Unearthed DOJ Files Implicate Hunter Biden in Potential Sex Trafficking Violations

Luis Cornelio
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Unearthed DOJ Files Implicate Hunter Biden in Potential Sex Trafficking Violations

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Newly released internal DOJ files appear to implicate President Joe Biden’s disgraced son, Hunter Biden, in alleged prostitution-related activity, corroborating accusations raised years earlier by Senate Republicans.

The files, obtained Monday by the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, showed Hunter exchanging text messages with several women discussing payments, travel arrangements and extended meetings.

Some of the exchanges appeared to raise potential issues under the Mann Act. This federal law prohibits interstate prostitution and other sex trafficking-related offenses, according to Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.

Notably, Grassley was among the Senate Republicans who previously warned in a September 2020 report that Hunter may have paid Eastern European women for prostitution or interacted with individuals potentially tied to a human trafficking ring.

The messages reviewed by Headline USA also referenced payment methods including Zelle, Venmo, Cash App and wire transfers.

In November 2018, Hunter appeared to have booked a flight for an unidentified woman from Los Angeles to an undisclosed location.

On March 22, 2019, a presumed woman told Hunter that a ticket cost $560. Hunter replied: “I’m going to send you money and you buy ok.”

Another message later stated: “Sent you 750 by cash app,” while a separate exchange read: “And I will have another 3K for you in cashmere [sic].”

Additional messages appeared to discuss payments tied to extended periods. In one exchange, Hunter appeared to ask how much an individual would charge for “an extra eight hours,” prompting the recipient to reply: “5000.”

Hunter also appeared to reference discounts for “anything over 4,” seemingly referring to hours.

In another exchange, after Hunter offered $9,000, the recipient replied: “9500 ok.” Hunter then responded he would “wire money at 2 pm all of it thanks love.”

Separate January 2019 messages showed a recipient repeatedly complaining that money had not arrived. Hunter replied that he had sent two certified checks to a New York P.O. Box address.

Other exchanges appeared to reference the availability of individuals in different parts of the country.

According to Grassley, the DOJ possessed the files but declined to pursue prostitution- or sex-related charges against Hunter.

Prosecutors instead focused on tax violations and false statements Hunter made on a federal firearm purchase form regarding his drug addiction.

Before leaving office, Joe Biden issued Hunter a sweeping blanket pardon covering any federal offenses potentially committed between January 1, 2014, and Dec. 1, 2024. This was the first time in U.S. history a sitting president issuing such a broad pardon to his own child.

Va. Dems Mull Purging Supreme Court After Redistricting Defeat

Luis Cornelio
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Va. Dems Mull Purging Supreme Court After Redistricting Defeat

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) “Desperate times call for desperate measures” appears to have become the Democratic Party’s current modus operandi after Virginia Democrats suffered a humiliating defeat in their attempt to redraw the state’s congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Among the proposals now under discussion is one extraordinary move: ousting all justices of the Virginia Supreme Court. Such a purge has happened only twice in Virginia history, once toward the end of the Civil War and again in 1869.

The discussions were revealed Monday through multiple media reports, including one from the leftist New York Times, and reportedly surfaced during meetings involving House Democrats and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

The proposals emerged after the Virginia Supreme Court ruled on Friday that lawmakers violated the state constitution in their attempt to amend the redistricting process.

Democrats had sought to reclaim authority from Virginia’s bipartisan redistricting commission ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

The ruling effectively closed off Democrats’ legal options at the state level, leaving them with no direct avenue for appeal within Virginia’s court system.

Among the alternatives reportedly discussed is a longshot effort to bring the dispute before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Another proposal would lower the mandatory retirement age for Virginia Supreme Court justices, potentially forcing some members off the bench.

Virginia Supreme Court justices are elected by a majority vote of both chambers of the General Assembly and serve 12-year terms.

It remains unclear which proposals Jeffries would support, though reports indicate he told lawmakers he would consult with his legal team.

