The Justice Department (DOJ) has subpoenaed former FBI Director James Comey over his role in the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) on Russian election interference, a source familiar confirmed to Fox News Digital. 

The subpoena marks a new escalation after Fox News Digital previously reported that Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan were under criminal investigation related to the probe.

Sources at the time said the investigations were examining potential wrongdoing tied to the creation of the 2017 assessment and possible false statements to Congress.

The 2017 ICA concluded that Russia sought to influence the 2016 election, but a later review found the process was rushed and included “procedural anomalies.”

FBI LAUNCHES CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS OF JOHN BRENNAN, JAMES COMEY: DOJ SOURCES

Fox News Digital first reported that Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan were under federal investigation.

OBAMA ADMIN ‘MANUFACTURED’ INTELLIGENCE TO CREATE 2016 RUSSIAN ELECTION INTERFERENCE NARRATIVE, DOCUMENTS SHOW

Last July, Fox News Digital first reported that CIA Director John Ratcliffe sent a criminal referral for Brennan to the FBI after he declassified records revealing that Brennan did, in fact, push for the discredited anti-Trump dossier to be included in the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment, despite the CIA’s consensus that it was filled with “internet rumor.”

The referral came after Ratcliffe declassified a “lessons learned” review of the creation of the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA). The 2017 ICA alleged Russia sought to influence the 2016 presidential election to help then-candidate Trump. But the review found that the process of the ICA’s creation was rushed with “procedural anomalies,” and that officials diverted from intelligence standards. 

It also determined that the “decision by agency heads to include the Steele Dossier in the ICA ran counter to fundamental tradecraft principles and ultimately undermined the credibility of a key judgment.” 

The dossier — an anti-Trump document filled with unverified and wholly inaccurate claims that was commissioned by Fusion GPS and paid for by Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the DNC — has been widely discredited. The review marks the first time career CIA officials have acknowledged politicization of the process by which the ICA was written, particularly by Obama-era political appointees. 

Records declassified as part of that review further revealed that Brennan did, in fact, push for the dossier to be included in the 2017 ICA.

FBI Director Kash Patel received the criminal referral and opened an investigation into Brennan.

Patel, at the time, also opened a criminal investigation into Comey.

The full scope of those criminal investigations are unclear, but two sources described the FBI’s view of the duo’s interactions as a “conspiracy,” which could open up a wide range of potential prosecutorial options. 

Last year, Fox News Digital also exclusively reported that the Obama administration “manufactured and politicized intelligence” to create the narrative that Russia was attempting to influence the 2016 presidential election, despite information from the intelligence community stating otherwise.

Declassified documents obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital last year revealed that in the months leading up to the November 2016 election, the intelligence community consistently assessed that Russia was “probably not trying…to influence the election by using cyber means.”

CLAPPER ALLEGEDLY PUSHED TO ‘COMPROMISE’ ‘NORMAL’ STEPS TO RUSH 2017 ICA, DESPITE CONCERNS FROM NSA DIRECTOR

One instance was on Dec. 7, 2016, weeks after the election. Then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper’s talking points stated: “Foreign adversaries did not use cyberattacks on election infrastructure to alter the U.S. presidential election outcome.”

Fox News Digital obtained a declassified copy of the Presidential Daily Brief, which was prepared by the Department of Homeland Security, with reporting from the CIA, Defense Intelligence Agency, FBI, National Security Agency, Department of Homeland Security, State Department and open sources, for Obama, dated Dec. 8, 2016.

“We assess that Russian and criminal actors did not impact recent US election results by conducting malicious cyber activities against election infrastructure,” the Presidential Daily Brief stated. “Russian Government-affiliated actors most likely compromised an Illinois voter registration database and unsuccessfully attempted the same in other states.”

But the brief stated that it was “highly unlikely” the effort “would have resulted in altering any state’s official vote result.”

“Criminal activity also failed to reach the scale and sophistication necessary to change election outcomes,” it stated. 

The brief noted that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence assessed that any Russian activities “probably were intended to cause psychological effects, such as undermining the credibility of the election process and candidates.” 

The brief stated that cyber criminals “tried to steal data and to interrupt election processes by targeting election infrastructure, but these actions did not achieve a notable disruptive effect.”

Fox News Digital obtained declassified, but redacted, communications from the FBI on the Presidential Daily Brief, stating that it “should not go forward until the FBI” had shared its “concerns.”

