The lawyer for E. Jean Carroll, the former magazine columnist who accused President Donald Trump of sexual assault, is facing scrutiny over outside funding of the case by a left-leaning billionaire. The National Legal and Policy Center, a watchdog group, filed a bar complaint with the Attorney Grievance Committee of the New York State Supreme Court against Carroll’s lawyer Roberta Kaplan, alleging she was not transparent about left-leaning billionaire Reid Hoffman, a co-founder of LinkedIn, helping bankroll Carroll’s lawsuit. Tax filings from 2023 for Hoffman’s nonprofit, American Future Republic, show it paid $7 million to Carroll’s lawyers to help cover legal expenses, according to the Capital Research Center, which monitors nonprofits. Carroll wrote the 2019 book, “What Do We Need Men For?: A Modest Proposal,” in which she said Trump sexually assaulted her in a department store during the 1990s. Trump denied the allegation and called her a “whack job.” She sued him in 2019 for defamation and was awarded $83.3 million by a jury. She sued again in 2022 for remarks Trump made, and she won a separate $5 million judgment. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Trump’s appeal in the $5 million case, but his appeal in the $83.3 million judgment is pending. On Wednesday, the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals denied Trump’s effort to pause the $5 million payment to Carroll. The NLPC’s complaint says Kaplan failed to inform Trump’s lawyers and the court when she knew that her client, Carroll, provided false information during a deposition. In October 2022, Carroll was asked under oath if “anyone else [is] paying your legal fees.” Carroll answered, “No.” The bar complaint says, “At that moment, Kaplan knew that answer was false but waited almost six months later, until the eve of the trial, to correct the record by informing opposing counsel and the court that Hoffman had funded the lawsuits.” The complaint says that “hybrid fees” are ethical in some instances, but suggests there could be a problem with an “excessive fee” under New York ethics rules for lawyers. “Did Ms. Kaplan charge Ms. Carroll the maximum one-third contingency fee and, on top of that, was paid an additional hourly fee from Reid Hoffman’s nonprofit for certain work?” the complaint asks. “If so, the total fee charged would be an excessive fee, even if the excess over the contingency fee was paid by a third party.” A spokesperson for the New York law firm Kaplan Martin, where Kaplan practices, did not comment on the complaint but said Trump already litigated this issue of Hoffman’s subsidy at the U.S. 2nd Court of Appeals, which rejected the claim about a lack of disclosure. The 2nd Circuit determined, “There was no evidence to suggest that Ms. Carroll was personally involved in securing the funding, interacted with the funder, received an invoice showing the arrangement before or after her counsel received the outside funding, or had discussed the arrangement with anyone between learning of it in September 2020 and being deposed in October 2022.” The appeals court determined that “Carroll’s prior statement on the litigation funding was not sufficiently probative of her credibility.” It added it showed that “Ms. Carroll was simply not involved in the matter of who was or was not funding her litigation costs.” However, Paul Kamenar, counsel for the National Legal and Policy Center who drafted the 15-page bar complaint against Kaplan, said the 2nd Circuit had nothing to say about Kaplan’s ethical obligations. “Not surprising that Roberta Kaplan did not deny any of these allegations of ethical misconduct in our complaint,” Kamenar told the Daily Signal. “Instead, she cites the Second Circuit that only dealt with E. Jean Carroll’s contact with Reid Hoffman, not Kaplan’s.” Kamenar said courts have historically expected some information to be presented about outside funders, to ensure an outside funder isn’t pulling the strings with an attorney, rather than the client. This year, the Chicago-based American Future Republic was reportedly the target of a probe by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois concerning donations used in the Carroll case. Hoffman previously said in a 2023 Washington Post interview that he never tried to keep his funding secret, and, “My team looked at it, thought that her [Carroll’s] voice should be heard because she was challenging someone who was so much more wealthy and powerful—it shouldn’t be squashed.” The Daily Signal left several voicemail inquiries over the past week with the number listed for the American Future Republic’s filing with the Internal Revenue Service, as well as on other websites. The 2024 filing shows the organization has $7.8 million in assets, with revenue for that year of $286,735. A spokesperson for Hoffman did not respond to Daily Signal inquiries for this story, nor did a spokesperson from Greylock, where Hoffman is part of the investing team.

