New York Democratic lawmakers are working to keep Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik's House seat vacant until the summer in an unprecedented move hashed out during late-night discussions last week, a Republican Empire State assemblyman told Fox Digital. 

"We still haven't seen the final proposal from the Democrats in Albany, but there's no doubt that Tammany Hall corruption is alive and well in the state capital," Republican New York Assemblyman Matt Slater, who represents the state's 94th district in areas of Putnam and Westchester counties, told Fox News Digital in an exclusive Zoom interview on Sunday morning. 

"It is just blatantly corrupt for the New York State Democrats to keep changing the rules of engagement simply out of self-interest. Meanwhile, New Yorkers are struggling in so many different ways. U-Haul just gave us our worst migration rating ever because there's so many New Yorkers who are fleeing this state. So they can get things done, but they only do it when it benefits them," Slater continued. 

Slater, who serves as the ranking Republican on the state's Election Law Committee, was reacting to state Democrats working to introduce legislation that could keep Stefanik's House seat vacant until June, when the state holds its scheduled primary elections. Stefanik is in the midst of her confirmation process to serve in the Trump administration and is expected to resign her House seat if the Senate confirms her as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. 

STEFANIK LOOKS BACK TO FIERY EXCHANGES WITH COLLEGE LEADERS IN SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARING: 'WATERSHED MOMENT'  

Under current law, New York's governor has 10 days to declare a special election for a vacant seat and an additional 80 to 90 days to hold the election. Stefanik's seat is key for the Republican Party and Trump's second administration, as Republicans hold a slim majority at 218 members to the Democrats' 215 members. 

The state Democrats' anticipated legislation has not yet been introduced, but Democrats were summoned to an emergency conference on Friday evening to reportedly discuss such a bill, Slater explained. He expects to have a copy of the Democrats' bill on Monday morning. 

STEFANIK PLANS TO PUSH TRUMP'S 'AMERICA FIRST' AGENDA AT UN, MAKE SURE IT 'SERVES THE INTERESTS' OF US PEOPLE 

Slater said the Democrats' objective of changing election laws to move the special election back to the summer is part of their bigger agenda to combat the second Trump administration. 

"Speaker Johnson has the hardest job in government right now, trying to keep the Republican conference, caucus together. This obviously would make that margin of Republican control that much more thin and that much more challenging for the speaker and, again, jeopardizing President Trump's agenda to get through Congress. That's their entire mission and goal, the Albany Democrats, is to make sure that they're combating President Trump each step of the way. And this is their latest way of doing it," Slater said. 

He pointed to a bevy of instances in which New York Democrats have leveraged their state power to combat Trump and the Republican Party in recent years, including gerrymandering and "stacking" New York's top court with Democrats. 

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"If you look at the track record of the Democrats, who control every aspect of state government here in New York, they have changed the rules so many times just because it benefits them. Whether it's redistricting, whether it's stacking the Court of Appeals, whether it's allowing the governor to remove her then-indicted lieutenant governor from the ballot. The list goes on and on," he said. 

"And in this case, it will deprive 800,000 New Yorkers of proper representation in Washington. And oh by the way, there were two special elections last year. And the Democrats didn't say anything about changing the rules because fact of the matter is, these are Republican districts that will be impacted, and they are trying to disrupt the Trump administration and, frankly, Leader Johnson from being able to deliver on their agenda."

President Donald Trump nominated Stefanik to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under his second administration. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to advance the New York Republican's confirmation on Thursday, with her full Senate floor vote expected later this week. 

FETTERMAN STILL ENTHUSIASTICALLY SUPPORTIVE OF STEFANIK FOR US AMBASSADOR TO UN: 'ALWAYS WAS A HARD YES' 

Stefanik is expected to resign from the U.S. House to take the ambassadorship if and when the Senate officially confirms her nomination. 

A spokesperson for Democrat New York Gov. Kathy Hochul told Gothamist that she "believes it’s critical to increase voter turnout and reduce the cost of election administration, and she would support legislation that achieves that goal."

Slater poured cold water on the office's claim that the proposal is rooted in promoting voter turnout and easing costs, pointing to two special elections held last year – former Democrat Rep. Brian Higgins' seat as well as the February 2024 special election to replace former Republican Rep. George Santos' in a district where Democrats were expected to have an edge over the GOP. Democrats, who have held trifecta control in the state since 2018, did not push to change special election laws last year, Slater noted. 

WHAT STEFANIK'S HOUSE TENURE REVEALS ABOUT WHAT TYPE OF UN AMBASSADOR SHE MAY BE 

"I can't believe how hypocritical the governor and her office can be in this, because let me remind the governor that she had two special elections for Congress last year," he said.

"To sit here and say that this is going to save taxpayer money and increase voter turnout, but you didn't think about that last year when your own party had special elections that you were favored to win? Fact of the matter is, this has everything to do with the fact that this is a Republican seat. This is about control of Republicans in Congress, and this is about disrupting President Trump's agenda in Washington." 

Local outlets have reported the bill could push the special election beyond June to November, when the state holds its general elections, though Slater cast doubt that Democrats would push the envelope that far. 

"If you want to talk about increasing voter turnout and saving taxpayer money, they really don't have an excuse to wait past that June date. And so, you know, yes, it's always a possibility that November is the date that they put in the legislation. But I'm hard-pressed to believe that they would go that far," he said. 

Slater argued that the push from Democrats to approve the special election change is a wake-up call for New Yorkers.

"[It's] so transparently political that New Yorkers need to wake up, and they need to understand that this isn't the leadership that we're asking for. President Trump has a great agenda moving forward, and this is all about disrupting that agenda to put America first," he said.

Stefanik is a longtime Trump ally who chaired the House Republican Conference from 2021 to 2025, making her the fourth-most powerful Republican in the House. She was first elected to the House in blue New York in 2014 at age 30, making her the youngest woman elected to the House at the time.

Fox News Digital reached out to the governor's office on Sunday but did not immediately receive a reply.

Prosecutors released footage this week of alleged victims detailing their claims of sexual assault by the Alexander brothers, accused of drugging and then sexually assaulting and raping dozens of women across multiple states. 

Miami-Dade prosecutors released the videos on Tuesday as part of the state's cases against Oren and Alon Alexander, according to NBC6. 

Tal, 38, and Oren Alexander, 37, two prominent jet-setting brokers in New York and Miami, and their brother Alon Alexander, Oren's identical twin, were arrested in Miami Beach on Dec. 11 and have since been taken into federal custody. 

"I was scared for my life, just because of what I just experienced," one woman whose identity was concealed said in the footage. "Not only the rapes, but just, like, how they were."

WEALTHY FLORIDA REAL ESTATE BROTHERS' 'TROPHIES' UNCOVERED AS JUDGE DENIES BAIL: FEDS

On Dec. 31, 2016, she thought she was meeting Alon Alexander for a barbecue at a Miami Beach condo. But unexpectedly, she said, his twin brother Oren and a third man, Ohad Fisherman, were waiting for her arrival. 

"[Fisherman] just pushed me down and had his knees and hands on my shoulders holding me down," she recalled in the video, according to NBC6. "I was crying, and I know the whole time I was asking them not to do it . . . I was just like 'Please no, please no.'"

The woman claimed that Alon and Oren took turns raping her while Fisherman held her in place, according to her interview with investigators. All three men face sexual battery charges and are awaiting trial; Fisherman is not accused of raping the woman. 

The woman confided in family and friends about the terrifying ordeal but said she was too frightened of the men to report the attack at the time, NBC6 reported.

"They just had this weird presence about them," she said. "It was just very, very, very scary."

HIGH-PROFILE REAL ESTATE BROTHER MISSES HEARING AFTER MIX-UP IN IDENTICAL TWINS' SEX TRAFFICKING CASE

In October 2021, Oren allegedly invited another woman to his Flamingo Drive home. What was initially a flirtatious encounter devolved into assault, she said. 