Did NBC News Just Libel Kyle Rittenhouse over Spider-Bite Story?

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Did NBC News Just Libel Kyle Rittenhouse over Spider-Bite Story?

(Ben Sellers, Headline USA) NBC News appeared to brazenly libel Wisconsin freedom fighter Kyle Rittenhouse in a recent story about how he had been bitten by a spider.

In a May 7 post that still remained visible as of Monday, the supposedly sane step-parent of MS Now wrote, “Kyle Rittenhouse, who gained fame for opening fire at a 2020 civil rights rally in Wisconsin, was hospitalized after he was bitten by a venomous spider, the noted firearms enthusiast says.”

But as critics, including Not the Bee’s Harris Rigby, observed, this was a gross distortion of the facts.

“Rittenhouse was clearly acquitted by a jury of his peers because the evidence pointed to lawful self defense, which makes me wonder how close this NBC News headline comes to slander!” he wrote.

Slander is the spoken-word form of defamation, while libel is the written-word form.

A court of law determined, following Rittenhouse’s high-profile trial the then 17-year-old had acted in self defense when he opened fire on Antifa rioters after being chased down by the violent mob, hit with a skateboard and threatened with deadly force in August 2020.

Rittenhouse, according to his own testimony, had been invited to Kenosha, Wis., by the owner of a car dealership to protect the premises during multi-day riots that followed the non-fatal police shooting of Jacob Blake, who had attempted to stab officers engaged in a routine traffic stop.

Two of the assailants, Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, were killed. Another, Gaige Grosskreutz, 26, was shot in the arm. All three had criminal records.

Rosenbaum, a registered sex offender, had previously pled guilty to charges of child molestation and sexual conduct with minors involving five boys (ages 9–11) — including acts of anal rape, oral sex, masturbation and showing pornography.

Huber was convicted on charges of domestic abuse (including strangulation and suffocation), false imprisonment and reckless endangerment stemming from threats individuals including his own brother and grandmother.

Grosskreutz, who would go on to tearfully play the victim on the witness stand, had been convicted on charges of intoxicated use of a firearm, burglary, trespassing, vandalism, disorderly conduct and drunken driving, as well as juvenile offenses that were sealed. Media claimed at the time of the trial that he was there as an on-site medic to render first aid.

In addition to its mischaracterization of the violent and destructive riot as a “civil rights rally,” NBC News’s article went on to call the assault on Rittenhouse a “melee.”

The article acknowledged Rittenhouse’s acquittal and argument of self-defense, but maintained a clearly skeptical tone while offering no context about his assailants.

Rigby noted that it was the latest in a longstanding pattern of left-wing media lies and extreme bias.

“Your regular reminder that the mainstream media is, in fact, the enemy of the people,” he wrote.

Both of NBC News’s leading competitors, ABC and CBS, have face accountability for past lies against President Donald Trump.

ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos forced the network to shell out $16 million (including legal fees) over a false claim that Trump had been convicted of rape in the E. Jean Carroll trial.

Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS News, also agreed to a $16 million settlement in a lawsuit over a deceptively edited interview that 60 Minutes doctored to make then-Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris appear more favorable.

Both of the settlements were earmarked to go to Trump’s presidential library.

Rittenhouse previously considered suing outlets for defamation following the feeding frenzy that surrounded his trial. Although he hired Todd McMurtry, who had represented the successful defamation lawsuits on behalf of MAGA-hat teen Nick Sandmann, nothing ever came of the lawsuits.

In order to win a libel case, Rittenhouse would likely need to establish falsity with actual malice or willful negligence (a higher standard for public figures than that afforded most private citizens). He also must prove actual damages as the result of the spurious claims.

A lawsuit against NBC News may not rise to the level of damages, however, since much of the backlash on the May 7 post was calling out the network itself.

As X user David Knudsen wrote, “I’m just here for the ratio” — an online term for when the critics of a post vastly outnumber those liking and re-sharing the anteceding post.

