Donald Trump began by celebrating the Navy and the military, asserting that the United States possesses the greatest military in the world, which was largely rebuilt during his first term
Trump Touts Military, Claims Middle East Breakthrough, Blames Democrats for Crime and Layoffs
Trump Touts Military, Claims Middle East Breakthrough, Blames Democrats for Crime and Layoffs
In prepared remarks, Donald Trump praised the U.S. Navy and military as “the greatest,” saying he rebuilt them and that current operations have curbed Caribbean cartel drug routes by sea. He claimed to be advancing a swift hostage-and-cease-fire deal involving Hamas that he called a “great deal for Israel” and the Arab and Muslim world—framing it as a potential first in “3,000 years.” Domestically, he painted cities as gripped by unrest, saying Portland is “burning,” citing high violence in Chicago, and asserting Washington, D.C., went from “a hell hole to a safe place” in 12 days. He described the economy as “record setting,” labeled recent job cuts “Democrat layoffs,” called Obamacare a “disaster” needing fixes, and criticized a judge he said he appointed.
The chairmen of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees sent letters Wednesday to two consulting firms — along with the College Board, Oracle and a company called Ellucian — seeking information about any tuition pricing algorithms they have built and the college applicants’ data that feeds them.
The consulting companies, with names like EAB and Ruffalo Noel Levitz, may be unfamiliar to college applicants and their families. But colleges know the consultants well, since most schools hire one of the two firms, or smaller consulting companies, to help them attract students and plot financial aid offers.
“Colleges that agree to use a common pricing formula or algorithm, or knowingly do so through a third-party company, are likely violating the antitrust laws,” said the letters, which were signed by Representatives Jim Jordan and Scott Fitzgerald and Senators Charles Grassley and Mike Lee, all Republicans. The demands cite reporting in The New York Times in May, which pointed to past comments by an EAB executive who had described its work as “a form of arbitrage” and added that its financial aid optimization strategies were “like working in the financial markets.”
EAB boasts of up to 200 variables that colleges and universities can use when setting an individual admitted student’s price, drawing from data on over 350 clients and 1.5 billion “student interactions.” Ruffalo Noel Levitz has over 1,900 clients feeding its software models for everything from financial aid to fund-raising.
Ruffalo Noel Levitz did not comment immediately upon receipt of the letter. An EAB spokeswoman said the company was still reviewing it.
In those letters, the lawmakers are seeking descriptions of all products and services and their capabilities; explanations of the purpose of any pricing and financial aid algorithms and the data that the algorithms train on; and the names of the higher education institutions that use each product or service.
Violations of antitrust law could occur, the letters said, even if competitors were not discussing pricing with one another if “they are delegating their decision making to a software or algorithm” that results in the exchange of confidential pricing information. Spokeswomen for both the College Board — which licenses a need-based aid calculation tool called the CSS Profile to colleges — and Ellucian said they were still reviewing the letters. Oracle, which has a higher education technology unit, declined to comment.
The peculiar college pricing system — in which the list price is often not the real price, and different administrators handle need-based aid and merit aid — has drawn much scrutiny from regulators and politicians in recent years.
Earlier this year, this same group of politicians asked for an enormous amount of information from Ivy League schools, citing “apparent collusion to raise tuition prices.” The breadth of the inquiry included communications among the schools and the Common App and U.S. News, which publishes school rankings, as well as information about early decision practices.
In 2019, the Department of Justice announced an antitrust settlement with the National Association for College Admission Counseling. Association rules had effectively prevented schools from poaching students after May 1. Those rules went away, and now schools like Syracuse make six-figure discount offers to teenagers who have already committed to other colleges.
And in 2013, the department investigated discussions between college presidents about whether there was anything school officials could do to stop giving so much merit aid to students who didn’t need it. Later that year, the government dropped the inquiry, but not before scaring many higher education leaders away from discussing the matter.
