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Category: News
May 16, 2025
News

Nine Armed Fugitives on the Loose After Jailbreak.

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❓What Happened: Eleven inmates escaped from the Orleans Justice Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, with two apprehended and nine still at large.

👥 Who’s Involved: The Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Susan Hutson, New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick, and local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.

📍 Where & When: The escape occurred Friday morning at the Orleans Justice Center, less than three miles from the French Quarter.

💬 Key Quote: Sheriff Susan Hutson described the situation as “very serious and unacceptable,” while Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick stated it’s “more than likely” the escapees had assistance.

⚠️ Impact: The public has been urged to remain vigilant as the escapees are considered armed and dangerous, and authorities are conducting a full-scale search.

IN FULL:

Authorities in New Orleans are conducting a “full-scale search operation” after eleven inmates escaped from the Orleans Justice Center on Friday morning, according to the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office. Two of the escapees, including Kendell Myles, have been apprehended, but nine others remain at large.

Sheriff Susan Hutson revealed the inmates were discovered missing during a routine headcount at 8:30 AM. She urged the public to stay alert, warning that the escapees should be considered armed and dangerous. “We are launching a full investigation to determine how this escape occurred, including reviewing facility protocols, staff performance, and physical security measures,” Hutson stated.

The escaped inmates have charges ranging from drug possession to murder, according to reports. Concerningly, the escape appears to have been a relatively simple matter of cutting through drywall and escaping through a space accommodating ventilation and piping behind a jail wall.


The Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office is collaborating with local, state, and federal law enforcement to locate the fugitives. New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick suggested that the escapees likely received outside assistance and have since changed out of their jail uniforms. “We don’t want panic, but we do want people to be mindful,” Kirkpatrick noted.

The Orleans Justice Center, where the incident took place, is less than three miles from the French Quarter, a popular tourist destination. One of the fugitives, Kendell Myles, was apprehended on Royal Street, a busy and popular avenue in the French Quarter.

Sheriff Hutson emphasized the gravity of the situation, calling it “very serious and unacceptable,” and vowed accountability for anyone who aided in the escape.

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May 16, 2025
Christopher Tomlinson
News
World

‘We Don’t Need a Lesson in Democracy’ — German Leader Slams Vance, While Arresting Citizens Traveling to ‘Remigration’ Conference.

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❓ What Happened: German Chancellor (Prime Minister) Friedrich Merz slammed Vice President J.D. Vance, saying Germany does not need lessons on democracy, while it is arresting activists trying to attend a conference on “remigration.”

👥 Who’s Involved: Friedrich Merz, J.D. Vance, German anti-mass migration activists.

📍 Where & When: Merz’s comments were published in the German newspaper Die Zeit, while the arrests of activists occurred in Munich on May 15.

💬 Key Quote: “Of course, we are not on the way to a ‘tyranny’ as we hear from the USA. We really have to reject such statements.” — Friedrich Merz.

⚠️ Impact: The comments of Merz greatly contrast with his government’s actions on the same day, lending further strength to Vance’s comments.

IN FULL:

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has dismissed Vice President JD Vance‘s critiques regarding German democracy, but is banning citizens from travelling overseas to a conference on remigration at the same time. Vance made his comments earlier this year at the Munich Security Conference.

Vance has criticised the German treatment of the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and its supporters, saying, “I think, unfortunately, the will of voters has been ignored by a lot of our European friends.”

Merz slammed Vance in an interview this week in German media, saying, “Of course, we are not on the way to a ‘tyranny’ as we hear from the USA. We really have to reject such statements. Germany has been freed from tyranny by the USA, Germany today is stable, liberal and democratic. We don’t need a lesson in democracy,” he insisted, despite the country’s troubled past.

The interview was given the same day German authorities arrested six anti-mass migration activists at a Munich airport as they were en route to a conference on remigration—the return of immigrants to their home countries—in Milan, Italy. Two of the activists were arrested on the aircraft, as they had already boarded, and were removed.

German police later explained that letting the activists go to the “Remigration summit” could “damage the reputation” of Germany. The activists were later released but banned from travelling to Italy, Austria, or Switzerland until Sunday.

Merz’s comments also come after the German domestic spy agency declared the AfD to be “right-wing extremists“, allowing them to spy on members of the party and use undercover informants to infiltrate it. However, following a lawsuit and pressure from the Trump administration—which described the move as “tyranny in disguise”—the agency has put the classification on hold.

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May 16, 2025
News

New Antitrust Concerns as Gaming Giant Complains of iPhone Ban.

