April 27, 2018, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement on the latest developments on the Korean peninsula:

“President Trump promised to change the geo-political world in which we live and the current rapprochement between South Korea and North Korea is evidence that his re-think everything approach is working.  In the past, China was seen as the key broker with the North Koreans, and while they have had a role in this process, the pictures of just confirmed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jung Un demonstrates that President Trump, unlike his predecessors, recognized that on the U.S. can represent U.S. interests.  By creating direct communications, President Trump opened the door for the historic meeting of the leaders of the North Korean and South Korean governments.

“Of course, this is just a first, but very important step toward ending this forgotten war that began in 1950 when North Korea first invaded South Korea. After the hot war ended, a Cold War has existed on the border between the two Koreas with 35,000 U.S. troops currently stationed there in constant harm’s way.  In order to show that they are sincere in their desire for peace, the North Koreans need to release the three Americans still being held hostage by the regime, followed closely by providing a full accounting of the North Korean nuclear and ballistic missile programs and U.S. inspectors must be part of the inspection teams throughout the denuclearization process. Once the peninsula is nuclear free, the U.S. can begin the process of bringing our troops home from South Korea.

“Most Americans only remember the Korean War through old MASH episodes.  The truth of that war is that it was bloody and brutal with battles like Chosin Reservoir, Inchon and Pork Chop Hill being etched in a generation’s memories from a time when instant gratification communications did not exist and the true perils and horrors of the war were largely unknown to the public.  President Donald Trump has been determined to change the status quo and end this stand-off from the outset of his administration as evidenced by his sending Vice President Pence to the DMZ early in his presidency and by ratcheting up pressure on North Korea as they expanded their nuclear program, have created a pathway to peace, if the North Koreans will take it.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 106 or at media@limitgov.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts.

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April 26, 2018, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement blasting the Senate Judiciary Committee proposal to shield Special Counsel Robert Mueller or any future special counsel from firing:

“Americans for Limited Government has always been a leading group in support of Congress reaffirming its constitutional Article I powers. Senator Mike Lee is the leader of the Senate’s Article I project and has correctly noted that today’s Senate Judiciary Committee action is an unconstitutional attempt to protect a Justice Department at-will, political appointee from firing, effectively stripping the President of his constitutional, Article II power to execute the laws. He is not a civil servant and can be removed at any time.

“Even you disagree with Sen. Lee on the constitutionality of the Judiciary Committee’s proposal, this is still a disastrous idea. By taking away the Executive Branch’s ability to remove a Special Counsel without judicial approval, the Judiciary Committee is effectively creating a permanent position. Once appointed, the Attorney General or Acting Attorney General will be stripped of any meaningful oversight of the actions of the Special Counsel. In effect, the Judiciary Committee proposal would make this and any future Special Counsel one of the most powerful people in the world, able to engage in unending investigations of the President or anyone else without meaningful oversight or worse, with blind eye turned on his misconduct.

“In the case of Robert Mueller, his appointment itself is illegitimate because it does not comport with the regulatory requirement that a specific crime be cited by the Acting Attorney General to be investigated. This failure was used by Mueller to cast and recast wider and wider nets desperately seeking crimes that are far afield from the initial allegations. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley has made a mistake in even considering this ill-conceived legislation, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is 100 percent correct in not wasting any floor time on it.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 106 or at media@limitgov.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts.

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April 24, 2018, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement in support of the confirmation of CIA Director Mike Pompeo to be the next Secretary of State:

“The world is too dangerous a place to not have the President’s choice for Secretary of State in place. Current CIA Director Mike Pompeo has already proven his mettle in helping America navigate the treacherous waters of North Korean nuclear disarmament through the opening of backchannels to the regime. There is simply no excuse to continue to play partisan games with America’s foreign policy and the security of the world. The Senate should confirm Mike Pompeo now.”

Attachments:

“Mike Pompeo is already a successful peacemaker. Democrats ought to support him.” By Rick Manning, April 24, 2018 at https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/04/24/mike-pompeo-democrats-elections-donald-trump-column/544145002/

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 106 or at media@limitgov.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts.

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April 24, 2018, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued he following statement calling attention to the DNC civil suit filing stating that “the DNC was required to decommission more than 140 servers, remove and reinstall all software, including the operating systems, for more than 180 computers, and rebuild at least 11 servers”:

“DNC leadership in apparent collusion with the Obama FBI was given custodianship over key evidence related to whether or not Russia attempted to hack the DNC’s computers. At some point since that allegation was initially made in 2016, James Comey’s FBI should have taken possession of those computers and servers, but failed. Now, more than 180 of the affected computers were erased according to the DNC’s own court filing, software removed and operating systems reinstalled, most probably resulting in the destruction of key evidence of what the DNC alleges was a crime. Often, these subsequent actions become the only knowable facts surrounding a criminal activity and if as the DNC alleged in their lawsuit that their computers were hacked by Russian sources, the destruction of that evidence could in itself be a criminal act.

