By: Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on August 2, 2025 Former President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, warmly greets child molesters, child rapists, and child pornographers Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Clinton regularly partied with Epstein and Maxwell on Epstein's private island. When cornered, Clinton is known to lie about his sexual escapades with women who were not his wife. An Editorial Opinion   I am a registered independent voter. I have been voting as an independent since 2001.  I vote for presential candidates who earn my vote, based upon pocketbook, law and order, homeland security, and national defense issues of importance to me. I am a social moderate, fiscal conservative, and hawk on national defense. I do not believe in living, working, and slaving on any political party's plantation. This message is directed to the National Democratic Party.  It’s time for some straight talk. By choice or happenstance, you are leaderless right now! As a result, very bad things are happening in America and around the world.   You are on the verge of extinction as a national political party .  Your favorability rating is lower than the ones assigned to used cars salesmen/women and child molesting televangelists. You have clearly lost your way.   Your cadre of national leaders has absolutely no credibility with a majority of the American people.  Your political agenda is outdated in the era of Trumpism and MAGA politics.    Bill Clinton is a washed-up Jeffrey Epstein party pal and a version 1.0 grifter.  He is toxic. Hillary Clinton, his wife, is toxic, as well . She needs to go somewhere and pray for her husband.    Barack Obama has a political target on his front and back.  In today's world, Obama has very little political juice.  Republicans have successfully painted Obama as a “DEI president” in the midst of the raging "anti-DEI" shitstorm they have created.   Joe Biden is old, senile, and forgettable.  Please escort him out of the public’s eye. The country is still trying to figure out who was running the White House during Biden’s presidency.    Kamala Harris blew her chance to become a national party leader when she refused to prosecute a single one of the 40 Catholic priests in the San Francisco diocese who sexually abused children for decades.  Along with Biden, Harris also birthed, aided, and abetted Benjamin Netanyahu’s campaign of genocide and war crimes in Gaza.   Today, Israel's campaign of genocide and starvation in Gaza is "Kryptonite" to every well-meaning politician in Washington. If this statement makes me "anti-Semitic," so be it.   Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer lost his credibility a long time ago.  Schumer’s political tombstone should have been erected in March 2025 when he supported Trump’s controversial spending bill (a/k/a the “Continuing Resolution”) to fund the government.  President Donald Trump punked him out.   House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is a nice, articulate guy, but he is as weak as wet toilet paper.  Plus, Jeffries was in the chorus of party leaders who said Biden was as sharp as a tack.   None of these individuals can lead the National Democrat Party to victory in the 2028 presidential race.  They are too weak, tarnished, compromised, aloft, and/or disliked by a majority of Main Street Americans.  Democrats need a fresh face and a new political focus.   If I were a Democrat with aspirations to run for president in 2028, this would be my political message:   We have done enough for Israel.  In them, we have created a welfare state that has evolved into a terrorist nation and a purveyor of genocide. We will shun AIPAC's campaign money.  No longer will a presidential nominee from the Democratic Party drop to his/her knees to perform political fellatio on an unhinged Benjamin Netanyahu and his AIPAC lobbyists in America. We shall focus primarily on pocketbook issues.  We will support those measures that put money into the pockets of Main Street Americans and not those that take money out of their pockets. We shall let the Republicans take care of the wealthiest 1% of Americans and serve as apologists for an army of rich, powerful, and politically connected Jeffrey Epstein pedophiles.  We will take care of the other 99% of Americans and advocate for justice for all major crime victims, without apology. We shall make sure every person and corporation pays his/her/its fair share of income taxes. We shall support federal, state, and local police departments with adequate funding and much needed legal protections for police officers.  No person who assaults and seriously injures a police officer will be pardoned by a Democrat president. We shall support and protect American consumers from the tsunami of Trump-inspired rip-off schemes in retail marketing and sales practices. We shall end the hundreds of billions of dollars each year in corporate welfare (i.e., generous taxpayer subsidies) for Wall Street firms. We will ensure that federal prosecutors administer criminal justice to child molesters, child rapists, child pornographers, and sex traffickers, without regard for their socio-economic status and/or political affiliation. We shall resurrect the U.S. Department of Education and award financial support to state and local school systems, particularly those that are located in rural areas and inner cities. We will restore Trump's cuts to Medicaid and other "safety net" programs. We will treat our allies with dignity and respect, while subjecting our enemies to iron fist treatment.   Democrats should not try to be all things to all people.  The Hollywood crowd, big-name entertainers, customary political hustlers, and fringe groups cannot get your nominee elected as president. Likewise, Democrats must evolve into a bona fide alternative to Donald Trump and his MAGA cult and not merely a kinder, gentler version of them.    Democrats must stop being weak-kneed political punks.  Nobody respects a punk.   If Democrats cannot do these simple things, they will collapse as a national political party immediately after the 2028 presidential election.