"I start pulling away and as I pull away, he starts getting aggressive, kissing me, holding me firmly. He ripped the top of my dress," the second woman said in footage released this week. "He pushed me onto his bed, and I laid there stiff and in shock, and he got on top of me."

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Joel Denaro and Edward O'Donnell IV, attorneys representing Oren and Alon, told NBC6 that the accusers' stories "will collapse not only under their own weight but with evidence that will prove they are not believable."

"Aside from the obvious financial reward they are seeking after eight years of not reporting to law enforcement, we will show evidence, witnesses, and motivations contradicting their stories," he told the outlet.

Fisherman's attorney could not immediately be reached for comment.

LUXURY REAL ESTATE BROTHERS LURED DOZENS OF WOMEN OVER TWO DECADES WITH PROMISE OF LAVISH LIFESTYLE: FEDS

Currently, Oren, Alon and Tal are in federal custody in New York. There, they are facing sex trafficking charges, but they deny allegations against them. 

Law enforcement officers have interviewed over 40 women, who reported "being forcibly raped or sexually assaulted by at least one of the Alexander Brothers," according to a recent letter by the prosecution, obtained by Fox News Digital. 

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In many of these alleged instances, "one or more of the Alexander Brothers drugged their victim prior to the rape," prosecutors wrote in the letter addressed to U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni.

Each of the brothers has separately been accused by at least 10 women of forcible rape between 2002 or 2003 and 2021, according to the letter. 

'DIDDY' MAKES 3RD BAIL ATTEMPT AFTER PROSECUTORS ALLEGE HE BLACKMAILED VICTIMS FROM BEHIND BARS

Authorities executed a warrant on Dec. 11 to search Tal Alexander's apartment inside a skyscraper on Manhattan's "Billionaire's Row." During the search, multiple hard drives were discovered and seized, including one with a large quantity of sexually explicit videos and pictures, according to the letter and prosecutor's statement during a hearing earlier this month.

The apartment was previously shared by Oren and Tal Alexander, the letter continues, adding that the photos and videos were found on a hard drive in a closet that appeared to include items belonging to Oren. 

GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB 

The seized photos and videos depict "at least Oren, Alon, and several third parties recording or photographing themselves with women in states of intoxication and undress," and in multiple videos, "the women appear initially unaware that they were being recorded and became upset and attempted to hide or flee from the camera after realizing they were being filmed," prosecutors wrote.  

All three brothers were charged with one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and a separate count of sex trafficking of one woman by force, fraud or coercion. In addition, Tal Alexander was charged with the sex trafficking of a second victim.

Earlier this month, Judge Caproni denied bail, finding that the Alexander brothers pose a flight risk and a risk to the community. She said the evidence is strong, adding that the men pose a danger to unsuspecting women.

Alon Alexander appealed that decision on Tuesday, according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital.

Oren and Tal Alexander co-founded the real estate firm Official, which offers luxury listings in places like New York City, the Hamptons, Miami and Los Angeles, in 2022 after rising through the ranks at Douglas Elliman, one of the largest real estate brokerages in the country, according to prosecutors.

Their past clients include Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, Liam Gallagher and Lindsay Lohan, according to CBS News.

Fox News Digital's Mollie Markowitz contributed to this report.

Anti-Israel protesters say they spray-painted the front of a Columbia University building and "cemented" the sewage lines of another building to mark the one-year anniversary of a Palestinian girl who was killed by Israeli forces in 2024.

Three groups, in a joint post, uploaded a video to social media on Wednesday showing evidence of their defacement, while Columbia University says it is working with law enforcement to investigate the incident, which included "disturbing, personal attacks."

The video shows the front of the Henry R. Kravis Hall building at the university’s Business School in Manhattan being doused and then covered with red spray paint.

MASKED ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY DEMONSTRATE AS STUDENTS CHECK IN FOR FIRST DAY OF CLASSES

The walls of the women’s restroom at the university’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) building were also spray-painted with an image of Hind Rajab, the 6-year-old who died during Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza.

The protesters also sprayed the words "Keren eat Weiner" with a drawing of feces. The message relates to Rebecca Weiner, the NYPD’s deputy commissioner for intelligence, who also serves as an SIPA adjunct professor.

The protesters also claimed to have clogged the toilets with cement.

"One year ago, the world failed Hind. But today and every day we owe Hind, all our martyrs, and ourselves, action," the defiant post reads. "So today we acted. Inspired by Hind, and the bravery of every Palestinian child who has faced down Israeli genocide for the last century - whether they threw a Molotov at a checkpoint, a rock at a tank, or made a call for help. So long as they resist, so must we."

The women’s restrooms on the fourth, sixth, 14th, and 15th floors of the SIPA building were "vandalized with a cement-like substance causing the toilets to clog," according to an internal email by the university, cited by the Columbia Spectator. 

COLUMBIA STUDENTS CONFRONT ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS WHO STORMED CLASSROOM WITH ANTISEMITIC FLYERS

In the video, a gray watery substance is seen in a toilet.

"Early this morning, Columbia Business School’s main entrance was sprayed with red paint in an act of vandalism," the university said in a statement. "Vandalism of a University building in an attempt to disrupt our academic mission and intimidate or harass our community will not be tolerated. We will provide updates as they become available."

The three anti-Israel groups — the Palestine Solidarity Working Group, Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) and @nycresistswithgaza — bragged about the vandalism and wrote that they targeted the Henry R. Kravis Hall building because they say it is "one of Columbia's most recent violent gentrification projects into Harlem."

"The construction of which was conditioned on the creation of Columbia's Apartheid Global Center in ‘Tel Aviv.’ We will not allow this land-grab to go unchallenged."

They said that the SIPA building was targeted because it was the first Columbia institution to expel a student for their support for "Palestinian liberation," which is run by Keren. 

When a mob of anti-Israel protesters stormed the iconic Hamilton Hall academic building at the university in April during the campus protests, they rebranded it "Hind’s Hall," after Rajab. The group unfurled a banner with "Hind’s Hall" emblazoned on it and at the time they described her as a "Gazan Martyr."

Rajab was killed as she and her family were fleeing Gaza City when their vehicle was shelled.

The attack killed her uncle, aunt and three cousins, with Rajab and another cousin surviving. She contacted the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) to ask for help while noting that they were being attacked by an Israeli tank. 

And then there was a burst of gunfire. She screamed and fell silent. But after the organization sent an ambulance, it lost contact with the crew.

Twelve days later, the ambulance was discovered, blackened and destroyed. The two medics were dead and Rajab. Her cousin also died. 

The Palestinian Red Crescent accused Israeli forces of targeting the ambulance as it pulled up near the family’s vehicle. The organization said it had coordinated the journey with Israeli forces as in the past.

Wednesday's incident came on the same day President Donald Trump ordered a law enforcement crackdown on antisemitism on college campuses, including removing pro-Hamas activists with student visas from the country,

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams will have a limited public schedule this week, with his office saying that he will be undergoing medical tests. 

"Over the last few days, Mayor Adams hasn’t been feeling his best," New York City Deputy Mayor for Communications Fabien Levy said in a statement. Levy did not specify a condition or medical concern.  

ADAM SAYS NYC IS COORDINATING WITH ICE AS MASS MIGRANT DEPORTATIONS LOOM

"As a result, this week, the mayor will have a number of doctors’ appointments and undergo routine medical tests," Levy continued. "While Mayor Adams will continue to communicate constantly with staff and ensure city business continues undeterred, during this time, the mayor will have a limited public schedule."

Adams’ office said that New Yorker City Hall would continue its everyday functions as Adams focuses on his health this week.

NYC MAYOR ADAMS TO ATTEND INAUGURATION AT TRUMP TEAM'S REQUEST

"New Yorkers can rest assured that their local government will continue to deliver for them every day as our committed workforce at City Hall, and more than 300,000 employees at dozens of city agencies, continue to show up on the most important issues," Levy said. "Like every other New Yorker, Mayor Adams has a right to privacy when it comes to personal matters, but we will continue to communicate in the unlikely event he is unable to fully discharge his duties on any particular day."

