Amelia Warren Tyagi, daughter of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), piggybacked off her mother to cash in on corporate clients for her new company during the presidential hopeful's time chairing the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) oversight committee, Government Accountability Institute (GAI) president and Breitbart News senior contributor Peter Schweizer reveals in his investigative book, Profiles in Corruption: Abuse of Power by America's Progressive Elite.
Profiles in Corruption details how Warren's daughter, Amelia, demonstratively benefited from her mother's position of power, using Warren's influence to grow the company she co-founded in 2007.
Amelia, alongside business partner Jody Greenstone Miller, founded the Business Talent Group (BTG) in 2007, "a temp firm for specialized and highly skilled employees." The business played a role in what has been dubbed the "gig economy," centralized around independent contractors and part-time workers. In other words, "people are hired for part-time jobs rather than full-time employment" — something Warren has railed against.
BTG did not have a smooth start. As Profiles in Corruption points out, temp businesses are "largely about corporate connections" — connections which exploded after Warren landed her job as the chair of the TARP oversight committee, which "played a central role in the federal government's bailout of financial firms":
In its early years, the firm struggled. Executives admitted that they had to be "extremely resourceful" in order to find new business. Executive recruitment and the temp business are largely about corporate connections. As Clare Malone of the Daily Beast pointed out, BTG is "a hybrid headhunting and consulting firm— industries whose bread and butter is leveraging connections." Now they appeared to have some in abundance.
Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) called Warren, knowing her reputation, during the financial crisis in 2008, asking her to serve as chair of the congressional oversight panel to "keep track on the government bailout." She brought Amelia, who co-founded her business the year prior, to the meeting.
As Schweizer reported, Amelia was actively "in search of capital investors, board members, clients, and partners" at the time.
Schweizer documents how Warren's work as chair of the TARP oversight committee coincided with her daughter's efforts to raise money and sign up advisers from investment banks being bailed out by TARP.
"As we will see, they were doing business with some of the largest corporations in the country, as well as government agencies," Schweizer revealed:
At the same time that Elizabeth Warren was meeting and talking with major Wall Street investment firms, her daughter's firm BTG was adding high-profile advisors with connections to the same companies who would benefit and face possible scrutiny from TARP. According to BTG's website in late 2008 these included:
Robert A. Kindler—Global head of Mergers and Acquisitions at Morgan Stanley, former global head of M&A at JPMorgan Chase. Ironically, Kindler boasted a vanity license plate for his Porsche that read "2BIG2FAIL." Morgan Stanley would receive $10 billion from TARP.
Edward J. Mathias—Managing director at the Carlyle Group, former member of management committee and board of directors at T. Rowe Price. The Carlyle Group grabbed $154 million in TARP funds for an affiliate.
William I. Jacobs—Former senior executive vice president and chief operating
BTG went from a $4 million in revenue, with 200 people in its talent pool in 2009, to over $11 million in revenue and roughly 1,800 in its web over a three-year span.
In 2010, former President Barack Obama appointed Warren as assistant to the president and special adviser to the secretary of the Treasury. She was tasked with setting up a consumer protection bureau:
The new $550 million agency would have enormous power. It was created to enforce rules on banks, collection agencies, Wall Street brokerage firms, credit unions, payday lenders, student loan servicers, and others. As the Treasury secretary at the time, Timothy Geithner, put it, "It got the authority to write and enforce consumer rules for much of the financial system."
Warren moved to establish "direct lines of communication with the executives of the most powerful financial firms in the country." While she attempted to project a hardline, no-nonsense attitude against Wall Street giants, she struck a friendly tone behind closed doors, as Schweizer documented:
Communication with the CEOs of major Wall Street firms was in "stark contrast to the battle that [was] waged in public."96 Warren has met in private with Wall Street moguls that she publicly criticizes. This duality in her public utterances and private tone continued well into her tenure in the U.S. Senate. In July 2017, she joined a private donor retreat held at the Martha's Vineyard home of Robert Wolf, the former UBS Investment Bank CEO.97 Wolf told the New York Times: "I think she is very different in a conversation than when she's on the stump." She also held private meetings with JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon.98 In public, she has excoriated Dimon and pointedly asked for his resignation from the New York Federal Reserve Bank's board of directors.99
All of that, Schweizer noted, "occurred while her daughter Amelia was building BTG."
