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Former President Donald Trump is vowing to end the use of taxpayer funds to erect billboards in Texas offering help to the friends and family members of illegal immigrants in federal custody.

“Kamala [Harris] is now running billboards near the Border advertising FREE Legal Services for Illegal Alien Criminals. When I win, the billboards are coming down, and the Migrant Gangs are going home!” Trump said on X.

Fox News reported this week that the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO) has set up billboards in Texas saying: “Your brother in immigration custody has rights, we’re here to help.”

DHS USES TAXPAYER MONEY TO FUND TEXAS BILLBOARDS COUNTERING IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS

The OIDO is an independent office set up to aid immigrants with complaints about potential violations of immigration detention standards. It also provides oversight of immigration detention facilities. It was established in 2019.

The DHS says it was established by Congress with a “mandate to independently examine immigration detention to promote safe and humane conditions, including addressing complaints related to the conditions of noncitizens in immigration detention.”

However, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol sources tell Fox News they are furious about the ads, given the ongoing pressures on funding due to the crisis at the southern border. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

Despite that funding squeeze, money is being spent on signs that they see as working against them and that they have described as “insulting.”

Trump is not the only politician to be infuriated by the billboards, with multiple Texas lawmakers expressing outrage to Fox News.

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“The news that DHS is using taxpayer money to launch billboards advocating ‘rights’ for individuals in ‘immigration custody’ should be alarming because it’s a preview of the legal arguments that radical progressive democrats will use to argue against deportation of the millions dumped in America by Biden-Harris-Mayorkas,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said.

“Time and again, we’ve seen DHS put an open borders agenda ahead of its mission to safeguard American families,” Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, said. “Whether it’s FEMA splurging hundreds of millions of dollars on migrant housing or OIDO running ads like this, our government is hemorrhaging money on the wrong priorities. It’s time for Congress to pull the plug on programs like these.”

The controversy over the billboards comes as immigration has rocketed to the top of voters’ priorities for the 2024 election after a massive border crisis that started in 2021.

The Biden administration has said it needs more funding to fix what it says is a “broken” immigration system and, along with Vice President Kamala Harris, has pushed for a bipartisan border security bill introduced earlier this year.

The administration says a presidential order in June has led to a 55% drop in encounters, but critics have noted that comes after historic highs of encounters in prior years.

Trump has pledged to launch a mass deportation campaign and restore Trump-era border policies like wall construction and the Remain-in-Mexico policy. Both were ended by the Biden administration.

Potentially fraudulent election materials are being probed by top law enforcement and election officials in the battleground state of Pennsylvania as the 2024 contest enters its final days. 

District attorneys and election officials in both Lancaster County and York County are looking into potential election-related fraud after authorities received large batches of voter registration materials from a “third-party organization.” Both York and Lancaster counties have more registered Republican voters than Democrats, according to state data, with York Republicans holding a 63% majority in the area and Lancaster Republicans at a 61% majority.

The importance of the issues cropping up in Pennsylvania – which is widely viewed as one of the key battleground states that could determine a winner in the presidential race – were underscored on Tuesday when 2024 GOP nominee and former President Donald Trump highlighted the allegations of potential fraud in a Truth Social Post. 

“Wow! York County, Pennsylvania, received THOUSANDS of potentially FRAUDULENT Voter Registration Forms and Mail-In Ballot Applications from a third party group. This is on top of Lancaster County being caught with 2600 Fake Ballots and Forms, all written by the same person. Really bad “stuff.” WHAT IS GOING ON IN PENNSYLVANIA??? Law Enforcement must do their job, immediately!!! WOW!!!” he posted. 

TRUMP, HARRIS MAKE FINAL PITCHES TO VOTERS IN HIGH-STAKES BATTLEGROUND STATE IN FINAL DAYS OF CYCLE

In Lancaster County, which is home to Pennsylvania’s Amish community, the district attorney and Lancaster County Board of Elections held a press conference last week announcing the investigation of potential fraudulent voter registration forms – not ballots as Trump had alleged – after receiving roughly 2,500 voter registration applications in two separate batches last week. The batches of registration applications were dropped off ahead of Pennsylvania’s registration deadline on Oct. 21. 