Adams has cozied up to President Donald Trump this month, visiting West Palm Beach for a lunch meeting and then accepting Trump’s invitation to the Inauguration in Washington. Last week, the Democratic mayor agreed to work with the Trump administration on deporting migrants who commit violent crimes in New York City, earning a nod from President Trump’s own border czar Tom Homan.

Adams was indicted in Sept. 2024 for corruption and bribery charges. President Trump said Adams was treated "pretty unfairly" and that he was targeted for his tough stance on illegal immigration. Trump said he would consider a pardon for the New York City mayor.

An Israeli restaurant in Brooklyn was vandalized over the weekend in what New York City Mayor Eric Adams is calling a "despicable act of antisemitism." 

The New York City Police Department told Fox News Digital that its Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating after the phrases "Israel steals culture" and "Genocide cuisine" were found painted on the exterior of Miriam early yesterday morning. 

"This was a despicable act of antisemitism at Miriam, a beloved Israeli restaurant in Park Slope," Adams wrote on X, sharing images of the restaurant’s front door covered in red paint. 

"As mayor of the city with the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, I am particularly heartbroken by this evil act. Make no mistake, the NYPD is investigating and will find those responsible," he added. 

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The restaurant said it was "sadly vandalized with messages of hate," but "we refuse to let this darken our spirit." 

"Miriam stands for inclusivity and unity and bringing people together through the shared love of delicious food and warm hospitality. We celebrate the diverse flavors of the Mediterranean, where cultures intertwine and stories are shared," it wrote on Instagram. "We will continue to be a safe place where everyone feels welcome. Join us in spreading love, not hate." 

A second Miriam location in Manhattan’s Upper West Side neighborhood was vandalized in 2022, according to the New York Post. 

Owner Rafi Hasid decided to open the Brooklyn location on Sunday with the messages still painted on the glass, the newspaper reported. Three masked individuals reportedly were seen targeting the property around 3 a.m. Sunday. 

"I want the people to see it. I don’t want to wash it right away. People should see... that things like that happen," Hasid told the Post. 

HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR RECOUNTS HOW MOTHER SAVED HER LIFE, REVEALS MESSAGE TO UN 

The NYPD told Fox News Digital that as of Monday morning, "there are no arrests, and the investigation is being handled by the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force." 

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Rep. Ritchie Torres, both Democrats from New York, posted messages of support for Miriam in the wake of the incident. 

"I visited Miriam this evening, the Brooklyn restaurant that experienced despicable vandalism last night. I met with the owner, the workers, and their patrons," Schumer wrote on X. "I told them I stood with them, and that vandalizing a restaurant because the owner was Jewish was outright antisemitism. Period. Hate has no place in New York." 

"Jew-hatred will find no refuge in the City of New York," Torres added. "A hate crime against the Jewish community is a hate crime against all of us." 

They gathered for a moment of silence at 1:19 pm, the moment the bomb exploded.

The attack 50 years ago today was aimed at the heart of American liberty. 

It targeted a place where our nation was forged during the revolution and where George Washington took his leave knowing the future of his new nation was secured.

On December 4, 1783, nine days after the British evacuated New York City, Washington held a banquet at Fraunces Tavern in lower Manhattan to bid farewell to his troops.

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, DECEMBER 4, 1783, WASHINGTON BIDS FAREWELL TO HIS TROOPS AT FRAUNCES TAVERN IN NYC

On January 24, 1975, the Puerto Rican separatist group, the FALN, planted a bomb that ripped through the historic site at lunchtime, killing four and wounding more than 50 others in lower Manhattan. Sixty-six-year-old banker Harold Sherburne, 28-year-old businessmen Alex Berger and 32-year-old James Gezork were killed.

"They were really attacking the American people," says Joe Connor, whose father, Frank, was a 33-year-old banker who was killed in the terrorist attack.

"They attacked Fraunces Tavern because that's where George Washington bade farewell to his officers after the Revolutionary War, where the Sons of Liberty met and was a symbol of American liberty and justice and freedom, and they couldn’t abide by that."

Joe was 9 years old the day his father was killed, and in the decades since, he has dedicated his life to bringing justice for his father and the other victims. He is the author of "Shattered Lives: Overcoming the Fraunces Tavern Terror," which is also now a documentary. Connor has, with other families, elected officials and law enforcement, waged a mission to hold the terrorists to account.

No one has ever been charged in the attack, but the man believed to be the terrorist group's chief bomb maker, Willie Morales, escaped to Cuba, where he has lived along with an estimated 50 other U.S. fugitives. A bill in Congress named for Joe's father and New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster, who was killed by Black Liberation Army militant Joanne Chesimard, aka Assata Shakur, who also is on the lam in Cuba, demands Havana return the fugitives.

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, OCTOBER 25, 1944, FIRST KAMIKAZE SUICIDE PILOTS ATTACK US NAVY IN WORLD WAR II

"It's a very concise, clear bill demanding the return," says Connor. "There has been a mystique about the Castro regime and Che Guevara, of some fanciful romantic view of these people. But they were nothing but Marxist thugs and were waging their own war on the United States for many, many years."

In his final days in office, former President Joe Biden removed Cuba from the State Department list of State Sponsors of Terrorism.

President Donald Trump immediately put Havana back on the list, and in his first term also vowed to put pressure on Cuba to return Morales and the other fugitives.

During his U.S. Senate confirmation hearing, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for Cuba to cough up the criminals who remain on the lam.

"There are fugitives of American justice, including cop killers and others who are actively hosted in Cuba and protected from the long arm of American justice by the Cuban regime. So, there is no doubt in my mind that they meet all the qualifications for being a state sponsor of terrorism," Rubio said.

Over the last two decades, FALN members have been granted clemency, as if the years that passed lessened their crimes. President Barack Obama commuted the 70-year sentence of Oscar Lopez Rivera, who was convicted of seditious conspiracy and charged with other crimes. President Bill Clinton offered clemency to the terrorist group's imprisoned members, which eleven accepted in 1999.

NYPD SAYS 'NOT A TERRORIST ATTACK' AFTER 10 SHOT OUTSIDE NYC EVENT SPACE ON NEW YEAR'S DAY

At a ceremony marking the bombing, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the bombing "was terrorism in its purest form, meant to frighten, intimidate, to injure, maim and kill in order to achieve their political purpose.

"For 50 years, no one has been held accountable for this attack, which remains an open investigation by the NYPD and the Joint Terrorism Taskforce," Tisch said. "Our department never forgets."

Before the ceremony marking the bombing, there was an emotional luncheon attended by family members, dozens of former FBI agents, survivors of the bombing and others.

Joe Connor's son, Frank, named for his grandfather and who is studying to be a priest, gave the benediction.

"We remember the four men who were killed 50 years ago today in this very place, and all of those whose lives were cut short by terrorism."

Joe noted how the gathering was being held by the door where the bomb, which consisted of ten pounds of dynamite, was placed inside an unassuming briefcase.

"Cuba has to eventually turn these people over, and the only way that will happen is by keeping them on the State Sponsor of Terrorism list and by keeping the pressure on Cuba," he says. "This is the moment to do it."

Three wealthy brothers were accused last month of drugging and then sexually assaulting and raping dozens of women in multiple states, and authorities say new video evidence in the case shows the "depraved" nature of their alleged crimes. 

Tal, 38, and Oren Alexander, 37, two prominent jet-setting brokers in New York and Miami, and their brother Alon Alexander, Oren's identical twin, were arrested in Miami Beach on Dec. 11 and have since been taken into federal custody. 

Law enforcement officers have interviewed over 40 women, who reported "being forcibly raped or sexually assaulted by at least one of the Alexander Brothers," according to a recent letter by the prosecution, obtained by Fox News Digital. 

