Some of President Donald Trump’s Republican challengers have started to break from him in their initial reactions to the four felony counts he faces in relation to the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection and effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

Trump’s 2016 running mate and former Vice President Mike Pence, for one, said that today’s indictment serves as an important reminder: “anyone who puts himself over the Constitution should never be President of the United States.”

“I will have more to say about the government’s case after reviewing the indictment,” Pence continued. “The former president is entitled to the presumption of innocence but with this indictment, his candidacy means more talk about January 6th and more distractions.”

Pence also used the statement to scrutinize President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden, saying, “As Americans his candidacy means less attention paid to Joe Biden’s disastrous economic policies afflicting millions across the United States and to the pattern of corruption with Hunter.”

Former Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX), a recent entry to the GOP presidential fray, condemned the former president’s alleged involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection.

“Let me be crystal clear: Trump's presidential bid is driven by an attempt to stay out of prison and scam his supporters into footing his legal bills. Furthermore, his denial of the 2020 election results and actions on Jan. 6 show he's unfit for office,” Hurd wrote on Twitter.

Hurd continued, “The 2020 election wasn't stolen, rigged, or fraudulent. It was lost by Donald Trump because he was incapable of uniting the country. Now, we've got to ask ourselves if we really want a president who's willing to violate his oath to the Constitution just to cling to power?”

Hurd called on his fellow candidates to break from Trump, the hands-down frontrunner for the 2024 GOP nomination, saying that keeping Trump the focus of the 2024 race will give “Joe Biden another four years in the White House."

“The Trump of 2016 is a far cry from the desperate figure we see in 2024. It's about time our party, including the 2024 candidates, wake up to the fact that this guy only cares about himself, not our country's future,” Hurd wrote. “As Republicans, we need to prioritize offering solutions to difficult issues affecting all Americans and not allow ourselves to be distracted by Trump's baggage.”

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has been a vocal Trump opponent but didn’t immediately release a statement when the indictment was first announced Tuesday. Christie’s campaign did not respond to Raw Story’s request for comment at the time of publication.

But just the day before, Christie called out Trump’s legal problems.

“If Trump is a billionaire, why is he tricking middle class donors into paying his legal bills? Over $56 million,” Christie posted on Twitter. “Answer: Donald Trump loves using other people’s money.”

“He should crack open his own wallet and come up with the cash,” Christie continued. “I’ve got some ideas. No. 1 — Sell Trump Tower.”

Self-funded Republican candidate, Ryan Binkley — an entrepreneur and pastor, from Texas — said in statement, "While the other indictments appear to be more political, this appears to be more serious. Our campaign is looking forward to helping America to heal and move on."

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson used Tuesday's indictment to push for his supporters to help him get to the first debate.

"Exactly one year ago, I told the Washington Post that Trump had disqualified himself from ever being President again," Hutchinson said on Twitter. "Today’s Trump indictment reinforced that. America deserves a leader who respects the rule of law."

Another Republican long-shot candidate, Steve Laffey, said in a statement, "Donald Trump now faces hundreds of years in prison after his third federal indictment in six months. The latest charges surround his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and block the transfer of power. How is he still pretending that he could become our next President?" Laffey wrote.

Laffey, a former mayor of Cranston, Rhode Island, called out Fox and the GOP for making their standards "too extreme" for qualifying for the Republican debate on August 23. To qualify, candidates need at least 40,000 individual donors and be polling at at least 1 percent in two national polls and two early-voting stating polls, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

"The GOP continues to prove that it’s lost control of this race," Laffey continued. "Their qualifying conditions will exclude former Vice President Mike Pence. Oh right, and there’s that absurd and offensive pledge of loyalty that’s still on the table. They can’t seriously expect anyone to sign that, given the latest charges against Donald the Terrible. Some Republican candidates continue to avoid bashing Trump.

RELATED ARTICLE: Trump immediately starts fundraising off January 6 indictment

Most notable among them is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Republican presidential candidate polling next behind Trump. DeSantis didn’t directly defend Trump, but he declared that Trump standing trial in the nation’s capitol is “unfair.”

“As President, I will end the weaponization of government, replace the FBI Director, and ensure a single standard of justice for all Americans,” DeSantis said via Twitter, now rebranded as X. “While I’ve seen reports, I have not read the indictment. I do, though, believe we need to enact reforms so that Americans have the right to remove cases from Washington, DC to their home districts.”

DeSantis continued, “Washington, DC is a 'swamp' and it is unfair to have to stand trial before a jury that is reflective of the swamp mentality. One of the reasons our country is in decline is the politicization of the rule of law. No more excuses — I will end the weaponization of the federal government.”

Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy released a four-minute video defending Trump and declaring the 45th president was not responsible for Jan. 6 insurrection, calling the indictment “political persecution” and an attempt on President Joe Biden’s campaign to “potentially eliminate its political opponents from competition.”

“The corrupt federal police just won’t stop until they’ve achieved their mission: eliminate Trump. This is un-American and I commit to pardoning Trump for this indictment,” Ramaswamy posted on Twitter.

Ramaswamy continued, “Donald Trump isn’t the cause of what happened on Jan 6. The real cause was systematic and pervasive censorship of citizens in the year leading up to it. If you tell people they can’t speak, that’s when they scream. If you tell people they can’t scream, that’s when they tear things down. If we fail to admit the truth, Jan. 6 will just be a preview of far worse to come and I don’t want to see us get there.”

A super PAC supporting Miami Mayor Francis Suarez didn’t mention Trump at all when it fired off a fundraising message promising $20 gift cards in exchange for a $1 donation to Suarez’s campaign committee — a naked ploy to help Suarez clear a minimum donor threshold required to qualify for this month’s Republican presidential debate.

“We're not asking for you to cast your vote for Mayor Suarez...we're only asking for you to give him a fighting chance to make his case to Republican primary voters on the debate stage,” the super PAC wrote.

Former Arizona gubernatorial candidate and election denier Kari Lake, however, had a dramatic recommendation for all Republican presidential candidates not named Donald Trump: suspend their campaigns.

“This is the most egregious case of election interference in the history of our country. This a battle that a unified Republican party MUST fight. Otherwise, we will lose this country forever,” Lake said. “That is why I am calling on all Republican candidates for President to immediately suspend their campaigns, stop wasting hard-earned donor money and rally around our nominee, President Donald J. Trump.”

Trump’s latest indictment for alleged conspiracy to defraud the United States, two counts of witness tampering and conspiracy against rights adds to the list of indictments Trump faces.

Another federal indictment consists of 39 felony counts related to the alleged willful retention of classified documents and conspiracy to conceal them. He also faces felony business record falsification charges in New York City stemming from a "hush money" payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

Trump has not yet been indicted in Georgia, but officials there have been investigating the former president for more than two years and charges could come soon.

This story has been updated to include new statements from Binkley, Laffey and Hutchinson.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign committee fell victim to fraud by someone who rang up $873.17 worth of bogus charges with ride-sharing company Lyft, according to federal records reviewed by Raw Story.

Lyft on May 25 reimbursed Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign, which in a filing with the Federal Election Commission described the matter as a “refund of fraudulent charges.”

The campaign committee of Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, is a frequent Lyft customer, having taken dozens of trips together worth several thousand dollars this year, federal records indicate.

The documents do not detail who is responsible for the fraudulent charges or how Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign first identified the fraud.

Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign declined to answer questions about the matter, including whether the person or people responsible for the fraudulent charges are associated with the campaign.

“We won't have a comment on this story,” Ocasio-Cortez campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt told Raw Story on Friday.

Lyft spokesperson Shadawn Reddick-Smith said the company also did not have a comment.

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Epidemic of political theft

Ocasio-Cortez is hardly alone in experiencing political committee fraud.

The Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Political Action Committee, for one, appears to have had $6,000 stolen from it on June 20, according to Federal Election Commission records.

“Fraudulent Disbursement. Created by third party. To be refunded after investigation,” the Goldman Sachs PAC wrote to federal regulators.

The recipient of the fraudulent disbursement is listed as "Harold Sparks," although it's unclear who Sparks is.

Representatives for Goldman Sachs did not respond to messages.

And numerous other politicians and political committees have likewise experienced thefts from their campaign coffers that in recent years have added up to millions of donor dollars across dozens of political campaign committees.

Many of the committees have acknowledged flaws in their internal security protocols. And some have failed to recover significant portions of the cash they’ve lost despite the efforts of law enforcement and banks to retrieve it.

Raw Story in recent weeks has identified several members of Congress and PACs who’ve been victimized by fraudsters in what’s become open season on politicians’ campaign accounts.

In June, Raw Story revealed a theft from the Oregon Republican Party.

In May, Raw Story reported that the Managed Funds Association PAC was targeted more than 20 times between Jan. 1 and March 31, initially losing $147,000 in fraudulent check payments, although it appears to have since recouped the money, according to filings with the FEC.

The Retired Americans PAC, a super PAC that supports Democrats, recouped more than $150,000 it lost in late 2022 after paying fraudulent bills sent to the committee, according to an April 21 letter to the Federal Election Commission, Raw Story reported.

The FBI got involved when Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) was the victim of a cybertheft incident late last year that initially cost his campaign $690,000.