“Staff noticed that numerous applications appeared to have the same handwriting (and) were filled out on the same day,” District Attorney Heather Adams said during a press conference. “The confirmed indicators of fraud that detectives came across were inaccuracies with the addresses listed on the applications, fake and false personal identification information, as well as false names. Also, applications that had names that did not match the provided Social Security information.”

Adams said the materials sometimes included correct personal information, but when the individuals were contacted by investigators, they reported they did not request the application forms. She estimated this week that about 60% of the applications were fraudulent, News 8 reported. 

County Commissioner Josh Parsons told News8 that the alleged phony registration forms are a “threat” to the election process. 

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“We know that this is a threat to our election system,” Parsons said. “This is essentially an attack on our election system when you’re trying to get registrations in that are clearly fraudulent.”

He added: “If we have clearly fraudulent applications on their face, that is a problem. That is a threat to our election security. That’s what we want our staff to detect. They did. We’re glad the system worked in Lancaster County. We’re proud of them for doing that.”

Concerns over fraudulent election materials are also mounting in York County, which neighbors Lancaster County across the Susquehanna River. County commissioners are currently looking into suspicious “election-related materials from a third-party organization.” 

“We are committed to ensuring the integrity, safety and security of our elections. The York County Office of Elections and Voter Registration has received a large delivery containing thousands of election-related materials from a third-party organization,” York County President Commissioner Julie Wheeler said in a statement provided to local outlets this week. 

‘ADMIRES DICTATORS’: HARRIS CONTINUES COMPARING TRUMP TO HITLER DURING BATTLEGROUND STATE TOWN HALL

The statement continued: “Those materials appear to include completed voter registration forms, as well as mail-in ballot applications. As with all submissions, our staff follows a process for ensuring all voter registrations and mail-in ballot requests are legal. That process is currently underway. If suspected fraud is identified, we will alert the District Attorney’s Office, which will then conduct an investigation. We will have no further comment until our internal review has been completed.”

Wheeler added that an “overabundance of registrations from one particular organization” set off alarm bells for election officials, according to Fox 43. 

The York County DA’s office told News8 of the concerns: “As we have always done, this office will investigate any matter regarding elections that require a criminal investigation and if needed, would prosecute any cases where the evidence is sufficient to support a conviction.”

‘I’M GOING WITH TRUMP’: 3 FORMER DEMS FROM PENNSYLVANIA EXPLAIN HOW FORMER PRESIDENT WON THEM OVER

Election officials and the district attorneys in both counties did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for additional comment.

Eyes are locked on Pennsylvania this election cycle, as the Northeast battleground state could help tip the election one way or the other.

Pennsylvania carries 19 electoral votes and, since 1992, had voted for Democratic presidential candidates – until Trump’s successful 2016 election. Trump narrowly won the state that year as he campaigned against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. In 2020, however, Biden won the state by 1.17 percentage points​, teeing up a highly-anticipated election showdown next week between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Boeing overcharged the Air Force for simple spare parts on C-17 aircraft by $1 million over a four-year period, according to the Pentagon.

The defense giant marked up the cost of soap dispensers by 8,000%, putting taxpayers on the hook for such items that cost 80 times more than market value. 

While the cost that Boeing charged per dispenser was redacted from a new audit released this week, in total, the Air Force overpaid for the dispensers by $149,072 from 2018 to 2022, according to Pentagon Inspector General Robert Storch.

“The Air Force needs to establish and implement more effective internal controls to help prevent overpaying for spare parts for the remainder of this contract, which continues through 2031,” said Storch.

“Significant overpayments for spare parts may reduce the number of spare parts that Boeing can purchase on the contract, potentially reducing C-17 readiness worldwide.” 

PENTAGON LACKS COUNTER-DRONE PROCEDURE LEADING TO INCURSIONS LIKE AT LANGLEY, EXPERTS SAY

An anonymous tip about the exorbitant soap dispenser prices prompted the inspector general’s audit into spare parts. 

Boeing has a 10-year contract with the Air Force that allows it to purchase the spare parts needed for C-17s and the Air Force reimburses Boeing for the spare parts. 

The IG’s review of 46 spare parts revealed that only nine, or 20%, were purchased by the Air Force at “fair and reasonable” prices, totaling $20.3 million.

