Free Republic

Prominent Buffalo developer Louis Ciminelli has been sentenced to 28 months in Federal prison along with a $500 thousand fine for his conviction on charges in connection with the 'Buffalo Billion' program. Ciminelli is out on bail pending appeal. Ciminelli was sentenced Monday in federal court for a pay-to-play conspiracy in which his firm won a development job worth a half billion dollars. Ciminelli and three others were convicted over the summer. Prosecutors say the scheme involved state-funded contracts worth more than $850 million. Prosecutors say Ciminelli and others in his company contributed nearly $100,000 to Cuomo's campaign. The Democratic...

Before we delve into her new "argument," I'd like to make a point about why the conservative commentariat sometimes seems fixated on Congresswoman-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.  First, she entered the national spotlight as a media fascination and darling -- a young woman of color who shook up the Democratic Party from the left by defeating an establishment fixture.  She wasn't randomly plucked from relative obscurity by right-wing writers or pundits for sport; she was elevated by a mainstream media that loves covering, and sympathizes with, rising liberal stars.  And please recall the DNC Chairman referring to her as "the future of...

WASHINGTON - Two police departments in the northeastern United States decided over the past week to cancel their participation in a program that involves visiting Israel and meeting Israeli police officers, due to public pressure by a coalition of progressive organisations, including a number of groups affiliated with the Boycott, Sanctions and Divestment movement (BDS).

A study by Mark Perry, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and professor of economics and finance at the University of Michigan, should give pause to advocates of democratic socialism in the United States. According to the study, the more socialistic economic policies of western European countries has both retarded output and boosted the cost of living. The index of average individual consumption for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development is set at 100. Inhabitants in nations falling below this mark can afford less than the average European. Inhabitants in nations exceeding this mark can afford more. The...

Sen. Bernie Sanders knows what he wants. In a Washington Post op-ed last week, the democratic socialist from Vermont laid out a legislative agenda for the 116th Congress’s first 100 days. Among the dizzying array of proposals Mr. Sanders pushed were his signature “Medicare for All” bill, tuition-free college, student-debt relief, tax increases requiring “wealthy people and large corporations to begin paying their fair share” and a $15 minimum wage indexed to “median wage growth,” not inflation. Others in the Democratic Party’s increasingly influential democratic-socialist wing are pressing for their own major legislation to pass the House, even if it...

House Democrats voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to nominate Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to the Speakership in a 203-32 vote. The outcome was no surprise despite an entrenched rebellion from insurgent lawmakers who want changes to Democratic leadership. Pelosi was running uncontested and enjoys widespread support within the liberal-heavy caucus she’s led since 2003. The 32 votes against her were fewer than the 63 votes won in a 2016 contest for minority leader by Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), who ran against Pelosi at the time. Still, Pelosi faces a tougher test the first week of January, when the full House meets to...

Defying President Trump, senators sent a strong signal Wednesday they want to punish Saudi Arabia for its role in the slaying of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The Senate voted 63 to 37 to move forward with legislation calling for an end to U.S. involvement in the Saudi-led war in Yemen. The vote was a rebuke not only to Saudi Arabia but to the Trump administration, which has been clear it does not want to torpedo the long-standing U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia over the killing.

TALLAHASSEE, FL (API) – The University of Florida’s 41-14 trouncing of Florida State at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday saddened many Seminole football fans, but at least one was angry at the way the Gators defeated FSU. “The Gators acted like Nazis,” said Representative-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). “I was appalled at the way they beat those poor Seminoles, who like the Jews in Germany in 1939 were only trying to escape with their lives. “When we’re finally sworn in at Congress I can assure you that we will open an investigation into this horrible Third Reich-like massacre and I wouldn’t...

New York Congresswoman-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is looking for some 13 staffers to fill her office. Her team is seeking passionate, talented and creative thinkers to fight for "social, economic and racial justice for the country" as they serve New York's 14th congressional district, according to an ad posted over the weekend. Ocasio-Cortez is looking to fill positions including a deputy chief of staff, a legislative director, a district press secretary, a digital content manager, a scheduler, a staff assistant, a district director, a caseworker, a community organizer, a financial administrator and an intern.

WASHINGTON — Nancy Pelosi is facing a renewed threat to her leadership of House Democrats from a group of moderates, creating a standoff that is highlighting emerging tensions between the emboldened left flank of her caucus and its expanded ranks of those in the middle. Nine Democrats in the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, an offshoot of the moderate think tank No Labels, are warning they could vote against Pelosi for House Speaker unless she agrees to rule changes that they say will help "break the gridlock" in Congress. Pelosi is expected to cruise through an internal Democratic caucus meeting on...

