Florida
Lawsuit planned over deputy’s shooting of airman who was killed in his own home
FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump says he will file a lawsuit against a former Florida sheriff’s deputy and others for the May 2024 shooting death of 23-year-old U.S. Senior Airman Roger Fortson.
Former Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Deputy Eddie Duran shot and killed Fortson, who was Black, at the door of Fortson’s apartment. Duran has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter. That criminal case is pending.
Crump plans a news conference Tuesday afternoon with Fortson family members in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, to discuss the lawsuit.
Crump says his lawsuit will contend that Duran used “excessive and unconstitutional deadly force” in the shooting. It will also outline what it calls failures of training and supervision at the sheriff’s office and claim the apartment complex where Fortson was shot provided “misleading, unverified information” that led to the violent response.
Authorities say Duran had been directed to Fortson’s Fort Walton Beach apartment in response to a domestic disturbance report that turned out to be false. After repeated knocking, Fortson opened the door while holding his handgun at his side, pointed down. Authorities say Duran shot him multiple times before telling Fortson to drop the gun.
Duran, 39, began his law enforcement career as a military police officer in the Army. An Oklahoma police department hired him in 2015 after his military discharge. He joined the Okaloosa County sheriff’s office in 2019, resigned two years later and then rejoined the sheriff’s office in 2023.
Okaloosa Sheriff Eric Aden fired Duran after Fortson’s death because an internal investigation concluded Duran’s life was not in danger when he opened fire.
Duran identifies as Hispanic, according to his voter registration.
Fortson grew up in Atlanta and joined the Air Force in 2019, the year he graduated from high school.
The apartment complex where Fortson lived is about 8 miles (13 kilometers) from Hurlburt Field. He was assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron as a special missions aviator, where one of his roles was to load a gunship’s 30 mm and 105 mm weapons.
His death was one of a growing list of killings of Black people by law enforcement in their own homes. It also renewed debate over Florida’s “stand your ground” law.
The case is in the pretrial hearing phase, with a hearing on motions set for May 20. Duran is out of jail on bond.
Crump, 55, is a well-known Black attorney based in Tallahassee, Florida, who has worked on numerous high-profile civil right cases and wrongful death lawsuits. His cases have included those involving other Black people who have been killed by law enforcement.
Pennsylvania
SafeSport Center to Sen. Grassley: ‘Should have been additional scrutiny’ on ex-cop’s hiring
The top lawyer for the U.S. Center for SafeSport wrote to Sen. Chuck Grassley that “there should have been additional scrutiny” when the center learned a vice cop it was considering hiring as an investigator had been subject to an internal investigation at his last job.
The center ended up hiring Jason Krasley, who was later charged with rape and other felonies from episodes that happened when he worked as an officer in Allentown, Pennsylvania. About 2 1/2 years after bringing him on, the center fired Krasley when it learned of his arrest for allegedly stealing money seized in a drug sting he participated in while with the force.
The Krasley affair led to the center’s CEO, Ju’Riese Colon, losing her job two weeks ago. It was general connsel Jessica Perrill who responded last week to a letter originally directed to Colon from Grassley, R-Iowa.
Among Grassley’s questions were why the center hired the former cop knowing he was subject of an internal investigation.
“There should have been additional scrutiny into the concerning statements by the reference, which would prompt additional scrutiny today,” Perrill wrote. “Unfortunately, we have been unable to find any evidence of further inquiry by the Center into the internal investigation.”
Perrill referenced a letter sent March 14 by Colon to Grassley that outlined stronger hiring policies the center has implemented in the wake of Krasley’s arrest.
They include enhanced reference checks and access to the National Decertification Index, which keeps track of officers who have been sanctioned because of misconduct.
Perrill wrote that the center learned on Sept. 4, 2024, of the 2019 theft allegations against Krasley and others involving harrasment from a separate arrest in June 2024. But, she said, the agency took no action because “law enforcement” asked the center to not do anything to tip off Krasley about a criminal investigation.
In the two months between learning about the allegations and firing Krasley, Perrill said the center “closely monitored Krasley’s work.”
“Nothing of concern was observed during this period,” Perrill wrote.
Massachusetts
Councilwoman pleads guilty to federal corruption charges in a kickback scheme
BOSTON (AP) — A Boston city councilor on Monday pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges after prosecutors accused her of taking most of an inflated bonus that she paid to a relative who worked for her.
Tania Fernandes Anderson pleaded guilty to one count each of wire fraud and theft concerning a program receiving federal funds. In exchange, prosecutors dropped four wire fraud counts against the 46-year-old lawmaker, who in 2021 became the first African immigrant and Muslim-American elected to the council.