The IG found that the Air Force did not pay “fair and reasonable” prices for about 26% of the spare parts reviewed, about $4.3 million worth of equipment. For another 54% of the spare parts, valued at $22 million, the IG was not able to determine whether the Air Force paid fair prices: the service branch did not maintain historical data on pricing and they were unable to obtain supplier quotes for similar products. 

The IG found the Air Force failed to validate the accuracy of data in contract negotiations for spare parts, review price increases during contract execution, and review invoices to determine whether prices were “fair and reasonable” before paying them. 

Boeing said in a statement it was reviewing the report but cautioned that it appeared to compare prices for the parts that met aircraft standards to “basic commercial items” that wouldn’t meet the qualifications for military aircraft.

“We are reviewing the report, which appears to be based on an inapt comparison of the prices paid for parts that meet aircraft and contract specifications and designs versus basic commercial items that would not be qualified or approved for use on the C-17. We will continue to work with the OIG and the U.S. Air Force to provide a detailed written response to the report in the coming days.”

Around 220 C-17s are in use by the Air Force, Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve Command. 

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The Air Force calls the Boeing Globemaster C-17s “the most flexible cargo aircraft” in its fleet, capable of carrying people and cargo across a variety of distances. It’s become the primary aircraft used for evacuation and humanitarian missions. 

The Pentagon’s sprawling budget broke $900 billion last year, making overcharges by defense contractors a constant headache for internal watchdogs. 

Earlier this month, Raytheon agreed to pay $1 billion in a settlement with the Department of Justice (DOJ) for defrauding the Defense Department and paying bribes to a government official in Qatar to acquire business in the country.

The company was accused of inflating its costs by $111 million on missile systems and operation of a radar surveillance system it sold to the Pentagon. Raytheon allegedly lied about the cost of building three Patriot missile batteries, with the Army agreeing to a $619 million contract. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine immunization schedule advises, in the case of the 2024-2025 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, three doses for children ages 6 months old through 4 years old — and Sen. Rand Paul has suggested that such guidance is leading to public hesitancy to trust the agency’s recommendations.

“Pfizer drug reps…Uh, I mean, the Biden/Harris CDC, insists your 6-month-old get 3 COVID vaccines despite no scientific studies demonstrating decreased hospitalization or death. Is anyone surprised that the public is now hesitant to believe ANY CDC recommendations?” the lawmaker posted.

Regarding the 2024-2025 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, the CDC’s vaccine schedule suggests previously unvaccinated children in the 6-month through 4-year-old age bracket should receive an initial dose, followed by another “at least 3–8 weeks after Dose 1,” and a third “at least 8 weeks after Dose 2.”

VACCINES FOR FLU AND COVID: SHOULD YOU GET BOTH AT THE SAME TIME?

“An 8-week interval between the first and second doses of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine might be optimal for some people, as it might reduce the rare risk of myocarditis and pericarditis associated with COVID-19 vaccines,” the CDC notes.

Paul, who tested positive for COVID-19 in 2020, noted in 2021 that he had not been vaccinated.

CDC RECOMMENDS NEW COVID VACCINES FOR AMERICANS 6 MONTHS AND OLDER

“So, when I go out to the media and say that I, as a recovered COVID patient, will not get a vaccine that is not proven to help me nor proved I even need — the science deniers, bureaucrats and media typically go nuts,” he wrote in an opinion piece posted by the Courier Journal. 

“But facts are facts. I’m no more likely to get or transmit COVID than someone who is vaccinated,” he continued.

The lawmaker has served in the Senate since 2011 and was most recently re-elected in 2022.

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Fox News Digital reached out to the CDC for comment but did not receive a response. 

Fox News Digital also reached out to offer Sen. Rand Paul the opportunity to provide a comment about his post, but his communications director declined.

HARRISBURG, PA – As Vice President Kamala Harris returns to Pennsylvania on Wednesday for her second trip in three days, a new poll is the latest to indicate an incredibly close race between her and former President Trump in the crucial swing state.

According to a Monmouth University survey, just under half of registered voters in Pennsylvania say they will either definitely or have already voted for the vice president and Democratic presidential nominee (42%) or will probably vote for her (5%).

An identical number will either definitely or have already voted for Trump (42%) or will probably vote for the former president and Republican presidential nominee (5%), in a separate question asked by the pollster.

