Tense hearing exchange blows up in face of House Dem when expert fires back

FIRST ON FOX: A House committee witness who was called out by Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia of California during a hearing this week is pushing back after the congressman unearthed a past social media post on Social Security in an attempt to discredit his testimony. 

During a House oversight DOGE subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, Garcia grilled Power the Future CEO Dan Turner while holding up a posterboard of a past tweet calling Social Security a “government-sponsored Ponzi scheme.”

“Madoff went to jail for it. Congress runs on it,” the post said. “I should be able to keep 100% of my money and not watch government waste it with a paltry percentage return.”

Garcia then suggested that post was evidence that Turner lacks the credibility to be testifying about the billions of federal tax dollars directed to left-wing NGOs. 

“A Ponzi scheme and so I think it’s interesting, of course, as one of our Republican witnesses is calling Social Security a Ponzi scheme, and that’s the person that we should be taking advice from here today,” Garcia said. 

“Without Social Security, 22 million people would be pushed into poverty. That includes over 16 million seniors and nearly 1 million children. And in fact, Elon Musk has also said and agreed with you, sir, that this is a Ponzi scheme. I think it’s ironic that you are one of our witnesses talking about efficiency when you want to attack the single best program that we have to support people not just out of poverty, but across this country to uplift them, to ensure they can afford a decent life.”

Fox News Digital spoke to Turner, who stood by his post and outlined his belief, echoed by many, that Social Security is structured like a Ponzi scheme by definition. 

SEN ELIZABETH WARREN: SOCIAL SECURITY IS UNDER ATTACK. GUTTING IT IS A BROKEN PROMISE

“Rep Garcia does not know the definition of Ponzi scheme,” Turner said. “Social Security is the ultimate Ponzi, demanding more and more people at the bottom pay in to fund the people at the top, expect our demographics have this now reversed. The system will default. Mr. Garcia nor I will likely never see a dime. That should worry him more than my social media feed.”

Turner told Fox News Digital that if Garcia’s staff were to spend as much time trying to save Social Security as it did “combing through my social media” then “perhaps the Ponzi scheme can survive long enough for me to get a small percentage of what the government confiscated during my lifetime.”

Turner explained that his father had received a “paltry percentage” of what he paid into the program and the the government “kept the rest” when his father died. 

“That’s not just a Ponzi scheme, it’s government greed and politicians running a money-laundering operation to get reelected. No one should be compelled to pay into a failed system, yet in a free America, you don’t have that choice.”

In addition to Turner and Elon Musk suggesting that Social Security is by definition set up like a Ponzi scheme, Fox News Digital previously spoke to James Agresti, president of the nonprofit research institute Just Facts, who said the characterization has “validity.”

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“A Ponzi scheme operates by taking money from new investors to pay current investors,” Agresti said. “That’s the definition given by the SEC, and contrary to popular belief, that’s exactly how Social Security operates.”

Agresti explained to Fox News Digital that Social Security, a program mired for decades with concerns about waste, fraud, and improper payments, “doesn’t take our money and save it for us, as many people believe, and then give it to us when we’re older” like many Americans might believe. 

“What it does is, it transfers money when we are young and working and paying into Social Security taxes,” Agresti said. “That money, the vast bulk of it, goes immediately out the door to people who are currently receiving benefits. Now, there is a trust fund, but in 90 years of operation, that trust fund currently has enough money to fund two years of program operations.”

The trust fund only being able to last for two years is not a result of the fund being “looted,” Agresti explained, but rather it was put in place to “put surpluses in it” from money that Social Security collects in taxes that it doesn’t pay out immediately and pays interest on. 

“The interest that’s been paid on that has been higher than the rate of inflation,” Agresti said. “So, the problem isn’t that the trust fund has been looted. The problem is that Social Security operates like a Ponzi scheme.”

Democrats have vocally pushed back against efforts by Republicans and DOGE to reform Social Security or make cuts to what they say are examples of wasteful or improper spending from the department.

“There’s been a lot of misinformation about that as of late,” Agresti told Fox News Digital. “You know, when DOGE came in and suggested that the Social Security Administration cut, I think it was about 10,000 workers, Democrats erupted that this is going to weaken Social Security. But the fact of the matter is that Social Security pays those workers who are for administrative overhead from the Social Security trust fund. So, by cutting out the money that they’re paying them, you actually strengthen the program financially.”

