iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by @mjtomaszew.bsky.social

the abbot of unreason (an archaeologist) @merovingians.bsky.social · 14h

I don't know that it makes him presidential material but Ossoff's ability to just be honest about how much of a pile of shit these people really are should be a model to the party.

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 13h

Troy Jackson to Susan Collins: "In light of the article last week from ProPublica, I'm shocked that you're up here talking about fraud, because there's only one person up here that's been accused of that by the FBI."

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Alt Boo-reau of Lake-Monster Spook-tistics @domesticshoggoth.bsky.social · 14h

Why didn’t my enemy interrupt me while I was making a mistake?

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Four Seasons Total Landscaping (not really!) @4seasonstl.bsky.social · 14h

When Ossoff says he won’t run in 2028, I believe him. But if he does, I’m voting for him.

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Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · 16h

Okay, Katie Zacharia's claim to have passed the bar in China appears to be collapsing very fast. The South China Morning Post (Hong Kong) (paywall) just published this. www.scmp.com/news/us/poli...

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 14h

OSSOFF: How weak a person do you have to be to be unable to stop someone under your own roof from disseminating neo-Nazi propaganda while you run for Senate? COLLINS: Will you denounce Reid Hoffman? O: If he was based in my house, then I'd understand you asking me to take responsibility for him

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Four Seasons Total Landscaping (not really!) @4seasonstl.bsky.social · 14h

She’s deeply troubled by this.

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 14h

OSSOFF: Mike Collins continues to defend the war. Georgians deserve to know how this war has helped them. How has it helped Georgians? Simple question COLLINS: *brings up El-Sayed*

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Corey Rayburn Yung @coreyryung.bsky.social · 17h

This thread illustrates, in horrifying detail, that when the media uncritically reports statements of the Trump administration, it's not just failing in its job, it's actively contributing to the evils the administration propagates.

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 14h

OSSOFF: You didn't answer earlier. Answer now. Did Donald Trump win the 2020 election? MIKE COLLINS: You know, the 2020 election. Everybody has seen my views on that OSSOFF: What are they? COLLINS: There was a lot of doubt in that election OSSOFF: I didn't hear an answer

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 14h

COLLINS: Will you condemn Reid Hoffman and apologize? OSSOFF: Mike, who are on your team advised you to raise the Epstein files? You voted to cover up the evidence, Mike.

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Jen Rubin @jenrubin.bsky.social · 14h

I've watched this ad like 10 times. It's just the best

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 14h

Ossoff: "You know I voted for the bill. You're not just lying about my record, you're lying about a young woman's death bc your campaign is in collapse. And you're campaign is in collapse bc the whole state knows that you're currently under federal investigation for illegal misuse of tax dollars."

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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 20h

WOW. Kristi Noem and Elon Musk, among others, "chose to turn the power of the federal government against a singular employee with an impeccable record of public service. ... The attacks against Ms. Comans were based entirely on false information" and many officials "knew [they] were untrue."

In conducting this hearing, the Court is not called upon to resolve factual disputes between
the parties. The facts set forth in this Memorandum Opinion and Order were proposed by the
Plaintiff, unobjected to by the Government, and then deemed admitted by the Court. Dkts. 74, 75,
77.2 These facts establish that high-ranking government officials, including then Secretary of DHS
Kristi Noem and Elon Musk, engaged in a coordinated public relations campaign to impugn the
personal and professional integrity of Ms. Comans. For reasons unfathomable to this Court,
officials chose to turn the power of the federal government against a singular employee with an
impeccable record of public service. In short, Ms. Comans was professionally targeted and
personally attacked by government officials for no legitimate reason. The attacks against Ms.
Comans were based entirely on false information, and many government officials knew the
accusations were untrue at the time they were made. With no regard for the truth and with no
consideration for the personal and professional effect on Ms. Comans, government officials
exploited their access to mass media outlets to broadcast false information. These false
statements reached hundreds of millions of people. The purpose of this Order is, to the best of
this Court’s ability, to correct the public record and establish as a matter of law that the
statements made by these officials about Ms. Comans were objectively and demonstrably false.