The poll was conducted Oct. 24-28 and released on Wednesday.

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With 19 electoral votes at stake, Pennsylvania is the largest of the seven key battleground states whose razor-thin margins decided President Biden’s 2020 election victory over Trump and which will likely determine if Harris or Trump wins the 2024 presidential election.

According to the survey, when third-party and independent candidates are factored into the results, Trump stands at 47% among registered voters in Pennsylvania, with Harris at 46% and 4% saying they’re definitely or probably backing another candidate.

HARRIS, TRUMP, MAKE FINAL PITCHES TO VOTERS IN HIGH STAKES BATTLEGROUND

The release from Monmouth University on their new poll emphasized in the headline that in Pennsylvania “it’s really, really close.”

“The bottom line is this was an incredibly close race in September and remains so today,” Monmouth University Polling Institute director Patrick Murray said, as he compared the results of his new survey in the Keystone State with his previous poll in Pennsylvania.

The pollster spotlighted that Trump “continues to have a significant advantage among white voters without a college degree – who make up nearly half of Pennsylvania’s voter pool “– topping Harris 60%-35% among this group.

But the survey indicates that Harris holds a large 58%-37% lead among white college graduates, and voters who are Black, Hispanic, and of other races (62% to 25%).

With six days to go until Election Day, the new survey follows other recent polls that point to an incredibly close contest in the Keystone State. A CBS News poll conducted Oct. 22-28 pointed to both major party candidates deadlocked at 49%.

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Pennsylvania, along with Michigan and Wisconsin, are the three Rust Belt states that make up the Democrats’ so-called “Blue Wall.”

Democrats reliably won all three states for a quarter-century before Trump narrowly captured them in the 2016 election over Democratic Party nominee Hillary Clinton to win the White House.

Four years later, in 2020, Biden carried all three states by razor-thin margins to put them back in the Democrats’ column and defeat Trump.

Both the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees, as well as their running mates, have made repeated stops in the three states this summer and autumn.

Harris made multiple stops Sunday in Philadelphia, the state’s largest city. And Trump held a campaign event Tuesday in Delaware County, in suburban Philadelphia, before holding a rally in in Allentown.

“I don’t like to speak too early, but you have to get out and vote because we … we want a big, beautiful number. We’re leading in every single swing state. Because, normally Republicans, they like to vote at the end no matter what you say, they like to vote at the end,” Trump said from the Allentown rally. 

Trump’s new pitch for early voting stands in contrast to his years of blaming the practice for what he continues to claim – without proof – that his 2020 election loss was due to “massive voter fraud.”

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Since Haris replaced Biden atop the Democrats’ 2024 ticket after the president dropped out of the race in July, Fox News found the vice president has visited Pennsylvania at least 15 times, as of Tuesday. 

Philadelphia was where Harris first teamed up with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz after announcing him as her running mate. And Harris hunkered down in Pittsburgh – the state’s second largest city – to prepare for her first and only debate with Trump, which was held in September in Philadelphia.

‘I’M GOING WITH TRUMP’: 3 FORMER DEMS FROM PENNSYLVANIA EXPLAIN HOW FORMER PRESIDENT WON THEM OVER

Trump has also visited the state at least 15 times since the end of July, Fox News found. Trump’s history with Pennsylvania was underscored by an assassination attempt on his life July 13 in Butler, when a man named Mathew Crooks opened fire on Trump and his supporters. Trump was injured on the side of his head by the shooting, and two other rallygoers were also injured. Local man Corey Comperatore died protecting his family during the violence. 

Republican Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, Trump’s running mate, has visited the state at least 13 times since the start of August. Walz has visited Pennsylvania at least nine times since August, data compiled by Fox News found. 

Both campaigns have spent more than half a billion dollars on ads alone in Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported last week. Democrats spent more than $294.7 million in Pennsylvania, while Republicans spent $243.6 million in the Keystone State. The funds spent far exceed ad buys in other battleground states, including Michigan, which trails Pennsylvania ad expenses by a combined $185 million. 

AdImpact, a leading national ad-tracking firm, reports that the Trump campaign has reserved $5.8 million in ad time to run spots in the final stretch ahead of Election Day, with the Harris campaign shelling out $4.6 million.