Anderson was going through financial difficulties in 2023, partly because the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission told her it would fine her $5,000 for hiring immediate family members, according to prosecutors. Council members aren’t permitted to hire immediate family members as paid staff.
“Councilor Fernandes Anderson abused her position of trust for personal gain and turned a public checkbook into her own private slush fund,” United States Attorney Leah B. Foley said in a statement. “Her constituents deserve better than this. They deserve a city representative who respects the role of public service and does not use the power and position to line her own pockets ... Ms. Fernandes Anderson leaves a legacy not of a selfless trailblazer, but one of fraud, greed, and deceit.”
According to prosecutors, Anderson told her relative that she would give her a $13,000 bonus, which was more than twice as much as the combined bonuses she gave to the rest of the staff.
After taxes, the staffer received about $10,000. She withdrew the money in several bank transactions in May and June of 2023 before exchanging texts to meet Anderson in a City Hall bathroom that June 9, where she gave Anderson $7,000 of the money.
The government is seeking a sentence of one year and one day in prison followed by three years of supervised release and restitution in the amount of $13,000 when she is sentenced on July 29. Anderson could have faced up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each of the fraud charges. The theft count carried a penalty of up to 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000.
Outside of court, Anderson didn’t directly address the allegations that led to her guilty plea. She said she “loved” her constituents and would remain focused on putting together a transitional plan for whomever replaces her.
“When I knew or decided that I needed to agree to a plea, I’ve been planning to make sure that my staff was OK, that my constituents were OK so that there’s a softer landing, that my family, my children are secure and OK,” she said, adding that she hoped the media would forget her in the weeks ahead.
When the plea deal was announced in April, Council President Ruthzee Louijeune said Anderson had agreed to resign. Anderson indicated she planned to do that this summer.
“Our residents look to elected officials to lead with integrity, and the Boston City Council must continue to do just that,” Louijeune said. “I am coordinating with counsel and staff to ensure that the rule of law and the rules of the body are executed effectively as we continue to receive information.”
Washington
Lawyer sues Trump administration over revocation of security clearance
WASHINGTON (AP) — A prominent Washington attorney sued the Trump administration Monday over the revocation of his security clearance, calling it an act of “improper political retribution” that jeopardizes his ability to continue representing clients in sensitive national security cases.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, challenges a March presidential memorandum that singled out attorney Mark Zaid and 14 other individuals who the White House asserted were unsuitable to retain their clearances because it was “no longer in the national interest.” The list included targets of Trump’s fury from both the political and legal spheres, including former Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, New York Attorney General Letitia James, former President Joe Biden and members of his family.
The action was part of a much broader retribution campaign that Trump has waged since returning to the White House, including by directing specific Justice Department investigations against perceived adversaries and issuing sweeping executive orders targeting law firms over legal work he does not like.
Since the memo was issued, his lawsuit says, Zaid has been informed by government agencies including the CIA that he can no longer access classified information in ongoing matters in light of Trump’s order. The “immediate effect” is that Zaid cannot continue to work for clients in cases that require his ability to review classified materials, “undermining his ability to continue to represent them and zealously advocate on their behalf in the national security arena,” according to the lawsuit.
“By implementing the Memorandum, Defendants have strayed far afield of any deference granted to them by existing case law. Instead, they have launched a bald-faced attack on a sacred constitutional guarantee: the right to petition the court or federal agencies on behalf of clients,” the lawsuit states. “An attack on this right is especially insidious because it jeopardizes Mr. Zaid’s ability to pursue and represent the rights of others without fear of retribution.”
The lawsuit was filed by a team of lawyers including Abbe Lowell, a veteran Washington lawyer who last week announced that he was opening his own legal practice and would represent targets of Trump’s retribution. Other clients include James, the New York attorney general, as well as Miles Taylor, who served in Trump’s first administration and was later revealed to be the author of an anonymous New York Times op-ed in 2018 that was sharply critical of Trump. Trump last month directed the Justice Department to investigate Taylor’s activities.
Zaid says in his lawsuit that he has represented clients across the political spectrum over nearly 35 years, including government officials, law enforcement and military officials and whistleblowers. In 2019, he represented an intelligence community whistleblower whose account of a conversation between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy helped set the stage for the first of two impeachment cases against Trump in his first term.
“His significant experience and qualifications make him remarkably valuable as counsel to current and former federal employees who require legal advice. As a lawyer well-versed in suing the United States Government,” the lawsuit says, “he is no stranger to identifying overreach and exposing the abuse of power. And that is exactly why he is being targeted now.”
