Nonprofit alleges Biden’s staff secretly used autopen for major climate policy decisions
FIRST ON FOX: A pro-energy group is renewing its call for an investigation into over half a dozen Biden administration executive actions related to climate that it believes should be deemed null and void due to them being signed by an autopen without any public comment from former President Joe Biden confirming his knowledge of them.
Power the Future, a nonprofit organization that advocates for American energy jobs, reviewed eight Biden executive orders that it says were significant shifts in domestic energy policy and said it found no evidence of the president speaking about any of them publicly, raising concerns that the orders were signed by autopen and that he was not aware of them.
“These are not obscure bureaucratic memos; these were foundational shifts in American energy policy, yet not once did Joe Biden speak about them publicly,” Daniel Turner, founder and executive director of Power The Future, told Fox News Digital.
The executive orders reviewed by Power the Future include an Arctic drilling ban in 2023, a 2021 executive order committing the federal government to net-zero emissions by 2050, an executive order mandating “clean energy” AI centers and an offshore drilling ban executive order shortly before leaving office in 2025.
PRO-ENERGY GROUP URGES AG BONDI TO PROBE BIDEN’S AUTOPEN ON CRUCIAL DECISIONS THAT DEVASTATED INDUSTRY
Finding no evidence of Biden publicly speaking about the executive orders on climate, Power the Future sent letters this week to the DOJ, EPA, DOI, DOE, along with the House and Senate Oversight Committees, calling for an investigation to determine who made the decisions, drafted the executive orders and ultimately signed them.
“In light of the growing evidence that actions purportedly taken by the former president may not have been approved or signed by him, but instead promulgated by a small coterie of advisers in his name without his knowledge or over his signature using an ‘autopen,’ the need for congressional access to information has grown in importance with these revelations,” the letter to GOP House Oversight Chair James Comer states.
“Congress deserves to know how or whether these executive actions were authorized, and whether the former President was aware of such orders before they were implemented by the federal bureaucracy. Were these actions taken on behalf of the president and purporting to execute his authority undertaken with the president’s knowledge and approach? It appears incumbent upon Congress to inquire, about all parties involved in these actions, who instructed them to do what, when.”
WHAT IS AN AUTOPEN? THE SIGNING DEVICE AT THE HEART OF TRUMP’S ATTACKS ON BIDEN PARDONS
Fox News Digital reached out to Biden’s office for comment but did not hear back by press time.
The presidential autopen has been a topic of conversation with Republicans in recent weeks and months as questions continue about Biden’s mental acuity during his presidency, particularly the last few years, which have faced increased scrutiny after the release of Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson’s book “Original Sin.”
“Power The Future remains concerned that key policies of major economic and national security significance directed by the White House during the Biden administration may have been undertaken without presidential awareness and approval, but perhaps instead by a small coterie of staff,” the letter states.
“Although this likelihood has become more apparent by claims made in a recent book titled Original Sin, those claims merely support information that had already emerged.”
An autopen is a device that physically holds a pen and is programmed to replicate a person’s signature. The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel determined in 2005 that the president is permitted to use an autopen to sign bills into law, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued a ruling in February that said the absence of “a writing does not equate to proof that a commutation did not occur.”
In March, President Donald Trump claimed that Biden’s pardons of lawmakers who served on the House Select Committee to investigate the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot, and others, are “VOID,” alleging that they had been signed via an autopen and that Biden did not even know about them.
DAVID MARCUS: OLD MAN BIDEN’S AUTOPEN PARDONS SHOULD BE NULL AND VOID
Despite Trump’s concerns over the validity of Biden’s pardons due to the alleged use of an autopen, constitutional scholar Jonathan Turley told Fox News Digital that the odds of successfully legally challenging them in court are “vanishingly low.”
“Presidents are allowed to use the autopen, and courts will not presume a dead-hand conspiracy,” Turley said.
Power the Future’s letter references House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who in January shared that Biden, during a meeting, appeared to forget that he signed an order to pause LNG exports.
A report published by an arm of the Heritage Foundation claimed that the majority of official documents signed by Biden were allegedly an autopen signature.
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“During the Biden administration, hundreds of billions of dollars were funneled towards pet green projects, while the American fossil fuels industry was punished, and there is no evidence that Biden ordered it, directed it, or was even aware it was happening in his name,” Turner told Fox News Digital, adding that the American people “deserve to know” who was signing the executive orders “behind closed doors.”
“This autopen scandal is evidence that these green EOs are invalid, and the instigators should be thoroughly investigated by the DOJ for violating the trust of the American people and perpetuating a great fraud on the nation.”
Foreigners who censor Americans hit with new Trump admin visa restrictions
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced new visa restrictions the Trump administration is implementing against foreign authorities who it says are “complicit” in censoring Americans.
“For too long, Americans have been fined, harassed, and even charged by foreign authorities for exercising their free speech rights,” Rubio wrote on X. “Today, I am announcing a new visa restriction policy that will apply to foreign officials and persons who are complicit in censoring Americans. Free speech is essential to the American way of life – a birthright over which foreign governments have no authority.”
