Trump pardons former Virginia sheriff convicted of taking $75K in bribes

Trump pardons former Virginia sheriff convicted of taking $75K in bribes

PresidentDonald Trumpon Monday announced that he will pardon a formerVirginia sheriffconvicted of taking more than $75,000 in bribes in exchange for appointing businessmen as auxiliary deputy sheriffs within his department. In a Truth Social post, Trump said Scott Howard Jenkins, 53, of Culpeper, Virginia, was supposed to report to jail Tuesday but "instead will have a wonderful and productive life." Jenkins, the former sheriff of Culpeper County, was convicted last year of one count of conspiracy, four counts of honest services fraud, and seven counts of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. He was sentenced in March to 10 years in prison. Jd Vance Spells Out What Trump's Process To 'Rectify' 'Unfair' Jan 6 Prosecutions Could Look Like In his post, Trump said the former sheriff and his wife have been "dragged through HELL by a Corrupt and Weaponized Biden"Justice Department. "In fact, during his trial, when Sheriff Jenkins tried to offer exculpatory evidence to support himself, the Biden Judge, Robert Ballou, refused to allow it, shut him down, and then went on a tirade,"Trump wrote. "As we have seen, in Federal, City, and State Courts, Radical Left or Liberal Judges allow into evidence what they feel like, not what is mandated under the Constitution and Rules of Evidence." Read On The Fox News App "This Sheriff is a victim of an overzealous Biden Department of Justice, and doesn't deserve to spend a single day in jail," he added. "He is a wonderful person, who was persecuted by the Radical Left 'monsters,' and 'left for dead.' This is why I, as President of the United States, see fit to end his unfair sentence, and grant Sheriff Jenkins a FULL and Unconditional Pardon." How My Jan. 6 Clients Were Robbed Of Fairness In Dc Bench Trials Federal prosecutors alleged Jenkins accepted cash bribes and bribes in the form of campaign contributions from co-defendants Rick Rahim, Fredric Gumbinner and James Metcalf, as well as at least five others, including two FBI undercover agents. In exchange, Jenkins appointed the people paying the bribes as auxiliary deputy sheriffs, a sworn law-enforcement position, and issued them official Culpeper County Sheriff's Office badges and credentials, authorities said. None of the payers were trained or vetted and did not render any legitimate services to the sheriff's office,prosecutors said. In April, Jenkins said he hoped that Trump would intervene in his case. "I truly believe if I could get an hour of time with someone in the administration and lay out some facts with my attorney and I really believe if they could hear the other side which I couldn't get in front of the jury — I believe wholeheartedly in the president," he said during a webinar hosted by the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association. "I believe if he heard the information, I know he would help if he knew my story." Original article source:Trump pardons former Virginia sheriff convicted of taking $75K in bribes

byRoger Fisher

in

May 26, 2025

Trump pardons former Virginia sheriff convicted of taking $75K in bribes

Trump pardons former Virginia sheriff convicted of taking $75K in bribes PresidentDonald Trumpon Monday announced that he will pardon a form...

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Three inmates from New Orleans jailbreak recaptured; 2 escapees remain at large

Three inmates from New Orleans jailbreak recaptured; 2 escapees remain at large

Three inmates who busted out of aNew Orleans facility in a high-profile jailbreakwere recaptured, Louisiana State Police announced on May 26. Lenton Vanburen, Leo Tate, and Jermaine Donald were the latest escapees to be arrested after the jailbreak earlier this month, state policeannounced on Facebook. Vanburen, 26, was jailed on charges of parole violation and illegal possession of a firearm; Tate, 31, was charged with burglary and drug possession, Orleans Parish records show; Donald, 42, was charged with second-degree murder. The trio is expected to face additional charges related to the escape, officials said. Vanburen was found in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, by the Baton Rouge Police Department, state police said. The Texas Department of Public Safety arrested Tate and Donald in Walker County, Texas, according to Louisiana authorities. Two escapees — Derrick Groves and Antoine Massey — remain at large. This is a developing story. Follow@USATODAYfor additional updates. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:New Orleans jailbreak: Authorities capture three escaped inmates

byRoger Fisher

in

May 26, 2025

Three inmates from New Orleans jailbreak recaptured; 2 escapees remain at large

Three inmates from New Orleans jailbreak recaptured; 2 escapees remain at large Three inmates who busted out of aNew Orleans facility in a h...