The latest addition to the Rittenhouse saga occurred after the now 23-year-old, who works as chief firearms instructor and director of partnerships for Texas Gun Rights, posted a picture of himself in the hospital with a brown-recluse spider bite.

He received messages of support from high-profile followers including Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and conservative pundit Jack Posobiec.

But several left-wing users responded with comments attempting to body-shame Rittenhouse or to endorse violence against him.

“Good to know the spider understood its assignment,” wrote one.

According to Rittenhouse himself, the spider did not survive the confrontation.

Ben Sellers is a freelance writer and former editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/realbensellers.

Trump Confirms Gas Tax Suspension Push as Prices Hit $4.52

Headline USA Editor
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Trump Confirms Gas Tax Suspension Push as Prices Hit $4.52

(Brett Rowland, The Center Square) President Donald Trump confirmed Monday that he wants to temporarily suspend the 18.4-cent federal gas tax, with Republican lawmakers in both chambers announcing plans to introduce legislation hours later, but key details including duration, cost offset, and a phase-back trigger remain undefined.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Trump told CBS News. “Yup, we’re going to take off the gas tax for a period of time, and when gas goes down, we’ll let it phase back in.”

At a separate White House event, Trump said prices would “drop like a rock” once the Iran conflict ends, adding that any suspension would last “until it’s appropriate.”

U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., announced plans to introduce legislation suspending the tax, with Luna saying her office would work “directly with President Trump to ensure we deliver this win for the American people.” Neither bill had been filed as of publication time.

The national gas price average hit $4.52 per gallon Monday, according to AAA – up more than 50% since the U.S.-Iran conflict began Feb. 28 and up more than $1.38 from a year ago.

Iran’s continued blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway that carries about 20% of the world’s oil and natural gas, has kept upward pressure on prices.

Suspending the tax requires an act of Congress and would cost the federal government about $500 million a week, according to the administration.

That revenue feeds the Highway Trust Fund, which finances construction and repair of the nation’s roads, bridges, and transit systems.

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan think tank, warned in March that a suspension would speed up the fund’s insolvency while providing only marginal relief to consumers. The 18.4-cent suspension would offset less than half of last month’s price increase alone.

Democratic lawmakers introduced legislation in March to suspend the gas tax through October. Canada suspended its roughly 28-cent federal gas tax April 20 at a cost of about $1.74 billion (U.S.).

Similar proposals have surfaced in the U.S. during past energy price spikes.

Trump said Monday the Iran conflict remains unresolved, calling the current ceasefire “on massive life support” after rejecting Tehran’s latest peace proposal as “a stupid proposal, actually, done by people that have no clue as to the danger they’re in.”

Trump did not specify a price threshold or timeline for the phase-back, saying only the tax would return “when gas goes down.”

No bill text, co-sponsors, or committee pathway had been announced by either Hawley or Luna as of publication time.

The White House, asked for additional details, referred questions to the president’s earlier comments.

Trump Accuses Schumer of Election ‘Interference’ with New York Task Force

Headline USA Editor
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Trump Accuses Schumer of Election ‘Interference’ with New York Task Force

(Chris Wade, The Center Square) President Donald Trump is ripping Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for hiring former Obama-era Attorney General Eric Holder to help oversee New York’s congressional redistricting plans.

In a social media post, Trump accused Schumer and other top New York Democrats of trying to “interfere in our elections” with a newly launched Election Integrity Task Force that will be headed by Holder, attorney Marc Elias and other Democratic luminaries. The president claimed the task force is part of a move by Democrats to “rig” the midterms.

“Palestinian Chuck Schumer is hiring Eric Holder, famous for handing guns to Mexican cartels under the Barack Hussein Obama administration, as part of a Democrat-led ‘Election Integrity Group’ that will no doubt try to suppress Republican voters, and interfere in our Elections,” Trump posted on Truth Social Sunday night.

“This is the same disgusting individual who was responsible for the fake Russia dossier from a foreign nation to meddle in the 2016 Election, which I won in historic fashion,” Trump said. “The Democrats are totally unhinged and we will not allow them to threaten the integrity of our Elections.”