By: Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on July 27, 2025   Dustin and Quan Watkins, high school Prom photo, 1996. Their romance started in high school and it never stopped. She was his sweetheart and eventually became his life partner. They have always been inseparable. Dustin and Quan Watkins, best friends and life partners. He is Dustin R. Watkins, my youngest son, and she is his Quan Nickson Watkins, his beautiful, strong, smart, caring, and loving wife. Dustin and Quan got married, started a family, and had four wonderful children. Today, Dustin owns a thriving business in Atlanta and Quan has a successful professional career. Dustin and Quan Watkins, with their four young children. Their children are grown now. All of them were academic superstars from kindergarten through college graduation. Two of them live and work abroad. Dustin and Quan are grandparents to 2-year-old Azayah, who begins the seventh generation of Watkins family members in America . Tragedy Struck on July 16, 2025 On July 16, 2025, Dustin experienced a heart attack and cardiac arrest at his Atlanta home.    Quan saved his life by promptly administering CPR after witnessing Dustin collapse and take his last breath.  Working with a 911 operator, Quan pumped Dustin’s heart and blew air into his lungs for 11 minutes while she waited on paramedics to arrive at their home.    Dustin was rushed to nearby Grady Hospital in Atlanta, which has a world-class trauma center and outstanding heart doctors.  One of Dustin’s arteries was blocked and this triggered his heart attack and cardiac arrest.  Doctors unblocked Dustin's artery with a stent.  Afterwards, he was intentionally sedated and paralyzed to promote optimal healing conditions for his brain. Dustin Watkins in the Cardiac ICU Unit at Atlanta's Grady Hospital. After Dustin came off the ventilator and his sedation medicines had worn off, it was apparent to his doctors and family members that he had miraculously suffered no brain damage.  He knew every family member and remembered the details of recent and distant family-related events without hesitation or struggling mentally.   By Tuesday, Dustin was up and walking, unassisted.  By Wednesday, he had passed all his physical endurance and cognitive abilities testing.  By Friday, Dustin was strolling around the hospital with ease. Dustin recovering at Grady Hospital's Cardiac ICU Unit. On Saturday, Dustin was discharged from Grady after making a full recovery from his cardiac arrest.  God's Miracles and Blessings Dustin's experience was surreal for the entire Watkins family. None of us expected Dustin's medical emergency or his quick cardiac arrest recovery. Less than 8% of all out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients survive their ordeal.  Only 2% of those patients make a full recovery within the span of 10 days, or less.   Dustin is alive and well today because of string of miracles, beginning with Quan’s administration of CPR, followed by the excellent medical services rendered by Atlanta's highly-trained 911 emergency personnel and Grady Hospital's outstanding Emergency Room doctors, heart doctors, and Cardiac ICU Unit staff, and ending with the healing powers of God. Because the Watkins family is deeply-rooted in the medical profession and spiritual faith, we know when the powers of modern medicine end and the healing powers of God begin. We also know that God brought Dustin all the way back from the brink of death by cardiac arrest. Additionally, we know that God is a Way Maker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper, and Light in the Darkness .   On behalf of the Watkins family, we thank the thousands of well-wishers who sent us messages of love, prayers, and support from around the world.  We felt the power of your love, prayers, and support. We also thank: (a) Quan Nickson Watkins for immediately administering life-saving CPR to Dustin, (b) the 911 emergency dispatcher who stayed on the line with Quan for 11 minutes and aided her in saving Dustin's life while they waited on paramedics to arrive, (c) the paramedics who took over the resuscitation of Dustin while rushing him to Grady Hospital, and (d) the impressive doctors and medical staff in Grady's Emergency Room and Cardiac ICU Unit for their part in God's miracles for Dustin.  Finally, we are eternally grateful to God for all of the blessings He has bestowed upon the Watkins family for seven generations. There is no power higher than the power of God.

