Free Republic

President Biden announced Friday he planned to appoint two key union leaders to an advisory committee on international trade, including United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain. The White House announced Fain and Brian Bryant, who serves as the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) president, would be appointed to the advisory group. The President’s Export Council serves as the main national committee advising the White House on matters of international trade. The group discusses and works to resolve trade-related issues around business, agriculture and labor.

John “Zip” Connolly is apparently one of those hoodlums who cares what his obituary says about him after he’s dead and gone. At age 82, the infamous ex-FBI agent seems obsessed with clearing at least one indelible stain off his remarkably squalid (even by Boston G-man standards) underworld career. He’d prefer not to have “Mob hitman” in the first sentence of his death notice. There’s not much he can do about the racketeering conviction, or all his tawdry connections to the Bulger Crime Family. But “Mob hitman” is a bit much. Sadly, Zip has failed yet again to remove “assassin”...

Lawyers are being forced to defend their livelihoods before bar associations and ethics boards — not for obvious misconduct, but after opposing Democrats. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After the chaotic 2020 election, leftist organizations began filing ethics and even criminal complaints against lawyers who opposed Democrats in election litigation. Democrats have recently expanded these tactics to lawyers who cross Democrats on any policy area. “Their most sweeping goal is to discourage and chill lawyers from representing Republicans and conservatives, particularly in election law cases. They want to apply a much higher standard to them in order to punish them,” says attorney Jim Bopp...

Former Chicago Alderman Ed Burke, once a powerful Democrat, was found guilty of 13 out of 14 corruption charges, including racketeering, bribery, and extortion. The case highlighted high-level corruption in Chicago’s city government, involving political favors for money. The trial also implicated other officials and revealed widespread corruption in Illinois, leading to numerous convictions. “This case was about bribery and extortion occurring at the highest level of Chicago city government,” U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual said. “Burke has his hand out for money. He tied the giving of official action by him to the giving of money to him.” “Alderman Burke...

He enrages her so much she won't even say his name, referring to him only as 'You Know Who' in regular rants on popular television show, The View. Just last week Whoopi Goldberg, 68, reacted to Donald Trump's new interview with Time magazine by bashing the former President for everything from his admission that he'd allow states to monitor women's pregnancies to his claim that he'd 'absolutely consider pardoning January 6 rioters.' But, the truth is, Goldberg has more in common with Trump, 77, than she'd care to admit.

A reputed mobster caught-on-camera slugging a New York City restaurateur has “no regrets” about landing the blow, his lawyer said Monday — as the elderly tough guy was sentenced to two years in prison for the extortion plot. Jerry McMahon, the attorney for alleged Genovese crime family capo Anthony “Rom” Romanello, argued in Brooklyn federal court that even he would have punched steakhouse owner Shuqeri “Bruno” Selimaj during the 2017 encounter. “His lawyer thinks that beyond any shadow of a doubt that Rom has no regrets. And why should he?” McMahon said.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) said it was “stupid” of President Joe Biden not to reach out to him since he declared he was not supporting former President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. In an interview with the Washington Post‘s Leigh Ann Caldwell, Christie said that, while he would not be “voting for Trump under any circumstances,” he would also not be voting for Biden, citing his age.

A former shoemaker pleaded guilty Tuesday to allegations that he ran an illegal gambling operation for the Mafia out of his shop in Brooklyn. Salvatore Rubino, also known as “Sal the Shoemaker,” admitted in federal court in Brooklyn to running card games and operating illegal gambling machines inside his former shoe repair business and to kicking profits to the Genovese crime family. He pleaded guilty to gambling charges. Four co-defendants — Carmelo "Carmine" Polito, Joseph "Joe Fish" Macario, Joseph "Joe Box" Rutigliano and Mark Feuer — pleaded guilty earlier this month to charges including racketeering, attempted extortion and illegal gambling...

Came across this website. It’s intriguing. Cant vouch for its credibility, but very interesting. “In late 2021, the internet was abuzz with the leaked audio of one amazing phone call. The caller was a man named Richie Albertini, who phoned Child Protective Services in California and told a riveting tale that began in his teenage years in 1980s Los Angeles and covered the decades that followed as he worked at some of Hollywood’s hottest clubs and became involved with the mob”.

OJ Simpson was so jealous that his ex-wife Nicole Brown had moved on from their relationship that he paid notorious Mafia gangsters to kill her, a key police witness has claimed. Last week, MailOnline revealed the same witness placed OJ Simpson at the scene of the horrific double murder of Nicole Brown, 35, and her friend Ron Goldman, 25, on June 12, 1994. Nicole was stabbed seven times in the neck and scalp. It was such a violent attack that when was found lying in a pool of blood in the fetal position, she was nearly decapitated. However, with the...

