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Patriot Pony
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Mandate
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“The public interest is served by maintaining the constitutional structure and maintaining the liberty of individuals who do not want to take the COVID-19 vaccine. This interest outweighs Agency Defendants’ interests. The public has a liberty interest in not being required to take a vaccine or be fired from their jobs. The public interest must be considered before allowing Agency Defendants to mandate vaccines. Although vaccines arguably serve the public interest, the liberty interests of individuals mandated to take the COVID-19 vaccine outweigh any interest generated by the mandatory administration of vaccines.”
The government has an option to appeal to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in the Western District; the same court blocked the government’s vaccine mandate for private businesses, the release says.
The Liberty Justice Center and the Louisianabased Pelican Institute for Public Policy represented Brick.
“Although President Biden recently declared that the ‘pandemic is over,’ the fight to restore Americans’ individual liberties is not,” Daniel Suhr said in the release. He’s managing attorney at the Liberty Justice Center. “We will continue to fight for teachers like Sandy and the lowincome students they serve until every illegal and unjustified mandate is wiped from the books. Today’s decision is a significant step toward un-
Congress secures first Hunter Biden whistleblowers as memos unmask lucrative gas deals with China
Internal company memos show Hunter Biden effort to score American LNG ports, gas deals, and drilling ventures for Beijing.
In Texas governor race, Republican Abbott leads O’Rourke by 7 points, poll shows
ByJohn Solomon
President Joe Biden boasts proudly today he is leading an "incredible transition" from fossil fuels, but just three years before he won the presidency his family worked to score billions of dollars in deals helping executives in communist China gain access to U.S. natural gas, oil and energy infrastructure, according to internal business memos and interviews with congressional investigators.
Memos obtained by Just the News from the Hudson West III LLC partnership that presidential son Hunter Biden operated with a prominent Chinese business executive named Gongwen Dong show the Biden family pursued at least 21 major deals in 2017 and 2018 for Chinese interests seeking U.S. energy assets, including liquified natural gas export terminals, LNG trade deals, drilling exploration firms, pipelines and other key energy assets.
Many of the deals targeted assets in the oil-rich Gulf Coast, including Louisiana, and aimed to help an energy-hungry China gain access to U.S. oil and gas, according to a summary memo of the 21 deals. Just the News found the memo on a Hunter Biden laptop turned over to the FBI in 2019 and corroborated its authenticity with a Biden business associate directly familiar with the deals and memos.
"Discussed both oil and LNG trading/exporting opportunities," one memo sent to Hunter Biden read. "Our team was more interested in pursuing the LNG spread trading opportunities, due to the timing of upcoming winter peak usage season and the spiking natural gas price in China." other oil and gas deals, ranging from pipelines to drilling assets, the memo shows.
"Explore U.S. natural gas industry midstream investment opportunities (including natural gas pipeline projects with international and U.S.based financial institutions)," the memo recommended as one of the 2018 opportunities.
Another goal, the memo stated: "Explore potential investment opportunities in the petrochemical and energy production space."
The Hudson West III opportunities memo stated it was seeking to acquire interests in some drilling and exploration companies, like Noble Energy's parent firm, that had fallen on hard times when oil and gas prices plummeted during the Trump administration. "Explore potential investment opportunity in distressed international energy company affiliates (for example, the Noble Group and affiliates)," the memo read.
File HW Project Summary2018.pdf The Hunter Biden-connected firm also dabbled with the notion of getting better prices by targeting minority-owned energy firms that got preferential treatment in some markets. The "model involves the support and nurturing of minority business and commodity brokers" and the benefit would be to "gain further discount and better service terms from its oil major partners," the strategy memo stated.
According to evidence released by Republican Sens. Charles Grassley and Ron Johnson and Rep. James Comer (RKy.), Hudson West III's goal was to find deals to benefit its primary partner in Beijing, CEFC, the Chinese energy giant led by Chinese businessman Ye Jianming, whom Hunter Biden met back in 2015. deals Hudson West III sought were massive, ranging from $800 million to as large as $2.8 billion, one internal company memo stated.
Comer, the top Republican on the House Oversight Committee and its likely chairman next year if the GOP wins control of Congress, told Just the News on Thursday night that he has secured cooperation from at least two of Hunter Biden's former business associates, who have authenticated that Hunter Biden's strategy was to help China secure U.S. oil and gas interests.
"What we know is that Hunter Biden's company Hudson West III was negotiating a deal with the Chinese energy company CEFC to not only purchase American natural gas, but also to try to start purchasing interest in American drillers for natural gas so they can start to take control of the American natural gas industry through the drillers," the congressman said in an interview with the "Just the News, Not Noise" television show.
"We have two whistleblowers," he added. "And I'm confident they're going to come forward in a Republican majority when I can conduct hearings, and I have the gavel for oversight, to tell us in detail what their objectives were. And these people were associates of Hunter Biden. And the ultimate goal —and the Bidens knew this —was for China to start to take ownership in all the different parts of the natural gas industry in the United States."