Lawsuit planned over deputy’s shooting of airman who was killed in his own home
FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump says he will file a lawsuit against a former Florida sheriff’s deputy and others for the May 2024 shooting death of 23-year-old U.S. Senior Airman Roger Fortson.
Former Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Deputy Eddie Duran shot and killed Fortson, who was Black, at the door of Fortson’s apartment. Duran has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter. That criminal case is pending.
Crump plans a news conference Tuesday afternoon with Fortson family members in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, to discuss the lawsuit.
Crump says his lawsuit will contend that Duran used “excessive and unconstitutional deadly force” in the shooting. It will also outline what it calls failures of training and supervision at the sheriff’s office and claim the apartment complex where Fortson was shot provided “misleading, unverified information” that led to the violent response.
Authorities say Duran had been directed to Fortson’s Fort Walton Beach apartment in response to a domestic disturbance report that turned out to be false. After repeated knocking, Fortson opened the door while holding his handgun at his side, pointed down. Authorities say Duran shot him multiple times before telling Fortson to drop the gun.
Duran, 39, began his law enforcement career as a military police officer in the Army. An Oklahoma police department hired him in 2015 after his military discharge. He joined the Okaloosa County sheriff’s office in 2019, resigned two years later and then rejoined the sheriff’s office in 2023.
Okaloosa Sheriff Eric Aden fired Duran after Fortson’s death because an internal investigation concluded Duran’s life was not in danger when he opened fire.
Duran identifies as Hispanic, according to his voter registration.
Fortson grew up in Atlanta and joined the Air Force in 2019, the year he graduated from high school.
The apartment complex where Fortson lived is about 8 miles (13 kilometers) from Hurlburt Field. He was assigned to the 4th Special Operations Squadron as a special missions aviator, where one of his roles was to load a gunship’s 30 mm and 105 mm weapons.
His death was one of a growing list of killings of Black people by law enforcement in their own homes. It also renewed debate over Florida’s “stand your ground” law.
The case is in the pretrial hearing phase, with a hearing on motions set for May 20. Duran is out of jail on bond.
Crump, 55, is a well-known Black attorney based in Tallahassee, Florida, who has worked on numerous high-profile civil right cases and wrongful death lawsuits. His cases have included those involving other Black people who have been killed by law enforcement.
Pennsylvania
SafeSport Center to Sen. Grassley: ‘Should have been additional scrutiny’ on ex-cop’s hiring
The top lawyer for the U.S. Center for SafeSport wrote to Sen. Chuck Grassley that “there should have been additional scrutiny” when the center learned a vice cop it was considering hiring as an investigator had been subject to an internal investigation at his last job.
The center ended up hiring Jason Krasley, who was later charged with rape and other felonies from episodes that happened when he worked as an officer in Allentown, Pennsylvania. About 2 1/2 years after bringing him on, the center fired Krasley when it learned of his arrest for allegedly stealing money seized in a drug sting he participated in while with the force.
The Krasley affair led to the center’s CEO, Ju’Riese Colon, losing her job two weeks ago. It was general connsel Jessica Perrill who responded last week to a letter originally directed to Colon from Grassley, R-Iowa.
Among Grassley’s questions were why the center hired the former cop knowing he was subject of an internal investigation.
“There should have been additional scrutiny into the concerning statements by the reference, which would prompt additional scrutiny today,” Perrill wrote. “Unfortunately, we have been unable to find any evidence of further inquiry by the Center into the internal investigation.”
Perrill referenced a letter sent March 14 by Colon to Grassley that outlined stronger hiring policies the center has implemented in the wake of Krasley’s arrest.
They include enhanced reference checks and access to the National Decertification Index, which keeps track of officers who have been sanctioned because of misconduct.
Perrill wrote that the center learned on Sept. 4, 2024, of the 2019 theft allegations against Krasley and others involving harrasment from a separate arrest in June 2024. But, she said, the agency took no action because “law enforcement” asked the center to not do anything to tip off Krasley about a criminal investigation.
In the two months between learning about the allegations and firing Krasley, Perrill said the center “closely monitored Krasley’s work.”
“Nothing of concern was observed during this period,” Perrill wrote.
Massachusetts
Councilwoman pleads guilty to federal corruption charges in a kickback scheme
BOSTON (AP) — A Boston city councilor on Monday pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges after prosecutors accused her of taking most of an inflated bonus that she paid to a relative who worked for her.
Tania Fernandes Anderson pleaded guilty to one count each of wire fraud and theft concerning a program receiving federal funds. In exchange, prosecutors dropped four wire fraud counts against the 46-year-old lawmaker, who in 2021 became the first African immigrant and Muslim-American elected to the council.
