Autopsy reveals how Brown University shooting suspect died after manhunt
The suspect behind the deadly Brown University shooting and the killing of an MIT professor died by suicide days before he was found in a New Hampshire storage unit, authorities confirmed Friday, as investigators continue searching for a motive behind the attacks.
New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella said Friday that the New Hampshire Department of Justice Office of the Chief Medical Examiner performed an autopsy on the body of Claudio Manuel Neves-Valente, 48, who was identified as the suspect in the Brown University mass shooting and the subsequent killing of an MIT professor.
The examination confirmed Neves-Valente died from a gunshot wound to the head, and the manner of death was ruled a suicide.
Based on forensic findings and investigative information available to date, authorities estimate he died on Tuesday, Dec. 16. Neves-Valente was found dead in a storage facility in New Hampshire two days later, on Thursday evening.
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Neves-Valente was publicly identified by Providence police as the suspect in the Dec. 13 shooting at Brown University, which occurred during a finals week study session and left two students dead, and nine others wounded at the Barus and Holley Engineering Building.
Authorities later confirmed he was also the suspect in the Dec. 15 fatal shooting of MIT nuclear science professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro, who was found shot at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Federal investigators also recovered two 9mm pistols in New Hampshire with Neves-Valente’s body, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’s Boston office.
The ATF and FBI, working through the Connecticut State Police forensic laboratory, positively matched one of the guns to the weapon used in the Brown shooting. The second gun was matched to Loureiro’s killing, authorities said.
According to Brown University President Christina Paxson, Neves-Valente was a Portuguese national and former Brown student who studied physics from the fall of 2000 through the spring of 2001 before withdrawing from the program in 2003. He had no current affiliation with the university at the time of the shooting on campus.
“I think it’s safe to assume that this man, when he was a student, spent a great deal of time in that building for classes and other activities as a Ph.D. student in physics,” Paxson said. “He has no current active affiliation with the university or campus presence.”
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Neves-Valente was found dead Thursday evening after law enforcement officers breached a storage unit in Salem, New Hampshire, where he was believed to be hiding. Authorities said he acted alone in both attacks.
During the investigation, law enforcement canvassed neighborhood surveillance video, released images of a person of interest, and initially questioned, but later ruled out, another individual before identifying Neves-Valente as the suspect.
The two Brown students killed were Ella Cook of Alabama and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov of Virginia. Several surviving victims remained hospitalized in stable condition.
Sources tell Fox News that investigators are continuing to examine Neves-Valente’s recent movements, including tracing credit card transactions in the days leading up to the attacks. FBI agents are also in Florida, where his last known address was reported, according to sources.
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Authorities have not found any writings or documents indicating a clear motive for the shootings.
Senator Cynthia Lummis will not seek re-election to Senate in 2026 after change of heart
Republican Cynthia Lummis will not be seeking re-election for her U.S. Senate seat in 2026, saying it’s been “an incredible honor to represent Wyoming” in a statement shared on X.
“It’s an incredible honor to represent Wyoming in the U.S. Senate, and throughout my time here, Wyoming has been my one-and-only priority,” Lummis posted to X. “Deciding not to run for reelection does represent a change of heart for me, but in the difficult, exhausting session weeks this fall I’ve come to accept that I do not have six more years left in me.
“I am a devout legislator, but I feel like a sprinter in a marathon,” the senator wrote. “The energy required doesn’t match up.”
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The announcement comes as many legislators have announced resignations ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, which many political commentators have noted may be a referendum on President Donald Trump‘s second administration.
Lummis has been a champion for cryptocurrency legislation in the Senate, penning the GENIUS Act. The Wyoming Republican has also been an advocate for American energy during her tenure, including coal, oil and gas.
Sworn in Jan. 3, 2021, Lummis is the first woman to serve as a senator for the Equality State.
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“I am honored to have earned the support of President Trump and to have the opportunity to work side by side with him to fight for the people of Wyoming,” Lummis concluded. “Thank you, Wyoming!”
Lummis’ office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Elise Stefanik ends New York governor campaign and will not seek re-election to Congress
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., on Friday announced that she is ending her bid for governor and will not seek reelection, just over a month after launching her campaign.
In a message posted to X, Stefanik cited her family as her reason for stepping out of the race to unseat Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul.
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“While spending precious time with my family this Christmas season, I have made the decision to suspend my campaign for Governor and will not seek reelection to Congress. I did not come to this decision lightly for our family,” she wrote on X.