When Biden narrowly carried Pennsylvania four years ago, Democrats enjoyed a larger margin of registered voters compared to their Republican counterparts, at 4.2 million to 3.5 million. The data show that Democrats had a registration advantage over Republicans by 685,818 voters during the election that Biden won by 80,555 votes.

The GOP has whittled down that lead this year to a margin of 297,824. When comparing registered voters this election year to 2020, Democrats face a net loss of 257,281 voters, while Republicans have a net gain of 428,537 registered voters. 

More than double the number of previously registered Democrats changed their party affiliation this cycle compared to the number of registered Republicans who left the party. Pennsylvania Department of State data shows 54,668 registered Democrats changed their party affiliation compared to 25,634 Republicans.

Besides being the biggest of the presidential battlegrounds, Pennsylvania is also home to one of a handful of crucial Senate races that will likely determine if the GOP wins back the chamber’s majority.

According to the Monmouth poll, Democratic Sen. Bob Casey Jr.  holds a slight edge over Republican challenger Dave McCormick.

Forty percent of those questioned said they would definitely vote for Casey, with another 7% saying they would probably cast a ballot for the senator. Thirty-six percent said they would definitely vote for McCormick, with 8% saying they’d probably cast a ballot for the Republican nominee.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Republican and Democrat senators have been out on the 2024 campaign trail in full force ahead of critical elections, including those who are not seeking office themselves this cycle. 

As the GOP looks to retake the majority in the Senate, leader candidates Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, have not been the only ones lending a helping hand to candidates. 

Sens. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., are among those who have used the congressional recess to campaign with other Republicans. 

Both Ernst and Cotton are notably running to be the next Republican conference chair. 

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Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso, R-Wyo., has also hit the trail often, even as he vies for re-election in a noncompetitive Wyoming race. He is running unopposed to replace Thune as Republican whip. 

“No candidate ever forgets the help they receive in their moment of need, and any senator looking to build relationships is smart to lend a hand on the campaign trail. And all of your existing colleagues appreciate when you’re giving up your time to earn a majority,” said former top aide to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., John Ashbrook, a Republican strategist.

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Ernst has traveled to Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska, Montana, Nevada, Ohio and Pennsylvania since June, hitting some of the states multiple times. 

The Iowa Republican specifically campaigned with Montana Republican Senate candidate Tim Sheehy, Ohio Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno, Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers, Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick and Nevada Republican Senate candidate Sam Brown, according to a schedule shared with Fox News Digital. 

“Kamala Harris and Democrats are trying to destroy the country I know and love, the one I fought for,” she told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement. “That’s why I refuse to sit on the sidelines. Throughout the year, I’ve been crisscrossing our great country to elect Republicans up and down the ballot, bring a Donald Trump victory home, and recruit the next lineup of my Senate colleagues.”

“With days until Election Day, we can’t let up. We must run across the finish line. This barnstorm of battleground states will ensure Kamala Harris and Chuck Schumer can never again open our nation’s borders to a stampede of illegal immigrants and terrorists, unlock historic inflation, destroy America’s reputation on the world stage, or force radical green mandates on hardworking Americans.”

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Cotton similarly joined Sheehy, Moreno, Rogers, Brown and McCormick during his travels in the pivotal states. He additionally campaigned in Arizona with Republican candidate Kari Lake, in Wisconsin with Republican candidate Eric Hovde and in Florida with Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. 

The Arkansas Republican will be hitting both Texas and Nebraska this week to support Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Deb Fischer, R-Neb., according to a schedule shared with Fox News Digital.

Incumbent Democrats have also been deploying to crucial races to offer assistance, with Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., and Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., traveling during the election cycle. 

Booker has rivaled his Republican colleagues with his heavy campaign schedule this cycle. The New Jersey Democrat had appearances reportedly slated in Arizona, Georgia, New Hampshire, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas, despite having already visited many of the states this year. 

Additionally, he has appeared in Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, South Carolina and Wisconsin, per the New Jersey Globe. 

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Both Warnock and Ossoff have been assisting Vice President Kamala Harris in their home state of Georgia, but their activities have also extended to other key states. The two Democrats have each made trips to Michigan, and Warnock has also lent a helping hand to Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., in his Senate race.  

