The constitutional provision that gives the president power to exercise the prerogative of mercy and pardon on convicted persons does not preclude any crime. It is vacuous virtue signalling to suggest certain crimes should not be pardoned. It is more so when all the beneficiaries of clemency have either served their terms in prison or are still serving prison terms for the crimes committed.

It should be stated that the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy chaired by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi had members drawn Prison authorities, Human Rights Commission, the Police, the Christian Association of Nigeria, and the Nigeria Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs, etc.

The Committee arrived at the list of 171 convicts and ex-convicts after careful consideration of medical reports, recommendations from the prison authorities on account of good conduct of the inmates and appeals from civil society organizations, and family members. The list still went for final approval to the National Council of State, which has 36 State Governors, current and former Chief Justices of Nigeria, Vice President, Senate President, and Speaker of House of Representatives.

READ ALSO: Dangote inaugurates cement plant in Côte d’Ivoire 

Some of those pardoned have serious medical conditions and terminal illnesses. Public opinion on presidential pardon will always be divided between those opposed to it and those who support it. President Donald Trump pardoned the January 6, 2021 insurrectionists in the US. Those were people who wanted to scuttle the democratic process, a treasonable offence. Before he left office, President Biden pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, for drug-related offences. President Clinton pardoned his younger brother, Roger Clinton Jnr, who was convicted of a drug crime. President Gerrad Ford pardoned President Richard Nixon for the Watergate incident, one of the most celebrated corruption cases in US history. All of these cases sharply divided public opinion along ideological lines in the US.

In granting the President power to grant pardons, the Constitution does not set any limit or inhibition on the exercise of that power. It is an expansive and open-ended power that covers any kind of offence, whether high or low crime.

Let it be emphasised that the fact that some people are pardoned is not a licence for anyone to go and commit crime. Those who commit crimes will still be arrested, prosecuted, and jailed for their crimes, and nobody should rely on the discretionary power of a President to grant pardon, which may be used or not used as a reason for becoming a criminal.

It is also quite revealing that many Nigerians who make claims of religious piety and pray to God for mercy and favour would be up in arms against those who found mercy for the crimes they committed and for which they were convicted and served or serving the punishment.

There are over 40,000 prisoners in Nigeria for various offences. That a few found grace and were pardoned does not in any way suggest a mockery of the judicial system or diminish social justice and public morality. In fact, the constitutional provision of the Prerogative of Mercy or Clemency is an integral part of the justice system.

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In the wake of some Nigerians’ misguided, mischievous, and uninformed comments regarding President Bola Tinubu’s historic state visit to Saint Lucia, it is necessary to clarify the purpose of the visit.

First, from the perspective of the Government of Saint Lucia, the visit by the Nigerian leader paves the way for the rekindling of our ancestral bonds, igniting a new era of diplomatic, cultural, and economic possibilities between our nations.

Like many Caribbean nations, Saint Lucia has a significant population of African ancestry. In the mid-19th century, a wave of immigrants from present-day Nigeria arrived in Saint Lucia, bringing cultural and religious practices that persist today.

Citizens of Saint Lucia are excited that President Tinubu has chosen to visit the island. They long to strengthen their bonds with African nations with which they share ancestral links.

Saint Lucia is the headquarters of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and the gateway to the 15 CARICOM member states. The CARICOM states have a combined GDP of over $130 billion, a significant figure in South-South trade discourse.

In an era of global uncertainty, deepening cooperation between the Global South, particularly between continental Africa and the Caribbean, has become imperative.

Nigeria and the citizens of the Caribbean have strong people-to-people links.

Sir Darnley Alexander, a Saint Lucian-born jurist who died on February 10, 1989, served as Chief Justice of Nigeria from 1975 to 1979. He first came to Nigeria in 1957, recruited as a legal draftsman by the Western Regional Government of Chief Obafemi Awolowo. He became the acting Director of Public Prosecutions in 1958. In 1960, he was appointed Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary of the Western Regional Ministry of Justice. In 1964, he was appointed a judge in the Lagos High Court. In 1969, the defunct South Eastern State appointed him the chief judge.