TRUMP ADMIN ASKING FEDERAL AGENCIES TO CANCEL REMAINING HARVARD CONTRACTS
“Foreigners who work to undermine the rights of Americans should not enjoy the privilege of traveling to our country,” America’s top diplomat added. “Whether in Latin America, Europe, or elsewhere, the days of passive treatment for those who work to undermine the rights of Americans are over.”
The United States has long condemned censorship and repression by the Chinese Communist Party, Russia, and the Iranian and Cuban regimes, but the Trump administration more recently has added criticism against allies in Europe.
Vice President JD Vance argued that the European Union’s Digital Services Act could effectively export European-style censorship to the U.S. through pressure against American tech companies.
In February, Vance accused European leaders at the Munich Security Conference of suppressing dissenting opinions by categorizing those views as “misinformation” and “disinformation.”
VANCE IS RIGHT ABOUT FREE SPEECH. THAT’S WHAT MAKES EU AND US LEFTISTS SO MAD
The vice president specifically cited the United Kingdom’s prosecution over silent prayer outside an abortion clinic, the annulment of the Romanian 2024 presidential election results over alleged foreign interference, the conviction of a Christian activist in Sweden for burning a Quran and Germany policing anti-feminist views online.
“What I worry about is the threat from within – the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values,” Vance said at the time.
Vance reiterated free speech concerns with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer during his meeting with Trump in the Oval Office later that month.
As protests and riots against mass migration erupted across the U.K. last summer in response to the fatal stabbing of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class, British authorities threatened to possibly extradite and jail U.S. citizens for spreading “misinformation” online that violates the country’s anti-hate laws. The 17-year-old suspect was born in the U.K. to parents from Rwanda, according to reports.
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Hamas terrorist leader Mohammed Sinwar taken out, Netanyahu confirms
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel had killed senior Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar.
Netanyahu made the announcement in a speech to the Knesset, the national legislature of Israel. The Israeli leader had previously only said that the terrorist leader had “apparently” been killed.
Mohammed Sinwar was one of Israel’s most wanted targets. He was the focus of an Israeli strike on a hospital in southern Gaza earlier this month and Netanyahu said on May 21 that it was likely he had been killed. There was no confirmation from Hamas.
“In the 600 days of revival, we changed the face of the Middle East,” Netanyahu said according to the Times of Israel. “We removed the terrorists from our territories, entered the Gaza Strip, and killed [Mohammed] Deif, [Ismail] Haniyeh, Yahya [Sinwar], and Mohammed Sinwar.”
At least 16 people were killed and 70 were wounded in the May 13 strike, the outlet reported, citing the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
Sinwar’s body was found in a tunnel in Khan Yunis, along with the bodies of ten of his aides, the outlet reported.
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Sinwar is the younger brother of the group’s former leader, Yahya Sinwar, who was killed in an Israeli strike in October. Mohammed Sinwar assumed leadership of Hamas in the Gaza Strip and its military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, after his brother’s death.
Mohammed Sinwar would have had the final word on any agreement to release the hostages and his death could further complicate U.S. and Arab efforts to broker a ceasefire. Israel has vowed to continue the war until all the hostages are returned and Hamas has been either defeated or disarmed and sent into exile.
Yahya Sinwar, meanwhile, planned and executed the October 7th Massacre, according to the IDF and Israel’s Shin Bet intelligence agency.
“[He] promoted his murderous ideology both before and during the war, and was responsible for the murder and abduction of many Israelis,” the statement read.
Secret Service altercation outside Obama’s DC home leads to suspension of officers
Two U.S. Secret Service officers have been suspended after reportedly fighting with each other in front of former President Barack Obama’s Washington D.C. mansion last week.
The two uniformed officers were outside Obama’s residence around 2:30 a.m. on May 21 when one called for a supervisor to come immediately before “I whoop this girl’s a**,” according to an audio recording posted online.
AUTHORITIES NAB WHITE HOUSE FENCE CLIMBER JUST TWO WEEKS INTO TRUMP’S NEW TERM
In addition to the audio, a video published Tuesday by RealClearPolitics shows the female officers punching and shoving each other.
“I need a supervisor out here… immediately before I whoop this girl’s a**,” one of the women said into the radio, the report states.
WOMAN ARRESTED FOR ATTEMPTING TO CLIMB FENCE OUTSIDE WHITE HOUSE
The Secret Service confirmed the fight with Fox News Digital.
“The individuals involved were suspended from duty and this matter is the subject of an internal investigation. The Secret Service has a very strict code of conduct for all employees and any behavior that violates that code is unacceptable.”
“Given this is a personnel matter, we are not in a position to comment further,” the spokesperson added.
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It wasn’t clear what prompted the fight between the two officers.
Gold Star son reflects on meeting Trump years later as he honors fallen father
Christian Jacobs wanted to be a Marine ever since he was a little boy – a dream inspired by the memory of his late father, Marine Sgt. Christopher Jacobs, who died during a training accident in California in 2011.
Eight years after donning a pint-sized U.S. Marine uniform and hugging President Donald Trump at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day in 2017, the Gold Star son is reflecting on what that moment meant to him.
