Midwest
Biden agency chief has 'slow-rolled' SBA's cooperation in electioneering probe says House committee
EXCLUSIVE: The chairman of a House committee tasked with overseeing small business and commercial issues sent the Small Business Administration (SBA) a scathing letter Friday outlining how it has purportedly failed to hand over sufficient subpoenaed documents.
Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, previously noted the SBA used a 2021 Biden executive order on “promoting access to voting” to forge a “Memorandum of Understanding” (MOU) with the Michigan Department of State.
The way the MOU has been acted upon is controversial and potentially unconstitutional, Williams has said, as he and others in Congress previously accused the SBA of using it to funnel resources to a swing state in a partisan way. He previously said the SBA is “diverting its resources away from assisting Main Street so it can register Democratic voters” in Michigan.
On Friday, Williams wrote SBA administrator Isabel Casillas-Guzman to criticize “lackluster production of documents pursuant to the committee’s July 30, 2024 subpoena.”
LAWMAKERS DEMAND ANSWERS FROM TOP MICHIGAN OFFICIAL OVER ALLEGED ‘WEAPONIZATION’ OF TAXPAYER FUNDS FOR ELECTIONEERING
Small Business Committee Chairman Roger Williams, right, is accusing President Biden of using the Small Business Administration as a campaign arm. (Getty Images)
Williams had asked for, and later subpoenaed, travel calendars for agency staff, as well as other key documents in his probe into whether SBA’s work under the MOU is indeed partisan or worse.
“Since the first request was made by this Committee on March 20, 2024, the SBA has produced approximately 500 pages of documents, a substantial portion of which is just one email chain; further, nearly 20 percent of the documents produced by the SBA were entirely unresponsive to the Committee’s requests,” the letter went on.
“It remains unclear why the SBA has slow-rolled productions and wasted time producing documents that were either nonresponsive to Committee’s requests or duplicative.”
WATCHDOG GROUP SUES FEDS FOR RECORDS AS LAWMAKER CALLS VOTER REGISTRATION EFFORTS A ‘SLAP IN THE FACE’
Small Business Committee Chairman Roger Williams is targeting a partnership started by the Michigan Department of State and Small Business Administration chief Isabel Guzman. (Getty Images)
In May, the SBA was also sued on a coinciding front by the conservative Oversight Project, a government transparency watchdog, after it too made Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for similar documentation.
In that filing, plaintiff Mike Howell called the documents sought a “matter of widespread and exceptional media interest in which there exists possible questions about the government’s integrity which affect public confidence.”
In Friday’s letter, Williams said the SBA has provided “zero calendars” despite the subpoena, as well as a document describing the “implementation plan” of its voter outreach work, as required under President Biden’s separate order.
Williams also said he is aware of the aforementioned separate FOIA litigation and that the agency attested therein that such a document does exist.
A source familiar with the committee’s work said government officials also accused the panel of making baseless allegations surrounding the investigation and said the agency is trying to cover up any electioneering.
Williams told Fox News Digital on Friday he remains disappointed at what he characterized as a woefully insufficient response by the SBA.
“Instead of cooperating with basic congressional oversight, the SBA has once again given us documents that are not responsive to our requests – despite their claims otherwise. With the presidential election less than three months away, our investigation is more important than ever,” Williams said.
“Let me be clear, this Committee will not stop until we put an end to the SBA’s abuse of taxpayer resources, and ensure they refocus their efforts to the mission of supporting Main Street.”
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who was not party to the letter but has been a key voice in the upper chamber on the matter, said that if the agency has done nothing wrong, then it should welcome “the opportunity to share its work.”
“There is a very simple solution here – for the SBA to stop playing games and be fully transparent.”
The SBA, through a spokesperson, argued late Friday the agency rightly provided “extensive testimony, briefings, transcribed interviews, documents and other information in response to congressional inquires, including the Committee’s most recent subpoena.”
“We are continuing the work to fulfill the subpoena beyond our initial document production. Any suggestion that the agency is conducting improper work or that its response has been anything other than cooperative is simply not true,” the spokesperson added.
Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
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After stealing the opening tilt of this four-game set on Thursday with a walk-off home run in the ninth, the Guardians once again find themselves sitting in a tie with the White Sox atop the AL Central.
It might only be July, but don’t be fooled. This is a massive series with hugely important playoff implications.