READ ALSO: NDLEA destroys 30 hectares of cannabis farm in C’River

He later became the Chief Justice of Nigeria in 1975, succeeding Sir Teslim Olawale Elias.

Sir Darnley was born in Castries, the capital of this Island state, in January 1920. He held multiple honours: QC, CBE, GCON, and SAN.

Another Lucian, Neville Skeete, an architect, contributed to the design of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s corporate headquarters.

Additionally, Sir Darnley Alexander’s son, Michael, served as a medical doctor on the frontline in the Nigerian Army during the tragic civil war.

President Tinubu’s visit aligns with Nigeria’s Four D’s foreign policy framework: Democracy, Development, Diaspora, and Demography.

As the presidency stated, the visit supports the African Union’s Sixth Region agenda, which identifies the African diaspora as a key development partner.

Nigeria actively fosters cultural exchange through collaboration in education, culture, and heritage preservation. Our cultural exports, including Afrobeats, Nollywood, and literature, are already making a significant impact on Saint Lucia and the wider Caribbean, enriching our shared cultural landscape.

The Gros Islet Street Party is arguably one of Saint Lucia’s most famous cultural events. It has been held every Friday for over 50 years.

On the Friday before President Tinubu’s arrival, Afrobeats and Nigerian music dominated the airwaves, a testament to Nigeria’s growing soft power and cultural footprint.

Democracy as a Shared Value: Saint Lucia is a stable parliamentary democracy, making it a natural ally for Nigeria, which has enjoyed 26 years of uninterrupted democratic governance.

During the live coverage of President Tinubu’s arrival and welcoming ceremonies at the Hewanorra International Airport on the National Television Network (NTN), a local commentator described President Tinubu as a “fighter for democracy”, citing his well-known pro-democracy record.

Demography as a Strategic Asset: Nigeria is projected to become the third most populous country in the world by 2050. President Tinubu has consistently emphasised that Nigeria’s youthful population is a driver of economic transformation via education, industrialisation, and innovation.

President Tinubu’s scheduled visit to Sir Arthur Lewis Community College underscores our commitment to strengthening educational partnerships. The presence of Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (TAC) officials in the delegation further demonstrates our dedication to fostering knowledge exchange and growth. TAC provides technical assistance to African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries. This assistance is delivered through the deployment of Nigerian professionals to recipient countries to address specific needs.

Engagement with the Nigerian Community in Saint Lucia: The Prime Minister of Saint Lucia will host a reception at the official residence, where members of the Nigerian community will meet with President Tinubu and his delegation. This event is a unique opportunity for the Nigerian community to interact with their President and discuss matters of mutual interest, further strengthening the ties between the two nations.

A Rare and Historic State Visit: Since gaining independence in 1979, Saint Lucia has hosted fewer than 10 official state visits. The last visit by an African Head of State was by President Nelson Mandela in July 1998, during the 19th CARICOM Heads of Government Summit. Therefore, President Tinubu’s 2025 visit, 27 years later, is a historic diplomatic milestone.

President Tinubu’s address at a special joint session of the Parliament: President Tinubu will address a special joint session of Saint Lucia’s bi-cameral Parliament at the Sandals Grande Saint Lucian Conference Hall, named after former U.S. President Bill Clinton. President Clinton visited Saint Lucia in January 2003 and gave a keynote address at this same venue, which was later renamed in his honour.

*Onanuga is the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu

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“He remains in good spirits and deeply appreciates the excellent care he is receiving,” Angel Ureña posted on X.

Clinton, 78, is being treated at the Georgetown University Medical Center, Ureña posted.

U.S. broadcaster MSNBC, citing people from Clinton’s circle, said the situation is not acute and that the former president is expected to improve soon.

Clinton, a Democrat, served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001.

READ ALSO: No regret removing fuel subsidy –Tinubu

His presidency was overshadowed by the Lewinsky sex scandal and the subsequent impeachment proceedings, which he survived politically.