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❓What Happened: Apple has blocked Fortnite’s submission to the App Store in the U.S. and European Union (EU), preventing its release on iOS devices. The move comes just four years after a U.S. federal court found that Apple had engaged in anticompetitive behavior towards Epic Games, the parent company of Fortnite, and will likely spark a new round of litigation and antitrust allegations.

👥 Who’s Involved: Epic Games, the maker of Fortnite, and Apple.

📍 Where & When: Online platforms in the U.S. and EU; announcement made early Friday morning.

💬 Key Quote: “Apple has blocked our Fortnite submission so we cannot release to the U.S. App Store or to the Epic Games Store for iOS in the European Union,” according to Fortnite’s X (formerly Twitter) account.

⚠️ Impact: Fortnite will remain offline for iOS users worldwide until Apple reverses its decision.

IN FULL:

Fortnite, the globally popular video game developed by Epic Games, has been blocked from the U.S. App Store and Epic Games Store for iOS in the European Union (EU) by Apple, according to a statement shared by the company on its X (formerly Twitter) account early Friday morning. The move by Apple is the first escalation in several years in an ongoing dispute between the two companies, which saw an antitrust lawsuit in 2021 conclude with a U.S. federal court determining Apple had engaged in anticompetitive behavior but did not constitute a monopoly.

The post stated, “Apple has blocked our Fortnite submission so we cannot release to the U.S. App Store or to the Epic Games Store for iOS in the European Union.” As a result, the game will remain offline for iOS users worldwide until Apple lifts the restriction.

Epic Games revealed that it submitted Fortnite for review last week in an effort to launch the game on the App Store in the U.S. However, Apple has not yet provided a public explanation or responded to requests for comment regarding the decision to block the submission.

Fortnite, which has millions of players globally, is currently inaccessible on iOS devices due to this development. While the tensions between Apple and Epic Games have lain dormant for several years, this move by Apple is likely to renew allegations of monopolistic behavior and, potentially, a new round of antitrust litigation.

In 2021, U.S. District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers held that while Apple’s App Store did not constitute an anticompetitive monopoly, its anti-steering policies limited competition and were ordered eliminated. Anti-steering is when an online retailer bars consumers from being directed by an app to an external, online storefront.

If the litigation proceeds, it could become one of the first significant antitrust cases under the second Trump administration.

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May 16, 2025
Jack Montgomery
News

‘He Knew Exactly What That Meant’ — DHS and Secret Service Investigating Comey Over ‘8647’ Post.

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❓What Happened: Former FBI Director James Comey deleted an Instagram post showing “8647” in seashells, a phrase tied to mob slang for killing and referencing President Trump, prompting a DHS and Secret Service investigation.

👥 Who’s Involved: James Comey, President Donald J. Trump, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, DHS, and the Secret Service.

📍 Where & When: Online, with Comey’s post deleted and investigation announced on May 15, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “He knew exactly what that meant; a child knows what that meant,” Trump said of Comey’s post.

⚠️ Impact: Trump’s swift response and the ongoing probe highlight his administration’s zero tolerance for veiled threats, exposing Comey’s reckless partisanship after his Russiagate missteps.

IN FULL:

Former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey has deleted a picture he shared on Instagram spelling out ‘8647’ in seashells. To ’86’ someone means to remove or kill them in the slang of the hospitality industry and organized crime, while ’47’ almost certainly refers to President Donald J. Trump, who is the 47th U.S. President.

“I posted earlier a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message,” Comey wrote in a new Instagram post, trying to suggest someone else had arranged the shells. “I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence. It never occurred to me,” he added, despite his extensive background in law enforcement.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Secret Service are investigating the post, which Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem characterized as having “called for the assassination of [President] Trump.”

President Trump has said he does not believe that Comey did not know what the words implied, telling the media, “He knew exactly what that meant; a child knows what that meant.”

“If you’re the FBI Director, and you don’t know what that meant… That meant ‘assassination,’ and it says it loud and clear,” the America First leader continued, adding that, while Comey “wasn’t very competent,” he was “competent enough to know what that meant.”

President Trump fired Comey, who facilitated the bogus Russiagate investigation, during his first term, after which he became a strident anti-Trump partisan. Two attempts were made on Trump’s life in 2024, including one at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, which saw the America First leader struck in the ear by a sniper, and three rallygoers more seriously shot, one fatally. President Trump believes Democrats’ “inflammatory” rhetoric against him inspired the attacks.

WATCH:

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May 16, 2025
Christopher Tomlinson
Crime
UK

Ukrainian Migrant Charged With Setting Fire to Properties Owned by British PM.