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Agresti told Fox News Digital that the current administrative overhead for Social Security is $6.7 billion per year, which is enough to pay more than 300,000 retirees the average old-age benefit.

“Every single study shows social security going completely bankrupt in the next few years. Garcia and other democrats know the iceberg is ahead but rather than turn the ship, they are yelling at the iceberg about the senior citizens onboard,” Turner said. “This Ponzi scheme is collapsing fast, and turning my tweets into posters is not going to stop it.”

Musk backs down from Trump-Epstein allegations as WH notes president had cut ties

From bringing the heat to retreating on the beef.

Elon Musk appears to be backtracking on some of the wild accusations he made during his ugly spat with President Donald Trump earlier this week.

Musk sensationally posted on Thursday that the president’s name appears in unreleased Jeffrey Epstein files — and said that’s why the files haven’t been made public.

“@RealDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files,” Musk wrote on X. “That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!”

Musk followed the post with another, saying, “Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out.”

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But eagle-eyed online sleuths noticed that Musk had quietly deleted the posts.

The former “First Buddy” dropped the allegation in response to a back-and-forth series of social media messages between him and Trump. But as of today, the post has been removed from the Tesla CEO’s timeline. 

The post wasn’t the only one he deleted: Musk also appears to have taken down a post endorsing a message that read, “Trump should be impeached” and that Vance “should replace him.”

Musk shared the post and wrote “yes,” but his comment is no longer visible. 

The beef between Musk and Trump exploded onto the national scene this week with the SpaceX CEO publicly blasting Trump’s major legislation, the Big Beautiful bill, for increasing the deficit by around $2.5 trillion.  

The feud came despite a months-long “bromance” between the pair, with Musk donating around $277 million to Trump’s campaign and enthusiastically supporting his return to office. Trump’s return to office also saw Musk oversee the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for months. 

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in the aftermath of Musk’s post that it was an “unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted.”

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The White House said a source familiar with the Epstein matter said it is widely known that Trump kicked Epstein out of his Palm Beach Golf Club.

The source also pointed out that the administration released the Epstein files, which included Trump’s name, and nothing was new about Musk’s revelation.

“If Elon truly thought the President was more deeply involved with Epstein, why did he hang out with him for 6 months and say he ‘loves him as much as a straight man can love a straight man?'” the source said.

Musk’s bombshell allegation against Trump comes months after a trove of files pertaining to the Epstein case were released.

In February, Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel explaining the delay in the release of documents and placing blame on an FBI field office in New York.

Bondi said she requested the full Epstein case file before Patel was confirmed as the head of the FBI and received about 200 pages — far fewer than the number of pages released last year in a civil lawsuit connected to Ghisalaine Maxwell, the trafficker’s former lover and convicted accomplice.

Although Bondi pushed for the release of the full dossier, which included records, documents, audio and video recordings, and materials related to Epstein and his clients, the request remains unfulfilled.

One of the key pieces that remains unreleased is a client list, though Bondi claimed in February it was on her desk to be reviewed.

The documents that have been released so far include flight logs, an evidence list, a contact book and a redacted “masseuse list” believed to refer to Epstein’s victims.

Many people named in the documents have never been accused of Epstein-related wrongdoing. However, some have, like Maxwell; Prince Andrew, who has denied allegations of wrongdoing; and Jean-Luc Brunel, a French modeling agent who, like Epstein, died in a jail awaiting trial.

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Epstein, Maxwell and unnamed co-conspirators allegedly abused young women and underage girls between 1996 and his death in 2019, according to the lawsuit. Citing police documents, it alleges that Epstein recruited girls between 14 and 16 as well as students at Palm Beach Community College for “sex-tinged sessions.”

Maxwell is appealing her conviction while serving a sentence at a federal prison in Tallahassee. She is due for release in the summer of 2037.

Simone Biles faces fierce backlash after clash with Riley Gaines over women’s sports

Seven-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles received harsh backlash on social media after the gymnastics star sparred with former 12-time NCAA All-American swimmer Riley Gaines over the debate surrounding transgender athletes competing in girls’ and women’s sports. 

