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    10Apr, 2023
    Treasury gives House GOP access to Hunter Biden bank records
    • Rep. James Comer announced the Treasury Department granted access to review Hunter Biden records.
    • The suspicious activity reports, which banks provide Treasury, don’t necessarily reveal wrongdoing.

    WASHINGTON – The Treasury Department has agreed to allow House investigators to review suspicious banking reports about the president’s son, Hunter Biden, and his business associates, a key House committee chairman announced Tuesday.

    The agreement came after Rep. James Comer, head of the Oversight and Accountability Committee, made several requests for the documents and had been rebuffed.

    “After two months of dragging their feet, the Treasury Department is finally providing us with access to the suspicious activity reports for the Biden family and their associates’ business transactions,” Comer, R-Ky., said in a statement.

    Treasury Department officials said they engaged in multiple rounds of consultation with the committee but had to protect the privacy of the records and consult with law enforcement officials before granting access. Democrats on the panel have criticized the inquiry as hyper-partisan. The White House has dismissed the investigation as politically motivated.

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    Here is what we know about the investigation:

    Rep. James Comer Jr., R-Ky., listens during a hearing June 22, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Comer, chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, is investigating Hunter Biden and his business associates through Treasury Department banking records.

    What are suspicious activity reports?

    Despite the name, suspicious activity reports in banking don’t necessarily suggest criminal activity. The reports cover transactions above $5,000 for potential additional review. The Treasury Department received an estimated 3.6 million of the reports last year.

    Comer has asked Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen for 150 alerts from U.S. banks about transactions involving Hunter Biden and the president’s brother James Biden.

    Comer also seeks reports connected to James’ wife Sara Biden, business associates John “Rob” Walker, Eric Schwerin, Devon Archer and corporate entities Rosemont Seneca Advisors, Rosemont Seneca Partners, Rosemont Seneca Technology, RSTP II Alpha Partners, RSTP II Bravo and Equity Distribution Trust,

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    10Apr, 2023
    Tenant farmers to benefit from new insurance affiliation with Towergate

    The Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) has announced the launch of a new farm insurance affiliation with advisers, Towergate Insurance Brokers.

    Towergate is part of the Ardonagh Group, one of the world’s leading independent brokers, offering a local footprint of experts specialising in commercial insurance for a wide range of sectors.

    Towergate is a community broker with more than 50 offices throughout the country and employs over 2,000 people.

    Their specialist, local teams offer expertise which will be leveraged to ensure TFA members always receive the highest quality advice and best service available in the market.

    TFA chief executive, George Dunn said: “The TFA strives every day to provide good advice, relevant information, and much needed support to its tenant farmer members.

    “Part of our remit for support is to ensure that our members have access to high quality, relevant and targeted benefits that will help them and their businesses.

    “Farm insurance is clearly one important area where the TFA can help our members. I am delighted that we can affirm our relationship with Towergate which has a long established expertise in farm insurance.

    “In putting together this new affiliation we are certain that Towergate shares our passion to support our members and to provide them with a valuable level of service.

    “Not only will TFA members be given access to high quality and cost-effective insurance products, but the Towergate team will also be on hand to provide important insurance and risk management advice to members to help them and their businesses.”

    Towergate’s regional managing director for the West and Midlands, Nick Hatch, added: “Towergate has a dedicated and experienced team who understand the agricultural insurance market and the demands placed on farmers in the current climate.

    “We have innovative solutions under our Towergate Farm Insurance proposition and additional

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    10Apr, 2023
    Former Air Force lawyer appointed to federal magistrate court

    LAS CRUCES – A Las Cruces attorney who served as a U.S. Air Force lawyer became a federal magistrate judge in Las Cruces last week.

    Damian L. Martínez, formerly of Las Cruces law firm Mynatt, Martínez and Springer P.C., began working as a federal magistrate judge on March 10.

    Federal magistrate judges oversee a wide range of judicial responsibilities. Those duties include conducting preliminary hearings in criminal cases, trials and dispositions of misdemeanor cases, and other pretrial hearings in civil cases.

    “Judge Martínez’ proven legal abilities combined with his strong work ethic make him well qualified for the position of a United States Magistrate Judge,” Chief District Judge William Johnson said in a news release.

    Martínez brings a 20-year history of legal work in New Mexico, Texas and across the U.S. to his new role. According to a news release and publicly available resume information, Martínez graduated from New Mexico Highlands University in 1998 with a Bachelor’s in Social Work. He received his Juris Doctorate from San Antonio’s St. Mary’s University School of Law in 2001 before serving as an Assistant Staff Judge Advocate with the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General Corps.

    In that role, Martínez pursued criminal prosecutions. He also served as a special assistant U.S. attorney in New Mexico and Northern Texas.

    Martinez joined Mynatt, Martínez and Springer P.C. in 2005. According to their website, Martínez was one of the firm’s shareholders. Martínez covered civil defense cases, including constitutional violations, tort claims, employment and labor disputes, personal injury claims, civil rights matters, and contract law.

    Martínez’ was also a Northern New Mexico College Board of Regents member from 2015 to 2021.

    Jocelyn Garrison, acting city attorney, also confirmed that the City employed Martinez and his firm to handle litigation against the City of Las Cruces.

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    10Apr, 2023
    Suspect already facing legal problems for abuse, harassing his ex-girlfriend now charged with tracking her with AirTag, officials say

    HOUSTON – A man who investigators say restrained his pregnant girlfriend against her will with handcuffs, and then violated his bond conditions and two protective orders, is now accused of tracking the same woman using an apple air tag.

    KPRC 2 legal analyst Brian Wice weighed in on the cases against 26-year-old Romeo Jerome Frank.

    “This defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence like any other defendant accused of any other crime,” Wice said. “Make no mistake, he has demonstrated a pattern of escalating conduct that suggests he could be a capital murderer waiting to happen.”

    On July 28, 2022, Frank was accused of restraining his then seven-month-pregnant girlfriend for hours with handcuffs during an argument. He was charged with unlawful restraint.

    The woman also got a temporary protective order against Frank.

    On August 7, 2022, Frank allegedly violated the order by reaching out to the woman again.

    “Protective orders may be effective on one level, but bullets go right through them,” Wice said.

    Court documents show Frank continued to contact the victim for months even though another final protective order had been granted.

    In December, he was slapped with the felony of violation of protective order or bond conditions.

    “The fact that he’s charged with an offense that carries time in the penitentiary will hopefully be the one that finally gets his attention,” Wice said.

    But the allegations continued after the felony charge.

    The woman told police she recently found an Apple AirTag that investigators determined Frank put in her car at the end of January to track her.

    He’s now also being charged with the unlawful installation of a tracking device.

    “His pattern of escalating criminal behavior ought to frighten everyone,” Wice said.

    WIce added that the felony alone could land Frank behind bars for

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