His wife Hillary Clinton, who served as a senator and secretary of state, ran for the presidency in 2016 but lost to Republican Donald Trump.

Source: dpa/NAN

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“I know I’m not a young man, to state the obvious,” an ebullient Biden said at a rally one day after the head-to-head showdown with his Republican rival, which was widely viewed as a defeat for the 81-year-old president.

“I don’t walk as easy as I used to, I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to, I don’t debate as well as I used to,” he said, as the crowd chanted “four more years.”

“I would not be running again if I didn’t believe with all my heart and soul that I could do this job. The stakes are too high,” Biden said.

Biden’s verbal stumbles and occasionally meandering responses in the debate heightened voter concerns that he might not be fit to serve another four-year term and prompted some of his fellow Democrats to wonder whether they could replace him as their candidate for the Novem ber 5 U.S. election.

Campaign spokesperson Michael Tyler said there were no conversations taking place about that possibility.

“We’d rather have one bad night than a candidate with a bad vision for where he wants to take the country,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One.

The campaign held an “all hands on deck” meeting on Friday afternoon to reassure staffers that Biden was not dropping out of the race, according to two people familiar with the meeting.

Though Trump, 78, put forward a series of falsehoods throughout the debate, the focus afterward was squarely on Biden, especially among Democrats.

Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic Party leader in the U.S. House of Representatives, avoided answering directly when asked whether he still had faith in Biden’s candidacy.

“I support the ticket. I support the Senate Democratic majority. We’re going to do everything possible to take back the House in November. Thank you, everyone,” he told reporters.

Some other Democrats likewise demurred when asked if Biden should stay in the race. “That’s the president’s decision,” Democratic Senator Jack Reed told a local TV station in Rhode Island.

But several of the party’s most senior figures, including former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, said they were sticking with Biden.

“Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know. But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and somebody who only cares about himself,” former Democratic President Barack Obama wrote on X.

READ ALSO: 14 die in auto crash in Kano

The New York Times editorial board, which endorsed Biden in 2020, called on him to drop out of the race to give the Democratic Party a better chance of beating Trump by picking another candidate.

“The greatest public service Mr. Biden can now perform is to announce that he will not continue to run for re-election,” the editorial said.

The Biden campaign said it raised $14 million on Thursday and Friday and posted its single best hour of fundraising immediately after the Thursday night debate.

The Trump campaign said it raised $8 million on the night of the debate.

One possible bright spot for Biden: preliminary viewership data showed that only 48 million Americans watched the debate, far short of the 73 million who watched the candidates’ last face-off in 2020.

Biden, already the oldest American president in history, faced only token opposition during the party’s months-long nominating contest, and he has secured enough support to guarantee his spot as the Democratic nominee.

Trump likewise overcame his intra-party challengers early in the year, setting the stage for a long and bitter general election fight.

If Biden were to step aside, the party would have less than two months to pick another nominee at its national convention, which starts on August 19 – a potentially messy process that could pit Kamala Harris, the nation’s first Black female vice president, against governors and other officeholders whose names have been floated as possible replacements.

Source: Reuters

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Bill Clinton, former President of the United States of America, USA, was almost impeached after his illicit sex scandal with an intern, Monica Lewinsky, became public. In December 1998, Clinton, from the Rose Garden of the White House, had to apologize to his countrymen and women for his conduct. His apology was not enough though, as the House Judiciary Committee voted to impeach him. He was however, saved by the Senate.

Former Italian Premier, Silvio Berlusconi, went to trial to defend himself against charges that he paid for sex with an underage prostitute and used his influence to cover it up. On 24 June 2013, Berlusconi was found guilty of paying for sex with the underaged El Mahroug, and of abusing his office. He was sentenced by the Court of First Instance to seven years in prison, one more year than had been requested by the prosecution, and banned from public office for life.