Those communications revealed that the FBI drafted a “dissent” to the original Presidential Daily Brief. 

The communications revealed that the brief was expected to be published Dec. 9, 2016, the following day, but later communications revealed that Office of the Director of National Intelligence, “based on some new guidance” decided to “push back publication” of the Presidential Daily Brief. 

“It will not run tomorrow and is not likely to run until next week,” wrote the deputy director of the Presidential Daily Brief at Office of the Director of National Intelligence, whose name is redacted. 

The following day, Dec. 9, 2016, a meeting convened in the White House Situation Room, with the subject line starting: “Summary of Conclusions for PC Meeting on a Sensitive Topic (REDACTED.)”

The meeting included top officials in the National Security Council, Clapper, then-CIA Director John Brennan, then-National Security Advisor Susan Rice, then-Secretary of State John Kerry, then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch, then-Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, among others, to discuss Russia.

The declassified meeting record, obtained by Fox News Digital, revealed that principals “agreed to recommend sanctioning of certain members of the Russian military intelligence and foreign intelligence chains of command responsible for cyber operations as a response to cyber activity that attempted to influence or interfere with U.S. elections, if such activity meets the requirements” from an executive order that demanded the blocking of property belonging to people engaged in cyber activities.

After the meeting, according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Clapper’s executive assistant emailed intelligence community leaders tasking them to create a new intelligence community assessment “per the president’s request,” that detailed the “tools Moscow used and actions it took to influence the 2016 election.”

“ODNI will lead this effort with participation from CIA, FBI, NSA, and DHS,” the record states.

Later, Obama officials “leaked false statements to media outlets” claiming that “Russia has attempted through cyber means to interfere in, if not actively influence, the outcome of an election.”

By Jan. 6, 2017, a new Intelligence Community Assessment was released that, according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, “directly contradicted the IC assessments that were made throughout the previous six months.”

Intelligence officials told Fox News Digital that the ICA was “politicized” because it “suppressed intelligence from before and after the election showing Russia lacked intent and capability to hack the 2016 election.” 

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Officials also said it deceived the American public “by claiming the IC made no assessment on the ‘impact’ of Russian activities,” when the intelligence community “did, in fact, assess for impact.” 

“The unpublished December PDB stated clearly that Russia ‘did not impact’ the election through cyber hacks on the election,” an official told Fox News Digital.

The official also said that the ICA had assessed that “Russia was responsible for leaking data from the DNC and DCCC,” but while “failing to mention that FBI and NSA previously expressed low confidence in this attribution.” 

Officials told Fox News Digital that the new assessment “was based on information that was known by those involved to be manufactured i.e. the Steele Dossier or deemed as not credible.”

Officials said that the intelligence was “politicized” and then “used as the basis for countless smears seeking to delegitimize President Trump’s victory, the years-long Mueller investigation, two Congressional impeachments, high level officials being investigated, arrested, and thrown in jail, heightened US-Russia tensions, and more.”

Axios first reported the subpoena. 

Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime personal lawyer and co-executive of his estate said he had no knowledge of a relationship the late convicted sex offender had with President Donald Trump, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said Thursday. 

Darren Indyke made the claim in a closed-door session before the House Oversight Committee. He is the latest Epstein affiliate to testify in the panel’s sprawling probe.

Comer said Democrats immediately pressed Indyke with questions about ties between the president and Epstein.

“Republicans asked very substantive questions that any curious media outlet would ask, that any American who’s kept up with this story would ask,” Comer told reporters. “Then the Democrats get their hour, and they ask about Donald Trump.”

BILL CLINTON SAYS HE DIDN’T KNOW WOMAN IN INFAMOUS JACUZZI PHOTO DURING CLOSED-DOOR EPSTEIN TESTIMONY

“Mr. Indyke said that he was not aware of any relationship that Mr. Epstein had with Mr. Trump,” Comer added.

Comer also said that Indyke told the committee that he had no knowledge of Epstein’s sexual crimes. Indyke has denied any wrongdoing and did not invoke his Fifth Amendment right when questioned by the panel.

“As with all the other witnesses, they all claim they never had any knowledge before it became public that Mr. Epstein was … doing anything inappropriately with young women,” the Kentucky Republican said. 

After Epstein’s first conviction in 2008, Comer said that Indyke told the committee that Epstein “convinced him he would never do it again and that he had remorse.”

