Solomon Peña, a former Republican candidate for state office in New Mexico, was arrested Monday and is facing multiple criminal charges related to allegedly paying and conspiring with four men to shoot at the homes of four Democratic lawmakers in Albuquerque since early December. He is currently in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Albuquerque and the investigation is ongoing.
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Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., has been appointed to the House Science, Space and Technology Committee and the Small Business Committee, despite facing multiple investigations and calls to resign from fellow Republicans. The House Republican Steering Committee, led by Speaker Kevin McCarthy, voted to give Santos the slots on the two lower-profile panels. Despite the controversy, House Republicans have decided to keep him on board, assigning him to two committees.
House Republicans are preparing to launch impeachment proceedings against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, while GOP Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar have been installed on House panels by party leaders. The House Judiciary Committee is prepared to move ahead with formal proceedings if there appears to be a case against Mayorkas, and it is unclear how GOP moderates will react to the potential proceedings.
A Republican operative has filed a civil lawsuit against Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union, and his wife Mercedes Schlapp, seeking $9.4 million in damages. The plaintiff, who worked as an aide to Georgia Republican Senate nominee Herschel Walker, alleges that Schlapp sexually assaulted him during a car ride following a night of drinking. The lawsuit also claims that the Schlapps and others dishonestly tried to discredit the plaintiff. No court date has been set and the plaintiff is seeking a jury trial.
The White House has offered an explanation for why it has released incomplete information about classified documents located in President Joe Biden's private office and home. Ian Sams, a spokesman for the White House Counsel's Office, said the tension between protecting and safeguarding the integrity of an ongoing investigation and providing information publicly is being managed by the White House. The documents date back to Biden's vice presidency and the White House has said they are not related to any current White House business, but no further information is available due to the ongoing investigation.
House Republicans have unanimously reinstated Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., to their respective committees after Democrats stripped them of their privileges in 2021. Greene has been assigned to the House Committee on Homeland Security, while Gosar has been assigned to the House Committee on Natural Resources. This decision has been met with criticism from Democrats, sparking a debate over the qualifications of representatives to serve on committees.
Solomon Peña, a failed New Mexico GOP candidate, has been arrested and charged with shooting at the homes of Democratic politicians. He allegedly conspired with and paid four men to carry out four shootings at the residences of two Bernalillo County commissioners and two state legislators in Albuquerque. Local Democratic leaders have condemned the shootings and the New Mexico Democratic Party has released a statement expressing their outrage. The investigation into the shootings is ongoing.
Matt Dolan, a Republican state senator and owner of the Cleveland Guardians, has announced his candidacy for the 2024 U.S. Senate race in Ohio, challenging Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown. Other Republicans looking at the race include Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and Bernie Moreno.