The Twitter feud between Congresswoman-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) continues. On Sunday, Ocasio-Cortez attempted to compare the Central American caravan's riders to Jews fleeing from Nazi Germany. Asking to be considered a refugee & applying for status isn’t a crime. It wasn’t for Jewish families fleeing Germany.It wasn’t for targeted families fleeing Rwanda.It wasn’t for communities fleeing war-torn Syria.And it isn’t for those fleeing violence in Central America. https://t.co/qhv7Rr1itn— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Ocasio2018) November 25, 2018 It wasn't long before Sen. Lindsey Graham chimed in and suggested Ocasio-Cortez learn more about the Holocaust. I recommend she take a...

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), fresh off her underdog congressional win in New York, is quickly distancing herself from the Trump White House. While the president is sending troops down to the U.S.-Mexico border to prevent the 7,500-strong migrant caravan from entering the U.S., Ocasio-Cortez tweeted Sunday that we have nothing to fear from these individuals who are simply seeking asylum. Asking to be considered a refugee & applying for status isn’t a crime. It wasn’t for Jewish families fleeing Germany.It wasn’t for targeted families fleeing Rwanda.It wasn’t for communities fleeing war-torn Syria.And it isn’t for those fleeing violence in Central...

Last week, we touched upon Congresswoman-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's support for the asinine government overhaul of the American economy known as the"Green New Deal." In what appeared to be spontaneous show of support, Ocasio-Cortez met with a group of environmentalists inside Nancy Pelosi's office and told the mostly young group of people just how proud of she was of them "for putting yourselves, and your bodies, and everything on the line to make sure that we save our planet, our generation, and our future." However, Ocasio-Cortez had actually delivered that same message a day before at a training session for the...

Last week, we touched upon Congresswoman-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's support for the asinine government overhaul of the American economy known as the" Green New Deal. " In what appeared to be spontaneous show of support, Ocasio-Cortez met with a group of environmentalists inside Nancy Pelosi's office and told the mostly young group of people just how proud of she was of them "for putting yourselves, and your bodies, and everything on the line to make sure that we save our planet, our generation, and our future." However, Ocasio-Cortez had actually delivered that same message a day before at a training...

A band of Democrats who are demanding House rule reforms have yet to reach a deal with Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the group announced Friday, putting up a potential roadblock in Pelosi’s quest to reclaim the Speaker’s gavel. Nine Democrats on the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus have vowed to withhold their votes for Speaker unless the candidate agrees to overhaul the House rules. Pelosi, who has been open to such changes, met with the group last week and promised to put in writing the changes to which she would commit. But the Democrats say they have yet to receive...

Full title: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Three Branches Of Government Tweet Wasn't The Only One That Triggered An Avalanche Of Stupid We all knew we were going to have to deal with Alexandria Ocasio-CortezÂ’s nonsense. Anyone who won that primary against incumbent and soon-to-be-former Congressman Joe Crowley was going to win. The district is more left wing than Lenin. ItÂ’s easy to poke fun of Ocasio-Cortez, who found herself in the spotlight thanks to that upset win. SheÂ’s a democratic socialist, with many of her colleagues viewing her as the future of the party. And by future, do they mean being the...

Those looking to buy a gun in New York may need to submit their social media profiles and search history prior to purchase if new firearm legislation in the state becomes law.Under the legislation drafted by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and State Senator Kevin Parker, both Democrats, up to three years’ worth of search history on social media would be able to be reviewed, ABC Action News reported.Senate Bill 9191, according to WHAM, mandates "social media and search engine reviews prior to the approval of an application or renewal of a license to carry or possess a pistol or revolver;...

Full title: Harvey Weinstein's Lawyer Gave $10,000 To Manhattan DA After He Declined To File Sexual Assault Charges Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer delivered $10,000 to Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. in 2015, in the months after Vance’s office decided not to prosecute Weinstein over sexual assault allegations, according to an International Business Times review of campaign finance documents. That contribution from attorney David Boies — who previously headlined a fundraiser for Vance — was a fraction of the more than $182,000 that Boies, his son and his law partners have delivered to the Democrat during his political career....

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in June ordered state Attorney General Barbara Underwood to pause her investigation into Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.’s handling of the Harvey Weinstein case, a spokeswoman for Underwood confirmed Tuesday.

As a native Illinoisan, I can appreciate the wildly corrupt nature of this story. New York Governor Mario Cuomo received a $25,000 donation from the law firm representing Harvey Weinstein just six days before he called off an investigation into the movie mogul's behavior. The explanation from the law firm for the donation could have been lifted from a Chicago alderman's playbook. Page Six: “Neither Mr. Boies, nor anyone from his firm, ever discussed Harvey Weinstein or Mr. Vance with Mr. Cuomo, or anyone from his office, at any time,” the spokesperson told online political publication Capital and Main. “Mr....