DNC raises $8.6M in June, trailing RNC
The RNC has $80.78 million in the bank while the DNC has $15.22 million.
Democrats note that the RNC had more transfers this cycle and touted the Democratic committee's grassroots prowess this cycle. The DNC noted that their June haul was the best-ever June for grassroots donations during an off-year and said DNC Chair Ken Martin raised more than any other new DNC chair in the first months of their tenure. Additionally, the cash-on-hand ratio was worse for Democrats at this point in 2017, showing there is room to catch up.
'Around the country, people are energized, ready to fight back, and empowering Democrats to win elections,' the committee's chair Ken Martin said in a statement. 'The DNC is breaking grassroots fundraising records, bringing on more volunteers than ever, and raising record-setting funds to beat Republicans. Democrats are back in the ring thanks to grassroots energy across all 50 states, and together, we're going to defeat the toxic Republican agenda and put this country back on track for hard-working families.'
The DNC is seeking to recover from last year's losses in the 2024 presidential race. Last month the committee redid elections for two vice chair roles over a procedural rule about gender diversity.
Former Vice Chair David Hogg decided not to seek reelection for his role following public disagreement over whether his group Leaders We Deserve should get involved in primaries. Additionally, two union presidents, American Federation of Teachers union President Randi Weingarten and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees President Lee Saunders, announced they were declining to be reappointed as at-large members of the committee, citing disagreements with Martin.
Despite the public intraparty disagreements, Democrats have boasted a number of special election wins under Martin's leadership.
The RNC's fundraising lead comes as the House GOP campaign arm outraised their Democratic counterparts in the second quarter.
The National Republican Campaign Committee (NRCC) brought in $32.3 million in the second quarter of the year, while the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee raised $29.1 million in the same period. In June alone, the NRCC raised $18.1 million and the DCCC brought in $12.7 million.
However, the DCCC reported having $39.7 million in the bank, while the NRCC has $37.6 million cash-on-hand.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Politico
20 minutes ago
- Politico
Why Jeffries' redistricting idea is so unlikely in NJ
Good Wednesday morning! Last week, CNN reported that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries was looking to several Democratic states, including New Jersey, for potential mid-decade redistricting to counter the move to redraw the map in Texas to further favor Republicans. But by the time the report surfaced, it was probably already too late in New Jersey. This would have been difficult no matter what. New Jersey's Constitution mandates that congressional redistricting takes place after the Census conducted at the beginning of each decade. To change that, you'd have to change the Constitution. To guarantee a favorable map for Democrats, you'd also have to change the constitutionally assigned system from a redistricting commission with equal party representation and a tiebreaker to one that favors Democrats. It is, of course, possible to change the state Constitution. Democrats have slightly more than the three-fifths majorities they need in both houses to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot this November. But even if they were to get all their members on board with the plan — far from a given — I still doubt they'd be able to pull it off. The state Constitution requires constitutional amendments be published in newspapers in each county 'not less than three months prior to submission to the people.' Notwithstanding the dearth of newspapers, that makes the deadline Aug. 4, according to the Division of Elections, which I trust more than myself to do the math. But even if Democratic leaders got virtually all their members to come back from vacation and support an amendment before Aug. 4, they still likely wouldn't be able to get it on the ballot in time to affect the 2026 midterms. The constitution requires lawmaker to wait at least 20 days following an amendment's introduction, then hold a public hearing, before they can vote on it. I'm no lawyer or constitutional scholar, so I called law professor Ronald Chen, who's also worked on congressional and state redistricting commissions. And he agreed there's no way to do it in time for the Nov. 4 general election. Chen noted one possible way to do it: If the Legislature passes a law to delay the general election. And Democrats did delay the primary a week so as not to conflict with the Jewish holiday of Shavuot. But this would require an election delay of at least three weeks. And given that Democrats already have a friendly congressional map with very few options to gain more than the nine seats they hold, it seems like an extraordinarily unlikely gambit. But perhaps there's a way for Gov. Phil Murphy fire the First Assistant Constitution and replace it with an Acting Constitution. FEEDBACK? Reach me at mfriedman@ SHOW ME THE WAY: Acting Gov. Way has no public schedule QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'This is smart. As things stand, McGreevey is on track to be the next mayor. Unless the other candidates