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❓What Happened: A Ukrainian man has been charged with arson and attacking properties owned or linked to British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

👥 Who’s Involved: Roman Lavrynovych, Sir Keir Starmer, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

📍 Where & When: The attacks occurred between May 8 and May 12; Lavrynovych was charged on May 15.

💬 Key Quote: “Following a review of the evidence provided by the Metropolitan Police Service’s counter terrorism command, we have authorised criminal charges against a 21-year-old man after three fires in north London,” confirmed Bethan David, head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) counter terrorism division.

⚠️ Impact: The arrest raises questions on the motive regarding the attacks and what the suspect’s Ukrainian background may have to do with them.

IN FULL:

A Ukrainian migrant has been charged after trying to set several properties on fire that British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer owns or has links to. One fire occurred on May 12 in Kent at the house the Prime Minister lived in before moving into Number 10 Downing Street last year.

Roman Lavrynovych, a 21-year-old Ukrainian national, was arrested and has been charged with three counts of arson for fires at Sir Keir’s home, another property linked to the Prime Minister, and a vehicle that is also connected to him. All of the attacks took place from May 8 to May 12. One person had to be helped out of one of the properties by firefighters.

Lavrynovych was arrested on May 13 at his home in south-east London and was charged on May 15. “Following a review of the evidence provided by the Metropolitan Police Service’s counter terrorism command, we have authorised criminal charges against a 21-year-old man after three fires in north London,” Bethan David, head of the Crown Prosecution Service counter terrorism division, said.

So far, no motive has been put forward by police regarding the attacks, which appear to have clearly targeted the Labour Party leader.

The attack is just the latest serious criminal act by a Ukrainian in recent months in Western Europe. In late March, a Ukrainian man stabbed five people in Amsterdam. Prosecutors later floated the idea that his motive could have been terrorism.

Image by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street.

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May 15, 2025
Lawfare
News

Kash Patel Crushes Anti-Trump Weaponization Arm of FBI.

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❓What Happened: The Washington Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has shut down its federal public corruption squad, known internally as “CR15.”

👥 Who’s Involved: The FBI, former Special Counsel Jack Smith, Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, and Permanent Subcommittee Chair Ron Johnson.

📍 Where & When: Washington, D.C.; the announcement follows earlier DOJ restructuring efforts in 2023.

💬 Key Quote: “My oversight has shown time and again how the FBI’s CR-15 unit was weaponized to execute one-sided political attacks, particularly against President Trump and his allies.” — Sen. Chuck Grassley.

⚠️ Impact: The closure signals a shift in FBI resources toward priorities like immigration enforcement.

IN FULL:

Under the orders of Director Kash Patel, the Washington Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has dismantled its federal public corruption squad, CR15, which previously played a significant role in lawfare investigations related to President Donald J. Trump.

The CR15 unit, one of three teams handling public corruption cases at the field office, was heavily involved in the “Arctic Frost” probe. This investigation served as a precursor to Special Counsel Jack Smith‘s failed inquiry into alleged efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the contested 2020 election results. Both federal criminal cases against Trump stemming from these investigations were later dropped following his election triumph.

Agents from the disbanded squad will be reassigned to other duties, as the FBI shifts its focus toward immigration enforcement. This reallocation of resources coincides with broader changes within the Department of Justice (DOJ), which downsized its Public Integrity Section earlier this year and saw resignations from members who opposed dropping a federal corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-IA), who has scrutinized CR15’s operations, welcomed the closure. “My oversight has shown time and again how the FBI’s CR-15 unit was weaponized to execute one-sided political attacks, particularly against President Trump and his allies,” Grassley stated. He further emphasized the need for transparency and record preservation as his investigations continue.

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May 15, 2025
Jack Montgomery
News

Don Jr. Accuses Comey of ‘Calling for My Dad to Be Murdered’ in Instagram Post.

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❓What Happened: Donald Trump Jr. accused former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey of inciting his father’s murder in an Instagram post featuring the slogan “86 47” spelled out in seashells, a phrase tied to mob slang for killing.

👥 Who’s Involved: Donald Trump Jr., James Comey, President Donald J. Trump, and Democrat-aligned media.

📍 Where & When: Online, with Trump Jr.’s accusation posted on X (formerly Twitter) on May 15, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “Just James Comey casually calling for my dad to be murdered,” Donald Trump Jr. stated on X.

⚠️ Impact: Comey’s stunt underscores the left’s escalating rhetoric, spotlighting his descent from feigned impartiality to partisan extremism.

IN FULL:

Donald Trump Jr. has accused former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director James Comey of calling for his father’s murder in an Instagram post.