“And while many know me as Congresswoman, my most important title is Mom,” she added. “I believe that being a parent is life’s greatest gift and greatest responsibility. I have thought deeply about this and I know that as a mother, I will feel profound regret if I don’t further focus on my young son’s safety, growth, and happiness – particularly at his tender age.”
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“Elise Stefanik, a fantastic person and Congresswoman from New York State, has just announced she won’t be running for Governor,” President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Elise is a tremendous talent, regardless of what she does. She will have GREAT success, and I am with her all the way!”
Stefanik launched her gubernatorial campaign in November with a platform centered on crime, taxes and affordability across the Empire State.
Stefanik, who represents a conservative-leaning district in upstate New York, has often criticized Democratic leaders within her state.
The now-41-year-old Stefanik, a Harvard graduate who worked as a staffer in then-President George W. Bush’s administration and later as an aide on the Mitt Romney-Paul Ryan 2012 GOP presidential ticket, made history in 2014 as the youngest woman ever elected to the U.S. House.
A one-time moderate Republican, Stefanik transformed herself into a MAGA champion during Trump’s first term in the White House, rising through the ranks of GOP leadership in the chamber. Her loyalty to Trump, including defending him during the first of his two impeachments, appeared to pay off after he won back the presidency in the 2024 election. Trump nominated Stefanik to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, a high-profile cabinet-level position.
But Trump, concerned about the GOP’s razor-thin majority in the chamber, in March rescinded the nomination, worrying that Republicans could lose Stefanik’s seat to the Democrats in a special election.
While Stefanik remained in the House, and GOP leaders created a new leadership position for her, she soon eyed running for New York governor in 2026, with Trump’s encouragement.
Another potential GOP Republican gubernatorial contender, Rep. Mike Lawler, announced during the summer that he would seek reelection in the House rather than bid for governor.
But Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman, another Trump ally, last week jumped into the GOP race after mulling a bid for months.
Trump stayed neutral, telling reporters at the White House after Blakeman announced his candidacy that “Elise is fantastic and Bruce is.”
“Two fantastic people, and I always hate it when two very good friends of mine are running, and I hope there’s not a lot of damage done,” the president added.
Even though Stefanik was the clear polling and fundraising frontrunner for the GOP gubernatorial nomination, those in her political orbit told Fox News Digital Stefanik was concerned that a primary battle would make her uphill climb against Hochul in blue-leaning New York ever steeper.
In her message, Stefanik thanked her supporters for their donations but said it wouldn’t be an “effective use of our time or your generous resources to spend the first half of next year in an unnecessary and protracted Republican primary, especially in a challenging state like New York.”
Blakeman, in a statement, applauded Stefanik “for her outstanding service to the people of New York and to all Americans” and called her “a strong voice for common-sense values, national security, and economic opportunity.”
As she eyed a run for governor, Stefanik argued in a Fox News Digital interview in June that Hochul was “the worst governor in America.” It’s a line she would repeatedly use in the ensuing months.
And Stefanik, aiming to paint the governor as an extremist, regularly tied Hochul to now-Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani of New York City, a socialist and the first Muslim mayor of the nation’s most populous city.
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But Trump seemingly undercut Stefanik’s messaging that Mamdani was a “jihadist” after a cordial embrace of the mayor-elect during an Oval Office meeting after his New York City victory.
Democratic Governors Association spokesperson Kevin Donohoe, reacting to the news, claimed that Stefanik “saw the writing on the wall and knew she would lose — big — to Governor Hochul.”
The governor’s campaign, in a statement, argued that “Stefanik has finally acknowledged reality: If you run against Governor Kathy Hochul, you are going to lose.”
And Hochul campaign spokesperson Ryan Radulovacki called Blakeman “100% MAGA.”
Mystery deepens as three licensed pilots were aboard NC flight that killed NASCAR star
The pilot of the deadly plane crash in North Carolina that killed former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and his family has not been identified more than 24 hours later, officials with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Friday.
NTSB board member Michael Graham spoke to the media about the preliminary findings of its investigation into Thursday’s crash that killed all seven people aboard a flight headed to the Bahamas.
According to Graham, three people aboard the Cessna C550 were licensed pilots but officials were not able verify as of Friday who was piloting the flight.
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“This is the beginning of very long process and we will not jump to any conclusions while on scene here in North Carolina nor will we jump to any conclusions,” Graham said of the entirety of the investigation.
The plane was owned by GB Aviation Leasing LLC, according to federal aviation records. The company is owned by Biffle, who was rated to fly helicopters and single and multi-engine planes.
Biffle, 55, was killed alongside his wife, Cristina, and children Ryder, 5, and Emma, 14. Three other people killed onboard were identified as Dennis Dutton, his son Jack, and Craig Wadsworth.