show some vision or courage, which they haven't, he'll keep gaining ground. The rest are stuck recycling tired lines: 'developers bad,' 'everyone's corrupt,' 'Jersey City is a mess.' with no vision beyond those talking points. Their cautiousness on every issue including MLK/Bergen and Baldwin/Summit speaks volumes about how they would lead' — outgoing Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop on candidate Jim McGreevey's transit plans. (Fulop last year expressed doubts about McGreevey's chances.) HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Kevin McCabe, Elissa Schragger, Christian Fuscarino, Felicia Hopson, Robert Basmadjian WHAT TRENTON MADE J-J-J JIM 'N DALE RESCUE CAMPAIGNERS — 'Do NJ lt. governor candidates matter? Do Gannon, Caldwell help their tickets?' by The Record's Charles Stile: 'Last week's rollout of lieutenant governor candidates demonstrated how the volatile debate — and concerns — over diversity shaped their selections.. 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Ciattarelli's campaign issued a statement by the GOP gubernatorial nominee and former state senator from Somerset County on Monday night accusing his opponent and other Democrats of creating a 'crisis' that forced immigration officials to obtain permission from the Pentagon to house detainees in tents at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. … On Tuesday, Ciattarelli campaign manager Eric Arpert clarified that his candidate opposes housing detainees at the joint base, while reiterating his assertion that Democrats were to blame for the situation.' KEVIN TOMAFSKY — 'Ex-Gov. Christie aide sentenced to prison for possession of child sex abuse material,' by NJ Advance Media's Victoria Gladstoine: 'A onetime aide to former Gov. Chris Christie pleaded guilty on Monday to first-degree endangering the welfare of a child after police found images of child sexual abuse material on his personal devices, authorities said. 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The Department of Justice revealed Trump's decision in an email filed with a federal judge in Pennsylvania, who is preparing to weigh in on an escalating fight between the Trump administration and the federal bench in New Jersey. The filing underscores Trump's direct involvement in a bid to keep his former personal attorney, Alina Habba, as New Jersey's top federal prosecutor, despite the expiration last week of her 120-day tenure as interim U.S. attorney and New Jersey judges selecting prosecutor Desiree Leigh Grace to serve in Habba's place. … Trump's workaround is now creating uncertainty across the federal criminal justice system in New Jersey. A defense attorney, Thomas Mirigliano, is trying to get 2024 drug and gun charges against his client thrown out by arguing the Trump administration's maneuvering was irregular and unconstitutional. … In a 29-page response made Tuesday at noon, the Department of Justice said Habba is legally the acting U.S. attorney and walked through each step of the workaround that it says allows Habba to continue serving. But the department made lengthy arguments meant to keep criminal cases from unraveling in the event a judge decides that Habba's authority is dubious.' —'Has Trump's naming of Alina Habba created a crisis in the federal courts?' THIRD CIRCUIT — Senate confirms Emil Bove to Third Circuit, as Dems fail to thwart Trump pick, by POLITICO's Hailey Fuchs: Emil Bove, President Donald Trump's former criminal defense attorney, has been confirmed to a lifetime seat on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals — the culmination of a tumultuous campaign from his detractors that ultimately fractured his support among the Senate GOP. The Senate voted 50-49 to confirm Bove, with Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska defecting from the rest of their party to join all Democrats in opposing. Bove was plagued by reports of whistleblowers alleging that he recommended the administration ignore court orders that would disrupt Trump's aggressive immigration agenda. His nomination became a flashpoint battle for Democrats, who argued the current principal associate deputy attorney general had made clear he valued fealty to the president over the law and was therefore unfit for the federal bench. 'Look at his record: Emil Bove has shown time and time again his disrespect for the very office he seeks to hold,' said Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), pointing to the allegations, during a recent speech on the Senate floor. TIRED: MASTRO. WIRED: MASTO — 'Booker feuds with fellow Senate Dems in surprise dispute over police bill package,' by New Jersey Globe's Joey Fox: 'What might have been the fairly routine passage of several police-related bills on the Senate floor this afternoon turned into a surprisingly bitter intra-Democratic argument, with Senator Cory Booker sparring with two of his fellow Democratic senators over how willing their party should be to work with Republicans and President Donald Trump. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada) took to the floor to ask for unanimous consent to pass seven bills related to policing and public safety, all of which have a bipartisan list of co-sponsors and one of which even lists Booker himself as a co-sponsor. But Booker objected to five of the bills, accusing the Trump administration of shifting police grant funding away from states like New Jersey in retaliation for their Democratic-leaning politics and their hesitance to cooperate with the president on immigration enforcement. 