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House small business panel releases year-end report on 'partisan' Biden agency electioneering allegations

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House small business panel releases year-end report on 'partisan' Biden agency electioneering allegations

EXCLUSIVE: The House Small Business Committee is releasing its year-end interim report on what it found to be the “weaponizing [of] federal resources” for political purposes within the Small Business Administration.

Earlier this year, Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, committee chair, issued a rare subpoena to Small Business Administration officials over their work in connection with an official Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) forged with the Michigan Department of State.

The MOU was in accordance with President Biden’s 2021 executive order “14019: Promoting Access to Voting.” However, the committee alleged the SBA had been involved in partisan voter registration outreach in a key swing state – rather than simply aiding voters across the board.

The committee report, obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital, found Biden’s executive order to be an “improper use of executive authority” and that SBA actions in accordance with it thereby “pose unnecessary risks to the integrity of U.S. elections.”

LAWMAKERS SLAM SBA ‘STONEWALLING’ OVER MICHIGAN VOTER MEMO AS ELECTIONEERING CLAIMS SURFACE

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“The SBA’s MOU with the State of Michigan and travel patterns of senior SBA officials indicate the conflation of official duty and partisan political activities,” the committee found.

“Either intentionally or negligently, the SBA has failed to refute concerns of this MOU’s partisan nature.”

The committee’s report also found the SBA “strayed from its core mission” in working with Michigan under the voter registration MOU, and that it “engaged in a protracted campaign to obscure the makeup of its im­plementation of E.O. 14019 and obfuscate the truth of alleged political activities at the SBA to the committee.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., praised the work of the committee and its interim report, saying it rightly exposed “not only the improper use of executive authority but also significant concerns about actions taken by an agency that may jeopardize the integrity of U.S. elections.”

WATCHDOG GROUP SUES FEDS FOR RECORDS AS LAWMAKER CALLS VOTER REGISTRATION EFFORTS A ‘SLAP IN THE FACE’

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“The stark contrast between the SBA’s core mission and its involvement in voter registration activities highlights the urgent need for greater transparency and accountability,” Johnson said.

Johnson added he and the GOP caucus are looking forward to working with President-elect Trump to end such “abuses.”

The 47-page report further alleged the SBA exceeded the requirements of state and federal laws, including the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, the Anti-Deficiency Act, and the Hatch Act, which prohibits government officials from politicking in their official capacity.

In May, Williams and his committee, along with Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, demanded travel schedules, official calendars and other documents from the SBA. In addition, at least one Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) suit was separately launched by the right-leaning Oversight Project for some of the same documents as Congress was being purportedly “stonewalled.”

Williams initially accused the SBA and Administrator Isabel Casillas-Guzman of shirking her responsibility to help “Main Street” and instead focusing on registering voters in heavily Democratic parts of Michigan like Detroit and Saginaw – while ignoring committee oversight demands.

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Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis., chair of the House Administration Committee – whose panel has oversight over legislative matters relating to elections – said that while elections are partisan affairs, election administration should not be.

“The Biden-Harris administration partnering with the Michigan Department of State to use your taxpayer dollars for a partisan purpose should never be allowed,” he said. 

KEY BIDEN AGENCY SLAPPED WITH HISTORIC SUBPOENAS OVER ‘IMPROPER’ SWING-STATE VOTER REGISTRATION PUSH

People line up outside a polling station. (Reuters)

Digging into the executive order that the SBA’s actions aimed to align with, Williams’ report found it changed the way the executive branch enforces the National Voter Registration Act, and uniquely requires agency officials to work with the White House to find ways to support federal employees who wish to volunteer as election workers or watchers.

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The report added that the choice of Michigan as the petri dish for the SBA’s work under the executive order caught the committee’s attention early, due to its routine status as a swing state and the fact its top officials were “sympath[etic]” to the Biden-Harris campaign.

“This interim report illustrates how the MOU blurs the line between personal political beliefs and the official duties of SBA and Michigan state employees,” the document reads.

The report also included copies of email chains between the White House, SBA and/or outside advocacy organizations.

“The committee discovered that many senior SBA employees have relationships with these left-leaning organizations,” it read.