Anderson was going through financial difficulties in 2023, partly because the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission told her it would fine her $5,000 for hiring immediate family members, according to prosecutors. Council members aren’t permitted to hire immediate family members as paid staff.
“Councilor Fernandes Anderson abused her position of trust for personal gain and turned a public checkbook into her own private slush fund,” United States Attorney Leah B. Foley said in a statement. “Her constituents deserve better than this. They deserve a city representative who respects the role of public service and does not use the power and position to line her own pockets ... Ms. Fernandes Anderson leaves a legacy not of a selfless trailblazer, but one of fraud, greed, and deceit.”
According to prosecutors, Anderson told her relative that she would give her a $13,000 bonus, which was more than twice as much as the combined bonuses she gave to the rest of the staff.
After taxes, the staffer received about $10,000. She withdrew the money in several bank transactions in May and June of 2023 before exchanging texts to meet Anderson in a City Hall bathroom that June 9, where she gave Anderson $7,000 of the money.
The government is seeking a sentence of one year and one day in prison followed by three years of supervised release and restitution in the amount of $13,000 when she is sentenced on July 29. Anderson could have faced up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each of the fraud charges. The theft count carried a penalty of up to 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000.
Outside of court, Anderson didn’t directly address the allegations that led to her guilty plea. She said she “loved” her constituents and would remain focused on putting together a transitional plan for whomever replaces her.
“When I knew or decided that I needed to agree to a plea, I’ve been planning to make sure that my staff was OK, that my constituents were OK so that there’s a softer landing, that my family, my children are secure and OK,” she said, adding that she hoped the media would forget her in the weeks ahead.
When the plea deal was announced in April, Council President Ruthzee Louijeune said Anderson had agreed to resign. Anderson indicated she planned to do that this summer.
“Our residents look to elected officials to lead with integrity, and the Boston City Council must continue to do just that,” Louijeune said. “I am coordinating with counsel and staff to ensure that the rule of law and the rules of the body are executed effectively as we continue to receive information.”
Washington
Lawyer sues Trump administration over revocation of security clearance
WASHINGTON (AP) — A prominent Washington attorney sued the Trump administration Monday over the revocation of his security clearance, calling it an act of “improper political retribution” that jeopardizes his ability to continue representing clients in sensitive national security cases.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, challenges a March presidential memorandum that singled out attorney Mark Zaid and 14 other individuals who the White House asserted were unsuitable to retain their clearances because it was “no longer in the national interest.” The list included targets of Trump’s fury from both the political and legal spheres, including former Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, New York Attorney General Letitia James, former President Joe Biden and members of his family.
The action was part of a much broader retribution campaign that Trump has waged since returning to the White House, including by directing specific Justice Department investigations against perceived adversaries and issuing sweeping executive orders targeting law firms over legal work he does not like.
Since the memo was issued, his lawsuit says, Zaid has been informed by government agencies including the CIA that he can no longer access classified information in ongoing matters in light of Trump’s order. The “immediate effect” is that Zaid cannot continue to work for clients in cases that require his ability to review classified materials, “undermining his ability to continue to represent them and zealously advocate on their behalf in the national security arena,” according to the lawsuit.
“By implementing the Memorandum, Defendants have strayed far afield of any deference granted to them by existing case law. Instead, they have launched a bald-faced attack on a sacred constitutional guarantee: the right to petition the court or federal agencies on behalf of clients,” the lawsuit states. “An attack on this right is especially insidious because it jeopardizes Mr. Zaid’s ability to pursue and represent the rights of others without fear of retribution.”
The lawsuit was filed by a team of lawyers including Abbe Lowell, a veteran Washington lawyer who last week announced that he was opening his own legal practice and would represent targets of Trump’s retribution. Other clients include James, the New York attorney general, as well as Miles Taylor, who served in Trump’s first administration and was later revealed to be the author of an anonymous New York Times op-ed in 2018 that was sharply critical of Trump. Trump last month directed the Justice Department to investigate Taylor’s activities.
Zaid says in his lawsuit that he has represented clients across the political spectrum over nearly 35 years, including government officials, law enforcement and military officials and whistleblowers. In 2019, he represented an intelligence community whistleblower whose account of a conversation between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy helped set the stage for the first of two impeachment cases against Trump in his first term.
“His significant experience and qualifications make him remarkably valuable as counsel to current and former federal employees who require legal advice. As a lawyer well-versed in suing the United States Government,” the lawsuit says, “he is no stranger to identifying overreach and exposing the abuse of power. And that is exactly why he is being targeted now.”
