The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said its investigation into the disappearance of Melodee Buzzard began on Oct. 14, after a school administrator reported her extended absence. Deputies then responded to her home in Lompoc and encountered her 35-year-old mother, Ashlee Buzzard, although “Melodee was not at the home, and no verifiable explanation for her whereabouts was provided.”

“As part of this update, detectives are sharing surveillance images of Melodee captured at a local car rental business on October 7. In the photo, Melodee is wearing a hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled up and what appears to be a wig that is darker and straighter than her natural hair,” the sheriff’s office said in Friday’s update. “Investigators believe the wig may have been used to alter her appearance. Detectives also note that Ashlee is known to wear wigs.”

“Through their ongoing investigation, detectives have narrowed the critical timeline to between October 7 and October 10, 2025. Investigators have confirmed that Ashlee was seen returning to her Lompoc residence on October 10, driving the same rental vehicle she departed with on October 7 — but Melodee was not in the car,” the sheriff’s office continued.

POLICE RELEASE MAJOR UPDATE AFTER VIRAL VIDEO SHOWS SCREAMING WOMAN BEING PULLED FROM DOORWAY

Melodee Buzzard is shown here in a photo that the FBI says was taken in 2023. (FBI)

“Investigators understand that this three-day road trip went from Lompoc to the Nebraska area, with the return trip including the state of Kansas. Detectives are now focused on determining where Melodee was during those three days and where she may be now,” it also said.

Melodee Buzzard is described by police as being around 4 feet, 6 inches tall and weighing approximately 60 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.

MISSING MOM FOUND ALIVE IN FOREST AS OFFICIALS INVESTIGATE ‘SUSPICIOUS’ HOUSE FIRE

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said Melodee Buzzard was wearing a hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled up and “what appears to be a wig that is darker and straighter than her natural hair.” (Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office)

“Our detectives are following every lead in this case. We continue to seek information from the public that could help us find Melodee,” Santa Barbara Sheriff Bill Brown said in a statement. “We remain determined to bring her home safely.”

The FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office is assisting in the search.

“The investigation indicates that Melodee was with her mother as recently as October 7, 2025. It has also been determined that Ashlee may have driven with Melodee in a White Chevrolet Malibu (Lic #9MNG101) to locations outside of Santa Barbara County, California, to include as far as the state of Nebraska,” the agency said. “The vehicle was determined to be a rental car and is no longer in Ashlee’s possession.”

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office released a new image of Melodee Buzzard “captured at a local car rental business” on Oct. 7, 2025. (Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office )

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The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said Melodee remains an “at risk-missing person,” while her mother has been “uncooperative with investigators.”

Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.

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Fox News Digital exclusively obtained a letter Smith’s attorneys sent to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley Thursday afternoon, after both panels signaled interest in testimony from the former special counsel.

EXCLUSIVE: JACK SMITH TRACKED PRIVATE COMMUNICATIONS, CALLS OF NEARLY A DOZEN GOP SENATORS DURING J6 PROBE, FBI SAYS

“Given the many mischaracterizations of Mr. Smith’s investigation into President Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents and role in attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election, Mr. Smith respectfully requests the opportunity to testify in open hearings before the House and Senate Judiciary Committees,” Smith attorneys Lanny Breuer and Peter Koski wrote.

Former Special Counsel Jack Smith is requesting to testify in open, public hearings before the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“During the investigation of President Trump, Mr. Smith steadfastly adhered to established legal standards and Department of Justice guidelines, consistent with his approach throughout his career as a dedicated public servant,” they wrote.

“He is prepared to answer questions about the Special Counsel’s investigation and prosecution, but requires assurance from the Department of Justice that he will not be punished for doing so,” they continued. “To that end, Mr. Smith needs guidance from the Department of Justice regarding federal grand jury secrecy requirements and authorization on the matters he may speak to regarding, among other things, Volume II of the Final Report of the Special Counsel, which is not publicly available.”

Smith’s attorneys also noted that in order to provide “full and accurate answers to your questions, Mr. Smith requires access to the Special Counsel files, which he no longer has the ability to access.”