I thought it was really cool that I got to meet him,” Christian, now 14 years old, told “Fox & Friends” Tuesday.
TRUMP HONORS FALLEN AMERICAN HEROES, PRAISES GOD IN MEMORIAL DAY ADDRESS: ‘GREAT, GREAT WARRIORS’
“I didn’t think of it like I would now. I thought it was just some person, but now I think of that as so much more.”
Christian and his mom, Brittany, have kept the tradition of making a pilgrimage to the hallowed grounds every Memorial Day to honor the late sergeant. This year, they crossed paths with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who interviewed them on “Fox & Friends” in 2017 after 6-year-old Christian’s meeting with Trump.
Hegseth even snapped a photo with Christian – now visibly older – still honoring his father’s memory with the same pride.
MARINE INJURED IN ABBEY GATE BOMBING PRAISES TRUMP FOR NOT FORGETTING FAMILIES AFTER US NABS SUSPECT
Some U.S. Marines also welcomed Christian and told him more about his father, helping piece together an image of what he meant to those he knew.
“He loves getting to talk about his father to people, and he enjoys hearing about his dad,” Brittany told guest host Charlie Hurt.
“And yesterday there were Marines at Arlington who got to tell him about his daddy and give him some pictures, so that was nice. For him, I’m sure that was comforting.”
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As for what he wants to be when he “grows up,” Christian’s answer is the same.
“I still want to be a Marine,” he said, explaining that three generations on his father’s side have proudly worn the uniform, and he wants to follow in their footsteps.
West Virginia governor blows whistle on trans athlete competing in girls’ sports
West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey vowed to keep up the fight to protect women’s and girls’ sports as a transgender athlete competing against girls in the state championship.
Becky Pepper-Jackson, a 13-year-old freshman at Bridgeport Senior High School who has been the subject of a Supreme Court case about their participation in girls’ sports, finished in third place in the discus event and eighth in the shot put competition.
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As Pepper-Jackson took part in the meet, Morrisey urged officials to keep separate scores.
“A boy is currently competing in girls’ sports at the high school state track meet in West Virginia,” Morrisey wrote on Facebook. “It’s wrong and unfair. I’m again urging officials to keep separate scores so that the true winners can be awarded once we win in court.
“We will not stop fighting to protect girls’ sports.”
A federal appeals court blocked a West Virginia law that would have kept biological males from competing against girls and women in sports last year. The court said the law cannot lawfully be applied to a middle school-aged trans girl who has been taking puberty-blocking medication and has publicly identified as a girl since the third grade.
West Virginia has since made an appeal to the Supreme Court regarding the appeals court’s ruling.
CALIFORNIA TRACK STAR’S FAMILY REACTS TO TRUMP SHAKING UP GIRLS’ CHAMPIONSHIP MEET AMID TRANS ATHLETE DRAMA
In 2023, Supreme Court justices refused to disturb an appeals court order that made it possible for the girl to continue playing on her middle school’s track and cross-country teams.
As the West Virginia high school track and field moved into the postseason, Morrisey called on coaches to let athletes “take a stand” against transgender participating in girls’ sports.
“I believe what is going on right now in West Virginia – with boys playing sports against girls – to be abhorrent and contrary to law,” he wrote on Facebook. “While we wait for the Supreme Court to issue their ruling in this case, I’m calling on all coaches involved to let these brave athletes take a stand for what is right without unfair punishment.
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“As we all work toward removing the wrongly-decided injunction in upcoming months, I ask for all tournament officials to keep a full set of results so that true winners of each event may be recognized when the Supreme Court rules in our favor.”
Diddy’s defense moves for mistrial, claiming prosecutorial misconduct
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ legal team moved for a mistrial in the middle of testimony Wednesday.
Judge Arun Subramanian said he intends to strike Lance Jimenez’ testimony about the fingerprint cards being destroyed and instruct the jury not to consider it during the case.
The defense then moved for a mistrial based on prosecutorial misconduct.
Diddy’s defense said the first few questions the government asked Jimenez appeared to be fine, but then the prosecution continued asking more questions about it being unusual. The judge pointed out there was no objection at the time. The defense argued it became clear what the government was doing and claimed the jury was left with the impression. Diddy’s defense argued there was no reasonable basis for these questions other than to plant the idea that Combs ordered the fingerprints destroyed.
The government claimed a mistrial was unwarranted and argued there was a good faith reason for the questions. According to the prosecution, it was appropriate to explore why certain steps were taken in the investigation. The government said the judge’s instruction for the jury to disregard should be sufficient.
The judge denied the defense’s application for a mistrial for the reasons stated by the prosecution, pointing out there were no objections to questions until the last two.
Diddy’s defense wanted the judge to tell the jury that the government’s questions were improper. However, the prosecution said the best way to correct would be to instruct the jury that nothing is to be inferred from the destruction of the fingerprint cards.
Judge Subramanian decided he would tell the jury that the questions about the destruction of the fingerprint cards were irrelevant to this case and not to be considered.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ defense questioned arson investigator Lance Jimenez on why a driving glove found inside Kid Cudi’s car was not tested for DNA.
