave Democrats the justification they needed to discard restraint and use the powers of federal law enforcement against their political opponents. That effort did not stop with President Trump. It extended to his supporters, especially those who challenged the conduct of the 2020 election or became prominent figures in the broader America First movement.

Dubai-Israel flight live: Pilot ‘tries to crash’ FZ1073 before mid-air bloodbath– www.mirror.co.uk

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Dubai-Israel flight live: Pilot ‘tries to crash’ FZ1073 before mid-air bloodbath– www.mirror.co.uk
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EXCERPT:

Flydubai has now issued a new statement regarding today’s incident saying “an altercation occurred in the flight deck of flight FZ1073”.

The flight was operating between Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV).

The statement reads: “The aircraft was successfully secured by on-duty flydubai crew travelling on the flight, who diverted and landed the aircraft safely at Tabuk Airport (TUU). All passengers and crew are safe and accounted for.”

The airline added that two replacement aircraft have been sent to Tabuk to “relieve” the passengers and crew involved.

The incident has “no impact” on other scheduled flydubai services, the airline added.

Flydubai stated: “At this early stage, the underlying reasons and motives behind this event are unknown and remain subject to a formal investigation.

“We urge all parties to refrain from premature speculation while authorities gather the facts.

“Our immediate priority is to ensure the ongoing safety, health, and wellbeing of all passengers and crew members involved in this incident and support the official investigation.”

 

Rubio Says ‘Foreign Actor’ Was Behind Thwarted Plot Near U.S.-Used Air Base in Britain › American Greatness– amgreatness.com

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Rubio Says ‘Foreign Actor’ Was Behind Thwarted Plot Near U.S.-Used Air Base in Britain › American Greatness– amgreatness.com
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EXCERPT:

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that a “foreign actor” was involved in a thwarted plot near a British military base used by U.S. forces, warning that threats against American interests will carry consequences.

“What happened, what almost happened, what could have happened in the U.K. over the weekend is a very serious situation,” Rubio told Fox News’ “Hannity.” “It’s one that clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor.”

Rubio declined to identify the foreign actor but pointed to Iran as an example of a country that has threatened American interests around the world.

“We’re going to always take that very seriously,” Rubio said. “There will be repercussions for that, if it ever were to happen or even attempted.”

British police arrested five men early Sunday after authorities were alerted to three large white vans parked near RAF Fairford in western England. The base is operated by Britain’s Royal Air Force and used by the U.S. military.

All five suspects, British nationals in their early 20s from London, were released on bail Monday as authorities continued investigating whether people acting on behalf of a foreign state were involved.

President Donald Trump said Monday that the incident “might be” connected to Iran and criticized the decision to release the suspects.

“I wouldn’t have done that,” Trump said.

OpenAI Scraps Powerful New AI Model After It Turns ‘Evil’– slaynews.com

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OpenAI Scraps Powerful New AI Model After It Turns ‘Evil’– slaynews.com
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EXCERPT:

OpenAI has canceled the public release of its next-generation GPT-6.1 Astra model after safety testing revealed that the system was showing signs of turning “evil.”

The powerful new system had started to deceive users, exceed its assigned tasks, and access external tools without permission.

The decision marks the second time in a matter of months that OpenAI has halted work involving frontier models amid revelations that experimental systems engaged in unauthorized behavior, including breaking out of controlled testing environments and accessing third-party servers.

GPT-6.1 Astra Fails Alignment Tests

OpenAI researchers found that GPT-6.1 Astra performed poorly on alignment testing.

The testing measures whether an artificial intelligence system will obey human instructions and remain within the boundaries of its assigned task.

However, researchers found that the system had started to develop “evil” traits.

The model was more willing to deceive users than previous systems and would venture beyond its authorized scope when confronted with obstacles, according to the Wall Street Journal.

US ban on $1bn of Canadian goods takes effect in Trump’s latest retaliation | Business and Economy News– www.aljazeera.com

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US ban on $1bn of Canadian goods takes effect in Trump’s latest retaliation | Business and Economy News– www.aljazeera.com
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EXCERPT:

The United States is implementing a ban on nearly $1bn in imports from Canada, including alcoholic beverages, dairy products and motorcycles.

The ban took effect early Tuesday and is likely to further strain already-tense relations between the two neighbours.

Ottawa and Washington DC have long been allies and trade partners, with approximately $880bn worth of annual two-way trade. That relationship has been upended during US President Donald Trump’s second term as he unleashed tariffs on most trading partners, including Canada, and referred to the northern neighbour as the 51st state of the US.