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, leaves the Republican caucus meeting at the Capitol in Washington, Oct. 12, 2023.  (Jose Luis Magana/The Associated Press )

JACK SMITH DEFENDS SUBPOENAING REPUBLICAN SENATORS’ PHONE RECORDS: ‘ENTIRELY PROPER’

“With the guidance and access described above, Mr. Smith is available to testify in an open hearing at your earliest convenience,” they wrote.

A source familiar told Fox News Digital that Smith’s attorneys are planning to officially seek guidance from the Department of Justice on the matter.

The letter from Smith’s attorneys comes after Jordan, R-Ohio, requested Smith appear for a closed-door transcribed interview and provide all records from his work related to President Donald Trump.

Senator Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, speaks during a hearing in Washington, Sept. 16, 2025.  (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The letter also comes after Grassley, R-Iowa, and nearly two dozen Senate Republicans demanded that the Department of Justice and FBI release documents on Smith’s decision to subpoena telecommunications companies for phone records of a number of Senate Republicans during his probe into Jan. 6, 2021.

Fox News Digital exclusively reported earlier in October that Smith tracked the private communications and phone calls of GOP Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and GOP Rep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania as part of his “Arctic Frost” investigation.

An official said the records were collected in 2023 by Smith and his team after subpoenaing major telephone providers.

FBI Director Kash Patel shakes hands with Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa during a Senate Judiciary hearing on Sept. 16, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

An FBI official told Fox News Digital that Smith and his team tracking the senators were able to see which phone numbers they called, the location the phone call originated and the location where it was received.

A source said the calls were likely in reference to the vote to certify the 2020 election.

Smith, though, called his decision to subpoena several Republican lawmakers’ phone records “entirely proper” and consistent with Justice Department policy.

“As described by various Senators, the toll data collection was narrowly tailored and limited to the four days from January 4, 2021 to January 7, 2021, with a focus on telephonic activity during the period immediately surrounding the January 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol,” Smith’s lawyers wrote Tuesday to Grassley.

Former Attorney General Merrick Garland, President Donald Trump and Special Counsel Jack Smith.  (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images | Photo by Rebecca Noble/Getty Images | Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

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Smith was appointed special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland in November 2022.

Smith, after months of investigating, charged Trump in the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C., in his 2020 election case, but after Trump was elected president, Smith sought to dismiss the case. Judge Tanya Chutkan granted that request.

Smith’s case cost taxpayers more than $50 million.

“Jack Smith certainly has a lot of answering to do, but first, Congress needs to have all the facts at its disposal,” Grassley told Fox News Digital Thursday. “Hearings should follow once the investigative foundation has been firmly set, which is why I’m actively working with the DOJ and FBI to collect all relevant records that Mr. Smith has had years to become familiar with.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Jordan for comment and has yet to receive a reply.

Fox News’ Ashley Oliver contributed to this report.

Brooke Singman is a political correspondent and reporter for Fox News Digital, Fox News Channel and FOX Business.

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Officials said 24 defendants were arrested in coordinated operations Friday, eight were already in custody, and one remains at large. Authorities executed 11 federal search warrants, and results are pending.

At a Philadelphia news conference, FBI Director Kash Patel called the operation a model for reclaiming violent corridors from crews, praising years of collaboration between the FBI, Philadelphia Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“Today, even more criminals are off the streets because of the diligent work of the FBI and our partners,” FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement.

“Over 30 people have been charged for their alleged role in drug trafficking and dozens of other offenses. These individuals were charged with distributing fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine on one of the most prolific drug blocks in Philadelphia. They were members of a violent drug trafficking organization and used violence to enforce their territory and sell drugs that poison our city streets and community. The FBI will continue our work to put an end to drug trafficking and violence in our cities.”

SUSPECTED SINALOA CARTEL MEMBERS APPREHENDED IN 23-STATE SWEEP BY DEA

FBI Director Kash Patel announces a federal indictment charging 33 people in a Kensington drug trafficking case during a news conference in Philadelphia, Friday, Oct. 24, 2025.

“This takedown is how you safeguard American cities from coast to coast,” Patel said. “We have permanently removed a drug trafficking organization off the streets of Philadelphia.”

