A Judge Took Hegseth Apart In 59 Pages Plus a buried report on misappropriated Florida funds, a refused dismissal of a Jan 6 conviction, and a social media giant that folded Scott Dworkin Aug 31 As we jump into another week of Trump’s chaos, I’m glad to have some more great news for you today. Stories that uncover rampant corruption, a Trump judge ruling against one of his greatest allies, and Pete Hegseth and Mark Zuckerberg losing. Before we get started, be sure to hit the like button and restack this edition. It’s only a few small clicks, but it makes a huge difference. You’d be helping spread the truth to those who need to see it. And if you haven’t yet, join us as a paid subscriber today. We’re full speed ahead with our enormous campaigns to flip Congress, on top of our daily reporting—but we need all hands on deck to finish strong. Our goal is 12 new members today. I hope you’ll be one of them: They Said It Was Legal. A Grand  Jury Said Otherwise. An insurance company called Centene overcharged the state of Florida for prescription drugs—medicine paid for by Medicaid. When they got caught, they offered to pay $67 million back. $10 million of that never made it to the state. The money was routed to a charity linked to Casey DeSantis, the governor’s wife. It sat there 25 days, before it was moved through two nonprofits and into a political fund run by GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis’ then chief of staff, James Uthmeier. He’s now the state’s attorney general. An accountant working for a grand jury followed every dollar. He found $8.5 million had landed in Keep Florida Clean, the political fund Uthmeier chaired. From there, $7 million went to the state’s GOP, where it bought television ads to beat a ballot measure DeSantis wanted dead. Money meant for sick children. Spent on a campaign. Seriously. For around a year the state of Florida said it was fine, even the head of the state health agency told lawmakers it wasn’t taxpayer money. Uthmeier said everything had looked legal. They said it in hearings, letters, and on camera. The grand jury didn’t agree, as their finding was that the money was “misappropriated,” and used for a purpose it was never meant for. It was part of what it called a scheme to fund political campaigns. It found the full settlement was money owed directly back to taxpayers. It also said it didn’t have enough evidence to charge anyone. That report was filed under seal in January and only became public days ago. Money for families that need it—called a donation, sent through a charity with a famous name on it—spent on an election. A grand jury caught it in writing—and now every voter in that state gets to decide what happens to those who did it. A Trump Judge Wouldn’t Let Them Erase It Following the Jan 6 attack on the Capitol, Congress subpoenaed Trump ally Steve Bannon. He refused to hand over any requested documents, and wouldn’t even show up to testify. So a jury convicted him of two counts of contempt of Congress, and he served four months in federal prison. This February, the DOJ went to court to make that conviction disappear. They claimed the government “has determined in its prosecutorial discretion that dismissal of this criminal case is in the interests of justice.” That’s it. No explanation of why. Bannon’s lawyers didn’t object. Both sides wanted it gone. The Supreme Court wiped out the appeals court ruling in April, the appeals court sent the case back down this month, and all they needed was a judge to sign. That judge turned out to be Carl Nichols, who Trump put on the bench in 2019. Nichols ran Bannon’s trial, and on Wednesday he told the DOJ that one sentence is not a reason, and that the rules require one. Request denied. Then, buried in a footnote, he left them something much worse. Higher courts have already ruled that the government can only drop a case while it’s still ongoing. Bannon’s case ended years ago, with a judgment Nichols himself signed. If the DOJ comes back, it has to explain why that doesn’t kill the whole request. They can try again. But today Steve Bannon still has a criminal record for stonewalling the investigation into Jan 6. And the record of what happened that day is still standing, which is exactly what they were trying to erase. They Punished A Company For Talking Back American-owned company Anthropic makes a computer program that the military wanted its hands on. The kind that reads heaps of information fast, then deciphers for you what’s in it. Anthropic said yes to almost everything—but they drew two lines. Don’t use it to spy on Americans. Don’t use it to kill people without a human making that decision. The regime reacted furiously. On February 24, Pete Hegseth gave them three days to drop their objections. They didn’t. That Friday Trump attacked