New York

Subterms

    More stories

    • 163 Shares169 Views

      in US Politics

      Trump tells court he lost phones linked to alleged fraud by his company

      by

      Trump tells court he lost phones linked to alleged fraud by his companyEx-president says he no longer has Trump Organization-issued phones as New York attorney general investigates company Asked by the New York attorney general to turn over personal cellphones to aid her investigation of alleged fraud at his company, Donald Trump said he had lost them.A Sacred Oath review: Mark Esper on Trump, missiles for Mexico and more Read moreIn an affidavit filed as part of an attempt to stop the accrual of fines for non-compliance with subpoenas, a $10,000 daily penalty which has reached $150,000, the former president said: “I am not currently in possession of any Trump Organization-issued phones, computers or similar devices.“I believe the last phone or device I was issued by the Trump Organization was a cellphone in 2015. I no longer have the cellphone in my possession and I am not aware of its current location.“Since January 1, 2010, I previously owned two flip phones and a Samsung mobile phone. I do not have the two flips [sic] phones in my possession and I do not know their current whereabouts.”Trump said he took the Samsung with him to the White House when he was sworn in as president in 2017, but “it was taken from me at some point while I was president. I do not have the Samsung in my possession and I do not know its current whereabouts.”Trump also said he now owns “two personal mobile phones … an iPhone which I have owned for several years and is for my personal use [and] a new phone which I was recently given by Truth Social just last week”.Truth Social is Trump’s own social media platform, set up to counter what he claims to be censorship by Twitter and Facebook, which banned him after his supporters attacked the US Capitol on 6 January 2021.Trump has not been a prodigious poster of Truth Social, which has struggled. Nonetheless, in his affidavit, Trump said he used his new phone “exclusively for posting on Truth Social and no other purpose. I have never placed or received a call, sent or received a text message, or used this phone in any other manner.”Trump also said he submitted his iPhone to the New York investigation in late March, to be “searched and imaged”, then did so again in early May, “in an abundance of caution”.He added: “Since at least January 1, 2010, it has been my customary practice to not communicate via email, text message, or other digital methods of communication. I also do not use a computer for work-related purposes.”The civil investigation of Trump’s financial affairs in New York is only one form of legal jeopardy faced by the former president.In one high-profile case, a grand jury has been picked in Fulton county, Georgia, where a prosecutor is examining Trump’s attempts to overturn his defeat by Joe Biden in the southern state.Preet Bharara: ‘I didn’t call Trump back and it’s one of the best decisions I ever made’Read moreTrump has said investigations of his financial and political affairs are politically motivated witch-hunts.Nonetheless, Trump’s affidavit and others filed by his lawyers in the New York case described extensive searches for devices and documents at the Trump Organization in New York, at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Florida and at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.Trump’s claim to have lost his phones prompted widespread skepticism online.Preet Bharara, a former US attorney for the southern district of New York who famously refused to take a call from Trump before Trump fired him, wrote: “Let he who has never lost four cellphones cast the first stone.”TopicsNew YorkDonald TrumpUS politicsnewsReuse this content More

    • 138 Shares179 Views

      in Elections

      New York judge’s son who stormed US Capitol gets prison sentence

      by

      New York judge’s son who stormed US Capitol gets prison sentenceAaron Mostofsky sentenced to eight months in prison and a year under federal supervision with 200 hours of community service A New York state judge’s son who dressed like a caveman and helped a pro-Donald Trump mob storm the US Capitol has received a prison sentence for his role in the 6 January 2021 attack.Aaron Mostofsky, 35, must spend eight months in prison – and after his release, he must spend a year under federal supervision while also performing 200 hours of community service, a US district court judge in Washington DC ruled Friday.Rudy Giuliani backs out of interview with Capitol attack committeeRead moreThe judge, James Boasberg, also ordered Mostofsky to pay $2,000 in restitution to the federal government, court documents show.According to prosecutors, Mostofsky donned a caveman costume and wielded a walking stick while forming part of a deadly insurrection by Trump supporters who broke past a line of police officers trying to protect the Capitol on the day that Congress had convened there to certify Joe Biden’s win in the 2020 presidential election.He broke into the Capitol through a door that was forced open, stole body armor and a riot shield from the police, and even gave an on-camera interview to a media reporter, prosecutors alleged in a summary of the case that Mostofsky endorsed.Mostofsky, in the video interview, repeated Trump supporters’ lies that Biden had won thanks to election fraud. “The election was stolen. … We were cheated. … I don’t think 75 million people voted for Trump. I think it was close to 85 million,” Mostofsky said during the interview, according to court documents.The government argued that Mostofsky’s theft of the police equipment left officers more vulnerable than they otherwise might have been.A bipartisan Senate report connected seven deaths to the attack, which temporarily delayed congressional certification of Biden’s win.Prosecutors have charged about 800 people in the attack. More than 250 have already pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanors, and about 160 have been sentenced.Mostofsky in February pleaded guilty to felony civil disorder as well as two misdemeanors: theft of government property and entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds. He technically faced up to seven years in prison when he appeared for his sentencing Friday in front of Boasberg, though defendants who plead guilty without going to trial generally don’t receive the harshest punishments available.Mostofsky’s father, Steven Mostofsky, is a judge in the Brooklyn-based New York supreme court’s second district.Attempts to contact an attorney for Aaron Mostofsky weren’t immediately successful Friday.TopicsUS Capitol attackNew YorknewsReuse this content More