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The seven-person flight was making its way to the Bahamas via Sarasota, Florida, when it crashed at Statesville Regional Airport, about 45 miles north of Charlotte. NTSB Investigator-In-Charge Dan Baker said the plane took off at approximately 10:05 a.m. ET and began to turn back to the airport five minutes after take off.
The plane crashed roughly 10 minutes after departure.
Officials did not provide a cause and noted that weather conditions were relatively calm despite light rain. Graham said a preliminary report would be released in 30 days and full investigation could take anywhere between 12–18 months before a final report is released.
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According to officials, the plane’s black box was recovered from the crash scene and is en route to Washington, D.C., where it will be analyzed.
“I can also confirm that our team was able to locate and recover the cockpit voice recorder. The CVR, one of the black boxes from the aircraft,” Graham said, noting that the plane did not have a flight data recorder but was not required to have one either.
Greg Biffle, 55, won more than 50 races across NASCAR’s three circuits, including 19 at the Cup Series level. He also won the Trucks Series championship in 2000 and the Xfinity Series title in 2002.
NASCAR called Biffle “a beloved member of the NASCAR community, a fierce competitor, and a friend to so many.”
US launches airstrikes against ISIS after attack kills two American soldiers, interpreter
The U.S. conducted military strikes against the Islamic State in Syria on Friday, following on a promise by President Donald Trump to avenge the deaths of two Iowa National Guard soldiers killed in a terrorist attack in that country last week.
American military forces employed more than 100 precision munitions to strike more than 70 targets of suspected ISIS sites at several locations across the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria as part of “Operation Hawkeye Storm,” referring to Iowa, which is known as the Hawkeye State.
“Earlier today, U.S. forces commenced OPERATION HAWKEYE STRIKE in Syria to eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites in direct response to the attack on U.S. forces that occurred on December 13th in Palmyra, Syria,” War Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X.
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“This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance,” he added. “The United States of America, under President Trump’s leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people.”
The secretary noted that anyone targeting Americans anywhere in the world will spend the rest of their days watching over their shoulder and will be targeted for death.
Trump vowed revenge on the terror group after the soldiers — Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, Iowa, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, Iowa — and interpreter Ayad Mansoor Sakat of Michigan — were killed Saturday while conducting a key leader engagement, part of their mission in support of ongoing counter-ISIS/counter-terrorism operations in the region.
The gunman was killed by partner forces.
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“Because of ISIS’s vicious killing of brave American Patriots in Syria, whose beautiful souls I welcomed home to American soil earlier this week in a very dignified ceremony, I am hereby announcing that the United States is inflicting very serious retaliation, just as I promised, on the murderous terrorists responsible,” he wrote on Truth Social on Friday.
He said U.S. forces were striking ISIS strongholds in Syria, “a place soaked in blood which has many problems, but one that has a bright future if ISIS can be eradicated.” He added that the Syrian government was in support of Friday’s strikes.
Trump also reminded anyone wishing to harm Americans anywhere in the world of what awaits them.
“All terrorists who are evil enough to attack Americans are hereby warned — YOU WILL BE HIT HARDER THAN YOU HAVE EVER BEEN HIT BEFORE IF YOU, IN ANY WAY, ATTACK OR THREATEN THE U.S.A,” he wrote.
Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), said U.S. forces will pursue terrorists who seek to harm Americans and partner forces.
“This operation is critical to preventing ISIS from inspiring terrorist plots and attacks against the U.S. homeland,” he said in a statement.
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After the deadly Dec. 13 attack, the Syrian government helped carry out 10 operations in Syria and Iraq resulting in the deaths or detention of 23 terrorist operatives, CENTCOM said.
U.S. forces provided support during those raids, which led to the confiscation of electronics and individual interviews that led to the intelligence behind Friday’s operation.
A CENTCOM review is ongoing regarding the exact ties of the gunman who had joined the Syrian Security Forces two months before and who was in the process of being removed for suspected jihadist ties.
Painful joint condition tied to aging now affecting younger people, studies show
Cases of gout are rising in younger individuals, according to a global study.
The condition, which is a type of inflammatory arthritis, steadily increased in people aged 15 to 39 between 1990 and 2021, researchers in China announced.
Although rates vary widely between countries, the total number of young people with the condition is expected to continue rising through 2035.
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The study, published in the journal Joint Bone Spine, investigated 2021 data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD), spanning 204 countries within the 30-year timeframe.
The data measured gout prevalence, incidence and years lived with disability, tracking global trends over time. The results showed a global increase across all three outcomes.
