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GOP committee sounds alarm on document it says 'confirms' fears about Biden agency's activities in key state

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GOP committee sounds alarm on document it says 'confirms' fears about Biden agency's activities in key state

FIRST ON FOX: The House Committee on Small Business has released a “Memorandum of Understanding” between the Biden administration and the state of Michigan which it fears represents a potentially unconstitutional agreement that is aimed at registering voters in the key swing state with a political agenda in mind.

Biden’s Small Business Administration (SBA) announced a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in March with the Michigan Department of State to “promote civic engagement and voter registration in Michigan” that it called the “first-of-its-kind collaboration” that immediately raised questions from the committee.

The MOU, which has been uploaded to the Congressional Repository, outlines the coordination between Michigan and the Biden administration where the state will “provide the Agency access to training resources related to the online Michigan Voter Information Center (MVIC)” and “The Agency shall provide voter registration training to all personnel conducting activities under this MOA.

“This training shall include information on who is eligible to register to vote, the interactions during which Agency staff must make voter registration services available, instructions to Agency staff on how to refer individuals to register to vote online using MVIC, and an overview of additional information that is available to voters in MVIC,” the MOU continued.

HOUSE GOP CHAIRMAN ACCUSES KEY GOVERNMENT AGENCY OF ACTING AS BIDEN ‘CAMPAIGN ARM’

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A Republican-led committee has released a document they say shows the Biden administration improperly working to register voters in Michigan. (Getty Images)

The MOU also discusses how the Michigan Department of State would “create a unique URL for the SBA to use to drive online visitors to register to vote,” and that the SBA’s Michigan field office would allow state government officials to facilitate in-person voter registration at the federal agency’s business outreach events.

The committee told Fox News Digital that they released the documentation in the interest of “transparency” and after seeing the MOU, the committee’s previous concerns that the program is “unconstitutional” and an improper use of taxpayer funds were not assuaged.  

“Seeing the MOU with Michigan does nothing to ease our concerns about the SBA getting involved in federal elections,” Committee Chairman Roger Williams said. 

“In fact, this agreement confirms SBA employees are preparing to undergo trainings on how to best register voters rather than spend their time working to help struggling small businesses,” the chairman continued. “I encourage all Americans to look at this agreement and decide if this is how they want their tax dollars spent. The SBA must end all these electioneering activities on behalf of President Biden and get back to their sole mission of supporting the needs of Main Street.”

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The committee, who has referred to the Michigan agreement as the state essentially serving as a “campaign arm” for Biden’s re-election, also released maps that overlay former SBA events, census data, Michigan Department of State data and publicly reported information of Democrat-targeted voter blocs which they say suggests possible areas that voter registration efforts will target when the effort is officially rolled out.

WATCHDOG GROUP SUES BIDEN AGENCY FOR RECORDS AS LAWMAKER CALLS ITS VOTER WORK ‘A SLAP IN THE FACE’

An investigation by the House Small Business Committee found that 22 out of 25 SBA outreach events from January to April have taken place in counties with the highest population of Democratic National Committee (DNC) target demographics.

Meanwhile, 11 of 15 Michigan counties that showed the largest voter registration increases over the last year have ranked highest in population of young voters and Black voters, according to the committee — two of the left’s most-sought voting blocs.

“SBA’s MOU with Michigan proves that the agency is more concerned with registering voters than performing its official duties,” Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, told Fox News Digital. 

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“This outrageous misuse and abuse of Americans’ hard-earned tax dollars will not go unpunished under my watch. Chairman Williams and I will continue shining a light on the SBA and exposing Biden’s bad actors.”

The data for the maps was compiled after the committee says it became aware of a video recording of an SBA adviser discussing SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman traveling to battleground states and “indirectly campaigning for Biden,” according to the committee, and inviting Democratic members of Congress on the trips at a higher rate than Republicans.

“Today’s letter is a continuation of our Committee’s investigation into the SBA’s voter registration and electioneering efforts,” Williams said in a press release earlier this month. “The SBA has shown a serious lack of transparency regarding the travels of senior SBA officials, including Administrator Guzman. Main Street — and the American People — have a right to know what exactly is going on and how the SBA is spending their hard-earned tax dollars. I hope the SBA will be forthcoming with us and provide us with the requested documents as we continue our investigation into this matter.”

