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Social media erupts after far-left firebrand botches Epstein claims: ‘Insane accusation’
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Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, is facing backlash on social media and labeled the “worst candidate possible” after she botched her facts while trying to tie Republicans to donations from Jeffrey Epstein during remarks on the House floor.
After a tranche of Epstein-related documents were released earlier this week, Delegate Stacey Plaskett, the non-voting congressional representative for the U.S. Virgin Islands, came under fire for texting with the disgraced financier during a 2019 congressional hearing about Donald Trump’s potential conflicts of interest.
Plaskett was fervently defended by several of her Democrat colleagues in the House after Republicans tried to censure her, including Crockett, who sought to accuse Republicans of their own ties to Epstein but failed miserably.
Crockett said she had her team “dig in” to Federal Election Commission (FEC) records, which she claimed showed Lee Zeldin, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator and former member of Congress from New York, had accepted campaign donations from the disgraced financier in the past. However, the donations were from a different Jeffrey Epstein, prompting backlash from both parties against Crockett.
FAR-LEFT FIREBRAND SPENDS EYE-POPPING AMOUNT OF CAMPAIGN CASH ON LUXURY HOTELS, ‘TOP-TIER’ LIMO SERVICES
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, left, quickly clapped back after Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, inaccurately claimed he had received campaign donations from disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. (Getty Images)
“If you’re looking for a good way to light $50 million on fire and lose by 15 points, then Jasmine Crockett is your candidate,” a Democratic strategist told Fox News Digital following Crockett’s floor remarks. Crockett has indicated she will decide by the Dec. 8 filing deadline whether she will throw her hat in the ring to challenge Republican incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.
“She’s got no shot to win that Texas Senate race, and screw-ups like this show why she’s probably the worst candidate possible,” the Democratic strategist continued.
Republicans did not hold back on their criticism of Crockett.
“Crockett should get censured for this and staff should be fired,” GOP strategist Matt Whitlock posted on X. “What a shocking embarrassment to go to the floor with this kind of insane accusation, and have the WRONG JEFFREY EPSTEIN.”
“Crockett getting this so badly wrong is I guess why politicians usually outsource their oppo research to the professionals,” Chuck Ross, a Washington Free Beacon investigative reporter, wrote on X. “But you also would expect a member of Congress to know more about FEC filings.”
“Jasmine Crockett completely misrepresented, indeed outright lied, about various GOP politicians’ potential past donor relationships with Epstein,” former New York GOP Congresswoman Nan Hayworth said.
Zeldin was also quick to respond to the inaccuracy, noting the person he received campaign donations from was a physician also named Jeffrey Epstein.
HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS BID TO CENSURE DEMOCRAT OVER EPSTEIN LINKS GOES DOWN IN FLAMES
“NO [clapping emoji] FREAKIN [clapping emoji] RELATION [clapping emoji] YOU [clapping emoji] GENIUS!!!”
Jeffrey Epstein with ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who sits in jail on sex charges related to her time with Epstein. (Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
In addition to Zeldin, Crockett sought to claim other Republicans, such as Mitt Romney, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), George Bush, John McCain, Sarah Palin and others also received donations from the disgraced financier.
“This is a distraction. … Why are y’all more interested in talking about Stacey Plaskett than Trump’s relationship with the man?” Crockett asked on the House floor, calling Trump and Epstein “besties” amid a resolution to censure Plaskett.
“Miss me with your moral high ground. Folks who also took money from somebody named Jeffrey Epstein, as I had my team dig in very quickly: Mitt Romney, the NRCC, Lee Zeldin. George Bush, Win Red, McCain-Palin, Rick Lazio. … If this is the standard that we are going to make, just know we’re going to expose it all and just know that the FEC filings are available for everybody to review,” Crockett said.
Crockett had to be fact-checked just a few weeks ago for comments that attempted to make Republicans look like they were trying to hide facts about President Trump as it pertains to Epstein’s crimes.
Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., Feb. 22, 1997. (Davidoff Studios/Getty Images)
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During an interview on CNN, Crockett attempted to claim Republicans redacted important information from documents about Epstein’s crimes. However, the hosts of the segment jumped in to correct the record, telling Crockett that it was actually Democrats who decided to black out the name of one of Epstein’s accusers, Virginia Giuffre, who did not accuse President Trump of any wrongdoing.
“Her recitation of the facts is simply, that, ‘I’m not going to trust Republicans. They probably made that up. And, by the way, we would never redact the name of somebody who is deceased anyway,’” conservative radio host Vince Coglianese said of Crockett’s CNN debacle.
“Jasmine Crockett was trying to — literally, on the spot — come up with a conspiracy theory in order to defend the callous and disgraceful behavior of Democrats. Where have we seen this before? Well, I don’t know, every Democrat made-up scandal about Donald Trump we’ve seen ever. They’re constantly trying to defame him. It’s the wrap-up smear constantly delivered over, and over, and over again.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Crockett for comment but did not receive a response.
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Illegal immigrant wanted for brutal bathtub murder arrested in Texas after crossing southern border again
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U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force in Texas on Monday arrested a wanted Mexican national accused of viciously murdering a woman years after he was deported.
Hernan Perez Juarez, also known as “Patricio Perez,” 41, is charged with murder in connection to the May 8, 2020, killing of a woman who was found dead in her Georgetown, Texas, bathtub with a deep cut in her lower abdomen.
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Perez Juarez was deported in 2018 for an immigration violation and had no legal status in the U.S.
U.S. Marshals arrest Hernan Perez Juarez. (U.S. Marshals)
ICE NABS 3-TIME DEPORTED ILLEGAL ALIEN CHARGED WITH ASSAULTING A POLICE OFFICER: ‘GOOD RIDDANCE’
He allegedly reentered the country before the crime, and authorities later found his vehicle abandoned in Laredo, near the international border of Mexico, according to the U.S. Marshals.
In March 2022, the Georgetown Police Department (GPD) obtained an arrest warrant for Perez Juarez, though the case stalled due to his unknown whereabouts.
Hernan Perez Juarez was photographed in 2018 before disappearing. (U.S. Marshals)
VENEZUELAN MAN WANTED FOR RUSSIAN ROULETTE TORTURE ATTACK CAPTURED BY ICE AGENTS IN NORTH TEXAS
Earlier this month, an Austin-based task force learned Perez Juarez returned to the U.S. illegally, according to the U.S. Marshals.
He was arrested in Temple, Texas on Monday and taken to the Williamson County Jail awaiting further judicial proceedings.
It is unclear when Perez Juarez allegedly reentered the country. (John Moore/Getty Images)
ICE has filed an immigration detainer on Perez Juarez following the judicial process in Williamson County, according to the U.S. Marshals.
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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Texas father dies in accidental shooting on hunting trip, daughter says family is ‘heartbroken’
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A Texas family is mourning the sudden loss of a husband and father who, according to state officials, accidentally shot and killed himself during a weekend hunting trip.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) game wardens responded just after midnight Saturday to a hunting accident in northeast Texas that claimed the life of Jose Ramirez, 45, of Grapevine, the agency said.
Ramirez, a father of three, was identified in a GoFundMe campaign created by one of his daughters.
“My father, Jose Ramirez, passed away unexpectedly, and our family is heartbroken. My dad meant the world to me,” the GoFundMe reads.
YOUNG HUNTERS IN COLORADO DIED IN ‘INSTANT,’ CORONER REVEALS
Jose Ramirez, 45, died on Saturday after he was accidentally shot while removing his gun from a vehicle during a hunting trip in northeast Texas. (GoFundMe)
Ramirez was removing his firearm from a vehicle when it discharged, local outlet KLTV reported, citing TPWD. Life-saving measures were unsuccessful.