Gaines, a former University of Kentucky swimmer and current OutKick contributor and host of the “Gaines for Girls” podcast, took to X on Friday to call out the Minnesota State High School League for posting a picture of the new state champions, Champlin Park High School. 

The school has made headlines because its dominant performance on the way to the title game was led by junior pitcher Marissa Rothenberger, a transgender athlete competing on the team. 

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The photo posted on X had the comments disabled. 

In response to Gaines’ criticism of the post, Biles posted a message calling Gaines “truly sick” over her stance on trans athletes. She even launched a personal attack at Gaines. 

“You’re truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser,” Biles said, referencing Gaines competing against former UPenn swimmer Lia Thomas at the 2022 NCAA championships. 

“You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender category IN ALL sports!! But instead… You bully them… One things for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!” 

The post went viral on social media, with Biles adding in another post, “bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male.”

But Biles, the most decorated gymnast in history – a feat she accomplished at the Paris Olympics, faced fierce backlash for her comments on social media. 

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Many on social media also pointed out Biles’ call for open categories in all sports. 

In 2022, World Aquatics, the international governing body for swimming, updated its eligibility policy to effectively ban transgender athletes from competing in women’s events. The following year, the organization launched and debuted an open category at the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup in Berlin. 

The organization later confirmed that upon the close of registration, no entries had been received for the open category. 

Biles is an 11-time Olympic medalist. She holds 30 world championship medals, including a record 23 gold. She has not responded on social media following her initial posts aimed at Gaines. 

Mother’s chilling intuition comes true after son-in-law returns alone from camping trip

Joseph Ferlazzo had abruptly returned without his wife from what was supposed to be a Vermont camping trip to mark their first wedding anniversary.

The 41-year-old told his in-laws that he had gotten into an argument with his spouse, Emily Schwarz Ferlazzo, 22, and that she had headed back home to New Hampshire.

Emily’s mother and stepfather weren’t buying it.

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“When he handed me her license, that was very strange,” her mother, Adrienne Bass, told Fox News Digital.

“I interpreted his shivering and shaking as if he’d been cold because he was riding his motorcycle from Vermont to New Hampshire. It was a three-hour drive in the middle of October. But thinking back on it now, I think he was probably having anxiety lying to our faces. . . . And when he left, his whole demeanor was threatening and cold. The feeling I got was, ‘Don’t question him.’”

The case is being explored on Investigation Discovery’s (ID) true crime series, “Fatal Destination,” which is executive-produced and narrated by Jessica Biel. It profiles stories where “idyllic getaways unravel into haunting mysteries.” It features interviews with friends, family, locals and law enforcement, among others.

In the episode titled “Where’s Emily?” Bass said “We were all afraid of him,” referring to Ferlazzo. She told Fox News Digital that the family suspected Ferlazzo had been abusing his wife behind closed doors.

“Emily would come to us asking for help, and then she’d go back to him, and it would backfire and cause more problems,” said Bass. “. . . The weekend before they left, I had feelings, senses that there was something wrong with him. I didn’t like their relationship, or how it was going. I felt, as a mom, my daughter was not safe.”

“The weekend before they went away, we were sitting at a restaurant having lunch with them to celebrate their anniversary,” Bass added. 

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“I can’t describe his behaviors or his mannerisms, but I froze. There was a very strong, overwhelming feeling that my life was in danger from him. I tried to figure out how to talk to her about it before they left. But I wasn’t ever able to come up with a way that I could talk to my daughter, who’s loyal to her husband, and say, ‘Hey, I think he’s dangerous.’”

“I wasn’t correct that it was my life that was in danger – it was my daughter’s,” Bass said. “But I could sense a strong danger from him.”

Ferlazzo, a tattoo artist, married Emily, a nurse, during the pandemic. Bass admitted that she had been perplexed that the couple had said, “I do.”

“Part of the reason we were surprised that they got married was because they seemed to be going back and forth… She had difficulty talking to him about when they were going to get married,” Bass said.

“And then on New Year’s Eve, they had a physical altercation,” Bass said. “She reached out to me asking for support. He would accuse her of cheating, and she would feel exasperated and confused about how to help him believe her.”

The family said that after the couple married, they witnessed bruising and “physical injuries” on Emily’s body. According to the episode, Emily blamed her injuries on “rough sex.”