A photo of the black glove on the backseat of Kid Cudi’s Porsche was shown to the jury.
Jimenez testified that he does not remember finding a second glove. He confirmed they did not test the glove for DNA. “I believe it belonged to the owner,” Jimenez told the jury. Jimenez said it was a driving glove.
Jimenez testified that he did not think it was significant that a single glove was in the backseat of the car. He explained he did not take the glove as a piece of evidence. Jimenez agreed he has no idea how the glove got into the car.
Diddy’s defense lawyer, Marc Angifilo, asked if the person holding the Molotov cocktail would wear a glove. Jimenez told the lawyer it’s possible. However, the arson investigator corrected Diddy’s lawyer when Agnifilo claimed a Molotov cocktail would be hot.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Arson investigator Lance Jimenez reached out to Sean “Diddy” Combs’ assistant and his on-and-off-again girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, in connection to Kid Cudi’s car fire.
Jimenez confirmed he interviewed Kid Cudi, one of his drivers, as well as one of his assistants. The arson investigator also said he made attempts to reach out to others unsuccessfully, including a suspect, an assistant of the suspect and a common female.
According to Jimenez, he reached out to Diddy’s assistant Capricorn Clark and Cassie. He claimed he was unable to get in contact with Capricorn despite multiple phone calls and door knocks. Jimenez said he also attempted to make contact with Cassie, but was unsuccessful.
Capricorn testified Tuesday that she was contacted by arson investigators in the summer of 2012 for a statement about what had happened. She told the jury she hung up the phone because she “wanted this whole thing to be over…” and speaking to the police would have made it worse.
According to Jimenez, there were no charges brought with respect to the Kid Cudi car fire case, but he never closed the case. It is currently listed as “inactive.”
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Lance Jimenez, an arson investigator, testified that fingerprint cards taken during the alleged break-in at Kid Cudi’s home were destroyed by LAPD in August of 2012.
According to Jimenez, there had been fingerprints taken during the break-in, but he did not receive results. He claimed the two print cards were destroyed in August of 2012. He told the jury that he did not authorize the destruction, but someone from the LAPD did. The defense objected to this line of questioning and there was a sidebar.
Judge Arun Subramanian did not seem to think there was any prejudice in this line of questioning by the prosecution. Sean “Diddy” Combs’ defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo claimed the government suggesting that someone in the courtroom was involved in destroying evidence was “outrageous.”
The prosecution said the defense intended to attack the integrity of the investigation. The fingerprint cards being destroyed was “absolutely relevant,” according to the government. The prosecution claimed there is no way to compare the fingerprints from the break-in to the arson since they were destroyed.
The defense requested a few minutes to determine what “remedy” they will ask for. Court took a short break.
Kid Cudi previously testified that he believed Diddy was involved in both the alleged break-in at his Hollywood Hills home and the car fire that damaged his Porsche after the rapper found out about Cudi’s relationship with Cassie Ventura.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Arson investigator Lance Jimenez testified that Kid Cudi’s car fire was targeted.
Kid Cudi previously told the jury he believed Sean “Diddy” Combs
was involved in a car fire that left his Porsche damaged beyond repair in 2012.
At the time, Kid Cudi had been dating Diddy’s on-and-off-again girlfriend Cassie Ventura.
Jimenez said he determined someone took a bottle, put gasoline inside, stuffed the cloth in, slit the roof of Kid Cudi’s car, lit the cloth and threw the bottle inside. “In my opinion it was targeted…” he told the jury.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Slavik asked Jimenez if any of the items were tested for DNA. The arson investigator confirmed the bottle, cloth and lighter were tested for DNA. He said there was a partial DNA hit on the bottle. However, Jimenez claimed he doesn’t know what area of the bottle was swabbed. He said he was also aware the DNA partial profile matched a female contributor.
Jimenez testified the bottle was sent for trace analysis. The report came back that there was gasoline.
Jimenez requested fingerprints be taken from the bottle and lighter. There were fingerprints also taken from the Porsche, but he testified that he does not know the results.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
The jury in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ trial were again shown photos of the fire damage done to Kid Cudi’s Porsche.
Kid Cudi testified about the car fire on May 22. He said he spoke with law enforcement and filed a report in January 2012.
His car was not able to be repaired. Kid Cudi said his reaction to the incident was “what the f—.” Kid Cudi testified that he understood the damage to his car was intentional.
Arson investigator Lance Jimenez testified about the damage done to Kid Cudi’s vehicle Wednesday. The jury was shown photos of the front seat showing a handkerchief and the bottle. Jimenez said they collected both the handkerchief and bottle.
A photo of the driver’s side door with the burn pattern was shown. Jimenez said there was severe damage, but not normally what you would see with a Molotov cocktail.
An additional photo of the cloth material that was believed to be inside the bottle was then shown. Jimenez testified the cloth appeared to be designer.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Arson investigator Lance Jimenez told the jury in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ trial that he believed someone lit a Molotov cocktail and dropped it into the cut-open roof of Kid Cudi’s car.