“We’re asking all those questions, and like just about every other witness, they either didn’t know or couldn’t recall,” Comer said, referring to individuals in Epstein’s orbit having knowledge of or participating in sex trafficking schemes. “But we’ll keep pressing.”

BONDI, TOP DOJ OFFICIALS BRIEF CONGRESS ON JEFFREY EPSTEIN PROBE

Democrats on the oversight panel immediately dismissed the idea that Indyke had no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.

“I’m very surprised that he did not take the Fifth Amendment,” Rep. Dave Min, D-Calif., told reporters. ” I think it’s very likely he perjured himself over and over again.”

“He claimed … that he had no knowledge of any women or girls. And yet that doesn’t account for the fact that numerous women have described how he helped them fix their problems,” Min added.

Richard Kahn, the second co-executor of Epstein’s estate, testified to the committee earlier in March. The one-time accountant to Epstein told the panel he was not aware of any transactions between Trump and Epstein. 

Former President Bill Clinton also told the committee in February that Trump had never indicated to him that he knew about Epstein’s crimes.

“They have created a narrative, a false narrative, that there’s a cover-up,” Comer said of Democrats on the committee. “And they’ve created a false narrative that Donald Trump has some type of liability in this. Both narratives are getting exploded by every witness we bring in.”

Trump has repeatedly stated that he cut off ties with Epstein in the early 2000s after the two maintained a relationship for over a decade.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was not aware that former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent was under FBI investigation for allegedly leaking classified information prior to his resignation, a senior intelligence official told Fox News Digital Thursday. 

Kent stepped down Tuesday after publicly breaking with President Donald Trump over the war in Iran, writing in his resignation letter that Tehran posed “no imminent threat” to the United States.

Two sources briefed on the matter told Fox News that the FBI investigation into Kent had been underway for weeks before his departure.

FBI leak investigations are often tightly held in the early stages to avoid tipping off the subject. But the fact that the probe into Kent had been underway for weeks before his resignation — and that the director of national intelligence was not aware of it — raises questions about why the nation’s top intelligence official was not informed.

GABBARD SIDESTEPS IRAN ‘IMMINENT THREAT’ CLAIM UNDER SENATE GRILLING

The lack of awareness also raises questions about how decisions regarding Kent’s access to sensitive information were managed in the weeks leading up to his resignation, as administration officials have said he had been cut out of planning meetings related to the current Iran mission, known as Operation Epic Fury, as well as the president’s daily briefings.

One senior administration official described Kent as a “known leaker” and said Gabbard had been asked to fire Kent and had not done so. 

Another official said the White House had complained to Gabbard about Kent, but had not asked her to fire him. 

An official at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) said the president never asked Gabbard to fire Kent, or she would have done so. 

INSIDE JOE KENT’S ABRUPT FALL AS GOP BACKLASH GROWS OVER ANTISEMITISM ACCUSATIONS, FBI PROBE

As director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Kent typically would oversee the integration and analysis of intelligence related to terrorist threats, a role that typically involves access to some of the government’s most sensitive information.

During a series of recent congressional hearings, Gabbard has been pressed on Kent’s claims.

In a recent exchange with Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., Gabbard was asked whether she agreed with Kent’s resignation statement after Stefanik read portions of it aloud. “He said a lot of things in that letter,” Gabbard responded, adding that the president “makes his own decisions based on the information that’s available to him.”

When pressed on whether Kent’s comments concerned her, she gave a one-word answer: “Yes.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Gabbard, Kent and the FBI for comment. 

Fox News’ David Spunt contributed to this report. 

FIRST ON FOX: A road rage incident in a Philadelphia suburb led to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arresting an illegal alien with a massive and violent criminal history.

Fox News Digital learned that ICE apprehended Christopher Leon Bailey, a 27-year-old Jamaican national, Monday in Ridley Township, Pennsylvania, following his arrest by local authorities for a road rage incident Jan. 23.

Bailey was the aggressor in the incident, according to the Department of Homeland Security, which took place late January after a near collision. The agency said Bailey pulled a knife and attempted to stab the other individual, before jumping back into his car to chase down and ultimately ran over the victim. 

IMMIGRATION JUDGE ORDERS DEPORTATION OF NYC COUNCIL EMPLOYEE AFTER ICE ARREST; CITY LEADERS PUSH BACK

The department does not know the status of the victim and the Ridley Township, Pennsylvania, Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s inquiry.