By: Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on November 18, 2022 Crime scene in Birmingham, Alabama where a 7th grade girl was killed in a shooting on October 16, 2022. An Editorial Opinion I regret to inform you that Birmingham, Alabama is dying. I delayed this depressing announcement until after the celebrations and parties were over from the 2022 Magic City Classic football weekend. Birmingham’s population is bleeding out. Those who are left are the victims of gross institutional mismanagement by the city’s governing officials. If you voted for them, you got what you deserve. If you did not vote for them, you must find a way to rescue yourself from a sinking ship. The city’s public schools are failing their students, year after year. What is more, the students they are failing are black. There is no excuse for this catastrophic failure of leadership and stewardship. Violent crime in Birmingham is skyrocketing. No effective solution has been offered by city officials to curb this out-of-control and deadly violence. City residents have a greater chance of becoming the next murder victim than they do of getting a high paying job. Birmingham’s mayor and council are play-acting their roles in city government. In reality, they don’t have a clue about what’s going on or what they can do to save a dying city and its failing public school system. At this juncture, Birmingham public officials are merely re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic after it has struck the iceberg. A Rapidly Declining Population In 1960, Birmingham’s population was 340,887 people. Today, the city’s population is 197,575 people. In 1960, blacks in Birmingham numbered 135,113 people, or 39.6% of the city’s population. Today, this number is 141,464, or 71.6% of the city’s population. In 1960, whites in Birmingham numbered 205,620 people, or 60.3 % of the city’s population. Today, this number is 48,603, or 24.6% of the city’s population. Whites in Birmingham started their “white flight” in the 1960s in response to Dr. Martin Luther King’s civil rights movement. Their numbers dropped to 173,729 in 1970, 124,729 in 1980, 95,655 in 1990, 58,457 in 2000, 47,258 in 2010, and 48,603 today. Birmingham City Schools are Failing Their Students The Birmingham school system has a $378 million annual budget to operate 42 public schools that serve 22,000 students, 99% of whom are black. Thirteen or 31% of the system’s schools are on the State Department of Education’s 2022 list of failed schools . Two of the schools on the list of failed schools -- Huffman and Woodlawn High Schools -- are “magnet schools.” A magnet school is a public school with specialized courses that are not available at other schools. These schools are supposed to attract the best and brightest students in the school system. How in the hell two magnet high schools wound up on the list of failed Birmingham city schools is beyond my comprehension. Birmingham school students have a reading proficiency of 24% (versus the Alabama public school average of 45%) and math proficiency of 21% (versus the Alabama public school average of 47%). This level of performance by any public school system is unacceptable in the modern world. Birmingham is Ranked as One of the Most Dangerous Cities in the World Birmingham is number 51 on the world’s list of the top 54 most dangerous cities . It is one of five U.S. cities on the dreaded list. As of September 2022, Birmingham, Alabama was leading a surge in the nation’s violent crime. The city’s murder rate increased by 40% , from 73 murders by September 2021 to 102 murders by September 2022. In 2021, 132 people were murdered in Birmingham . This number is expected to be exceeded by the end of 2022. Against the backdrop of a rapidly decreasing city population and a soaring murder rate, Birmingham’s mayor flew to Washington earlier this week to plead with Congress for help. Mayor Randall Woodfin did not seek additional funds to fight the surging violent crime in his city, which is on its way to becoming the “Murder Capital of the World.” Instead, Woodfin pleaded with Congress to decriminalize the sale and possession of marijuana in Birmingham and the rest of America. This was Woodfin’s answer to the drastic increase in murders in his city – make it easier for residents to get “high” from smoking “weed.” Meanwhile, Birmingham residents are afraid to leave their homes , for fear of gun play and being murdered. Who’s To Blame for the Death of Birmingham? Birmingham’s City Hall, the city’s school board, and other city boards and agencies became majority black between the late 1980s and early 1990s. Blacks have enjoyed rock solid control of the organs