The revelation comes just days ahead of the Iowa caucuses, where Warren has been struggling to gain support. The latest Emerson College poll examining the race in the Hawkeye State shows the Massachusetts senator falling underneath the required 15 percent threshold with just 11 percent support. Notably, the poll also showed her falling to fourth place, behind Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), who saw a notable boost with 13 percent support.
Schweizer's book, Profiles in Corruption, is available for online purchase in hardcover, paperback, or e-book.
Author: Hannah Bleau
Source: Breitbart: Elizabeth Warren's Daughter Amelia Piggybacked off Mom to Cash In on Corporate Contracts
By Hannah Bleau
Rand Paul About To Give Trump Major Gift — Schiff is Furious
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said on Wednesday that 45 GOP senators are prepared to dismiss the charges against President Trump and effectively end the Senate impeachment trial.
The Kentucky senator told the Washington Post on day two of the Senate impeachment trial that 45 Republicans are ready to dismiss the charges against Trump. (Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the upper chamber.) He estimated that "five to eight" want to "hear a little more."
"There are 45, with about five to eight wanting to hear a little more," Paul told the Post. "I still would like to dismiss it, but there aren't the votes to do it just yet."
However, Paul said he is not pushing the point just yet.
"I will push it at some point," he told the paper, adding, "The more Adam Schiff speaks, the more we become unified."
Paul has openly rejected the Democrats' calls for additional witnesses and has issued a political threat to his GOP colleagues, in the event they side with Democrats.
"If you vote against Hunter Biden, you're voting to lose your election, basically. Seriously. That's what it is," Paul said, according to Politico. He continued:
If you don't want to vote and you think you're going to have to vote against Hunter Biden, you should just vote against witnesses, period. My first preference would be to be done with it as soon as possible and not to have any witnesses.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) told reporters on Wednesday that a witness trade is "off the table," but Paul affirmed that he does not believe the Senate should call former national security adviser John Bolton as a witness, referring to him as "a disgruntled employee with an ax to grind."
"It's unknown. Some people who have talked to him think he has an ax to grind, that he's angry he was publicly fired by the president," Paul told the Post. He went on:
But he also has a history of believing in unlimited powers for the president. Which is the guiding light for John Bolton at this point? Axe to grind and books to sell? Or, be a player and say 'even if I'm gone, he's doing what I want on Iran and other things?'
Nevertheless, Paul previously outlined his contingency plan, telling Politico that he will insist they call on another witness in the event of a Bolton subpoena.
"If they insist on having people like Bolton coming forward, my insistence will be not just one witness. But that the president should be able to call any witnesses that he deems necessary to his defense," he said.
More via the Post:
Paul's comments come as Trump's lawyers resist filing a motion to dismiss the charges, according to an individual close to the president's team. That decision allows House managers to proceed with their presentation when senators reconvene Wednesday afternoon.
McConnell stressed last week that there is "little or no sentiment" among GOP lawmakers to dismiss the charges before hearing both sides of the opening arguments.
"There is little or no sentiment in the Republican conference for a motion to dismiss," the majority leader told reporters, noting that the lawmakers feel "an obligation to listen to the arguments."
"And we've laid out, in this resolution, an opportunity for everybody to sit there … to listen carefully to the arguments by both the prosecution and the defense, to follow that up with written questions, submitted through the chief justice," he continued.
"And that means listening to the case, not dismissing the case," he added.
Source: Breitbart: Rand Paul: 45 Republicans Prepared to Dismiss Charges Against President
Nancy Pelosi Likens Eliminating Soleimani To Assassinating The U.S. Vice President
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on Thursday defended her opposition to the elimination of Iran's top general and terrorist mastermind Qasem Soleimani by likening the action to a hypothetical assassination of the vice president of the United States.