Bailey then fled the scene following the incident, the Department of Homeland Security said. 

Bailey was arrested by local authorities and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, recklessly endangering another person, possessing an instrument of crime, simple assault, disorderly conduct and reckless driving. 

The charges were later increased to attempted murder. The charges are currently pending. 

ICE arrested Bailey Monday as he was set to post bail.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Ridley Township, Pennsylvania, Police Department to inquire whether it had cooperated with ICE in Bailey’s arrest, but did not immediately receive a response.

“This serial criminal illegal alien’s crime spree in our country is OVER,” Department of Homeland Security Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital in an emailed statement. 

Bailey overstayed his tourist visa in 2009, according to the agency. 

He previously was arrested in 2023 by ICE in Philadelphia for violating immigration laws. However, an immigration judge under the administration of former President Joe Biden declared Bailey not a public danger and ordered him released on bond.

Bailey’s lengthy criminal history includes convictions in New York City, including robbery, larceny, disorderly conduct and possession of stolen property.

DHS NABS AFGHAN MAN ADMITTED UNDER BIDEN AFTER CONVICTION FOR EXPOSING HIMSELF TO MINOR

In 2020, Bailey was arrested in New York for criminal possession of a loaded firearm and criminal possession of a weapon with a previous conviction. Two years later, in 2022, Bailey was convicted in Kings County, New York, Criminal Court for criminal possession of a firearm.  

Bis called it “outrageous” that “this repeat criminal was released by an immigration judge in 2023 and allowed to victimize more innocent Americans, including this individual he intentionally ran over and threatened with a knife.”

She noted that “thanks to our law enforcement, this public safety threat is off our streets.”

WHITE HOUSE SAYS ‘NO ONE’ CHANGING TRUMP ENFORCEMENT AGENDA IN RESPONSE TO ANGEL MOM APPEAL TO MULLIN

“Under President Trump, DHS has unleashed ICE to target dangerous criminal illegal aliens, like Christopher Leon Bailey, and restore LAW and ORDER to our communities,” Bis added.

Fox News Digital reached out to spokespeople for Biden for comment. 

A trio of progressive Democrats backed by members of “The Squad” suffered blistering rebukes on Tuesday as Illinois voters rejected them in favor of more moderate candidates, prompting questions from onlookers about whether the party’s core, and momentum, should be entrusted to the far-left wing of its base.

To James Carville, a longtime Democratic strategist, the answer has been “no” for a long time. Talking to Fox News Digital in response to several progressive candidates losing in Tuesday’s Democratic primary in deep blue Illinois, he questioned the narrative that Squad-aligned progressives are gaining momentum.

“What momentum? About 15% of the Democratic Party identifies themselves as progressive. And what’s unique, they win about 15% in the primaries at most,” Carville said. “This was something I’ve dealt with all my life.”

“In New York, [Zohran] Mamdami got 50.5% — which is not overwhelming. That’s hardly the basis for some national movement,” Carville said, referring to the socialist mayor of New York City.

AIPAC-BACKED CHICAGO DEMOCRAT LOSES PRIMARY DESPITE OUTSIDE SPENDING BLITZ

The progressive losses all came despite high-profile support from some of the most progressive figures in Congress.

Kat Abughazaleh, the 26-year-old Palestinian American running on an anti-establishment platform and promises to implement a “wealth tax,” attracted support from the likes of Rep. Rashida Talib, D-Mich., and Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn, but lost on Tuesday.

Defeated technology entrepreneur Junaid Ahmed told voters he would push for the self-determination of Gaza and implement healthcare for all, earning the support of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.

And Robert Peters, a state senator who raised $1.1 million on his track record of helping to end cash bail and raising the minimum wage at the state level, garnered backing from Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt, and Warren, but lost his bid for Congress to Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller.

BILLIONAIRE JB PRITZKER SAYS HE’S HAD TO OVERCOME HIS WEALTH, WHICH WOULD BE ‘OBSTACLE’ IN 2028

Between them, they raised $5.7 million.

Anthony Driver Jr., widely regarded as a progressive candidate in Illinois’ 7th District Democratic primary, lost to the more moderate, establishment-aligned Democrat, La Shawn Ford.

Driver was endorsed by Jayapal and the Congressional Progressive Caucus. 