Schumer responded on Monday by suggesting the president is trying to detract public attention from his policies’ impact on the economy and his sagging poll numbers, and vowing to press on with Democratic redistricting plans.

“Donald Trump had another meltdown about me yesterday. Why? His war is failing. His tariffs have led to skyrocketing prices. His poll numbers are plummeting,” Schumer posted on X. “We will not let him intimidate voters at the polls in November. His incoherent rants do not phase us.”

Last week, Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced the creation of the task force to push for redistricting in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that weakened a landmark Civil Rights-era law. Democrats are also targeting Colorado, Illinois and Maryland for redistricting. Trump has also criticized Jeffries for his pledge to wage “maximum warfare” against Republicans’ redistricting plans.

To be sure, unlike other states looking to redraw their political maps, any redistricting changes to New York’s congressional districts wouldn’t take effect until the 2028 elections.

New York’s bipartisan redistricting commission approved a plan last year after the state’s highest court ordered new congressional maps for the 2024 election. The ruling was viewed as a major win for Democrats seeking to redraw the state’s maps after a chaotic redistricting process during the November 2022 midterm elections.

The state’s congressional districts are currently split 19 to 7 in favor of Democrats, who also control the state Legislature and the governor’s office. New York is viewed as a battleground in the upcoming midterm elections, when control of Congress is up for grabs.

Trump said Republicans will be reviving their “Election Integrity Army” put into place during the 2024 election elections for the upcoming midterm elections “to preserve the sanctity of each legal vote.”

“We will be doing the same again in 2026, but it will be much bigger and stronger,” Trump said. “All Americans should have their voices be heard by casting a vote. Be assured this Election will be fair!”

US Marshals Capture 17-Year-Old Suspected in Iowa Mass Shooting

Headline USA Editor
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US Marshals Capture 17-Year-Old Suspected in Iowa Mass Shooting

(Headline USA) Federal authorities on Monday arrested a teenager in Georgia who is accused of opening fire last month near a popular University of Iowa nightlife district, injuring five people.

Iowa City officials announced in a news release that U.S. marshals captured Damarian M. Jones, 17, of Cedar Rapids, near Atlanta. He faces multiple charges, including five counts of attempted murder and five counts of assault. He was being held in the Clayton County Jail in Georgia pending a hearing on extradition to Iowa.

The release did not explain how the marshals tracked Jones down, exactly where he was arrested or whether he resisted them. It wasn’t immediately clear whether he has an attorney.

Johnson County Attorney Rachel Zimmerman Smith, who would prosecute the case if Jones is moved back to Iowa, said she didn’t have any details about the circumstances of the arrest and didn’t know if Jones had an attorney. Messages left at the U.S. Marshals Office in Des Moines and the Iowa City Police Department weren’t immediately returned.

Police have said Jones was part of a large fight that broke out along a pedestrian mall lined with shops, bars and restaurants near the Iowa campus just before 2 a.m. on April 19. During a break in the fighting, he allegedly fired six shots toward the crowd and then fled.

One person was shot in the head and another in the arm and chest. Two more people were hit in at least one leg and another person was struck in the stomach. The news release Monday said one victim remained hospitalized but did not specify which one or elaborate on that person’s condition.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press. 

 

6 Found Dead in a Shipping Container at a Rail Yard Near Texas Border

Headline USA Editor
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6 Found Dead in a Shipping Container at a Rail Yard Near Texas Border

(Headline USA) A South Texas medical examiner believes heat stroke may have led to the death of six people thought to be immigrants who were found Sunday afternoon inside a shipping container at a Union Pacific rail yard near the Mexico border in Laredo, Texas.

The people were found Sunday as workers were inspecting one of the containers, said Jose Baeza, a spokesperson for the Laredo Police Department.

Police and fire crews arrived at the scene shortly afterward. They confirmed that there were six people dead, five men and one woman, Baeza told reporters.