Comey had published a picture of ’86 47′ spelled out in seashells on the beach. In hospitality, to ’86’ someone is to remove them from a premises, such as a bar or restaurant, while in the mob, it refers to killing someone. The 47 refers to President Donald J. Trump as the 47th U.S. President.

“Just James Comey casually calling for my dad to be murdered,” the President’s eldest son remarked of the post on X (formerly Twitter), adding: “This is who the Dem-Media worships. Demented!!!!”

President Trump survived two attempts on his life in 2024, first at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a sniper shot him in the ear and killed one of his supporters, and then at a golf course in Florida, where pro-Ukraine activist Ryan Routh was found waiting to take a shot at the America First leader in a bush.

While many liberals initially resented Comey for his role in the investigation of the Hillary Clinton email scandal—which he concluded without recommending any charges—he became a hero to them after President Trump fired him in 2017, and fully embraced his partisan role. Early in Trump’s first term, Comey facilitated the bogus Russiagate investigation despite a lack of evidence for any wrongdoing, diverting much of the administration’s time and energy.

Comey offered a full-throated endorsement of Joe Biden before his ouster in favor of Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential race, saying, “I don’t care how you feel about Joe Biden. You must vote for him because the consequences on the other side are too severe.”

Image by Paul Morigi Photography via Brookings Institute.

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May 15, 2025
William Upton
Crime
Politics

Foreign Democrat Mega Donor Hit With Sexual Harassment Lawsuit.

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❓What Happened: Swiss billionaire and Democratic Party dark money mega donor Hansjorg Wyss has been hit with a sexual harassment lawsuit, alleging the 89-year-old subjected a 30-year-old employee to repeated sexual propositions, groping, and sexual exposure.

👥 Who’s Involved: Hansjorg Wyss, Madison Busby, and a network of dark money groups that advocate for progressive political policies and back Democratic Party candidates for office.

📍 Where & When: The lawsuit was filed on April 25, 2025, in the San Luis Obispo County, California Superior Court. Details emerged publicly on May 14, 2025.

💬 Key Quote: “Mr. Wyss told Ms. Busby how much he enjoyed having a threesome, even with another man,” the lawsuit alleges, adding: “He even suggested a ‘foursome’ and stated it would be ‘fun’ for the three of them and another woman by the name of ‘Lori.’”

⚠️ Impact: The lawsuit could sideline one of the Democratic Party’s most significant and influential dark money donors ahead of the 2026 congressional midterm elections.

IN FULL:

Hansjorg Wyss, an 89-year-old Swiss billionaire and Democratic Party mega donor, is the subject of a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a 30-year-old employee at one of his California wineries. In the legal filing, Madison Busby—an employee at Halter Ranch Winery—alleges Wyss subjected her to repeated sexual propositions, groped her, and exposed himself to her. Wyss’s political contributions to far-left advocacy groups and Democratic Party-aligned nonprofits have been the subject of controversy as he lacks both U.S. citizenship and permanent residency.

“Madison has suffered severe emotional distress from the harassment which took place over the course of many years, and also from lost wages and then future damages. She’s been harmed immensely,” Busby’s attorney, John Ly, said after the lawsuit‘s filing. Busby claims that after she rejected Wyss’s advances, the Swiss billionaire engaged in retaliation against her.

While not as publicly well-known as far-left Democrat donors like George Soros and Reid Hoffman, Wyss has quietly become one of the party’s most influential financiers over the last decade. Notably, Wyss is a major backer of the progressive political consulting firm Arabella Advisors‘s dark money network. In recent years, the Swiss billionaire contributed an estimated $162 million to Arabella’s key left-wing political money operations, Sixteen Thirty Fund and New Venture Fund.

Using a network of nonprofits and foundations that help conceal his political giving, Wyss has funnelled over $200 million in total to Democrat Party-aligned nonprofit advocacy groups, including the Center for American Progress, NewsGuard, and Priorities USA.

Notably, United States election laws bar noncitizens from contributing to federal candidates for office and political action committees (PACs). However, Wyss—a Swiss national who lacks American citizenship or permanent residency—circumvents these restrictions by contributing to outside political advocacy organizations that use donor money to help influence elections in favor of Democratic Party candidates.

According to the lawsuit, Wyss aggressively pursued the potential of group sex with Busby. “Mr. Wyss told Ms. Busby how much he enjoyed having a threesome, even with another man,” the filing states, adding: “He even suggested a ‘foursome’ and stated it would be ‘fun’ for the three of them and another woman by the name of ‘Lori.’” The lawsuit notes that in 2022, Wyss admitted to Busby that “if you ever went after me for sexual harassment, you would win.”

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May 15, 2025
News

DOJ Redirects Trans, DEI Grants to Bolster Law Enforcement Funding.