Earlier this month, Comer (Continued on page 16)
ByThe Center Square Staff
Less than two months out from the November election, a new poll shows Gov. Greg Abbott leading Democratic challenger Robert “Beto” O’Rourke by seven points.
The majority of those surveyed listed the economy and border security as their top issues this election. The majority polled also expressed support for Abbott’s border security effort, including busing people who illegally entered Texas to blue states and cities. issue “in determining the election.” Among them, 75% of Republicans, 60% of Independents and 38% of Democrats said the economy is their top concern.
“Economic issues are by far the dominant election issues for all voters. Republicans overwhelmingly put economic issues in the top spot, and say immigration is the second most important issue affecting their vote,” Levy said.
Thirty-one percent of those polled list immigration and the southern border as their top concern, including 54% of Republicans, 27% of Independents and 6% of Democrats.
According to the new Spectrum News/Siena College poll, Abbott leads O’Rourke 50% to 43%.
“Governor Abbott, who won a landslide thirteenpoint race against Democratic challenger Lupe Valdez four years ago, has a seven-point lead with over six weeks until Election Day,” SCRI Director Don Levy said in a statement. “Abbott has the support of 95% of Republicans and O’Rourke has the support of 93% of Democrats, while independents tilt toward Abbott by one point.” According to the poll, Abbott has a 47-46% favorability rating. O’Rourke has a negative 39-52% favorability rating.
The majority polled, 59%, said the economy/ inflation/cost of living was the most important The majority, 58%, also approve of Abbott’s border security initiative, Operation Lone Star, with 93% of Republicans, 53% of Independents and 24% of Democrats supporting it.
Another majority, 52%, expressed support for Abbott’s busing strategy. Since April, he’s bused more than 12,000 people to Washington, D.C., New York City and Chicago after they’d illegally entered the U.S. in Texas.
Since the majority are likely ineligible for admittance according to federal immigration law, they are required to be detained, processed and removed. Instead, the Biden administration has been releasing an historic number into the U.S., prompting states to sue. In the meantime, Abbott and the governors of Florida and Arizona (continue reading here)
(Continued from page 15) Gongwen Dong took the title "president." wrote the Treasury Department asking for fi- None of the Hudson nancial records related to West III memos reHunter Biden's dealings viewed by Just the News with the Chinese, dis- mention Joe Biden. But closing to Secretary Janet Comer revealed in the Yellin that his staff ob- letter to Yellen that one of tained a detailed business Hunter Biden's former ByNatalia Mittelstadt plan in Mandarin —in- business associates has cluding maps of U.S. told Congress that the While the federal govshale gas deposits — president was directly ernment has allotted showing the president's involved in the China more than $5 trillion to son used Hudson West energy deal. COVID-19 economic III to create a "plan to sell relief and stimulus, undeAmerican natural gas "According to additional termined billions in taxreserves to China." information provided by payer dollars have been a whistleblower, Joe fraudulently siphoned File ComerLetter-to- Biden was involved with from the aid spending, Treasury-09-20-2022.pdf this arrangement as a likely amounting to the Chris Clark, a lawyer for business partner, and "biggest fraud that the Hunter Biden, did not documents reveal he country's seen," accordimmediately return a call even had office space to ing to Americans for Tax or an email seeking com- work on the deal," Com- Reform. ment. er wrote Yellen on Tuesday. "The U.S. federal govBut in a 2019 interview ernment has already dedwith the New Yorker Comer provided Treas- icated over $5 trillion to magazine, Hunter Biden ury a copy of a fall 2017 combatting the COVIDacknowledged he pur- email from Hunter Biden 19 pandemic," Dan sued several energy deals asking that keys be made Savickas, director of tech for CEFC after meeting for his new Hudson West policy at Taxpayers ProYe for dinner in 2015. He III office in Washington tection Alliance, told Just told the magazine Ye D.C. for his father, step- the News on Wednesday. gave him a 2.8 carat dia- mother, uncle and his "These funds came with mond as a gift after the Chinese business partner very few safeguards to first encounter and that in the venture. ensure they ended up in one of the first deals the hands of families and Biden pursued was for a "Please have keys made businesses that actually Louisiana LNG terminal, available for new office needed it. the same one listed in the mates: Joe Biden Jill memos obtained by Just Biden Jim Biden, Gong- "It's estimated that every the News. wen Dong (Chairman Ye dollar of wages saved by CEFC emissary)," the relief money cost "I was more proud of it Hunter Biden wrote in American taxpayers than you can imagine," the email to a colleague. $4.13. This is not to menHunter Biden told the tion also the inflation that magazine three years File HunterBidenKey- came as a result of this ago. sEmail9-2017.pdf A le- profligate spending." gal billing document None of the deals in the from one of Hudson In June, U.S. inflation hit memos obtained by Just West's law firms shows a 40-year high of 9.1%. the News appear to have that both Hunter Biden been consummated, but and James Biden attend- "Too many special interHunter Biden and Hud- ed meetings with lawyers ests were able to take son West III received $5 and oil and gas execu- advantage of the lanmillion in payments from tives pursuing the deals guage of these relief bills Chinese entities tied to mentioned in the compa- to line their pockets, leavYe and CEFC shortly ny's strategy memo. ing taxpayers on the after it was formed, ac- hook," Savickas added. cording to the infor- For instance, one entry in "This is just the waste we mation