Men of power and influence have several women at their beck and call. But to them, the real thrill is in the ‘hunting’ for women that play ‘hard to get’ and that is where many of them have met their waterloo.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn was a powerful man with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), but he was arrested and charged to court for sexually assaulting and trying to rape a Manhattan Hotel maid. Nafissatou Diallo, a 33-year-old housekeeper at the upmarket Sofitel Hotel in Manhattan, alleged that Strauss-Kahn attacked her on 14 May, 2011, as she attempted to clean his room. Diallo alleged that Strauss-Kahn ran at her naked, molested her and forced her to perform oral sex on him. The claims led to a criminal investigation against the IMF boss, and to his house arrest in Manhattan. He was forced to pay huge sums of money in the region of $6m for the prosecution to drop the charges against Strauss-Kahn. He was, however, forced to resign from his top post at the IMF.

Victor Emmanuel, son of Italy’s last king was stripped of his title in 2006, after his arrest for getting involved in a sex scandal with a prostitute.

READ ALSO: Presidency faults New York Times report on Nigeria, sheds light

In Africa, some of our leaders are also not without records of sex scandals trailing them. The late dictator, Gnasingbe Eyadema of Togo comes to reckoning here. He was renowned for his big appetite for sex and known for always sleeping with the wives of his male Ministers and few female Ministers. One of his Ministers, said to have a very beautiful wife, was said to have hid her from Eyadema so that he would not lay his lecherous paws on her.

In the same league with him was the late Zairean dictator, Mobutu Sese Seko. Mobutu was said to be as lecherous as a he-goat. Again, former President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, is also reported to love women and was reputed to have married at least six times.

In Africa, when a man of power uses his manhood well, he is seen as dominating as well as conquering his environment; a man of power with strong virility. In this regard, Robert Mugabe of Zambia comes to reckoning as he never hid the illicitness of his virility by dating Grace, his secretary, who he later married, even before his wife died. As at the time the duo got married, Mugabe was 72 while Grace was 31. The wedding was termed ‘Wedding of the Century’ by Zimbabwean media, and Grace was known as ‘Gucci Grace’ due to her love for Italian products.

Coming home to Nigeria, we have had virile leaders who used their manhood to their ultimate satisfaction. The late dictator, General Sani Abacha, was said to have died while ‘working’ on two Indian prostitutes imported for him inside the presidential villa after consuming a large amount of Viagra to pump up his virility. Two-time lucky President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo also loves women. During his second coming as President, Obasanjo and his Vice, Atiku Abubakar, went to ‘war’ in the build-up to the 2003 re-election saga and it was during the ‘roforofo’ fight that Atiku alleged that Obasanjo bought a 607 Peugeot car for a woman friend who resided in Abeokuta with slush funds accruing from the coffers of the Petroleum Trust Development Fund, (PTDF).

Like Mugabe, Obasanjo was then married to Stella, Nigeria’s First Lady at that time. Again, in 2018, Obasanjo’s son, Gbenga, even alleged in a court affidavit that his father was having an affair with his own wife, Moji. A former Speaker of the House of Representatives, was also rumoured to be Obasanjo’s woman friend.

Nigeria has also been blessed with a former leader who has the habit of leaving meeting venues to have quickies with his countless girlfirends. Self-styled military President, Ibrahim Babangida, has also been reported to have had very high libido as a ruler. In a 2013 book authored by Debo Basorun, a military aide to Babangida, he wrote about how, on a trip to France, the late First Lady, Maryam Babangida, literarily pummeled her husband for his presidential libidinous rascality. The book is titled ‘Honour for Sale: An Inside Account of the Murder of Dele Giwa’. If you search well, you may still get a copy to buy. Basorun wrote that there was a meeting which lasted into the wee hours of the following day and that IBB used that opportunity to engage in illicit sex with another woman. But Maryam got to know of the dalliance due to the scent of the woman’s perfume in IBB’s hotel suite. With the hotel door under lock, Maryam was alleged to have pummeled her husband with heavy blows and his face decorated with fingernail marks. By the time the aide succeeded in opening the door, they saw their C-In-C with a face that looked like it had been run over by a moving trailer. He was panting amid sweats, with a roughened military service dress which had some buttons torn off by a woman scorned into fury by the stray libido of her general husband.