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3 more escaped New Orleans jail inmates captured; 2 remain at large

3 more escaped New Orleans jail inmates captured; 2 remain at large

Three more inmates who escaped from aNew Orleansjail earlier this month have been captured, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill announced Monday. Two escapees remain at large. Inmate Lenton Vanburen was detained in Baton Rouge, Murrill saidon social media. Leo Tate and Jermaine Donald were arrested in Walker County, Texas, by the Texas Department of Public Safety, Murrillsaid in another post. Vanburen was originally serving time for a parole violation, possession of a firearm by a felon and illegal carrying of a weapon, Murrill said. Tate was originally incarcerated on charges of burglary, possession of a firearm by a felon and illegal carrying of a weapon. He also has a criminal history that includes attempted second-degree murder, the attorney general said. Donald was originally arrested on charges of second-degree murder, aggravated battery and possession of a firearm by a felon. The three men will now both face additional charges related to the escape, Murrill said. The 10 inmates broke out of the jail on May 16, and three were captured in the first 24 hours after their escape. Surveillance videoshowed several inmates forcing open a cell door at about 12:22 a.m. CDT on May 16 and breaching a wall behind the cell's toilet. At around 1 a.m., video showed the inmates fleeing the building through a nearby loading dock, according to the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office. The escape went unnoticed by the sheriff's office until approximately 8:30 a.m. on Friday. At the time of the escape, no sheriff's deputy was assigned to the area where the inmates initiated the jailbreak. At least nine peoplehave been arrestedin connection with the escape of the 10 inmates, including a maintenance worker at the jail, whowas accusedof shutting off water to a cell that the inmates used in the escape by removing a toilet from the wall. Delta Air Lines' 100th year takes flight Trump delivers Memorial Day remarks at Arlington National Cemetery Full interview: Jack McCain on "Face the Nation"

byRoger Fisher

in

May 26, 2025

3 more escaped New Orleans jail inmates captured; 2 remain at large

3 more escaped New Orleans jail inmates captured; 2 remain at large Three more inmates who escaped from aNew Orleansjail earlier this month ...

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Chicago principal warns lenient school grading won't match 'real world' expectations

Chicago principal warns lenient school grading won't match 'real world' expectations