Liam Kerr, co-founder of the Welcome PAC, a group that supports moderate Democrats, believes their losses should give the party a clear takeaway.

“Illinois is just the latest reminder that the noise machine around far-left candidates rarely translates into actual votes,” Kerr said.

“There’s a real hunger in this party to win, and the candidates who keep losing are the ones more focused on ideological performance than tried and true economic concerns. The blueprint is simple: ditch the clout-chasing ideologues and invest in hard-working candidates who know their communities.”

Kerr’s framing was echoed by Jim Kessler, vice president of policy at Third Way, a Democrat think-tank focused on moderate platforms.

“Illinois delivered a cold shower to the progressive fringe in the Democratic Party. Every winner was a mainstream Democrat. A lesson Democrats always have to relearn is that mainstream beats extreme,” Kessler said.

But to other onlookers, the results aren’t so definitive. Even as figures like Carville argue far-left policies aren’t a recipe for national success, others see the Illinois losses as far less decisive for progressives than critics suggest.

Michael Ceraso, a veteran of the 2016 Sanders presidential campaign, pointed out that some of Tuesday’s winners can’t be swept neatly into the “moderate” camp. He doesn’t believe progressives really even lost the night at all.

“Daniel Biss is a progressive. The dude pushed climate and building regulations in Evanston,” Ceraso said, referring to the winner for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District — the candidate that beat out Abughazaleh.

Ceraso also noted that several candidates backed by Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker won out.

“The Illinois governor is a progressive. He backed [Juliana] Stratton,” Ceraso said, referring to the lieutenant governor-turned Senate candidate who won the Democratic nomination in a high-profile, competitive, contentious, and expensive primary showdown.

“[They] increased the minimum wage, ended the sub-minimum wage for disabled people and protected reproductive care. That’s what progress means: moving toward a goal that lifts others, not protecting the status quo.”

Still, other voices, like that of Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, noted that outside groups like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) had focused their attention on defeating the most progressive voices in the election. Green is the co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee.

“The real debate inside the Democratic Party is not whether progressive economic policies appeal to voters,” Green argued.

“It is whether candidates who genuinely believe in those ideas can compete against industries willing to spend millions to co-opt that message in support of candidates who will never actually challenge power,” Green said.

Having now cleared the primaries, Illinois will hold its general elections on Nov. 3.

A Virginia state bill passed along party lines directing state agencies to consider the race and sex of small businesses’ ownership when distributing discretionary funds for procurement and contracts is likely to face major legal headwinds, experts told Fox News Digital.

The Small SWAM Business Procurement Enhancement Program Act “provides that executive branch agencies and covered institutions are required to increase their small SWAM business utilization rates by three percent per year until reaching the 42-percent target or, if unable to do so, to implement achievable goals to increase their utilization rates,” according to its text. 

SWAM stands for small, women-owned and minority-owned.

Purchases between $10,000 and $200,000 must be set aside to be awarded to SWAM businesses as well, according to the text of the bill drafted by Delegate Jeion Ward, D-Hampton.

INVESTIGATION OF NIKE’S DEI PRACTICES COULD HAVE MAJOR NATIONWIDE IMPACT ON HIRING, SAYS ALAN DERSHOWITZ

As the bill approaches Democrat Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s desk, Oversight Project Vice President of Legal Kyle Brosnan told Fox News Digital it appears par for the course for the way Richmond is moving.

Brosnan said the bill constitutes “clearly intentional discrimination against White men.”

“Since reclaiming total control of state government, Virginia Democrats have shown their true colors as nothing short of radical ideologues,” Brosnan said.

“By setting race and sex quotas for 42% of the state discretionary spending on government contracts, Gov. Spanberger and her far left enablers in Richmond are showing their true colors as radicals.”

Zach Smith, a former federal prosecutor for the Northern District of Florida, added that whenever the government proposes to treat people differently based on race and gender, it is unconstitutional.

“I think we saw the Supreme Court speak explicitly to this with its Harvard and UNC decisions banning the use of race in admissions in higher education,” he said.

VIRGINIA DEMS INTRODUCE CLASSROOM DEI CURRICULUM LAW ON DAY 1 OF LEGISLATIVE SESSION

“As a result of that Students for Fair Admissions decision, we’ve seen some federal courts apply that same logic to other federal government programs that seek to prioritize minority-owned businesses (that) are treating people differently based on their race, and so I would certainly think the same logic would apply to this state law action as well.”