Dr. Corinne Stern, the Webb County Medical Examiner, is conducting autopsies and completed one for a 29-year-old Mexican woman who died of hyperthermia, or heat stroke. “I’ve ruled that an accidental death,” she said. “I believe that the remaining individuals probably all succumbed to heat stroke as well, but their exams are not completed at this time, so I will not rule on their cause and manner yet.”

Stern found identification cards and cellphones that indicate the deceased may be from Mexico and Honduras, but fingerprints were taken and shared with U.S. Border Patrol to help confirm their identities and nationalities through the Missing Alien Program.

The medical examiner’s office also contacted the Mexican consulate after identifying the woman.

“This was a horrific scene,” Stern added, also noting that immigrant deaths is a common occurrence in the ten-county region her office covers. “This spring has been busier than it was this time last year,” the medical examiner said.

Border encounters dropped toward the end of the Biden administration and reached record low numbers under the second Trump administration. About 40 people are encountered crossing illegally by Border Patrol agents in Laredo in March making it the third busiest sector among nine along the southwest border, according to the agency’s statistics.

The travel history of the shipping container was not known.

“Union Pacific is saddened by this incident and is working closely with law enforcement to investigate,” the rail company said in a statement.

Laredo is a busy land port of entry for trade on the U.S.-Mexico border and a common nexus for the illegal movement of people, although authorities have not said whether the six deaths were related to a smuggling operation.

Last year, two smugglers were sentenced to life in prison for what remains the nation’s deadliest human smuggling attempt across the U.S.-Mexico border. They were convicted in connection with the deaths of 53 migrants found in the back of a sweltering tractor-trailer in Texas in 2022.

Smuggling on trains crossing the border has long been a concern partly because trains headed to the United States often slow or stop in Mexico before crossing the border. That creates an opportunity for smugglers or immigrants to climb aboard or hide drugs or other contraband on a train before it crosses into America.

Union Pacific has worked with authorities for years to address drug smuggling and trespassers trying to cross the border on trains. As part of that effort, the railroad has installed inspection portals that scan the trains and take pictures to help spot any abnormalities that would suggest contraband or immigrants aboard the train.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press. 

Trump Says Iranian Ceasefire on ‘Life Support’

Headline USA Editor
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Trump Says Iranian Ceasefire on ‘Life Support’

(Sarah Roderick-Fitch, The Center Square) The ceasefire with Iran is on “life support” and “very weak,” according to President Donald Trump.

The president commented Monday during an event in the Oval Office following Iran’s rejection of a peace deal proposal over the weekend, which he called a “piece of garbage” and “totally unacceptable.”

The deal reportedly failed to include the cessation of the production of nuclear weapons and pushed to end the disarmament of its proxies, including Hezbollah. Trump has been adamant about his desire for Iran not to have a nuclear weapon.

The president described the Iranian leadership as “dishonorable people,” accusing them over the weekend of “playing games with the United States and the rest of the world.”

In a Truth Social post, Trump accused the Iranian leadership of “tapping” the U.S. along for 47 years, while “keeping us waiting, killing our people with their roadside bombs” and killing protesters.

Though the president said the ceasefire is in a fragile state, he hasn’t indicated a red line for the U.S. to restart combat operations in Iran. However, he did tell reporters Monday that he was set to meet with a large group of generals to discuss Iran.

Trump has told reporters he is considering restarting Project Freedom, which operated for one day. The president implemented Project Freedom on May 4, which provided military escorts for commercial maritime vessels. He paused the program a day later, citing a pending deal with Iran.

Despite putting a pause on Project Freedom, the U.S. Naval blockade on Iranian ports has remained intact for nearly a month, resulting in the redirection of 62 commercial ships and the disabling of four, according to U.S. Central Command.

The Trump administration claims the blockade is costing Iran up to $500 million in lost oil revenue each day.