The fact-checking website Snopes changed one of its ratings after pressure from President Joe Biden’s administration, newly disclosed emails show.Snopes on Jan. 10, 2023, said that there was some truth to a claim that President Biden’s administration was planning to ban gas stoves.Under a heading of “what’s true,” Snopes said that “The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), a federal agency, is currently considering a ban on gas stoves if they can’t be made safer, due to concerns over harmful indoor pollutants that cause health and respiratory problems.”Under another heading, it said that the ban has not been put in...

There’s no way in hell they shouldn’t tell all’.. The FBI is closing the book on the agency’s “corrupt” handling of James “Whitey” Bulger — forever. The feds are refusing to make any further installments of Bulger’s case file public, saying the records are “investigative” and no longer subject to the Freedom of Information Act. “The records responsive to your request are law enforcement records; there is a pending or prospective law enforcement proceeding relevant to these responsive records, and release of the information could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings. Therefore, your request is being administratively closed,”...

Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said Sunday on MSNBC’s “Inside” that it was “clear” former President Donald Trump “is a grifter.” Host Jen Psaki said, “You’ve been ahead of the curve that Trump is a conman for a long time. The fact they want to pay his own legal bills despite claiming he is a billionaire feels like it’s an in-your-face example. I know your concern is not the Republican donors, but are they being duped? Pelosi said, “Well, I think it’s very clear that Trump is a grifter. That is the way it is. Integrity which is something we all...

The federal government pays more than $100 million a year to employees who aren’t doing their actual government jobs, but rather working for unions representing government employees against management — with taxpayers essentially funding both sides of the bargaining table. For decades, the government has tracked and reported those figures, but the Biden administration has removed the reports. Under the policy known as “official time,” hundreds of nominal government employees haven’t done anything but full-time union work in years, yet remain on the federal payroll. Not only is the policy expensive to taxpayers, but it also props up the power...

Jimmy discovers a consultant on a film set in Regina is passing himself off as Cheech Falcone. Fugget About It is a new animated comedy sitcom about the misadventures of Jimmy Falcone. Jimmy is a former New York mob boss, who goes from feared capo to friendly Canuck when he and his family enter the witness protection program in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. After Jimmy is asked by his associates in the Gambini crime family to whack his good old Uncle Cheech (who routinely spills mob secrets to any half naked woman he encounters), Jimmy goes to mob boss Don Gambini...

Bill Garlock and Gina Rodriguez will be sentenced in March on money laundering and mail fraud scheme charges involving a home linked to Paul Pelosi Jr., 55 .. The two are accused of duping investors out of over $1M for supposed real estate ventures - but instead used the cash for their own expenses.. Speaking to DailyMail.com, financial crime experts question how Pelosi avoided charges himself, pointing to DoJ's history of 'protecting powerful political elites' ... Two fraudsters linked to Nancy Pelosi's son are set to be sentenced over a money laundering and mail fraud scheme, DailyMail.com can reveal. It...

@leslibless NYC Gambino crime boss, Salvatore ‘Sammy the Bull’ Gravano, says he tried to get Trump to be corrupt, but “He wouldn’t bite. He’s a legitimate guy. He’s incorruptible.”

A new scandal erupted just days before the Iowa Caucus as former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was forced to address fresh revelations that his name had appeared over 50 times in newly unsealed Sizzler documents. In the records provided by the buffet-style steak, seafood, and salad bar restaurant, Christie's now-unredacted name appears dozens of times for violating a variety of buffet line rules. "Scandal is the politest word one can use to describe the Sizzler documents," said political expert Dr. Blake Rumsey. "They say he used to fill drink cups with blue cheese salad dressing and slurp it down...

“The old politics of right versus left, and Republican opposed to Democrat have now given way to a new existential struggle: Americans must choose between civilization—or its destroyers.” –Victor Davis Hanson. Now that you, the lucky ones, are beyond your steaming platters of pancakes and mighty rashers of bacon, and perhaps even a dram or two of grog in your coffee. . . and clawed your way through the bales of presents. . . a merry Christmas to all. . . and here’s something else to think about this morning: You may have noticed that our country, formerly a republic...

Tommy James’ career was a ride. That’s how he describes it now, and that’s how his soon-to-be boss, Morris Levy, described it when James initially signed to Roulette Records. “I hope you’re ready kid,” he said as James put pen to paper on a life-changing contract, “Because you’re about to go on one hell of a ride.” If only he knew just how true that was. In 1964, James recorded ‘Hanky Panky’ for a small Michigan label. It did OK, but nothing earth-shattering and nowhere near enough to have people consider James the next big thing. It wasn’t until 1966,...