Most recently, the US slapped 50 percent levies on Canadian goods worth $20bn, including dairy and motorcycles, on August 22 after trade negotiations failed. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney retaliated, saying Ottawa will match US tariffs “dollar for dollar in order to protect Canadian workers, farmers, families and businesses”. Canada levied tariffs of 15 percent, 25 percent and 50 percent on US exports of a similar value.

Tuesday’s ban was Trump’s punishment for Canada’s retaliatory tariffs.

“The impact of such a ban will be minor, it is only $1bn while we trade hundreds of billions with Canada,” Professor Gary Shields at Wayne State University’s School of Business told Al Jazeera. “It is, however, rather astonishing how President Trump treats our allies in Canada and Europe, while rolling out the red carpet for China’s dictator when he visited the US last week”.

Drones outpace Ukrainian defenses as manufacturers race to build new interceptors– abcnews.com

pgnewser October 1, 2026 0

Drones outpace Ukrainian defenses as manufacturers race to build new interceptors– abcnews.com
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EXCERPT:

KYIV, Ukraine — Russia’s new class of jet-powered drones rip across the night sky in Kyiv at hundreds of kilometers per hour, leaving Ukrainian air-defense units only moments to intercept them. It’s rarely enough time.

With many of the drones getting through to the capital, defense manufacturers are scrambling to develop a new generation of interceptors to counter the deadly threat. They are building their own jet-propulsion systems and training artificial intelligence to help guide the chase.

They need to move fast because the Russian drones are driving a new tactic, ramped up in recent weeks, to hit the infrastructure keeping Ukraine’s war-battered economy afloat. Recent targets have included energy systems, key industries, railways, post offices, shopping centers, telecom networks, gas stations and grain exports.

Russia also has an advantage with its ballistic missile arsenal, which poses another challenge as Ukraine runs low on interceptor missiles.

The effects of the barrage are being felt in Kyiv, which increasingly resembles a front-line city, without the relative safety that had long set it apart from the fighting. Food supplies have been disrupted, explosions echo day and night, and residents scramble for cover from strikes that reach closer to the city center.

Ukrainian officials say they are testing new interceptors that have successfully hit jet-powered Russian drones, which fly much higher and faster than propeller-driven drones and are much harder to stop.

“They’re moving so fast that we can’t get a proper lock on them,” said Volodymyr Serdiuk, commander of an air-defense unit.

Ron DeSantis, Florida Cabinet Declare CAIR, Muslim Brotherhood, and Antifa as Terrorist Groups– legalinsurrection.com

pgnewser October 1, 2026 0

Ron DeSantis, Florida Cabinet Declare CAIR, Muslim Brotherhood, and Antifa as Terrorist Groups– legalinsurrection.com
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EXCERPT:

 

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and his cabinet have declared CAIR, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Antifa as terrorist groups, along with a host of others, under a new law that took effect over the summer.

From CBS News:

DeSantis, Florida Cabinet designate more than 90 groups as terrorist organizations

Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet on Tuesday voted to designate more than 90 groups as terrorist organizations, and a legal challenge is already in the works seeking to block the move.

With little comment from the state panel and no public testimony, the Cabinet voted to apply domestic or foreign terrorist designations to a series of groups, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Muslim Brotherhood and antifa.

The designations will also apply to more than 90 organizations already listed as foreign terrorist organizations by the U.S. government, including the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, two Mexican drug cartels and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Under a new law, HB 1471, that took effect July 1, CAIR filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida in Tallahassee, contending that DeSantis is violating the First Amendment and the due process clause of the 14th Amendment.

Hina Shamsi, director of the ACLU National Security Project, said attorneys intend to file a motion Thursday on behalf of CAIR-Florida seeking a preliminary injunction against the designation.

“There is nowhere in that notice any allegation or evidence that CAIR has engaged in any violent or dangerous act in violation of Florida or U.S. law,” Shamsi said Tuesday outside the Cabinet meeting. “And that’s the first requirement for something as serious as this.”

Trump renews calls for former Federal Reserve chief Jerome Powell’s resignation– www.france24.com

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Trump renews calls for former Federal Reserve chief Jerome Powell’s resignation– www.france24.com
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EXCERPT:

The Federal Reserve‘s Inspector General on Wednesday said it found no grounds for a criminal referral or evidence of administrative misconduct tied to cost overruns in a US central bank renovation project.

However, its conclusion there was lax oversight drew a fresh call from President Donald Trump for former Federal Reserve chief Jerome Powell‘s resignation.

The Fed watchdog’s report highlighted extensive problems with project oversight that contributed to a roughly $1 billion cost overrun for the renovation of the central bank‘s two historic buildings on the National Mall in Washington.

Trump had latched onto the cost overrun on the project, which now has a price tag of about $2.4 billion, in his effort to engineer Powell’s ouster and gain influence over the direction of monetary policy. Trump also is trying to sack Fed Governor Lisa Cook over alleged wrongdoing in an unrelated matter.