TOP RED STATE OFFICIAL DEMANDS ANSWERS ON BIDEN EXECUTIVE ORDER ‘ATTEMPTING TO REGISTER’ ILLEGALS TO VOTE

The coordination between the SBA and Michigan was sparked by a 2021 executive order from President Biden directing federal agencies to promote “access to voting,” which raised concerns from some that the administration is using the government agency to register votes in a swing state that many believe will be one of the states the November election hinges upon.

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The House committee earlier this month subpoenaed SBA Chief of Staff Arthur Plews and his special adviser, Tyler Robinson, after they are said to have been no-shows at scheduled transcribed interviews with the committee.

Plews was scheduled to testify before the committee on Thursday but recently retained personal counsel, and the committee says they are negotiating a new time for him to meet with the committee to provide information on the program. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the SBA and the White House but did not receive a comment.

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind and Charles Creitz contributed to this report

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Detroit, MI

Vigil, protest held for Renee Nicole Good at Detroit’s Clark park

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Vigil, protest held for Renee Nicole Good at Detroit’s Clark park


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The name Renee Nicole Good bounced off the buildings of southwest Detroit as hundreds marched on the evening of Friday, Jan. 9, following Good’s fatal shooting by an immigration agent in Minneapolis earlier in the week. 

A candlelight vigil was held at 6 p.m. at the city’s Clark Park in memory of Good, before attendees took off marching down Vernor Highway. 

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As of 7:30 p.m., the mass crowd had reached Cavalry Street, about half a mile away from the park, and turned, yelling “What do we want? Justice ” and calling for ICE’s ousting from communities.

Good, 37, was in her car when she was shot in the head on Wednesday, Jan.7, by a federal immigration officer in south Minneapolis. She leaves behind three children, ages 6, 12 and 15.

The shooting was recorded by witnesses and heightened political and community tensions over federal immigration enforcement as part of President Donald Trump’s nationwide immigration operations. The Trump administration has since said the shooting was done in self-defense, USA TODAY reports.

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Protests have occurred in cities across the U.S. since Good’s death, including gatherings in Michigan, and additional demonstrations are scheduled throughout the weekend.

This is a developing story.



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Milwaukee, WI

Chief marketing and communication officer named to Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40  | Marquette Today

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Chief marketing and communication officer named to Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40  | Marquette Today


Lynn Griffith, chief marketing and communication officer, was named to the Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list. 

Griffith leads Marquette’s Office of Marketing and Communication, a team of 30 talented professionals who work to elevate and differentiate the Marquette brand via strategy and planning; brand management; media relations; internal communication; presidential communication; social media; issues and crisis management; advertising, digital and creative services; video; and editorial content, including the university’s flagship alumni publication, Marquette Magazine.  

Under Griffith’s leadership, Marquette’s marketing and communication team has been recognized for excellence, winning multiple National Collegiate Advertising awards, Circle of Excellence Awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, and PRSA Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter Paragon Awards. In 2024, the university’s digital storytelling strategy was named a Ragan’s PR Daily award finalist. Marquette is ranked a top 55 most trusted higher education brand in the U.S. by Morning Consult and its social media is No. 5 in the country for higher education social media engagement by RivalIQ.  

During her nine years at Marquette, Griffith has been tapped for multiple university initiatives, including co-chairing the university’s Crisis Management Team, co-leading the university’s Convention Steering Committee ahead of Milwaukee hosting the Republican National Convention in 2024, and serving on Mission Priority Examen and presidential inauguration planning committees. 

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An engaged member of the Milwaukee community, Griffith serves on the board of directors of Menomonee Valley Partners and on the marketing committee of VISIT Milwaukee. She is a member of TEMPO Milwaukee and the Arthur W. Page Society, as well as the Marquette Mentors leadership council, on which she also serves as a mentor. She recently completed the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities’ 18-month Ignatian Colleagues Program for lay leaders.  

Griffith is a two-time graduate of Marquette, earning a Bachelor of Arts in public relations and writing intensive English and a Master of Business Administration. 

