Free Republic

Joe diGenova, a former Trump campaign lawyer who backed President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss, will head up a Florida-based federal investigation into former federal officials who investigated Trump, a Justice Department official confirmed to NBC News on Saturday. DiGenova, 81, who was U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia during the Reagan era, will lead a sprawling investigation targeting Trump's enemies, reaching all the way back to a previous Justice Department inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) filed a new lawsuit last month on behalf of the Miami Beach resident and Army National Guard veteran Raquel Pacheco, arguing that Miami Beach city officials conducted a coordinated campaign to suppress constitutionally protected speech—namely, the advocacy for the rights of Palestinians and criticism of the foreign government of Israel. On January 7, 2026, Pacheco posted a comment on Facebook criticizing City of Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner’s stance on Palestine. She wrote, “The guy who consistently calls for the death of all Palestinians, tried to shut down a theater for showing a movie that...

Florida condo owners are waking up to a brutal new reality: their homes are becoming virtually worthless. Desperate sellers all over the Sunshine State are slashing prices to as little as $10,000 - and still failing to find buyers. The property problem across the state has been triggered by a tough new safety law brought in after the 2021 deadly Surfside condominium collapse that killed 98 people, forcing aging buildings to undergo inspections and fund massive repairs. Florida-based real estate expert Katrin Pfitzenreiter told the Daily Mail that, for many owners, this has meant repair bills in excess of $100,000,...

I recently wrote that rumors suggested Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) might be the next domino to fall after sexual misconduct allegations took down Eric Swalwell.Well, it’s happened. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) has confirmed that the previously unnamed senator she accused of “very disturbing” misconduct earlier this week is, in fact, Gallego.Luna confirmed this during an interview with CBS News’ Major Garrett, who pressed her about the cryptic X post she made on Wednesday.It’s seems like the Senate has its own trash to take out. @LeaderJohnThune You need to look into the allegations against one of your Senators, it’s very...

Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida accused Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego of misconduct on Thursday, which Gallego denied. Luna told CBS News' "The Takeout with Major Garrett" that the Arizona Democrat was the previously unnamed senator whom she said was facing "very disturbing" allegations in a cryptic social media post earlier this week.

Ron DeSantis isn’t committing to making another run for the presidency, saying he’s “got to run through the tape” and cautioning that it would make little sense to plan too concretely in such a dynamic environment. ..."Think of all the new things we’re talking about right now with what’s going on in the world and everything just in the last two months. And so who knows how all this stuff evolves?” Yet he warns that the midterm elections will be tough for his party. “I think the way the winds are blowing currently, I don’t think it’s insurmountable, but I...

DELTONA, Fla. – An emotional reunion unfolded in Deltona after a family was reunited with their beloved dog, Archer, days after he went missing, and after they say they were targeted by a disturbing scam involving artificial intelligence. Lytton Cosens said the ordeal began late Saturday night after returning home from an Orlando Solar Bears game. “When we got home, usually the dogs are there to welcome you,” Cosens said. “But this time, only one came instead of three.” The family quickly realized their 11-year-old beagle mix, Archer, was missing and spent hours searching their neighborhood. The next morning, they...

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is delaying his special session on redistricting, issuing a proclamation on Wednesday that the state Legislature would convene between April 28 and May 1 instead of next week. The rescheduled special session will also focus on issues related to artificial intelligence and medical freedom. DeSantis initially called for a special session next week to take up the Sunshine State’s congressional lines but indicated earlier this week that there could be a delay as lawmakers finish budget negotiations. “It’s possible you could do a little tweak, but you can’t really push it very far. You got...

The state of Florida has passed a new law that will require all non-U.S. citizens applying for or renewing their driver's licenses to have a special designation indicating their citizenship status starting on January 1, 2027. Why it matters The new law is part of a broader push by Florida to tighten immigration policies and crack down on undocumented residents. Critics argue the measure unfairly singles out non-citizens and could lead to increased discrimination, while supporters say it's a necessary step to verify legal status. The details Under the new law, any Florida driver's license or ID card issued to...

DIGNIDAD Act introduced for the third time in six years by Rep. Maria Salazar (R-Fla.). Excellent written summary - plus - a 39 minute podcast. Key Points - Scope of Amnesty - Enforcement and Legal Concerns - Economic and Labor Market Impact

BUNNELL, Fla. — A Palm Coast man currently campaigning for governor of Florida was arrested Friday morning following a domestic disturbance involving a weapon and threats to kill law enforcement, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. Kevin Cichowski, 46, was taken into custody after deputies responded to a residence on Cleveland Court in Palm Coast. Authorities say the emergency dispatch center received a report that Cichowski had battered two elderly victims in the home, striking one with a cane and throwing a cellphone at the other. One of the victims told dispatchers that Cichowski was armed with a gun...