In the last few days, another of such sex scandals broke in the country when the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, wrote to the Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Folashade Esan, that the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Ambassador Ibrahim Lamuwa, was sexually harassing one of his staff, Mrs. Simisola Fajemirokun- Ajayi. Fajemirokun-Ajayi, had through her lawyer from the Chamber of Mr. Femi Falana, written a petition to her boss alleging that Lamuwa had been pestering her for sex. She alleged that the sexual harassment has become so persistent and troubling to the point that she has begun to be apprehensive of the possibility of getting raped, raising concerns about her safety in the workplace. Lamuwa, she wrote in her petition, made inappropriate remarks and advances to her on different occasions, causing her to be apprehensive and uncomfortable with carrying out her duties.

She went on to cite examples of such incidents. On October 7, last year, she alleged, the permanent secretary inappropriately suggested to her to visit his hotel room at the end of President Bola Tinubu’s 4D policy review. Fajemirokun-Ajayi also alleged that the Perm. Sec. initially approached her to inquire as to why she did not sleep at the hotel and then informed her that he would want her to come to his hotel room after the event. She had then explained that she was a nursing mother and needed to go home to care for her baby. That baby, she alleged, was interpreted to be a man when the Perm. Sec. said “Is it a big baby or small baby”, suggesting that if the baby is a big baby, he would like to find out so that he can join.

Despite expressing her displeasure about his conduct, Mrs. Fajemirokun-Ajayi said that the Perm. Sec. continued this line of inappropriate anecdotes throughout the retreat.

She cited another incident which occurred on November 10, 2023, when she was in the Perm. Sec.’s conference room to discuss plans to digitize the Ministry. In the course of their discussion, the Perm. Sec, she alleged, invited her for a meeting later that afternoon with a team from Galaxy Backbone. While the conversation was ongoing, Ambassador Lamuwa allegedly derailed from the topic of the meeting and instead, invited her for a private trip to Hong Kong. There, he assured the lady that her life would never remain the same after the trip.

Upon receiving the petition, Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, forwarded the petition to the office of the Head of Service with a cover letter in which he expressed concerns about the gravity of the allegations levelled against the Permanent Secretary and called for an investigation. Tuggar urged the HoS to handle the allegations in accordance with Civil Service rules with a promise to make himself available if need be.

Yemi Esan, the HoS, has now formally suspended the Perm Sec and has ordered a probe into the allegation. But the man in the eye of the storm, Lamuwa, has however, denied the allegation of sexual harassment. Lamuwa, who spoke through his lawyer, Mr. Audu Anuga, denied the multiple instances of sexual harassment brought against him, alleging that Mrs. Fajemirokun-Ajayi’s malicious claims were triggered by his constant rejection of her improper requests about the Ministry’s finances. Lamuwa, through his lawyer, alleged that Mrs. Fajemirokun-Ajayi, unfamiliar with civil service rules and processes, asked for access to policy files and even financial records of high-level Ministry activities.

He denied making sexual advances, suggestive comments or innuendos that requested any form of untoward relationship between himself and Mrs. Fajemirokun-Ajayi. He said the incident at President Bola Tinubu’s 4D policy review in 2023 was in a colloquial conversation which involved other participants. “One participant even responded jokingly that when a woman says ‘her baby’, it could mean either her husband or one of her children, of which he innocuously joked asking ‘How big is the baby?’ Mr. Lamuwa, in the document, maintained that those conversations were made jokingly and without any sexual undertone.

It is still early in the day to judge what would happen to the 32 years that Lamuwa has put into the service of the country. What is however certain is that a glorious career has been tainted by his love for women.

The boldness exhibited by Fajemirokun-Ajayi to speak out has forced several other women to table similar allegations against the Perm Sec.

Now that a probe panel is to be set up by the HoS, it now has the arduous task of ferreting what really transpired between the duo. Some staff of the Ministry are, however, relieved that the Perm Sec is on suspension as there have been several instances where female staff have complained about his conduct in the past. They allege that the Perm Sec loves women and that some even throw themselves at him in exchange for favour and good posting. In fact, some are already calling for a review of his recent posting of staff outside the country as they alleged that many of them were women who ordinarily did not merit such posting.