In the current investigation, lawyers who work on antitrust cases say that crucial questions about the “common pricing formulas” could include the following: If EAB and Ruffalo Noel Levitz have access to dozens of pieces of data from tens of thousands of applicants from several hundred schools (including who responded, how they responded, and to what sort of financial aid offers), how do the firms feed that into the algorithms that help client colleges set prices and discounts?
Another question, lawyers say: Do they do it in real time, on an ongoing basis, in the middle of application season?
And once the algorithms are trained, do clients that compete with one another ultimately end up drawing on collective data to set prices?
“It is about time that policymakers are scrutinizing the enrollment management industry,” said Stephen Burd, a senior writer and editor on education policy at the think tank New America and the editor of a book about enrollment management. “If policymakers have any hope of solving the problems of college access, affordability, equity and indebtedness, they are going to have to finally acknowledge the industry behind the curtain.”
Georgia Nugent, a former president of Kenyon College and Illinois Wesleyan University, was one of the higher education leaders questioned by the Justice Department in 2013. She said the language in Wednesday’s letters presumes that colleges accept advice unquestioningly.
“In my experience, we didn’t just blindly take what the algorithm said,” she said, adding that she had worked at institutions that were clients of both EAB and Ruffalo Noel Levitz.
“An algorithm might have suggested X, Y or Z, and that did not accord with our values and objectives,” said Ms. Nugent, who is now the president in residence at the American Academic Leadership Institute. “To assume that colleges are just automata and do what consultants tell us to do, at least in my experience, would not be true.”
A federal grand jury in Denver returned an indictment on August 21, 2025, charging two Denver-area companies and the companies’ top executives for defrauding the federal government on sales of forklifts and conspiring to avoid paying proper tariffs on forklifts imported into the United States.
According to court documents, Endless Sales Inc. (Endless), Octane Forklifts, Inc. (Octane), current executives Brian Firkins and Jeffrey Blasdel, and former executive J.R. Antczak allegedly conspired to import forklifts from China, disguise the Chinese origin of the forklifts, and then sell the forklifts to federal government agencies by fraudulently representing the forklifts as being manufactured in the United States. The indictment also alleges that Endless, Octane, Firkins, Blasdel, and Antczak conspired with an unnamed Chinese national and a Chinese manufacturer to create fake commercial invoices that fraudulently undervalued the cost of forklifts that Endless and Octane imported into the United States, thereby defrauding the government of over $1 million in applicable tariffs, duties, and fees. Firkins, Blasdel, and Antczak are each additionally charged with separate wire fraud charges, and Blasdel is also charged with making false statements to the government.
“Defrauding the United States to profit from goods made in adversarial nations like China undermines our economic and national security,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Justice Department is committed to protecting American taxpayer dollars, defending our national security against those who would undermine it, and holding accountable anyone who pursues illegal profits over our country.”
“Defendants fraudulently hid the origins of the products they sold the government and conspired to avoid paying tariffs,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force and its law enforcement partners will continue to prosecute and hold accountable those who seek to fraudulently obtain taxpayer funds.”
“Today’s indictments are the result of the collaboration among the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who seek to violate America’s trade laws to enrich themselves,” said Acting Inspector General Steve Stebbins of the Department of Defense. “DCIS remains committed to safeguarding the integrity of the DoD contracting process.”
“Federal contractors are expected to be honest in their dealings with the government,” said Deputy Inspector General Robert Erickson of the U.S. General Services Administration Office of Inspector General. “These indictments demonstrate our special agents’ commitment to pursue allegations of procurement fraud and protect the government’s supply chain.”
“My office is committed to protecting taxpayer dollars and the integrity of federal procurement,” said Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D of DHS OIG. “Octane Forklifts, Endless Sales, and their executives allegedly engaged in a brazen scheme to sell rebranded Chinese made forklifts to FEMA and the Department of Defense , all while falsely certifying their compliance with the Buy America Act. It is especially reprehensible that this alleged fraud involved a FEMA contract using disaster funds. I commend our law enforcement partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, and DOJ’s Antitrust Division for their steadfast commitment to holding these individuals accountable.”