My generation will carry the memory of Sept. 10, 2025, with us forever. You probably remember the exact moment you heard Charlie Kirk had been shot during Turning Point’s American Comeback Tour. Each of us made a decision the day Charlie left us. I know I did. Would we let Charlie’s microphone remain silenced, or would we pick it up, all the more determined to save America from the deadly ideology threatening to destroy it? Personally, I chose the latter. That’s why I’m joining Turning Point as a campus debater on its Pick Up the Mic Tour this coming fall. Created in the wake of Charlie’s death, Pick Up the Mic is a new version of the Prove Me Wrong events that had grown to draw thousands of college students by September 2025. My generation is hungry for the truth, and TPUSA knew Charlie would want these conversations to continue. The Pick Up the Mic Tour will feature well-known conservative voices such as Riley Gaines, Will Witt, Graham Allen, Joshua Haymes, and Chloe Cole. The tour also uniquely puts the mic in the hands of Gen Z, emphasizing the importance of conversations between peers. I’m excited to be joining Jaden Heard, Kai Schwemmer, Hazel Roberts, Noah Coffin, Mya Goodmanson, Macy Gunnell, and Kennedy Whetzel, among others. As Charlie knew, the decision to speak the truth is not always well received. Leftists have already begun calling us the “TPUSA Rejects” and making AI images of us with explosive Rode mics. Haters never seem to come after the substance of TPUSA’s values and positions, but that probably has nothing at all to do with the fact that their progressive ideology crumbles at the slightest pushback. Those of us stepping into Charlie’s shoes do not take the decision to pick up the mic lightly. We have all seen the preliminary hearing in Utah this week that will determine whether Tyler Robinson will stand trial. We are praying for Erika Kirk and the TPUSA family and are proud to stand with them in the midst of tragedy. I’ve had people ask me why in the world I would pick up the mic, pull up a chair, and sit under a tent like Charlie did. The truth is, we really have no choice but to have these hard conversations if we want our country to exist for another 250 years. As a recent college graduate, I’ve seen how much my generation is searching for answers. Many are dissatisfied with the solutions—or rather, propaganda—the Left is cramming into the culture. For the first time since 2008, Democrats are losing support among American youth, as reported by NPR. To all the progressives, let me tell you something about Gen Z. We don’t want millions of illegal immigrants flooding into our country. We don’t want pride parades in our streets. We don’t want men taking girls’ medals away. We don’t want any part of your destructive, woke ideology that threatens to pollute the very fabric of our country. Gen Z wants to live in our parents’ America. We want to own homes, raise families, and find the higher meaning that only God can offer. Those are the values this country was built upon that made it the greatest nation to ever exist. And if you disagree? That’s OK. Pick up the mic and prove me wrong.