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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 20h

In early 2025, Ms. Comans was directed *by DOGE employees themselves* to continue payments to local governments for sheltering migrants. She followed those orders. Then other DOGE employees found out, and the Trump admin decided to blame her personally and smear her in public for the payments.

early point of confusion was whether the Executive Order required a pause in funding only to nongovernmental organizations or whether it also paused funding to state and local governments. This
was not a decision to be made by the CFO. In fact, as CFO, Ms. Comans had neither the authority
nor the ability to direct money to or away from a particular grant recipient. Defining the scope of
the Executive Order was left to senior DHS or FEMA leadership, their general counsels, or at the
very least other FEMA employees who had direct authority over the grant programs at issue.
Ultimately, the agency’s decision was that payments should continue to state and local
governments. This decision was explicitly approved by employees of the newly
created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) who were embedded with DHS
and were reviewing and approving all funding initiatives. As a result of DOGE’s approval, Ms.
Comans was directed to continue payments to state and local governments.
Thereafter, other DOGE employees embedded with the Department of Treasury claimed
FEMA’s payments to state and local governments violated the President’s Executive Order. What
followed was a series of finger pointing and backtracking that resulted in the decision to blame
Ms. Comans and three other career officials. On February 11, 2025, Ms. Comans was fired and
DHS and DOGE officials began their public campaign to use her as a scapegoat.

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 14h

Trump: "I want you to do me a big favor -- pretend I'm on the ballot"

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Jason Karsh @jkarsh.bsky.social · 14h

I’m sorry, did a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate just ‘Won’t somebody think of the neo-Nazis?’ during a live TV debate?

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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 20h

DHS also told Benny Johnson that Ms. Comans had been fired because she was "illegally funding migrant luxury hotels in NYC against the orders of President Trump." DHS, as before, admits now that it "knew this information was false at the time it was provided to Mr. Johnson."

v. February 11, 2025, Statement by DHS Employee to Political Commentator Benny
Johnson
On February 11, 2025, a DHS employee told Benny Johnson, a political commentator with
a significant following, that “FEMA’s Chief Financial Officer Mary Comans was just fired for
illegally funding migrant luxury hotels in NYC against the orders of President Trump.” DHS
officials provided this information to Mr. Johnson with the expectation that he would further
disseminate it to his audience and on-line followers. Mr. Johnson then posted the information on
X. The Government concedes and the Court finds that other than the fact that Ms. Comans had
been fired, the information provided to Mr. Johnson was entirely false. The Government further
concedes and the Court further finds that officials at FEMA and DHS knew this information was
false at the time it was provided to Mr. Johnson.

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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 20h

This fraud was then perpetuated by Elon Musk himself, who was running DOGE at the time, and who retweeted a post about the incident while declaring it a "criminal act." The government now "concedes ... that Mr. Musk and officials at FEMA and DHS knew this information was false."

vi. February 11, 2025, Statement by Elon Musk On February 11, 2025, Elon Musk, a Special Government Employee and head of DOGE, retweeted on X a photo of Ms. Comans along with the statement, “FEMA CFO Mary Comans was just fired for funneling $58M to illegal migrant hotels in Manhattan” and he called it a “criminal action.” The Government concedes and the Court finds that other than the fact that Ms. Comans had been fired, the post by Mr. Musk was entirely false. The Government further concedes and the Court further finds that Mr. Musk and officials at FEMA and DHS knew this information was false at the time it was posted. Based on the unchallenged facts and the fact that Mr. Musk was the head of DOGE, he knew or should have known that any payments made to state or local governments through a FEMA grant in February 2025 were approved by his subordinates. Finally, the fact that Mr. Musk posted a picture of Ms. Comans to his millions of followers while falsely characterizing her government service as a “criminal action” was clearly intended to make her afraid. Posting Ms. Comans’ picture served no legitimate governmental interest and was little more than state sanctioned intimidation.

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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 20h

As a result, the magistrate judge issues an order adjudging Ms. Coman's name CLEARED of the outrageous accusations made against her by DHS officials and Elon Musk. This is a very unusual circumstance, as such hearings are not common at all. But it seems very necessary here. The facts are out now.