The speaker expressed outrage upon the death of Soleimani, describing the Trump administration's actions as "provocative and disproportionate."
"This action endangered our service members, diplomats and others by risking a serious escalation of tensions with Iran," she asserted.
She doubled down on those sentiments during a press conference on Thursday, likening the elimination of the terrorist, who was responsible for the death of hundreds of Americans and injuries of thousands more, to an assassination of the vice president of the United States.
"The argument would be made that, putting the shoe on the other foot, if the United States had a high level — maybe the second most important person in the country — assassinated wherever, the United States might consider that an assault on our country," she stated.
Here's @SpeakerPelosi rationalizing her opposition to killing a terrorist who funded attacks on Americans around the world by comparing him to the Vice President of the United States.
Shameful. pic.twitter.com/1QaD47ORX9
— NRCC (@NRCC) January 9, 2020
The comparison fell flat with many on social media, prompting some to remind the speaker of Soleimani's role as a director of terrorist proxies abroad.
"General Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region," the Pentagon said in a statement confirming his death. The Pentagon also noted the commander's role in orchestrating attacks on U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq, as well as his approval of last month's attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq.
"This strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans," the Pentagon continued. "The United States will continue to take all necessary action to protect our people and our interests wherever they are around the world."
Pelosi is not the only Democrat who has referred to Soleimani's elimination as an assassination. Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) on Wednesday accused Trump of "recklessly" assassinating Soleimani and argued that there was no evidence of an "imminent threat" to justify the administration's actions.
"President Trump recklessly assassinated Qasem Soleimani," she stated.
"He had no evidence of an imminent threat or attack, and we say that coming from a classified briefing where again, there was no raw evidence presented that there was an imminent threat," she added:
Dem. Rep. Pramila Jayapal says "Pres. Trump recklessly assassinated Qassem Soleimani," adding "there was no raw evidence presented that there was an imminent threat" in classified congressional briefing. https://t.co/TaLfIwGQYH pic.twitter.com/szN7l0TfhO
— ABC News (@ABC) January 8, 2020
Pelosi quickly blamed Trump for the Iran missile attacks on Tuesday, again citing "needless provocations from the Administration":
Closely monitoring the situation following bombings targeting U.S. troops in Iraq. We must ensure the safety of our servicemembers, including ending needless provocations from the Administration and demanding that Iran cease its violence. America & world cannot afford war.
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) January 8, 2020
The House is expected to vote on a War Powers Resolution on Thursday aimed to limit Trump's ability to respond to Iran's threats with force. However, it is structured as a "concurrent resolution" which does "not have the force of law," essentially making the Democrats' move nothing more than a partisan "show vote."
"House Democrats would rather take a show vote for their socialist base than stand against the world's largest state sponsor of terror," Mark Bedner, a spokesman for House GOP leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), said.
Source: Fox News: Nancy Pelosi Likens Eliminating Soleimani to Assassinating the U.S. Vice President
Trump On Top Of His Game — Poll Numbers Demonstrate The Likelihood Of A 2020 Blowout Victory
By Hannah Bleau December 31, 2019
President Trump is leading the Democrat field's top tier of candidates in hypothetical general election matchups, a Zogby Analytics poll released on Sunday shows.
The poll, taken December 5-8, 2019, among 865 likely voters, showed the president edging out all of the top Democrat candidates, including former Vice President Joe Biden (D).
While many Democrats believe Biden stands the best chance of defeating Trump in a general election matchup, the Zogby poll showed the president edging out Biden by one percentage point — 46 percent to 45 percent.
The former vice president is maintaining the edge among women, young voters (18-24), and minority voters, but Trump is appealing more to millennial voters. The two are virtually tied among independents:
Among the important swing voters the race continues to be a see saw: Trump is winning with Independents (Trump leads 41% to 40%), consumer blocs-NASCAR fans (Trump leads 59% to 34%), weekly Walmart shoppers (Trump leads 52% to 37%), weekly Amazon shoppers (Trump leads 51% to 45%) and the most vulnerable voters-lost a job (Trump leads 52% to 38%), afraid of losing a job (both at 46%), at a job that pays less (Trump leads 48% to 42%), gone without food for 24 hours (Trump leads 47% to 43%). Biden is also beating Trump with suburban women (Biden 47% to 40%), who will factor in big in the 2020 presidential election.