Jimenez recalled a fire company already on scene when he arrived at
Kid Cudi’s home in January 2012. He also remembered seeing a witness there. Jimenez and his partner were shown the vehicle, which was parked close to the garage with two cars parked behind it in the driveway. Jimenez testified that he inspected the surrounding area and noticed a lot of vegetation. He explained he had been looking for things that could have gotten into the car from the outside. He observed a cut on top of the vehicle, about a foot, and determined the fire started inside the vehicle.
Jimenez said there were burn patterns on the seat and roof. There was also a bottle on the front seat and a handkerchief that was burned, Jimenez said. The backseats of the vehicle weren’t really damaged. He tried to rule out anything natural. He observed the bottle and could smell gasoline in the car and in the bottle. Jimenez explained he made a general observation that it was a Molotov cocktail, which is a makeshift bomb.
Jimenez recalled there being a lot of heat damage to the door, windows and center console. He claimed he did not observe broken windows. Jimenez said the bottle, which was not broken, had been dropped into the car. The gas had seemingly splashed around, causing the burn patterns. Jimenez said he believed the cloth was a soaking type material and it fell out of the bottle. The arson investigator testified that the fire stayed small and caused the damage it was intended to.
Jimenez told the jury that if the bottle had broken, the vegetation would have caught fire, and the fire could have affected the home.
Jimenez said it was his opinion that someone lit the Molotov cocktail, cut the roof and dropped it into the car.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
An arson investigator who previously worked with the Los Angeles Police Department took the stand Wednesday in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ trial.
Lance Jimenez, who now works for the Los Angeles Fire Department, testified that he responded to the car fire at Kid Cudi’s home in January 2012.
Jimenez testified he had been working a 24 hour shift with a partner. They responded to a car fire at a Hollywood Hills Road home. Jimenez claimed he was alerted through a dispatcher. He told the jury he was alerted around 11am. Jimenez said he was told there was a car on fire in a driveway.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
During cross-examination, LAPD officer Christopher Ignacio claimed he was not informed of an alleged kidnapping when responding to Kid Cudi’s home.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ ex-assistant Capricorn Clark testified Tuesday that the rapper allegedly kidnapped her and forced her to go with him to Kid Cudi’s home. She claimed Diddy threatened to kill Kid Cudi after finding out his on-and-off-again girlfriend Cassie Ventura had been seeing the rapper.
Ignacio claimed he does not remember the black Escalade, registered to Diddy’s company, and Kid Cudi’s Porsche interacting the day of the call. The LAPD officer claimed he would have put that information in his report if he had observed any interaction between the two vehicles. Ignacio also said he did not observe a car chase.
Ignacio agreed with Diddy’s lawyer, Brian Steel, that he had no info a gun was involved. No one said anything about a gun, according to the officer. He said if he had been told about a gun, he would have put it in the report.
Steel asked if Ignacio heard about a kidnapping. He said no.
Ignacio also agreed that no closets were upended, nothing was thrown around and there were no bullet holes. According to Ignacio, there was no evidence of anything stolen and the homeowner, Kid Cudi, did not report anything stolen.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
LAPD officer Christopher Ignacio testified a black Escalade seen near Kid Cudi’s home during a burglary call belonged to Sean “Diddy” Combs’ company.
Ignacio testified that he and his partner knocked on the door of Kid Cudi’s home
before noticing it was unlocked. According to the officer, no one was inside. He said he saw high-value watches on the table, some wrapped. Nothing looked disturbed, according to Ignacio. The owner of the property was not present. Two detectives showed up and they searched the property again to make sure nothing was taken, Ignacio testified.
Ignacio claimed he saw the same black Escalade driving down the hill. The vehicle was going around 10-15 mph. The officer said he knew it was the same vehicle because of the license plate. Ignacio claimed the Escalade came back about 15 minutes after he first saw it. However, he did not pull the vehicle over because there was no crime.
Kid Cudi later arrived at the residence in a black Porsche. The officers spoke with the rapper and completed a “trespass report” because someone had allegedly entered the property without consent.
Ignacio testified that after seeing the black Escalade the second time, he ran the plates to find the owner. The registered owner was Bad Boy Productions, according to an exhibit shown to the jury.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Los Angeles Police Department officer Christopher Ignacio took the stand as the prosecution’s first witness in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ trial on Wednesday.
Ignacio began his testimony by telling the jury about the day he responded to the burglary call at Kid Cudi’s home. According to Ignacio, he worked the day shift on Dec. 22, 2011 from 6am to 6pm. He had a partner and they patrolled with a vehicle. The LAPD officer recalled receiving a call approx 8:20am for a possible burglary on Hollywood Hills Road. They responded with lights and sirens.
Ignacio told the jury that as he approached the house, he noticed a dark black Cadillac Escalade drive northwest. He testified that he could not see passengers as the windows were tinted. However, Ignacio claimed he noticed and remembered the license plate in case it was involved in the crime as it was parked in front of the home when they arrived.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Singer Ray J defended Sean “Diddy” Combs amid his ongoing sex trafficking trial. According to Ray J, something is “off” about the criminal trial and the musician said he wants to be “vocal” about it.