It is still early in the day to judge what would happen to the 32 years that Lamuwa has put into the service of the country. What is however certain is that a glorious career has been tainted by his love for women.

Men of power and influence have several women at their beck and call. But to them, the real thrill is in the ‘hunting’ for women that play ‘hard to get’ and that is where many of them have met their waterloo. For those who think less of the power of sex in high places, Oscar Wilde, an Irish poet and playwright, was ready to shock them when he stated that ‘everything in the world is about sex, except sex. Sex is about power’, he had written. Let’s wait, watch and see how the latest sexual scandal would pan out.

See you next week.

The post Of men, sex and power, By Kazeem Akintunde appeared first on Frontpageng.

Biden will name Antony Blinken as secretary of state and Linda Thomas-Greenfield as ambassador to the U.N., bringing deep foreign-policy backgrounds to the nascent administration while providing a sharp contrast with Trump, who distrusted such experience and embraced an “America First” policy that strained longstanding U.S. relationships.

Blinken could be named as early as Tuesday, according to sources close to Biden, while Axios first reported Thomas-Greenfield’s impending nomination.

Blinken’s appointment made another longtime Biden aide and foreign policy veteran, Jake Sullivan, the top candidate to be U.S. national security adviser, a source said.

During the campaign, Biden severely criticized Trump’s go-it-alone foreign policy and pledged to recommit to NATO and other global pacts, while promising to tap experts to fight the COVID crisis and other problems at home.

He has promised to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord and the World Health Organisation and potentially the Iran nuclear deal.

“America First has made America alone,” Biden said in a town-hall meeting in October.

Blinken is a longtime Biden confidant who served as No. 2 at the State Department and as deputy national security adviser in President Barack Obama’s administration, in which Biden served as vice president.

Thomas-Greenfield, a Black woman who served as the assistant secretary of state for Africa under Obama, was intended to restore morale and help fulfill Biden’s pledge to choose a diverse cabinet, Axios reported.

Sullivan served as Biden’s national security adviser during the Obama administration and also as deputy chief of staff to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Ron Klain, Biden’s choice as White House chief of staff, told ABC’S “This Week” that the first Biden cabinet picks would come on Tuesday.

Biden said last week he had settled on a treasury secretary.

Former Fed Chair Janet Yellen is believed to be the top candidate in Democratic and monetary policy circles.

A spokesman for Biden’s transition team declined to comment.

Klain again urged that the Trump administration – specifically a federal agency called the General Services Administration (GSA) – formally recognise Biden’s victory in order to unlock resources for the transition process.

Biden is due to take office on January 20.

“A record number of Americans rejected the Trump presidency, and since then Donald Trump’s been rejecting democracy,” Klain told “This Week.”

Since Biden, a Democrat, was declared the winner of the November 3 election two weeks ago, the Republican president has launched a barrage of lawsuits and mounted a pressure campaign to try to prevent state officials from certifying their vote totals, suffering another emphatic legal setback on Saturday in Pennsylvania.

Biden received 6 million more votes nationwide than Trump and prevailed 306-232 in the state-by-state Electoral College system that determines the election’s victor.

SCALED-DOWN INAUGURATION PLANS

Klain said there would be “scaled-down versions of the existing traditions” for Biden’s inauguration.

Inauguration ceremonies and related events typically draw huge crowds to Washington.

COVID-19 cases and deaths are surging in many parts of the country amid a pandemic that has killed more than 256,000 people in the United States.

Critics of Trump, including Democrats and some Republicans, have accused him of trying to undermine faith in the American electoral system and delegitimise Biden’s victory by promoting false claims of widespread voter fraud.

Attempts to thwart certification of vote tallies have failed thus far in courts in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan and Arizona.

U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann, in dismissing the Pennsylvania lawsuit on Saturday, compared the Trump team’s arguments claiming voter fraud to a “Frankenstein’s Monster” that was “haphazardly stitched together” using meritless legal arguments and speculative accusations.