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“It put us in an awkward situation,” David Bass, Emily’s stepfather, told Fox News Digital. “If we tried to talk to her about getting help or getting out, she would immediately tell him everything that was said. . . . We had to sort of not talk to her about things out of fear of making things worse. We had to be careful about what we said [with] very coded language.”

“She didn’t want to talk about the bruising,” Adrienne Bass reflected. “I think [months before their trip], Emily filled out paperwork for a divorce. He ended up doing it at the same time. . . . I don’t know all the details, but there were moments where things happened that I feel she wasn’t even really sure what happened.”

Things looked hopeful on Oct. 15, 2021. That day, the couple drove on a converted bus that was also their home, where they lived on the parents’ property, Rolling Stone reported. 

According to the outlet, they traveled a little more than two hours to Bolton, Vermont, a rural town in the picturesque western foothills of the Green Mountains, 30 miles east of Burlington and the shores of Lake Champlain. Nearby, Ferlazzo’s sister and her boyfriend had rented an Airbnb. Emily sent videos of what appeared to be a scenic drive to her family.

But on Oct. 18, Ferlazzo had returned home without Emily. According to Ferlazzo, he restrained her when she tried to leave during their argument, but she kicked him in the groin. He went on to tell Emily’s parents that after the fight, he had left to go to the store. That’s when Emily vanished, he insisted.

Adrienne and David Bass reported Emily missing. They told police there was a history of domestic violence and Emily had been seen with scratches and bruises.

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Adrienne Bass was hopeful that her daughter had managed to finally escape her tumultuous marriage without telling anyone.

That hope quickly faded.

“As soon as he left, I realized there were only three things that could have happened,” said Bass. “One, she’d been abducted. Another, she lost her memory for some bizarre reason. Or, she’s no longer alive.”

“I finally let it out,” she said. “I cried and just let the moment hit me.”

Prosecutor Sarah George later said that because Gabby Petito’s investigation had just happened, police were quicker to investigate Ferlazzo, CourtTV.com reported.

Like Emily, Petito’s case started as a search for a missing person after her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, returned from a road trip in a converted van without her. A police video showing Petito crying after a physical altercation with Laundrie raised questions about domestic violence.

Petito, 22, was found strangled to death near a Wyoming campground site weeks later. Laundrie was a person of interest. After he went missing for over a month, his remains were found in a Florida park that October.

With the police closing in, Ferlazzo confessed. 

Ferlazzo told investigators he and his wife had been arguing inside their camper, and it turned into a physical altercation. A few minutes later, he took out a handgun and shot her twice in the head, according to the affidavit.

The following morning, Ferlazzo said he took the camper from Bolton to a friend’s house in St. Albans. About 12 to 15 hours after the shooting, he dismembered Emily and placed her remains in garbage bags, which stayed in the camper and were found by police. The weapons believed to have been used in the killing were also retrieved by investigators.

Fighting back tears, Adrienne Bass said it was “excruciating and nauseating” listening to the horrifying details in court.

A jury convicted Ferlazzo of first-degree murder in December, CourtTV.com reported. In April, a judge sentenced him to 42.5 years to life in prison.

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Emily’s family has been trying to heal. They take comfort in listening to recordings of Emily singing. Music was her true love.

“Emily would want to be known as a singer,” said David Bass. “She loved singing. She loved performing. Her voice is the most important thing. She would be incredibly upset at what had happened to her and Gabby Petito.”

Today, Adrienne Bass hopes that in sharing her daughter’s story, victims will be compelled to seek help before it’s too late.

“Try to listen to your gut,” she said. “If they don’t feel it’s safe to get out, wait until they find the time to try to find someone that they can trust to confide in. It doesn’t matter how old you are. . . . Anyone could be a victim of domestic violence. It doesn’t mean something is wrong with them as a person.”

“If you’re being abused in your relationship, call a crisis center, make a plan, talk to an expert,” urged David Bass. “Help is out there. You’re not alone.”

TSA warns Americans to stop showing Costco cards at airport security checkpoints

The Transportation Security Administration clarified this week that a Costco membership card is not sufficient to present at airport security. 

