A federal appeals court on Thursday allowed President Donald Trump to move forward with his effort to overturn his criminal conviction in the hush money case in New York City.
Trump is seeking to transfer the case from New York state court to federal court, arguing that a federal judge should dismiss the jury’s 34-count guilty verdict based on the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on presidential immunity, The Hill reported.
A three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit said it “cannot be confident” that the lower court properly weighed Trump’s arguments in his effort to transfer the case to federal court.
“The court bypassed what we consider to be important issues bearing on the ultimate issue of good cause,” the panel noted in its ruling.
“We leave it to the able and experienced District Judge to decide whether to solicit further briefing from the parties or hold a hearing to help it resolve these issues,” the panel added.
The panel included U.S. Circuit Judges Raymond Lohier and Susan Carney, both appointed by former President Obama, as well as U.S. Circuit Judge Myrna Pérez, who was appointed by former President Biden.
Trump was convicted last year on charges of falsifying business records related to payments intended to conceal an alleged affair with adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election.
“President Trump continues to win in his fight against Radical Democrat Lawfare,” a spokesperson for Trump’s legal team said in a statement. “The Supreme Court’s historic decision on Immunity, the Federal and New York State Constitutions, and other established legal precedent mandate that the Witch Hunt perpetrated by the Manhattan DA be immediately overturned and dismissed.”
“President Trump will keep defeating Democrat weaponization at every turn as he focuses on his singular mission to Make America Great Again,” the spokesperson added.
It’s been a rough few weeks for James as she battles her own personal court case.
The judge presiding over New York Attorney General Letitia James’ mortgage fraud case on Friday rejected a motion seeking to compel federal prosecutors to maintain a log of all their communications with the media.
Defense attorney Abbe Lowell had filed the request last week, following James’ arraignment on charges of bank fraud and making false statements. The motion cited a report alleging that U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan exchanged a series of encrypted Signal messages with a reporter regarding the case, the New York Post reported.
Walker further wrote that while Halligan’s Signal chat with Lawfare senior editor Anna Bower earlier this month was “unusual,” he nevertheless declined to offer an opinion “on whether they were improper in any sense, either legal or ethical.”
He went on to order federal prosecutors to follow all rules of the court but did not suggest that they had violated any so far.
He also ordered a “litigation hold preventing the deletion or destruction of any records or communications having to do with the investigation or prosecution of this case.”
Halligan’s Signal messages to the reporter were configured to automatically disappear after eight hours, The Post reported.
The judge did not address whether Halligan’s communications — which reportedly disputed a New York Times story revealing that James’ grandniece told a grand jury she had never paid rent on the Norfolk, Va., property at the center of the case — constituted material subject to discovery requirements.
In response to James’ motion, federal prosecutors requested that Judge Walker impose a gag order on the New York attorney general — a request he declined.
James pleaded not guilty last week to one count of bank fraud and one count of making a false statement to a financial institution.
According to the indictment, the longtime Trump adversary purchased a three-bedroom, one-bathroom home on Peronne Avenue in Norfolk on August 17, 2020, using a $109,600 loan that included a “second home rider” identifying her as the sole occupant. That designation allegedly allowed James to secure more favorable mortgage terms, saving her nearly $19,000.
However, prosecutors say the home “was not occupied or used” by James, but “was instead used as a rental investment property” to house her grandniece, Nakia Thompson.
If convicted on both counts, James faces up to 60 years in prison and a $2 million fine.
Kash Patel, now serving as FBI Director under President Donald Trump’s second term, is pulling no punches.
Patel is making waves with explosive claims that the 2022 FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago was a politically motivated hit job tied to the failed RussiaGate narrative.
In an interview with the New York Sun, Director Patel declared, “The FBI’s invasion of Mar-a-Lago was illegal. We are going to hold people accountable.”
The statement echoes what millions of Trump supporters have long believed: that the raid on the president’s private residence was not about national security but about neutralizing a political opponent.
Patel, a key figure in dismantling the RussiaGate hoax, called the raid “a continuation of a weaponized justice system.”
He also emphasized that there was “no predicate” for the raid, citing a lack of constitutional authority. “This was lawfare, not law enforcement,” he told Fox Business.
The raid, which occurred under Joe Biden’s watch, has drawn intense scrutiny. Conservatives argue that the DOJ never showed the same vigor when investigating Democrats.
“It’s clear that two sets of rules exist—one for Trump, and another for everyone else,” Patel said.
The FBI has yet to produce substantial evidence justifying the raid, fueling speculation that it was intended to derail Trump’s political comeback.
Patel pointed to his own experiences exposing the Crossfire Hurricane scandal. “The same people who lied about Russia collusion were behind this raid,” he said.
Trump has also blasted the raid, calling it “an unprecedented attack on American democracy.”
Patel insists that the documents in question were declassified. “I was there. The President had the authority to declassify, and he did,” he told Fox News.
He added, “If there was truly a national security risk, they wouldn’t have waited months to act.”
Legal experts sympathetic to Trump say the raid sets a dangerous precedent. “We’re criminalizing paperwork,” said former U.S. Attorney Brett Tolman.
Even liberal commentators have begun questioning the raid’s timing and optics.
Meanwhile, House Republicans have launched investigations into the DOJ’s conduct. “The American people deserve answers,” said Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan.
As pressure mounts, Patel is calling for criminal referrals. “It’s time to prosecute the prosecutors,” he stated.
He also took aim at the media, saying, “These so-called journalists are complicit. They cheered on a raid they would have condemned under any other circumstances.”