of city government in Birmingham since the 1992 municipal elections. African-Americans officials are presiding over the slow and painful death of Birmingham. They are the ones who are failing the city's 99 neighborhoods, its adult residents, and its school children. Today’s black elected officials in Birmingham City Hall are an embarrassment to themselves, their constituents, and the entire city. They are essentially administering hospice care to a dying city. The mayor and council have no plan of action to combat the runaway problems that are killing Birmingham. These officials typically spend nearly all of their time on symbolic gestures, feel-good photo ops, and attending sports games and entertainment events with the free tickets given to them by event promoters and sponsors. They have important-sounding titles and ceremonial appearances, but they offer no real substance in the performance of their duties. Their collective failure as Birmingham city officials to provide effective leadership in government has nothing to do with “white racism,” which is the tired excuse they love to whisper in my ear in private settings but never say out loud in public. For whatever reason, these city officials are either too lazy, disinterested, or distracted to (a) perform the hard work that is necessary to save a dying city and (b) give the students in Birmingham’s failing schools a fair chance to succeed in life. All these officials want to do is party, look important, and play-act at running city government during council meetings on Tuesday. Meanwhile another man, woman, or child will experience a violent death in Birmingham today or tomorrow at the hands of a murderer. Serving as a Guardian Ad Litem in the Political Arena If it seems like I am being unusually hard on the mayor, council, and school board members, I am. THEY ARE FAILING THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM, ITS ADULT RESIDENTS, AND ITS SCHOOL CHILDREN. I do not hand out praise, accolades, awards, trophies, or certificates of appreciation to failed public officials. I do not participate in circular back-slapping ceremonies for failed leaders. I publicly spank these failed officials and so-called "leaders" on behalf of adult citizens who have no voice in government and young school children who depend upon them to do the right thing. In my book, the greatest sin for a public official is his/her failure to (a) keep a child safe in school and (b) properly educate this child. Going forward, I will serve as the guardian ad litem for the school children of Birmingham in the political arena until they are old enough to vote. I have already awarded college scholarships to 32 of the most deserving ones. I do not mind holding city officials accountable for every child who is trapped in the city's failed school system. By the way, I do not smoke "weed" and I will not keep my mouth shut about the things that matter in life. This is literally a "life or death" matter on so many levels. Related Articles: " Open Letter to Birmingham's Black Community ," dated May 1, 2019. " Feedback From Open Letter to the Black Community ," dated May 2, 2019. All articles are shared on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. If you enjoyed this article, please click on these links to follow Donald Watkins: https://www.facebook.com/donald.v.watkins https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-watkins-683a7952/ https://twitter.com/donaldvwatkins

By: Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on September 25, 2022 Map of Native Tribes of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean by Michael Mcardle-Nakoma (1996). I have often written about my Native-American heritage . Native American blood runs in our family in my mother's and father's lineage. The Carmichael/Varnado/Watkins family is a mixture of African-Americans, white Americans, and Native-Americans dating back to the early 1800s. The ancestors of living Native-Americans arrived in North America about 15,000 years ago. As a result, a wide diversity of communities, societies, and cultures finally developed on the continent over the millennia. The population figure for Indigenous peoples in the Americas before the 1492 voyage of Christopher Columbus was estimated at 70 million or more. About 562 tribes inhabited the contiguous U.S. territory. The ten largest North American Indian Tribal Nations were: Arikara, Cherokee, Iroquois, Pawnee, Sioux, Apache, Eskimo, Comanche, Choctaw, Cree, Ojibwa, Mohawk, Cheyenne, Navajo, Seminole, Hope, Shoshone, Mohican, Shawnee, Mi’kmaq, Paiute, Wampanoag, Ho-Chunk, Chumash, Haida. A tribal map of Pre-European North America, Central America, and