The poll also shows the president edging out Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in a general election matchup, 47 percent to 45 percent. However, Sanders enjoys more support from younger voters (18-34), 53 percent support to Trump's 37 percent. Additionally, the poll found the socialist senator leading Trump among independent voters, 46 percent to Trump's 39 percent. Notably, though, Trump leads Sanders among union voters, 48 percent to 42 percent.
The poll also shows Trump leading Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) 47 percent to 43 percent and found the Massachusetts senator leading Trump among women by a smaller margin than her rivals:
In a surprising twist, Warren appeals less than Biden and Sanders do to women voters (Warren only leads Trump 46% to 40%), while Trump receives better numbers with men (Trump leads 54% to 40%). Warren has the support of voters age 18-24 (Warren leads 71% to 20%) and age 18-29 (Warren leads 57% to 31%), while Trump leads with voters age 25+ (Trump leads 50% to 40%) and age 30+ (Trump leads 51% to 40%). Warren is doing well with minorities-Hispanics (Warren leads 54% to 33%) and African Americans (Warren leads 74% to 19%). They are virtually tied with voters with no college degrees (Warren leads 44% to 43%) and Trump leads with voters who have college degrees (Trump leads 51% to 42%).
The survey furthermore shows Trump leading Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D) 45 percent to 41 percent and Michael Bloomberg (D) 44 percent to 43 percent. The margin of error is +/- 3.3 percent:
2020 National GE:
Trump 46% (+1)
Bloomberg 43%
Zogby Analytics 12/5-8https://t.co/jOi9xeIeKc
— Political Polls (@Politics_Polls) December 30, 2019
Source: Breitbart: Poll: Donald Trump Leads Top Democrats in 2020 Matchups
2020 Democratic Hopeful Proves To Be A Major Failure Even In Home State
By Hannah Bleau November 29, 2019
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) is struggling to crack into the top tier of candidates in her home state of California, the latest SurveyUSA poll shows.
The poll, taken November 20-22 among 558 likely Democratic Primary voters, found former Vice President Joe Biden (D) dominating in the Golden State with 28 percent support. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who has been experiencing a surge nationally and in New Hampshire particularly, came in second place with 18 percent support. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) followed with 13 percent support.
Once again, Harris failed to crack into the top tier of candidates in her home state, virtually tying with Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D) for fourth place with 10 percent and eight percent, respectively. The +/- 4.8 percent margin of error puts the two at a statistical tie.
Andrew Yang trailed with five percent support, followed by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Michael Bloomberg (D), and Tom Steyer (D) – all of whom saw three percent support. The remaining candidates garnered two percent support or less.
#California @SurveyUSA Poll (11/20-22):
Harris 10%
Booker 3%
Gabbard 2%
Castro 1%
Patrick 0%
— Political Polls (@Politics_Polls) November 27, 2019
The poll reflects Harris's ongoing battle to garner support both nationally and in key states, including her own. While she has pledged to go "all-in" on Iowa, she has failed to crack into the top tier in the Hawkeye State, seeing just 3.3 percent support. Meanwhile, Real Clear Politics' California average shows the presidential hopeful with just 8.7 percent support.
The news follows yet another cooking video posted by the senator, which featured actress and comedienne Mindy Kaling.
Who else keeps their spices in Taster's Choice jars? ⁰⁰Turns out @MindyKaling and I have more in common than we initially thought.
WATCH: https://t.co/hqqL2oYb3d pic.twitter.com/9dgQUjKeZF
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) November 26, 2019
Source: Breitbart: Cooking Kamala Fails to Break into Top Tier in Home State California, Poll Shows
This Daytime TV Host Denies Wearing Blackface — Contrary Video Evidence Surfaces
By Hannah Bleau November 8, 2019
Donald Trump Jr. triggered The View co-hosts Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg after reminding viewers during an appearance on the show on Thursday that Behar donned blackface. Both adamantly denied it, despite the fact that Behar admitted to once dressing as a "beautiful African woman" for Halloween, wearing makeup "that was a little bit darker" than her skin.
