Georgia Governor Kemp Loses Vote Purge Suit Brought by Reporter Greg Palast

A Major Win in the Battle Against Voter Suppression

[Atlanta-Feb 11, 2020]

In an extraordinary and unexpected move, Federal Judge Eleanor Ross has declared Gov. Brian Kemp the loser in a lawsuit brought by investigative journalist Greg Palast for the State of Georgia to open up its complete files on the mass purge of over half a million voters from the rolls.

Surprising all parties, the judge ruled that Kemp’s defense was so weak that no trial is needed. The judge acted \”sua sponte\”—on her own initiative, unrequested by Palast’s attorneys.

Greg Palast & Helen Butler, co-plaintiffs in Kemp lawsuit

Palast has been fighting Kemp to release his hidden purge lists and methods for six years, for

Rolling Stone

al Jazeera

Salon

Democracy Now

and currently,

The Guardian

Palast said, \”Kemp and the new Sec. of State of Georgia want to keep the lid on their methods for removing literally hundreds of thousands of low-income, young and minority voters on the basis of false information. They cannot hide any more. This is a huge win and precedent for reporters trying to pry information from the hands of guilty officials.\”

A key issue at stake are the \”Interstate Crosscheck\” purge lists secretly provided to Georgia by the Kansas Secretary of State in 2015 and 2017. Kemp had turned over Georgia’s voter rolls to Kansas official Kris Kobach, who worked closely with Donald Trump, and is known for his racially biased vote suppression techniques.

\”Kemp tried to hide the Crosscheck lists which he got from his crony Kobach. The lists are at least 99.9% wrong. Kemp’s office claimed he did not use the lists to purge voters, an assertion contradicted by his GOP predecessor. Moreover, Zach D. Reports of the Palast investigative team obtained the Georgia 2013 purge list provided by Kobach through (legal) investigative techniques—so we know, and the judge knows, he has more squirreled away.

\”Kemp finally turned over evidence that he purged 106,000 voters, overwhelmingly voters of color, that were on the Crosscheck list. But that’s just the tip of the purge-berg.\”

Palast’s co-plaintiff Helen Butler is the Executive Director of the Georgia Coalition for the Peoples Agenda, a non-partisan group founded by civil rights legend Rev. Joseph Lowery. Lowery, commenting on the Crosscheck purge system, told Palast, \”It’s Jim Crow all over again.\”

Oddly, one of Kemp’s defenses was that he turned over Georgia’s confidential voter information to Kobach so it could be used to purge voters in 29 other states, but not Georgia. Kobach’s list showed thousands of Michigan voters supposedly also registered or voted in Georgia. Michigan removed tens of thousands of voters with names like \”James Brown\” and \”Mohammed Mohammed\”—almost all with mis-matched middle names.

The Michigan purge of Georgia voters was key to Trump’s official victory margin of 10,700 in Michigan, putting Trump over the top in the electoral college.

While Palast says, \”The evidence is overwhelming that Kemp used the Crosscheck list in some way to purge Georgians — 106,000 is not a ‘coincidence’— I do want to find out why Kemp was using Georgia voter rolls to remove voters in

other states

.\”

The Crosscheck list identifies over half a million Georgians — including one in seven African-Americans in the state — as having moved out of Georgia, according to an investigative report on Kemp and Kobach published by Palast in

Rolling Stone

in 2016.

\”My job as an investigative journalist is not to change laws or affect elections, but to expose official shenanigans. I thank my lawyers Brian Spears of Atlanta and Jeanne Mirer of New York for taking this case pro bono to rip the cover off Kemp\’s and the state of Georgia’s racially poisonous undermining of democracy.\”

The Palast team is providing investigative reports to

The Guardian’s

\”Fight for the Vote\” series.

* * * * *

The Palast team is completing work on our short film of how exactly Brian Kemp illegally eliminated 340,134 voters from the rolls, stealing the election from Stacey Abrams. The Palast film then takes us to Wisconsin where the \”Kemp\” techniques are the center of a push block 247,000 voters, mostly Democrats and thereby keep Wisconsin, the swing state of swing states, in the Trump column.

source press release

DOJ Sues State of NJ, Gov. Wolf, and AG Grewal for Prohibiting State Officials from Sharing Information with ICE

WASHINGTON, DC–(February 11, 2020)–Today, the U.S. Department of Justice filed suit against the State of New Jersey, New Jersey Governor Philip Murphy, and New Jersey

Gloucestercitynews.net files

Attorney General Gurbir Grewal. The lawsuit challenges New Jersey Attorney General Law Enforcement Directive 2018-6, which prohibits state officials from sharing information with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) related to the immigration status and release dates of individuals in their custody.