U.S. Attorney David Metcalf said the case centers on the 3100 block of Weymouth Street in Kensington, a prolific stretch of the city’s open-air market. The indictment charges a conspiracy dating to January 2016 through October 2025 involving fentanyl, heroin, crack cocaine and cocaine.

“It’s a massive drug-trafficking conspiracy spanning nearly a decade, the largest federal indictment this century brought by our district,” Metcalf said. “We targeted it like a precision missile at Kensington’s epicenter.”

Metcalf said 22 defendants were arrested during the sweep, while eight already in local custody will be transferred to federal court next week. Agents have recovered dozens of firearms and significant amounts of narcotics from alleged stash locations; totals will be detailed in court filings.

DEA MAKES MASS ARRESTS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE FENTANYL AND METH BUST TIED TO SINALOA CARTEL

Suspects brandished firearms in a video tied to a drug trafficking case in Pennsylvania. (Department of Justice)

Prosecutors said the organization was allegedly led by Jose Antonio Morales Nieves, 45, of Luquillo, Puerto Rico, known as ‘Flaco,’ who “essentially owned” the block and charged rent to other dealers; Ramon Roman-Montanez, 40, of Philadelphia, known as ‘Viejo,’ who managed daily operations and organized shifts; and Nancy Rios-Valentin, 33, of Philadelphia, who also oversaw finances and shift schedules.

The crew allegedly used violence to enforce its territory including shootings, murder and assaults and retaliated against witnesses who cooperated with law enforcement.

During a Q&A, officials said no substantive murder or shooting counts have been filed but the investigation continues.

FBI, LAPD BUST VIOLENT MEXICAN MAFIA-LINKED GANG: ‘THE ERA OF CARTELS IS OVER,’ KASH PATEL SAYS

Surveillance captured crowds in a Philadelphia neighborhood identified as an open-air drug market before the takedown announced Friday. (Department of Justice)

FBI Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs said the operation used nine tactical teams and involved hundreds of officers. Most arrests occurred in Kensington, with others in Puerto Rico, Delaware and New Jersey.

“For too long the Weymouth Street drug organization flooded Kensington with drugs and terrorized residents with horrific acts of violence and intimidation,” Jacobs said. “That ended today.”

He said the FBI will launch public-safety ads urging residents to share crime tips securely.

“Our job doesn’t end with these arrests,” Jacobs added. “We will remain here, standing with the people of Kensington.”

Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said the case shows the city’s shift to treating open-air markets as an organized public-safety threat, not isolated street dealing.

“We’re not going to apologize for removing people who terrorize our community,” Bethel said. “This is the model we can keep running.”

Officials framed the case as part of PSN Recon, an offshoot of Project Safe Neighborhoods that merges federal, state and local intelligence to target violent offenders block-by-block. Metcalf said the group meets monthly to identify the most dangerous actors and pursue organization-level prosecutions instead of one-off gun or drug cases.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche added: “Drug traffickers who poison our communities and enforce their territory through violence will face the full force of federal law. Working alongside our state and local partners, the Department of Justice will continue to dismantle these criminal networks and restore safety to neighborhoods that have suffered for far too long.”

Patel closed by thanking investigators and line prosecutors who built the case. “You need courageous prosecutors to bring these cases,” he said. “This is exactly how you safeguard American lives. The blocks belong to the residents, not the drug dealers.”

“For the criminals that remain out there,” Metcalf warned, “the next indictment has a space with your name on it.”

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All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty and charges are allegations.

Jasmine Baehr is a Breaking News Writer for Fox News Digital, where she covers politics, the military, faith and culture.

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Grassley posted the four-page memorandum on X, saying it proves top Biden administration officials “personally approved” the case — which he referred to as “Arctic Frost” — and that it “unleashed unchecked government power at the highest levels.”

The Iowa Republican added, “My oversight will continue.”

The April 2022 memo, signed by Garland, Monaco and Wray, authorized the FBI’s Washington Field Office to open what the bureau designated a “Sensitive Investigative Matter.” The document details the FBI’s request to examine whether individuals connected to Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign conspired to obstruct Congress’ certification of the Electoral College on Jan. 6, 2021.