Conclusion Armed only with false statements, high-ranking government officials undertook a premeditated campaign to impugn the personal and professional integrity of Ms. Comans, a nonpartisan, career public servant. Their intent was to disseminate false and derogatory information about Ms. Comans as widely as possible. To be clear, it was the stated position of the United States Government that Ms. Comans acted in a criminal manner with a criminal intent. That is untrue. Ms. Comans was publicly accused of knowingly and “egregiously” misspending federal funds. That is untrue. She was accused of laundering “forbidden funding.” That is untrue. She was accused of willfully violating a Presidential Executive Order, the orders of the DHS Secretary, circumventing leadership, and frustrating the will of the American people. That is untrue. She was accused of undermining public safety. That is untrue. Accordingly, for the reasons set forth herein the Court finds that the derogatory statements about Ms. Comans were objectively and demonstrably false, that many high-ranking government officials made these statements knowing they were false, and as to her conduct as the Chief Financial Officer of FEMA, Ms. Comans’ name is ADJUDGED CLEARED.

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MeidasTouch @meidastouch.com · 14h

“He's afraid to sit for a deposition in a lawsuit that HE filed.” Ben Meiselas unloads on Trump over his $10 BILLION BBC lawsuit as the fight over questioning him under oath intensifies.

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John Sipher @johnsipher.bsky.social · 20h

Is there no vetting of these loons?

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 14h

Ossoff: "You stand here and say you're gonna be a champion for Black Georgians when you elevate to positions of leadership in your political organization people with ties to the Ku Klux Klan."

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 14h

Ossoff: "In my view, based upon the evidence I've seen thus far, the president's misconduct, abuse of power, and corruption, already exceed any prior standard for impeachment."

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Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 16h

WSJ: Ken Paxton partied in Dubai on New Year's Eve 2024 with two fugitives from U.S. justice and a woman who wasn't his wife. Paxton is the top law enforcement official in Texas.

wsj.com

Exclusive | Ken Paxton Partied in Dubai With Fugitives Ahead of High-Stakes Texas Senate Race

Trump backed the scandal-plagued Paxton in one of the riskiest bets of the midterms

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Mrs. Betty Bowers @mrsbettybowers.bsky.social · 16h

Did James Talarico tell his grandmother that he thought he might be gay? Oh, no! That was JD Vance! Has James Talarico been in a 15 year mentor-protégé relationship with gay billionaire Peter Thiel? Oh, no! That was JD Vance! Did James Talarico pose in drag? Oh, no! That was JD Vance!

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 17h

Tapper: "How worried are Republicans about Paxton losing? Well, we've apparently reached a brand new campaign stage where the VP is insinuating that the Texas Democratic Senate nominee, James Talarico, is gay ... not exactly the sign of a party convinced they can win on their record or ideas"

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 21h

Also, the VP suggests maybe the Texas Senate candidate is a pedo. No evidence, and maybe not a strong card for the Epstein administration to play. bsky.app/profile/atru...

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Sean Casten @seancasten.bsky.social · 21h

The closeted members of the Republican caucus would have such happier lives if their leadership didn't so consistently traffic in playground-level homophobia.

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Norm Eisen @normeisen.bsky.social · 21h

BREAKING: TRO granted! Court has halted the Trump admin tree removal at E. Potomac Golf Links, where we are contesting the dumping of toxic East Wing debris & creation of a hideous Trump golf course Huge win for clients & cocounsel Democracy Forward, Lowell & Assoc, & us at Democracy Defenders

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The Daily Beast @thedailybeast.bsky.social · 21h

The 80-year-old president is reportedly expressing doubts about whether the defense secretary's barbaric plan to livestream a public execution is a good idea.

thedailybeast.com

Trump Throws Hegseth Under the Bus Over Execution Stunt

The 80-year-old president seems to have his limits on what he considers a good plan.

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Mark Jacob @markjacob.bsky.social · 21h

The Trump regime is paying your tax money to Elon Musk through lucrative government contracts, and then Musk is giving hundreds of million of dollars to the Republicans so they'll keep doing that. It's how oligarchs and Republican politicians scam the rest of us.

theguardian.com

Elon Musk becomes biggest political donor of US midterms cycle with $366m spent

Musk’s midterm donations, mostly for rightwing candidates and causes, surpass his contributions to Trump in 2024

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George Conway ⚖️🇺🇸 @gtconway.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

A man who can’t control his bowels and his brain should not control nuclear weapons.

