Democrats Are Crushing It. Here’s The Proof. We have 19 days to go until the midterm election. That’s it.
The chain in today’s lead took two court dockets, three transcripts, and a stack of Texas campaign filings to build, check by check. If someone you care about still thinks Paxton is just “controversial,” a gift subscription will settle that. Founding Members keep us digging all the way to November 3. Democrats Are Crushing It. Here’s The Proof.Texas, Georgia, and Iowa are all in play, Trump’s own judge overruled his press ban, and we matched Ken Paxton’s campaign checks to a federal court file.
With all of Trump’s madness, I’m glad you’re here. I have a great edition for you today. We have another investigation to lay out—this one into Ken Paxton’s campaign. You’ll see what I found in a minute. But before we get started, can I ask you a favor? Can you tap the ❤️ like button and then restack this post? The like nudges Substack to show this to people who’ve never heard of us. And the restack puts it into the feed of everyone who follows you. Investigating and reporting is half of what we do here. The other half is putting it in front of millions of voters and fighting Trump’s propaganda online, every single day. Both halves run on paid subscribers and nothing else. So if you haven’t yet, join us as one today.
Paxton’s Dubai Donor Faces A JudgeOn New Year’s Eve 2024, Texas AG Ken Paxton watched fireworks over Dubai’s Burj Khalifa with his mistress, Tracy Duhon. Six months later, his wife filed for divorce on “biblical grounds.” Also at the party were two men indicted back home that July, accused of stealing more than $15 million from a small hospital on Chicago’s West Side. One of them was Anosh Ahmed. The Wall Street Journal published video from the party this week. So we dug into the court records and Texas filings ourselves. Ahmed gave Paxton’s campaign $190,000, every dollar after the FBI subpoenaed his company’s COVID testing records in June 2022. Look at when the big checks came in:
We found no refunds to Ahmed in the Texas campaign finance records. But we did find Paxton’s old deputy Aaron Reitz receiving contributions for his campaign as well. Just five days after a Texas political site called Ahmed a “Fugitive Paxton Donor,” Reitz’s campaign for attorney general logged $99,894.26 from him, listed at an address in Dubai. As Trump weighed endorsing Paxton, the Journal reports, he was told damaging revelations were likely to surface, but he was dismissive. Paxton’s senior adviser Nick Maddux told the Journal: “Like President Trump, Ken Paxton has been politically persecuted for years.” Trump has gotten away with it so far, so why wouldn’t Paxton? On Tuesday, the day after the video went public, Ahmed stood in a federal courtroom and pleaded not guilty. The man Paxton toasted is now answering to a judge. Paxton’s opponent James Talarico slammed him: “A party with multiple fugitives and Ken Paxton is still the sketchiest guy in the room.” Two new polls out Wednesday, from Marist and the University of Texas, both have Talarico ahead, and that makes four this month. It’s still close, and no Democrat has won statewide in Texas since 1994. But in 19 days, that streak can end.
Trump’s Own Judge Just Overruled His MediaBanOn September 18, Trump posted that CNN, MS NOW, and Politico were banned from the White House. No notice, no warning, 78 reporters locked out, and the reason given was: “fake news.” The outlets sued, and on Tuesday, Trump-appointed Judge Timothy Kelly ruled. Kelly granted a preliminary injunction, which keeps the ban blocked for as long as the case lasts. The White House gave no warning, he wrote, “to put it mildly.” He said the ban “threatens to cut off all Plaintiffs’ access to the White House press area.” Only after the ban was in place did the regime’s lawyers claim it was about national security. Kelly found nothing to back it up, and refused to pause his ruling so the regime could appeal. Trump wanted to decide who gets to ask him questions. A judge he picked just told him he can’t. Trump keeps losing in court, and once again he lost to his own appointee.