“I personally think it’s gonna happen faster than a lot of people think, because I think we’re all starting to see what this is, even if you’re on the other side of it,” he told Piers Morgan on May 27. “I mean, the justice system is the justice system. Where does this fit?… It’s off. I don’t like it and I want to be vocal about it.”
Ray J added that he doesn’t think Diddy will be in jail for much longer.
“I honestly think that Diddy will get out, and I think … there’s nothing here,” he claimed. “I think they made their point. Whatever they were trying to make, your point is made. Now let Diddy out. Free Diddy!”
Sean “Diddy” Combs returned to court Wednesday after hearing explosive testimony from his former assistant, Capricorn Clark.
Diddy sat down at the defense table wearing a dark sweater as Judge Arun Subramanian, the defense and prosecution discussed pending issues.
Capricorn spent the entirety of Tuesday on the stand. The ex-assistant told the jury that Diddy allegedly threatened to kill her for not disclosing her previous employment with Suge Knight. Before she began working for Diddy’s label Bad Boy, Capricorn had worked for Death Row Records.
She also testified about what it was like working for the disgraced music mogul. At one point, she was accused of stealing jewelry and was allegedly forced to take multiple lie detector tests over a span of five days.
The jury heard again about Diddy’s alleged threat to kill Kid Cudi after finding out the rapper was dating Cassie Ventura. Capricorn claimed Diddy kidnapped her and forced the former assistant to go with him to Cudi’s home.
The prosecution said they expect to call four witnesses on Wednesday, including another of Diddy’s alleged victims.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Judge Arun Subramanian denied Sean “Diddy” Combs’ defense motion to have some of Kid Cudi’s testimony thrown out.
The federal judge said the door was opened to the testimony by the cross-examination and ruled the question was proper.
Kid Cudi testified Thursday that he believed Diddy was involved in a 2011 car fire that left the rapper’s Porche damaged beyond repair. The “Pursuit of Happiness” singer admitted there was no proof of Combs’ involvement and acknowledged that Diddy denied he was connected.
Kid Cudi told the jury he still believed Diddy had been involved in the car fire after finding out about Cassie’s relationship with Cudi.
“Scott Mescudi’s opinion that Mr. Combs was ‘lying’ about his Porsche was erroneously admitted and should be stricken from the record,” Diddy’s legal team wrote in a letter filed Monday to the judge.
However, Subramanian shared his disagreement ahead of court testimony Wednesday.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Sean “Diddy” Combs missed a major milestone in the lives of his twin daughters last week as his federal trial for sex crimes continues.
The disgraced rapper’s 18-year-old twin daughters, D’Lila and Jessie, graduated from high school on May 23, based on videos posted on the Instagram stories on their shared account.
In the video, the two were seen holding hands as they walked across the stage to accept their diplomas in a navy-blue cap and gown, with the crowd cheering them on as they held up their plaques, according to E! News.
Diddy was unable to attend the ceremony, as he is being held at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, where he has been since his arrest in September 2024. He has been charged with racketeering conspiracy; sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution.
He was denied bail three times.
His daughters spoke out in support of their father in a joint statement with their other siblings, which was posted on Quincy Combs’ Instagram, shortly after his arrest in October 2024.
“The past month has devastated our family. Many have judged both him and us based on accusations, conspiracy theories, and false narratives that have spiraled into absurdity on social media,” the post read. “We stand united, supporting you every step of the way. We hold onto the truth, knowing it will prevail, and nothing will break the strength of our family. WE MISS YOU & LOVE YOU DAD.”
Sean “Diddy” Combs has been held behind bars at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center since his arrest in September 2024. He has been charged with racketeering conspiracy; sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution.
The disgraced rapper isn’t the only person involved in a high-profile case being held in the federal prison. Luigi Mangione, the individual charged in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, is also being held there.
Mangione was extradited to the Brooklyn detention center after he was initially held in a Pennsylvania state prison and is now awaiting his federal trial in Brooklyn.
The Metropolitan Detention Center is the only federal prison in New York and is primarily used to detain individuals who are waiting for their federal trial date in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
In addition to Mangione and Combs, the federal prison has also housed other high-profile individuals, including rapper Ja Rule, R. Kelly
, as well as Jeffery Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ former assistant, Capricorn Clark, took the witness stand on the 10th day of the rapper’s federal sex crimes trial.
Clark testified to a number of things, including that on her first day working for Diddy, he took her for a walk through Central Park at 9:00 PM where he allegedly found out she previously worked at Death Row Records with his rival, Suge Knight. Diddy allegedly told her that if anything happened, he would have to kill her.
Clark also claimed that in December 2011, Diddy arrived to her apartment with a gun and forced her to go with him saying they were going to go “kill” Kid Cudi, who Cassie Ventura was dating at the time.
Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Fox News Digital that Clark’s testimony “was the most explosive” in the trial so far.
“Combs accused Clark of stealing diamond jewelry. His security locked her in an office and administered a lie detector test. They [allegedly] told her that if she failed, they would throw her in the East River. They took her to the same office and questioned her with a lie detector for five days straight. That’s kidnapping and a racketeering act,” Rahmani said.
Los Angeles litigator John J. Perlstein told Fox News Digital that her testimony followed a pattern of “universally established malicious conduct,” which could be very damaging to Diddy.