Chief Justice John Roberts authored the majority opinion in that Supreme Court case, and Justice Clarence Thomas wrote a concurrence in a historic decision ending affirmative action in college admissions.

“While I am painfully aware of the social and economic ravages which have befallen my race and all who suffer discrimination, I hold our enduring hope that this country will live up to its principles [that] all men are created equal … and must be treated equally before the law,” Thomas said at the time.

DEM GOVERNOR-ELECT TAPS CROCKETT’S FORMER ‘CHIEF BRAND STRATEGIST’ FOR TOP DEI ROLE

Smith said that, even prior to this, the Supreme Court found quotas “impermissible” and that if Spanberger signs the bill there will be business owners who are outraged and will demand accountability.

“I do think there is likely going to be litigation surrounding this because this would involve a federal constitutional issue in addition to other legal claims that may be raised,” Smith said Wednesday.

“This could be brought in federal court,” he said, suggesting arguments against it will fall on 14th Amendment grounds.

CORPORATE AMERICA HAS DECIDED THAT DEI NEEDS TO DIE

Brosnan agreed, criticizing the bill’s section requiring Virginia taxpayers to fund $1 million for system updates, staffing and reporting to “institutionalize discrimination” in his words.

“It also ‘sets aside’ government contracts of up to $200,000 for women- and minority-owned businesses so long as their bids are no more than 5% higher than the lowest “noncertified” — read ‘White male-owned’— business.

“Did Virginians expect to get this institutionalized wokeism when they voted for the ‘moderate’ governor?” 

The conservative outlet The Federalist said the bill instituted “racial rigging” and reported a section of the bill authorizes the director of the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity to conduct a “disparity study” every five years, which the outlet said translated to determining how to reduce the number of White males winning government contracts.

Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger for an indication whether she will sign the bill. Fox News Digital also reached out to Ward, who is also the chairwoman of the Labor & Commerce Committee on Capitol Square.

A staffer for Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, allegedly lied about being an attorney at least 11 times for detainees at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in an effort to meet with them and sneak in cell phones. 

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons informed Escobar in a letter dated Thursday about Benito Torres, a senior caseworker on the congresswoman’s staff.

Lyons said Torres lied about being a lawyer for detainees in ICE custody at the Camp East Montana facility at Fort Bliss in El Paso. 

FEDERAL JUDGE TEMPORARILY LIFTS DHS RESTRICTIONS ON LAWMAKER VISITS TO DETENTION FACILITIES

“The available evidence demonstrates your staffer, a senior caseworker named Benito Torres, misrepresented himself as counsel for detainees in ICE custody, violated clear detention standards and security protocols prohibiting the use of cellphones inside ICE facilities, improperly met with multiple detainees, and falsely claimed to ICE personnel such use had been approved by the agency,” Lyons wrote. 

“As a result of bringing a cell phone into the Camp East Montana facility, contrary to facility visitation policy, Mr. Torres’ misrepresentation that he is a licensed attorney to gain access to detainees, his improper meetings with groups of detainees, and his assertions to ICE personnel about the origins of his visit, Mr. Torres is herby [sic] prohibited from accessing any ICE facility.”

An image of a sign-in log shows Torres allegedly claiming to be a “lawyer” visiting a “client.” ICE records show that Torres first misrepresented himself as a legal professional in September 2025, Lyons said. The most recent incident happened on Jan. 30. 

DHS TORCHES ‘BAMBOOZLED’ DEMS FOR CALLING ICE CRACKDOWN ‘VICIOUS LIES’

During that visit, Torres was confronted by a facility administrator and admitted that he was not an attorney and was visiting as a private person. The confrontation happened after officials in the facility became aware of someone passing a phone to multiple detainees, the letter states. 

Lyons has requested that Escobar provide written responses to several questions, including whether Torres was employed by the legislator on the dates he visited the ICE facility, if he is a licensed attorney and if she was aware of his alleged actions. 

Lyons also asked Escobar if she condones such behavior and whether she will hold Torres accountable. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to Escobar’s office. Escobar has called Camp East Montana “disastrous and inhumane” and has demanded that it be shut down. 

“The United States already has the largest immigration detention network in the world, and these added facilities serve only as tools for the administration’s inhumanity,” she wrote in a March X post on X, in which she criticized the “chronic substandard conditions” at the migrant facility. 

