The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Dec. 5, 2025

U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar faced years in prison, accused of taking $600,000 in bribes from two foreign companies.  President Donald Trump just pardoned the Democrat December 3rd, after which Cuellar filed for reelection.

Cuellar, a powerful and popular 11-term Texas Democrat, had his home raided in 2022.  In May 2024, the Biden Department of Justice announced a dozen charges against Cuellar and his wife Imelda, including bribery, wire fraud, acting as an unregistered foreign agent, and money laundering.  He allegedly took $600,000 in payments from an oil and gas company owned by the government of Azerbaijan, and a bank headquartered in Mexico City, hiding the payments as sham consulting contracts for work purportedly done by his wife.   If convicted, the couple faced decades in prison.  

Earlier this year, the Trump DOJ dropped charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, accused of similar charges, after a Florida meeting Adams had with the President. Shortly after, Adams pledged city cooperation on immigration enforcement.  Seven career DOJ prosecutors resigned after the appearance of a quid pro quo. 

Given the Trump quest for more GOP U.S. House seats, it’s notable that Cuellar still filed for reelection Wednesday as a Democrat.  The congressman has supported stronger border enforcement, which Trump noted in his social media announcement.  
We’ve linked the Biden DOJ’s 2024 indictment at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org  I’m Brian Beihl

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

Texas Tribune – (2022) FBI raid portends political and legal challenges for U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar
American Democracy Minute – (2024) Shades of Corruption: Menendez & Cuellar Prosecuted for Accepting Cash & Cars; Trump Reportedly Promises Climate Rollbacks for $1B in Campaign Contributions from Big Oil with Repercussions Unlikely
Biden U.S. Department of Justice – (2024)  U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar Charged with Bribery and Acting as a Foreign Agent
Texas Tribune – Donald Trump to pardon Texas Democrat Henry Cuellar
Politico – Henry Cuellar will seek reelection as a Democrat after Trump pardon
President Donald Trump on Truth Social  –  Announcement of Pardon for Congressman Henry Cuellar
Pew Research – Majorities of Latinos Disapprove of Trump and His Policies on Immigration, Economy 

Groups Taking Action:

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – How to Register And Vote in Your State

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#News #Democracy  #DemocracyNews #HenryCuellar #Corruption #TrumpPardon #Bribery  #RepCuellar

The post Another Politician Accused of Public Corruption, Congressman Henry Cuellar, is Pardoned by President Donald Trump appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Dec. 3, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

December 1st, President Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter, convicted on federal gun and drug charges.  President-elect Trump recently nominated Charles Kushner, whom Trump pardoned for tax evasion and witness tampering, to become ambassador to France.  How did Presidential pardons evolve, and what are their limitations?

Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution gives the President the authority to “grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.” Proposed by Alexander Hamilton, the Constitutional Convention debated whether the President could unilaterally pardon, or whether approval was needed by the Senate.  The U.S. Supreme Court later interpreted Section 2 as unilateral with broad powers, but limited to federal offenses.

Among the most controversial are President Andrew Johnson’s pardon of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, and in recent times, President Gerald Ford’s pardon of President Richard Nixon, both citing the need for reconciliation.

The White House Historical Society notes that in order for a pardon to be given, a crime must first be committed, and can only extend to FEDERAL, not state crimes.  Ballotpedia, using DOJ statistics, calculates there were 21,130 pardons & commutations from 1902 to 2024.   Biden has now issued 26 pardons & clemencies, not including blanket clemency to 6500 Americans convicted of simple marjuana possession.  Trump pardoned 143, and gave clemency to 94 others.

See the statistics at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.   I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Politico – We haven’t seen a pardon as sweeping as Hunter Biden’s in generations
USA Today – Trump nominates Charles Kushner, who he pardoned in 2020, as US Ambassador to France

US Department of Justice – Political Contributor and Developer Charles Kushner Sentenced to Maximum 24 Months for Witness Retaliation and Other Crimes

US Department of Justice – Office of the Pardon Attorney – Statistics
The White House Historical Association – The History of the Pardon Power
Office of the Pardon Attorney, DOJ – Clemency Statistics
Brennan Center for Justice – Presidential Pardon Power Explained
National Constitution Center – Presidential pardons: A constitutional and historical review
BallotPedia – Executive clemency and presidential pardons

Pew Research – Trump used his clemency power sparingly despite a raft of late pardons and commutations

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #PresidentialPardon #HunterBiden #Clemency

The post President Biden Pardons Son, Trump Previously-Pardoned Ambassador Nominee & Family Member.   How Did Presidential Pardons Evolve? appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Sept. 30, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

The FCC levied a $6 Million dollar fine Sept. 26th for an A-I deep fake robocall in January’s NH Presidential Primary, and on the eve of a civil trial, conservative outlet Newsmax settled a lawsuit with voting machine maker Smartmatic. 

In February, we reported on a robocall using an A-I generated voice of President Joe Biden, urging citizens not to vote in the New Hampshire Presidential Primary.  After a federal and state investigation, the FCC fined Steve Kramer, the political consultant allegedly behind the scheme, $6 Million dollars. A separate $1 Million dollar fine was levied on Lingo Telecom in August.  Kramer also faces felony charges in New Hampshire.

Just days before a civil trial was to begin, conservative outlet Newsmax settled with optical ballot machine maker Smartmatic, September 26th.  Like Dominion Voting Systems, Smartmatic’s machines were falsely implicated in a 2020 voter fraud conspiracy theory, driven by former President Trump’s false claims about the election.  Those claims were widely aired on Newsmax, Fox News and other outlets. No settlement terms were disclosed.