“Ms. Clark’s testimony corroborates the beatings and Diddy’s history of violence towards many, especially women, further supporting the racketeering charges being levied against him,” Perlstein said. “Ms. Clark’s testimony came across very well and will undoubtedly be valuable to the prosecution’s case and damaging to the defendant’s.”
Fox News Digital’s Tracy Wright contributed to this file.
Judge rules expert can link O’Keefe’s injuries to Lexus, but not pin collision on Karen Read
Judge Beverly Cannone called Court into session Wednesday morning with Day 22 of
Karen Read’s trial set to continue with crash expert Dr. Judson Welcher’s continued testimony.
Before the jurors entered the courtroom, Cannone issued a ruling allowing Welcher to testify that his investigation found the damage to Read’s Lexus SUV to be consistent with being in a collision on Jan. 29, 2022.
Cannone also decided that Welcher can testify that John O’Keefe’s injuries are consistent with being struck by a Lexus “that is physically identical to Miss Read’s Lexus.”
“This opinion is based upon, among other things, his experimental work that came into evidence without objection as to scientific methodology and application,” Cannone said.
Cannone then sided with the defense by ruling Welcher cannot testify that Read’s vehicle specifically collided with O’Keefe.
“The jurors are as well positioned to draw or reject the inference as is the expert,” Cannone said. “That is the inference is not compelled by the application of any scientific method.”
The Norfolk District Attorney’s Office will pay for the Lexus used by Aperture used in Dr. Judson Welcher’s testing for the Karen Read trial.
When asked by defense attorney Robert Alessi, Welcher said the district attorney’s office previously amended its contract with Aperture to include that it would pay the firm $325,000 for the Lexus used for testing.
The firm plans to sell the Lexus following the trial, with Welcher saying the difference will be paid by the district attorney’s office.
Alessi said Aperture has been paid $44,000 for its work so far.
Karen Read arrived alongside her defense team at the Norfolk Superior Courthouse for the second day of testimony from Aperture LLC crash expert, Dr. Judson Welcher.
The prosecution is expected to rest its case this week, setting the stage for Read’s team to begin laying the groundwork for their defense.
Read is accused of striking her boyfriend, John O’Keefe, with her vehicle in a drunken rage outside of a house party in the early morning hours of Jan. 29, 2022. Read’s defense team, however, insists she never hit O’Keefe with her car.
Karen Read blasted the prosecution’s case against her following a full day of direct examination from crash expert Dr. Judson Welcher on Tuesday.
Read criticized a video shown in court depicting Welcher painting the taillight of a Lexus SUV, before brushing up against the vehicle to mimic the alleged vehicle strike of John O’Keefe.
“The speed, the positioning,” Read told reporters. “Recreate that for us. Back up into a crash test dummy at 24.2 mph in the arm and see what happens. That’s what I would want to see if I were you.”
Welcher testified that the scratch marks found on O’Keefe’s forearm were a result of coming in contact with Read’s taillight. Pointing to his own experiment, Welcher told the jury he is roughly the same height as O’Keefe and when he came in contact with the taillight, the paint residue was in the same area on his arm as O’Keefe’s injuries.
“So he tried to dress identically to John [O’Keefe],” Read said. “But didn’t do anything else to mimic what the Commonwealth is accusing me of.”
Karen Read’s trial is entering Day 22 as prosecutor Hank Brennan is set to continue direct examination of Dr. Judson Welcher, an accident reconstrictionist and biomechanical engineer with Aperture LLC.
Welcher testified Tuesday that Read’s car didn’t log a collision on the morning that O’Keefe died.
However, Welcher said such data only registers crashes between cars, and not pedestirans.
“Were you surprised that there was no information about a collision in the [black box]?” special prosecutor Hank Brennan said.
“No,” Welcher said. “[It was] exactly what I expected.”
Jurors aren’t expected in the courtroom until 10 a.m.
Sheriff’s crime scene failure could hinder prosecution against escaped inmates
The failure by law enforcement officials to immediately process the jail cell from which 10 inmates escaped on May 16 as a crime scene could jeopardize potential prosecutions of the inmates, an expert said.
“One of the first things any prosecutor looks for is basic crime scene documentation: photos, evidence logs, and signs that law enforcement treated the scene seriously,” Jason Pack, a former FBI supervisory special agent, told Fox News Digital. “Even if the facts seem clear-cut, skipping those steps opens the door for defense attorneys to argue the investigation was incomplete or sloppy.”
On Thursday, Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams made what he called a “very unusual” move.
Noting that Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson had not ordered a crime scene investigation inside the jail cell, he assembled a team of New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) crime scene technicians and personally accompanied them to the jail to collect evidence.
NEW ORLEANS DISTRICT ATTORNEY BLASTS SHERIFF OVER BOTCHED PRISON ESCAPE INVESTIGATION
“Time is also of the essence when trying to get good DNA samples or collect fingerprints to make sure those areas are not molested or destroyed in any way,” he told the media at the time. “So I am deeply concerned that there was not an immediate request by the sheriff to our local crime lab to get in there and examine, document, preserve and collect all of the forensic evidence that was available there so that we could already have it tested.”