HIGH-PROFILE REAL ESTATE BROTHER MISSES HEARING AFTER MIX-UP IN IDENTICAL TWINS' SEX TRAFFICKING CASE

In many of these alleged instances, "one or more of the Alexander Brothers drugged their victim prior to the rape," prosecutors wrote in the letter filed last week and addressed to U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni, the New York judge who presided over a hearing in the case on Wednesday. 

Prosecutors on Wednesday argued against setting bail for the brothers, whose "incentives to flee are through the roof," they said, arguing that the Alexanders have significant foreign connections. 

After hearing arguments for three hours, Judge Caproni denied bail, finding the Alexander brothers pose a flight risk and a risk to the community. She said the evidence is strong, adding that the men pose a danger to unsuspecting women. 

Each of the brothers has separately been accused by at least 10 women of forcible rape between 2002 or 2003 and 2021, the letter continues. 

Authorities executed a warrant on Dec. 11 to search Tal Alexander's apartment inside a skyscraper on Manhattan's "Billionaire's Row." During the search, multiple hard drives were discovered and seized, including one with a large quantity of sexually explicit videos and pictures, according to the letter and prosecutor's statement during Wednesday's hearing.

The apartment was previously shared by Oren and Tal Alexander, the letter continues, adding that the photos and videos were found on a hard drive in a closet that appeared to include items belonging to Oren. 

LUXURY REAL ESTATE BROTHERS LURED DOZENS OF WOMEN OVER TWO DECADES WITH PROMISE OF LAVISH LIFESTYLE: FEDS

The seized photos and videos depict "at least Oren, Alon, and several third parties recording or photographing themselves with women in states of intoxication and undress," and in multiple videos, "the women appear initially unaware that they were being recorded and became upset and attempted to hide or flee from the camera after realizing they were being filmed," prosecutors wrote. 

Other videos found in Tal Alexander's apartment show Alon and Oren Alexander and other men engaged in sexual contact with women "who are visibly under the influence of alcohol or other substances," the letter continues, adding that in some cases, at least one of the brothers and another man "physically manipulated the women’s bodies in order to have sex with them while the women did not actively participate in the sexual activity or turned away."

Prosecutors explained that the new evidence reveals the "depraved nature" of the brothers' actions, as well as the "immense danger" they present. 

"The fact that video versions of trophies of the defendants’ criminal conduct were found in Tal Alexander’s residence as recently as last month also suggests that the defendants have not closed the door on their criminal conduct," the letter continues. 

'DIDDY' MAKES 3RD BAIL ATTEMPT AFTER PROSECUTORS ALLEGE HE BLACKMAILED VICTIMS FROM BEHIND BARS

Prosecutors allege that the Alexander brothers "worked together, and with others known and unknown to repeatedly and violently drug, sexually assault, and rape" victims in New York, Miami and elsewhere, according to a federal indictment filed in December.

All three brothers were charged with one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and a separate count of sex trafficking of one woman by force, fraud or coercion. In addition, Tal Alexander was charged with the sex trafficking of a second victim.

As part of their sex trafficking conspiracy, the Alexander brothers "engaged in a persistent pattern of rape and sexual assault, which included both pre-planned trips and events for which the defendants recruited women to attend and then raped and sexually assaulted them, as well as opportunistic rapes and sexual assaults of numerous victims who they encountered by chance," prosecutors say.

According to the charges in the indictment, the three brothers had conspired in the sex-trafficking scheme since at least 2010, but prosecutors have alleged that their sexual violence against women actually spans more than 20 years, dating as far back as when the men were in high school in Miami.

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Defense attorneys for the three brothers have argued that they committed no sexual assaults, and that their relationships with the alleged victims were consensual, according to court records.  

Attorneys for Tal Alexander wrote a responding letter to Judge Caproni this week, arguing that the prosecution "fails to detail when the videos were taken, how many videos, if any, the defendants are in, whether the purported participants have been identified, or whether the videos even depict non-consensual sexual activity."

At Wednesday's hearing, Judge Caproni said the women in the videos appear visibly incapacitated, adding, "In my view, that is rape." 

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Oren and Tal Alexander co-founded the real estate firm Official, which offers luxury listings in places like New York City, the Hamptons, Miami and Los Angeles, in 2022 after rising through the ranks at Douglas Elliman, one of the largest real estate brokerages in the country, according to prosecutors.

Their past clients include Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, Liam Gallagher and Lindsay Lohan, according to CBS News.

Alon Alexander, 37, did not work in real estate, but he socialized with them.

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The Alexander brothers are still in custody in Florida and will be moved to New York next week, the judge added. They will likely be housed at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC), the same prison where Sean "Diddy" Combs and Sam Bankman-Fried are being held. 

The next status conference in the case is scheduled for Jan. 29. 

Video captured a New York City bus teetering on the edge of an overpass after a bus driver lost control and skidded into a wall, according to officials.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Fire Department of New York confirmed to Fox News Digital the driver missed a turn at 8:40 a.m. Friday and careened into a stone wall. 

Video footage captured the passenger bus dangling over a roadway on the Henry Hudson Parkway and Kappock Street in the Bronx. The bus, identified as a BXM1 bus, runs to and from Manhattan.

No passengers were riding the bus and the driver was not injured, officials said. Firefighters were able to help the bus driver without injury.

MAN BRUTALLY SHOVED OFF NYC SUBWAY PLATFORM, STRUCK BY INCOMING TRAIN IN CAUGHT ON CAMERA ATTACK

Video captured fire department officials responding to the scene, where the bus had knocked down stone rubble from the overpass to the street below. 

NEW JERSEY MAYOR FLOATS ‘REVERSE CONGESTION PRICING’ TOLL IN RESPONSE TO NYC'S CONTROVERSIAL TOLL

Firefighters used a heavy-duty cable and hooked it on the bus to pull it back from the steep fall, video showed.

Authorities said the cause of the crash was still being investigated and the Department of Transportation will investigate the incident. 

Construction workers are breaking ground for a new highway in Syracuse, New York, while archaeologists follow not far behind.

A team discovered 11 toilets likely dating back to the mid-1800s, local news outlet Syracuse.com reported.

Crews had sifted through composted human waste to find items that residents had apparently tossed into the toilets. 

ANCIENT TOMB BELONGING TO DOCTOR WHO TREATED EGYPTIAN PHARAOHS DISCOVERED BY ARCHAEOLOGISTS

Daniel Seib, an archaeologist, told Syracuse.com, "Each one of these privies is a little time capsule for us."

Teams sifted through 5-foot deep pits, finding a cow bone, a shell and a pocket watch, according to Syracuse.com.

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They also found large chunks of broken plates and a jug handle.

"These are all of the things that they held, and they used and this tells you about how they lived their lives. It’s a very personal thing. So whenever we get artifacts like this, we treat them with great respect," said Seib.

Centuries ago, before indoor plumbing, people would use outhouses separate from their homes.

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Waste workers called "night soil men" would remove feces "from privies under the cloak of darkness so that polite society would be spared from confronting its own feces," according to Waste360, a New York-headquartered company that offers sustainable waste management solutions.

The artifacts will reportedly be sent to the New York State Museum in Albany for public viewing.

Fox News Digital reached out to the New York State Museum for comment.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, announced Tuesday a plan to offer free tuition for certain degree programs at state and city colleges.

The governor announced the education proposal during her state of the state address, in which she also vowed to give students free meals at schools, make it more difficult for hedge funds to buy homes, cut taxes for middle-class earners and expand the child tax credit.

Under the free tuition plan, New York residents between the ages of 25 and 55 who enroll in associate degree programs in nursing, teaching, technology, engineering and other fields at colleges operated by the State University of New York and the City University of New York would have their tuition covered.

NEW YORK GOV. KATHY HOCHUL SEEKS EXPANDED INVOLUNTARY COMMITMENT LAWS OVER VIOLENT CRIMES ON SUBWAY

The state would also cover the cost of books and other college fees.