Senators have a vested interest in expanding their party within Congress, giving them the opportunity to act on their legislative goals. However, with Republican leadership elections coming just after the presidential election, the campaign trail is also a place to show personal loyalty and build on relationships. 

For example, Ernst is not only helping out those in competitive elections. The Iowa Republican hosted two Republican Senate candidates last month on a co-delegation trip to the Middle East. Reps. Jim Banks, R-Ind., and John Curtis, R-Utah, are heavily favored to sweep their respective elections to the U.S. Senate. According to Ernst’s office, her invitation was to prepare the expected new members to be strong on national security in the upper chamber. 

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

EXCLUSIVE: Small business leaders in Congress lambasted the Small Business Administration (SBA) one week before Election Day, accusing the agency of continuing to “stonewall” oversight into its widely-criticized work with Michigan’s elections department.

Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, chair of the House Small Business Committee, previously noted the SBA used a 2021 President Biden executive order on “promoting access to voting” to forge a “Memorandum of Understanding” (MOU) with the Michigan Department of State.

In March, the SBA announced its “first-ever” voter registration agreement with the Michigan agency. On May 7, Williams’ committee issued a rare subpoena for SBA aides after what the panel claimed was in part a failure to forward documents relating to a program “diverting [agency] resources away from assisting Main Street” toward partisan ends.

On Tuesday, Williams told Fox News Digital that with seven days to go, “the Biden-Harris SBA is still stonewalling our investigation into their partisan voter registration scheme.”

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“The lack of accountability has been astounding, and it’s clear that they are doing nothing more than stalling until the election is over.”

That should be concerning to the public, Williams suggested, adding the committee will continue to use “every resource available” to conduct oversight of SBA.

The way the MOU has been acted upon is controversial and potentially unconstitutional, Williams said, as he and others in Congress previously accused the SBA of using it to funnel resources to a swing state in a partisan way. He previously said the SBA is “diverting its resources away from assisting Main Street so it can register Democratic voters” in Michigan. 

Meanwhile, the top Republican on the Senate’s panel said that even though early voting is underway in Michigan and elsewhere, “we still have no clue how much the administration is trying to put its thumb on the scale in key battleground states.”

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said it is fitting that the administration has “prioritized” enacting its liberal agenda over responding in full to oversight efforts.

The SBA, under Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, previously argued through a spokesperson to Fox News Digital that the agency has rightly provided “extensive testimony, briefings, transcribed interviews, documents and other information in response to congressional inquires, including the committee’s most recent subpoena.”

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The top Democrat on Williams’ panel, Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., previously criticized her committee’s subpoenas in the SBA-Michigan case, saying they showed that Republicans “have rejected these principles to pursue a partisan inquiry.”

The committee was also approached with unconfirmed concerns about one of Guzman’s deputies, Fox News Digital has learned. Those who approached the committee claimed Associate Administrator for Field Operations Jennifer Kim, who is reportedly on a formal leave of absence.

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The committee was presented with allegations that Kim, a former organizer for the campaigns of Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and President Biden, according to her LinkedIn page, is either conducting or volunteering for Democratic campaign efforts in a swing state and using government-issued technology when doing so.

The committee previously requested the SBA’s mixed travel policy and travel calendars of top staff, but communicated that they were never received.

A spokesperson for the SBA told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that any allegations of “stonewalling” are “demonstrably false.”

“For nearly two years, the SBA has cooperated with the committee’s inquiry, testifying at multiple hearings, providing the committee staff with briefings, making agency officials available for transcribed interviews, and producing thousands of pages of documents responsive to their inquiry,” the spokesperson said. 

“Time and again, the SBA has shown that the committee’s claims are baseless.”

When asked about the allegations regarding Kim, the spokesperson said the agency does not comment on personnel matters.

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares on Wednesday called the Supreme Court’s order halting a lower court’s decision to reinstate hundreds of potential noncitizens to the state’s voter rolls “a huge win for the rule of law.” 

“This is just a huge win for the rule of law,” Miyares told Fox News Digital shortly after the Supreme Court issued its order. “It ensures that Virginia will be allowed to follow our laws that make sure that noncitizens are not on our voter rolls for next week’s elections, that we’re not going to be forced to be putting 1,500 plus noncitizens back on our rolls.”

