When arguing against the Terrorism Enhancement being applied at your sentencing, it's probably best practice that you DO NOT include any letters from a member of Hizballah, even if he is your brother.
Alex Saab will be resentenced on July 10, 2026.
I wrote about Saab, his crimes, and his extraordinary arrest years ago.
Saab was facing about 20 years in prison, but in 2023 the Biden Admin swapped him back to Venezuela in exchange for 10 American hostages plus "Fat Leonard," a corrupt defense contractor at the center of a Pentagon bribery scandal.
Judge McFadden DENIES the defense's motion to disqualify @USAttyPirro and @DAGToddBlanche from the case.
Defense had argued that Blanche and Pirro being at the scene of the alleged crime and publicly commenting on it had created a conflict.
The four main arguments were the following:
(1) Their presence at the WHCA Dinner made them witnesses (both reported hearing the gunshots)
(2) Their presence at the WHCA Dinner made them potential victims of Allen (according to the gov't's theory of the case), (both reported that they were in the “line of fire” and had to be evacuated)
(3) Blanche and Pirro's statements to media about the events at the WHCA Dinner were prejudicial and showed bias
(4) Citing the longtime friendship of Trump and Pirro, Trump being the alleged intended victim, and Pirro being the prosecutor, this created an appearance of impropriety. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.usco…
Judge McFadden addresses argument (1)—Blanche and Pirro were witnesses.
"...whatever firsthand knowledge they have about Allen’s actions appears limited to what anyone in the ballroom would have..."
"...absent special circumstances, an attorney can “elect in which capacity [he] intend[s] to proceed, either as counsel or as a witness.” Because neither side indicates that it plans to call Blanche or Pirro as a witness, the advocate-witness rule poses no concerns."
United States v. Sant
(DAMN Antifa/Melt The Ice Case)
15 defendants
- All charged with Conspiracy to Impede or Injure a Federal Officer
- Some additionally charged with Interstate Stalking, Interstate Threats, Solicitation to Commit a Crime of Violence, Assault on a Federal Officer, and/or Destruction of Government Property
The defendants were previously in or associated with the Twin Cities Direct Action (TCDA) group. That group changed its name to Direct Action Minnesota (DAMN).
DAMN is a conglomerate of Antifa groups, including the Black Cat Worker's Collective (BCWC), Ray Rainbolt Memorial Shooting Club, and others.
All of these groups are "Antifa affinity groups" who mix ideologies of anarchism and communism with ideations, and sometimes actions, of violent resistance and revolution.
"DAMN members worked closely with rapid response networks (RRNs) to identify and harass federal immigration and law enforcement officers in order to harass and prevent officers from performing their official duties."
DAMN members use the "Whipple Watch" Signal group chats to share intelligence on ICE and LE operations, including locations, identifying information, details of operations, numbers, etc.
"Whipple Watch" as in surveilling the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building.
"...federal investigation appears to focus on his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom. Former employees of the governor and people affiliated with his wife’s nonprofit groups are among those who have been questioned by agents, according to the governor’s office."
"No matter who you are or where you live, intersectional gender stereotypes are hurting you and those you love. Through film, education, and activism, The Representation Project awakens consciousness, spotlights the cost of these stereotypes, and invites everyone to build a more equitable future." therepproject.org
The SacBee published an article back in 2021 on how Newsom's wife used The Representation Project to funnel money and influence to her husband's campaign and office.
Perhaps DOJ has taken an interest in what the SacBee described.