TOP GOP SENATOR DEMANDS PROBE INTO WHETHER JACK SMITH ‘UNLAWFULLY’ TRIED TO INFLUENCE 2024 ELECTION

“Following the 2020 Presidential and Vice Presidential election, in an apparent effort to obstruct Congress’s certification of Electoral College, fraudulent certificates of electors’ votes were submitted to the Archivist of the United States, purporting to represent the actual elector votes from the states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin,” the executive summary reads. “Open source reporting and public statements made by individuals closely associated with Donald J. Trump, Inc. (Trump Campaign) present an articulable factual basis indicating the existence of a federal crime, and thus the FBI seeks to open a full investigation.

“Because this investigation involves a SIM as set forth in the Department of Justice memorandum dated February 5, 2020, entitled ‘Additional Requirements for Opening of Certain Sensitive Investigations’ (DOJ Memo), your authorization is required before WFO may initiate this full investigation,” the document continued.

Monaco wrote at the bottom of the document, “Merrick- I recommend you approve,” before initialing and dating it “4/5/22.” Garland ultimately signed off on the investigation on the same day.

DEM REP DEFENDS DOJ OBTAINING GOP SENATOR CALL RECORDS IN 2023: ‘YOU WEREN’T SURVEILLED’

Sen. Chuck Grassley released a memo from former FBI Director Christopher Wray to former Attorney General Merrick Garland to open an investigation into the Trump campaign in April 2022, for allegedly attempting to interfere with Congress’ certification of the 2020 election. (Samuel Corum-Pool, Anna Moneymaker and Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images)

The authorization came more than a year after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and months before now-former special counsel Jack Smith was appointed to oversee related investigations. The memo appears to document an early stage of the Justice Department’s examination of the so-called “fake electors” effort that became a focus of Smith’s probe.

In 2023, Smith subpoenaed phone records belonging to eight Republican senators and one House member, covering a four-day period — Jan. 4 to Jan. 7, 2021 — to examine call activity around the Capitol riot. The subpoenas did not seek call content but instead listed numbers, dates and durations.

The targeted senators included Republican Sens. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Josh Hawley of Missouri and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

FBI FIRES AGENTS, DISMANTLES CORRUPTION SQUAD AFTER PROBE UNVEILS MONITORING OF GOP SENATORS, PATEL SAYS

Jack Smith, U.S. special counsel, speaks during a news conference in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023.  (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

In addition to the eight senators, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told Fox News’ Sean Hannity Tuesday that he recently discovered Smith also attempted to subpoena his toll records but that his phone company, AT&T, did not hand them over.

Smith said the records were narrowly tailored and “entirely proper,” adding they were meant to support his investigation into Trump’s alleged efforts to subvert the 2020 election results.

Senator Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, speaks during a hearing in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

His lawyers wrote to Grassley, saying the subpoenas complied with Justice Department policy and were routine.

Republicans have broadly claimed they were inappropriately spied on and compared Arctic Frost to the Watergate scandal. Smith’s lawyers emphasized the normalcy of seeking phone records and said public officials are not immune from investigation.

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Smith’s attorneys also disputed accusations from FBI Director Kash Patel that the subpoenas were hidden, noting the requests were referenced in a footnote of Smith’s final report and shared with Trump’s defense team in discovery.

Fox News Digital’s Ashley Oliver contributed to this report.

Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.

Story tips and ideas can be sent to Greg.Wehner@Fox.com and on Twitter @GregWehner.

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“The FBI is still offering a $500,000 reward for information that helps identify the person who placed pipe bombs at the offices of the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee on January 5, 2021,” the FBI wrote on X. “As part of our ongoing investigation, we’re releasing an updated video of the subject, which includes previously unreleased footage, higher quality video, and longer clips of the subject’s movements.”

The new footage traces the suspect’s movements on the night before the Capitol riot, showing the individual carrying a backpack and planting bombs outside both party headquarters between 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. before disappearing from view in Washington, D.C.

In the video, the FBI said the suspect is about 5 feet 7 inches tall and was seen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, black gloves and distinctive Nike Air Max Speed Turf shoes with a yellow logo while carrying the explosive devices in a backpack and covering their face with a mask.