Prevalence and disability years increased by 66%, and incidence rose by 62%. In 2021, 15- to 39-year-olds accounted for nearly 14% of new gout cases globally, the study found.
Men from 35 to 39 years old and people in high-income regions had the highest burden, but high-income North America topped the list for highest rates.
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Men were also found to have lived more years with gout due to high BMI, while women tended to have the condition as a link to kidney dysfunction, the study noted.
The total number of cases is expected to increase globally due to population growth, but the study projected that rates per population would decrease.
The researchers noted that data quality, especially in low-income settings, could have posed a limitation to the broad GBD data.
What is gout?
Gout is a common form of arthritis involving sudden and severe attacks of pain, swelling, redness and tenderness in the joints, according to Mayo Clinic. It most often occurs in the big toe.
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The condition occurs when urate crystals accumulate in the joint. These form when there are high levels of uric acid in the blood, which the body produces when it breaks down a natural substance called purines.
A gout flare-up can happen at any time, often at night, causing the affected joint to feel hot, swollen, tender and sensitive to the touch.
Purines can also be found in certain foods, like red meat or organ meats like liver and some seafood, including anchovies, sardines, mussels, scallops, trout and tuna, according to the Mayo Clinic. Alcoholic drinks, especially beer, and drinks sweetened with fruit sugar can also lead to higher uric acid levels.
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Uric acid will typically dissolve in the blood and pass through the kidneys into urine, but when the body produces too much or too little uric acid, it can cause a build-up of urate crystals. These are described by the Mayo Clinic as sharp and needle-like, causing pain, inflammation and swelling in the joint or surrounding tissue.
Risk factors for gout include a diet rich in high-purine foods and being overweight, which causes the body to produce more uric acid and the kidneys to have trouble eliminating it.
Certain conditions like untreated high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome and heart and kidney diseases can increase the risk of gout, as well as certain medications.
A family history of gout can also increase risk. Men are more likely to develop the condition, as women tend to have lower uric acid levels, although symptoms generally develop after menopause.
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Untreated gout can cause worsening pain and joint damage, experts caution. It may also lead to more severe conditions, such as recurrent gout, advanced gout and kidney stones.
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The Mayo Clinic advises patients to seek immediate medical care if a fever occurs or if a joint becomes hot and inflamed, which is a sign of infection. Certain anti-inflammatory medications can help treat gout flares and complications.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment.
Sean Duffy’s pregnant daughter unleashes scathing TSA rebuke, advocates for abolition
Evita Duffy-Alfonso, a daughter of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, called for the abolition of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on Thursday, asserting that she had been treated poorly by agents and endured an “absurdly invasive pat-down.”
“TSA = unreasonable, warrantless searches of passengers and their property. That means it violates the Fourth Amendment and is therefore unconstitutional. Pls abolish,” she wrote in a post on X, tagging President Donald Trump and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem.
In another post, she explained her negative experience.
“I nearly missed my flight this morning after the TSA made me wait 15 minutes for a pat-down because I’m pregnant and didn’t feel like getting radiation exposure from their body scanner. The agents were passive-aggressive, rude, and tried to pressure me and another pregnant woman into just walking through the scanner because it’s ‘safe.’ After finally getting the absurdly invasive pat-down, I barely made my flight. All this for an unconstitutional agency that isn’t even good at its job,” Duffy-Alfonso wrote in a post on X.
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“Perhaps things would have gone more smoothly if I’d handed over my biometric data to a random private company (CLEAR). Then I could enjoy the special privilege of waiting in a shorter line to be treated like a terrorist in my own country. Is this freedom? Travel, brought to you by George Orwell — and the privilege of convenience based solely on your willingness to surrender biometric data and submit to radiation exposure? The ‘golden age of transportation’ cannot begin until the TSA is gone,” she added.
In a statement provided to Fox News Digital, the TSA noted, “We are aware of the incident in question. TSA takes complaints about airport security screening procedures seriously and investigates complaints thoroughly to ensure the correct procedures are applied.”
The Department of Homeland Security responded to Fox News Digital’s comment request by providing the same TSA comment.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Transportation for comment.
Duffy-Alfonso noted in another post that the TSA falls “under DHS,” which is lead by Noem, but asserted that if the TSA were under her father’s purview, “he’d radically limit it and lobby Congress to abolish it.”
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“To be clear, I am 100% behind all that @POTUS & @DHS has done to keep out terrorists and illegals, especially at the border. In fact, President Trump & @Sec_Noem aren’t getting enough credit for achieving zero illegal border crossings and stopping deranged terrorists from coming into the U.S.,” Duffy-Alfonso wrote in another post on X.