Mike Collins Had No Answer For JonOssoffOn Tuesday night during the final Georgia Senate debate, a panelist asked Trump’s handpicked Senate candidate—Rep. Mike Collins—if he still believes Trump beat Joe Biden in 2020. You’d think after six years a grown man could answer that. “There was a lot of doubt in that election,” Collins said. Sen. Jon Ossoff didn’t let it sit there: “Here’s your third chance. Did Donald Trump really win the 2020 election? You want to answer, Mike?” Collins still didn’t answer. Trump would destroy him if he did. Four years ago, in a House debate, Collins called himself “100% pro-life, period, no exceptions.” On Tuesday, Ossoff told viewers what to expect: “Let’s see if he tries to change his position tonight.” Sure enough, with the whole state watching, Collins said he never meant a total ban on abortion. Then a moderator asked Collins, flat out, whether he’s a white nationalist. The reason why? His son-in-law has shared nazi imagery and antisemitic material online, along with the fact that one of his former staffers posted swastika and Klan pictures. Collins said he condemns hate “of any kind” and blamed Ossoff’s rhetoric for threats against his family. But Ossoff didn’t give Collins an inch: “How weak a person do you have to be to be unable to stop someone under your own roof from disseminating neo-nazi propaganda while you run for the Senate?” That’s what a fearless Democrat looks like. Georgians started voting Tuesday, Ossoff leads by 8 in the polling average, and Trump’s flying into Dalton on Friday to prop up his guy. If Ossoff holds this seat, Trump’s rubber-stamp Senate majority gets a whole lot harder to keep.
The Paralympic Champion WhoCould Flip IowaJosh Turek won two Paralympic gold medals in wheelchair basketball, and he never let an announcer leave out his hometown: Council Bluffs, Iowa. Now he’s the Democrat running to represent all of Iowa in the Senate. On Tuesday night, he faced Trump’s pick, GOP Rep. Ashley Hinson, in their final debate. Turek went hard at Hinson over Trump’s war with Iran: “We are in this situation because of this unnecessary war in Iran that Ashley Hinson voted in favor of continuing seven times.” If you farm in Iowa, you don’t need that explained. Diesel hit a record this fall, right in the middle of harvest, and fertilizer is up. Then Turek turned to Social Security. Hinson said in 2020 she was open to raising the retirement age. Just last week she still wouldn’t rule it out, saying for a 20-year-old “it’s a very different conversation.” On the campaign trail, Turek has hammered her for cheering Trump’s DOGE cuts as “exactly what the federal government needs” while the Social Security office in Decorah sat empty for six months. He’s also hit her for voting against capping insulin at $35 a month. And at the debate he made this promise: “I give my pledge I will support and protect Social Security and Medicare to every single one of our seniors. It’s an earned benefit.” The race is a toss-up, early voting started Wednesday, and Iowa hasn’t sent a Democrat to the Senate in 18 years. If the kid from Council Bluffs breaks that streak, Trump almost certainly loses the Senate with it. A lot of you folks have been with me since way before the 2024 election, some as far back as 2016 when I first started fighting Trump. It’s been a long road, so there is no way we will slow down now. We have 19 days to go until the midterm election. That’s it. We need all hands on deck for the final stretch, as we continue to help lead the resistance. We dig up the truth, put it in front of millions, fight Trump’s propaganda online, and keep nonstop pressure on Congress. The best part of it is, we do it all with only support from our readers. No billionaires. No advertisers. No nonsense. So, if you haven’t already, help us sprint through Election Day and beyond by joining us as a paid subscriber today: Be sure to hit the ❤️ like button and restack this on your way out. Somebody on your feed needs to hear this news today, and you can be the one who delivers it. Onward! Scott If someone you know said their vote doesn’t matter, what would you tell them to get them to the polls? 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 |
Early voting just opened in Georgia and Iowa. While you’re making your plan to vote, take a minute to make some noise in Congress too:
Impeach Pete Hegseth: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-impeach-pete-hegseth/
Release all of the Epstein files now: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-demand-acting-ag-blanche-release-all-of-the-epstein-files-now/
Ban Flock’s mass surveillance cameras: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-ban-flock-mass-surveillance-cameras/
Pass the ban on AI we can’t control: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-pass-the-ban-on-ai-we-cant-control/
Each one goes straight to your members of Congress. Tell me below which ones you sent.
A FEW OF MANY COMMENTS:
Early voting starts on the 19th in South Caroline. Fingers crossed that Annie Andrew can add to the wins in the Senate.
Nineteen days. That's all. Thank you to every person who's reading, sharing, organizing, volunteering, donating, voting, and refusing to check out. The reason we've come this far is because millions of people decided democracy was worth the effort. Let's finish this thing together.