“This indictment reflects the commitment of the Air Force to uphold the integrity in public contracting and protect taxpayer dollars,” said Director Jason T. Hein, Office of Procurement Fraud Investigations, Office of Special Investigations, USAF. “Procurement fraud undermines trust in government and diverts resources from maintaining our national security and missions they’re meant to serve. We will continue to pursue accountability wherever public funds are at risk.”
“Intentionally violating the Buy America Act to defraud the US Government, isn’t just a legal issue, it is a demonstration of complete disregard for US law and the safety and security of our US military.” said Special Agent in Charge Derek Tilton of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division. “The US Army will not tolerate contract fraud and will vigorously pursue all available legal recourse.”
“This indictment demonstrates the VA OIG’s commitment to protecting taxpayer funds and ensuring companies who do business with the government are held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony Heddell with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Western Field Office. “The VA OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure the integrity of VA’s programs and services.”
Firkins, Blasdel, Antczak, Endless, and Octane are charged with conspiring to commit wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349. Firkins, Blasdel, and Antczak are similarly charged with individual counts of wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. For the individuals, each count of conviction carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. For the corporations, the maximum penalty is a fine of $500,000. Firkins, Blasdel, Antczak, Endless and Octane are also charged with conspiring to enter goods into the United States by means of false or fraudulent statements. For the individuals, a count of conviction carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000. For the corporations, the maximum penalty is a fine of $500,000, or twice the gain derived from the offense, or twice the loss caused by the offense. Finally, Blasdel is charged with making false statements to the government, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Antitrust Division’s Chicago Office is prosecuting the case, which was investigated with the assistance of the United States Army Criminal Investigative Division, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigation, U.S. General Services Administration Office of Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and U.S. Defense Contract Audit Agency. The Westminster, Colorado, Police Department provided valuable assistance.
In November 2019, the Justice Department created the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF), a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force. Anyone with information in connection with this investigation can contact the PCSF at the link listed above.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New York City said it will participate in a proposed $7.4 billion settlement with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family, steering about $48 million to the five boroughs to combat opioid harms. The deal—stemming from litigation launched in 2017—combines $6.5 billion from certain Sackler family members and an expected $900 million from Purdue’s bankruptcy estate pending court approval later this fall. City officials said the funds build on roughly $190 million already recovered and are projected to push total opioid-related proceeds to more than $550 million by 2041, supporting prevention, harm-reduction, and treatment efforts across DOHMH, NYC Health + Hospitals, and the Office of Chief Medical Examiner. The Adams administration has ramped opioid spending to about $50 million annually as overdose deaths showed improvement in late 2024. New Yorkers can call or text 988 for 24/7 support.
City of New York Takes Steps Toward Recovering Approximately $48 Million From Opioid Manufacturer in Ongoing Litigation to Bring Closure to Communities Affected by Opioid Crises
– New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Corporation Counsel Muriel Goode-Trufant today announced the city’s commitment to participate in a new proposed settlement with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family that would bring approximately $48 million to the five boroughs and, more importantly, closure to the communities torn apart by the opioid crisis. The settlement is the result of litigation brought, beginning in 2017, by the city, numerous state attorneys general, and several thousand subdivisions across the country to address the harms caused by the opioid crises. The total settlement amount is expected to be approximately $7.4 billion, including $4.5 billion for state and local governments, of which approximately $48 million will go to the City of New York. The settlement would combine an agreement with certain members of the Sackler family to pay $6.5 billion and an anticipated contribution from the bankruptcy estate of Purdue Pharma, expected to be $900 million pending approval from the bankruptcy court on the proposed bankruptcy plan later this fall. Purdue Pharma and certain members of the Sackler family were at the heart of a scheme to misleadingly market prescription opioids as safe and effective for long-term chronic pain management, contributing greatly to the nationwide opioid crisis.