“Be careful of the steps.” “Get out and walk for five minutes.” “1,354 calories.” Such was life during my four days in London last week. Innumerable precautions, suggestions, and ‘useful information’ litter the streets, hotels, and menus across the pond, all in the name of “public health and safety.” As someone with sensitivities to a whole host of ingredients, I appreciated being asked, “Do you have any food allergies?” every time I sat down to eat. However, at a certain point, the attention to my well-being became more than a tad annoying. Take, for example, my final dinner in the city: a salad with tuna and anchovies. When the waitress asked for my allergies, I told her: soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce. Essentially, any brown sauce usually found in Asian food preparations. I won’t die from those ingredients, but the next day I will feel like I drank a bottle of vodka. Given it was an authentic Italian restaurant, I figured I was safe. Usually, the only condiments and seasonings you’ll find in an Italian kitchen are olive oil, salt, and garlic, possibly some butter. However, my companion that evening knew better. He looked at me as if to say do not tell her. He had been to the U.K. enough to predict that even though I told the waitress I’d be fine with tuna and anchovies—that the problem was fish sauce—that I would receive my salad without the protein. He was correct. Because I dared to utter the word fish, the kitchen would not put anything resembling a sea creature on my plate. Thus, I ended up eating lettuce and a hard-boiled egg. If it hadn’t been for the rigatoni made to perfection, I would have been quite upset. The waitress told us that a customer had died in the restaurant due to an allergic reaction. While tragic, was that the restaurant’s fault? At what point does public safety end and personal responsibility begin? Can we distinguish between transparency and paranoia? To me, the answer is not black and white. For instance, I loved the fact that the ingredient lists in London were half the length of those in America and almost all readable, if not recognizable. The food there is, well, more real. Even the items at the Whole Foods salad bar seemed tastier and fresher than those available at U.S. locations. The EU tends to prioritize consumer safety through precaution, strict additive control, GMO regulation, and comprehensive labeling, resulting in more stringent food standards. Historically, the U.S. emphasizes risk-based regulation, industry self-assessment (although that is beginning to change with promises to close the GRAS loopholes), and broader acceptance of additives and GMOs, which allows faster market entry but may pose higher long-term health risks. Healthy food is also more affordable across the pond. Not only were the berries locally sourced and bursting with flavor, but they were also significantly cheaper than in the U.S. There was an article in The Washington Post earlier this month about the exorbitant price of berries here at home and how it’s breaking the bank for American households. While most times I appreciate knowing the precise calories and macros of food at home, I really didn’t need to know that my gelato had 550 calories, of which almost 100% was sugar. Although it was a work trip, I was kind of on vacation health-wise. I was enjoying London and time with colleagues as well as making new friends, which included a few drinks. I turned off my food tracker. I didn’t need to be reminded that everything I ate would end up somewhere on my hips. Or would it? I crushed my step count. I never logged below 10,000 and maxed out at over 14,000 one day. This is part of the “French paradox,” which shows that despite diets rich in saturated fats, the French experience lower rates of heart disease. Many credit this seeming paradox to increased walking, the more relaxed environment around eating, and even moderate consumption of red wine. Either that or higher saturated fat content and cholesterol have nothing to do with heart disease, but that is a story for another day. Also, I believe portion size is another reason you don’t see many obese people walking the streets of London. Soda cans are smaller. Cheesecake Factory sized plates are nowhere to be found. You don’t walk out of restaurants feeling like you ate enough food to feed a family of four. You feel pleasantly satiated and typically finish the evening with a walk back to the hotel (or in my case, the gelato store). These are wonderful things, and I wish America would take some cues from our brothers and sisters with lovely, if sometimes difficult-to-understand, accents. However, I don’t need signs to tell me to be careful of steps, or to speak up if I “see something,” or to go out and take a walk. It began to feel a bit Big Brother-ish. On the other hand, isn’t it better to have positive reinforcement for healthy habits as opposed to billboards for vaping or video games? Through a huge social media campaign, our health and human services secretary is now directing Americans to eat real food and get active. Are these messages much different than those spread throughout London? More than a few of my colleagues have complained about what they call “nanny state” health tactics. Considering what people went through during COVID-19 lockdowns, particularly the vaccination propaganda throughout parts of western Europe and New Zealand, I understand the knee-jerk reaction. A culture of care can easily cross into overreach—with good intentions eroding personal agency. This is the fine line public policy must walk, particularly when it comes to MAHA initiatives. Precautionary protections issued by federal agencies must coexist with personal responsibility. I don’t have all the answers, but I do know that no matter what any country tells me is good for me, I’m returning home to my raw milk, fresh-off-the-farm eggs, and garden vegetables, even if I’m taking fewer steps.