"When my dad got a college education, our whole family got a shot at a better life — and I want every New Yorker to have that opportunity," Hochul said in a statement. "Under my plan, every New Yorker will have the opportunity to pursue a free degree at SUNY and CUNY community colleges to help fill the in-demand jobs of tomorrow."

Other states have similar tuition programs, and several others offer various discounted tuitions for state colleges.

New York residents already receive discounted tuition at the vast network of state and city colleges, which consists of nearly 90 schools, and a program that already provides free tuition at the institutions for residents who make less than $125,000 a year.

Hochul also said she wants to address the problem of smartphones in K-12 schools by creating a statewide standard for distraction-free learning in the state.

Additionally, Hochul said she will work to address crime, expand mental health treatment services and to strengthen security in the New York City subway system after a surge in violent crimes on the subway. This would include plans to add police patrols on overnight trains and install barriers and better lighting on platforms.

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The governor's proposals will be debated in the Democrat-controlled state legislature.

She is expected to face a contested Democratic primary election next year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

In her State of the State address Tuesday, New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul is expected to lay out her "Cap & Invest" anti-pollution program that critics warn will cause gasoline and utility costs to soar in the already fossil-fuel-averse state.

The plan seeks to reduce emissions by levying companies for their greenhouse gas outputs and investing that money into initiatives like retrofitting buildings to run on green electric power.

A "cap" refers to the limit of greenhouse gas emissions that is imposed by a state. The "cap" is often projected to decrease each year in order to meet climate change prevention goals.

The state then can set up an auction to let energy companies bid on pollution-weight-based "allowances" – the proceeds from which can be invested by the government in "green" initiatives, according to New York Focus.

NY LAWMAKERS DEMAND SUBWAY CHIEF'S OUSTER AFTER COMMENTS DISMISSIVE OF CRIME AMID NEW TOLLS

New York drivers could see more pain at the pump from such a proposal, according to critics like the nonpartisan group Upstate United, which advocates for boosting upstate New York's economy. 

The AAA average gas price in New York sits at $3.14/gallon – comparable to most of the surrounding states except Pennsylvania – which usually remains higher than the rest of the Northeast due to its nationally-third-highest gas tax.

A Hochul spokesman told the New York Post that the governor is "focused on lowering the cost of living, putting money back in New Yorkers’ pockets with refunds, tax credits and more."

Since Democrats took the executive reins from term-limited GOP Gov. George Pataki in 2007 and have held them without interruption, the Empire State has progressively restricted energy exploration in the state. 

The trend began with Gov. David Paterson’s 2010 "timeout" on hydraulic fracturing for natural gas that effectively remains to this day. 

The "Marcellus Shale" range is named for a town in New York – but any fracking activity since that time has occurred on the Pennsylvania end of the deposits.

State Sen. Tom O’Mara, R-Elmira, represents a district that sits on part of the Marcellus oil shale formation that remains untouchable under state policy.

Natural gas wells dot the countryside in neighboring Bradford and Tioga counties just to the south in Pennsylvania, but the landscape is clear of any signs of exploration to those traversing NY-17 through New York’s Southern Tier only a few miles away.

HOCHUL CHRISTMASTIME BOAST OF SAFER SUBWAYS CAME AMID STRING OF ALARMING VIOLENT ATTACKS

On Monday, O’Mara criticized what he called the latest "radical climate mandate" to be handed down:

"Gov. Hochul and the Albany Democrats are going to keep talking about addressing New York's affordability crisis. But it's clear that their actions like Cap and Invest, more aptly called 'Cap and Tax'… will only keep driving this state into the ground economically," he said.

In 2014, O’Mara slammed New York’s original decision to ban fracking in his area, saying it "eviscerates the hope of so many Southern Tier farmers, landowners, businesses and potential jobs in the natural gas industry."

Hochul’s cap-and-tax plan, he said, will only increase the cost of doing business in New York and drive more families and employers out of the state while exacerbating the affordability crisis.

The plan shows the governor is out of touch with New Yorkers, Assembly Minority Leader William Barclay told Fox News Digital.

"The last thing we need is more unworkable environmental policy from Albany that drives costs up and drives residents away. Democrats constantly lecture us about the need for Cap and Invest and other misguided energy policy, but when people are paying more at the pump and can’t afford their heating bills, who benefits?" asked Barclay, R-Oneida.

"It’s our responsibility to make sure New Yorkers have reliable, affordable energy sources – not force consumers to subsidize the green dreams of the liberal environmental lobby." 

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In 2021, then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo successfully shuttered the massive 2,000MW Indian Point nuclear power generation plant on the Hudson River opposite Haverstraw.

Cuomo cited safety concerns at the time and said "it does not belong… in close proximity to the most densely-populated area in the country." Critics responded that that area cited – New York City – relied heavily on the power it generated and complained of increased utility bills.

A 2019 law commits New York to net-zero emissions by 2050, according to The New York Times.

Nationally, "Cap & Trade" first entered the American lexicon during the 2008 presidential campaign, when then-Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., wooed environmentalists with the idea of taxing entities that release greenhouse gases and affect the atmosphere.

New York officials are considering imposing emissions restrictions on a popular grilling appliance as their latest climate crackdown, claiming that such regulations could prevent premature deaths.

The blue state's Department of Environmental Protection proposed a new rule to establish emissions standards for under-fire commercial char broilers, a commonly used method of cooking meat that gives it a smokey taste. 

The proposed rule would force all New York City restaurants using under-fire char broilers installed after May 2016 to cut emissions from the appliance by 75%.

Additionally, under the rule, NYC restaurants that char-broil more than 875 pounds of meat per week would not be allowed to operate, with the exception that the business has an approved emissions control device.

HOCHUL'S POLLUTERS PAY BILL COULD RESULT IN REGRESSIVE COSTS FOR WORKING FAMILIES: ECONOMISTS

In the proposed rule, reviewed by Fox News Digital, officials claimed that such regulations on meat cooking appliances could prevent hundreds of deaths. 

The document cited a study by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on premature deaths attributed to particulate matter (PM) — solid particles like smoke or dust, released when cooking or burning fires.

"If all char broilers had control technology installed, the reduction in ambient PM concentrations could have prevented nearly 350 of these premature deaths each year," the proposed rule reads.

BIDEN ADMIN EXPECTED TO OFFER CALIFORNIA WAIVER TO BAN GAS-POWERED CARS BY 2035: REPORT

The study reportedly found that commercial char broilers released an estimated 1,400 tons of PM per year in New York's five boroughs, which they concluded contributed to more than 12% of PM attributable premature deaths annually from 2005 to 2007. 

But restaurant owners are fuming at the potential regulation.

"The fact that this is even an issue is a nothingburger," Alan Rosen, who owns Juniors in NYC, a restaurant that uses the charred meat method, told the New York Post.  

"People are getting knifed in the subway, and they’re worried about charbroilers? We’ve been doing this for almost 75 years. It’s absolutely ridiculous."

In the proposed rule, the department acknowledges the difficulty in requiring New York City restaurants to undergo emissions tests.

"Demonstrating the 75% PM reduction presented a challenge for many restaurant owners who do not have an Environmental Protection Agency Method 5 certified emissions control device," the proposal reads.

A public hearing on the proposed rule will be held on Jan. 29, 2025.

Democratic New York Sen. Chuck Schumer celebrated a 100-year-old Holocaust survivor living on Long Island on Monday, gifting her with a flag that flew over the U.S. Capitol in her honor, as well as bestowing her with a special Senate floor recognition as a New York "hometown hero," Fox News Digital learned. 

"I am proud to honor a living legend right here on Long Island today, and that is Pina Frassineti Wax," Schumer said Monday, according to a press release provided to Fox Digital. "Pina is whip smart, energetic and going strong—but she also remembers the horrors of the Holocaust, and having seen it all, Pina has dedicated her life to teaching, loving and learning."