The directive also requires New Jersey law enforcement to “promptly notify a detained individual, in writing and in a language the individual can understand” if ICE files an immigration detainer request for the individual. According to the complaint filed today, on multiple occasions last year, New Jersey officials failed to provide information regarding the release dates of aliens who had been charged with or convicted of crimes. New Jersey’s decision to obstruct federal immigration enforcement by refusing to provide such information is unlawful under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

A copy of the complaint is available

here

Financial Secretary Charged with Stealing $561,777 from St. Paul\’s Baptist Church in Florence

Taisha D. Smith-DeJoseph

FLORENCE NJ (February 11, 2020) –

Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina and Florence Township Police Department Officer in Charge Jonathan Greenberg announced that a financial secretary has been charged with embezzling more than $561,000 from the church where she served as a volunteer.

Taisha D. Smith-DeJoseph, 43, of Baldwin Lane in Willingboro, was charged with Theft by Deception (Second Degree), Computer Criminal Activity (Second Degree), Misapplication of Entrusted Property (Second Degree), four counts of Failure to File Personal Income Tax (Third Degree), five counts of Failure to Pay Income Tax (Third Degree) and Filing a Fraudulent Income Tax Return (Third Degree).

The investigation began after officials from St. Paul’s Baptist Church who suspected the theft contacted the BCPO Financial Crimes Unit. The investigation revealed that over a five-year period ending in March 2019, Smith-DeJoseph, who was responsible for overseeing the church’s finances, opened electronic bank accounts for St. Paul’s and used the funds for personal purposes.

In addition to the unapproved electronic spending, Smith-DeJoseph also issued payroll and supply reimbursement checks to herself from St. Paul’s bank accounts. She fabricated monthly statements to hide the church’s true financial state.

The investigation revealed that Smith-DeJoseph used the money to pay her car loans, rent, credit card expenses, satellite television and cell phone bills, to make hundreds of online purchases and and even to pay for her wedding at a Burlington County venue. The investigation determined that Smith-DeJoseph embezzled a total of $561,777.

In an attempt to hide the embezzlement scheme from the government, Smith-DeJoseph failed to file income tax returns for 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2018. From 2014 through 2018, she failed to pay the appropriate amount of taxes, and in 2017, filed a fraudulent tax return.

The case will now be prepared for presentation to a Burlington County Grand Jury for possible indictment. Smith-DeJoseph will be prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Andrew R. McDonnell, supervisor of the Financial Crimes Unit.

The investigation was conducted by the BCPO Financial Crimes Unit, the New Jersey Department of the Treasury and the Florence Township Police Department. The lead investigators are BCPO Detective Nicholas Schieber and Florence Police Detective Nicole Bonilla.

All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Mays Landing Man Pleads Guilty to Murder of 17-Year-Old

MAYS LANDING- An Atlantic City man has pleaded guilty in connection to the Aug. 9, 2018, fatal shooting of a 17 year-old male, Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon G. Tyner announced.

On Jan. 31, 2020, Rahsaad Norwood, 22, pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter before the Honorable Bernard Delury, Jr. P.J. Cr

, for fatally shooting a 17 year-old male (M.M.) outside of the Carolina Apartment complex in Atlantic City on August 9, 2018 in broad daylight.

Norwood’s guilty plea calls for 25 years in New Jersey State Prison subject to the No Early Release Act (NERA) with an 85% period of parole ineligibility. Norwood’s sentencing date is scheduled for March 12, 2020.

The Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit responded to 141 N. Tennessee Ave., Atlantic City, at 1 p.m., on Aug. 9, 2018, for the investigation of the shooting of a male. The investigation is a cooperative effort between ACPO Major Crimes Unit and the Atlantic City Police Department.

Assistant Prosecutor Erika Halayko represents the state in this matter.

