Clean Up City of St. Augustine, Florida

In secret, behind locked gates, our Nation's Oldest City dumped a landfill in a lake (Old City Reservoir), while emitting sewage in our rivers and salt marsh. Organized citizens exposed and defeated pollution, racism and cronyism. We elected a new Mayor. We're transforming our City -- advanced citizenship. Ask questions. Make disclosures. Demand answers. Be involved. Expect democracy. Report and expose corruption. Smile! Help enact a St. Augustine National Park and Seashore. We shall overcome!

Wednesday, November 23, 2022

USDOJ press release: Tennessee State Senator Pleads Guilty to Campaign Finance Scheme

Karma for the dodgy Tennessee State Senator from Germantown, Cordova and East Memphis. USDOJ press release:

Office of Public Affairs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Tennessee State Senator Pleads Guilty to Campaign Finance Scheme

Tennessee State Senator Brian Kelsey pleaded guilty today to violating campaign finance laws and conspiring to defraud the Federal Election Commission (FEC) as part of a scheme to benefit his 2016 campaign for U.S. Congress.

According to court documents, Kelsey, 44, of Germantown, admitted that he conspired to, and did, secretly and unlawfully funnel money from multiple sources, including his own Tennessee State Senate campaign committee, to his authorized federal campaign committee. Kelsey, who was a practicing attorney, and his co-conspirators, including Joshua Smith, also caused a national political organization to make illegal and excessive contributions to Kelsey’s federal campaign committee by secretly coordinating with the organization on advertisements supporting Kelsey’s federal candidacy, which caused false reports of contributions and expenditures to be filed with the FEC.

Kelsey and his co-conspirators orchestrated the concealed movement of $91,000 – $66,000 of which came from Kelsey’s State Senate campaign committee, and $25,000 of which came from a nonprofit corporation that publicly advocated on legal justice issues – to a national political organization for the purpose of funding advertisements that urged voters to support Kelsey in the August 2016 primary election. Kelsey and his co-conspirators also caused the political organization to make $80,000 worth of contributions to Kelsey’s federal campaign committee in the form of coordinated expenditures.

Kelsey pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the FEC and aiding and abetting the acceptance of excessive contributions on behalf of a federal campaign. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 9, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Joshua Smith pleaded guilty last month to aiding and abetting the solicitation, receipt, direction, transfer, and spending of soft money in connection with a federal election. He is awaiting sentencing.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Mark H. Wildasin for the Middle District of Tennessee, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee, and Special Agent in Charge Douglas Korneski of the FBI Memphis Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI is investigating the case.

Trial Attorney John Taddei of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Klopf for the Middle District of Tennessee, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Pritchard for the Western District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.

Florida Legislature poised to change law to aid a DeSantis presidential run (Politico)

History repeats itself. When an ambitious then-Republican then-Governor CHARLES CRIST, JR. fancied (or fantasized or fetishized) being Senator John McCain's Vice Presidential nominee for 2008, a Republican legislature changed the resign-to-run law to make it inapplicable to federal offices being sought by holder of a state, county or local office.

Then when CRIST did't get the gig, a compliant other-directed Republican legislature changed the law back to where it had been, pre-2008.

So now our compliant other-directed Dull Republican legislature wants to change the law again?

JFK said, "There are three things in life that are real: God, human folly and laughter. The first two are incomprehensible, so we do what we can with the third."

We're laughing at our louche Florida legislature and its delusions of adequacy.

Pompously preening GQP pachyderms are always good for a laugh.

From Politico:

Florida Legislature poised to change law to aid a DeSantis presidential run

While DeSantis has not yet said he will definitely run in 2024, he has emerged as a top potential contender for the job.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has brushed aside talk of a possible presidential run, including a potential confrontation with former President Donald Trump, telling people to “chill out.” | Octavio Jones/Getty Images

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida’s top Republican leaders say they are willing to change state law to smooth the way for Gov. Ron DeSantis to run for president in 2024.