the Caribbean by Michael Mcardle-Nakoma (1996) is featured below. It is an important historical document for those of us who have Native-American blood running through our veins. This map gives a Native-American perspective on the events that unfolded in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean by placing the tribes in full flower ~ the “Glory Days.” It is pre-contact from across the eastern sea or, at least, before that contact seriously affected change. Stretching over 400 years, the time of contact was quite different from tribe to tribe. For instance, the “Glory Days” of the Maya and Aztec came to an end very long before the interior tribes of other areas, with some still resisting almost until the 20th Century. At one time, numbering in the tens of millions, the Native peoples spoke close to 4,000 languages. The Americas’ European conquest, which began in 1492, ended in a sharp drop in the Native-American population through epidemics, hostilities, ethnic cleansing, slavery, the Indian Removal Act of 1830, and 374 broken treaties. An estimated 60 million Native-Americans were killed by this combination of events. When the United States was founded, established Native American tribes were viewed as independent nations, as they commonly lived in communities separate from white immigrants. Today, American Indians and Alaskan Natives account for 9.7 million people, according to the 2020 Census. All articles are shared on Facebook and Twitter. If you enjoyed this article, please click on these links to follow Donald Watkins: https://www.facebook.com/donald.v.watkins https://twitter.com/donaldvwatkins

By: Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on July 23, 2025 House Speaker Mike Johnson (left) and Attorney General Pam Bondi. An Editorial Opinion   The handwriting is on the wall.  House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi are working with President Donald Trump to aid the legion of known Jeffrey Epstein child molesters, child rapists, and child pornographers in escaping criminal justice.  They have no desire to hunt down, arrest, and prosecute Epstein’s pedophiles, who victimized 1,000+ children in a long-running child sex trafficking ring.  They are deliberately running the clock out on the statute of limitations for these sex trafficking crimes.   Bondi, who has no children of her own and who is dumber than first-term Trump Attorney General Jeff Sessions, closed the Epstein case earlier this month and left 1,000+ pedophile victims hanging out to dry.   No prosecutor in U.S. history has willfully refused to hunt down, arrest, and prosecute known pedophiles in a sex trafficking case with: (a) 1,000+ acknowledged victims, (b) hard and credible evidence of the sex crimes against children, and (c) a key accomplice (Ghislaine Maxwell) who is willing to testify against the pedophiles who committed these horrible crimes.   Speaker Johnson is universally viewed as a weak and subservient Trump ally.  Johnson knows that Trump wants the Epstein case killed, and he is doing his very best to kill it.  Johnson, who professes to be a "Christian," does not give a damn about Epstein’s 1,000+ crime victims.   Trump, who socialized and partied with his "friend" Jeffrey Epstein for 15 years, likely knows many of Epstein’s pedophiles on a personal level. He is definitely using the powers of the presidency to protect them.   The Trump, Johnson, and Bondi unholy alliance has prevented Epstein’s legion of elite pedophiles from being hunted down, arrested, and prosecuted.  These pedophiles are now politically protected by the President of the United States much like the protesters who assaulted and injured scores of Capitol police officers on January 6.   Only the truly ignorant among us believe the Epstein case is a “hoax,” as Trump now claims.  No child sex trafficking case with 1,000+ acknowledged victims is a “hoax.”   As Bondi acknowledged in February, there is an Epstein "Client List" of child molesters, child rapists, and child pornographers who harmed 1,000+ innocent children.  The people of this list know that Trump, Johnson, and Bondi are protecting them.  The statute of limitations on Epstein-related crimes will run out soon.  There will be no justice for Epstein’s victims because Donald Trump does not want them to have justice.   On this day, we know from Trump’s attitude and actions that there are two protected classes of criminals in America: Protesters who attacked and seriously injured scores of Capitol police officers on January 6, and Elite child molesters, child rapists, and child pornographers who preyed on Epstein’s 1,000+ sex trafficking victims.   Welcomed to Trump’s America!