Stolen Vehicle Surge at the Port of NY/Newark

February 10, 2020

CBP’s Battle at the Port of New York/Newark

NEWARK, NJ

. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) plays a major role in the battle against Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) and other innovative and constantly evolving transnational criminal networks whose collaborative efforts seek nothing but illicit financial gain and fortune. One threat of particular concern comes from the sophisticated organizations responsible for the theft and export of stolen vehicles. Thousands of vehicles have been stolen or carjacked throughout the tristate area in order to be illegally exported from the United States through various marine terminals located in/around the Port of New York/Newark (NY/NWK) with final destinations to African nations such as Benin, Gambia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

On the epidemic of stolen vehicles, Marty C. Raybon, CBP Port Director, stated, “Our success at identifying, degrading and disrupting transnational networks depends on many things, but analytics and partnerships are right at the top of the list. CBP will always be able to leverage our unique authorities, data holdings, and analytical abilities, but without close collaboration with our federal, state and local partners, we cannot dismantle these networks. What’s required is a whole of government approach and that’s what we have with our partners in Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Philadelphia, HSI Newark Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST), HSI New York BEST, New Jersey State Police, New York City Police Department and Hudson County Sheriff’s Department.”

CBP’s mission is to safeguard America’s borders thereby protecting the public from dangerous people and materials while enhancing the Nation’s global economic competitiveness by enabling legitimate trade and travel. The men and women of CBP who are assigned to the Port of NY/NWK take this mission and commitment to the public very seriously and will continue to work with our partners and stakeholders to ensure our continued success.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation\’s borders at and between official ports of entry. CBP is charged with securing the borders of the United States while enforcing hundreds of laws and facilitating lawful trade and travel.

Feds Put South Jersey Illegal Dumper in Jail

Last Thursday, Judge Renee Bumb in U.S. District Court in Camden sentenced Thomas Toy of Elmer to 30 days in prison and ordered him to pay $4.2 million in restitution for illegally storing hazardous materials. Thomas Toy ran the Superior Barrel and Drum Company, a company that cleaned and processed industrial drums before reselling them. The facility was located on the border of Elk Township and Glassboro.

“There should be no tolerance for illegal dumping. What Thomas Toy did in Glassboro was a disgrace and he belongs in jail. It’s important that he is being held accountable for his illegal dumping in South Jersey. This will serve as a deterrent for others because when you break the law you should go to jail. For too long, illegal dumpers have been getting away with poisoning our communities,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “The federal government is making polluters accountable. Polluters need to clean up their mess and pay for it, too. Making sure this site is completely cleaned up is important for the health and safety of this community.”

Thomas Toy was indicted for storing hazardous waste in violation of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act in January 2018. Superior Barrel and Drum Company imported many drums that contained hazardous waste, which included toxic chemicals like benzene and lead. However, the company did not have permits to store these toxic materials.

“Toy needs to be held accountable for illegally dumping waste and endangering the health of the people of Glassboro and Elk. DEP should also be held accountable for their failure to address this. These toxic chemicals have been poisoning the community for far too long, and DEP has been looking the other way and failing to enforce this site. Exposure to lead can cause kidney and brain damage, especially in young children. Benzenes are carcinogens that can cause anemia and affect the immune system, increasing risks for infections,” said Tittel. “The governor recently signed a law that will help protect New Jersey from illegal dumping by requiring more scrutiny for those involved in these industries. This will help protect New Jersey from future dumpers, but DEP still needs to do their job to enforce illegal dumping.”

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency removed approximately 1,800 of these drums of waste from September 2013 through September 2014. The total cost of this removal was $4.2 million, the amount that Toy has been fined as restitution.

“While the Judge’s ruling today is a win for Glassboro and Elk, the state still needs tighter regulations and restrictions on how our waste is handled. We have a long history of contaminated materials coming into our state, in part because DEP chooses not to regulate these chemicals. DEP needs to set and enforce standards for toxic materials to prevent any more possible dumping,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “It is good that the U.S. District Court is holding Thomas Toy accountable. Now the DEP has to step up and make sure there will be a full cleanup at this site.”

Mt. Laurel Man Charged with Possession, Distribution of Child Pornography

MOUNT LAUREL, NJ–(February 10, 2020)–Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina and Mount Laurel Police Chief Stephen Riedener announced that a 56-year-old Mount Laurel man has been charged with possessing and distributing child pornography.

Marco Pulcini, 56, of Wilderness Run Court, was charged with four counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Second Degree).

Pulcini was arrested on February 7 at his residence following the execution of a search warrant. Multiple electronic devices were seized and will be examined by detectives from the BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit.

The investigation began after the BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit received information regarding Pulcini’s online activities from United States Homeland Security Investigations – Cherry Hill Office.

The investigation revealed that Pulcini utilized file-sharing software to allow others to access child pornography in his possession.

Pulcini was released following a first appearance over the weekend in Superior Court in Mount Holly. The case will now be prepared for presentation to a Burlington County Grand Jury for possible indictment. He will be prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Joseph Remy.