    • 125 Shares189 Views

      in US Politics

      New York court rejects congressional maps, seen as favoring Democrats

      by

      New York court rejects congressional maps, seen as favoring DemocratsLegal fight over process could be a factor in the battle between Democrats and Republicans for control of the House New York’s highest court on Wednesday rejected the state’s new congressional district maps, which had been widely seen as favoring Democrats.The legal fight over New York’s redistricting process could be a factor in the battle between Democrats and Republicans for control of the US House.New York is set to lose one seat in Congress in 2021. New York’s new maps would give Democrats a strong majority of registered voters in 22 of the state’s 26 congressional districts. Republicans now hold eight of the state’s 27 seats.Democrats had been hoping that a redistricting map favorable to their party in New York might help offset expected losses in other states where Republicans control state government.The state’s court of appeals agreed in a ruling with a group of Republican voters who sued, saying that the district boundaries had been unconstitutionally gerrymandered and that the legislature hadn’t followed proper procedure in passing the maps.The court said it will “likely be necessary” to move the congressional and state senate primary elections from June to August.A lower-level court had also ruled that the maps were unconstitutional and had given the legislature a 30 April deadline to come up with new maps or else leave the task to a court-appointed expert.Political district maps across the nation have been redrawn in recent months as a result of population shifts recorded in the 2020 census.Under a process passed by voters in 2014, New York’s new district maps were supposed to have been drawn by an independent commission. But that body, made up of equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans, couldn’t agree on one set of maps. The Democratic-controlled legislature then stepped in and created its own maps, quickly signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul.Republicans sued, seeking to have the maps tossed for violating a provision in the state constitution barring the redrawing of districts for partisan gain. Similar legal battles have been playing out in several other states.The legal battle has moved quickly through the courts, but not fast enough to quell uncertainty about the primary, now scheduled for 28 June.In the meantime, candidates have had to begin campaigning in the new districts, even as they are unsure whether those districts will still exist by the time voting begins.TopicsNew YorkUS voting rightsDemocratsKathy HochulUS politicsnewsReuse this content More

    • 113 Shares189 Views

      in US Politics

      Trump appeals against judge’s contempt order and $10,000-a-day fine

      by

      Trump appeals against judge’s contempt order and $10,000-a-day fineEx-president found to be in contempt after failure to comply with subpoena in New York state attorney general’s fraud investigation Donald Trump is appealing the contempt of court order he received from a Manhattan judge that fines him $10,000 a day for failing to comply with a subpoena, according to documents filed Wednesday.McCarthy faces House Republican caucus following revelations in leaked audio – liveRead moreThe contempt order was issued in the civil investigation by New York state attorney Letitia James into the former president’s business practices. On 7 April, James asked Judge Arthur Engoron to hold Trump in contempt of court for not turning over documents and information she had subpoenaed as part of the investigation.Trump had promised to comply “in full” by 31 March, but did not, James said. Engoron granted James’s request, fining him $10,000 a day.James’ inquiry has been focused on whether the Trump Organization provided incorrect real estate valuation, to secure favorable loans as well as tax deductions. She recently stated that the office’ had uncovered “significant evidence” of wrongdoing.The top prosecutor’s three-year investigation runs parallel to an inquiry by the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, examining whether the Trump Organization engaged in questionable tax practices. Bragg’s office has come under fire after the departures of high-profile prosecutors on this inquiry. He has insisted that the investigation continues.In a statement on the notice of appeal, James’s office said that Trump’s legal tactics would not thwart its inquiry. “The judge’s order was clear: Donald J Trump is in contempt of court and must pay $10,000 a day until he complies with our subpoenas. We’ve seen this playbook before, and it has never stopped our investigation of Mr Trump and his organization. This time is no different,” the office said.Trump’s legal team did not immediately respond to a request for comment. His attorney, Alina Habba, has previously called James’s inquiry “political”.TopicsDonald TrumpUS politicsNew YorknewsReuse this content More