Anthropic on social media, calling its workers “leftwing nut jobs,” and ordered all federal agencies to stop using their products. An hour later, Hegseth labeled the company an official threat to national security. Anthropic sued over the regime’s attacks and, on Thursday, Judge Rita Lin gutted the government’s case, ruling the blacklist illegal. When Lin asked what evidence the regime had that Anthropic was a threat, they produced a four-page memo dated March 2—after they had announced the punishment on February 27. They punished the company first, and wrote down the reason why three days later. One day after calling Anthropic a national security threat, the same official who wrote that memo emailed the company about their contract negotiation: “I think we are very close here.” They were still trying to sign a deal with the enemy they had just called a threat. Lin called it what it was: retaliation for protected speech. Permanent, effective immediately. Lin first blocked the regime back in March and gave them a week-long grace period before her order kicked in. They asked for another one—this time Lin refused. They tried to destroy a company for criticizing them in public, and a federal judge just told them they can’t. That protection isn’t Anthropic’s. It’s everyone’s. Meta Just Turned Off The Like  Counts Attorneys general across the country took Meta to court, saying the company built their social media platforms Instagram and Facebook with the goal of getting children hooked on them. Only eight days into the trial, Meta settled and quit. Co-founder Mark Zuckerberg avoided having to testify. Meta will pay out around $12.7 billion over ten years. It also agreed to update its apps in 47 states and DC. Teenagers on Instagram and Facebook will stop seeing how many likes their posts get, some filters will get switched off, they’ll get two hours max on the apps per day, and feeds are dark 12am to 6am. Meta admitted to no wrongdoing. The company bought full-page ads in five national newspapers pressuring TikTok and YouTube to match the same terms—which would cost Meta another $5 billion under the deal. Make of that what you will. For years, parents were told there’s nothing that could be done to protect children from these apps. Turns out that was wrong. All it took was being thrown into a courtroom, and the threat of executives like Mark Zuckerberg having to testify under oath. Thanks to you, I was able to write this edition—and spend the time needed to look at the original documents to get as much information as possible. If you want to do more, gift a subscription to someone who needs this news. Or upgrade to a Founding Member—we have a goal of three new ones today. I’d be honored if you were one of them. Wisconsin Is Close The read I’d give a candidate at a kitchen table with 64 days to go. The governor’s race is one to watch. An RMG poll had Democratic nominee David Crowley up 46-43 in late July. A GBAO poll had him up 47-44 in early August. And a Platform poll had him up 48-44 in mid-August. Marquette had Crowley up 49-44 among likely voters that same stretch, but tied 44-44 among all registered voters, with 12% undecided. A warning sign. Platform showed a +17 favorability for Crowley over GOP nominee Tom Tiffany’s -5. Marquette had Crowley at +4 and Tiffany at -3. It’s another sign that Wisconsin shouldn’t be taken for granted. Crowley has ground to make up. Marquette had 55% of registered Republicans with high enthusiasm to vote, compared to 49% of Democrats. The gap is inside his own party—Democrats who like Francesca Hong are 52% enthusiastic, Democrats who like Crowley are 63%. They’re not switching sides. They’re just not fired up yet. It was a squeaker. Crowley beat Hong 39.8% to 39.4% in a tight race. AP didn’t call it until 2:34am due to an upload issue in Milwaukee. Tiffany has a lot of money. The Republican had $5 million by August. Crowley reportedly raked in more than a million dollars during the first 24 hours after his win. Both campaigns bought seven figure ad buys the next morning. Tiffany abandoned the lake, but not Trump. When Trump ordered the renaming of Lake Ontario, Tiffany publicly broke ranks saying “The Great Lakes are Great Lakes, and we should leave them that way.” Don’t give him any credit, this is the same guy who voted against certifying the 2020 election results in two states. I think voters will see right through it. The Bottom Line: Sabato moved this race from a toss-up to leans Democratic on August 12, but Cook Political Report kept it as a toss-up. The enthusiasm gap here is crucial—as long as Crowley catches up there, he’ll likely win. Just nine weeks from tomorrow, the midterms will be here. Ballots start getting mailed out this week. It’s been a really long road for us to get here, which makes it