The investigation was conducted by the BCPO High-Tech Crimes Unit, with assistance from United States Homeland Security Investigations – Cherry Hill Office, the New Jersey State Police and the Mount Laurel Township Police Department. The lead investigator was HSI Special Agent Jennifer Miller, who is presently designated as an acting BCPO detective.

The Prosecutor’s Office High-Tech Crimes Unit is a member of the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and the New Jersey State Police Cyber Terrorism Task Force.

All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

$200,000 Safe Streets to Transit Grant Awarded to Somers Point

AVALON, NJ–Gov. Phil Murphy announced the award of a $200,000 Safe Streets to Transit Grant to Somers Point. This is one of only four grants awarded

Somers Point receives state funding to install sidewalks along Route 9 between Laurel Drive and Somers Point-Mays Landing Road.

throughout the state.

This grant, plus a $200,000 NJDOT grant received in 2018, will allow the city to construct sidewalks along Route 9 between Laurel Drive and Somers Point-Mays Landing Road.

“This sidewalk project has been a high priority for the city,” Mayor Jack Glasser said. “Now, we will have a safer walkway connecting the neighborhoods of the Somers Point-Mays Landing Road area to important destinations to the north of Laurel Drive, including Jordon Road Elementary School.”

The project is being fast-tracked and the city plans to start construction this spring, according to a press release.

“In a state as densely populated as New Jersey, it is important that we encourage the use of alternate forms of transportation, such as biking or public transportation. These grants support biking, walking, and mass transit programs designed to help drive better health and environmental outcomes that make New Jersey a more livable state,” Murphy said in the release.

This is not the first grant that Somers Point has received recently to improve safety for bicyclists and pedestrians.

A $1.75 million NJDOT grant has been awarded to the city to widen and enhance the Somers Point Bike Path from the Linwood border to the Route 52 Causeway.

This very popular bike path will be widened up to 14 feet, new decorative, energy efficient LED lights will be installed, bike racks will be added and flashing beacons will be placed at high-traffic crossings.

Also, the city has secured a $130,000 NJDOT grant to create bike lanes on Somers Point-Mays Landing Road, a county road, between Route 52 and Route 9.

Rutala Associates, a local planning firm, played a key role in obtaining the NJDOT grants on the city’s behalf.

“The Route 52 Causeway is constantly being used for biking and walking and our bike path connects all the city’s points of interest, including the schools and parks. We are striving to make Somers Point the ‘Bikeway Hub of South Jersey,\’” Glasser said.

A state-funded Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan was developed for Somers Point in 2014. The plan has been used to leverage these and other grants to make the bikeway network safer.

“The Department of Transportation does much more than just maintain roads and bridges,” New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said. “Our Local Aid grants, including the Bikeways and Safe Streets to Transit programs, provide funding to communities that develop projects to improve the quality of life for our residents and visitors to our state.”

Somers Point was also one of only three municipalities in New Jersey to be awarded a Bikeway Grant in 2019. This $130,000 grant will fund the addition of bike lanes along Somers Point-Mays Landing Road between Route 52 and Route 9.

“With the growth in biking throughout the region, these improvements will provide yet another reason for people to reside in and frequently visit Somers Point,” Glasser said. “All these projects will be completed by this summer.”

The city is also urging NJDOT and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority to complete yet another bike and pedestrian path – one that will connect Somers Point to Upper Township over the new Garden State Parkway bridge.

The city is committed to making sure that there is a safe connection between the existing bike paths and the new bridge, according to the release.

Plans call for improvements to the intersection of Route 9 and Somers Point-Mays Landing Road, a bike path on the south side of Route 9 and a bridge to take bikers safely over the Parkway exit ramp and onto the Parkway bridge.

A crowd attended a state public hearing in January 2019 to show support for the bike connection, but the state has yet to start construction on the project.

DNREC Fish/Wildlife Police Blotter Jan. 27- Feb. 2

Reminder for the week: Snow Goose Conservation Order season provides additional hunting opportunities

DOVER (Feb. 7, 2020) – DNREC’s Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police conserve Delaware’s fish and wildlife resources, promote boating safety, and protect the public through outreach, education, and law enforcement. To help achieve public compliance with laws and regulations, officers from Jan. 27-Feb. 2 made 1,713 public contacts and responded to 61 complaints regarding possible violations of laws and regulations or requests to assist the public.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Actions

Officers issued a total of 28 citations for the following listed violations related to:

Wildlife Conservation:

Unlawful to provide a guided hunt on division lands, unlicensed hunting, hunting license forgery, hunting migratory waterfowl without required HIP number, hunting migratory waterfowl without required state waterfowl stamp, hunting migratory waterfowl without required federal waterfowl stamp, and possession of unlawfully taken waterfowl.