FBI NABS 2 MEN FOR ALLEGEDLY PLACING INCENDIARY DEVICE UNDER FOX AFFILIATE NEWS VEHICLE

The FBI said the suspect was seen walking through Capitol Hill neighborhoods between 7:34 p.m. and 8:18 p.m., first appearing near 1st Street and North Carolina Avenue SE before stopping briefly on South Capitol Street to set down a backpack believed to contain one of the bombs.

Surveillance footage released by the FBI shows the suspect walking through a Capitol Hill neighborhood carrying a backpack believed to contain one of the pipe bombs on Jan. 5, 2021. (FBI)

The individual later sat on a bench outside the DNC headquarters, where video shows the first explosive device being placed around 7:54 p.m.

FBI RELEASES VIDEO SHOWING JANUARY 2021 PIPE BOMB SUSPECT PLANTING DEVICE OUTSIDE DNC, RNC OFFICES IN DC

The suspect is seen walking outside the Democratic National Committee headquarters moments before placing one of two pipe bombs discovered near party offices in Washington, D.C. (FBI)

The suspect then continued toward the RNC headquarters, where the second device was planted at 8:16 p.m., before vanishing from view moments later.

In January, the FBI renewed its focus on the unsolved case by releasing new video footage of the suspect, and in May, Deputy Director Dan Bongino told “Fox & Friends” he was “pretty confident” the agency was closing in on suspects.

FBI ‘CLOSING IN’ ON SUSPECTS IN CASE OF DC PIPE BOMBS PLACED ON EVE OF JAN 6

The second device was planted at 8:16 p.m. outside the RNC headquarters, authorities said. (FBI)

Investigators say they have followed hundreds of leads, reviewed thousands of video files and conducted more than 1,000 interviews.

Bongino emphasized the importance of public involvement and said social media is a vital tool for generating new case leads.

Although no one was injured in the 2021 pipe bomb incident, authorities say the attack could have been deadly.

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Then-Vice President-elect Kamala Harris was inside the DNC’s offices when the pipe bomb was discovered. Then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., also passed by the bomb before it was discovered and safely removed by authorities.

Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.

Story tips and ideas can be sent to Greg.Wehner@Fox.com and on Twitter @GregWehner.

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In September, former FBI Director James Comey, known for misusing his power against the president, was indicted for lying to Congress. I’ve been arguing for five years that Comey’s actions should be examined carefully, including the possibility of criminal misconduct.

In analyzing the prosecution of Comey, it’s important to review the facts that led to this moment. In July 2016, Comey’s FBI opened Crossfire Hurricane, a counterintelligence operation centered around whether Trump was colluding with Russia during his campaign. The genesis for this theory largely stemmed from the Steele Dossier prepared by Christopher Steele, who we now know was hired on behalf of the Clinton campaign.

HOW JAMES COMEY’S INDICTMENT COULD GO SOUTH FOR THE DOJ

Within a month of opening Crossfire Hurricane, Comey attended a meeting at the White House where then-CIA Director John Brennan briefed then-President Barack Obama, then-Vice President Joe Biden and other high-ranking officials on credible intelligence suggesting then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s campaign may have been behind the narrative that Trump was colluding with the Russians. A few weeks later, Comey also received a memo from the intelligence community supporting the idea that the Clinton campaign signed off on an effort to link Trump to Russia.

Former FBI Director James Comey is drawn in a courtroom sketch during his October 8, 2025, arraignment in Virginia. (Federal Court, sketch artist Dana Verkouteren)

Fast-forward to January 2017, the Russian subsource who provided the information for the Steele Dossier told the FBI that the information in the dossier was unreliable and nothing but hearsay. Despite this interview, Comey and others continued to apply for warrants against Carter Page, an official adviser to the Trump campaign.

One would think that alarm bells would go off in the FBI when the man primarily responsible for creating the document used to get a warrant in the FISA court had recanted the authenticity of the document. Apparently, this bombshell revelation in the bureau’s most high-profile investigation sat in the bowels of the FBI and never made it to Comey. I find that hard to believe.

TRUMP SAYS COMEY ‘PLACED A CLOUD OVER THE ENTIRE NATION’ WITH CROSSFIRE HURRICANE, REACTS TO INDICTMENT

At that time, the FBI clearly possessed exculpatory information exonerating Trump. Despite the fact that the DOJ and FBI have a duty to share exculpatory information and evidence that might undercut the reliability of a warrant application with the FISA court, they never did.