“We love hotdogs & rotisserie chickens as much as the next person but please stop telling people their Costco card counts as a REAL ID because it absolutely does not,” the TSA wrote on Facebook Wednesday. 

The reminder comes less than a month after the U.S. began requiring a REAL ID driver’s license when flying domestically May 7. 

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Aside from REAL IDs, which have enhanced federal standards, domestic flyers can also use their passports or another federally-approved form of identification like Defense Department-issued IDs (but not a Costco card). 

“Department of Defense IDs for active and retired military continue to be an acceptable form of ID at TSA checkpoints following the implementation of REAL ID last month,” the TSA wrote on Facebook Thursday. 

REAL IDs were available for years before the requirement went into effect after a 2005 law passed based on recommendations from the 9/11 Commission report. 

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With many procrastinating until shortly before the deadline, DMV centers were inundated with long lines in April and early May, and there was confusion about what forms of identification, such as a passport, birth certificate or Social Security card, were acceptable at a DMV to secure a REAL ID. 

Former high school classmate offers liver donation to ex-MLB pitcher battling cancer

A man’s Facebook plea for a liver donor attracted the attention of a high-school acquaintance he hadn’t spoken to in 20 years.

In April 2024, after experiencing appetite loss and losing 15 pounds in a month, Steven Register, 42, was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer,according to news agency SWNS.

Doctors told the former MLB pitcher — who played for the Colorado Rockies in 2008 and the Philadelphia Phillies in 2009 — that a liver transplant was likely his best chance of survival.

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“When we first met with the doctors, they gave me a year to a year-and-a-half to live,” Register said, adding that he and his wife, Beth, immediately started researching options.

The couple traveled from Auburn, Alabama, to the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, where Register underwent surgery for a temporary ostomy bag and began chemotherapy, per the SWNS report.

Plans for the liver resection were canceled when doctors discovered the tumors were too large, which led the couple to consider a transplant.

Register’s wife created a Facebook group to search for a living liver donor, hoping someone would come forward in time.

An unexpected volunteer

Kristin Johnston, a 40-year-old preschool teacher from Roswell, Georgia, saw the post and recognized Register as a former high-school classmate.

The two had met in 1999 at Shaw High School in Columbus, Georgia, but hadn’t spoken in over two decades.

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“It was just so far out of left field,” said Register, who couldn’t believe it when Johnston volunteered to donate part of her liver.

He added to SWNS, “I haven’t seen or talked to her in over 20 years, and for her to reach out like that, it was just meant to be.”

Johnston said she started by doing a quick online search for live liver donation and discovered that blood type compatibility was the first step.

“I just sent him a message,” she said. “I said, ‘Hey, what’s your blood type?’ and he said, ‘I’m B positive.'”

She responded, “Wait, that’s mine, too,” and offered, “I’ll happily donate a lobe if I’m a match.”

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Johnston was later cleared as a match and received the confirmation on a meaningful day.

“I got the news on Good Friday, of all days, that I was officially cleared as his liver donor,” she said.

Surgery and second chances

The surgery, which is expected to take 12 to 14 hours, will involve removing 70% of Johnston’s liver and transplanting it into Register, according to SWNS.

Both her remaining liver and the donated portion will regenerate over time, giving both a second chance at health.

“I got the news on Good Friday, of all days.”

“For her, she is ultimately giving him the gift of life — for him, a really fresh start in this journey,” said Beth Register.

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Steven Register said he hoped that “once I get my liver with all the tumor and cancer out, I’ll be cancer-free from there.”    

The Register family — including children McKenzie (16), Blakely (14) and Brooks (8) — launched a fundraiser on SupportNow to help with travel, food and medical expenses.

Johnston and her husband Cody, 38, a real estate developer, have three kids of their own — Sawyer (9), Teddy (7) and Dahlia (4).

Raising awareness and faith

Beth Register said she hopes their family’s story raises awareness about the impact of living organ donation.

“A lot of people don’t realize that live donations, whether it be for livers or kidneys, are even an option,” she said.

She added that Johnston had been selfless from the start.

The families believe fate had a hand in reconnecting them, perSWNS.

“We just pray that God is opening all the right doors and that Kristin is the perfect donor for him.”

“We just pray that God is opening all the right doors and that Kristin is the perfect donor for him,” Beth Register said.