    • 138 Shares199 Views

      in US Politics

      Eric Adams, mayor of New York City, tests positive for Covid-19

      by

      Eric Adams, mayor of New York City, tests positive for Covid-19Democrat found to have coronavirus on 100th day in office after busy week of public appearances

      Fauci: Biden protected by ‘pretty strong’ Covid protocols
      The mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday, his 100th day in office, according to a spokesperson.Omicron variant does cause different symptoms from Delta, study findsRead moreThe first-term Democrat woke up with a raspy voice and took a PCR test that came back positive, spokesperson Fabien Levy said in a statement.Earlier on Sunday, Levy tweeted that Adams had taken a rapid test that came back negative but took the additional test out of an abundance of caution.Adams has no other symptoms but has canceled all public events for the week and will be taking antiviral medications and working remotely, Levy said.New York City has been experiencing a steady resurgence in virus cases over the past month. It’s now averaging around 1,800 new cases per day – not counting the many home tests that go unreported to health officials.That’s triple the number in early March, when the city began relaxing masking and vaccination rules.Adams’s past week was busy: the mayor attended the annual Gridiron Club dinner in Washington last Saturday, after which dozens of attendees tested positive.He also delivered remarks at the National Action Network convention on Wednesday and attended that night’s gala, appeared in-studio on MSNBC’s Morning Joe on Thursday before joining Robert De Niro at the ReelAbilities Film Festival, went to the New York Yankees’ opening day game on Friday and was in Albany on Saturday.TopicsNew YorkCoronavirusUS politicsnewsReuse this content More

    • 163 Shares169 Views

      in US Politics

      Capitol attack rioter gets 3.5 years in prison for illegal possession of guns

      by

      Capitol attack rioter gets 3.5 years in prison for illegal possession of gunsSamuel Fisher was also a self-declared dating coach who sold a $150 package of misogynistic tips for men to pick up women A rioter who believed the QAnon conspiracy theory and joined the insurrection by extremist supporters of Donald Trump at the US Capitol on 6 January 2021, as they attempted to overturn his election defeat, has been sentenced in New York to 3.5 years in prison.Samuel Fisher, 33, was sentenced on Monday after being charged with illegal possession of firearms, including a modified semi-automatic AR-15-style assault rifle, a “ghost gun” pistol, a shotgun, and 11 pre-loaded high capacity magazines at an apartment in the upscale Upper West Side neighborhood of Manhattan.He had pleaded guilty to one count of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree.For years, Fisher established a prolific online presence, the authorities said.Under the alias Brad Holiday, Fisher posted photos of himself with firearms on Facebook and YouTube. In one, Fisher posed in front of a flag that said “Don’t tread on Trump. Keep America great” while grinning and holding a pistol.“Can’t wait to bring a liberal back to this freedom palace,” he wrote as his caption. Behind him was a rifle and a shotgun.Fisher was also a self-declared dating coach who sold a $150 package of misogynistic supposed tips and tricks for men to pick up women, called “Attraction Accelerator”, the New York Times reported.“How to use online dating to build abundance of women! Never feel that you can’t get women again…with online dating you’ll ALWAYS be getting laid,” his website said.In a video posted online, Fisher said, “Is Satanism a good thing? Should we conjure demons to get our goals met like the Left does?”He added: “Are women trustworthy in 2020? You tell me. I’ll tell you, No.”Prior to the January 6 insurrection aimed, on the urging of Trump at a rally prior, at preventing Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s victory over Trump, Fisher espoused QAnon conspiracy theories online and claims that the 2020 election was “stolen”.In reference to a pro-Trump, so-called Stop the Steal rally, the authorities said Fisher told a Facebook friend: “Get a firearm and go, lol, its 1776 time dawg.”He also went on to write online: “The Deep State is arrested and hanged on the White House lawn for High Treason. We rebuild America with a government for the people by the people…Patriot show up in the millions with guns. They execute all the treasonous members of government and rebuild.”Trump believed a “deep state” secret shadow government existed to thwart his agenda.In 2020, after attending the deadly January 6 riots on Capitol Hill, Fisher wrote on his social media accounts that “people died” but it was great, according to court records reviewed by the New York Times.“Seeing cops literally run…was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” he continued.Fisher was arrested on 20 January 2021, outside his Upper East Side apartment in New York City in connection with his involvement with the Capitol attacks. Police found a shotgun, machetes and over a thousand rounds of ammunition in his vehicle, according to court records.In a statement on Monday, Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg said: “Samuel Fisher is a dangerous conspiracy theorist who participated in one of the gravest attacks on our democracy. Not only did he threaten to commit violence against his fellow citizens, he had the potential to follow through with his arsenal of advanced weaponry and ammunition.”TopicsUS Capitol attackUS politicsNew YorkDonald TrumpUS elections 2020newsReuse this content More