Other congressional staffers have tried similar ploys to access ICE facilities in the past. In November, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., fired a staffer who claimed to be an attorney for an illegal immigrant in an effort to facilitate his release. 

Edward York claimed he was legally representing Jose Ismeal Ayuzo Sandoval. Sandoval, a Mexican citizen, had a DUI conviction and was previously deported four times to Mexico. 

EXCLUSIVE — Former Vice President Mike Pence says that the move by congressional Democrats to hold up Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding amid American military strikes on Iran and twin terror-style attacks in the U.S. is indefensible.

“At a time that American armed forces are taking the fight to the leading state sponsor of terrorism, it is unconscionable that Democrats in Washington, D.C., continue to refuse to fund the Department of Homeland Security,” Pence said this week in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital.

Pence spoke as congressional Democrats and Republicans remain unmoved in their political fight over President Donald Trump‘s unprecedented crackdown on illegal immigration. The policy standoff triggered a shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security over a month ago.

FIRST ON FOX: HOUSE REPUBLICANS TO HOLD HEARING ON DHS SHUTDOWN RISKS

Democrats, who are demanding a significant overhaul of the crackdown by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), have repeatedly tried to force Trump and Republicans to fund DHS’ other key functions, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). But Republicans have stood firm against slicing up DHS funding and argue that Democrats are the ones blocking the funding.

CORNYN BLASTS ‘DEFUND THE POLICE’ DEMOCRAT FOR HOLDING TSA AGENTS ‘HOSTAGE’ DURING AIRPORT CLASH

The partial shutdown has forced critical staff, including TSA agents, to work without pay, and has sparked significant travel delays and staff resignations.

Heightening tensions were last week’s twin terror incidents, the attack on a Michigan synagogue and the fatal shooting of an ROTC instructor at Virginia’s Old Dominion University.

LATEST EFFORT TO END DHS FUNDING STANDOFF GOES NOWHERE 

“I must tell you, during my years in the Congress and my years as vice president, it’s very clear to me, having been in Washington, D.C., on September the 11th, having had innumerable briefings about threats facing this country, that our enemies are not just abroad. We have enemies within,” Pence emphasized.

And the former vice president, pointing to the ongoing funding battle, said, “It is incumbent on the Department of Homeland Security, on our domestic law enforcement forces and our entire security apparatus to have the means necessary to protect the American people.”

“I think, with American forces in harm’s way, taking the fight to the enemy in Iran, it’s never been more important for us to ensure that those that are charged with protecting the homeland have the resources they need and have those resources today,” he added.

FIRST ON FOX: Beijing’s growing influence inside the United Nations is raising alarms after a new report from the House Select Committee on China warns the Chinese Communist Party is allegedly leveraging money, personnel and peacekeeping deployments to advance its strategic interests.

The report, obtained by Fox News Digital ahead of its release, outlines what lawmakers describe as a “systematic campaign” by China to reshape the U.N. from within — using expanded financial contributions, placement of Chinese nationals in key roles, and state-linked organizations to steer outcomes in Beijing’s favor.

One of the report’s most concrete findings centers on China’s use of U.N. peacekeeping operations.

Chinese troops increasingly are deployed to regions tied to Beijing’s economic and strategic priorities, the report claims, particularly in Africa, as part of a “sophisticated strategy” to convert influence into hard power.

US SEEKS UN AUTHORIZATION FOR GAZA INTERNATIONAL FORCE LASTING THROUGH 2027 UNDER TRUMP PLAN

Lawmakers point to South Sudan as a key example, where a significant share of oil production is exported to China and Chinese state-backed firms maintain major investments.

The report highlights a concentration of Chinese peacekeepers in the U.N. mission in South Sudan and argues these deployments allow China to “secure its national interests” while operating under the legitimacy of the U.N.

The committee does not allege China is violating U.N. rules. Instead, the report finds Beijing is “exploiting” its participation in the U.N. system to shape outcomes in its favor.

The bipartisan committee is led by Chairman John Moolenaar, R-Mich., and Ranking Member Ro Khanna, D-Calif.,, and has spent months investigating China’s influence across international institutions. Moolenaar previously has warned China is working to “reshape the international system to serve its interests.”

The findings are based on a review of Chinese government documents, U.N. data, academic research and open-source reporting, according to the committee.