His daughter described him as “the pillar of our home, the provider for our family, and the one who always made sure we were taken care of.” She added that the “light of his life” was his infant granddaughter.
“He taught me the most important lessons in life — to never give up, to work hard for what you want, and to always do what makes you happy, no matter how small it may seem,” she wrote of her father. “He believed that true success comes from loving what you do and living with a happy heart.”
Jose Ramirez, 45, leaves behind his wife, three children and one grandchild. (GoFundMe)
ILLINOIS HUNTER DEAD AFTER BEING SHOT IN FACE, IOWA’S SECOND FATAL HUNTING ACCIDENT THIS FALL
Ramirez grew up in Grapevine and was active in the community, working at many restaurants in the Dallas suburb over the years, according to the Facebook page “Grapevine Edit.”
“Most recently, he worked at Son of a Butcher, Silver Lake Marina’s Rockin’ S Express Bar & Grill, and spent over a decade at Kirby’s Steakhouse,” the page wrote in a post honoring Ramirez’s life. “His family wants the community to know of his passing because they know how many coworkers, customers, and locals cared about him and would want to know.”
The TPWD said game wardens are trained to investigate hunting-related incidents, but “always wish a tragedy like this could have been avoided.”
The agency encouraged all hunters to “take safety seriously” and added a few reminders for handling firearms in a Facebook post.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department urged hunters to “take safety seriously” in the wake of Jose Ramirez’s death, adding that all firearms should be handled as if they are loaded. (iStock)
“Always handle all firearms as if they are loaded, keep muzzles pointed in a safe direction and take time to unload your firearm before placing or removing it from a vehicle,” the agency wrote before extending condolences to Ramirez’s loved ones.
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Texas’ general rifle season for white-tail deer began on Nov. 1 and ends on different dates in January depending on the location.
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Holiday crime fears grow as ‘jugging’ thieves target shoppers carrying cash and gifts: ‘Only a matter of time’
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Authorities throughout the country are warning shoppers to remain vigilant ahead of their holiday errands as thieves are turning to a popular crime trend to make off with quick cash.
The trend – nicknamed “jugging” – involves criminals following victims from ATMs, banks or stores in an effort to steal their cash or new purchases, according to the FBI. Law enforcement officers typically see a rise in incidents around the holiday season, with shoppers often walking around with large sums of cash or high-cost gifts.
“Jugging is just, in my opinion, a slang term for crimes of opportunity,” retired NYPD officer Bill Stanton told Fox News Digital. “Think of predators, where there are crocodiles or water creatures that hang out by the watering hole, right? And in this case, it’s an ATM or an ATM-type machine.”
Numerous instances of individuals falling victim to the trend have made national headlines, with the most recent incident striking a Texas man earlier this month.
ATM ‘JACKPOTTING’ CRIME WAVE GROWS AFTER THIEVES WALK AWAY WITH HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS IN CASH
Surveillance video shows the moment two men allegedly broke the windows of an empty pickup truck and stole a cash envelope after following the victim from an ATM to a gas station in Houston, Texas, on April 28, 2025. (Houston Police Department)
On Nov. 10, a 70-year-old man was robbed at gunpoint as he was visiting an ATM in a Walmart parking lot in Houston, according to FOX26.
Police said the suspect forced the victim to withdraw cash from the machine, then shot the man after he handed over the money. The unnamed man was transported to a local hospital, where he remains in critical condition.
A similar incident unfolded on April 29, when police say a Houston man was followed from a Wells Fargo Bank ATM to a car wash, where an unidentified male suspect brandished a firearm in an attempt to rob the victim, according to the Houston Police Department. The suspect then fled the area on foot, before entering a white SUV and driving off, police said.
One day earlier, a man was followed from a Chase Bank in Houston, where surveillance video captured two suspects pulling up next to his vehicle on each side while the man entered a gas station convenience store, according to police. Video then captured the two suspects – who are believed to be the same individuals involved in the robbery on the following day – breaking both front windows of the victim’s vehicle before removing a cash envelope from the center console.