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“But there needs to be more common sense around how we treat Americans exercising their right to travel. And I hope TSA works on improving their treatment of expectant mothers who don’t want to go through body scanners to protect their unborn children. We can do both,” she added.
Her husband, Michael Alfonso, is running for U.S. Congress in Wisconsin.
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Duffy-Alfonso’s mother, Rachel Campos-Duffy, is “FOX & Friends Weekend” co-host.
NHL announcer caught making lewd request on hot mic gets suspended
Philadelphia Flyers radio announcer Tim Saunders was suspended by the team after making an inappropriate comment during the team’s 5-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night.
Saunders made the comment during the third period. He thought he had sent the broadcast to a commercial break and was off the air, but was instead caught on a hot mic.
“Sometimes the Flyers get a sense of urgency when they are playing from behind. Now they are going to take the TV timeout, we’ll take it as well. Seven (minutes) gone in the third, it’s 3–2 Buffalo at the Philadelphia Flyers broadcast network,” Saunders said before taking a pause, thinking he was off the air.
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After about 20 seconds of silence, thinking he was off the air, Saunders says, “While you’re down there, would you mind blowing me?”
Saunders’ partner, Todd Fedoruk, quickly stepped in and responded, “I think we’re still on the air, Tim.” Saunders then burst out laughing, appearing to think Fedoruk was pranking him, and then said, “No, we’re not, are we?”
The Flyers issued a two-game suspension for Saunders on Friday morning.
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“We are aware of the inappropriate comment made during last night’s radio broadcast in the TV timeout of the Flyers–Sabres game. These remarks do not reflect the standards of conduct or values we expect from anyone associated with our organization,” the Flyers said in a statement.
“Effective immediately, the Flyers, along with our radio partners, 97.5 The Fanatic, have issued a two-game suspension while we address this matter with all parties involved. We take this matter very seriously, and sincerely apologize to our listeners, fans and all those affected by these comments.”
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Saunders has been the Flyers radio play-by-play announcer since 1997, spending nearly 30 years in his role. He has been announcing for 40 years, as he began his broadcasting career in minor league hockey.
Saunders posted a statement on Friday apologizing for his remark.
“During last night’s game in Buffalo, I made an error in judgement with my comments that were made when I thought we were in a commercial break. I recognize how offensive my remarks were, and the harm it has caused. I take full responsibility and sincerely apologize to the Flyers, 97.5 The Fanatic and all those affected by my remarks,” Saunders said in a statement.
“To all Flyers fans and listeners of our broadcast, I promise that I will hold myself to a higher standard moving forward to ensure our broadcast is a safe and respectful place everyone can enjoy.”
Former senator’s staff alleges partisan motives behind scrapped investigation
Upon her departure from the Democratic Party, the Justice Department and FBI considered opening a criminal investigation into the then-Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., over alleged campaign finance violations, according to reports.
The New York Post reported that emails obtained by the newspaper revealed communications between DOJ’s Criminal Division; a prosecutor in then-Washington, D.C., U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves’ office; and FBI agents in the bureau’s Washington Field Office that discussed investigating Sinema in February 2024.
Sinema left the Democratic Party in 2022 and chose not to seek re-election in 2024.
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The email exchanges came in response to the Post’s Feb. 1, 2024, report on Sinema’s six-figure campaign spending on a security detail, luxury hotels, cars and concert tickets. Graves reportedly flagged the story to the Biden-era DOJ and FBI.
Then-Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Aloi discussed investigating Sinema for potential violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA). Then-FBI special agent Walter Giardina told her he wanted to be involved in the probe, the Post reported.
“It’s disappointing, though not surprising, to learn that Walter Giardina, who led politically motivated investigations at the FBI, also sought to investigate Kyrsten for partisan political reasons after she defied Biden and the Senate Democrats to protect the filibuster,” said Daniel Winkler, Sinema’s chief of staff.
“Giardina’s pathetic attempts led nowhere, his abuse of power is now exposed to the public and the filibuster stands strong today.”
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Winkler expressed concern that the potential probe was politically motivated.
Sinema’s campaign spent $796,565 on hotels, a new car and concert tickets and $265,521 on security costs, according to the 2023 Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings reported by the Post.
No investigation was ever intimated after federal prosecutors decided against it.
Sinema decided not to run for re-election. She was succeeded in the Senate by Democrat Ruben Gallego.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the Justice Department, Sinema and Winkler. The FBI declined to comment on the matter.