In 2020, Comey testified during a hearing I called as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee that he was never informed of the dossier’s lack of credibility and that the intelligence reports indicating the Clinton campaign was behind the Russia narrative did not “ring any bells.” I had a hard time then — as I do now—believing that the former FBI director was telling the truth.

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The other matter to consider is the Biden Justice Department’s persecution of Trump. Three days after he announced he would seek the White House in 2024, the Biden DOJ appointed Jack Smith as special counsel.

Within nine months of launching his campaign, Trump was indicted on 91 criminal counts across four separate jurisdictions—two of which were started by Smith. It is my firm belief that if Trump had decided not to seek the presidency in 2024, none of this would have happened. Many Americans agree with me that these indictments were politically motivated and that Smith was not a fair arbiter of the law.

COMEY INDICTMENT SPARKS FIERCE POLITICAL REACTIONS NATIONWIDE

It has been the DOJ’s long-standing policy to not charge political candidates before Election Day to avoid the appearance of impropriety. However, Smith obliterated this policy. Within a month before the 2024 election, Smith was allowed to publicly release a brief containing his own version of the evidence against Trump, and he was even allowed to release an unredacted version two weeks before the election.

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Smith not only went after Trump but also his allies in Congress. During their investigation, agents working for Smith obtained records from the phone calls I—as well as eight of my colleagues—made between Jan. 4-7, 2021. At that time, I was the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. These actions are an egregious violation of the Constitution’s separation of powers and should concern every American, regardless of their politics.

The common theme between Comey and Smith is that they cut corners and ignored procedures in their pursuit of Trump. Comey disregarded evidence exonerating Trump during Crossfire Hurricane, and Smith released damaging information about him just weeks before the 2024 election. These misguided investigations resulted in numerous indictments, flooded the media with negative stories about Trump and wasted millions of taxpayer dollars.

COMEY INDICTED FOR ALLEGED FALSE STATEMENT, OBSTRUCTION OF CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDING

Fortunately, the American people saw through these examples of weaponization by the DOJ and FBI, but Comey, Smith and others still inflicted great damage on our country. Their misconduct eroded trust in our institutions and threatened the Constitution’s fundamental principle of equal justice under law.

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These abuses by Comey and Smith come along with numerous other examples of Democratic administrations targeting conservatives, including the RNC, parents attending school board meetings, Americans going to church, the America First Policy Institute, among others. When you hear Republicans say the law has been weaponized against President Trump and his supporters, at least have some understanding of why we feel that way. To suggest otherwise defies reality and common sense.

I will join my Republican colleagues and fellow Americans in refusing to be intimidated. We will keep pushing to hold accountable those who were responsible for outrageous abuses of power in an effort to destroy all things Trump.

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Republican Lindsey Graham represents South Carolina in the United States Senate.

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“My initial reaction was I was deeply disturbed,” Silver said in an interview during the Amazon Prime Video broadcast of the New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics game Friday. “There’s nothing more important to the league and its fans than the integrity of the competition. I had a pit in my stomach. It was very upsetting.

“I apologize to our fans that we are all dealing with this situation.”

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Adam Silver, commissioner of the NBA, held a press conference at Chase Center on 2025 NBA All-Star weekend in San Francisco, California, United States on February 15, 2025.  (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Silver added the NBA investigated and found no reason to sanction Rozier when his case opened in March 2023 as a member of the Charlotte Hornets, and sports books alerted the NBA to irregular patterns involving Rozier’s “prop bets.”

“We frankly couldn’t find anything,” Silver said. “Terry, at the time, cooperated. He gave the league office his phone. He sat down for an interview. And we ultimately concluded that there was insufficient evidence despite that aberrational behavior to move forward.

“He still hasn’t been convicted of anything, in fairness to Terry. Obviously, it doesn’t look good. But he’s now been put on administrative leave. There’s a balance here of protecting people’s rights and investigating.”

Earlier Friday, Congress got involved.

The House Committee on Commerce Friday sent a letter to Silver requesting information and a briefing to obtain information related to the scandal.

