Flake stokes presidential speculation as court debate rages

Legal Compliance

The Republican senator who suddenly sits at the center of the explosive debate over President Donald Trump's Supreme Court pick was set to address New Hampshire voters on Monday ahead of a possible run for president.

Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake was scheduled to speak in New Hampshire Monday evening, his second appearance this year in the state that hosts the nation's first presidential primary election.

Three days earlier, Flake single-handedly delayed Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation proceedings by insisting on an FBI investigation as a condition for his support.
 
Flake told CBS' "60 Minutes" on Sunday that he believed the woman accusing Kavanaugh of sexual assault and said the conservative judge's nomination would be "over" if federal investigators determine he lied to the committee.

Flake, a 55-year-old lifelong conservative who is retiring from the Senate at the end of the year, has quickly emerged as the centerpiece of a passionate lobbying effort from the right and left.

Organizers said a separate Flake appearance in Boston earlier in the day was moved to City Hall after security concerns emerged about the original location.

Hundreds of liberal protesters, victims of sexual assault among them, pleaded with Flake to block Kavanaugh's nomination outside the venue. A similar demonstration was planned for New Hampshire.

Related listings

  • S. Korea court extends ex-leader Park's lengthy prison term

    S. Korea court extends ex-leader Park's lengthy prison term

    Legal Compliance 08/24/2018

    A South Korean high court has extended the lengthy prison sentence of former President Park Geun-hye for corruption in office.In April, a district court sentenced Park to 24 years in jail over bribery, extortion, abuse of power and other charges. She...

  • Yankton lawyer Jason Ravnsborg wins GOP attorney general nod

    Yankton lawyer Jason Ravnsborg wins GOP attorney general nod

    Legal Compliance 06/24/2018

    South Dakota Republicans on Saturday chose Yankton lawyer Jason Ravnsborg to run against Democratic former U.S. Attorney Randy Seiler in the race for state attorney general.GOP delegates voted to nominate Ravnsborg at their state party convention, wh...

  • Supreme Court addresses question of foreign law in US courts

    Supreme Court addresses question of foreign law in US courts

    Legal Compliance 06/16/2018

    The Supreme Court says United States federal courts should consider statements from foreign governments about their own laws but do not have to consider them as binding.Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote for a unanimous court that federal courts shoul...

USCIS Adjusting Premium Processing Fee

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today it is adjusting the premium processing fee for Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker and Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers beginning on Oct. 1, 2018 to more effectively adjudicate petitions and maintain effective service to petitioners.

The premium processing fee will increase to $1,410, a 14.92 percent increase (after rounding) from the current fee of $1,225. This increase, which is done in accordance with the Immigration and Nationality Act, represents the percentage change in inflation since the fee was last increased in 2010 based on the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers.

“Because premium processing fees have not been adjusted since 2010, our ability to improve the adjudications and service processes for all petitioners has been hindered as we’ve experienced significantly higher demand for immigration benefits. Ultimately, adjusting the premium processing fee will allow us to continue making necessary investments in staff and technology to administer various immigration benefit requests more effectively and efficiently,” said Chief Financial Officer Joseph Moore. “USCIS will continue adjudicating all petitions on a case-by-case basis to determine if they meet all standards required under applicable law, policies, and regulations.”

Premium processing is an optional service that is currently authorized for certain petitioners filing Forms I-129 or I-140. The system allows petitioners to request 15-day processing of certain employment-based immigration benefit requests if they pay an extra fee. The premium processing fee is paid in addition to the base filing fee and any other applicable fees, which cannot be waived.