Both House Speaker Paul Renner (R-Palm Coast) and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo (R-Naples), both of whom were sworn into their new posts on Tuesday, agreed it would be a “good idea” to make it clear that DeSantis would not have to resign if he wound up becoming the GOP nominee.

DeSantis was reelected to a second four-year term earlier this month after he defeated his Democratic rival by roughly 20 points.

“If an individual who is Florida governor is running for president, I think he should be allowed to do it,” Passidomo told reporters. “I really do. That’s a big honor and a privilege, so it is a good idea.”

While DeSantis has not yet said he will definitely run in 2024, he has emerged as a top potential contender for the job. Some are pressing him to run even though former President Donald Trump has already announced his third bidfor the White House. Recent polls have shown support for DeSantis is rising among Republican voters.

Florida law requires anyone running for a new office to put in an irrevocable letter of resignation ahead of qualifying if the terms of the two offices overlap. The law was changed in 2008 to open the door for then-Gov. Charlie Crist to seek the vice presidency, but legislators reversed course four years ago and put back in a place a requirement that someone seeking federal office would have to resign ahead of the actual election.

The 2008 law did include a carve-out for someone whose term is about to end, but that would not apply to DeSantis. The carve-out allowed then-Gov. Rick Scott, who defeated incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson that year, to remain in office until the day DeSantis was inaugurated.

Renner said that proved state legislators had been “inconsistent” about the state’s resign-to-run law, and that was one reason he was open to changing it again.

POLITICO reported earlier this month that those close to DeSantis say he has not made a final decision about running for president, but that if he does, he would likely wait until after the 2023 session that starts in March.

That would also be the time the Florida Legislature, which now has a GOP supermajority in both chambers, would consider changes to state election law. Florida legislators routinely pass election law changes in non-election years.

DeSantis has brushed aside talk of a possible presidential run, including a potential confrontation with Trump, telling people to “chill out.” It was Trump’s endorsement that catapulted DeSantis ahead of then-Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam in the 2018 Republican primary.

Trump recently attacked DeSantis for playing games by not announcing his presidential ambitions.

“He says, ‘I’m only focused on the governor’s race, I’m not looking into the future.’ Well, in terms of loyalty and class, that’s really not the right answer,” Trump said in a Nov. 10 statement and in a post on his social media platform Truth social.

A Trump-DeSantis confrontation would likely split many Florida Republicans, with some, such as Rep. Matt Gaetz who was part of DeSantis’s 2018 transition team, backing Trump.

Asked Tuesday to choose between Trump or DeSantis, a smiling Passidomo said, “What?” Asked a second time, “Trump or DeSantis,” she again said, “what?” and then returned to her office.

Army veteran recounts subduing gunman at Colorado LGBTQ club. (WaPo)

A Northrop Grumman artillery expert, retired Army Major Richard Fierro is a national hero. He also owns a beer company in Colorado. From The Washington Post:

Army veteran recounts subduing gunman at Colorado LGBTQ club

By Molly Hennessy-Fiske

and

Annie Gowen

Updated November 21, 2022 at 7:23 p.m. EST|Published November 21, 2022 at 5:02 p.m. EST

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COLORADO SPRINGS — Richard Fierro went to Club Q in Colorado Springs on Saturday night to celebrate a friend’s birthday with his family, enjoying a drag show that included a performance by his 22-year-old daughter’s best friend.

By night’s end, the air of celebration would be cut off by gunfire. Three of Fierro’s loved ones would be shot — one fatally — and Fierro, a U.S. Army veteran, would find himself rushing to confront and subdue the gunman.

On Monday, he brushed aside his actions as necessary, as chaos overtook the club.

“I had my whole Colorado Springs family in there. I had to do something. He was not going to kill my family,” Fierro said. “I just want people to take care of people, the people who are hurt and no longer with us. I still got two of my best friends who are in the hospital. They still need prayers; they still need support.”