I love what you're doing, Scott, but I am going to repeat every day: We cannot be complacent! Make sure you and your eligible family members and friends VOTE BLUE!
“There is no kind of government more deformed than that in which the wealthiest are regarded as the noblest.” - Cicero
To everyone still in it—thank you. The days are long and the noise is loud, but the people doing the actual work haven’t quit. Neither have we. Onward.
Scott, simply saying “Donald Trump” should encourage people to vote. Our country’s long nightmare began because people believed the polls favoring Kamala Harris and didn’t bother to vote. We can’t get him out in November, but we can limit his power! VOTE BLUE!
Come on, Iowa. Stop being creepy children of the corn and rejoin democracy.
A few years ago in Virginia, an election count was tied. The winner was chosen by drawing a name from a hat. If at least one more voter on either side had cast a ballot, that draw would not have been necessary. That is how important one vote can be.
Recently, a MASSACHUSSETTS re-count ended with a difference of 3 VOTES!
If I know them, I would try to find someone or something in their life, or the life of someone they love, and show them how that life would be negatively affected by continuing to support a corrupt regime.
Disability alone is an issue for more than 90% of the population. Almost everyone knows or loves someone with a disability. This government wants to institutionalize them.
That thought process has to end. Comprehensive accessibility needs to be the bottom line.
This issue is huge. We can get back on track. VOTE these people out of office. Support people's right to be functional, have jobs and social Lives. A society will be judged by how we care for the ones that need it the most.
Great answer
Thank you, Sam. I do not have a disability, but we are all temporarily abled bodies. At some point or another, we all have a disability. It’s something I’ve become very aware of in recent years.
Re Scott's question "If someone you know said their vote doesn’t matter, what would you tell them to get them to the polls?"
I thought about it and looked at many ways/angles to express how I might handle it. this one fit my thinking the best... “Your vote may not decide the election. But deciding not to vote guarantees your voice won't be counted.”
We will vote in early voting.
If it didn't matter, Repubes wouldn't be trying so hard to take it away from you.
For the sake of humanity, VOTE!
Great reports on the latest losses for DonOld and his regime! Several people have lost hope that the midterms will even happen; I send them your reports each day to encourage them to regain that hope. When one of them told me that she didn't vote in '24, I said that she had better get it done this time. Each vote counts, along with the community you're in, you are part of the solution! Let's go, Blue Wave 🌊
We have been given the right to vote. It’s an honor and shows respect for America. If you feel disenfranchised this is the best way to vote your voice.
I know Montana is small peanuts compared to many states but have you gotten any poll vibes it might flip back to at least a red/blue mix this round??
“If someone you know said their vote doesn’t matter, what would you tell them to get them to the polls?”
I would point out that sometimes races are won by 1 vote !🗳️
https://amac.us/newsline/think-your-vote-doesn-t-matter-these-elections-were-won-by-a-single-ballot
We may be crushing it but he and Vought have plans!
"Because the life of your children and grandchildren depends on it" -- my answer. I didn't know about Turek -- thanks, Scott and team, for the good news!''
Texas starts voting on Oct 19. We shall see!
TRUMP IS SELLING OUT UKRAINE FOR VOTES ON NOVEMBER 3RD.
With inflation totally out of control in the U.S., an example of which is the continually soaring price of much needed diesel oil, Trump has struck a deal with Russia to buy their diesel oil at a cheap price to bring the cost down for Americans before Election Day.
But President Zelensky is standing in Trump’s way of making this deal with Russia.
To pull off this deal with Russia, Trump is insisting that Ukraine no longer target the destruction of Russia’s oil supplies that are vital to Russia’s ability to support their invasions of Ukraine.
To pressure Ukraine to back off targeting Russia’s energy resources, Trump is threatening to withhold Ukraine’s access to strategic intelligence resources that Ukraine has been using both to defend itself and to target the energy supplies needed by Russia to mount these attacks.
As dumb as Trump is, he is not dumb enough to actually come out and say that he needs this deal to be finalized before Election Day.
We have already seen evidence that Ukraine’s access to intelligence resources furnished by Musk’s (SpaceX) Starlink and Starshield has been suddenly impaired since Trump issued this ultimatum to President Zelensky, which Zelensky has refused to comply with since it is these intelligence resources that have enabled Ukraine to defend itself.