“The opioid crisis stole thousands of lives, tore apart countless communities, and devastated families across our city and the rest of the nation, and while nothing can replace all that we lost, we will never stop fighting until we bring justice to communities devastated by this crisis,” said Mayor Adams. “At the heart of the scheme to hook Americans on opioids were the Sackler family and their company, Purdue Pharma, and the potential for this $7.4 billion settlement will serve as an example of how New Yorkers can trust us to always hold those with power accountable when they break the law and harm our citizens. I thank Corporation Counsel Goode-Trufant and the Law Department for their role in this settlement and for helping to ensure we do what we can to help make New Yorkers whole again.”
“This settlement will represent a major milestone in the city’s longstanding legal effort to hold manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids accountable for their role in the city’s deadly opioid epidemic,” said Corporation Counsel Muriel Goode-Trufant. “The opioid crisis resulted in a tremendous human and financial cost to the city. This $48 million settlement adds to the hundreds of millions of dollars we have already worked to recover from irresponsible drug companies. I commend all the dedicated individuals on the city’s legal team for their work in bringing about this outstanding result.”
Today’s announcement builds on the work the city has done to bring justice to the victims and families of the opioid epidemic. In January 2018, the City of New York sued manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids to remedy the harms caused within the city by the misleading marketing and improper distribution of these drugs. New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a similar lawsuit in March 2019. Settlements reached by both the city and the state, as well as a court victory by Attorney General James, have provided the City of New York alone with nearly $190 million as of the end of Fiscal Year 2025, which, with this new settlement, is expected to grow to a total of more than $550 million by 2041. In April 2022, Mayor Adams and Attorney General James announced allocations for the first of hundreds of millions of dollars coming to New York City to combat the opioid crisis. In September 2024, Mayor Adams announced city funding will ramp up to an annual $50 million for opioid prevention and treatment.
Ongoing funds from opioid settlements have supported new and expanded activities at New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), NYC Health + Hospitals, and the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner that collectively aim to reduce opioid overdose deaths through harm reduction, preventive, and treatment strategies.
Funds from opioid settlements through DOHMH have supported wraparound services for syringe service programs, including on-site medical care, connections to health care and social services, and support for basic needs. Between July 2024 and April 2025, syringe service programs that operate Overdose Prevention Centers provided more than 38,000 harm reduction services to approximately 6,600 participants, reducing the risk of overdose and infectious disease and providing referrals to treatment and other health and social services. In 2023, the Adams administration also allocated $3 million to eight providers on Staten Island through a request for proposal to directly support the expansion of buprenorphine treatment, outreach and engagement, and care navigation services in the borough. Procurement to expand the number of hospitals participating in DOHMH’s emergency department-based nonfatal opioid overdose response program, called Relay, remains ongoing.
Since beginning to receive funding through opioid settlements, NYC Health + Hospitals has had over 9,800 patient engagements with expanded substance use services at Street Health Outreach and Wellness vans, nearly 80,000 encounters with patients in emergency departments with addiction services provided by the Emergency Department Leads program, and has successfully launched a cutting-edge addiction simulation training for emergency department prescribers. Additionally, NYC Health + Hospitals has provided comprehensive addiction consultations at over 23,000 inpatient admissions through the Consult for Addiction Treatment and Care in Hospitals program. Further, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner’s Drug Intelligence and Intervention Group program has offered support services to more than 2,000 individuals following the death of a loved one from an overdose.
Today’s investment and all of the actions taken by Mayor Adams and the Adams administration to prevent overdose deaths also underscore the administration’s efforts to improve and extend the average lifespan of all New Yorkers through “HealthyNYC” to 83 years by 2030. HealthyNYC sets ambitious targets to address the greatest drivers of premature death, including chronic and diet-related diseases, screenable cancers, overdose, suicide, maternal mortality, violence, and COVID-19.
New Yorkers looking to access substance use services can call or text 988 for free, confidential support 24/7. Resources can also be found on the “NYC HealthMap” and on DOHMH’s website.