Other current and former Republican members of Congress targeted by thieves include Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas (his campaign lost $157,626), former Rep. John Katko of New York ($14,000), Rep. Neal Dunn of Florida ($10,855), Rep. Russell Fry of South Carolina ($2,607.98) and Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida ($362.04).

The Republican National Committee and Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) also experienced recent campaign cash thefts.

Bipartisan targets

As Ocasio-Cortez’s situation underscores, the problem isn’t unique to Republicans: In November, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s campaign fell victim to check fraud worth $10,085, and President Joe Biden’s 2020 Democratic presidential campaign committee lost at least $71,000, according to Insider.

One-time Democratic presidential candidate and congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and rapper-turned-2020 presidential candidate Ye, formerly Kanye West, are among others who reported money stolen from their political accounts.

At the end of February, the Business Industry Political Action Committee — the nation's oldest federal business — reported losing $14,156 to thieves, while the federal PAC of State Farm Insurance lost $12,220 to thieves, Raw Story first reported.

In March, the Energy Marketers of America Small Business Committee PAC reported to the FEC $5,000 in check fraud supporting Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), and thieves went on a $195 shopping spree at Chick-fil-A with funds for Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-IN), according to a March FEC filing.

Other fraud victims this year include Rep. Shontel Brown (D-OH), whose campaign was able to reverse a $621.96 unauthorized purchase on February 17, according to an FEC filing reviewed by Raw Story.

Rep. Greg Murphy (R-NC)’s campaign lost $2,500 with a fraudulent payment on February 27, according to an FEC filing, and the International Longshoremen’s Association, a labor union, was able to get a $726.42 fraudulent automatic payment on the same date reversed, according to an FEC filing.

The Build Political Action Committee of the National Association of Home Builders (BUILDPAC) reported $500 and some change in fraudulent debits on February 27, according to an FEC filing.

The McKesson Corporation, a pharmaceutical and medical supplies company, informed the FEC that it, too, had fallen victim to someone who "created, forged and cashed a fictitious PAC check for $12,000" on Nov. 7.

The McKesson Company Employees Political Fund notified its bank "immediately upon discovery of the fraudulent activity" and attempted to secure return of the lost funds.

"To date," the committee added, "the bank has not returned the stolen funds."

The political action committees of Google, National Association of Manufacturers, Consumer Technology Association, National Air Traffic Controllers Association, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, MoveOn.org, and law firms Akerman LLP and Blank Rome LLP have also experienced theft of various kinds, be it cyber theft, forgeries or check tampering, according to Insider.

Alexandria Jacobson contributed to this report.

First, the bad news for Republican presidential candidate John Anthony Castro.

His chances of winning the 2024 GOP presidential nomination sit somewhere between zero and infinitesimal.

His name is rarely mentioned among the members of a Republican field that’s now more than a dozen legitimate or semi-legitimate candidates deep.

He’s never before won a partisan primary, say nothing of elected office, despite two attempts in the past three years to win a U.S. House or U.S. Senate seat.

But here’s what Castro does have: A track record of using the courts and federal regulatory agencies to persistently agitate and attack former President Donald Trump, currently the race’s hands-down leader despite his legal troubles.

Castro also has money. Lots of it.

And in a development that until now has defied attention, the wealthy young businessman has loaned his nascent presidential campaign $20 million, according to disclosures filed with the Federal Election Commission.

So what does Castro, an attorney and Texas tax company executive by trade, intend to do with his self-funded campaign operation?

The answer, for now: Head to New Hampshire on Friday and begin striking at the GOP king, Castro tells Raw Story.

“Nobody's really attacking him,” Castro said of the Republican field’s approach to Trump.

Castro’s gambit includes moving to the Granite State for the next six months where he plans to rent a house that will double as a campaign office, establish his campaign operation and attempt to convince anyone who will listen — including Democrats and independents — to join him in opposing Trump and the Republican Party “shifting toward fascism.

“I'd rather burn it down than go in this direction,” said Castro, who joins the likes of political commentator Larry Elder and businessmen Vivek Ramaswamy, Perry Johnson and Ryan Binkley as ultra-longshot Republican candidates attempting to gain interest alongside more well-known contenders such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott.

Will he buy ads? Plaster New Hampshire will anti-Trump billboards? Gin up some political stunts?

Castro wouldn’t discuss the most granular details of how he intends to poke, prod or otherwise needle the former president.

“A lot of supporters feel like an attack on Trump is an attack on them. And so we have a way of addressing that — that is going to go after him, but without alienating the voters,” Castro said. “That's what we're being very, very crafty about. And that — I don't want to reveal too much on. But yeah, we do have a strategy on that.”

But Castro did say that he plans to meet with New Hampshire state legislators beginning next week before taking his campaign “to the people.”