How the Colorado mass shooting unfolded — and ended — inside Club Q

Since the weekend attack, police and others have credited unnamed customers with saving “dozens and dozens of lives,” as one of Club Q’s owners, Matthew Haynes, said at a memorial vigil Sunday evening. “Stopped the man cold. Everyone else was running away and he ran toward him.”

In a police briefing Monday afternoon, Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez and Mayor John Suthers named two patrons they said had subdued the gunman — Fierro and a second man, Thomas James.

Suthers said that he had spoken to Fierro on Monday, and “in my opinion, he saved a lot of lives.”

“I have never encountered a person who has engaged in such heroic actions who was so humble about it,” an emotional Suthers said.

Before the officials’ confirmation, club employees directed The Washington Post to comments on social media by Fierro’s family that credited him, and he spoke briefly to a reporter by telephone.

Five people were killed in the shooting and many more were injured, police said. Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, the alleged gunman, was among those still hospitalized on Monday. Authorities were holding him on five murder charges and five charges of committing a bias-motivated crime causing bodily injury, according to city spokesman Max D’Onofrio.

Police probe LGBTQ club shooting suspect’s ties to a 2021 bomb threat

Fierro, who works for defense contractor Northrop Grumman and co-owns Atrevida Beer with his wife, Jessica, said that after the drag show he was standing with a friend as their wives danced. Then the gunman entered the club, firing.

Richard Fierro and his wife, Jessica Fierro.

Fierro, 45, had served in the Army before settling in Colorado Springs, a military community that is home to both Army and Air Force installations. Club Q staff and regulars included many service members and veterans, employees said.

“But I’ve always been shot at from afar,” Fierro said. Not this time. “I heard the shot. I smelled the cordite.”

Military records confirm that Fierro served as an Army field artillery officer from 1999 to 2013, deploying three times to Iraq and once to Afghanistan. He rose to the rank of major before leaving the service, according to Sgt. Pablo Saez, an Army spokesman. Fierro received numerous awards for his service, notably a Combat Action Badge and two Bronze Stars.

When the gunfire first rang out, Fierro said, “I dove when I heard it and I pushed my friend down. He went to the floor and ended up getting shot.” So did his friend’s wife and his daughter’s boyfriend.

Fierro’s daughter broke a knee as she ran for cover, and a stranger pulled her into a dressing room to hide. He said his wife “got sucked into the crowd that went to the patio.”

As Fierro got up from the floor, he said, he saw a man with a gun.

“I looked across the room and the guy was standing at the door. I ran across the bar, grabbed the guy from the back and pulled him down and pinned him against the stairs,” he said.

Mass shootings in the U.S.

What makes something a mass shooting?

A mass shooting is defined as any event where four or more people — not including the shooter — are injured or killed.
Most perpetrators of mass shootings are men. Most gun deaths continue to be from suicides and homicides, with men making up the majority of both perpetrators and victims.

Are mass shootings increasing in the U.S.?

The numbers have gone up in the past few years.

So far, in 2022 there have been more than 600 mass shootings, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
In 2021, there were 700 mass shootings.
In 2020, there were 610.
In 2019, there were 417. Before that, the Gun Violence Archive tracked fewer than 400 mass shootings a year since 2014.

How to stay safe in a mass shooting

Every situation is different, but here’s what experts advise:

Try to stay down, small and out of sight.
Move away from the gunfire as quickly as is safe.
Hide behind a wall, if possible.

Where can I find support?

News of mass shootings can be upsetting for everyone, but even more if you are dealing with past violence-related trauma. But help is available. Here are some resources.

You can call or text 988 for the National 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline if you’re experiencing any kind of crisis (it’s not just for suicidal thoughts).

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Fierro weighs 300 pounds, but he said the gunman was bigger, wearing body armor and carrying both a handgun and an AR-15-style rifle.

“He went for his weapon, and I grabbed his handgun,” Fierro said, but “his AR was right in front of him.”