'Why would we do something today that's playing into the president's politics, and that's going to hurt the officers in states like mine?' Booker said. 'I believe in these bills – I'm a co-sponsor on some – and that's why I'm standing here to fight to ensure police departments in New Jersey aren't excluded from accessing these vital funds.' Booker asked to pass an amendment ensuring that grant money is equally allocated; Cortez Masto objected, calling it a 'poison pill' to the package.'' —Booker: 'There's a lot of us in this caucus that want to fucking fight. And what's bothering me right now is we don't see enough fight in this caucus.' — 'Thousands of legal immigrants in NJ could be thrown off Medicaid' —'N.J. Reps. want details from Hegseth, Noem about immigration detention center plans at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst' LOCAL EDISON — '3 N.J. cops were charged with stealing. Not one will serve a day in prison,' by NJ Advance Media's Riley Yates: 'The charges against the Edison police officers were meant to send a message. Cops accused of falsifying off-duty work to add tens of thousands of dollars to their pay checks would face serious consequences, Middlesex County prosecutors announced in 2018. Theft charges. Racketeering allegations. Years of scandal inside the township's long embattled police department would finally come to an end in the kind of corruption case that puts police behind bars. Then the charges languished for seven years. Until last week, when authorities cut a deal with their three final defendants, concluding a costly prosecution that began with fanfare and ended with none of the three former cops spending a day in prison. Two of the accused officers — Gregory Makras and James Panagoulakos — saw their charges dismissed on July 23 in exchange for their resignations from the police force, where they haven't worked since they were charged. Another former officer, Sgt. Ioannis (John) Mpletsakis, pleaded guilty on the same day to a tax charge for failing to report income.' THE HOUSE UN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY CENTER AND POOL ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE — ''He is trying to divide us:' How a dispute over American flags turned this small N.J. town upside down,' by NJ Advance Media's Glenn Epps: 'More than a dozen residents in Belvidere say they have become the target of a local politician's hostility, causing them to become more concerned about their safety in their small town. During a public meeting on Monday night, several residents accused Councilman Christopher Allen, 24, of doxxing addresses. … The controversy began on July 19 when Allen posted images on Facebook showing front yards with campaign signs for council candidate Josh Johnson alongside American flags hung in a distress-signal style. In his post, Allen explained that he was highlighting disrespect to the national symbol. … Days after the social media post, Allen introduced a resolution requiring the United States flag be prominently displayed in all municipal building meeting rooms and mandating the pledge of allegiance as the first order of business for any public meeting performing governmental duties … Currently, the Belvidere Community Center and Pool Committee, where Allen serves as council liaison, do not regularly read the pledge of allegiance at meetings.' LIKE ERASING HISTORY WITH LIGHTNING — 'New Brunswick will rename Woodrow Wilson school to 'better reflect the community',' by MyCentralJersey's Cheryl Makin: 'The Board is Education is seeking nominations to help rename Woodrow Wilson Elementary School, named for the 28th president who is said to have had questionable ties to the Ku Klux Klan and racist leanings. On the heels of Princeton University, where Wilson served as its president for from 1902 to 1910, Monmouth University and the Camden School District which all have erased his name from buildings, New Brunswick Public Schools is seeking the same change 'that would better reflect the community.'' TOWN HALL EMPLOYEES GET SURPRISE INVITATION TO TURKISH BATH WITH PAULIE WALNUTS — 'Are there rats in Brick Town Hall?' by Jersey Shore Online's Bob Vosseller: 'Usually when someone says there are rats in town hall it is meant as an insult aimed at those serving in public office but recently that question has come up in a more literal sense. Mayor Lisa Crate and Business Administrator Joanne Bergin both told The Brick Times that despite commentary to the contrary by township employees, there is no rat infestation within Town Hall located at 401 Chambers Bridge Road. Bergin didn't rule out that a mouse might have found its way into the building that was built in the 1970s. Three employees who spoke anonymously with The Brick Times, saying they feared losing their jobs if they went public, made it clear that someone witnessed more than one rat in the building.' — 'Atlantic County homelessness surges 60% — officials cite 'housing affordability crisis'' —'Atlantic City Housing Authority votes to authorize response to HUD takeover' —'Glassboro-Camden Line closer than ever, but hurdles remain before construction can begin' —'Paterson police named in wrongful-death lawsuit by Najee Seabrooks' family seek dismissal' —'Camden police are now deploying social workers to city streets' —'DEP to unveil Liberty State Park Plan at open house next week' —'Essex prosecutor arrested for drunk