Congress passes a bill mandating the release of the Epstein files, while a judge criticizes a prosecutor's handling of the James Comey case, citing misstatements of law to the grand jury.
Both the House and Senate voted to pass a bill to force the release of the Epstein files. It will now head back to President Trump's desk. President Trump and First Lady Melania participate in a dinner with the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabi.
by RAY LEWIS | The National News DeskLindsey Halligan speaks with a reporter outside of the White House in August. She may have made "fundamental misstatements of the law" to the grand jurors considering whether to indict former FBI Director James Comey, a judge said Monday. A judge in former FBI Director James Comey’s case said Monday that a prosecutor made “fundamental misstatements of the law” to the grand jurors deciding whether to charge him., interim head of the area's federal prosecutorial office, could have jeopardized the case when presenting it to the jurors. “Having been requested by the government to review the grand jury materials, the Court has identified two statements by the prosecutor to the grand jurors that on their face appear to be fundamental misstatements of the law that could compromise the integrity of the grand jury process,” Fitzpatrick said. “Both statements by the prosecutor are in response to questions by grand jurors and are directly related to communications involving Mr. Comey.” Halligan suggested in a “highly prejudicial misstatement,” which is undisclosed, that Comey didn’t have a right to be silent in court, according to the judge. The Fifth Amendment states, however, that nobody should be “compelled” in any criminal case to “be a witness against himself.” Fitzpatrick said Halligan’s comment “ignores” the “foundational rule of law” that the jury can’t consider Comey to be interfering with the "The prosecutor’s statement ... may have reasonable set an expectation in the minds of the grand jurors that rather than the government bear the burden to prove Mr. Comey’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial, the burden shifts to Mr. Comey to explain away the government’s evidence,” the judge explained. Halligan’s office has not yet fully responded to Fitzpatrick’s comments but said he may have misinterpreted the context of her statements. She also suggested to the jurors that the government had evidence against Comey that she wasn’t presenting to them, Fitzpatrick said. Grand jurors can only consider evidence they hear when deciding on an indictment, however. Fitzpatrick’s filing was in the form of an opinion on a decision to disclose the grand jury materials to Comey. The judge has allowed him to receive them, but Halligan is able to dispute to the order before it takes effect. “The Court recognizes that the relief sought by the defense is rarely granted. However, the record points to a disturbing pattern of profound investigative missteps, missteps that led an FBI agent and a prosecutor to potentially undermine the integrity of the grand jury proceeding,” the judge said. “Therefore, in this case, ‘the Court has before it a rare example of a criminal defendant who can actually make a ‘particularized and factually based’ showing that grounds exist to support the proposition that irregularities may have occurred in the grand jury proceedings and may justify the dismissal of one or more counts of the indictment,’” Fitzpatrick added, quoting a statement in a past court case.'Shoot him': Seneca Falls town official probed over remark at public meeting A recent Seneca Falls Town Board meeting turned contentious as board members and the community clashed over the town's preliminary 2026 town budget.Rochester woman accused of murder faces additional charges for probation violationMore than three years after James Hallenbeck, 29, was fatally shot on the city's southwest side, Rochester police have announced an arrest in the homicide.
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