previously made the billing records from know about." public by Grassley, John- late 2017 referred to disson and Comer. cussions with "petroleum Some of the most egregroups" and noted there gious fraud numbers inThough no deals were was a "telephone call clude: struck, Hudson West III from Hunter Biden on incorporation documents the Hudson West mem- More than 1,000 people show Hunter Biden was bers. Hunter and the have been criminally to receive a one-time Chairman of a chinese charged with regard to $500,000 retainer pay- [sic] business are mem- Unemployment Insurment and monthly pay- bers." ance (UI) fraud since the ments of $100,000 from COVID pandemic began the firm after it was capi- File Hudson WestLegal- in March 2020, accordtalized while his uncle, Invoice.pdf Another en- ing to a new Department presidential brother try for billable hours re- of Labor inspector genJames Biden, was to get ferred to "business advice eral report. The report $65,000 a month. Hunter for fuel brokrage [sic] also identified $45.6 bilBiden took the title of deal" between Hudson lion in potentially fraudu"co-chairman," while his West Ill, an energy firm lent UI benefit payments Chinese business partner and "Hunter and Jim "to individuals with SoBiden." cial Security numbers: (1) filed in multiple states, (2) of deceased persons, (3) of federal prisoners, and (4) used to file UI claims with suspicious email accounts." The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) burned over $3.7 billion in fraudulent COVID relief payouts. The Justice Department announced on Tuesday federal criminal charges against 47 people for their alleged involvement in a $250 million COVID fraud scheme involving a federally funded child nutrition program. More than $1 billion in COVID relief was disbursed to foreign applicants, including to IP addresses in Russia, China, Iran and Cuba. At least $163 billion in pandemic UI benefits may have been improperly paid, with a significant amount due to fraud, according to a report by the Labor Department inspector general. The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis reported an estimated $84 billion out of $800 billion in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans was obtained fraudulently. The government has recovered more than $10 billion worth of fraudulent payments made through federal pandemic relief programs as of June, according to data released by the House coronavirus panel. Meanwhile, the IRS is planning on taxing individuals who defrauded the PPP program to illicitly obtain COVID relief funds. It's "not an exaggeration that this is probably the biggest fraud that the country's seen," Americans for Tax Reform's Mike Palicz told Just the News on Wednesday. "The top voter issue right now is inflation," said Palicz, the advocacy group's federal affairs manager. "To have that driven by spending that's gone to record-setting fraud is infuriating." There was a "complete lack of oversight and safeguards from the beginning" for COVID relief spending, and the Democratic Congress showed no interest in "providing oversight" for it, Palicz alleged. "[N]o one really knows what the true number is" for the fraudulent payments total, except that it is "really big, which is terrifying," he added. The Department of Labor inspector general's office was overwhelmed by the volume of COVID relief fraud referrals it received from the DOJ since the pandemic began because it lacked the resources to monitor that level of spending, Palicz observed from the inspector general report. Savickas said there is "surely more" fraud that has not yet been uncovered "and may never be." "President Biden now simultaneously claims 'the pandemic is over' while asking for billions more in aid that will — in all likelihood —suffer from the same waste, fraud, and abuse as those that came before," he added. "The government needs to take a step back to give taxpayers a break." David Williams, president of Taxpayers Protection Alliance, told the "Just the News, Not Noise" TV show on Wednesday that the government was "so anxious to spend money, but they're not anxious to do the oversight." The federal government "spends this money so fast that there's no time to do the oversight," he said. "And the grifters, the criminals, they know this —they know that the government doesn't have these checks and balances in place," which is why the $3.7 billion from FEMA can "just disappear." South Carolina Democratic Rep. James Clyburn, the chairman of the House coronavirus panel, has blamed COVID relief fraud on the Trump administration, which was in power for seven months after enactment
Hunter China COVID-19 relief fraud likely 'biggest fraud'
in US history, tax watchdog warns "It's estimated that every dollar of wages saved by the relief money cost American taxpayers $4.13," said Taxpayers Protection Alliance's Dan Savickas.
of the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act before Joe Biden defeated the former president in the 2020 election. "These relief programs were vital to helping Americans in need during the economic crisis brought on by the coronavirus pandemic," said Clyburn, a close Biden political ally. "However, as the select subcommittee reported last year, the Trump administration failed to take basic steps to prevent expansive fraud against them. Under the Biden administration, federal investigative and law enforcement agencies have been working hard to undo the damage and reclaim funds for the American taxpayer."
Mandate
(Continued from page 15) doing the injustice perpetrated against everyday Americans throughout the COVID-19 crisis.” Also in the release, Sarah Harbison, general counsel at the Pelican Institute for Public Policy, said, “Louisiana teacher Sandy Brick has been serving her students through adversity and uncertainty the last two years. Today, this decision vindicates her right to teach without sacrificing her freedom.” The mandate was part of a bigger package President Joe Biden unveiled on Sept. 9, 2021. States included are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