Trump is scheduled to head to China later in the week to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. One topic of discussion is expected to be the war in Iran. China has been aligned with the Islamic Republic, being the country’s largest oil consumer, accounting for about 90% of Iran’s oil exports.

Iranian crude oil accounts for about 12% of China’s total crude oil imports, according to the Center for Global Energy Policy at Columbia. However, China imports nearly half of its crude oil from Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait and Qatar.

With nearly 50% of China’s crude oil imports relying on transit through the Strait of Hormuz, Trump will likely lean on China’s influence with Iran to put pressure on the Islamic Republic to clear the vital waterway. The strait has been essentially closed since the beginning of the conflict, which began at the end of February.

While the president said he and Xi will have a long list of things to discuss, Trump could also use the visit to discuss China’s reported military support of Iran. In April, the president wrote in a Truth Social post that “China have agreed not to send weapons to Iran,” however, following the implementation of the blockade on Iranian ports, U.S. forces intercepted a ship inbound for Iran carrying what Trump describes as a “gift” from China to Iran.

Accused Correspondents’ Dinner Shooter Pleads Not Guilty to All Charges

Headline USA Editor
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Accused Correspondents’ Dinner Shooter Pleads Not Guilty to All Charges

(Andrew Rice, The Center Square) The accused White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner shooter pleaded not guilty in federal court on Monday to all charges, including an attempt to assassinate President Donald Trump. 

Cole Tomas Allen has been charged with an attempt to assassinate a sitting U.S. president, transmission of firearms across state lines and assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon during the April 25 correspondents’ dinner in Washington, D.C. 

Prosecutors argue Allen charged through a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton hotel, then fired a weapon and struck a Secret Service agent, who was wearing a bulletproof vest. 

Jeanine Pirro, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, said Allen could face additional charges. She added that her office is gathering more evidence to potentially file more charges against him. 

“My office has what we need to get Cole Allen prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Pirro said. 

If convicted, an attempt to assassinate a U.S. president carries up to life in prison. Allen’s lawyers have asked a judge to disqualify Pirro and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche from prosecuting the case. 

The lawyers cite Blanche and Pirro’s attendance at the event for their disqualification. 

“As this case proceeds closer to trial, the country and the world will continue to wonder-how can the American justice system permit a victim to prosecute a criminal defendant in a case involving them?” Allen’s lawyers wrote. 

Allen is expected to appear back in court on June 29. 

FBI Official Charged w/ Sexual Battery

Ken Silva
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FBI Official Charged w/ Sexual Battery

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) An FBI supervisor based in Virginia has reportedly been charged with felony sexual battery in Indiana.

Fox59 in Indianapolis reported Friday that charges against FBI supervisor Timothy Healy, 46, were unsealed Friday afternoon.

“The investigation began in October 2025. That’s when Indiana State Police began to investigate an allegation of sexual battery against Healy,” Fox59 reported. “Although the prosecutor wouldn’t talk about the case, state police say the prosecutor’s office took the case to a grand jury. That grand jury handed down an indictment against Healy in late April.”

The news site added that Healy was visiting someone he knew in Indianapolis when the alleged crime took place. Further details aren’t public yet.

Healy reportedly surrendered himself to police before being released on $5,000 cash bond.

The FBI still lists Healy on its website—listing him as a supervisory agent who serves with the bureau’s Crisis Negotiation Unit in Quantico, Virginia.

Healy also had a bio on Georgetown University’s website, but that has been removed. According to an archived version of the deleted page, Healy has some 23 years of federal service under his belt.

“Tim merges academic, scholarly, and practitioners experience to advance structured-professional decision-making during crisis incidents. Tim has published numerous articles on hostage and kidnap for ransom negotiations in the National Tactical Officers Association Official Publication, Criminal Justice and Behavior, and the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin,” the deleted Georgetown University bio says.

“Tim is a High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group Augmentee, FBI Adjunct Faculty Instructor, and FBI National Academy Session 291 Graduate. He was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army where he deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.”

The FBI reportedly declined to comment.

Ken Silva is the editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.

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