    • 138 Shares159 Views

      in US Politics

      Trump committed ‘numerous’ felonies, said resigning New York prosecutor – report

      by

      Trump committed ‘numerous’ felonies, said resigning New York prosecutor – reportNew York Times obtains letter by Mark Pomerantz condemning new district attorney’s decision not to prosecute ex-president A Manhattan prosecutor who investigated Donald Trump’s financial dealings wrote in a resignation letter that he believed Trump “is guilty of numerous felony violations” and blasted the new district attorney for not moving ahead with an indictment, the New York Times reported.Mark Pomerantz and Carey Dunne, two top prosecutors on the Manhattan district attorney’s criminal investigation of Trump, resigned abruptly last month, amid reports that the investigation into the former president’s finances was foundering.The newly elected district attorney, Alvin Bragg, was reportedly more skeptical than his predecessor that the evidence his office’s attorneys had gathered against Trump would be enough to convict him.In a February resignation letter obtained by the New York Times, Pomerantz wrote that the team of lawyers investigating Trump had “no doubt” he had “committed crimes” and that Bragg’s decision not to move ahead with prosecuting Trump “will doom any future prospects that Mr Trump will be prosecuted for the criminal conduct we have been investigating”.“His financial statements were false, and he has a long history of fabricating information relating to his personal finances and lying about his assets to banks, the national media, counterparties, and many others, including the American people,” Pomerantz reportedly wrote.Republican says Trump asked him to ‘rescind’ 2020 election and remove Biden from officeRead moreThe clock is ticking on the case against Trump, as the current term of the grand jury which has been hearing evidence expires in April.Ronald Fischetti, an attorney for Trump, told the Guardian that the resignation letter simply reflected the prosecuting team’s failure to make a convincing legal case against the former president, describing his client’s “innocence”.“Pomerantz had several occasions to meet with Alvin Bragg, the district attorney, and his senior staff to lay out exactly what he intended to present to the grand jury in order to get an indictment, and he failed,” Fischetti said. “He was unable to convince the DA and his senior staff that he had sufficient evidence to warrant an indictment.”“Mr Bragg should be commended for not doing this on the basis of politics, and just doing it on the basis of law, which he’s supposed to do,” Fischetti said.While the resignation letter conceded that the case against Trump could be challenging and that there were “risks” of bringing it to court, it argued that there was a strong public interest in prosecuting Trump “even if a conviction is not certain”.The former Manhattan district attorney Cy Vance, who had been deeply involved in the case, had “directed the team to present evidence to a grand jury and to seek an indictment of Mr Trump and other defendants as soon as reasonably possible”, Pomerantz reportedly wrote, but Bragg, who was sworn in this January, reviewed the case and did not agree.Pomerantz believed Bragg’s decision not to seek an indictment of Trump was “made in good faith” but also “misguided and completely contrary to the public interest”.Pomerantz did not respond to a request for comment.“The investigation continues,” Danielle Filson, a spokesperson for the district attorney, wrote in an email. “A team of experienced prosecutors is working every day to follow the facts and the law. There is nothing we can or should say at this juncture about an ongoing investigation.”A spokesperson for the Trump Organization called Pomerantz a “never-Trumper” in a statement to the New York Times.TopicsDonald TrumpNew YorkUS politicsLaw (US)newsReuse this content More