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Tom Joscelyn @tomjoscelyn.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

Elon Musk bought the 2024 presidential election. Now he’s trying to buy the 2026 midterms. He won’t succeed this time. Still, there’s no good reason that one man - in this case, a far-right extremist like Musk - should have this much political power in America. www.cnbc.com/2026/10/12/e...

cnbc.com

Elon Musk gives $276 million to Republican groups, becomes biggest known 2026 midterm donor

Musk’s record midterm election spending comes as the Tesla and SpaceX CEO rebuilds his relationship with Trump and has business ties to the federal government.

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Bill @bill-of-lefts.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

If you support this, you are an evil person. No tie of blood, friendship, history, or money will make me respect you. You have chosen to make yourself a moral outlaw.

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 13/10/2026

Real America's Voice interviewed a guy at the Trump rally in Ohio who blasted Trump for peddling "lies and garbage." He went so hard on Trump and JD Vance that they cut the interview short.

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 13/10/2026

Trump admits of Jon Husted that "I started examining his body" and "looked at his ass," smears a protester as a "fat guy" while she's brutally assaulted in the crowd, and other lowlights from his rally tonight in Ohio

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Jamison Foser @jamisonfoser.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

just a casual reminder that inciting violence against his political opponents and others he dislikes has been a core feature of Donald Trump's approach for more than a decade. It is a defining characteristic of Trump and his movement, but rarely centered as such by corporate media.

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ProPublica @propublica.org · 13/10/2026

While suspended from office and awaiting his impeachment trial, Texas AG Ken Paxton took at least 17 trips. State police joined him each time, costing taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars for trips unrelated to his job. with @texastribune.org

propublica.org

Ken Paxton’s Security for Travel Cost Taxpayers Millions. Just 1 in 6 of His Trips Had a Stated Business Purpose.

Records show the Texas attorney general has taken nearly 1,000 trips during his tenure, costing $3.3 million in security. We could only connect 138 of those trips and $553,000 in security costs to sta...

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 13/10/2026

Trump: "We will pass a truly great healthcare plan that will stop all payments to big insurance companies"

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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

Yes, yes, the authoritarian president is leading a hate-filled rally in which he urges his followers to physically assault protesters but do NOT call any of these people Nazis or you will make David Brooks sad.

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Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

BREAKING: NYT reviewed time-stamped images from a security camera at James Talarico's home, which were provided by his campaign. The images showed Talarico at the home between Oct. 1 and Oct. 8.

nytimes.com

Republicans Promoted a False Rumor That James Talarico Was in Ohio

The Democratic nominee for Senate in Texas spent nine days off the trail with what he and his campaign said was a bad case of the flu. His opponents fueled rumors, including one that spread widely bef...

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Marc Elias @marcelias.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

🚨BREAKING: The Trump administration continued airing taxpayer-funded ads promoting President Donald Trump after a federal judge ordered the campaign halted, then told the court Monday that an internal email delay was to blame. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...

democracydocket.com

Trump administration kept taxpayer-funded ads running after judge ordered them stopped, blames email delay

The government’s ads aired in nearly 400 television spots on programs that began at 7 p.m. Eastern — after the judge's order was already in force.

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USA TODAY @usatoday.com · 13/10/2026

A judge temporarily blocked the removal of hundreds more trees from a DC golf course after the Trump administration cut down 430 trees amid a lawsuit

bit.ly

Judge 'furious' over Trump admin cutting down 430 trees at DC golf course

A judge temporarily blocked the removal of hundreds more trees from a DC golf course after the Trump administration cut down 430 trees amid a lawsuit

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Four Seasons Total Landscaping (not really!) @4seasonstl.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

Wait, so now the #PedoPresident has decided to join the LGBTQ community? Do I have this right?

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 13/10/2026

Trump: "If you terminate the filibuster, we will never lose an election again because we'll have really good safeguards. All strict."

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 13/10/2026

Trump: "I will be the last Republican president"

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Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

“The New York Times reviewed time-stamped images from a security camera at Mr. Talarico’s home, which were provided by his campaign on the condition they not be published for security reasons. The images showed Mr. Talarico at the home between Oct. 1 and Oct. 8.”

nytimes.com

Republicans Promoted a False Rumor That James Talarico Was in Ohio (Gift Article)

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