With Trump back in office, efforts to root out corruption within federal agencies are ramping up.
“The deep state is real,” Patel concluded. “But we’re not backing down. Not now. Not ever.”
BREAKING: Anna Paulina Luna Claims The Biden DOJ DESTROYED…
Representative Anna Paulina Luna has leveled explosive information against the Biden Department of Justice, claiming that critical materials related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation have been deliberately destroyed.
This assertion, if proven true, would represent one of the most damning instances of governmental obstruction and cover-up in recent history.
Luna, who chairs a congressional task force focused on federal transparency, has stated unequivocally that she possesses evidence implicating high-ranking officials in the DOJ.
According to her, these officials not only failed to disclose materials related to Epstein but actively destroyed them to conceal the extent of powerful individuals’ involvement in Epstein’s criminal network.
She introduced legislation titled the SHRED Act, aimed at imposing severe penalties on government agents who destroy or conceal federal records. The proposed bill calls for 20 years to life in prison for anyone caught eliminating evidence in cases of national significance.
“Even if they are conducting a criminal investigation, you should probably pick up the phone and call us,” Luna told Fox News. “We have been more than patient.”
These developments come amid growing conservative suspicion that the Biden administration has no interest in unmasking Epstein’s full network. The notion that key records could be gone forever only intensifies fears that justice is being buried under a bureaucratic rug.
Luna’s office has reportedly sent multiple requests to the Department of Justice demanding clarity on the handling of Epstein-related materials. So far, those inquiries have been met with either vague responses or complete silence.
The congresswoman did not mince words in her public statements, suggesting that the DOJ’s behavior constitutes a deliberate act of obstruction. If true, such actions could violate federal law and trigger an entirely new legal battle.
“The Biden DOJ has obstructed Congress, ignored subpoenas, and now appears to have destroyed critical evidence,” Luna said. “This is corruption at the highest level.”
Critics argue that this is yet another example of double standards in Washington. “Had this been a Republican-led DOJ accused of destroying documents in a child sex trafficking case, the media would be apoplectic,” one conservative commentator noted.
For years, the Epstein case has symbolized the deep rot within America’s elite circles. The financier’s suspicious death in prison and the subsequent lack of high-profile indictments have fueled accusations of a widespread cover-up.
Now, Luna’s allegations breathe new life into those concerns. If records were indeed destroyed, the implications are profound. It would mean that the DOJ, under Biden, actively shielded criminals from justice.
What’s more troubling is that these destroyed materials could have named prominent individuals—politicians, celebrities, and global financiers—who participated in or enabled Epstein’s crimes.
In this context, Luna’s SHRED Act isn’t just legislative symbolism. It is a clarion call for accountability in an era marked by elite impunity. Her bill seeks to ensure that future officials think twice before erasing truth from the historical record.
Despite Luna’s repeated calls for transparency, there has been no formal response from Attorney General Merrick Garland. The silence speaks volumes to many who believe the DOJ is stonewalling on purpose.
Meanwhile, conservative lawmakers have rallied behind Luna. A growing number of Republicans in the House and Senate are voicing support for investigations into the DOJ’s handling of Epstein evidence.
Some have even floated the idea of appointing a special counsel to probe the matter independently. Given the stakes, such a move may be the only path forward to restore public confidence.
This latest scandal further erodes the credibility of an already battered Department of Justice. From the Hunter Biden laptop fiasco to the political targeting of conservatives, the agency has been repeatedly accused of partisanship.
Now, with Epstein documents allegedly destroyed, the DOJ’s credibility is in tatters. Public trust, once broken, is hard to rebuild.
The American people deserve the truth. And if Luna’s allegations are accurate, they deserve justice, no matter how high the guilty parties sit.
From working behind the scenes at Fox News to standing beside Pete Hegseth at the White House, Jennifer Rauchet has been a consistent force in his personal and professional life — now as his wife and partner in public service. As Hegseth took on the role of U.S. Secretary of Defense in 2025, Rauchet remained firmly by his side, both as a supporter and part of their close-knit family.
Their relationship began under complex circumstances. Both were married to other people when they welcomed a daughter, Gwendolyn, in 2017. Hegseth had previously been through two marriages — first to high school sweetheart Meredith Schwarz, and then to Samantha Deering, with whom he shares children. Rauchet, too, was ending a marriage and raising three children of her own.
At the time, Rauchet was a producer for Fox & Friends, the same show Hegseth began co-hosting in 2017. After their relationship became public, she transitioned to producing Watters’ World to avoid a professional conflict. Their personal connection only deepened, and in August 2019, they were married at Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey, with high-profile guests like Donald Trump, Sean Hannity, and Ainsley Earhardt in attendance.
Together, Jennifer and Pete have built a blended family of seven children — three from each of their previous relationships and their daughter Gwendolyn. Their children are central to their lives and frequently appear at major milestones, including Hegseth’s swearing-in at the White House, where the entire family stood proudly together.
Despite never holding a formal government role, Rauchet plays a visible part in Hegseth’s public life — traveling with him, attending events, and supporting him through political highs and lows. In late 2024, when past controversies surrounding Hegseth resurfaced, Rauchet defended him publicly, writing:
“They won’t stop with Pete. It’s not him they’re after. It’s your values. We won’t back down.”
Her message was clear: no matter the headlines or criticism, she remains committed to their partnership, their family, and their shared beliefs. Together, they’ve weathered personal challenges and public scrutiny, grounded in faith, patriotism, and loyalty — forming not just a political team, but a strong, united family.