Can Cleveland take a second in a row? Or will Chicago bounce-back on Friday? Let’s preview this divisional clash and make a couple picks on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
More MLB Content & Betting Picks
White Sox vs. Guardians prediction, preview
To me, Gavin Williams is one of the most frustrating starting pitchers in the sport. If you watch the hulking right-hander throw for even just an inning, you’ll wonder why he isn’t a perpetual All-Star. That’s how good the stuff can look at any given moment. However, the results and consistency always leave you wanting more. 2026 has been a perfect example. On the one hand, Williams owns a respectable 3.81 ERA and a career-high 28.3% strikeout rate. On the other, Williams’ xERA is a less appealing 4.54 and his 12.2% opponent barrel rate sits in the fifth percentile of the league. Make it make sense. Coming into Friday, Williams hasn’t been in the best form, either. The former 23rd-overall pick posted a 6.04 ERA across his five starts in June, surrendering 2.13 opponent home runs per nine and never once pitching out of the sixth inning. Not ideal.
That said, it’s not like Anthony Kay has been all that much better. The former NPB star has had his moments this season — including tossing six scoreless innings against the Guardians back on June 22 — but for the most part, Kay’s struggled back in North America. Over 17 appearances and 80.0 innings, Kay sports a 12th percentile xERA (5.40) and just a 19th percentile strikeout rate (17.7%). Kay’s also been particularly poor on the road, registering a 6.40 ERA and 6.55 FIP within the split. The LHP’s one redeeming quality has been his ability to neutralize opposing left-handed bats, which is actually a skill that should come in handy versus Cleveland. Between Travis Bazzana, Chase DeLauter and Steven Kwan, the Guardians have a lot of everyday LHBs. In fact, the team ranks fifth in left-on-left plate appearances in 2026 (435).
That inflexibility is part of the reason why the Guardians are once again having issues with run production. Obviously an injury to Jose Ramirez (wrist) also isn’t helping too much in that regard. Over the past 30 days, Cleveland is hitting just .219 as a club — the worst mark in the American League. The Guardians’ .282 expected wOBA and 81 wRC+ are the lowest figures in the AL in that span, as well. A team that willingly traded real assets this season for Patrick Bailey is floundering offensively? I can’t believe it. I’m truly shocked.
White Sox vs. Guardians pick, best bet
Best Bet: Under 8.5 (-128)
The thought process here is two-fold. First and foremost, the Guardians have been the worst-hitting team in the AL for the past month by average (.219), expected wOBA (.282) and wRC+ (81). Secondly, I’ll bank on the upside of Gavin Williams, whose best start in June did come against the White Sox, when he allowed two earned runs and struck out eight over five frames.
Strong Lean: NRFI (-140)
It’s the under — but quicker! The left-handed Anthony Kay should have the advantage early on, with so many LHBs at the top of Cleveland’s lineup. Meanwhile, Williams sports a 2.74 ERA and a 3.19 FIP when pitching at home in 2026.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) – Before 9 a.m. on Saturday, July 4th, firefighters at the Springfield Fire Department responded to a call for a fire at a multi-family home at 479 Central Street in Springfield.
When crews arrived, they had noticed flames shooting from the windows of the home. When crews began their attack of the fire, they had also spotted a teenager and an infant trapped inside the home, both of them were rescued safely.
The fire was quickly put out and without any injuries. 8 people were displaced as a result of the fire and are currently being assisted by the Springfield American Red Cross.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Springfield Arson and Bomb Squad.
Copyright 2026 Western Mass News (WGGB/WSHM). All rights reserved.
As many are celebrating America’s 250th birthday, a threat of severe weather looms, as watches and warnings have been issued for most Illinois and northwest Indiana counties for Saturday.
A Severe Thunderstorm Warning is in effect for Kane and Kendall counties in Illinois until 3:45 p.m.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for DuPage, Kane, Kankakee, Grundy, Kendall, and Will counties in Illinois and for Porter, Newton, Jasper, and Lake counties in Indiana until 7 p.m.
A Flash Flood Watch is in effect for Central Cook, De Kalb, DuPage, Eastern Will, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, La Salle, Northern Cook, Northern Will, Southern Cook, and Southern Will in Illinois and Lake in Indiana until 10 p.m.
A Flash Flood Warning is in effect for De Kalb, La Salle, and Lee counties in Illinois until 5 p.m.
Storm Prediction Center has areas along and south of I-80 at a Level 1 (out of 5) for severe chances. Strong-to-severe storms are expected around 2 p.m. and sunset. Frequent lightning, damaging winds and torrential downpours may accompany the strongest storms.
Be sure to stick with CBS News Chicago and the First Alert Weather team for the latest.
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