One of his most immediate campaign goals will be to qualify for a Republican primary debate — “that's where I can really tear Trump apart,” Castro said — despite restrictive Republican National Committee debate qualification rules that make such a feat unlikely.

For example, to qualify for an Aug. 23 candidate debate in Milwaukee, Castro must poll at least 1 percent in three national polls or in two national polls plus an early primary state such as New Hampshire. He’d also need to raise money from at least 40,000 unique donors “with at least 200 unique donors per state or territory” in at least 20 states or territories.

Oh, and he’d have to sign a pledge “agreeing to support the eventual party nominee,” which could very likely be Trump.

Presuming Castro doesn’t have an opportunity to confront Trump on stage, he may still have his chances in court.

In January, Castro sued Trump, asking a federal court to declare Trump constitutionally ineligible to become president and stop him from campaigning — citing Section 3 of the Constitution’s 14th Amendment, which disqualifies someone from holding public office if the person engages in insurrection. Castro has argued he has standing to bring such a lawsuit since he is a presidential candidate himself — a competitor to Trump who could be directly harmed by Trump’s actions.

Castro also petitioned the Federal Election Commission — and later unsuccessfully sued the FEC after it dismissed his request — to reject Trump’s statement of candidacy, filed in November.

Trump’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment.

There’s no guarantee Castro will spend all of the $20 million he lent his campaign committee — or even much of it. Because Castro loaned his campaign the $20 million, his campaign committee could easily pay most of that money back to Castro.

But Castro says he’s quite willing to part with $20 million of his own money to make his mark on Election 2024. And making a mark, as he defines it, isn’t necessarily winning the primary — something he acknowledges will be “challenging.” Success in court and influence at the Republican National Convention are also goals.

“If this thing does gain traction and starts to take off, then then absolutely,” he said. “I've been very, very fortunate and blessed in the business world. I'm not one of these people that always wants more and more and more. I'm very content and happy with where I'm at right now in life. I don't need more. I view this more as not mine, but more as a gift to be able to do something like this. And so it doesn't faze me. If I never got that loan paid back, it wouldn't bother me.”

Castro, however, isn’t a bachelor. He’s married and has young children.

Is his wife OK with him self-funding what to many observers will look like a kamikaze presidential effort largely pointed at a former president?

“Yes, I have my family support. My wife is, of course, nervous,” Castro said. “And this is the sad part … My wife's primary concern is our children, the safety of our children. And it's a shame that we live in the United States of America. And as a candidate for public office, my wife has to be concerned about the safety of our children because of the unhinged nature of the leading candidate on the Republican side. She's actually concerned that they will be physically harmed. And let's be honest, it's an actual possibility.

“But the good thing is,” he added, “my wife is a fierce fighter like me.”

Rapper and former 2020 presidential Kanye West can no longer use surplus money from his old presidential campaign account to pay white nationalist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes for his services — at least temporarily.

The reason: West's campaign treasurer, Patrick Krason, has resigned, according to a letter Krason sent the Federal Election Commission.

By law, federal campaign committees must have a treasurer in order to raise and spend campaign cash. No treasurer, no campaign spending.

"My name is Patrick Krason and I have resigned as Treasurer of Kanye 2020 campaign committee (C00751701) effective 9:00am EDT Monday May 8, 2023," the letter reads. "I have notified the campaign of my resignation and they have been made aware of the requirement to name a new treasurer within 10 days. I have also made them aware that they cannot raise or spend campaign funds until a new treasurer has been named. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns."

Krason, as well as a representative for West, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Kanye 2020, West's presidential committee, had almost $125,000 remaining in its account as of March 31, according to federal records. The committee paid Fuentes $30,000 during the first two months of this year for "archival services."

That's in addition to $14,719 in payments West's campaign made to Fuentes in late 2022. Of that amount, $9,026 was made on Nov. 22 and coincided with the date West and Fuentes dined with Donald Trump at the former president’s Florida home.

West unsuccessfully ran as an independent presidential candidate in 2020, failing to qualify for the ballot in most states and only receiving about 68,000 votes nationwide — fewer votes than the likes of Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins (about 403,000) and Party for Socialism and Liberation candidate Gloria La Riva (about 85,000).

He says he intends to run for president again in 2024 and has reportedly hired another right-wing provocateur, Milo Yiannopoulos, to lead his political operations. But to date, he has not formally registered to run again for president and has established no formal campaign operation.

West has made a string of antisemitic comments in recent years, including saying he would go “death con 3 on Jewish people.” In an interview with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, he said, "I love Jewish people, but I also love Nazis."

Fuentes is a white nationalist and conspiracy theorist who's called COVID-19 a "hoax" and called the attack on the U.S. Capitol and a racially motivated 2022 mass shooting in Buffalo, N.Y., "false flag" operations.

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23807636-kanye-2020-letter