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❓What Happened: The Department of Justice (DOJ) is reallocating funds previously designated for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and transgender initiatives to support law enforcement and crime prevention.

👥 Who’s Involved: Attorney General Pam Bondi, Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, and the DOJ.

📍 Where & When: United States; decision follows a recent inquiry from Grassley about DOJ grant funding cuts.

💬 Key Quote: “The Department of Justice under Pam Bondi will not waste discretionary funds on DEI passion projects that do not make Americans safer,” a DOJ official stated.

⚠️ Impact: Funds will now focus on combating violent crime, aiding victims, and enhancing law enforcement coordination, while grants for DEI programs are terminated.

IN FULL:

The Department of Justice (DOJ), under Attorney General Pam Bondi, has announced a significant shift in funding priorities. Resources will be redirected away from diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) projects to focus on law enforcement and public safety initiatives.

The decision comes after Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley sought clarification regarding the DOJ’s recent move to cut $811 million in grant funding. Grassley’s inquiry prompted the DOJ to disclose that much of the affected funding had been awarded to non-governmental organizations rather than directly to state or local agencies serving communities.

According to a DOJ response, the funds will now be allocated toward efforts such as combating violent crime, protecting children, aiding victims of trafficking and sexual assault, and improving coordination among law enforcement agencies.

“The Department of Justice under Pam Bondi will not waste discretionary funds on DEI passion projects that do not make Americans safer,” a DOJ official said. “We will use our money to get criminals off the streets, seize drugs, and in some cases, fund programs that deliver a tangible impact for victims of crime.”

Under the former Biden-Harris government, the DOJ had awarded grants to organizations promoting DEI and LGBT-related initiatives. For instance, $200,000 was granted to the Diversity Center of Oklahoma for services targeting “Black and Brown women, including Black transgender women,” which included funding for so-called “gender affirming medical care.”

Another $700,000 was awarded to FORGE Inc. to address violent crimes against transgender individuals, with a particular emphasis on trans women and girls of color.

The move is just another part of President Donald J. Trump’s initiatives to scrap DEI policies and rein in wasteful spending. Earlier this year, Trump signed an executive order banning all DEI initiatives within the federal government.

Image by Steve Fernie.

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May 15, 2025
Corruption
Media

White House Fumes Over Don Jr’s Media Treatment.

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❓What Happened: The Trump administration is reportedly considering a federal investigation into Axel Springer, the German parent company of POLITICO and Business Insider. The possible probe follows a thinly sourced story published by Business Insider suggesting that Donald Trump Jr.’s business interests could be akin to Hunter Biden’s corrupt political activities.

👥 Who’s Involved: The Trump White House, Donald Trump Jr., Business Insider journalist Bethany McLean, and Axel Springer.

📍 Where & When: The issue arose following a May 6 report by Business Insider, with rumors of a possible federal probe emerging between May 13 and 15.

💬 Key Quote: An unnamed White House adviser reportedly referred to Axel Springer as a “German influence operation” and suggested its reporting could be “illegal foreign political meddling.”

⚠️ Impact: The potential probe could place Axel Springer under federal scrutiny for its media activities in the U.S.

IN FULL:

The Trump White House is reportedly weighing a federal investigation into Axel Springer, the German media conglomerate that owns POLITICO and Business Insider. The move follows a recent report by Business Insider comparing Donald Trump Jr.’s business activities to Hunter Biden‘s alleged selling of White House access, involving his father, former President Joe Biden.

On May 6, journalist Bethany McLean published a piece in Business Insider titled “Don Jr. Is the New Hunter Biden.” The report highlighted Trump Jr.’s involvement with the venture capital firm 1789 Capital and quoted an anonymous source allegedly close to the Trump family claiming, “What they’re doing is selling access to the president via the back door.”

The comparison parallels Hunter Biden, who has faced scrutiny for years over his foreign business dealings and accusations of leveraging White House access during his father’s political career. Notably, other Biden family members, including Joe Biden’s brother, Jim Biden, faced similar allegations of political corruption.

Following the Business Insider story, reports emerged that the Trump White House is considering a federal probe of the media outlet’s foreign owner, Axel Springer. Speculation regarding the investigation has been further fueled by a story from Matthew Boyle of Breitbart News, which cites an unnamed White House adviser who described Axel Springer as a “German influence operation.” The adviser also suggested that the company’s activities might amount to “illegal foreign political meddling.”

Axel Springer’s media outlets, including POLITICO and Business Insider, are believed to have attracted the attention of senior administration officials. Notably, the German-based media conglomerate and its U.S.-based media properties could face scrutiny for potentially violating federal ethics norms.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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