Trump is clearly showing signs of increasing desperation as each day passes showing that inflation continues to soar and that Trump’s favorable poll numbers continue to plummet, with both trends showing no sign of reversing themselves without Trump pulling a rabbit out of a hat.
Well. That rabbit has appeared. It is Trump’s deal with Russia to sell cheap diesel fuel to the U.S. providing that Trump can extort Ukraine to stop targeting Russia’s energy supplies that Russia needs to continue their war on Ukraine. And Trump is desperate to get the price of diesel fuel down before the voters go to the polls on November 3rd.
So here’s the deal. Russia will sell us cheap diesel fuel if Trump can pressure Zelensky to halt attacking Russia’s diesel depots. Being the proud “author” of Trump’s ghost-written “The Art of the Deal”, Trump sees this as a win/win. By handing over Ukraine to Russia, Trump gets cheaper diesel fuel and a chance to turn around his plummeting poll numbers before the Congressional elections on November 3rd.
But that’s not all folks. The real driver of Trump’s rage is not so much Zelensky’s position that acceding to Trump’s demands would cripple their ability to defend themselves.
The real driver of Trump’s outrage may not, in fact, be Zelensky’s refusal based on defense grounds, but rather that this ungrateful snot has the temerity to turn down Trump’s demands after all that Trump has done for him.
This is personal! Trump is taking this as a slap in the face of the most powerful man on earth which Trump will not tolerate, and for which he will teach Zelensky a lesson on how to respect the great Donald J.Trump. If America’s top Wall Street law firms, corporations and billionaires can grovel before the great Donald Trump, this former Ukrainian comedian can also.
This is classic Donald Trump. And this is get-even time with the same President Zelensky who refused, during Trump’s first administration, to falsely claim that Ukraine was investigating Joe Biden’s son for corruption.
Given all the specious prosecutions Trump caused to be generated against former government officials whom Trump believed wronged him, retribution is no stranger to him. At the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), on March 4 2023, Trump declared “I am your warrior, I am your justice… and for those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution.”
Well, this is Trump’s retribution for Zelensky’s refusal to falsely implicate Hunter Biden in a corruption scandal and for his refusal to sell out his own country so that Trump can turn around his sagging poll numbers before November 3rd.
Absolutely. He is still the schoolyard bully and always will be. Too bad the rest of us grew up and now see how stupid, weak and ridiculous the orange clown is. No one I know even calls him by name - it's always "orange clown, orange menace, orange idiot, The Felon," etc!! Hahaha! Also, I dropped off my ballot at ASU so bye, bye orange power of any kind real soon!!!
DARLINE GRAHAM is an insult to VOTERS!
INCOMPETENT, INEXPERIENCED, BRAIN DEAD, RUBBER STAMP!
Almost as bad as BRAIN INJURED HERSCHEL WALKER that MAGA promoted in an embarrassing display! Or TOMMY TUPPERWARE just because he was a COACH!
MAGA BOOBS just continue promoting BOOBS!
IS THERE A CONNECTION?
SUNUNU's support comes from EPSTEIN connected donors.
FWIW: JOHN SUNUNU (New Hampshire GOP candidate for SENATOR) WAS IN DUBAI AND DENIED IT!
Got caught in his LIE!
From CHRIS PAPPAS:
Let me tell you a story:
A few months back, my opponent John Sununu was asked two simple questions:
Is your name in the Epstein files?
Have you ever been to Doha, Qatar?
He answered no to both.
The Washington Post just uncovered that both of those answers were lies.
John Sununu traveled to Doha, Qatar.
And his name is in the Epstein files.
A bombshell Washington Post report shows my opponent was caught brazenly lying about a trip he took to an event that Jeffrey Epstein used for networking...
...the same event that Epstein and his associate were discussing when Epstein wrote, “John Sununu, has good stories.”
I don’t know what stories Jeffrey Epstein is referring to.
But I can tell you I’m focused on New Hampshire stories:
Working parents struggling to pay for gas and groceries.
Young people struggling to find affordable housing in our state.
Veterans who put their lives on the line for our country and deserve better than what we’ve given them.
New Hampshire deserves a senator who is honest, transparent, and accountable.
New Hampshire needs a senator who’s focused on the stories that matter.