The committee is seeking five key points of information from Silver:

“1. Details about the fraudulent, illegal, and alleged betting practices in connection with NBA players, coaches, and officials, including the actions of NBA players and coaches identified in the recent indictment; as well as prior instances, some of which are identified above,” the letter states.

“2. Actions the NBA intends to take to limit the disclosure of nonpublic information for illegal purposes. 3. Whether the NBA’s Code of Conduct for players and coaches effectively prohibits illegal activity, including the disclosure of non-public information for the purposes of illegal betting schemes. 4. An explanation of the gaps, if any, in existing regulations that allow illegal betting schemes to occur. 5. Whether and how the NBA is reevaluating the terms of its partnerships with sports betting companies.”

NBA LEGEND CHAUNCEY BILLUPS, HEAT’S TERRY ROZIER ARRESTED AS PART OF FBI GAMBLING PROBE

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The bipartisan letter was signed by six members of Congress on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Rozier was arrested because federal officials allege he conspired with associates to help them win bets based on his statistical performance. The charges are similar to what former Toronto player Jontay Porter faced before he was banned from the league by Silver in 2024.

Billups faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering for participating in what federal officials called Mafia-backed rigged poker games. He also matches the credentials of someone described only as Co-Conspirator 8 in an indictment detailing how some people gave bettors inside information on player health statuses.

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(Left) Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups talks to a referee during a timeout in the first half against the Sacramento Kings at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, on Oct. 10, 2025. (Right) Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) walks off the court after the game against the Detroit Pistons at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan, on Nov. 12, 2024. (Jaime Valdez/Imagn Images;Rick Osentoski/Imagn Images)

The arrests have overshadowed the opening week around the league.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Follow Fox News Digital’ssports coverage on X,and subscribe tothe Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

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Documents released by the FBI allege the conspirators used a card-shuffling machine that used concealed technology to read the cards in the deck and predict which player at the table had the best hand, and relayed that information via interstate wires to an off-site operator.

According to the documents, that operator allegedly communicated that information back to a lead conspirator at the poker table, who used signals to relay the information with other conspirators at the table.

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The FBI documents also allege that the cheating players used other technology, including electronic chip trays that could secretly read cards placed on the table, card analyzers that could also detect which cards were on the table, and invisible markings placed on the cards that could only be seen with the help of specially-designed contact lenses or glasses.

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella Jr. called it “one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalized in the United States,” and detailed the type of technology that was used at a press conference on Thursday.

“They used off-the-shelf shuffling machines that had been secretly altered in order to read the cards in the deck, predict which player at the table had the best poker hand, and relay that information to an off-site operator,” Nocella said.

NBA LEGEND CHAUNCEY BILLUPS, HEAT’S TERRY ROZIER ARRESTED AS PART OF FBI GAMBLING PROBE

A green poker table with poker cards is seen during the World Series of Poker 2021 at RIO All-Suite Hotel & Casino on Oct. 6, 2021, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Diego Ribas/PxImages)

“Defendants used other cheating technologies such as poker chip tray analyzers—which is a poker chip tray that secretly read cards using a hidden camera—special contact lenses or eyeglasses that could read pre-marked cards, and an X-ray table that could read cards face down on the table.”

Billups and Jones were allegedly used as celebrity figures to draw in competitors for the allegedly rigged poker games.

The DOJ said that in April 2019, Billups was one of five defendants who “organized and participated in rigged poker games” in Las Vegas “using a rigged shuffling machine” with the victims losing at least $50,000. One of the defendants texted another co-conspirator that Billups should purposefully lose a hand to avoid cheating suspicions.

During that game, a defendant said one of the victims had “acted like he wanted Chauncey to have his money” because he was “star struck” by Billups, according to officials.

In October 2020, Billups was allegedly wired $50,000 following a rigged poker game. Before one game, Jones allegedly asked for a $10,000 advance and said that he “needed” action “bad.” He was given $2,500.

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Poker cards and former NBA player Chauncey Billups (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)

Billups’ career earnings exceeded $100 million as a player, while Jones made at least $20 million.

Over 30 people were arrested Thursday for their alleged roles in both schemes.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

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