driving still trying cases' —'Bayonne hospital workers & Jersey City nurses avoid strikes, ratify new contracts' —'Massive AI data center with major energy needs under construction in [Vineland]' EVERYTHING ELSE MILLZINNS — 'Rutgers set to make Keli Zinn its highest-paid athletic director ever,' by NJ Advance Media's Steve Politi and Brian Fonseca: 'The Rutgers Board of Governors is expected on Wednesday to approve a five-year contract for Keli Zinn that would make the longtime college administrator the highest-paid athletic director in school history, a person with knowledge of the situation told NJ Advance Media. Zinn, who is currently the executive deputy athletic director and chief operating officer at LSU, is set to make a base salary of $1.35 million that can rise if the athletic department hits any of the multiple incentives in the deal, the person said.' COUP D'WAH — 'Chief of Ramapough Lenape Nation in Mahwah unseated, arrested in tribal dispute,' by The Record's Marsha Stoltz: 'Dwaine Perry, principal chief of the 5,000-member Ramapough Lenape Nation since 2007, has been permanently removed from office by its Tribal Council and arrested for trespassing for trying to enter its Community Center on Stag Hill Road. The Tribal Council first announced Perry's 'temporary suspension' for alleged 'serious violations' in a May 27 statement. A hearing was reportedly held on June 1, and the Tribal Council announced on June 13 that it had 'voted unanimously to permanently remove, ban and disqualify former Chief Dwaine C. Perry from holding any current or future office.' Perry was arrested on July 22 for attempting to enter the tribe's Community Center, police reports show. … Perry, through his attorney Lydia Cotz, characterized the Tribal Council accusations as part of an attempted 'illegal coup.'' —''Jeopardy!' champ with 16-game streak addresses theory he deliberately lost final match' —'Meet the N.J. lifeguard who has been patrolling the Jersey Shore for decades' — 'Tolls could rise on Delaware River bridges connecting NJ and Pennsylvania'
Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
Inside the fringe movement teaching Americans to punish officials with fake debt claims
SACRAMENTO — Texas real estate agent Tara Jarrett opened the online class with a prayer, bowing her head and closing her eyes. 'Dear Heavenly Father,' she began. 'I ask that you would just speak to me and through me as I deliver this detailed message tonight.' What followed was a lesson on revenge. Jarrett walked the attendees, logged in from California and other states, through the process of filing liens to punish public officials, such as politicians and judges, who they alleged aren't upholding their oaths of office. Those liens are recorded in state Uniform Commercial Code databases, public filings intended to alert creditors about business debts and financial obligations. 'This is how we level the playing field,' Jarrett, 52, told her class in a video uploaded last year. 'We don't sue government officials. We file liens that crush their credit until they cooperate.' Across the country, antagonists and antigovernment 'sovereign citizens' are flooding states and counties with liens like the ones Jarrett and others show how to file. In the claims, they often allege government officials owe them money or property, a tactic the U.S. Justice Department and nonpartisan Congressional Research Service have identified as a form of 'paper terrorism.' Other filings aren't about retribution. Instead, they're financial maneuvers aimed at businesses, claiming to be owed cash, cars and homes. Consumer credit expert John Ulzheimer said these liens can complicate a person's ability to obtain a mortgage or a business' chances of securing lines of credit. In some cases, he said, these filings can even derail job applications for positions that require thorough background checks. 'It seems too easy to me that someone can do this,' Ulzheimer said. A Times investigation found that these claims, which were designed to be straightforward and quick to file, are inherently vulnerable to abuse, inflicting financial harm and costly legal battles. A single false filing can claim an individual or business owes debts worth hundreds of millions or even trillions of dollars. Others flood victims with repeated — and often nonsensical — filings that make it appear they are entangled in complex financial disputes. Among The Times' findings: 'This is a cowardly and dangerous tactic meant to intimidate public servants and put our families at risk,' said one high-profile California public official who first learned he had been named in a UCC claim when contacted by The Times. He said the filing was fake. The official asked for anonymity because the fake debt included his home address and he did not wish to be targeted further. He said protecting home addresses gained new urgency after a man targeting Democratic lawmakers killed Minnesota House Democratic leader Melissa Hortman and her husband in their home in June. 'No one should underestimate how real these threats are,' he said. Back in Texas, Jarrett moved through her hourlong lesson flipping through black and white slides that detailed the power of filing liens against adversaries. 