40 Under 40 honorees were selected based on the impact they have had in their jobs, in the community and on Southeast Wisconsin overall. The Milwaukee Business Journal reviewed hundreds of nominations to curate its 34th 40 Under 40 cohort. 

In addition to Griffith, seven alumni were named to the list: 

  • David Griggs, co-founder of One 5 Olive LLC 
  • Jordan Komp, senior principal and Milwaukee office director at Thornton Tomasetti Inc. 
  • Avery Mayne, attorney at von Briesen & Roper, s.c. 
  • Brian McClaren, principal of H. Knox Development Company 
  • Emily Tau, director of public affairs for Milwaukee County 
  • Jessica Shepherd, director of financial planning and analysis at Baird 
  • Mike Wanezek, partner at Colliers | Wisconsin 

The 40 Under 40 honorees will be celebrated in a forthcoming special edition of the Milwaukee Business Journal and at an awards presentation on Wednesday, March 11, at the Baird Center. 



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Minneapolis, MN

Prosecutors in DOJ’s Civil Rights Division will not investigate Minneapolis ICE shooting, sources say

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Prosecutors in DOJ’s Civil Rights Division will not investigate Minneapolis ICE shooting, sources say


Prosecutors in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division were told they will not play a role in the ongoing investigation into a fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis by a federal immigration officer, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

Leadership in the Civil Rights Division, overseen by Harmeet Dhillon, informed staff in the division’s criminal section that there would not be an investigation, two sources said. Normally, after a high-profile incident involving a fatal shooting by an officer, attorneys from the criminal section fly out to the scene. Multiple career prosecutors offered to do so in this case, but they were told not to do so, one of the sources added. 

While investigations into the excessive use of force can be pursued solely by a U.S. Attorney’s office without direct involvement from the Civil Rights Division, it is customary for the division’s federal prosecutors to take the lead on high-profile investigations like the one in Minnesota.

The decision also raises questions about how far the FBI’s investigation into the shooting will go. 

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A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment. 

On Thursday, the Justice Department announced that the FBI was leading the investigation into the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.

Video footage shows the officer, identified in court records from a prior incident as Jonathan Ross, fired three rounds at the car as Good started to drive away.

The video also appeared to depict the officers did not take immediate steps to ensure that Good received emergency medical care after the shooting took place. A separate video from the scene showed officers stopping a man who claimed to be a doctor from moving toward Good. 

The killing has sparked protests nationwide, including in New York, Miami, Los Angeles and Detroit.

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Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has argued that Ross was acting in self-defense, and claimed that Good was trying to use her car as a weapon in an act of “domestic terrorism.”

That description sparked immediate backlash from state and city officials, with the mayor of Minneapolis labeling the self-defense claims as “bulls***.”

On Friday, Trump administration officials shared another cellphone video of the incident that sources say was recorded by the ICE officer. The White House argues this video shows Ross was hit by Good’s car.

The Justice Department has stopped short of claiming Ross was acting in self-defense. 

But in a statement to CBS News this week, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said that the use of deadly force by law enforcement officials can sometimes be justified.

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“Federal agents risk their lives each day to safeguard our communities. They must make decisions, under dynamic and chaotic circumstances, in less time than it took to read this sentence,” Blanche said.

“The law does not require police to gamble with their lives in the face of a serious threat of harm. Rather, they may use deadly force when they face an immediate threat of significant physical harm,” he added.

The criminal section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division specializes in investigating and prosecuting constitutional violations by law enforcement officers. 

Some of the most common investigations involve excessive use of force, but can also include other things such as sexual misconduct, false arrests or deliberate indifference to serious medical needs.

One of the most famous civil rights prosecutions by the section in recent years took place in Minneapolis, after former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd in May 2020.

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Chauvin pleaded guilty to willfully depriving, while acting under color of law, Floyd’s constitutional rights, as well as the rights of a 14-year-old boy.

Since President Trump took office last year, the Civil Rights Division has scaled back its work on excessive force prosecutions, according to legal experts. 

Last year, it sought to downplay the conviction of a former Louisville police officer who was convicted of violating Breonna Taylor’s civil rights and asked a federal judge to sentence him to serve just one day in prison.

The judge ultimately sentenced him to serve 33 months.

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