The IG’s report noted that “at no point during our evaluation did we find reasonable grounds to believe that a violation of federal criminal law had occurred requiring a referral to the US attorney general.”

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British Intelligence Accuses China Of Spying On UK’s AI Research– dailycaller.com

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British Intelligence Accuses China Of Spying On UK’s AI Research– dailycaller.com
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EXCERPT:

British security officials warned that a Chinese research body is funding academic work that aids Beijing’s spy agency.

Britain’s MI5 security service on Wednesday named the China General Technology Research Institute (CGTRI) as a funder of work by more than 100 academics based in the UK, including artificial intelligence research, according to an espionage alert the agency published. The service said CGTRI is closely tied to China’s civilian spy agency — the Ministry of State Security (MSS) — and exists mainly to bankroll research that sharpens that agency’s technical tools.

“MI5 has identified that the primary purpose of CGTRI is to fund academic research that directly improves MSS technical capability for espionage,” the alert stated in part.

U.K. academics have contributed to CGTRI-funded projects on AI, cybersecurity, covert communications systems and steganography, according to the MI5 alert. The agency said some universities and researchers likely did not know CGTRI’s link to Chinese intelligence when they took the money, Reuters reported. (RELATED: As Trump Meets Xi, Experts Say China Targets Weak Spots In Western Tech)

Researchers who keep working with the institute could be prosecuted under Britain’s National Security Act, a 2023 law aimed at foreign spying and hostile state activity, MI5 warned.

James Talarico Refused to Support Bill to Stop Infanticide– www.lifenews.com

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James Talarico Refused to Support Bill to Stop Infanticide– www.lifenews.com
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EXCERPT:

Texas Senate candidate James Talarico refused to support a 2019 Texas bill that would stop infanticide.

He refused to vote for legislation that required doctors to give life-saving medical care to infants born alive after an abortion, a measure pro-life lawmakers said was necessary to stop infanticide.

Talarico, then representing Round Rock and now the Democrat nominee for U.S. Senate, recorded his vote as “present, not voting” on House Bill 16, the Texas Born-Alive Infant Protection Act. He did not vote yes to mandate that physicians treat a child who survives an abortion the same way they would treat any other infant born at the same gestational age.

Texas Right to Life gave Talarico a 0 percent pro-life score for the 86th Legislative Session. The group cited his present-not-voting stance on the born-alive bill and his opposition to expanding the state’s Alternatives to Abortion program.

The born-alive bill, authored by Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, created criminal and civil penalties for doctors who withhold appropriate care. A physician who failed to act after a failed abortion could face a third-degree felony punishable by two to 10 years in prison and a civil fine of at least $100,000. Gov. Greg Abbott signed the measure, and it took effect Sept. 1, 2019.

Chuck Schumer projects confidence as GOP money washes over Senate Democrats– www.politico.com

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Chuck Schumer projects confidence as GOP money washes over Senate Democrats– www.politico.com
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EXCERPT:

A tidal wave of Republican money is threatening to soak Democrats in the final stretch of the midterm campaign, and Chuck Schumer has a message for his party: Keep your sheets dry.

While the Senate minority leader warned in an interview Wednesday that they shouldn’t be “overconfident,” he painted a rosy picture where Democrats have the “wind in our sails” and are well positioned to overcome an “almost obscene” GOP funding advantage.

“Here’s how I’d sum up the election: Can enormous amounts of Republican money beat a Democratic enormous advantage in much better candidates and a much better political climate?” Schumer asked in his Capitol Hill office. “I think we win.”

Those assurances are emblematic of the rising confidence many Senate Democrats are now expressing as they prepare to leave for a seven-week recess. After months where a tough GOP-tilted map and a series of nasty primary battles cast a shadow over their battle to retake the majority, some are more openly acknowledging they could return to Washington as victors.

“It certainly feels like it’s going to be a wave election, and not for good reasons,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said in an interview. “This president’s domestic and foreign policy has gone off the rails. People are paying more than ever before for basic necessities like gasoline, and we have the most corrupt White House in the history of the country. So that’s where we are.”

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said he was “increasingly hopeful,” while Sen. Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.) said Democrats are “in a position to earn the trust of voters across the country, win majorities in both the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate.”

Schumer, like most Senate Democrats, is being careful not to predict outright they will flip the chamber. They need to win four seats on net, including several that President Donald Trump won at least once.

Donald Trump Says He Discussed Release Of Political Prisoners With Xi Jinping– www.ndtv.com

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Donald Trump Says He Discussed Release Of Political Prisoners With Xi Jinping– www.ndtv.com
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EXCERPT:

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he discussed the release of political prisoners with Chinese President Xi Jinping when the two leaders met last week.