Boating & Boating Safety:

Operating a vessel with insufficient number of life jackets.

Public Safety:

Striking an occupied dwelling with shot discharged from a firearm.

Other:

Trespassing after hours on a state wildlife area, operating a motor vehicle off an established roadway on a state wildlife area, unregistered motor vehicle on a state wildlife area, and criminal mischief.

DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife recognizes and thanks the majority of anglers, hunters, and boaters who comply with Delaware’s fishing, hunting, and boating laws and regulations. The public can report fish, wildlife, and boating violations to the Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police by calling 302-739-4580 or using the free smartphone DENRP Tip app downloaded from the Google Play Store or iTunes App Store. Wildlife violations can be reported anonymously to Operation Game Theft by calling 800-292-3030, going online to

http://de.gov/ogt

, or using the DENRP Tip app; Verizon customers can connect to Operation Game Theft directly by dialing #OGT.

Are you AWARE?

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police remind hunters that the 2020 Snow Goose Conservation Order season to harvest snow geese will be closing for the youth waterfowl hunting day on Saturday, Feb. 8, reopening Monday, Feb. 10 through Friday, April 10, excluding Sundays.

The Snow Goose Conservation Order season allows use of unplugged shotguns and electronic calls, with no daily bag and possession limits. Legal shooting hours are a half-hour before sunrise to a half-hour after sunset. Federal and state hunting regulations otherwise apply.

To participate in the Snow Goose Conservation Order season, hunters must obtain and keep in their possession while hunting snow geese a free Snow Goose Conservation Order permit number, available at

https://egov.delaware.gov/htr

. Individuals needing assistance in obtaining the permit number can call 302-735-3600 during business hours Monday through Friday.

Conservation Order participants are also required to have a valid Delaware hunting license or license-exempt number (LEN) or a Maryland resident hunting license (unless exempt in Maryland), a Delaware waterfowl stamp (unless exempt), and a Delaware Harvest Information Program (HIP) number. A federal waterfowl stamp is not required.

LEN and HIP numbers are available, and participants in the Conservation Order are required to report their hunting activity and success to the Division of Fish & Wildlife by Wednesday, May 1, 2020, at the website above or by calling 855-DELHUNT (855-335-4868).

For more information on the Snow Goose Conservation Order, please call 302-739-9912 or visit

https://dnrec.alpha.delaware.gov/fish-wildlife/

Mays Landing Resident Arrested on Child Porn Charges

Cape May Court House, New Jersey (February 9, 2020)- Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland and New Jersey State Police Colonel Patrick J. Callahan announce the arrest of Richard Hoffman, 24 years old of Mays Landing, New Jersey, on first degree Child Pornography charges.

This investigation is the result of information received from the September 2018 \”Operation Open House\” in Toms River, New Jersey which was conducted by the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. During \”Operation Open House,\” Hoffman was arrested for Luring after chatting with an undercover detective posing as a 14-year-old female. Subsequently, additional victims of Hoffman were identified and another investigation was initiated involving the New Jersey State Police and the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office. The teenage victim of this investigation resides in the Villas section of Lower Township.

As a result of this investigation, earlier today members of the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, New Jersey State Police, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Hamilton Township Police Department arrested Hoffman at his residence in Mays Landing, New Jersey. Hoffman was charged with Manufacturing Child Pornography, a crime of the first degree; Possession of Child Pornography, a crime of the third; Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a crime of the third degree; Criminal Sexual Contact, a crime of the fourth degree; two counts of Sexual Assault, crimes of the second degree; and Witness Tampering, a crime of the third degree.

Hoffman was lodged in the Cape May County Correctional Facility pending Court proceedings.

Prosecutor Sutherland would like to recognize Homeland Security Investigations, Atlantic City Office; the Hamilton Township Police Department; and the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, for their assistance in this investigation. This investigation is part of the ongoing effort by the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office and the entire New Jersey State Police ICAC Task Force to identify and prosecute those involved in victimizing children.

Prosecutor Sutherland continues to urge the citizens of Cape May County to report any information regarding child exploitation, child abuse, or any criminal activity within the community and that information can be reported anonymously to the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-465-1135 or text anonymously through the Cape May County Sheriff’s Tip Line at cmcsheriff.net and click on the anonymous tip.

*Any charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless he is proven guilty.