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“We just appreciate her being willing to put her life on pause to hopefully lengthen his life by many, many, many years.”

Details of quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ one-year deal with Steelers revealed

Aaron Rodgers is officially headed to Pittsburgh next season.

The four-time league MVP officially signed a contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday and will address the media on Tuesday for the first time following the team’s first minicamp practice, the Steelers’ senior director of communications Burt Lauten announced on X.  

Rodgers, 41, signed a one-year deal worth up to $19.5 million with incentives, which includes a $10 million guarantee, ESPN reported, citing sources. 

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The news, first reported on Wednesday, ended months of speculation as to whether Rodgers would return for another NFL season or enter retirement after a failed two-year stint with the New York Jets.

Rodgers addressed the rumors about his decision and his time with the Jets, during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” in April. He said he had spoken to several teams, including New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll and Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell, whom he is in regular contact with. 

“I’m open to anything and attached to nothing. Retirement could still be a possibility, but right now my focus is and has been and will continue to be on my personal life … there’s still conversations that are being had.” 

Ultimately, the veteran NFL quarterback decided Pittsburgh would be where he would play his 21st season. 

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Rodgers’ arrival solves the Steelers’ quarterback problems – at least for now – after Russell Wilson and Justin Fields both signed with New York Teams. Now Rodgers will battle Mason Rudolph, who signed a two-year contract in March, for the starting position. 

‘American Pie’ star Jason Biggs reveals depths of harrowing drug addiction

“American Pie” actor Jason Biggs is pulling back the curtain on the darkest days of his drug addiction—and the harrowing lengths he went to feed it.

Biggs, now 47, revealed a startling glimpse into his past, as he opened up about his struggle with substance abuse in his 20s. 

At the height of his fame and addiction, Biggs admitted he once rummaged through his trash can just to get one more hit of cocaine.

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“Being 22 with money in the bank and coke in my pocket and no one saying no to me,” Biggs shared on the “Well with Arielle Lorre,” podcast earlier this week. 

“I lived in the gray area, but I have ‘snorting dust off the floor’ stories or similar to that,” he recalled. “One of my craziest stories was, I was doing cocaine by myself in my house, and I did what I said was the last line.”

Bigg’s candid confession shared how deep his addiction had taken hold. Alone in his house and desperate to extend the high, Biggs said what he thought would be his “last line” of cocaine quickly turned into something far more disturbing.

The “Orange is the New Black” actor remembered it was 4 a.m. and his wife, Jenny Mollen, was asleep. While Biggs was restless, he attempted to stop himself from doing more drugs by throwing the cocaine into the trash can. 

“Within 15 minutes, as soon as my last bump is wearing off, I’m like, what am I doing? I go into my trash, and I take it out and I do a line.”

But the spiral didn’t end there.

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“Before I took the Ambien, I was like, ‘One more,’” Biggs continued. “I went outside and I climbed into the trash bin and got the bag of coke and went upstairs and did another line. I was like, ‘What the f— am I doing? This is absolutely insane.’”

In March 2024, Biggs opened up about his battle with alcoholism.

“I’m going to therapy and ‘working on things’, but meanwhile, I’m leaving therapy, having just had a good session, and I’m going to the liquor store and buying a fifth of vodka, drinking it and then driving home,” he shared on his wife Jenny Mollen’s podcast.

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Biggs confessed at the time that he had hidden his alcoholism from his wife, but she had never noticed it.

“I had it figured out to a T — to not get too drunk where I couldn’t have a conversation with you,” he remarked.

The couple got married in 2008 and share two sons, Sid and Lazlo.

In 2018, Biggs took to Instagram to share his sobriety journey. 

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“I first tried to get sober over 5 years ago, when the weight of my obsession with booze and drugs became too heavy for me to handle. Turns out this s— is hard. After some fits and starts, I’ve managed to put together one year of sobriety. I’m as proud of it as anything in my life. If you’re struggling, know there’s help. Don’t be ashamed. We can do this.”

JONATHAN TURLEY: Not the homecoming Dems and Abrego Garcia hoped for

Kilmar Abrego Garcia is back in the United States, but he can hardly be thrilled about it. He has been returned not for a removal hearing, but for a trial that could result in a lengthy prison sentence, followed by immediate removal back to El Salvador. After the issuance of the federal grand jury, the United States is likely the last place on Earth that Abrego Garcia wanted to visit.