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Beyond troop deployments, the report details how China’s financial contributions to the U.N. have surged throughout the past two decades, increasing from roughly 2% to more than 20% of the U.N. budget. That growing share gives Beijing more influence in budget negotiations and agency priorities, particularly as the U.N. faces periodic funding shortfalls.

The report states China uses its financial weight to “redefine UN norms to advance its own national interests” and influence budget discussions and mandates.

In one example cited, delays in Chinese funding during a budget dispute were linked to disruptions that slowed human rights investigations, illustrating how financial pressure can affect U.N. operations.

The report also raises concerns about China placing nationals in senior U.N. roles, arguing Beijing “captures key bodies” by securing influential positions that allow it to shape decision-making from within.

U.N. hiring rules allow member states to nominate candidates and compete for senior roles across agencies, creating openings for countries like China to expand their presence through standard selection processes.

Another focus is the role of so-called “GONGOs” — government-organized nongovernmental organizations — which the report says are used to “inject” political influence into U.N. processes while presenting as independent civil society groups.

The findings come as U.S. officials increasingly focus on countering China’s influence in international institutions.

The committee calls for greater transparency, stronger U.S. leadership, and coordination with allies to counter what it describes as China’s expanding influence inside the U.N. system.

The report also lands amid broader questions about the U.S. role at the United Nations under President Donald Trump.

“What is the purpose of the United Nations?” Trump asked during an address to the U.N. General Assembly in September 2025. 

He argued that the organization is prone to writing “very strongly worded letters” that never lead to action, famously stating that “empty words don’t solve war.”

The U.S. remains the UN’s biggest financial backer — paying roughly 22% of its budget — while also owing billions in unpaid contributions. 

The dynamic has effectively turned Washington into both the U.N.’s top funder and one of its biggest debtors, a position that shapes everything from budget fights to influence battles with China.

Fox News Digital reached out to the United Nations and China’s mission to the U.N. for comment.

Chinese officials previously have defended their role at the United Nations, describing China as a supporter of multilateralism and international cooperation.

All four Democrats on the House Administration Committee voted against advancing a measure to authorize land on the National Mall to construct the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum.

The measure cleared the committee on a 7-4 party-line vote, the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., said. 

Malliotakis, who does not sit on the committee, said in a post on X that Democrats opposed an amendment to ensure the museum only honors biological women.

“Democrats in the House Administration Committee just voted against my bill to build a Women’s History Museum on the National Mall because an amendment was adopted to ensure only biological women are exhibited. What a way to celebrate #WomensHistoryMonth!” Malliotakis said in the post.

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Her post includes a screenshot of the legislative text that states, “The Museum shall be dedicated to preserving, researching, and presenting the history, achievements, and lived experiences of biological women in the United States” and “The Museum may not identify, present, describe, or otherwise depict any biological male as a female.”

The four Democrats on the committee include Ranking Member Rep. Joe Morelle of New York, as well as Reps. Terri Sewell of Alabama, Norma Torres, of California, and Julie Johnson of Texas, the committee’s website indicates.

The bill initially had 231 cosponsors, including Johnson and Sewell, two of the committee Democrats who voted against advancing the measure.

Morelle criticized Republicans in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital, saying that they inserted “ideological poison pills” into the proposal.

“The Republican majority took a bipartisan, Republican-led bill with 230 cosponsors and, at the last minute, replaced it with one that gives President Trump unchecked authority to choose the museum’s location, hands control of its design and construction to boards now filled with political loyalists, omits its sister museum honoring American Latinos, and inserts ideological poison pills aimed not at building a museum, but at generating cheap political talking points,” Morelle said in the statement. 

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“The star of the Epstein files and Access Hollywood tape is the last person who should be handed the keys to a museum celebrating American women,” he added.

Sharing Malliotakis’ post, President Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump commented, “This is insane, but not surprising for the Democrats.” She also included the clown emoji in her tweet. 

Former college swimmer Riley Gaines, who staunchly opposes allowing biological males to compete in female sports, wrote in a post on X, “A Women’s History Museum is one step closer to the National Mall. It passed out of committee, BUT only along party lines after an amendment was added to ensure it honors real women, not men identifying as women. Yes, that’s where the debate is in 2026.”

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She added in another post, “Thank you to @RepNicole for championing this effort and standing firm in reality!”