The conversation took a heated turn when Trump used Behar's use of blackface and Goldberg's take on Roman Polanski as regrettable actions and positions.
"We've all done things we regret. If we're talking about bringing discourse down – Joy, you've worn blackface," Trump said spurring an immediate denial.
"No, I have not," she quipped.
"Whoopi, you said that Roman Polanski, it wasn't 'rape' rape when he raped a child," he continued.
"I did not go in blackface, please," Behar repeated, prompting Goldberg to come to her defense.
"No, she was not in blackface," Goldberg said. "Listen, being black, I recognize blackface. This I can say, okay? I know it when I see it":
I don't think I've enjoyed an interview this much in my life.
Guess you could say that I just #Triggered The View!!! https://t.co/K0zMTij3Pw
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) November 7, 2019
However, a 2016 clip shows Behar admitting to dressing up as a "beautiful African woman" for Halloween and wearing makeup "that was a little bit darker than [her] skin." The segment even featured a photo of a 29-year-old Behar donning the costume.
"Did you have any tanning lotion on, Joy?" former co-host Raven-Symoné asked.
Behar admitted to having makeup she called "a little bit darker than my skin."
"That's my actual hair, though," she clarified:
Here's @TheView's Joy Behar admitting on national TV that she in fact wore blackface. Why are they denying it now? https://t.co/B9ReOYrwXY
The left-wing blog Jezebel did not appear to know how to handle Behar's confession, covering it in a piece titled "Hmm, Here Is Joy Behar Dressed as 'a Beautiful African Woman' For Halloween."
"Joy helpfully notes, after being asked by Raven-Symoné if she was wearing tanning lotion, that she was in fact wearing makeup 'little bit darker than [her] skin.' Yikes mcyikes," the post read.
The author ultimately described Behar's costume as "blackface-lite" but said she could not be too upset over it because "it was 1971 and people didn't even know what microaggressions were":
If the timing is correct, that would date this photo around 1971. I can't really get too bothered at this blackface-lite costume because it was 1971 and people didn't even know what microaggressions were. I'm more flabbergasted by her willingness to pull this photo out and proudly show the world as if it's totally cool in the year 2016.
After the emergence of blackface scandals this year – from Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) to Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring (D) (and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in recent months)– the Chicago Tribune featured a flashback of Behar's remarks in a piece titled "'The View' host Joy Behar under fire for use of blackface."
"Joy Behar and ABC were silent Thursday after an old photo resurfaced of 'The View' co-host using makeup to darken her skin for a Halloween costume, the latest flashpoint in a series of blackface scandals making national headlines," the Tribune reported in February.
The Washington Post also covered the spectacle in a post titled "A photo of Joy Behar dressed as a 'beautiful African woman' resurfaces amid renewed attention on blackface":
The photo, which shows the comedian dressed as what she called "a beautiful African woman," was seen several years ago during an episode of the morning show. But after an editor from the Wrap posted a clip from the show on Twitter on Wednesday, it renewed a debate about whether Behar was expressing admiration or whether she should have faced consequences like people who have worn blackface.
US Weekly also used the term "blackface" to describe Behar's costume in an article titled "Joy Behar Slammed After Blackface Halloween Photo Resurfaces: 'I Went as a Beautiful African Woman.'"
Source: Breitbart: Fact Check: Joy Behar Denies Wearing Blackface Despite Dressing Up as 'Beautiful African Woman'
Pitiful Picture of Jilted Republican Presidential Hopeful
By Hannah Bleau October 18, 2019
Only one person showed up at Mark Sanford's official campaign launch against President Trump in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday.