easier for me to say that there is no way we are slowing down now. We are full speed ahead to flip Congress and other seats across the country. Our goal is to turn Trump into a lame duck, and begin holding this regime and its accomplices accountable. So here is our plan: We will keep fighting. We will keep investigating. We will keep the pressure on Congress. And we will never bend the knee. Never. To stay truly independent, we have no corporate influence, which means all of our funding comes from our readers. So if you haven’t yet, join us as a paid subscriber today to help us sprint through November and beyond: One more thing before you go. Hit the ❤️ like button and restack this. The regime’s entire strategy is convincing you that you are the only one who sees it. Every restack is proof to somebody else that they are not standing there alone. Onward! Scott For the comments: Do you have any kids or grandkids who use Facebook or Instagram? How would the Meta deal change things for your family? Uthmeier has to face voters in 64 days. If you saw him at a local grocery store, what would you say to him? Thanks for your support! Another way to help us out is by gifting subscriptions to friends and family! You can get yours by clicking the link. For all contact Congress links, or to volunteer, you can go here: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/sign-up-for-the-watchdog-coalition Reading is step one. Here's step two. Five campaigns we're focused on today, and every one routes straight to your own representative with your zip code attached. That's the part that matters — staff sort constituent mail by district and by subject, and volume is the only signal they act on. Mail voting. A judge in Boston rules Tuesday, and military ballots go out two days later. Congress can end the chaos instead of waiting on one courtroom. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-protect-our-use-of-voting-by-mail-and-voting-machines/ The Epstein files. Blanche has read them. He isn't going to release them on his own. Somebody with subpoena power has to make him. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-demand-acting-ag-blanche-release-all-of-the-epstein-files-now/ Investigate the whole case. Somebody flew those planes. Somebody kept that calendar. Not one of them has ever answered a question under oath. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-fully-investigate-the-jefrey-epstein-sex-trafficking-case/ 45 million acres. 625,000 people filed comments against opening our national forests. The agency moved to do it anyway. Congress holds the money. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-stop-trump-from-destroying-45-million-acres-of-our-national-forests/ The Forest Service. Fire crews, trail workers, the people who catch illegal logging. Being cut quietly, with no vote and no hearing. https://tinyurl.com/mrx8cvv7 Pick one. Pick all five. It takes a minute each, and more than 829,000 letters have gone out from this list since November 2024. Onward! COMMENTS:  Protect our forests and public lands and our museums and national parks! The billionaires don’t need or deserve these treasures entrusted to US. All over these!!! Patris’s Substack4h 👍🏻 Scott….thank you for not letting Florida story die. Scott Dworkin 5h Thank you so much, Carol! We are going to keep shining a light on this until there is full accountability. We won't let it fade away! Great you have to keep it in the limelight Thoughts and Memories4h If I saw Uthmeier I would say I smell a rat. The ballot measure ronny wanted to defeat was the legalization of marijuana. Casey DeSantis was supposedly going to run for Governor following in the footsteps of ronny. The reason IMO she disappeared is they found out what was going to be disclosed. I hope they are all prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Excellent reporting yet again Scott. You rock! Carol is right. This "funding" has been talked about since Hope Fl. started. End of the month is when people decide this doesn’t matter. It does. A judge still has Bannon’s conviction on the books. A grand jury still put the Florida dollars in writing. Don’t clock out. If you’re tired, that’s allowed. Tired and still here is the whole job. Scott Dworkin 5h You hit the nail on the head, Sam. Exhaustion is real, but staying engaged and refusing to clock out is exactly how we win. Thank you for always being here and keeping the momentum going! Talk to you in five minutes LOL In a normal world, Uthmeier and De Santis committed a $10 million fraud. and since it is Medicaid dollars and the perpetrators are constitutional officers of a state, A Federal Grand Jury would be investigating this, right? In our brave new world, they will get off. Scott Dworkin 5h Great question, Stephen. Since federal Medicaid funds are involved, federal oversight should absolutely be on the table. We’ll be watching very closely to see what happens next! ANGIE NIXON IS USING THIS IN HER ADS: It’s Rep. Angie Nixon.  