Duncan, Steele Lead After First Ballot For Gop Chairman

A new AARP poll in Arizona found Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) leading Kari Lake (R) in the U. S. Senate race, 48% to 45%, with 6% undecided.

“Families of the Sandy Hook massacre victims moved to take over Alex Jones’ social media accounts on Thursday as a bankruptcy lawsuit over his estate moves into liquidation proceedings,” The Hill reports.

“President Biden emphatically defended his son at a summit of world leaders here, commenting directly for the first time since Hunter Biden was convicted this week on federal gun charges, while also reiterating that he would not use his presidential powers to soften whatever penalty his son faces,” the Washington Post reports. Said Biden: “I’m extremely proud of my son, Hunter.

“Billionaire political donor Harlan Crow provided at least three previously undisclosed private jet trips to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in recent years, an investigation by Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats has found,” ProPublica reports.

CNBC: “Campaign finance experts say a unique combination of fundraising tactics and legal maneuvers have helped the Trump campaign climb out of a financial sinkhole that raised questions about his ability to compete in the race.” “Since he left the White House in 2020, Trump has taken advantage of a little-known loophole in campaign finance law to pay for his mounting legal costs, which Federal Election Commission filings show amount to around $90,000 per day over the past three years.” “Campaign disclosures show Trump has used a web of political action committees, or PACs, to funnel donor money to a leadership PAC he founded called Save America, which is primarily paying his legal bills.

TPM: “Through a series of prosecutions, federal law enforcement effectively decapitated the Proud Boys’ leadership. It’s left an organization that is vulnerable, unclear in its organization, more prone acting at the local level, far weaker than it was at the end of the Trump administration, but still resilient and capable of inflicting harm.”