Sanford announced in September his intention to launch a Republican primary bid against the president, telling Fox News's Chris Wallace that we "need to have a conversation on what it means to be a Republican":
Former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford (R) announced exclusively on Fox News Sunday that he will challenge President Trump in the Republican primary. #FNS #FoxNews pic.twitter.com/2xwdSGpW0d
— FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) September 8, 2019
Sanford officially launched his campaign in Philadelphia on Wednesday, accompanied by an oversized check for "one trillion dollars" and a single individual (who was not a reporter, an aide, or a family member). The campaign launch doubled as a kickoff of his 3,500-mile tour across 11 states, dubbed "Kids, We're Bankrupt and We Didn't Even Know It":
We began our trip this morning in Philadelphia. Our Founding Fathers designed a 3-legged stool to keep freedom alive – sustainable spending, separated power & enough civility to keep us talking as Americans. Lose these things & we lose our civilization. https://t.co/eUjLtprvg2
— Mark Sanford (@MarkSanford) October 16, 2019
Anna Orso, who covered Sanford's launch for the Philadelphia Inquirer, noted that she was the only reporter there.
According to the report:
And when it began, the only others around besides his two aides were a family 30 yards away with a selfie stick and a group of students from Paris who wanted to know why he had such a big check. (Answer: It represented the burden of the national debt.)
Besides me, news conference attendees included two photographers — including a Philadelphia Inquirer photographer — and a 6ABC cameraman who showed up briefly. ("I'll talk to about 250,000 people in just a second," Sanford said to me as the cameraman approached with his tripod.) No other local TV station showed up to the kickoff spot, even though Fox 29 is studio is a block away. CBS3 and NBC10's studios were within two miles of Sanford's news conference.
She said Sanford only spoke with one person who did not happen to be an aide, journalist, or the curious foreign students:
I went to Mark Sanford's presidential campaign kickoff in Philly and only one person besides me and a couple photographers showed up :/ https://t.co/FB24ytpS3W
— Anna Orso (@anna_orso) October 16, 2019
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ONE PERSON SHOWED UP TO MARK SANFORD'S CAMPAIGN KICKOFF HAHAHAHAHA https://t.co/uUAiJIuAB5
— Chris Barron (@ChrisRBarron) October 17, 2019
"Nobody knows me in Philadelphia. I get it," Sanford said, according to Orso. "I think in life we all do what we can do, what's within our power to have an effect. So we're just sort of moving along as we go along."
Sanford, who is running his campaign, largely, on the issue of debt, is reportedly funding his longshot bid with leftover congressional campaign funds. He hopes to differentiate himself from Trump by displaying "empathy and humility," according to Orso.
The former South Carolina governor is, perhaps, most well known for his "Appalachian Trail" scandal in 2009, disappearing for six days to visit his mistress in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His office claimed , during his absence, that he was hiking the Appalachian Trail.
The scandal did not sink his political career. He dodged impeachment and was later elected to the South Carolina's 1st Congressional District in 2013 and served until 2019. Trump took partial credit for Sanford's loss.
"When the former Governor of the Great State of South Carolina, @MarkSanford, was reported missing, only to then say he was away hiking on the Appalachian Trail, then was found in Argentina with his Flaming Dancer friend, it sounded like his political career was over," Trump tweeted in September.
"But then he ran for Congress and won, only to lose his re-elect after I Tweeted my endorsement, on Election Day, for his opponent," Trump continued.
"But now take heart, he is back, and running for President of the United States. The Three Stooges, all badly failed candidates, will give it a go!" he added:
…but then he ran for Congress and won, only to lose his re-elect after I Tweeted my endorsement, on Election Day, for his opponent. But now take heart, he is back, and running for President of the United States. The Three Stooges, all badly failed candidates, will give it a go!
Sanford joins fellow Republican primary challengers Joe Walsh and Bill Weld, both of whom have been unable to generate a significant campaign buzz. What is more, a handful of states, including South Carolina, Nevada, Arizona, and Kansas, are planning to cancel the Republican primary in 2020, further reducing the presidential hopefuls' chances of realistically challenging Trump.
Source: Breitbart: One Person Showed Up at Mark Sanford's Campaign Launch Against Trump