My opponent, Ashley Moody stole $10 million from poor and sick kids. That’s not my opinion. That’s what a state grand jury found. The money came from a Medicaid settlement over a company overbilling a program that provides health insurance to poor children. Instead of going back to Florida taxpayers, $10 million was diverted to Hope Florida and ultimately millions flowed into political committees and the Republican Party of Florida. And the grand jury found that Ashley Moody knew about the plan and authorized her deputy to sign the settlement. I’m running to defeat Ashley Moody because Floridians deserve a Senator who fights for working families not another rubber stamp for Ron DeSantis and his corrupt political machine. DeSantis appointed Moody to this Senate seat because he knows she’ll stand with him. I’m running to make sure this seat belongs to the people of Florida instead. We can beat her, but we need the resources to expose this corruption across Florida and build the movement to flip this seat blue. Angie Nixon Democratic Nominee for US Senate, Florida THIS IS ALEX VINDMAN'S AD:  See this guy?  (TRUMP'S PHOTO) He ripped healthcare away from 15 million Americans and made the largest cut to Medicaid in American history. See her?  (PHOTO OF ASHLEY MOODY & trump) She was the deciding vote to pass the bill. Ashley Moody was hand-picked by MAGA and their billionaires to be an automatic yes-vote for their radical agenda. That’s why Trump gave Ashley his “complete and total endorsement” just weeks after she voted for the bill. She’s not Florida’s senator. She’s theirs. It’s time we elect a leader who actually gives a damn about our families. Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Alex Vindman is running for the U.S. Senate in Florida. He’s risked everything because he refuses to bow down to a wannabe tyrant. When Donald Trump tried to pressure a foreign country into investigating his political rival, Alex reported the call — leading to Trump’s first impeachment. Ashley Moody is up for election this November. Alex is ready to take the fight straight to Donald Trump’s backyard and flip Florida blue, but he can’t do it without you. Will you pitch in to Alex Vindman’s Senate campaign today? Every donation helps us check Trump’s power, and it adds up quickly when everyone is chipping in. Thank you, Team Alex Vindman Tired but not clocking out in Florida. 🌴We must keep tying Republicans to Corruption! Moody and Uthmeier to Hope Florida Byron Donalds to Data Centers All the spineless Republicans To Trump’s Corruption Free downloads and great messaging from Factocracy.You can also order inexpensive,good-quality yard signs/protest signs.I bought a bunch and placing in high traffic areas. 🪧🪧🪧🪧🪧 https://factocracy.net/ Uthmeier and DeSantis should be indicted. And for that matter, why isn’t Rick Scott in prison for his Medicare fraud?! Yeah, where is he? In the Senate… I have something more hurtful than words for Uthmeier, a vote against him in Florida! Scott Dworkin 7h That is the most powerful response of all, Brenda! Taking that energy straight to the ballot box is exactly what we need! I’m thinking about the parents like me who were told nothing could be done about those apps. Then a trial date showed up and the like counts went off. Funny how that works. Also thinking about whoever leaked that Florida report after seven months in a drawer. I hope they slept well last night. Scott Dworkin 7h It’s amazing how fast things change when real pressure and accountability are applied! And yes, whoever had the courage to leak that report did the public a massive service. KEEP WATCHING MASSACHUSETTS!  There are already legislative changes that are being discussed!  OPINION: Last week’s landmark multistate settlement with Meta will limit how much time teenagers can spend on its platforms, but it largely leaves personalized feeds intact, writes Elise Rapoza, senior research associate at the MassINC Policy Center. Massachusetts should go further by passing a pending bill that would disable certain algorithmic feeds for minors. $17 billion Meta settlement lands in hotbed of debate over social media regulations in Mass. AG, lawmakers eager to expand age restrictions to other platforms https://commonwealthbeacon.org/technology/17-billion-meta-settlement-lands-in-hotbed-of-debate-over-social-media-regulations-in-mass/ How was the felon allowed to demolish and start construction on the West Wing without a permit? Don't you have to have a building permit for a construction project? Or is he immune from that also? Scott Dworkin 9h It really feels like the