Today’s announcement builds on Mayor Adams’ “End the Culture of Anything Goes” campaign, which highlights the work the administration has done to date to change the culture and laws that prevented people with severe mental illness from getting the help they needed, while simultaneously making the investments necessary to support outreach, harm reduction, wraparound services, and housing — all in an effort to make lasting impacts in lives and communities. Mayor Adams is bringing the same energy and approach that proved to be successful in carving a new path to help people with severe mental illness to address other health crises, like drug addiction, playing out on city streets, and recently laid out plans to realize that vision by connecting those suffering with treatment.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, joined by 19 state attorneys general, said mifepristone has been safely and effectively used for more than 25 years and criticized an FDA review ordered by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Martin Makary as unsupported by science. The coalition argued medical decisions should rest on evidence rather than politics and vowed to take legal action to preserve access if the drug is threatened. Ms. James also pointed to recent litigation and policy moves by her office aimed at safeguarding abortion access and emergency reproductive care.
Attorney General James and 19 Attorneys General Defend Mifepristone’s Safety
Attorneys General Emphasize that Despite FDA’s Unnecessary and Baseless Comments, Mifepristone Remains Safe and Available
– New York Attorney General Letitia James today co-led a coalition of 19 attorneys general in releasing the following statement after Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Martin Makary launched an FDA review of the abortion medication mifepristone:
“For more than 25 years, mifepristone has been used safely and effectively in the United States and globally. It is currently the most common method for early-term abortion care in the United States and is the standard of care for managing early miscarriage. The decision to reexamine access to this medication was made in response to a scientifically baseless letter and ignores decades of research that prove mifepristone is safe and effective. Medical decisions should be left between patients, their families, and their providers – and they should be guided by science, not political agendas.
“As state attorneys general, we have a responsibility to enforce state laws and protect our residents, including their access to reproductive care. If access to mifepristone is challenged, we will take action to protect it.”
Joining Attorney General James in releasing this statement are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia.
Donald Trump briefly answered reporters’ questions today about the investigation into alleged crimes by former FBI Director James Comey, who was appointed by President Barack Obama.Trump called Comey “corrupt,” saying he lied about Trump’s alleged ties to Russia. “The only thing Comey didn’t anticipate was that he’d get caught,” Trump said, stressing this is about justice, not “revenge.” He claimed Comey lied to Congress. Media reports, Trump added, noted that Comey once posted a photo of arranged seashells that supposedly formed a number associated in slang with “murder” and with Trump’s presidency.
Before departing the White House to represent the United States at the RYDER Cup, Trump opened his remarks by focusing on the recent charges against Comey. He repeatedly described Comey as a “dirty cop” and a “corrupt, radical left Democrat,” saying even Democrats are better than Comey.
Trump insisted the case is about justice, not payback, arguing Comey was “caught” lying to Congress. He said Comey gave a very specific, emphatic answer to an important question, checked it several times, but “the only problem” was that the answer “was a lie.”
Denying the existence of any “enemies list,” Trump said he hopes “others” will also face charges. He argued the Justice Department had been “weaponized like no one in history” and said such things must not be allowed to happen to the country. He claimed “sick, radical left people” had pursued legal cases against him for four years, starting when he took office in 2016, and “found nothing.”
Beyond the political accusations, Trump offered a foreign-policy update, saying the U.S. is “very close to a deal on Gaza.” He expects it would be the eighth such agreement, returning hostages, ending the war, and bringing peace.
Turning to domestic issues, Trump praised the U.S. economy, citing “fantastic” numbers, low prices, and “virtually no inflation,” and said the country is respected worldwide. He blamed any potential government shutdown entirely on “radical left Democrats,” alleging that Democratic leaders such as Chuck Schumer are trying to block government funding while demanding money for undocumented immigrants.
Trump said Democrats want a shutdown because they aim to provide billions—“and ultimately trillions of dollars”—to illegal migrants, some of whom he claimed are criminals; he accused them of supporting open borders and allowing men to compete in women’s sports.