“I’m very grateful that the Supreme Court recognized the importance of the issue and they made this decision in such a short timeframe,” Miyares said. “It’s really just a reaffirmation of our commitment to both election integrity and making sure that our electoral process remains secure for all Virginians.”

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Miyares went on to applaud the team at the Virginia Attorney General’s Office for the “amount of hard work these past two weeks upholding and defending Virginia law.”

“And I’m very, very proud of my team because their commitment to the rule of law has been exemplary during this process,” Miyares said. 

A divided court granted the state’s stay application pending appeal in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday. Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented. 

The decision proves a victory for Gov. Glenn Youngkin just days after the state had filed an emergency appeal to the high court to halt a lower court decision ordering it to restore the names of approximately 1,600 individuals to its voter rolls. 

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“We are pleased by the Supreme Court’s order today. This is a victory for commonsense and election fairness. I am grateful for the work of Attorney General Jason Miyares on this critical fight to protect the fundamental rights of U.S. citizens,” Youngkin said in a statement shortly after the order was issued. 

The core question of the case was whether Virginia had violated a so-called quiet period under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), or a federal law requiring states to halt all “systematic” voter roll maintenance for a 90-day period before a federal election.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) sued the state – including Miyares in his official capacity as Virginia attorney general – over its removal program earlier this month. Youngkin has insisted that the state’s process is “individualized” and conducted in accordance with state and federal law. 

Virginia’s voter roll maintenance program was implemented in August of this year and compares the state Department of Motor Vehicles’ list of self-identified noncitizens to its list of registered voters. Individuals without citizenship were flagged and informed that their voter registration would be canceled unless they could prove their citizenship in 14 days.

The DOJ argued such removals were conducted too close to Nov. 5 and thus violated the NVRA’s quiet period provision. This was backed by a U.S. judge in Alexandria, who ordered the state to halt its removals last week and to reinstate the registrations of all 1,600 removed individuals. 

Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report. 

Early in-person Republican voters in deep blue New Jersey are slightly outpacing their Democratic neighbors, data shows. 

Early in-person voting kicked off in the Garden State on Saturday, with 247,003 residents casting their votes over the weekend alone, NJ.com reported. Republican early in-person voters have taken the lead in the state, with 144,105 GOP votes cast compared to Democrats’ 139,524 votes, state data analyzed by an Associated Press elections researcher found as of Tuesday. 

“What we’re seeing is phenomenal. Republicans are finally embracing the opportunity to vote early. The return rate on vote by mail ballots has been fantastic. Local Republican organizations are doing a great job in getting the word out,” New Jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli said Wednesday on “Fox & Friends First” in reaction to the data. 

Democrats in the deep blue state still have the edge over Republicans for vote-by-mail ballots at 383,062 compared to 130,362, the New Jersey Globe reported. All in, New Jersey has 6,562,735 registered voters this cycle, state data shows.

Of those registered, 2,497,951 are registered Democrats, 1,564,964 are Republicans, and 2,420,522 are unaffiliated, state data show. 

TRUMP HOLDS MASSIVE BEACHFRONT CAMPAIGN RALLY FOR RAUCOUS NEW JERSEY CROWD: ‘WE’RE GOING TO WIN’

The blue state last voted for a Republican presidential candidate in 1988, when Republican Vice President George H. W. Bush defeated Democrat Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis. The state had voted for Republican candidates from 1968 until 1992, when the state kicked-off its ongoing blue voting trends. 

Former President Donald Trump has made early voting a hallmark of his campaign, bucking the Republican tradition of voting in-person on Election Day. He spoke to voters in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, when he again urged voters to head to the polls early. 

TRUMP’S WILDWOOD, NJ RALLY WAS ‘TRULY STUNNING’: JOE CONCHA

​​”I don’t like to speak too early, but you have to get out and vote because we … we want a big, beautiful number. We’re leading in every single swing state. Because, normally Republicans, they like to vote at the end no matter what you say, they like to vote at the end,” Trump said from the Allentown rally. 

Elections experts have pointed to Trump’s remarks encouraging early voting as a likely catalyst for the state’s record number of votes a week ahead of Election Day. 

“First, former President Trump has told his supporters to vote early. So, I think, when all the numbers are considered, we will see a shift among Republicans from voting on Election Day to voting early in person,” Ben Dworkin, director of the Rowan University Institute for Public Policy and Citizenship, told NJ.com about the flood of early votes this cycle. 