normal rules just don’t apply to him, doesn't it? That's exactly why we have to keep calling it out and demanding answers! It certainly feels like that He thinks he is immune from all laws. I don't know what companies he used, but they would have to have permits. They should have known better than to do the work. Just like cutting the 100+ year old cherry trees that Japan gave the US. They were not his to cut, but he had them chopped down anyway. Damned fucking SOB Scott Dworkin 9h The loss of those historic cherry trees was absolutely heartbreaking. It’s a perfect example of why we can’t let anyone act like they are above the law or above our shared history Several months ago, when I read about trump's ambition to destroy the cherry trees (Cherry Trees! The blossoms! The beauty! Their legacy in DC!) I thought, "Nope. Not gonna happen." It happened. It is still so hard to believe they actually went through with it, Marianna. Such a tragic and senseless loss of beauty and history. Ernesto’s Substack9h No one can stop the felon as the GOP gives him a pass. Everything he touches turns to shit at our expense. Ernesto’s Substack9h Prosecute the companies that did the work without a permit Ernesto’s Substack9h Meant East wing. My bad Scott Dworkin 9h No worries at all, Ernesto! We knew exactly what you meant! Because he is entitled. I find it difficult to accept that nobody knew ahead of time Ernesto’s Substack7h Desantis and company is guilty of fiscal malfeasance. They misappropriated funds and got caught now they should be prosecuted as part of the trump crime family. Scott Dworkin 6h Exactly, Ernesto. The grand jury laid out the misappropriation very clearly—now we need to see real consequences for that abuse of taxpayer funds would you like to place a bet? My children and grandchildren do all of that social media stuff. They are all very careful with how they use it. So far, I don't believe they are addicted to it. James Uthmeier would never have my vote, but then no republican running here in Florida will have my vote. They are corrupt liars and have done unspeakable damage to this state! I want them out of national and state government because they are only in it to see how much money they can get for themselves and to hell with the people here in Florida. I intend to vote for David Jolly for governor and those candidates that I feel really will work for their constituents. Keep fighting, America! Stay strong and stay safe! Scott Dworkin 8h Thank you for sharing that, Peggy. It’s so important to protect the next generation while also voting for leaders who actually care about their constituents rather than themselves. Keep fighting the good fight in Florida! Thank you, Scott! Believe me, I am fighting as hard as I can! It is an uphill battle for Democrats in Florida! There is no LOW to what these people will do. They are beneath reprehensible and I suspect that even the Devil will not want them around. There will be a whole new category for them. Scott Dworkin 6h It really is astounding how low they are willing to go, Joan. That’s exactly why we have to stay loud and hold them accountable every single day! Continue to call out Tiffany on his horrible record. Scott Dworkin 5h We absolutely will, Mary. Calling out horrible records and holding them accountable is what this community does best! Why can kegsbreath determine who is a security threat? Isn’t that a whole different department? Scott Dworkin 6h It’s a completely fair question, Pat. The overreach and the blurring of departmental lines is a huge concern that demands constant oversight. We won't stop asking these questions! Also, how were those particular changes for meta chosen? Did they use experts? My child is no longer young enough to be included in the group. How will they figure out age verification? Through the massive amount of surveillance data on everyone? Self verification (what is your birthday?)? Facebook is no longer used by young people. Instagram is. But by far Tiktok etc are where teenagers are. What measures were taken to keep groomers out of DMs? I’m sure they can figure out false identities, ages, porn addiction levels, etc. Scott Dworkin 5h Those are all excellent and vital questions, Pat. The implementation of these Meta changes definitely needs more scrutiny, especially regarding data privacy and protecting kids from bad actors on the platforms they actually use. We will keep digging! I posted this above:  KEEP WATCHING MASSACHUSETTS!  (I'm not suggesting that MASSACHUSETTS is perfect, but there are LOTS OF VOCAL GROUPS THAT WANT THIS REGULATED TO PROTECT KIDS - and they know how to organize!) There are already legislative changes that are being discussed!  