Page 6 - Florida Sentinel 2-13-18

White House and Political News
Key Justice Department Head Is Leaving
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and #3 Justice de- partment head Rachel Brand.
Central Park 5 Member Calls Out President Trump’s Sympathizing Of Staffer Accused Of Abuse
Donald Trump’s sympathy for staff secretary Rob Porter who was accused of domestic violence leads to men who were falsely accused as teens for beating and raping a woman in Central Park in 1989 to call him out. Dubbed the Central Park 5, the men were exonerated after spending 6-13 years in prison.
Just days after two officials in the Trump Administra- tion resigned over domestic abuse allegations, and amid rumors that his chief of staff wants to go, Rachel Brand, No. 3 at the Justice Department, is leaving after nine months on the job.
As associate attorney gen- eral, Brand is next in the line of succession behind the deputy attorney general, Rod Rosenstein, who is oversee- ing the investigation into Russian interference into the 2016 election—an investiga- tion President Trump has called “a witch hunt.” The president also recently called
the FBI and Justice Depart- ment’s handling of it “a dis- grace.”
In her current position, Brand reports directly to Rosenstein and Jeff Ses- sions, the attorney general, who has recused himself from the Russia investigation.
Brand is now poised to get the big bucks in the private sector—her next gig is as the global governance director at Walmart, the conglomerate’s top legal job, according to the New York Times.
Currently, Brand now oversees the civil division, the civil rights division and the an- titrust division at Justice.
Former White House Staff Secretary Rob Porter was shown the door after two ex- wives and a girlfriend accused him of domestic violence. However, in a surprise appear- ance with reporters Friday (Feb. 9) Donald Trump demonstrated sympathy when speaking about Porter.
[Porter did] “a very good job while he was in the White House” Trump said. He then added “We wish him well.” The president later took to Twitter to expand on his thoughts re- garding Porter.
Many found the vote of confidence Trump issued for Porter to be odd, including Raymond Santana.
Back in 1989, Santana along with Antron McCray, Kevin
Richardson, Yusef Salaam and Korey Wise who were between the ages 14 and 16 year olds were accused of bru- tally beating and raping a jog- ger who went for a run in Central Park.
Dubbed the Central Park Five, the teens were all con- victed of the crime and sent to prison where they served any- where between six and 13 years, with Wise serving the longest sentence. Although it would be another 28 years be- fore Trump would become president, he called for the death of the teenagers, which the press dubbed the “wolf pack.”
Through DNA evidence, it was deduced the jogger wasn’t raped by five teens, but instead
by one man Matias Reyes, who was already a convicted rapist and murderer. Reyes reportedly confessed to having acted alone.
Santana, who has always been vocal about his disdain for the president took to Twit- ter to showcase the hypocrisy in Trump’s now call for “due process.”
He wrote: “You should have spoke like that back in 1989...#thecentralpark5, you called for the #deathpenalty, we were 14 & 15 years old.. #kids.
"In July 2017, it was an- nounced Academy Award nominated director Ava Du- Vernay would write and di- rect a limited series about the Central Park Five for Netflix.
President Trump Wants To Turn Space Station Into Commercial Real Estate
According to the Washington Post this space station will be- come privately owned real estate.
Former White House Staffer Rob Porter’s Ex-Wife Lashes Out At President’s Remarks About Her Abuse
The Trump administration wants to turn the International Space Station into a kind of or- biting real estate venture run not by the government, but by private industry, according to the Washington Post.
The White House plans to stop funding the station after 2024, ending direct federal support of the orbiting labora- tory. But it does not intend to abandon the orbiting labora- tory altogether and is working on a transition plan that could turn the station over to the pri-
vate sector, according to an in- ternal NASA document ob- tained the Post.
In its budget request, re- leased Monday, the adminis- tration is requesting $150 million in fiscal year 2019, with more in additional years “to enable the development and maturation of commercial en- tities and capabilities which will ensure that commercial successors to the ISS — poten- tially including elements of the ISS — are operational when they are needed.”
Jennie Willoughby, the ex-wife of former White House staff secretary Rob Porter, lashed back at President Donald Trump Sunday, say- ing Trump has implied she's "a liar" after going public about the alleged domestic abuse she says she endured with Porter during their marriage.
In an opinion piece posted on Time.com, Willoughby writes, "President Trump will not diminish my truth."
"The truth exists whether the President accepts it or not," she wrote.
Willoughby responded to comments Trump made in the Oval Office Friday and to his tweet Saturday morning ex-
Jennie Willoughby lashes out at President Trump.
pressing concern about lives being "destroyed" because of “a mere allegation.”
Pres. Trump tweeted: “Some are true and some are
false,” the president tweeted. “There is no recovery for some- one falsely accused - life and career are gone.”
Willoughby wrote, "There it is again. The words “mere al- legation” and “falsely accused” meant to imply that I am a liar. That Colbie Holderness is a liar," she wrote referring to Porter's first wife who told ABC News Porter abused her as well. "That the work Rob was doing in the White House was of higher value than our mental, emotional or physical wellbeing. That his profes- sional contributions are worth more than the truth. That abuse is something to be ques- tioned and doubted."
PAGE 6 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2018