“Notably, the Biden-Harris Administration ‘warmly welcomed’ these relationships between nonpartisan agencies and left-leaning organizations.”

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In summing up and reacting to the report, Williams said the SBA was created to “aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns.”

In previous remarks to Fox News Digital, the top Democrat on Williams’ committee expressed dismay at the subpoenas and investigatory practices by Williams in probing the MOU.

Williams is targeting a partnership started by the Michigan Department of State and Small Business Administration chief Isabel Guzman. (Getty Images)

In a statement, Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., said the committee had long prided itself on “bipartisan cooperation to help American entrepreneurs.”

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“Unfortunately, with [these] subpoenas, Republicans have rejected these principles to pursue a partisan inquiry,” Velazquez said.

Representatives for the SBA have repeatedly denied the allegations made by Congress’ investigation.

In October, a spokesperson for Guzman said the explicit allegations of “stonewalling” the committee’s work were “demonstrably false.”

A spokesperson for the SBA told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that any allegations of “stonewalling” are “demonstrably false.”

“For nearly two years, the SBA has cooperated with the committee’s inquiry, testifying at multiple hearings, providing the committee staff with briefings, making agency officials available for transcribed interviews, and producing thousands of pages of documents responsive to their inquiry,” the spokesperson said, calling the allegations “baseless.”

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Detroit, MI

Where to watch Houston Astros vs Detroit Tigers: TV channel, start time, streaming for June 26

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Where to watch Houston Astros vs Detroit Tigers: TV channel, start time, streaming for June 26


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The 2026 MLB season has surpassed the quarter mark, and after each team’s first 40 games, there’s plenty of reasons to tune in all summer long.

Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami has already proven doubters wrong by launching 17 home runs, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes consistently looks like the best version of himself on the mound and Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski is throwing harder than any starter in the majors.

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The MLB action continues on Friday as the Houston Astros visit the Detroit Tigers.

Here’s everything you need to know to tune in for the first pitch.

See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.

What time is Houston Astros vs Detroit Tigers?

First pitch between the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. (ET) on Friday, June 26.

How to watch Houston Astros vs Detroit Tigers on Friday

All times Eastern and accurate as of Friday, June 26, 2026, at 6:34 a.m.

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Watch MLB all season long with Fubo

MLB regional blackout restrictions apply

MLB scores, results

MLB scores for June 26 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:

See scores, results for all of today’s games.



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Milwaukee, WI

We must have answers before awarding new wastewater contract | Opinion

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We must have answers before awarding new wastewater contract | Opinion



Milwaukee’s current wastewater treatment contract holder, Veolia Water Milwaukee, is under fire, with some calling for an audit.

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It goes without saying that Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) is an essential community asset.

Recently, MMSD has been in the news and not in a good way. The MMSD Commission voted to approve an audit of the district’s private wastewater operator. This is less than six weeks after the community organization Common Ground launched a public campaign calling for an audit of Veolia Water Milwaukee, alleging mismanagement of the Jones Island and South Shore wastewater treatment facilities.

I was briefly on a six-member MMSD advisory committee for the 1998 United Water Services contract. Now 28 years, and 2008, 2018, contracts later, the question is what firm to hire for the 2028 contract. I read Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Urban Milwaukee articles, whistle-blower letters and other materials and jotted down concerns listed below (there are others):

  • Veolia cut corners on treatment time and process chemicals
  • Veolia allowed MMSD assets — buildings and process equipment — to deteriorate
  • Veolia provided inadequate staffing
  • Employees, particularly those who questioned management, were treated poorly
  • Reversing these conditions will be very expensive, if it is even possible to do so

Aren’t these issues sufficient to disqualify Veolia from future consideration?

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MMSD has an innovative civil engineering history.

The national American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) designated the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage Treatment Plant a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark when they honored Milwaukee in 1974 for developing the waste-activated sludge treatment process and pioneering a beneficial reuse of biosolids (Milorganite). MMSD has also been recognized for the Deep Tunnel and many innovative infrastructure and flood management projects over the years.