"The number of Americans who are both 100-years-old, and also survived the Holocaust, is not a high number, so knowing that a living legend is right on Long Island should give Pina’s family, friends, neighbors and all New Yorkers an amazing life story to celebrate," Schumer continued. 

Pina Frassineti Wax, 100, is originally from Rome, Italy, and survived the Holocaust before settling in Long Island’s hamlet of Baldwin. Schumer gifted Frassineti Wax a flag that flew in her honor at the Capitol, and announced she will also receive a Senate floor recognition later Monday commemorating her "living legend status on Long Island."

HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE 2024 AS SCOPE OF DEATH, HORROR AND THREAT STILL HARD TO COMPREHEND TODAY

"As a centenarian, and going—Pina, born in Rome, Italy, has witnessed a century of profound change in the world, from the devastating losses of the Holocaust to the remarkable advancements in human rights, democracy, and peace, always advocating for truth, justice, and remembrance," Schumer said while presenting the Holocaust survivor with the flag that flew in her honor. 

The New York senator explained that before Frassineti Wax fled Europe for America, she and her family hid in a Catholic convent to escape the Nazis. 

HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR: IT 'NEVER OCCURRED' TO ME I’D HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT MY GRANDCHILDREN

"Pina has not only survived, but she has thrived—from the Jewish ghetto in Rome to the promise of America and her community on Long Island. Pina’s history includes the loss of family in Dachau. Pina remembers well, having to hide with her mother and brother in a Catholic convent to escape the Nazis," Schumer said. 

"She would face great trauma and worry during the Holocaust, but she never gave up. Her loving husband, Mario Wax, was also a Jewish Italian. Mario joined the U.S. Army, being awarded a Bronze Star. They shared forty-four wonderful years together."

SUNNY HOSTIN LIKENS JANUARY 6 RIOT TO THE HOLOCAUST, SAYS WE CAN 'NEVER FORGET'

Schumer's announcement comes just ahead of Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan. 27. 

"Pina’s milestone year—her hundredth—serves as a remarkable testament to her perseverance and triumph during one of the darkest chapters of human history, emerging from the horrors of the Holocaust with an unwavering commitment to survival, and rebuilding, while ensuring that the atrocities committed are never forgotten," Schumer continued. 

Frassineti Wax was joined by members of her family, as well as Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman on Monday. 

The recognition comes as the war in Israel continues since October of 2023. New York was rocked by antisemitic protests in response to the war last year, including agitators and student protesters flooding college campuses, notably at Columbia University. 

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass rejected an offer from the New York Fire Department to help battle deadly wildfires scorching the Golden State, the New York Post reported.

As of Friday morning, the California fires have burned more than 10,000 homes and buildings in the Los Angeles area. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently agreed to pay for more firefighters after the state reported it was beyond capacity.

New York City Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker extended the offer in "recent days," according to the report. JetBlue agreed to pay for the firefighters' fares to the city.

LA FIRE SOUNDED ALARM ON BUDGET CUTS IMPACTING WILDFIRE RESPONSE: MEMO

Mexico is sending crews to help contain the Eaton Fire, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday via X.

"California is deeply grateful for President @ClaudiaShein's support as we work to suppress the Los Angeles wildfires," Newsom wrote. "Our partnership and shared commitment to helping communities in need is greatly valued."

CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES DEVASTATE LOS ANGELES COUNTY, KILLING 5 AND THREATENING THOUSANDS OF HOMES

On a call with Fox News Digital on Friday afternoon, FDNY officials said they would prepare a statement. 

However, minutes later, they responded with an email saying, "We are currently unable to confirm or comment on this."

New York lawmakers called for the governor-appointed chairman of the New York City transit system to be fired amid accusations he downplayed a rash of subway crime to praise new Manhattan tolls that are aimed at driving commuters underground.

In comments on a Bloomberg podcast, MTA Chairman Janno Lieber argued that crime on the MTA has declined and that the recent viral incidents are giving an impression of a system-wide safety crisis.

"The overall stats are positive. Last year, we [had] actually 12.5% less crime than 2019 . . . , " he said.

"But there's no question that some of these high-profile incidents; terrible attacks, have gotten in people's heads and made the whole system feel less safe." 

SUBWAY MAYHEM SPURS CUOMO TO URGE HALT TO NEW NYC DRIVING TAX

Rep. Michael Lawler, R-N.Y., shared a clip of Lieber ceremonially unveiling one of the new "Congestion Pricing" setups near Lincoln Center and said the agency "needs an enema; starting with Janno Lieber."

"Imagine being such an a--hole as to celebrate screwing New Yorkers out of their hard-earned money just for the privilege to drive to work," Lawler wrote, adding that Hochul "needs to be defeated in 2026."

Lieber ripped Lawler in response, telling MSNBC that the Rockland County lawmaker was dabbling in "grievance politics."

Lieber claimed that a plurality of Lawler’s constituents – in bedroom communities 30 miles north of the city – already rely on mass transit and that only "one percent" make the daily drive down the Palisades to the "congestion-pricing" zone.

HOCHUL CHRISTMASTIME BOAST OF SAFER SUBWAYS CAME AMID STRING OF ALARMING VIOLENT ATTACKS

New York’s new $9 toll to enter any part of Manhattan below Central Park has enraged commuters, as well as residents within its bounds.

Commuters from Long Island found themselves bottlenecked in trying to access the last unaffected entry to Manhattan – the Upper Level of the Queensboro Bridge.

One East Side luxury building's exit also unintentionally forced residents through a toll gantry, even if they are trying to go uptown; away from the zone, while outer neighborhoods braced for a deluge of suburbanites looking for parking to avoid the toll.

New York Senate Deputy Minority Leader Andrew Lanza, R-Staten Island, torched Lieber:

"Janno: pull your head out of your piles of statistics, get out from behind your computer, and walk a mile in your riders’ shoes before you ignore, dismiss and insult them," Lanza said.

"The people of this state and city deserve the truth and real solutions, not eggheads trying to convince themselves they’re doing a good job."

Sen. Bill Weber of Valley Cottage added: "Albany Democrats claim congestion pricing is to reduce traffic congestion, but at what cost? It punishes everyday people—working parents, firefighters, seniors going to doctor's appointments, and those who already struggle to make ends meet."

"For them, this isn’t just a toll; it’s another obstacle in their daily lives. Tell me, how is that progressive?" he asked.

Sen. Steve Rhoads of Nassau previously quipped that the MTA’s acronym stands for "Money Thrown Away" and said this week that his constituents who rely on trains like the LIRR have grown distrustful of the agency.

"[Lieber] has no idea what it is to be a working-class New Yorker," Rhoads said. "While affordability and safety are huge concerns for real people, they are abstract concepts for him."

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Lieber was previously an executive at Silverstein Properties — recently overseeing a World Trade Center project — a transportation adviser to President Bill Clinton and Mayor Ed Koch, and a journalist for the New Republic. 

He was also the MTA’s capital development officer under Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Cuomo, who still strongly supports the congestion pricing plan, recently told Fox News Digital through a spokesman that he, however, has reservations about whether now is the right time to activate the tolls – given the lack of confidence in subway safety and changes in the city since the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It is undeniable that New York is in a dramatically different place today than it was in 2019, and without a study forecasting its consequences based on facts, not politics, it could do more harm than good to New York City's recovery," Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi said last week.

State Sen. Alexis Weik, R-Suffolk, called the video of Lieber’s Broadway sign-reveal "a despicable show of glee and greed" and called for a financial review board to scrutinize the transit agency’s books.

In response to the slew of calls for Lieber's ouster, MTA Chief of Policy & External Relations John J. McCarthy defended the transit boss.

"Under Chair Lieber’s leadership, the MTA has added service, opened new terminals and provided record on-time performance for their constituents on Long Island and the Hudson Valley, while delivering the most reliable subway service in a dozen years," McCarthy said.

"But apparently, none of that prevents out-of-touch politicians from bloviating."