“Given the admitted destruction of evidence by the DNC to support their civil suit that absolutely alleges crimes were committed, it is incumbent on the court to ensure that all forensic data, correspondence and all other communications related to the hack be protected and preserved not only at the DNC but at Crowdstrike, the DNC-paid for IT firm that did the only analysis of the DNC systems, and Perkins Coie, the law firm that hired them.

“One key consideration for the court might be driven by the raid of Trump personal attorney Michael Cohen’s legal offices and residence, which is that if attorney-client privilege is void when there’s an allegation of potential criminal activity, then the DNC law firm Perkins Coie should subjected to the same standard, or else all evidence obtained in the Cohen raid should be determined to be off limits as a violation of the President’s Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights. There have been obvious violations of federal law by failed Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton and her campaign that have been consistently ignored by federal investigators, while the President has been exposed to microscopic scrutiny of every aspect of his campaign. This is partisan double standard threatens the Constitution and the rule of law and must not be allowed to stand.”

Attachments:

“Did the DNC destroy the evidence of the ‘hack’ on their servers? Court filing says 140 servers decommissioned, 180 computers erased and 11 servers ‘rebuilt.’” By Robert Romano, April 20, 2018 http://dailytorch.com/2018/04/did-the-dnc-destroy-the-evidence-of-the-hack-on-their-servers-court-filing-says-140-servers-decommissioned-180-computers-erased-and-11-servers-rebuilt/

“Cartoon: A ‘mountain’ of evidence” By A.F. Branco, April 24, 2018 at http://dailytorch.com/2018/04/cartoon-a-mountain-of-evidence/

“The boy who cried bear,” By Robert Romano, April 3, 2017 at http://dailytorch.com/2017/04/boy-cried-bear/

“Why was the FBI so sure that Russia hacked the DNC without looking at the server?” By Robert Romano, Aug. 16, 2017 at http://dailytorch.com/2017/08/fbi-sure-russia-hacked-dnc-without-looking-server/

“‘Lone DNC hacker’ theory by Daily Beast contradicts multiple hacker report by Crowdstrike in 2016 that cited both Cozy Bear and Fancy Bear,” By Robert Romano, March 26, 2018 at http://dailytorch.com/2018/03/lone-dnc-hacker-theory-by-daily-beast-contradicts-multiple-hacker-report-by-crowdstrike-in-2016-that-cited-both-cozy-bear-and-fancy-bear/

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 106 or at media@limitgov.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts.

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April 20, 2018, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement in response to a new lawsuit filed by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) alleging an international conspiracy between the 2016 Trump campaign, Wikileaks and Russia to “interfere” with the 2016 elections:

“The DNC has finally gone over the edge, alleging in a federal court a tin foil hat conspiracy theory that the Trump campaign, Wikileaks and Russia in 2016 worked together behind the scenes to hack the DNC and put the emails on Wikileaks. The DNC must not have a lot of confidence that such a case will ever be brought by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, and so DNC Chairman Tom Perez is pursuing this as a civil matter. It’s a crackpot move, politically designed for their most radical supporters, to deflect attention from the fact, verified by the House Intelligence Committee, that there was no such collusion. They’re grasping. It reeks of desperation.

“The President should immediately demand the DNC servers be turned over to his legal team’s own forensic analysis team in order to determine the origins any hack. Given that the DNC failed to provide this basic piece of evidence to the FBI in the past, it will provide the people of the United States the first independent look at what really happened with their servers.”

Attachments:

“The boy who cried bear,” By Robert Romano, April 3, 2017 at http://dailytorch.com/2017/04/boy-cried-bear/

“Why was the FBI so sure that Russia hacked the DNC without looking at the server?” By Robert Romano, Aug. 16, 2017 at http://dailytorch.com/2017/08/fbi-sure-russia-hacked-dnc-without-looking-server/

“‘Lone DNC hacker’ theory by Daily Beast contradicts multiple hacker report by Crowdstrike in 2016 that cited both Cozy Bear and Fancy Bear,” By Robert Romano, March 26, 2018 at http://dailytorch.com/2018/03/lone-dnc-hacker-theory-by-daily-beast-contradicts-multiple-hacker-report-by-crowdstrike-in-2016-that-cited-both-cozy-bear-and-fancy-bear/

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 106 or at media@limitgov.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts.