OPINION: Last week’s landmark multistate settlement with Meta will limit how much time teenagers can spend on its platforms, but it largely leaves personalized feeds intact, writes Elise Rapoza, senior research associate at the MassINC Policy Center. Massachusetts should go further by passing a pending bill that would disable certain algorithmic feeds for minors. $17 billion Meta settlement lands in hotbed of debate over social media regulations in Mass. AG, lawmakers eager to expand age restrictions to other platforms https://commonwealthbeacon.org/technology/17-billion-meta-settlement-lands-in-hotbed-of-debate-over-social-media-regulations-in-mass/ Surely other states are also scrutinizing the restrictions, but limiting time on-line and hours was basic.   JOIN WITH OTHERS AND PUSH YOUR LEGISLATORS TO INCLUDE CHANGES THAT YOU WANT!   Why do I get understandable, thorough journalism from only this source? The reporting on the Florida corruption (kudos, btw), was incomprehensible until now. One source, even made it sound as if the grand jury had a totally opposite reaction. Scott Dworkin 5h Thank you so much for the kind words, Pat! Breaking down complex corruption stories into understandable facts is exactly what we aim for. Your support means everything to us! Thanks again Scott - I realize how hard you work to promote truth & sanity. I've said for years that while the advent of the internet is wonderful & can be helpful I've also said humanity is too immature to handle it wisely. It's hard not to be barbaric when you're living in Barbaria lol. And humans are still barbarians in my humble opinion. In America, Republicans have been out loud cruel & dishonest. Use of AI has exacerbated all of this. Not that all Democrats are right either. But common sense & kindness is more on the their side. This November will really shake things up if trump doesn't successfully interfere. I am 69 now & luckily live close to my polling place. I have voted in person in every election local & national my entire life and will continue to do so. BUT mail in voting MUST be protected. Republican lies should not "trump" our constitutional rights. 💜✌️ MASSACHUSETTS allows MAIL-IN VOTING - no excuse required. There are several young people that I'm aware of who TRAVEL - this allows them to participate. When we were overseas, WE ALWAYS VOTED! Early voting is on the decline due to MAIL-IN VOTING.  There is a house-bound disabled Veteran who protects his RIGHT TO VOTE with a MAIL-IN BALLOT and several others I am aware of.  Shouldn't the focus be on increasing VOTER PARTICIPATION?    “If a regime is immoral, its subjects are free from all obligations to it.” - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Katie Phang is really rolling along with Judge Sullivan on the Epstein files. Perhaps all of this will get all the people involved on the air right before the mid terms. Lake Ontario, eh! Lake Ontario, eh! I love the huge signs Premier Ford put on the shoreline of Lake Ontario in both French and English. And all the songs being put out by Canadians, elbows up! Dyanna’s Substack5h Those videos by the DemonFlyingFoxes are a hoot! What a talented group and they get the message across in a very enjoyable way! Find them on youtube. I would say, " give back the $10 million to the kids of Florida.". It could be in the form of free lunch and continuing free breakfast. They took away free lunch last year and the kids were devastated. Thank you Scott for always showing up and printing what’s always going on! You are a true marvel! My grandchildren could be affected, but luckily my son & daughter-in law have been very careful about what my grand-children can see & not see on the web since they’ve been born. Such a relief! For some reason I can't believe the strategy of starting an illegal catastrophic war all to cover up your involvement in a sex trafficking ring. It's sad that if I ever have grand children they will grow up in a world where they have to learn about this corrupt, fascist regime that took over our country and ran it into the dirt, thus ruining their future. Thanks MAGA for destroying the greatest country on earth. The mid-terms we will have our first chance to stop this chaos. Golly gee if only there was a way to regulate this industry. Instead of having to sue them, I can’t imagine what that can be. Bullseye! Dyanna’s Substack5h Facebook is the ultimate time waster. Get a real life, get out of the house, be someone rather than a thing that sits and lets a phone tell you how to feel and what to do...I don't have time for that nonsense. Celebrating Connectedness9h OT, sorry: Tomorrow are primaries in MA. If you happen to live in District MA-08, please vote for Patrick Roath (https://patrickroath.com/), to replace Stephen Lynch who has held this seat for 25(!!!) years. Time for fresh ideas and creative thinking! Please share! And Scott, if you can help -- PLEASE do!