A coalition of state financial officers says it uncovered roughly $225 million in alleged fraud in American schools over the past six years, identifying nearly 90 cases involving embezzlement, fake invoices, inflated enrollment, bid-rigging, and kickbacks. As reflected in the new report from the State Financial Officers Foundation and Open the Books, investigators reviewed every Education Department Office of Inspector General semiannual report to Congress issued between Oct. 1, 2019, and March 31, 2026, which helped them identify alleged fraud cases in at least 24 states and Puerto Rico. “All fraud is harmful, but defrauding education dollars meant to help kids learn and succeed is especially hideous,” OJ Oleka, CEO of the State Financial Officers Foundation, said. Oleka, who co-authored the report, said that the “findings in this report should alarm every family, teacher, and civic leader, especially since they only scratch the surface of the problem.” “The state financial officers courageously tracking every school dollar abused historically have had a bloated federal education bureaucracy only make their job harder,” he added. Oleka said the findings highlight the importance of state-level oversight. “With that in mind, stronger oversight of federal education dollars is more than some bureaucratic exercise—it is an economic and moral imperative,” the report said. “Families deserve assurance that the public institutions meant to serve their children are not being looted by the very officials entrusted to lead them.” John Hart, CEO of Open the Books, a watchdog organization that tracks government spending, added that “these schemes within public schools arguably hit us where it hurts most: America’s future leaders.” “Every dollar wasted on fraud never makes it to the classroom where it’s urgently needed,” Hart continued. “Student outcomes will continue to suffer until we clean up both fraud and administrative overhead. In one instance, the per-student fraud rate was enough to fund a semester at a charter school.” Nicole Neily, president of Defending Education, added, “Every dollar siphoned out of the education system by self-interested grifters is a dollar that’s not furthering a child’s education at a time when student achievement and proficiency are at a frighteningly low point. We don’t need more money in education—we need more accountability so that finite funds get into classrooms.” Tip of the Iceberg At the top of the total amount allegedly stolen, the report noted that two now-closed Indiana online charter schools received $44 million in excess funding by inflating enrollment. In Puerto Rico, a tutoring company allegedly collected $24 million by billing for services that were never provided. In Florida, a former Broward County Public Schools information technology official allegedly steered $17 million in contracts to a friend’s company while bypassing competitive bidding requirements and personally profiting from the arrangement. The report also highlighted a Texas scheme involving former Houston Independent School District Chief Operating Officer Brian Busby and contractor Anthony Hutchison. Federal prosecutors alleged the pair orchestrated a fraud scheme exceeding $6 million involving construction and maintenance contracts in exchange for cash bribes and home renovations. A federal jury convicted Busby and Hutchison of conspiracy, bribery, filing false tax returns, and witness tampering. Hutchison was also convicted on multiple counts of wire fraud. The report argues that students often bear the direct cost of fraud, particularly in smaller school districts. California accounted for two of the most costly examples. At the now-closed Community Preparatory Academy charter school, students lost roughly $9,090 per pupil after the school’s leader allegedly used $3 million in taxpayer funds for personal expenses, including travel, restaurants, online shopping, and private-school tuition for her children. In Magnolia School District, students lost about $3,553 per pupil after a former fiscal services director allegedly embezzled nearly $16.7 million to purchase a luxury home, luxury vehicles, and designer goods. The report also cited Boone County Schools in West Virginia, where a former maintenance director allegedly stole $3.4 million through fraudulent invoices for janitorial and custodial supplies that were never delivered. Chicago Public Schools was also identified in the report. The district agreed to return about $1 million in federal grant funding after an inspector general review found it could not adequately verify student eligibility for an American Indian education grant program. Alleigh Marré, executive director of the American Parents Coalition, said the findings underscore concerns many parents already have about government accountability. “This is why parents need to have a seat at the table to ensure their children are receiving the best education possible and schools are not wasting taxpayer dollars on noneducation-based materials,” Marré said. The report concluded that education decisions and funding should increasingly be returned to state and local authorities, arguing local officials are better positioned to understand community needs, identify efficiencies, and improve student outcomes. Trump Admin Welcomes the Report The report comes as President Donald Trump’s administration has intensified efforts to combat government waste and fraud, including Vice President JD Vance’s “War on Fraud” initiative. The administration welcomed the report, telling Fox News Digital that targeting waste, fraud, and abuse remains a priority for the administration. “Secretary [Linda] McMahon is proud to serve on the vice president’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and remains committed to delivering lasting results for American students and taxpayers—including nearly $2 billion in taxpayer savings to date,” Education Department spokesperson Ellen Keast said. “Misuse of taxpayer funds became widespread under the previous administration, which is why addressing it is a top priority.”

Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., died of a “brief and sudden illness” on Saturday, his Senate office announced early Sunday morning. Graham was 71. “On the evening of Saturday, July 11, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness,” his office said in a brief statement. “Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period.” Statement from the Office of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina). pic.twitter.com/CQ5yVvqTH1— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) July 12, 2026 President Donald Trump praised Graham as “one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known” in a Truth Social post. “He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!!” the president added. Graham had represented the Palmetto State in the upper chamber for 23 years, since 2003. He was running for reelection, having won the Republican primary with 56.8% of the vote in June. Dr. Annie Andrews, a pediatrician, is the Democrat senate candidate in the race. Senate Majority Leader John Thune wrote that Graham “was a trusted adviser and colleague to me and many others, and numerous presidents and heads of state have relied on his counsel.” “His influence on the federal judiciary, our national defense, and his beloved South Carolina will be felt for generations,” Thune, R-S.D., added. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., posted on X that “South Carolina lost a statesman and I’ve lost a friend.” “From his humble beginnings to the Senate floor, Lindsey always led with faith, family, and South Carolina first,” Scott added. “Lindsey remained committed to public service and doing what he loved. He always introduced levity and brought wit to the most challenging moments.” Born in South Carolina, Graham graduated from the University of South Carolina with degrees in psychology and law in 1977 and 1981, respectively. He served as a member of the Judge Advocate General’s Corps in the U.S. Air Force, and in the U.S. Air Force Reserve in Congress. He received the Bronze Star MEdal for meritorious service in 2014 and held the rank of colonel. He served in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1993 to 1995, and the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003. Graham was one of the few members of the U.S. Senate never to marry. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, who will likely appoint an interim senator to replace Graham, released a statement early Sunday. “Peggy and I—and our children—are devastated,” the governor, a Republican, wrote. “Lindsey Graham is irreplaceable.” “The fiercest of fighters for South Carolina and America—and a loyal and steadfast friend,” McMaster added. “We grieve with Darline, his family and his devoted staff. May God hold him gently in the palm of his hand. We shall not see his likes again.” My statement on the passing of Senator Lindsey Graham: pic.twitter.com/hbrjnMXIQd— Gov. Henry McMaster (@henrymcmaster) July 12, 2026 Meghan McCain, host of the “Citizen McCain” podcast, described the friendship between her father, the late Sen. John McCain, and Graham in her tribute. “At his best he was filled with light and was always the last person to leave any table for work or fun,” she posted on X. “In fact, I used to joke with my Dad that I couldn’t go out to dinner with him and my Dad as an adult unless I didn’t have work the next day because they would always stay so long at the table and shut down the restaurant. Lindsey and my dad were also both Hams and would take every selfie, talk to every waiter and person in the place. Life around them was a big and alive in every possible way humans can be.” “I hope that he is at peace and I hope he is in heaven drinking a white russian and fishing with my Dad” and the late Sen. Joe Lieberman, she added. Fox News host Sean Hannity called Graham “a dear friend” in a X post where he wrote, “Contrary to a public narrative that he was a war hawk, it was the opposite that is true. He wanted an end to the war with Russia and Ukraine and end all conflicts in the Middle East.” “There is no elected official that traveled to these regions more than Senator Graham. His dream for the Middle East was that of a lasting peace in the region between every nation and his hope was this could all be accomplished by the early fall. This is something he loved to discuss with President Trump and others day and night,” Hannity added. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X that Graham “was a true defender of freedom and the values that make our world safer.” Graham’s passing leaves Republicans with 52 seats in the U.S. Senate. It comes as Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has been absent facing a reported illness. McConnell is 84.