Fox News and Fox Corporation, which settled with Dominion Voting Systems for $787 Million dollars, also faces a $2.7 Billion dollar suit by Smartmatic, a case likely to be heard in 2025.   Fox says it is protected by the First Amendment.

We have more on both of these stories at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

American Democracy Minute – Suspected Senders Identified in AI-Generated Robo Calls Faking Joe Biden’s Voice Before New Hampshire’s Presidential Primary
Federal Communications Commission – FCC FINES MAN BEHIND ELECTION INTERFERENCE SCHEME $6
MILLION FOR SENDING ILLEGAL ROBOCALLS THAT USED
DEEPFAKE GENERATIVE AI TECHNOLOGY
InDepthNH – Consultant Fined $6M for NH Robo Calls Imitating Biden Before January Primary
CNN – Fox board members subpoenaed in Smartmatic’s defamation lawsuit over 2020 election lies

NPR – Voting-tech company settles with right-wing network over false election claims
The Guardian – Newsmax and Smartmatic settle 2020 US election defamation lawsuit
American Democracy Minute – (2023) Fox News Troubles Not Over Yet, With More Potentially Embarrassing Lawsuits Pending

Check Your Voter Registration:

• U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
• USA Vote Foundation – Registration, Eligibility, State Election Office Links
• Vote.Gov – Register to Vote in Your State
• Vote.Org – Check Your Registration to Vote
  
  

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #FoxNews #Smartmatic #Newsmax #BigLie

The post FCC Fines Man Allegedly Behind NH Primary AI Robocall $6 Million; Newsmax Settles with Smartmatic Over Airing 2020 Voting Machine Conspiracy Theories appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for July 23, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

Biden Withdraws as the Presumptive Nominee and Endorses Harris. What Happens Now? 

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

President Joe Biden withdrew July 21st as the presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.  What’s next in the process, and how does that process work? 

It’s important to note that the political parties make their own nomination rules, and although the situation is rare, bylaws for both parties provide for candidates who can’t, or choose not to, remain a nominee.  

Once Biden releases his delegates, they are no longer bound to vote for him in the first round.  Biden has endorsed Harris, and she may get the majority of the 1,976 delegates she needs out of Biden’s 3,896.  Delegates in four states have already pledged support for Harris.  A “virtual roll call” nomination, originally planned to nominate Biden before Ohio’s Aug. 9th ballot deadline, is expected in the next few days.  It’s possible that Harris will be nominated at that virtual meeting, locking out potential rivals before the convention.

Democratic Party leadership appears to be rapidly falling in line, with over 150 members of Congress and a majority of Democratic U.S. Senators endorsing Harris.  If the virtual meeting doesn’t give Harris a majority on the first ballot, it could still go to the convention, which begins Aug. 19th.  An “open” convention, with no presumptive nominee, has not occurred since 1968.   

We have articles, explainers and the DNC rules at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
National Constitution Center – A brief history of presidential primaries
ABC News – DNC readies to move forward with virtual roll call Biden nomination despite concerns
National Task Force on Election Crises – Candidate Succession Before Election Day
Democratic National Committee – Call for 2024 Democratic National Convention and Convention Rules
American Democracy Minute – What Are ‘Open’, ‘Brokered’, and ‘Contested’ Party Conventions, and Could We See One This Summer?
Washington Post – (Possible paywall) How Democrats can pick a new candidate, step by step
The 19th – Biden dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed Harris. What happens next?
Politico – Playbook: The Kamala Harris juggernaut

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #JoeBiden #DNC #KamalaHarris #2024Election

The post Biden Withdraws as the Presumptive Nominee and Endorses Harris. What Happens Now? appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for July 1, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

President Joe Biden’s poor performance at the first debate with Donald Trump precipitated conversations about nominating another candidate at the convention.  Can that happen?  And what’s the difference between an ‘open’, ‘brokered’ or ‘contested’ party nominating convention?

Political parties make the rules about how their nominations for President and Vice President are decided.  Should Biden withdraw and release his delegates, the convention would be “open”.  If he doesn’t, DNC rules state, “Delegates elected to the national convention pledged to a presidential candidate shall in all good conscience reflect the sentiments of those who elected them.”

When a candidate enters the convention without enough delegates to win on the first ballot, the convention is “contested”.  From the primaries, Biden has almost 3,900 pledged delegates, and needs only 1,968 to win on the first ballot.  If a nomination is made from the floor to challenge Biden, that candidate is not likely to succeed because the overwhelming number of delegates are pledged to Biden.

A convention is ‘brokered’ when candidates have no clear majority after the first round of nominations at the convention. Party leaders negiotiate with state delegations to secure a majority, such as happened in the close Carter – Kennedy race in 1980. 

While it’s unlikely, remember that parties make their own rules, AND can change them.    We’ve linked to convention explainers and the DNC rules at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Brookings – What is a brokered convention? What is a contested convention?
U.S. News – What Is an Open Convention and Why Do Some Democrats Want One?
NY Magazine – Replacing Biden at the Convention Is Risky and Unprecedented

Associated Press – Here’s why it would be tough for Democrats to replace Joe Biden on the presidential ticket
PBS NewsHour – 3 reasons it would be tough for Democrats to replace Joe Biden on the presidential ticket
BallotPedia – Democratic delegate rules, 2024
Democratic National Committee – Call For the 2024 Democratic National Convention, including the rules for the convention
History Channel – 4 Contested Conventions in Presidential Election History

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Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #OpenConvention #ContestedConvention #BrokeredConvention #2024DNC

The post What Are ‘Open’, ‘Brokered’, and ‘Contested’ Party Conventions, and Could We See One This Summer? appeared first on American Democracy Minute.