– New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation (OSI) today released its report on the death of Gary Worthy, who died on November 19, 2024 following an encounter with members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in Queens. After a thorough investigation, which included review of footage from body-worn cameras and security cameras, interviews with involved officers and witnesses, and comprehensive legal analysis, OSI concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the officer’s actions were justified under New York law.
Shortly before 6:30 p.m. on November 19, NYPD officers responded to multiple 911 calls reporting a robbery with a gun at a smoke shop on Guy R. Brewer Boulevard in Queens. When officers arrived near the scene at 160th Street and Jamaica Avenue, one of the 911 callers approached the officers’ police car, pointed toward Mr. Worthy, and identified him as the alleged robber. One officer got out of the car in an attempt to pursue Mr. Worthy on foot, and Mr. Worthy started to run down the sidewalk along Jamaica Avenue. As they ran, Mr. Worthy turned and fired a gun, striking the chasing officer in the leg. The bullet went through the officer’s leg and struck a bystander in the leg. The chasing officer discharged his firearm in response, striking Mr. Worthy. Mr. Worthy was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The officer and the bystander were treated for their injuries. Officers recovered a gun at the scene.
Under New York’s justification law, a police officer may use deadly physical force when the officer reasonably believes it to be necessary to defend against the use of deadly physical force by another. In this case, as officers attempted to apprehend Mr. Worthy, he fired a gun, striking one officer and a bystander. Under these circumstances, given the law and the evidence, a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the officer’s use of deadly physical force against Mr. Worthy was justified, and therefore OSI determined that criminal charges would not be pursued in this matter.
In this case, officers did not render aid to Mr. Worthy during the five minutes he lay on the ground waiting for the ambulance to arrive. While OSI acknowledges that medical attention outside of a hospital setting would not have saved Mr. Worthy’s life, OSI recommends that NYPD – and all police agencies – emphasize in training that officers must aid any person injured by police use of force, even if the person who needs aid has injured a police officer. Currently, NYPD’s training and policies require that when an officer uses force, officers must “obtain medical attention for any person injured as soon as reasonably possible,” and officers must “render reasonable aid to injured person(s) and/or request an ambulance or doctor to the location as necessary.”
“I’m sending a copy of this letter to the Secretary General, and I demand an immediate investigation. No wonder the United Nations hasn’t been able to do the job that they were put in existence to do…” – President Donald J. Trump
Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump
A REAL DISGRACE took place at the United Nations yesterday — Not one, not two, but three very sinister events! First, the escalator going up to the Main Speaking Floor came to a screeching halt. It stopped on a dime. It’s amazing that Melania and I didn’t fall forward onto the sharp edges of these steel steps, face first. It was only that we were each holding the handrail tightly or, it would have been a disaster. This was absolutely sabotage, as noted by a day’s earlier “post” in The London Times that said UN workers “joked about turning off an escalator.” The people that did it should be arrested! Then, as I stood before a Television crowd of millions of people all over the World, and important Leaders in the Hall, my teleprompter didn’t work. It was stone cold dark. I immediately thought to myself, “Wow, first the escalator event, and now a bad teleprompter. What kind of a place is this?” I then proceeded to make a Speech without a teleprompter, which kicked in about 15 minutes later. The good news is the Speech has gotten fantastic reviews. Maybe they appreciated the fact that very few people could have done what I did. And third, after making the Speech, I was told that the sound was completely off in the Auditorium where the Speech was made, that World Leaders, unless they used the interpreters’ earpieces, couldn’t hear a thing. The first person I saw at the conclusion of the Speech was Melania, who was sitting right up front. I said, “How did I do?” And she said, “I couldn’t hear a word you said.” This wasn’t a coincidence, this was triple sabotage at the UN. They ought to be ashamed of themselves. I’m sending a copy of this letter to the Secretary General, and I demand an immediate investigation. No wonder the United Nations hasn’t been able to do the job that they were put in existence to do. All security tapes at the escalator should be saved, especially the emergency stop button. The Secret Service is involved. Thank you for your attention to this matter!