Wisconsin has a strong civil engineering community, which includes the American Society of Civil Engineers-Wisconsin Section (ASCE-WI); five civil engineering university programs with three —Marquette, MSOE and UW-Milwaukee — in Milwaukee); as well as many technical school and apprenticeship programs. Civil engineering projects require many types of expertise and skills.

Is anyone asking questions such as what should be the future of wastewater treatment in Milwaukee? Or what do citizens know about wastewater treatment? Or what do citizens need to know about treatment options to make informed decisions about parameters such as feasibility, public health, environmental protection, costs and financing?

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Before the next contract is decided and awarded, shouldn’t human waste generators (citizens), civil engineers and the wastewater industry be asking some of these important questions?

Carol Diggelman, PhD, Emerita Professor, Milwaukee School of Engineering, where she taught for over 30 years, has since retiring, resumed volunteer activities with the League of Women Voters and organized many programs at the intersection of infrastructure and natural resources. 



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Minneapolis, MN

Reform, money and trust: Council members’ key criteria for Minneapolis’ next police chief

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Reform, money and trust: Council members’ key criteria for Minneapolis’ next police chief


Minneapolis leaders agree the next police chief is a critical choice, but it remains unclear whether the mayor and City Council can align on a candidate.

Mayor Jacob Frey declined an interview on the topic after announcing the hiring process and timeline earlier in the week. But 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS spoke with City Council Member and Public Health, Safety & Equity Committee Chair Jason Chavez and Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw, the prior Public Health, Safety & Equity Committee Chair.

All agree the police chief is one of the most important roles in Minneapolis.

Asked what it would take to get enough members on board with a candidate so that they can be confirmed, Council Member Vetaw said, “I think we’re figuring some of those things out, but what I hear from all council members is someone who’s strong on reform and wants to actually get reforms done right.”

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Vetaw added that the next permanent chief should also have a strong record on slowing overspending.

“We need somebody who’s really going to reel that in and handle our money with care. I think those are two things that I hear from all of my colleagues,” she said.

Brian O’Hara resigns as Minneapolis police chief after report shows he interfered with investigation into his conduct

Asked the same question, Council Member Chavez agreed on key candidate criteria, but he expressed less confidence in the hiring process.

“Well, I mean, I’ve cleared out — I’ve laid out some of the things that I would like to see in a candidate,” Chavez said. “And then I want us to feel included in this process, so they can hear our feedback, and I want there to be robust community engagement. I don’t think that it’s oppositional to this plan. I guess my only thing is I want to make sure that all 13 members are included in this process.”

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“I really care about community engagement, I really care about the criteria, and I want to make sure that the police chief that comes into Minneapolis is strongly committed to police accountability,” he continued.

“People want transparency and accountability. They want someone who can speak to the community, and it’s truthful,” Vetaw said.

“Like, we’re all looking for the same kind of leader.”

The question comes as Community Safety Commissioner Todd Barnette, as the head of the department overseeing MPD and nominated by Mayor Frey in April, remains without enough City Council votes to be reappointed. Vetaw supports Barnette, while Chavez does not.

Vetaw said the lack of agreement over Commissioner Barnette is not an omen for the process of hiring a new MPD chief.

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“I don’t believe that what’s happening with the commissioner is a direct reflection on the process for searching for a new chief. I think this council certainly separates those two,” she said.

“Do I want to move fast? Absolutely not. I want to move at a pace where we get the best person for the job … and I think we all want that. This is one of the most important roles in the city of Minneapolis.”

Chavez said he hopes the process leads to a chief he can support.

Asked if he believes he’ll be able to put his vote behind the candidate ultimately nominated by the mayor at the end of the process, Chavez said, “I would hope so.”

“And I want to be able to vote for a chief,” he continued. “I just think that we have to make sure that there’s a robust process that includes all council members, and that ensures that the voices of our community are not being left out.”

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Former Chief Brian O’Hara was unanimously confirmed in 2022, though the council had a few different members at the time.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Mayor Frey said, “Mayor Frey has been very clear that the search for a new police chief will be a collaborative process that includes community, City staff, and Council Members.” 

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS will continue tracking the selection process, including its cost to taxpayers.



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