    • 138 Shares169 Views

      in US Politics

      Long hours, dangerous chemicals: nail salon workers fight for industry change

      by

      Long hours, dangerous chemicals: nail salon workers fight for industry changeLegislation in New York’s senate and assembly would create a council with powers to establish workplace standards Dolma Sherpa worked as a nail technician for four years in New York City, up until the Covid-19 pandemic shut down the industry and left her with severely reduced work hours when the industry reopened.The work was already unstable, Sherpa explained, as she often worked seven days a week during busy times of the year, and then struggled to get hours and work through the winter.In 2019, Sherpa and other workers organizing in the nail salon industry succeeded in their fight for a $15 minimum wage, eliminating the tipped minimum wage in the industry that was driving wages down, but she noted there are still many employers who aren’t following the law or have found other ways to cut corners at the expense of workers.West Hollywood votes to set highest minimum wage in USRead more“They’re cutting tips, they’re cutting commissions. We don’t have control over schedules, they’re cutting our days, hours, and it’s not fair,” said Sherpa. “There are just so many ongoing challenges, despite what we’ve won in the past, whether it’s a lack of benefits, a lack of ventilation, health and safety issues, and retaliation.”She is now an organizer with Adhikaar, a non-profit worker center organizing Nepali-speaking communities. It is also one of the groups currently advocating for a bill introduced this year in the New York senate and assembly that would create a nail salon industry council with powers to establish workplace standards throughout the industry in the state.Sherpa argued nail salon workers deserve to be valued with fair wages, benefits and working conditions as professionals in other industries, as nail technicians undergo significant hours of training, courses and exams to obtain licenses to work in the industry.“This campaign is a continuation of our work and a way for us to make sure that we can speak up without fear and get some permanent changes to the industry,” added Sherpa. “What we’re proposing is something for not just now, but for the future and the creation of something that will exist for a very long time if we can win this.”The council would be the first of its kind in the nail salon industry in the US, similar to efforts in California to establish a fast-food sector council. The council would include 15 voting members and six non-voting members, including six workers, six employers, three public representatives, and three representatives each for employers and workers.“Creating an industry-wide body that brings workers, salon owners and the state together to bargain and establish a uniform set of expectations and standards is how we ensure that every worker has recourse and authority to fight back against their exploitation,” said state senator Jessica Ramos, co-author of the legislation, in a press release on the bill’s introduction. “Any policies that are made for workers need to be developed with workers at the table.”Both assembly and senate versions of the bill are currently in the committee phase, awaiting a decision on whether the bills will be reported to the full legislature for a vote.The need for change seems urgent.There are about 4,000 nail salons in New York City and 7,000 throughout the state. The industry in New York has an egregious record of abuses and exploitation of workers. In 2015, New York passed several laws aimed at reining in abuses, wage theft and exploitation in the industry in response to a New York Times expose on the industry in New York City, but workers and organizers say there remains a significant lack of enforcement as these issues persist in the industry.In a February 2020 report by the New York Nail Salon Workers Association, 82% of workers reported experiencing wage theft at an average amount of $181 per week. Rates were highest at salons with the cheapest services. The vast majority of the workforce in the nail salon industry are immigrant women of color.Maritza Ovalles has worked as a nail tech in New York City for 24 years and is a member of the New York Nail Salon Workers Association.Throughout her career, Ovalles has worked long hours for low pay, with few or no breaks, no benefits and a lack of proper protection from the hazardous chemicals.“I used to get a lot of headaches when I did acrylic nails and was exposed to all these chemicals,” said Ovalles. “There was no ventilation and there was a lot of dust from filing nails and chemicals from removing nail polish.”When she started working in the industry, she made only $30 a day, despite working 10 to 12 hours a day, five or six days a week, and was never paid for working overtime.“After all these years, I’ve had to take physical therapy for my arm. My joints are in pain,” added Ovalles. “I’ve had gastritis and had to remove my gallbladder from stones because we never were able to have a full lunch break. We used to eat at 4 or 5pm and had to rush to get back to work.”TopicsNew YorkUS politicsBeautyMinimum wagenewsReuse this content More