Attorneys and legal experts railed against New York Judge Juan Merchan sentencing President-elect Donald Trump in the NY v. Trump case just days ahead of his inauguration as president, saying the case will be remembered as "one of the worst" cases in history. 

"I'll tell you how it strikes me, when you look at cases throughout history, not just in the United States, but really all over the world, this will be remembered as one of the worst. This will be remembered as an absolute injustice from the beginning," Fox News host Mark Levin said on Fox News after the sentencing. 

Merchan sentenced Trump on Friday morning to unconditional discharge, meaning he faces no punishment such as fines or jail time.

"This is the end of the politicalization of the justice system," said Fox News contributor Leo Terrell, a civil rights attorney whom Trump named this week as senior counsel to the assistant attorney general for civil rights at the Department of Justice in his upcoming administration. 

DONALD TRUMP SENTENCED WITH NO PENALTY IN NEW YORK CRIMINAL TRIAL, AS JUDGE WISHES HIM 'GODSPEED' IN 2ND TERM

"Trump's victory in the election basically, in my opinion, neutered this case. And the attempt to stain President Trump, to tarnish him with the scarlet felon, is going to be reversed just a matter of time. And I'm telling you this with 35 years of experience, this case should have never had been tried. It was done for one reason, to stop President Trump from becoming the 47th president. I want to be very clear, it failed."

Terrell added in his comments to Fox Digital that he is "salivating to get to the Department of Justice," where he will be "very involved in pursuing justice" surrounding the NY case and others brought against Trump. 

"I'm going to be involved in stopping anti-semitism and to stop going after Catholic families, parents who go to a school board meeting, and the misuse, the abuse of using the legal system for political gain. So, I'm going be involved in any investigation, and I hope I'm working there 24/7 to uncover all this nonsense," he said, noting that documents and correspondence surrounding the Trump cases will be "exposed." 

Merchan highlighted Friday ahead of sentencing that the court system handled Trump's case as it handles every other criminal case. 

"After careful analysis, this court determined the only lawful sentence that permits entry of judgment of conviction is an unconditional discharge," Merchan said Friday. "At this time, I impose that sentence to cover all 34 counts." 

Merchan added, "Sir, I wish you Godspeed as you assume your second term in office."

REPUBLICANS BLAST 'JOKE' SENTENCING OF TRUMP 10 DAYS BEFORE SWEARING IN

Fox News contributor and lawyer Trey Gowdy underscored on Friday that if Trump's case was handled the same as any other in New York, it shows "there are a lot of bad trials going on" in the state. 

"Court time is precious. It is a precious resource. To waste this time on a case, where even the prosecution agrees you should not spend a minute. So if Juan Merchan says this case was not handled any differently, that just tells me there are lots of bad trials going on in New York," Gowdy said. 

Legal scholar and Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley compared Merchan's remark that Trump's case was similar to any other in New York to Mary Shelley's "Dr. Frankenstein." 

"Merchan appears to be making the case in his own defense and insisted that this case is no different from any other case in New York. It is a case being made long after the jury has left the courthouse. This is like Dr. Frankenstein telling his creature that he is just like any other man. Stitching together this case from a dead misdemeanor and declined federal charges is anything but ordinary," Turley said on X. 

Trump addressed the court ahead of sentencing that the case was a "great embarrassment to the state of New York," while highlighting that voters "decisively" re-elected him to the White House in November. 

Fox News legal editor Kerri Urbahn added on Friday that as she walked into the courtroom, she noticed widespread support for Trump on the streets. 

"The only protesters, per se, who were here were Trump supporters. And even as I'm standing here right now, I'm looking into a square and I'm looking at people holding Trump flags, I'm looking at a person who has a sign that says, 'Enough is enough. We voted. We don't want this lawfare anymore.'" 

During Trump's trial in the spring of last year, no cameras were permitted in the courtroom. For the sentencing, however, Merchan agreed to allow audio, which Urbahn found odd. 

"It is noteworthy that during the trial, there was no audio. There were no cameras, but for this particular sentencing, Judge Merchan agreed to have audio. I can't help but think if it's because he wants the world to hear his voice sentence Donald Trump because we were not able to have that before," she said on Fox News. 

Merchan set Trump’s sentencing for Jan. 10 earlier this month, and was swiftly met with repeated attempts to delay and block the sentencing. Merchan said ahead of the sentencing that he would likely not "impose any sentence of incarceration" on Trump, and instead hand down an "unconditional discharge." 

Trump’s legal team filed an appeal to block sentencing from moving forward with the New York State Court of Appeals. However, the court rejected his request. Trump also filed an emergency motion with the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that it "immediately order a stay of pending criminal proceedings in the Supreme Court of New York County, New York, pending the final resolution of President Trump’s interlocutory appeal raising questions of Presidential immunity, including in this Court if necessary." 

"The Court should also enter, if necessary, a temporary administrative stay while it considers this stay application," Trump’s filing requested. 

TRUMP TO BE SENTENCED IN NEW YORK CRIMINAL TRIAL

The Supreme Court denied the request. Justice Clarence Thomas, Justice Samuel Alito, Justice Neil Gorsuch and Justice Brett Kavanaugh indicated that they would have granted Trump’s petition to postpone sentencing, while the order suggested Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett voted with Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Katanji Brown Jackson to deny Trump’s request. 

TRUMP FILES MOTION TO STAY ‘UNLAWFUL SENTENCING’ IN NEW YORK CASE

Trump has vowed to appeal the conviction, arguing that evidence in the case implicated his duties as president during his first term after the Supreme Court’s ruling in July that former presidents have substantial immunity from prosecution for official acts in office but not for unofficial acts. 

TRUMP FILES EMERGENCY PETITION TO SUPREME COURT TO PREVENT SENTENCING IN NY V. TRUMP

"I will be appealing this case, and am confident that JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL. The pathetic, dying remnants of the Witch Hunts against me will not distract us as we unite and, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Trump posted to Truth Social shortly after the Supreme Court’s order on Thursday. 

"Every Legal Scholar stated, unequivocally, that this is a case that should never have been brought. There was no case against me. In other words, I am innocent of all of the Judge’s made up, fake charges. This was nothing other than Weaponization of our Justice System against a Political Opponent. It’s called Lawfare, and nothing like this has ever happened in the United States of America, and it should never be allowed to happen again. To this day, this highly political and corrupt Judge has put a gag order on me, which takes away my First Amendment right to speak about very important aspects of the case," his post added. 

​​Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the Manhattan case in May. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office worked to prove that Trump had falsified business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to former porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election to quiet her claims of an alleged affair with Trump in 2006.

Trump has maintained his innocence in the case and repeatedly railed against it as an example of lawfare promoted by Democrats in an effort to hurt his election efforts ahead of November. 

Fox News's Brooke Singman and David Spunt contributed to this report.

President-elect Trump is expected to be sentenced Friday after being found guilty on charges of falsifying business records stemming from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s years-long investigation. 

The president-elect attended his sentencing virtually, after fighting to block the process all the way up to the United States Supreme Court this week. Trump sat beside his defense attorney Todd Blanche. 

Trump called the case and his sentencing a "tremendous setback for the American court system." 

"This is a great embarrassment to the state of New York," Trump said, adding that the people saw the trial firsthand, and voted "decisively" to elect him as president. 

Judge Juan Merchan set Jan. 10—just ten days before he is set to be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States. 

TRUMP FILES MOTION TO STAY ‘UNLAWFUL SENTENCING’ IN NEW YORK CASE

Merchan, though, said he will not sentence the president-elect to prison. 

Merchan wrote in his decision that he is not likely to "impose any sentence of incarceration," but rather a sentence of an "unconditional discharge," which means there would be no punishment imposed. 

Trump filed an appeal to block sentencing from moving forward with the New York State Court of Appeals. That court rejected his request. 

Trump also filed an emergency motion with the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that it "immediately order a stay of pending criminal proceedings in the Supreme Court of New York County, New York, pending the final resolution of President Trump’s interlocutory appeal raising questions of Presidential immunity, including in this Court if necessary." 