Trump’s campaign issued a statement on Sunday distancing itself from Sidney Powell, a lawyer who made baseless allegations of a vast vote-rigging conspiracy at a campaign news conference on Thursday.

“Sidney Powell is practising law on her own,” Trump campaign lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis said in the statement.

“She is not a member of the Trump Legal Team. She is also not a lawyer for the President in his personal capacity.”

Both Giuliani and Ellis attended the Thursday news conference alongside Powell.

Powell did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump’s campaign also said it was appealing Brann’s decision to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Pennsylvania is expected to send its county results to its top election official for certification on Monday.

Trump’s campaign has filed a petition for another recount in Georgia.

A previous laborious hand recount reaffirmed Biden’s victory by a margin of more than 12,000 votes in the southern state, a longtime Republican bastion in presidential elections.

Some of Trump’s fellow Republicans are now breaking ranks, although many, including the most senior ones in Congress, have not.

Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski tweeted on Sunday that “it is time to begin the full and formal transition process,” noting the courts had thus far found Trump’s legal claims without merit and that the pressure campaign on state legislators “is not only unprecedented but inconsistent with our democratic process.”

Source: Reuters

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Biden, the Democratic former vice president, has spent days huddled with advisers as he weighs whom to appoint to his cabinet, fields congratulatory calls from world leaders and maps out the policies he will pursue after being sworn in on January 20.

He is expected to continue meeting with advisers in private on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Republican Trump has refused to concede and instead pressed unsubstantiated allegations of fraud, stalling the government’s normal process of preparing for a new presidential administration.

His campaign has filed lawsuits seeking to overturn the results in multiple states, though without success, and legal experts say the litigation stands little chance of altering the outcome of the November 3 election.

Election officials of both parties have said there is no evidence of major irregularities.

The “Million MAGA March,” referring to Trump’s campaign slogan of “Make America Great Again,” drew a crowd of flag-waving supporters to downtown Washington on Saturday.

“Hundreds of thousands of people showing their support in D.C. They will not stand for a Rigged and Corrupt Election!” the president wrote on Twitter, though most crowd estimates were well short of Trump’s figure.

Trump’s motorcade passed through the crowd on its way to his golf course in Virginia, producing cheers from demonstrators as the president waved from the back seat.

The march was largely peaceful, though numerous scuffles broke out between Trump supporters and counter-protesters that continued after dark.

One person was stabbed and taken to a trauma center, the city’s fire and emergency medical services department said.

The Washington Post reported the stabbing occurred amid a brawl that broke out after 8 p.m.

Dozens of Proud Boys, a far-right group, marched in the streets, some wearing helmets and ballistic vests, while members of the loose far-left movement known as antifa staged their own counter-demonstrations.

The city’s police force arrested at least 10 people, including several who were charged with assault.

Biden has won 306 votes in the state-by-state Electoral College system that determines the presidential winner, according to Edison Research, far more than the 270 needed to secure a majority.

Trump earned the same number of electoral votes in 2016 over Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, a victory he has called a “landslide” despite the fact that she won the national popular vote.

Biden has also won the popular vote: with a few states still counting ballots, he leads Trump by more than 5.5 million votes, or 3.6%.

With his chances of reversing the outcome virtually extinguished, Trump has discussed with advisers potential media ventures that would keep him in the spotlight ahead of a possible 2024 White House bid, aides said.

But his public claims of a “rigged” election have prevented Biden and his team from gaining access to government office space and funding normally afforded to an incoming administration to ensure a smooth transition.

The federal agency in charge of providing those resources, the General Services Administration, has yet to recognize Biden’s victory.

States are in the process of certifying their election results.

The Electoral College meets to vote for the new president on December 14.

Biden’s pick for White House chief of staff, Ron Klain, said this week that a rapid transition is necessary to ensure the government is prepared to roll out a potential coronavirus vaccine early next year.

The raging pandemic will likely be Biden’s top priority.

The United States set a new daily record of new cases on Friday for the fourth straight day.

More than 244,000 people in the country have died of the coronavirus since the pandemic began.

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