'It can literally take these public officials out of office if we do it the proper way,' said Jarrett, who sits on the board of star NFL receiver Mike Evans' charity. In an interview with The Times, Jarrett said she does not recommend this process to anyone and was simply providing information. The Times found no record of a person who took one of Jarrett's classes filing a retaliatory lien in California. In her $20-per-person class, she praises the tactic for being cheap and taking little time. Like bomb-making, she told the handful of attendees, it demands precision. Handled the wrong way, she said, it can blow up in your face. 'Likewise, bombing government officials with liens is a craft, not a science,' she added. Designed to be the quiet backbone of commerce, the Uniform Commercial Code system is about as mundane as bureaucracy gets. Or at least it's supposed to be. It was drafted in the 1950s to standardize interstate business transactions. One key feature is a public database run by secretary of state offices that records when a creditor claims a secured interest in an asset. The simplicity and speed of the filings are intentional: It helps keep credit accessible and prevent borrowers from using the same asset, such as a company's inventory, multiple times without lenders knowing. 'So, if I'm thinking of extending credit to your store and I'm willing to do it because you're offering your inventory as collateral, I can check the record that's available at the secretary of state's office and determine whether somebody else already has an interest in your inventory, and as a result, I'd be second in line,' said Neil Cohen, director of research for the Permanent Editorial Board for the UCC, which drafts legislation that can be adopted by states to keep the codes in sync. Many UCC filings in California's database reflect state tax liens or loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration listing what collateral was used. Particularly popular in California are solar companies placing liens on a home or the installed panels until a loan is repaid. The vast majority of UCC filings are legitimate, according to the National Assn. of Secretaries of State. But, in a 2023 report, the association said 'fraudulent or bogus filings' are a widespread and persistent problem across the country, warning that they 'can create serious financial difficulties for victims.' Mark Pitcavage, senior research fellow for the Center on Extremism at the Anti-Defamation League, said sovereign citizens first latched on to the UCC system in the late 1980s, but filings have increased over time as more and more conspiracy theories have revolved around commercial laws. Those fringe beliefs include claims that UCC filings can eliminate the need to pay car loans or credit card debt, which can plunge a person into financial ruin. Their tactics have also veered into criminal charges for fraud, said Pitcavage, citing a list of court cases compiled by the Anti-Defamation League. 'If you're in debt, you can end up in a whole lot more debt,' he said. 'Or you can turn a debt situation into a criminal situation.' Pitcavage said states are partially responsible for failing to recognize that allowing fake UCC filings to be recorded legitimizes the conspiracy theories. 'They don't do harm if they're not recorded,' Pitcavage said. 'Some states are very good ... and other states either are not good about it or actually have policies that basically say, you know, as long as they pay the filing fee you can file whatever you want.' California law allows the secretary of state's office to reject a UCC record if it's not properly filled out or if there is a reasonable belief that the document is fraudulent or intended to harass a person or entity. So far this year, the secretary of state's office has rejected more than 1,700 filings. Last year, the state denied nearly 5,000 filings. The agency declined to identify how many of the rejected filings were due to fraud or harassment versus paperwork errors. A spokesperson said the agency's role as the recording office for UCC filings is limited, but that the agency is 'always looking to improve customer experience.' Once a UCC filing is recorded, state officials step aside, leaving victims to deal with the fallout if it turns out to be fraudulent, a Times investigation found. To remove a filing from the state's database, victims must obtain a court order — a process that can cost thousands of dollars in attorney and court fees. The only other option in California is to record a new filing disputing or terminating the debt, which appears alongside the false claim rather than erasing it. In 2015, California expanded a law making it illegal to knowingly file a fake lien, broadening protections beyond public officials and employees to cover all victims. At least 16 additional states have laws that make it a crime to knowingly submit a fraudulent UCC record, according to the National Assn. of Secretaries of State report from 2023. Last year, a federal jury found a woman guilty of filing a fake lien against a U.S. attorney in Florida. In West Virginia, a man was sentenced to five years in prison in 2022 after he filed a fake lien against an IRS agent, who then had to take 'significant efforts' to clear it up when attempting to purchase a home, according to a federal appeals court opinion. A California man whom prosecutors identified as a 'sovereign citizen' was convicted in Ventura County on seven felony counts of filing false liens against government employees and sentenced to eight years in prison in 2019. Todd Duell filed additional fake liens that same year, including one against then-Secretary of State Alex Padilla, now a U.S. senator. Duell falsely claimed Padilla owed him $3 million and that he had secured the rights to Padilla's properties and bank accounts. A judge ordered the false lien be removed, finding that Duell targeted Padilla in retaliation for the criminal case filed against him. Duell couldn't be reached for comment. 