"The Court should also enter, if necessary, a temporary administrative stay while it considers this stay application," Trump’s filing requested. 

TRUMP FILES EMERGENCY PETITION TO SUPREME COURT TO PREVENT SENTENCING IN NY V. TRUMP

Trump's attorneys also argued that New York prosecutors erroneously admitted extensive evidence relating to official presidential acts during trial, ignoring the high court's ruling on presidential immunity. 

The Supreme Court denied Trump’s emergency petition to block his sentencing from taking place on Friday, Jan. 10.

The Supreme Court, earlier this year, ruled that presidents are immune from prosecution related to official presidential acts. 

But New York prosecutors argued that the high court "lacks jurisdiction" over the case. 

They also argued that the evidence they presented in the trial last year concerned "unofficial conduct that is not subject to any immunity." 

Trump was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. He pleaded not guilty to those charges. After a six-week-long, unprecedented trial for a former president and presidential candidate, a New York jury found the now-president-elect guilty on all counts. 

Trump has maintained his innocence in the case and repeatedly railed against it as an example of "lawfare" promoted by Democrats in an effort to hurt his election efforts ahead of November. 

FIRST ON FOX: A New York Court assigned a new judge to preside over the civil fraud case against President-elect Trump brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, seemingly replacing Judge Arthur Engoron, but hours later, the court put him back on the case, sources close to Trump's legal team told Fox News Digital. 

The case and the trial were handled by Judge Arthur Engoron, who was accused by Trump allies of acting with bias against the president-elect, his family and his company. 

TRUMP'S $454M JUDGMENT BOND SLASHED BY MORE THAN HALF IN APPEALS COURT RULING

Sources familiar told Fox News Digital the court sent out an automated email at around 12:45pm on Thursday, notifying the parties that it had assigned New York County Supreme Court Justice Judith McMahon of Staten Island to the case. 

But several hours later, at 4:12pm, attorneys on the case received another automated message from the court system notifying them that Judge Arthur Engoron was assigned back to the case. 

A source close to Trump's legal team told Fox News Digital that they are concerned with the back-and-forth. 

The case is pending on appeal. After the appeals court issues its decision, the case will be remanded to a lower court, which Engoron presided over during the trial. 

NEW YORK APPEALS COURT APPEARS RECEPTIVE TO REVERSING OR REDUCING $454M TRUMP CIVIL FRAUD JUDGMENT

Engoron, after a weeks-long non-jury civil fraud trial that began in October 2023, ruled last year that Trump and defendants were liable for "persistent and repeated fraud," "falsifying business records," "issuing false financial statements," "conspiracy to falsify false financial statements," "insurance fraud," and "conspiracy to commit insurance fraud." 

But before the trial began, Engoron issued a summary judgment against Trump, making the subsequent trial a case over the penalty to be paid. 

Notably, during the case, Engoron allowed the value of Trump's Mar-a-Lago to be listed at $18 million. President Trump disputes that valuation, saying the property is worth 50 to 100 times more than Engoron's estimation. And real estate insiders and developers argued the property could list at more than $300 million. 

In his ruling in the case last year, Engoron took a shot at Trump, criticizing him for his participation in the trial, stating that he "rarely responded to the questions asked, and he frequently interjected long, irrelevant speeches on issues far beyond the scope of the trial." 

ERIC TRUMP CONDEMNS NY 'SET-UP': MY FATHER BUILT NYC SKYLINE AND THIS IS HIS THANKS

"His refusal to answer the questions directly, or in some cases, at all, severely compromised his credibility," Engoron wrote. 

Over the course of the trial late last year, Trump, Trump allies, Republicans and legal experts repeatedly criticized Engoron, who throughout his career has exclusively donated to Democrats, over his handling of the case. 

Engoron is also reportedly subject to a probe over unsolicited advice he received on the case. 

Trump and his family denied any wrongdoing, with the former president saying his assets had been undervalued. Trump's legal team insisted that his financial statements had disclaimers and made it clear to banks that they should conduct their own assessments.

TRUMP VOWS TO FIGHT NEW YORK AG CASE 'ALL THE WAY UP TO THE US SUPREME COURT,' AS DEADLINE TO POST $454M LOOMS

Trump appealed the $454 million judgment. The appeal is pending before the New York Appeals Court. 

Judges on the New York appeals court appeared receptive last year to the possibility of reversing or reducing the $454 million civil fraud judgment. 

The president’s attorneys called Engoron’s ruling "draconian, unlawful, and unconstitutional." 

Trump attorney D. John Sauer, the incoming solicitor general, argued that James’ lawsuit stretched New York consumer protection laws and said there were "no victims" and "no complaints" about Trump’s business from lenders and insurers. 

Sauer said the case "involves a clear-cut violation of the statute of limitations," pointing to transactions used in the non-jury civil fraud trial that dated back more than a decade. 

Sauer said if the verdict is not overturned, "people can’t do business in real estate" without fear. 

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect new information.

The United States Supreme Court has denied President-elect Trump's petition to block his Friday sentencing in New York v. Trump. 

Trump filed an emergency petition to the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday in an effort to prevent his Jan. 10 sentencing, scheduled by Judge Juan Merchan, from taking place. 

"The application for stay presented to Justice Sotomayor and by her referred to the Court is denied for, inter alia, the following reasons. First, the alleged evidentiary violations at President-Elect Trump’s state-court trial can be addressed in the ordinary course on appeal," the order states. 

"Second, the burden that sentencing will impose on the President-Elect’s responsibilities is relatively insubstantial in light of the trial court’s stated intent to impose a sentence of unconditional discharge' after a brief virtual hearing," the court ruled. 

The order also noted that "Justice Thomas, Justice Alito, Justice Gorsuch, and Justice Kavanaugh would grant the application." 

Trump needed five votes in order to have his request granted. The note on the order suggests Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett voted with Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Katanji Brown Jackson. 

Trump's sentencing is now expected to move forward, with the president-elect expected to appear virtually for the proceeding, scheduled for 9:30 am Friday. 

Merchan set Trump's sentencing in New York v. Trump for Jan. 10 after a jury found the now-president-elect guilty of falsifying business records in the first degree, stemming from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's investigation. Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges and has appealed the ruling but was rejected last week by Merchan. 

TRUMP FILES MOTION TO STAY ‘UNLAWFUL SENTENCING’ IN NEW YORK CASE

Trump's lawyers, in their petition to the high court, said it should "immediately order a stay of pending criminal proceedings in the Supreme Court of New York County, New York, pending the final resolution of President Trump’s interlocutory appeal raising questions of Presidential immunity, including in this Court if necessary." 

"The Court should also enter, if necessary, a temporary administrative stay while it considers this stay application," the filing states. 

Trump's attorneys also argued that New York prosecutors erroneously admitted extensive evidence relating to official presidential acts during trial, ignoring the high court's ruling on presidential immunity. 

JUDGE DENIES TRUMP MOTION TO STOP NY CRIMINAL CASE SENTENCING

The Supreme Court, earlier this year, ruled that presidents are immune from prosecution related to official presidential acts. 

Trump's legal team is arguing Merchan should not be permitted to move any further and said their appeal of the ruling "will ultimately result in the dismissal of the District Attorney’s politically motivated prosecution that was flawed from the very beginning, centered around the wrongful actions and false claims of a disgraced, disbarred serial-liar former attorney, violated President Trump’s due process rights, and had no merit." 

Merchan set the sentencing date last week but said he will not sentence the president-elect to prison. 

Merchan wrote in his decision that he is not likely to "impose any sentence of incarceration," but rather a sentence of an "unconditional discharge," which means there would be no punishment imposed. 

Trump will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on Jan. 20. 

Trump has maintained his innocence in the case and repeatedly railed against it as an example of "lawfare" promoted by Democrats in an effort to hurt his election efforts ahead of November.