AG James Secures First Criminal Conviction Under Home Equity Theft Protection Act
– New York Attorney General Letitia James today secured the guilty plea of former Rockland County real estate agent Oscar Dais for forging the signature of a homeowner to steal her property without her knowledge. In August 2021, Dais forged the signature of Monique Hill on a deed to take ownership of a Rockland County home while the home was in foreclosure. Dais pleaded guilty today in Rockland County Court to forgery and violation of the Home Equity Theft Protection Act (HETPA). This is the first conviction of a crime under HETPA, which helps protect New Yorkers from being taken advantage of when selling their home in foreclosure. Attorney General James worked to expand HETPA in 2023 as part of her ongoing efforts to prevent deed theft and protect New York homeowners.
“Oscar Dais took advantage of a homeowner who was dealing with a foreclosure and stole her property without her knowledge,” said Attorney General James. “No New Yorker should have to fear that the home they own will be stolen from them. I will continue to use every tool at my disposal to fight deed theft throughout our state and bring scammers like Oscar Dais to justice.”
In 2016, Hill’s mortgage lender began foreclosure proceedings after she and her husband defaulted on their mortgage. In August 2021, Dais created a copy of Hill’s deed with a signature line for “Monique Clark” – Hill’s former married name which she did not use. Dais then forged Hill’s signature on the deed and had it falsely notarized. Dais filed the forged deed with the Rockland County Clerk’s Office, transferring ownership of the property to a company he controlled. At the time that this deed was forged, notarized, and filed, Hill was in the Dominican Republic and had no knowledge of the forged deed.
In October 2021, Hill reported the fraudulent deed to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG). She then filed a civil suit against Dais, which is still pending. As a result of his conviction, Dais will pay restitution to Hill and the fraudulent deed will be voided, restoring Hill’s ownership of her share of the property.
The HETPA is a New York state law that protects homeowners selling a home in foreclosure or default to a buyer who wants to purchase the home as an investment. The HETPA requires complete contracts that sellers have a right to cancel, and the law prevents buyers from deceiving or misleading sellers. In 2023, Attorney General James advanced legislation to expand HETPA to also protect homeowners with active utility liens on their homes.
New Yorkers who believe they are a victim of deed theft are encouraged to contact OAG by calling 1(800) 771-7755, emailing deedtheft@ag.ny.gov, or filing a confidential complaint.
The OAG thanks the New York State Police for the criminal referral and its assistance with this investigation and prosecution. The OAG also thanks the City of Pooler, Georgia Police Department and the Harford County, Maryland Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in this investigation.
The case was investigated by Detective Sal Ventola under the direction of Supervising Detective Walter Lynch, and all under the supervision of Deputy Chief Juanita Bright. The Investigations Bureau is led by Chief Oliver Pu-Folkes. The audit function was undertaken by Principal Auditor Investigator Dmitry Temis under the supervision of Deputy Chief Auditor Sandy Bizzarro. The audit team is led by Chief Auditor Kristen Fabbri.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Lauren Sass, with initial investigation and assistance by Assistant Attorney General Nazy Modiri, under the supervision of the Real Estate Enforcement Unit Section Chief Nicholas John Batsidis, Public Integrity Bureau Chief Gerard Murphy and Deputy Chief Kiran Heer, with assistance from Legal Support Analyst Meredith Youngblood. Both the Investigations Bureau and the Public Integrity Bureau are part of the Division for Criminal Justice. The Division for Criminal Justice is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General José Maldonado and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.
Two Zuni men were sentenced to 33 months in prison each for a violent armed assault involving four victims.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on April 8, 2023, Kamron Kallestewa, 25, and Kaden Panteah, 20, both enrolled members of the Zuni Pueblo, assaulted four individuals at a residence on the Pueblo using firearms. Kallestewa hit two victims in the head and face with his weapon and pointed it at two of the victims. Panteah, meanwhile, aimed and fired his weapon toward the victims.
Upon their release from prison, Kallestewa will be subject to two years of supervised release and Panteah will be subject to three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jesse Pecoraro is prosecuting the case.