'This has been an issue for at least 15 years, but it's gradually becoming more prevalent,' said John McGarvey, a Kentucky attorney who is part of the Permanent Editorial Board for the UCC, the group that proposes new legislation to keep the codes updated and aligned. Employees of Team Kia of El Cajon say they still remember the day Andre Mario Smith showed up at the dealership, clutching a UCC record he claimed entitled him to a new all-electric crossover. Confused, a car salesman photocopied the official-looking document adorned with the State of California seal, but ultimately sent Smith home without the Kia EV6 he tried to collect. 'We see this kind of stuff all the time,' said Michael Rogers, a San Diego attorney who represents Team Kia and other auto dealers. 'It's a big drain on society to have to deal with people like this who are just abusing the system.' Smith has filed numerous other UCC liens, including one for $999 quintillion against several Los Angeles County Superior Court judges. Smith declined to comment, texting: 'Not interested! Lose my number.' Rogers said the fake filings have real impacts on businesses. In the case of car dealerships, Rogers said the vehicles on their lots are often financed with a line of credit that is paid down when cars are sold. 'When dealerships want to take out a second line of credit to buy more used cars or do capital improvements, they've got these UCC filings cluttering up their financial history,' he said. 'It makes it very difficult for them to go out and get capital.' The UCC record Smith filed for the Kia remains in California's public database, but alongside 'termination' amendments Rogers filed that call the original claim erroneous. Rogers estimated that it would have cost up to $5,000 in court and attorney fees for the dealership to go to court to have the UCC record removed from the public database. The Times found a second person also filed a UCC claim against Team Kia. 'Now, I have to go through the process of getting this one terminated also,' he said. One of the most prolific individual UCC filers in California is Edward Kennedy. The Pennsylvania man has recorded UCC filings listing hundreds of people and businesses as being subject to his mysterious 'fee schedule,' in which he argues he's owed money for interactions with the government. A copy of that self-prescribed fee schedule was included in a lawsuit Kennedy filed against Facebook in 2021. It lists several pages of fees he says he charges, including $60,000 for every traffic citation he is issued, $50,000 when a public official fails to uphold their oath of office and $75,000 per hour if he's required to appear in court. In California UCC filings, he's named the state Assembly, numerous Pennsylvania officials, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and former Gov. Jerry Brown, among others. Kennedy filed a similar debt claim in Washington state, where he named Gov. Gavin Newsom and Microsoft as both being subject to his fee schedule in the same filing. It's unclear why Kennedy records so many UCC filings in California. Recording UCC statements is far cheaper in California at $5 per filing. By comparison, it costs $84 in Pennsylvania and $23 in Washington. Messages left for Kennedy were not returned. A county official in the Bay Area, who asked that his name not be used to avoid being targeted with additional fake filings, said he first learned he was named in a debt claim filed by Kennedy when contacted by The Times. The filing, which was recorded in 2022, included his home address, which he called 'unnerving.' He said he doesn't understand why he wouldn't be notified as part of the process so he could have promptly challenged it. 'It is shocking that individuals can file a baseless claim and then have it affect your credit and your way of life,' he said. Kristine Lee, who serves as assessor, clerk and recorder for Kings County in Central California, said she discovered five additional false filings against her after The Times alerted her to one. The filings listed her as owing debts that wouldn't expire for 20 years. 'I'm not sure what they think they would get out of me because it says liened and claimed at a sum of $100 billion,' Lee said. Lee said she was never notified when the documents were filed listing her work address. When she contacted the secretary of state's office, officials told her their hands were tied and 'it would have to be handled through the court.' That regulatory void has not gone unnoticed. Jarrett, the Texas real estate agent, told attendees in her class last year that UCC liens give them 'an enormous amount of legal leverage.' She opened and closed the class with a disclaimer, reminding those watching that she's not a lawyer and wasn't offering legal advice. She warned that they must follow the steps she outlines exactly or they could find themselves in serious legal trouble. But she repeatedly praised the method, calling it an equalizer. 'The process is powerful and dangerous to those who are in the line of fire,' she explained to attendees. 'There is no escape: Either acquiesce and justly recompense or suffer the awful consequences.' Times librarian Cary Schneider contributed to this report.