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., urged Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., on Wednesday to investigate unspecified allegations against an unnamed senator. “It seems like the Senate has its own trash to take out. @LeaderJohnThune, you need to look into the allegations against one of your senators; it’s very disturbing,” Luna wrote on X. “My chief [of staff] will be contacting your chief [or staff].” The Florida Republican did not specify the nature of the allegations or which senator she was referencing. Luna has consistently called for the expulsion of lawmakers from Congress who have engaged in sexual misconduct. “I’m...

Orlando attorney says he won’t compete for Florida governorJohn Morgan took to social media on Monday to announce a new initiative: a $100,000 prize for a contest to name his new third party here in Florida. The Orlando attorney opened up his video statement by declaring he would not be running for office. “For about the last year and a half, a lot of people have been asking me to run for governor of the state of Florida. It’s really quite an honor,” he said. “So today, I’m going to answer that question and tell you my plans.” According...

Tamica Brown, has been arrested in Florida after she reportedly stole more than $120,000 in SNAP benefits from over 200 victims. Brown allegedly drained people's accounts using stolen EBT card numbers. She then bought various store products and would resell them on street corners. But Democrats told me there’s no fraud?!

Dr Thomas Shaknovsky indicted for second-degree manslaughter after prosecutors allege he removed a patient's liver instead of his spleen SNIP The Office of the State Attorney for the First Judicial Circuit in Florida announced in a release Monday that Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky was charged with second-degree manslaughter after he allegedly removed the liver from 70-year-old Bill Bryan of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, in 2024 during a procedure at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast Hospital in Miramar Beach, Florida. Prosecutors allege the surgery was scheduled to be a laparoscopic splenectomy, a minimally invasive procedure used to remove the spleen, but the removal...

Rep. Maria Salazar (R-FL) says Republicans ought to pass her “DIGNIDAD Act,” a broad amnesty scheme allowing millions of illegal aliens to remain in the United States while hugely expanding legal immigration levels, to prove to Democrats that they are not racist. “It’s impossible if we, the Republicans, put together a bill like this one on the floor, for any Democrat with Hispanics, supposedly you know ‘Hispanics belong to the Democrats.’ No, not anymore, because right now we’re going to be demonstrating to the Dems that we are not such a bunch of racists, that we are giving them dignity,...

DC is in full meltdown mode after Eric Swalwell announced on Monday he would resign from Congress amid explosive sexual misconduct allegations — sparking a firestorm of speculation from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. The bombshell departure of the high-profile Trump critic came via a somber written statement in which Swalwell apologized for his conduct and admitted to “mistakes in judgement” while still pushing back on the most serious accusations — including an ex-staffer who claimed he raped her. But his attempt to control the narrative quickly unraveled. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) torched Swalwell in a series...

The battle between Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) and the GOP’s right flank is heating up, with hard-line House conservatives throwing their support behind his primary opponent after the moderate Republican called two of them “scumbags” on national television. Gonzales kicked the hornet’s nest over the weekend when, during an interview on CNN, he went after Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Bob Good (R-Va.) — “it’s my absolute honor to be in Congress, but I serve with some real scumbags” — launching personal attacks on the conservative duo. “Matt Gaetz, he paid minors to have sex with them at drug parties....

A Florida 16-year-old is being charged as an adult in the sexual abuse and murder of his stepsister on a Carnival cruise ship last year, authorities said Monday. The teen, T.H., of Titusville, is charged with first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse in the killing of Anna Kepner, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida said. Kepner, 18, was found dead, asphyxiated, on Nov. 7 under the bed in a cabin the siblings shared on the Carnival Horizon cruise ship while on vacation with Kepner’s family, records showed.

"Unfortunately, this young man is going to learn a very expensive lesson," Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood said,NEED TO KNOW -A 14-year-old boy was arrested for allegedly swinging and kicking a baby alligator at the Stetson Aquatic Center in Florida -The teen was booked into the Volusia Sheriff’s Office Juvenile Resource Center and faces a felony charge for harming wildlife -Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood said, "Abusing wildlife is not a way to spend your downtime" -Volusia Sheriff’s Office (VSO) deputies allegedly found a 14-year-old boy abusing a baby alligator in DeLand, Fla. on Friday, April 3. The teen was with a...