“I did with President Xi. I did,” Trump told reporters when asked if he brought up the cases of political prisoners like Myanmar scholar and US citizen Min Zin, who was arrested in June, and Hong Kong’s most vocal China critic and media tycoon Jimmy Lai.

“We talked, and I think we had some very, very important discussions. Hopefully, fruitful discussions,” Trump added.

The White House had said ahead of Xi’s visit that Trump was expected to bring up cases of people wrongfully detained in China with the Chinese leader.

The White House did not say if Trump aimed to directly raise broader rights issues related to Tibet, the Uyghur Muslim minority group, and China’s new “ethnic unity” law.

Trump has made winning freedom for Americans held overseas a priority, including in China, even as he has largely ​avoided talking about China’s treatment of Tibetans, Uyghurs and voices of dissent.

Michele Tafoya polling dead even with ‘trans kids’ enthusiast Peggy Flanagan in Minnesota Senate race | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com

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Michele Tafoya polling dead even with ‘trans kids’ enthusiast Peggy Flanagan in Minnesota Senate race | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com
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EXCERPT:

“Tafoya does extremely well with men and Flanagan is losing every age group other than the youngest of voters.”

The Minnesota Senate race between Republican Michele Tafoya and Democrat Peggy Flanagan remains a closely contested battle. Multiple consecutive polls have shown the candidates just points apart from each other, within the margin of error.

A recent InsiderAdvantage poll of 1,200 likely voters conducted September 28-29 found Flanagan leading Tafoya 46 percent to 45 percent, a one-point difference within the poll’s 2.95 percentage-point margin of error.

“This survey is unusual in that it goes against many of the trends we are seeing in other Senate contests. It appears that the decrease in popularity of Governor Tim Walz, combined with the growing evidence of fraud in the state are taking a toll on the DFL nominee,”  InsiderAdvantage pollster Matt Towery said in a memo about the poll.

“Tafoya does extremely well with men and Flanagan is losing every age group other than the youngest of voters, who in the poll have a significant ‘enthusiasm about voting’ gap versus other age groups who are more enthusiastic,” Towery added.

U. Missouri launches investigation into professor caught admitting DEI efforts persist– www.thecollegefix.com

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U. Missouri launches investigation into professor caught admitting DEI efforts persist– www.thecollegefix.com
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EXCERPT:

School has ended DEI research projects, spokesperson says

The University of Missouri is investigating a professor after he was secretly recorded admitting that diversity, equity, and inclusion activities persist at the university.

In a video released by the watchdog group Accuracy in Media, MU Sociology Department Chair Wayne Brekhus discussed the department’s continued DEI involvement despite state restrictions.

“Lots of us do DEI types of research and things like that. I do things with identities and inequalities and used to do a lot of LGBTQ research and things like that,” Brekhus told an undercover investigator.

Asked about the state lawmakers’ anti-DEI directives, Brekhus said they “haven’t hit the curriculum.”

He also described ways institutions have been able to bypass Missouri’s DEI restrictions.

“Usually what places did is, like, they changed the name or they put them under a different umbrella to make it less visible that it was DEI or things like that,” he said.

“It was mostly cosmetic, but in some cases that also meant, you know, if you’re folding it under another umbrella that isn’t explicitly listed as DEI, sometimes that means you’re cutting staff or you’re making it less visible to the students. So, like, those sorts of things have happened really everywhere,” he said.

Blackburn Sues Jack Smith Over ‘Unlawful’ Phone Record Seizure– thefederalist.com

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Blackburn Sues Jack Smith Over ‘Unlawful’ Phone Record Seizure– thefederalist.com
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EXCERPT:

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., filed a lawsuit against former Special Counsel Jack Smith on Wednesday over his “unlawful” seizure of her cell phone records during his Arctic Frost lawfare against Donald Trump. The suit also challenges the legality of Smith’s appointment as special counsel.

“Through his Arctic Frost witch hunt that targeted conservatives across America and even the President of the United States, Jack Smith perpetrated one of the worst abuses of government power in our nation’s history,” Blackburn said in a statement. “This lawsuit is solely about holding Mr. Smith accountable and ensuring that our nation’s justice system can never again be weaponized against the American people.”

Represented by the New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA), Blackburn alleged that, while serving as special counsel, Smith violated her “constitutional and civil rights” by subpoenaing her cell phone toll records as part of his Arctic Frost inquiry. Smith sought and acquired a nondisclosure order from a federal court, “while withholding from the presiding judge the material fact that the subpoena sought the records of a sitting U.S. Senator,” according to NCLA. This NDO prevented Blackburn’s cell phone carrier from notifying her that Smith had subpoenaed her records.