Fierro said he started shouting orders to a young man who had stopped in front of the shooter to assist.

“I said ‘Kick him! Move the AR!’ Then I just started hitting him. But he was in armor plates, so I started hitting him wherever there was skin,” Fierro said. “The back of his head was my target.”

Fierro said he felt his military training kick in.

“I’m an officer and that’s what we do. I took control of the scene as best I could. I’m just hitting the guy with the pistol, beating the back of his head,” he recalled. “I’m yelling to people at the same time, ‘Call the police! Let’s go!’ ”

Richard Fierro speaks to the media in Colorado Springs on Monday. At left is his brother, Ed. (Ross Taylor for The Washington Post)

When the young man assisting him flagged, Fierro said he hailed a drag queen in high heels to help, shouting, “Kick him!”

“She kicked him because the other guy was tired,” Fierro said.

Minutes later, the first police officer arrived. “I was in the middle of a puddle of blood,” Fierro said.

After handing off to the police, Fierro went to find his friends, both of whom had been shot and were being treated with tourniquets by first responders.

“I put her hand in his hand so they could be together,” he said.

As other officers arrived, Fierro said, they treated him with suspicion. They interrupted him as he gave first aid to a friend, he said, and “dragged me out of there like I was the shooter.” He said he was held in a police car for an hour before authorities released him to reunite with his wife and daughter. Police did not return calls seeking to confirm Fierro’s account.

Fierro never saw his daughter Kassy’s boyfriend, 22-year-old Raymond Green Vance, her high school sweetheart. Later, he learned from the man’s mother that he had died, and with her permission, Fierro’s wife posted about their experience online.

People mourn Monday near the nightclub. (Jack Dempsey/AP)

“NO ONE should ever have to witness bloodshed like this,” Jessica Fierro wrote. “The loss of lives and the injured are in our hearts. We are devastated and torn. We love our #lgbtq community and stand with them. This cowardly and despicable act of hate has no room in our lives.”

She said the shooting had “left us and our community scarred but not broken.”

At home on Monday, Kassy Fierro was recovering from the knee injury, Jessica Fierro from bruises and her husband from injuries he suffered to his hands, knees and ankle while subduing the shooter. Jessica Fierro said she worries the shooting triggered his post-traumatic stress disorder.

Richard Fierro said he does not consider himself a hero. Online, survivors of the shooting, friends and family responded to Jessica Fierro’s post with an outpouring of grateful support.

“I saw him there, I danced with them, he saved my life,” wrote Brianna Raenae. “Thank you for your bravery.”

“Thank you Richard, without your heroic actions this could’ve ended much worse than it already has,” wrote Patrick Curley.

“We already knew Rich was a Hero. He proves it yet again. Praying for healing, physically and mentally. Lots of love for your family and everyone [affected] by this evil lunatic,” wrote James Kormanik.

Gowen reported from Colorado Springs and Hennessy-Fiske from Houston. Alex Horton contributed to this report.

Mass shooting at Club Q in Colorado

The latest: A day after the 22-year-old man who allegedly opened fire inside an LGBTQ nightclub was preliminarily charged with murder and hate crimes, investigators continued seeking a motive Tuesday behind the nation’s most recent mass shooting.

Remembering the victims: Officials on Monday identified the five victims killed in the Colorado Springs shooting. Their names are Daniel Aston, Raymond Green Vance, Kelly Loving, Ashley Paugh and Derrick Rump. Here’s how to help family members of the victims and survivors of the Club Q shooting.

Stopping the shooter: An Army veteran who was at the nightclub to celebrate a friend’s birthday with his family disarmed and subdued the gunman. Here’s how the Club Q shooting unfolded.

The suspect: The suspect, Anderson Lee Aldrich, faces five murder charges and five charges of committing a bias-motivated crime causing bodily injury, city spokesman Max D’Onofrio said. Prosecutors will later file former charges. Records show that Aldrich changed his name at age 15, obscuring a a tumultuous past.