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) officials are debating whether their grading policy is too lenient, with one principal arguing that leniency in grading won't translate into success in the real world for students,according to a report. "When students graduate and are working in jobs, what they experience around grace and flexibility at school is not going to match," Ellen Kennedy said in a report from the Chicago Sun-Times. "This bubble is not going to surround you wherever you go." Kennedy is principal at Richards Career Academy High School (RCAHS). 300K Nyc Public School Students Didn't Show Up To School Last Year, According To Report RCAHS is predominantly enrolled by Latino and Black students. The school piloted a new grading policy before theCOVID pandemicthat allowed them to redo assignments repeatedly and then submit assignments late. The policy was intended to addressrising absenteeismin the district. "Even if they didn't complete the assignment, the lowest score they could get was 50 rather than zero — a concept known as no-zero grading," the Times reported. Read On The Fox News App The trend of "no-zero grading" started across the district and the United States as "part of a push to give students more chances to show what they learned." Proponents of the policy argue that the traditional grading policy makes it difficult for students to recover, put in effort, and attend class. Jessica Bunzol, a transformation coach at the University ofChicagoNetwork for College Success, who has done work at RCAHS, said issuing "Fs" are "not motivators for young people." "That belief that our classroom should be oriented toward helping young people to succeed, rather than orienting them towards failure, is really a critical part," Bunzol said. "Research tells us that F's are not motivators for young people and that they're not going to engage them in classrooms in the way we might previously have thought or hoped." Us 'Report Card' Shows Students Have Fallen Behind In Reading, Barely Budged In Math: 'The News Is Not Good' A CPS official charged with managing attendance and truancy said the "shift was key in becoming a district that's attuned to the social-emotional needs of its students." "We're not issuing grades without knowing the full story," Zakieh Mohammed said. "If the student has not shown up, are we just issuing a zero, or are we asking why?" "We wanted to show up for our kids first and then grading was secondary," Candace Brahm, a science teacher at RCAHS, said. On the other hand, critics at RCAHS and another high school in CPSF "worry it allows some students to eke out passing grades with little effort and undermines the importance of turning in work on time and coming to school regularly." One student was baffled by the notion that her classmates were passing the class with high absenteeism and missing assignments while she was doing the work. Betsy Devos: Education Department Has Failed. Time To Let Parents And States Take The Lead "I was a witness to kids just coming in, like, twice a week and doing two assignments and then passing the class," Kayla Saffold said. "It was just crazy to me." "It felt like I had to put in the effort to get the A, and someone else ends up barely putting in any effort at all, and ended up passing the class. It felt unfair to me," she added. According to the Chicago-Sun Times report, educators and experts posit that the policy is leading to chronic absenteeism and increasing graduation rates. "Last year, a quarter of all high schoolers missed more than a month of school, a Chalkbeat and WBEZ analysis found. But the graduation rate has kept going up," the Times reported. CPS officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, the school district released a statement to the Chicago-Sun Times. "CPS is committed to balancing student wellbeing with academic integrity," the statement reads. "We recognize the complexity of grading and remain focused on equity — holding all students to high expectations while ensuring they have multiple opportunities to demonstrate mastery of content." Original article source:Chicago principal warns lenient school grading won't match 'real world' expectations

byRoger Fisher

in

May 26, 2025

Chicago principal warns lenient school grading won't match 'real world' expectations

Chicago principal warns lenient school grading won't match 'real world' expectations Chicago Public Schools (CPS) officials are ...

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Truck explosion caught on camera in suburban Chicago neighborhood as leaking propane to blame: officials

Truck explosion caught on camera in suburban Chicago neighborhood as leaking propane to blame: officials

A truck that unexpectedly exploded in a suburbanChicago neighborhoodover the holiday weekend damaged several homes and injured the driver, authorities said. Investigators in Addison, 20 miles west of Chicago, said the incident has been ruled an accident due to a leaking propane tank inside the box truck rental. The Addison Fire Protection District andAddison Police Departmentresponded to the scene of the explosion on Saturday. Half A Dozen Injured After Tractor-trailer, Dump Truck Slam Into Nj Target Crews discovered a "large debris field "with "no indication of any fire" at that point. Ring camera footage taken from a home shows the truck traveling on a road in a residential area when it explodes all of a sudden. Read On The Fox News App "The explosion damaged a few homes in the area, but nobody was injured other than the driver who sustained minor injuries," the Addison Police Department said in a Facebook update. The truck was Penske box truck, which the company told Fox News Digital had been rented out to a customer moving household belongings. "Penske will cooperate fully with any further investigation by law enforcement," the company said in a statement. "Under Penske's rental agreement, explosive, flammable or otherwise hazardous materials should not be transported in a consumer rental moving truck." 2 Dead After House Burns Down In New Jersey Following 'Gigantic Explosion,' Criminal Investigation Underway One home was evacuated because of structural damage and the potential for it to collapse, police said. "I thought, 'Wow, they're starting early with the fireworks, this year, but that one sure seems to have a little extra punch'," neighbor Angelo Source toldWls-tvof the startling moment. Addison Fire Chief Brock Herion said the debris field stretched around a block,Fox Chicagoreported. First responders searched the truck and found the driver, who was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Original article source:Truck explosion caught on camera in suburban Chicago neighborhood as leaking propane to blame: officials

byRoger Fisher

in

May 26, 2025

Truck explosion caught on camera in suburban Chicago neighborhood as leaking propane to blame: officials

Truck explosion caught on camera in suburban Chicago neighborhood as leaking propane to blame: officials A truck that unexpectedly exploded ...

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