TRUMP SUPPORTERS FLOCK TO MASSIVE NEW JERSEY CAMPAIGN RALLY TO HEAR FORMER PRESIDENT SPEAK AMID ONGOING TRIALS

TRUMP SUPPORTERS OUTSIDE MADISON SQUARE GARDEN SAY ‘EXHILARATING’ RALLY SHOWS NY IS IN PLAY

“This is not a race in which a lot of people can’t decide between Harris and Trump. They’ve decided and once the doors were opened to early voting, they are going to drive on in,” he added. 

Trump has campaigned in the Garden State, including holding a massive rally on South Jersey’s Wildwood beach in May. 

“We’re going to win New Jersey,” Trump told the crowd, which Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew described as “the biggest political rally in the history of New Jersey.”

Ciattarelli continued in his comments to “Fox & Friends First” on Wednesday that the Republican Party “can win” the presidential race and down the ballot. 

“New Jersey is not a deep blue state. We can win here and and I do think Donald Trump’s going to do that as well as our US Senate candidate, our congressional candidates, and many of our local candidates,” he said. 

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Former President Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, called out how one of Kamala Harris’ “biggest donors is doubling down on calling half the country ‘garbage.'”

Vinod Khosla, co-founder of the giant tech company Sun Microsystems, wrote on X “Garbage is an understatement for MAGA extremists.” He responded to a story by the Associated Press titled, “Biden suggests Trump supporters are ‘garbage’ after comic’s insult of Puerto Rico.”

“Will Kamala and her campaign return his contributions?” Vance wrote Wednesday. “Or will they continue to insult half of the country for the sin of thinking Kamala Harris isn’t good at her job?”

Khosla is a billionaire and Democratic megadonor. In June, he gave $413,000 to the Harris Action Fund, a political action committee that supports the vice president. He previously donated $100,000 to the PAC in June 2023 and made two separate $3,300 donations to the Biden for President campaign, which Harris took over after President Biden withdrew from the election. 

KAMALA HARRIS SILENT AFTER BIDEN’S ‘GARBAGE’ COMMENT ABOUT TRUMP SUPPORTERS

The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Harris addressed Biden’s controversial remark Wednesday, telling reporters that the president “clarified his comments.” 

“I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for,” she said, adding that Biden called her the night before but his remarks didn’t come up.  

Biden sparked controversy during a Zoom call on Tuesday with Voto Latino, one of the largest Latino voter and civic outreach organizations in the U.S. On the call, Biden was asked about a comment made Sunday during a Trump rally at Madison Square Garden in which comedian Tony Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.”

BIDEN CALLS TRUMP SUPPORTERS ‘GARBAGE’ DURING HARRIS CAMPAIGN EVENT AS VP PROMISES UNITY AT ELLIPSE RALLY

“The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters,” Biden said.

Amid backlash, Biden claimed he was referring to only Hinchcliffe, and the White House released a transcript of the call that said “supporter’s,” in the possessive.

TRUMP HAS ANOTHER RESPONSE TO BIDEN’S ‘GARBAGE’ COMMENT ABOUT GOP SUPPORTERS

“Earlier today I referred to the hateful rhetoric about Puerto Rico spewed by Trump’s supporter at his Madison Square Garden rally as garbage—which is the only word I can think of to describe it. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable. That’s all I meant to say. The comments at that rally don’t reflect who we are as a nation,” Biden posted on X. 

Though Harris has not commented on Biden’s remark, her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, discussed it on “Good Morning America” on Wednesday. 

“The president’s clarified his remarks, but let’s be very clear. The vice president and I have made it absolutely clear that we want everyone as a part of this. Donald Trump’s divisive rhetoric is what needs to end. He called this a garbage country and continues on from ‘the enemy within.’ What you heard Vice President Harris say and what I say is, there’s a place for all of us here, and I think that’s the one. She’s running for president. She’s making the message and she delivered that speech on the Ellipse that showed what we can be as a country,” said Walz. 

“So, I think America knows the direction we’re going. She’s laid out a new way forward, and that’s what we’re going to do for the next six days and then the next eight years after that.”

Fox News Digital’s Scott McDonald contributed to this report.