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April 19, 2018, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement praising Senate confirmation of U.S. Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-Okla.) to be the new NASA Administrator:

“President Donald Trump’s nominee for NASA Administrator, James Bridenstine, was finally confirmed, providing the Trump administration the top-level guidance of NASA that is needed as our space program launches the Orion program* and contemplates a manned flight back to the moon and eventually to Mars. Bridenstine’s experience as an aviator and intense interest in the future of our nation’s commitment to space makes his confirmation long overdue and much awaited. He will do a great job in spite of continued Senate Democrat obstruction of every Trump nominee. Congratulations, Rep. Bridenstine.”

Correction: The next generation of NASA spacecraft, the Orion, is technically a capsule, not a shuttle.

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 106 or at media@limitgov.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts.

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April 19, 2018, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement urging the U.S. Department of Labor to investigate allegations of widespread workplace abuses by Amazon, Inc.:

“Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos may be the richest man in the world, with his holdings including the Washington Post among others, but he should not be above the law. It is disturbing that reports continue to emerge from around the world and in the U.S. that allege Amazon is failing to meet basic labor standards in their warehouse operations. In 2011, the conditions of the Allentown, Pa. facility were so bad reportedly that Amazon had to keep an ambulance parked outside to take fallen workers to the hospital on hot days because it lacked air conditioning. More recently, Amazon has been forced to deny claims in the UK that workers had to urinate in bottles to save time because bathroom breaks were not allowed. In November 2017, a class action suit was filed in California for fulfillment centers across the state being denied rest breaks, overtime pay and appropriate payment of wages.

“At a time when state and local governments are promising massive taxpayer handouts to Amazon in exchange for their location of a second corporate headquarters in their jurisdiction, it is time for the U.S. Department of Labor to open Wage and Hour, OSHA and other investigations on Amazon’s practices to ensure that federal labor laws are being complied with.

“What is almost equally distressing about Amazon’s reported shortcomings in the treatment of their labor force is that the Bezos-owned Washington Post appears to be turning a blind eye to their corporate master’s potential liabilities. As the Trump administration seeks to restore the basic concept that no one is above the law, there is no excuse for Amazon to not be subjected the same scrutiny as any other company. If Amazon is found to be implementing the best labor and safety practices, they should lauded, but if the disturbing allegations from around the world are found in America, they should face the full weight of the law.”

Attachments:

“Inside Amazon’s Abusive Labor Practices,” by Marshall Auerback, AlterNet, Jan. 26, 2018 at https://www.truthdig.com/articles/inside-amazons-abusive-labor-practices/

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 106 or at media@limitgov.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts.

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April 17, 2018, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement echoing the call of the National Association of Scholars (NAS) for government agencies to adopt the standards used by the National Institutes for Health in publishing scientific findings that are reproducible and falsifiable:

“It is ridiculous that we even have to have a discussion about whether the data collected by scientists relying on government funding that is used in policy making ought to be published, reproducible and transparent, but here we are. The National Association of Scholars correctly notes that we face crisis of irreproducibility in modern science, and government absolutely agencies play a tremendous role in exacerbating it when they implement policies without fully publishing the science behind it. We echo the Association’s call for the EPA and other agencies to adopt the standards used by the National Institutes for Health in requiring that data be published and be accessible in the grantmaking process. Science and policies generated based on it rely on its transparency and must adhere to requirement that every theory can be falsified.”

Attachments:

“The Irreproducibility Crisis of Modern Science,” By David Randall and Christopher Welser, National Association of Scholars, April 2018 at https://www.nas.org/images/documents/NAS_irreproducibilityReport.pdf

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 106 or at media@limitgov.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts.

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April 16, 2018, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement responding to former FBI Director James Comey’s ABC News interview:

“James Comey’s ABC News interview saves every American the trouble of reading his memoirs. Comey reveals himself to be a conflicted drama queen who would be tragic if he had not revealed himself to be so pathetic. The former FBI Director’s seeming inability to own the truth as he vacillated between Clinton offender and Trump despiser reveals a man whose job was far bigger than his 6′ 8” frame could handle. Comey’s public Lady Macbeth-like washing his hands trying to rid himself of the stain of his career should be a lesson for future federal law enforcement leaders that when you tell the truth and follow the law, you never have anything to apologize for.”

Attachments:

“James Comey is a drama queen,” June 8, 2017 at https://getliberty.org/2017/06/james-comey-is-a-drama-queen/

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 106 or at media@limitgov.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts.

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