Pack said that the delayed collection of evidence could help defense attorneys muddy the waters, and that Williams is likely tying up loose ends to make his potential cases as bulletproof as possible.
“Now that someone from inside the jail has been charged with helping the escape, the district attorney was likely thinking like a prosecutor from the start,” he said. “He would have been focused on how the case will look in court and what a judge or jury will expect to see.”
FORMER NEW ORLEANS POLICE CHIEF CRITICIZES SHERIFF’S ‘CHECKERED PAST’ AFTER JAILBREAK
Sterling Williams, 33, an employee of the sheriff’s office and a maintenance worker at the jail, has been arrested and charged with 10 counts of principal to simple escape and malfeasance in office for allegedly aiding the inmates in their jailbreak.
He is accused of turning off the water in the cell from which the inmates escaped, allowing them to remove a toilet that blocked a hole they had cut into the cell’s wall.
Once the toilet was removed, they climbed through the hole, ran through an unguarded corridor, and then made a beeline for the jail’s fence, hopping over it and onto the streets of New Orleans.
Williams told investigators the inmates threatened to “shank” him if he did not help them.
“For legal purposes, especially when a criminal charge has already been filed, the pod where the escape happened still needs to be treated like a crime scene,” Pack said.
However, he noted that the crime scene is a hectic area. The jail has 1,400 inmates, and countless inmates and staff could have contaminated the crime scene by now.
“It’s also important to remember that a jail pod isn’t a clean crime scene. It’s a busy place: guards, inmates, maintenance workers,” Pack said. “A lot of people have access.”
According to Pack, the fingerprint and DNA evidence might not yield a clear-cut answer as to who might have committed a crime. Instead, he said, the value in collecting that evidence is to show in court that “every reasonable step was taken” in the investigation.
WATCH: Stunning video shows New Orleans inmates escaping
LOUISIANA GOVERNOR BLASTS ‘PROGRESSIVE PROMISES’ AFTER NEW ORLEANS JAIL ESCAPE
Williams said after collecting evidence from the scene that he had asked all OPSO employees and other relevant parties to voluntarily submit to fingerprinting in order to rule them out as suspects. He also demanded that surveillance footage from 90 cameras in the jail from April 1 through May 21 be handed over to his office.
“Even when video shows how the escape happened, crime scene photos and records help prove that the case was handled professionally and by the book,” Pack said.
The May 16 early morning escape included a convicted four-time killer, along with nine others facing violent criminal charges stemming from second-degree murder to domestic abuse and felon in possession of a firearm.
They taunted the authorities on the way out, writing “To easy LOL,” along with other messages on the wall of the cell. Authorities were unaware that the men were missing for about eight hours after the escape.
The Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office did not respond to a request for comment.
DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS DEMAND LOUISIANA SHERIFF RESIGN AFTER 10 INMATES ESCAPE JAIL
Two hundred local, state and federal law enforcement officers have been involved in a manhunt for the suspects.
As of Tuesday, eight of the suspects have been recaptured, and 14 people have been arrested for aiding them.
Along with Williams, an inmate who did not escape with the group of 10 became the second person from inside the jail to be charged with helping them escape.
Trevon Williams, 23, has been rebooked on 10 counts of principal to simple escape for allegedly giving the escapees a blanket and shirt to help them hop the razor-wire fence during their escape.
Arrests over the weekend included 28-year-old Lenika Vanburen, 18-year-old Patricia Vanburen, 27-year-old Tyshanea “Minnie” Randolph, 47-year-old Lenton Vanburen Sr. and 40-year-old Angel McKey – all accused of aiding the escapees. Lenton Vanburen Sr. is the father of escapee Lenton Vanburen, who has since been caught, a source confirmed to Fox News.
State police said that Diamond White, 21, was also arrested on charges that include principal to aggravated escape and obstruction of justice, USA Today reported.
Emmitt Weber, 28, was also arrested for allegedly helping two of the inmates after the escape. So was Casey Smith, 30, who reportedly admitted to driving some of the inmates around New Orleans after they escaped.
On Thursday night, the Louisiana State Police announced that it had arrested Connie Weeden, 59, who allegedly sent cash to then-fugitive Jermaine Donald via a cellphone app.
Before that, Cortnie Harris, 32, and Corvanntay Baptiste, 38, were arrested for allegedly assisting the fugitives.
Harris is accused of transporting some of the escapees to locations throughout New Orleans after the escape, and Baptiste is accused of being in contact with escapee Corey Boyd and bringing him food after the escape.
Sources close to the investigation told Fox News that Baptiste is the girlfriend of now-recaptured Boyd, who is accused of second-degree murder, and Harris is the girlfriend of Leo Tate, who is still on the run.
On Monday, three more inmates were recaptured.
Vanburen was caught in Baton Rouge, and Tate and Donald were captured by the Texas Department of Public Safety in Walker, Texas, according to the Louisiana State Police.
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Groves remains on the run with Antoine Massey, a four-time jail escapee who faces charges of domestic abuse involving strangulation, theft of a motor vehicle and a parole violation.