Chicago Tribune
an hour ago
- Chicago Tribune
Major gun control PAC endorses US Rep. Robin Kelly's Senate bid
As the three leading contenders for U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin's seat look to separate themselves for Democratic voters, one of them, U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, has secured an endorsement from a group representing an issue that has united the left for years: gun violence prevention. 'What we need are more lawmakers like her who are not only going to vote the right way, but contextualize this issue,' said Kris Brown, president of the gun violence prevention organization Brady, whose political action committee will announce its endorsement of Kelly on Wednesday. The endorsement comes as Kelly looks to position herself as the most experienced candidate for the Senate seat, having served in Congress since 2013 after voters elected her following a campaign that focused on gun violence. Her congressional career has been built in large part on her advocacy for gun control legislation. 'She connects the dots in a very material way because she's a subject matter expert,' Brown said of Kelly, who represents parts of the South Side and south suburbs. 'What we want are leaders who are capable of connecting all these dots and who will lobby their colleagues and bring others along.' The other top Democratic candidates for the Senate seat are U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Schaumburg, one of the most prolific fundraisers in Congress, and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, who has Gov. JB Pritzker's backing. The Brady PAC is named after James Brady — who was President Ronald Reagan's press secretary and was permanently disabled after being shot during the 1981 assassination attempt on Reagan — and his wife, Sarah. The PAC considers a candidate's experience with gun violence in making its primary endorsements, Brown said. The group chose Kelly over Stratton, who at a news conference touting new state gun control laws on Monday said she has 'been personally impacted by gun violence.' A spokesperson for the lieutenant governor later said Stratton and her daughters were outside a church one evening about 15 years ago when a shooter killed another member of the congregation nearby. Brown said her group looks at 'true lived experience' but also experience as 'a champion' of fighting gun violence, in the 'Robin Kelly kind of mold.' Kelly won her seat in 2013 after garnering the support of gun control advocates including former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, amid the fallout from the Sandy Hook school shooting in 2012 and a rash of violence in Chicago neighborhoods. A former congresswoman Kelly defeated in that race, Debbie Halverson, had an A-plus rating from the National Rifle Association, the Tribune reported at the time. After her first year in office, Kelly authored the so-called 'Kelly Report,' one of the earliest congressional documents that framed gun violence as a public health issue, according to the Brady organization. Kelly pushed to include support for community violence prevention in bipartisan public safety legislation in 2022, which both Brown and Kelly said was one of the congresswoman's top accomplishments. 'It's been something in my heart for a long time, but in Congress, I'm known as a leader, or the leader on gun violence prevention,' Kelly said in an interview, while also acknowledging the roles of several other legislators on the issue. 'This is what I ran on.' The Brady PAC plans to support Kelly financially as well as with help on voter turnout, Brown said. So far, Krishnamoorthi is far ahead of his opponents in terms of cash on hand ahead of the March primary, according to federal elections reports released this month. While Stratton trailed behind Kelly, according to those reports, the lieutenant governor could eventually receive more from organizations associated with Pritzker, the billionaire governor. Both Krishnamoorthi and Stratton have supported stricter gun control measures in their elected roles. Pritzker, with Stratton as his deputy since 2019, has signed a suite of gun violence prevention measures into law, including safer storage legislation and a sweeping ban on high-powered firearms and ammunition magazines that remains under legal challenge. Krishnamoorthi, a member of Congress since 2017, recently reintroduced legislation to establish a three-day waiting period for handgun purchases. Though gun violence persists in the city, Chicago has seen a double-digit percentage drop so far in 2025 compared with a year earlier. Statewide, monthly firearm injury rates are also down compared with the upswings during the pandemic, and this year have dipped below comparable months in 2018 and 2019, according to data published by the Illinois Department of Public Health. And nationally, homicides and gun assaults in cities also declined this year compared with recent years, according to a report released this month from the Council on Criminal Justice. Kelly said advocates see her at the forefront of gun violence prevention even as her opponents might share some of her views. 'I think my reputation around this precedes me,' she said, 'and I don't think they can say that.'