BLUE CITY POLICE BLASTED FOR ‘EMBARRASSING’ TIPS TO ROBBERY VICTIMS AS CRIME SPIKES, VETERAN OFFICER SAYS
Johnny Juwan Clark pleaded guilty earlier this year to the “jugging” robbery of an ATM technician in Houston, Texas, on July 3, 2024. Surveillance video captured Clark forcing the technician to the ground while two codefendants allegedly stole nearly $250,000 in cash from the machine, according to the Department of Justice. (The Department of Justice)
Earlier this year, a Houston man was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to the “jugging” robbery of an ATM technician, according to the Department of Justice.
According to prosecutors, 33-year-old Johnny Juwan Clark was out on supervised release for a separate robbery incident when he, along with three others, forced an ATM technician to the ground and forcibly removed hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash from the machine in Midlothian, Texas.
The group was working within a Houston-based criminal organization called the “Hiram Clarke Money Team” when Clark admitted following the technician to multiple stops, before approaching the victim from behind and forcing him to the ground in front of a Chase Bank ATM, according to the DOJ.
Clark kept his fist to the back of the technician’s head as two alleged accomplices stole approximately $248,000 in cash from the machine, prosecutors said. The group then allegedly fled the scene and met at a nearby apartment complex, where the stolen money was loaded into the back of a Range Rover and driven back to Houston.
BANK ROBBERS TURN BLUE STATE INTO HOT SPOT FOR HEISTS AS BANDITS GROW BOLDER, INDUSTRY LEADER WARNS
Johnny Juwan Clark pleaded guilty earlier this year to stealing nearly $250,000 from an ATM in Houston, Texas on July 3, 2024, according to the Department of Justice. (The Department of Justice)
Once the cash was transported, Clark and another codefendant used a portion of the money to purchase an S-Class Mercedes-Benz and jewelry, according to prosecutors.
Clark’s attorney and the Houston Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
“It’s more of a want issue,” Stanton said. “And if the economy isn’t going in their favor, it’s more of a motivating factor – that, and the holidays.”
According to Stanton, criminals often seek out victims that look as though they are not paying attention to their surroundings when in a public place.
GHOST-TAPPING SCAM TARGETS TAP-TO-PAY USERS
“If you give the impression that you are prey, that you are lunch or dinner by way of giving up your money, it’s only a matter of time,” Stanton told Fox News Digital. “It’s not a matter of if, but when. Just because it’s never happened before, doesn’t mean that you’re untouchable – it means that you’re lucky.”
Stanton urges shoppers to take precautionary measures to protect themselves, especially during the holiday season.
He, along with the FBI, suggest shoppers should look around for anyone who may appear suspicious before approaching an ATM or exiting their vehicle in a parking lot.
ROBBER’S FAKE LIMP VANISHES DURING BANK HEIST CAUGHT ON CAMERA, POLICE SAY
Additionally, the FBI urges individuals to vary their banking habits and stay away from a traceable routine, while also concealing their cash when leaving an ATM or store.
“Don’t make it easy for them,” Stanton said. “Take the money, put it deep in your pocket and go right to the car. Don’t be fanning the money, counting it out while you’re on the phone.”
Stanton also implores shoppers who may find themselves in a dangerous situation to simply hand over the money if they are approached by a criminal.
“If you’re in the middle of it, give it up,” he said. “Whether the money is from the ATM, that can be replaced – not your life. Toss the money and run the other way if you’re able to.”
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As Americans are taking to the stores to get a jump start on their holiday shopping, Stanton urges buyers to keep personal safety at the forefront of their minds as they buy their gifts for the season.
“While you’re doing your holiday shopping, so are the bad guys,” Stanton said. “While you’re looking for that deal or to buy that expensive item, they’re watching you and are like, ‘Oh, I like that person’s taste. That’s what their gift is, and it’s going to be my possession.’ You know, put that in your mind, and it makes you a little bit more aware.”
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