As police condemn ad, Greitens says ‘normal’ people know RINO-hunting ad is metaphor
Former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens said Tuesday an ad released by his U.S. Senate campaign depicting him, shotgun in hand, hunting “RINOS” (Republicans in name only) was a metaphor that every “normal person” understood.
But many people, including police officers, did not interpret the ad that way. The Missouri State Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police has condemned the ad, along with a host of Republican and Democratic politicians.
Greitens portrayed the ad, released Monday, as “extraordinarily effective” in an interview Tuesday morning with Pete Mundo on KCMO Talk Radio, but didn’t disclose whether it had boosted his fundraising. He defended its violent imagery, dismissing those who fear it could lead to real-world violence.
“Every normal person around the state of Missouri saw that. It’s clearly a metaphor,” said Greitens, who resigned as governor in 2018 amid allegations of sexual assault and blackmail.
—The Kansas City Star
Crypto-linked super PACs boost spending on primary races
WASHINGTON — Super PACs with ties to the cryptocurrency industry have spent at least $31.2 million in primary races ahead of this year’s midterms, with most of the money coming from a handful of executives at just one company.
The super PACs are part of a Washington spending spree by the industry that has included big checks for lobbying and individuals’ campaign donations to cryptocurrency-friendly incumbents. Industry insiders are now trying to increase their political clout with millions funneled through super PACs. The money arrives as Washington is writing the rules that will govern the industry.
Craig Holman, government affairs lobbyist for Public Citizen, said it’s unusual to see this much spending on primaries by outside groups.
“What we’re seeing is a fundamental politicization of the cryptocurrency industry,” Holman said in an interview. Cryptocurrency industry insiders have emerged as political mega-donors just as Washington lawmakers and regulators have flexed their muscles in the space, he said.
—CQ-Roll Call
Southern Baptist Convention vows to make public database of pastors charged with sex abuse
Just days after an independent investigation revealed a list of 700 volunteers, ministers and pastors known to be “credibly accused” of sexual abuse, the Southern Baptist Convention ushered in a series of reforms meant to ensure public oversight over the nation’s largest Protestant denomination.
Roughly 8,500 delegates overwhelmingly approved the changes in a vote taken June 14 during the organization’s annual meeting. One of the first requirements is for the Southern Baptist Convention to issue a formal apology to those victimized by its leadership after an independent study found that Southern Baptist Convention-affiliated churches have a decades-long history of mishandling abuse claims and mistreating victims.
“Reading those 300 pages’ worth of failures to act, of not passing along information that would have protected, is both heartbreaking and horrifying. But the question on the floor today is, ‘Is it humbling?’” Bruce Frank, chairman of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Sexual Abuse Task Force, asked the assembly ahead of the vote.
The reforms that ultimately were approved are “the bare minimum of what needs to be done,” the North Carolina-based reverend said.
—Tampa Bay Times
Attorney General Merrick Garland jets into Ukraine for talks on Russia war crimes
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland jetted into Ukraine on Tuesday in a surprise visit for talks with prosecutors on Russian war crimes.
The top U.S. law enforcement official made the unannounced trip to the war-ravaged country to discuss efforts to hold Russia accountable for the unprovoked invasion of its neighbor.
“The United States is sending an unmistakable message: There is no place to hide,” Garland said. “We will... make sure that those who are responsible for these atrocities are held accountable.”
Garland met with Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova.
As well as the war crimes probe, Garland said he wanted to express the “unwavering support” of the U.S. for Ukraine as it seeks to repel the Russian invasion.
—New York Daily News