Abrego Garcia had been fighting to return after he was mistakenly removed to El Salvador. That immediately drew irate orders from a federal judge, and many of us argued that the Trump administration should have simply brought him back for what seemed an easy case for removal after a hearing.

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Instead, the case dragged on for months after the Trump administration challenged the court orders as judicial overreach and unconstitutional. The indictment issued by a federal grand jury allows the administration to end the controversy on its terms. Rather than yielding to the challenged orders, it simply brought Abrego Garcia back to stand trial.

It is an example of the old adage “one day on the cover of “Time,” next day doing time.” Sometimes notoriety can be your undoing.

If Abrego Garcia had been removed, little attention would likely have been drawn to his prior conduct. Indeed, as all the Democratic politicians, such as Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., arrived in El Salvador with an army of reporters, one has to wonder if Abrego Garcia was having second thoughts about his challenge.

While news organizations like NPR described Abrego Garcia as a family man “living quietly” in Maryland, the facts proved far more damning. He was repeatedly accused of beating his wife. The court record also included allegations of his involvement in a notorious gang:

“Per the Prince George’s County Police Gang Unit, ABREGO-Garcia was validated as a member of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS13) Gang. Subject was identified as a member of the Mara Salvatrucha MS-13, “Chequeo” from the Western Clique a transnational criminal street gang. This information was provided by tested source who has provided truthful accurate information in the past. See Prince Georges County Police Department (Gang Sheet).”

MS-13 is designated as a terrorist organization.

Abrego Garcia was also suspected of human trafficking. Indeed, the description of the stop leaves one astonished that he was allowed to drive away. According to DHS:

“On Dec. 1, 2022, Abrego Garcia was stopped by the Tennessee Highway Patrol for speeding. Upon approach to the vehicle, the encountering officer noted eight other individuals in the vehicle. There was no luggage in the vehicle, leading the encountering officer to suspect this was a human trafficking incident. Additionally, all the passengers gave the same home address as the subject’s home address. During the interview, Abrego Garcia pretended to speak less English than he was capable of and attempted to put the encountering officer off-track by responding to questions with questions. When asked what relationship he had with the registered owner of the vehicle, Abrego Garcia replied that the owner of the vehicle is his boss, and that he worked in construction…

The encountering officer decided not to cite the subject for driving infractions but gave him a warning citation for driving with an expired driver’s license. Abrego Garcia’s driver’s license was a MD “Limited Term Temporary” license. The encountering officer gathered names of other occupants in the vehicle but could not read their handwriting. The officer did not pursue further information due to no citation being issued.”

The videotape mystified many with how Abrego Garcia was allowed to go along his way. Here was an undocumented immigrant stopped with an expired license in a car with eight others traveling from Texas to Maryland. He gave a false statement, and the officer suspected human trafficking but let him go.

It is alleged that the person whom Abrego Garcia described as his “boss” at a construction job was Jose Ramon Hernandez Reyes, an illegal migrant previously convicted of human smuggling. The black 2001 Chevrolet Suburban belonged to Hernandez Reyez.

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Now, the indictment details a broader array of evidence. The grand jury found evidence of extensive human trafficking violations over nine years. The indictment speaks of cooperating witnesses prepared to implicate Abrego Garcia in an international smuggling operation involving guns, narcotics, and humans that included over a one hundred such transports. 

“Over the course of the conspiracy the coconspirators knowingly and unlawfully transported thousands of undocumented aliens who had no authorization to be present in the United States and many of whom were MS 13 members and associates The co-conspirators also worked with transnational criminal organizations in Mexico to transport undocumented aliens through Mexico and into the United States.”

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Ironically, in light of this indictment, any criminal defense attorney worth his salt would have opposed deportation to the United States from El Salvador. Instead, Abrego Garcia will face a much longer possible criminal sentence. He will eventually then be deported to El Salvador regardless of the outcome of the criminal prosecution.  Abrego Garcia never had a compelling basis for remaining in the United States. He gamed the system for years, a system that seems utterly incapable of dealing with this national emergency.

He will get due process, but make no mistake about it. Abrego Garcia is back in the U.S., but it’s no homecoming.

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