By: Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on July 21, 2025 An Editorial Opinion Yesterday, President Donald Trump published two posts on Truth Social urging the Washington Commanders NFL team to change its name back to the "Washington Redskins" and the Cleveland Guardians MLB team to change its name back to the "Cleveland Indians."   Trump threatened the Commanders by stating, “I may put a restriction on [the Commanders] that if they don’t change the name back to the original “Washington Redskins,” and get rid of the ridiculous moniker, “Washington Commanders,” I won’t make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington.” Here are Trump's two posts: Why were the Team Names Changed? The Washington Redskins changed their name to the "Washington Commanders" due to increasing pressure and criticism related to the original name's offensive nature towards Native Americans. The name "Redskins" and its associated logo were seen as a slur and a derogatory stereotype, leading to decades of protests and advocacy for a change.    The Cleveland Indians changed their name to the "Cleveland Guardians" primarily due to mounting pressure and criticism that the "Indians" name and the "Chief Wahoo" logo were offensive and perpetuated harmful stereotypes of Native Americans.  What is Trump's Desired Goal in Renaming the Teams?   To Trump, the current names of these two professional sports teams reflect a form of “wokeness” that he will not tolerate.  He wants a return to the original team names, no matter how offensive Native Americans may find them to be.   As depicted in the photo below, on March 17, 2025, Trump hung a copy of the Declaration of Independence in the Oval Office on a wall not far from the president’s desk.  The Declaration proudly proclaims that Native Americans are “ merciless Indian Savages . ”   Trump has not commented on whether Native Americans are offended by the “ merciless Indian Savages ” language in the Declaration, or not.  It is readily apparent that Trump finds nothing offensive about this language. Was Trump’s prominent display of the “ merciless Indian Savages ” language in the Oval Office next to his desk, together with yesterday's posts about the "Washington Redskins" and "Cleveland Indians," meant to signal an end to “wokeness” with respect to America’s 574 Tribes of Indigenous Peoples? Trump's Presidential Priorities are Clear   Interestingly, Donald Trump does not have the time or energy to hunt down and arrest the legion of Jeffrey Epstein child molesters, child rapists, and child pornographers who are on the verge of escaping federal criminal prosecution when the statute of limitations runs out, but he has plenty of time and energy to focus on renaming professional sports teams whose original names and logos offended Native Americans. Wow! Make it make sense!   Finally, we must all remember that Donald Trump was the owner of the   New Jersey Generals ,  a team in the now-defunct  United States Football League  (USFL).  The Generals played professional football from 1983 to 1985, after which the USFL collapsed.  Thereafter, the Generals became another one of Trump's many failed business enterprises. As such, Trump is in no position to advise the NFL and MLB on how to name teams, or how to achieve and grow economic value in teams, or how to run successful professional sports leagues.

By: Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on July 20, 2025 Donald J. Trump An Editorial Opinion Between October 23, 2018 and April 17, 2022, Daily Kos published a series of articles listing the names of 800 “ Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers . ”  The list described the allegations against each person and the outcome in each case (as of April 17, 2022).  The majority of the 800 Republicans listed were convicted of sex crimes, many of which were committed against children.   Readers are advised that the criminal offenses committed by the convicted pedophiles on the list are graphic and disturbing.  As such, parental discretion is advised.   Considering the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) failure to arrest, indict, and prosecute a single child molester, child rapist, and/or child pornographer in Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking case, which has 1,000+ acknowledged victims, and considering the widespread allegations of a coverup in the Epstein case , it is appropriate to revisit the Daily Kos list of names.    Daily Kos published the 800-name list in 32 parts, each one of which is hyperlinked below:   Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pt. 1 Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pt. 2 Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pt. 3 Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pt. 4 Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pt. 5 Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pt. 6 Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pt. 7 Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pt. 8 Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pt. 9 Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pt. 10 Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pt. 11 Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pt. 12 Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pt. 13 Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pt. 14 Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pt. 15 Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pt. 16 Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pt. 17 Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pt. 18 Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pt. 19 Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pt. 20 Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pt. 21 Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pr. 22 Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pr. 23 Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pt. 23 Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pt. 24 Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pt. 25 Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pt. 26 Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pt. 27 Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pt. 28 Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pt. 29 Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pt. 30 Republican Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers Pt. 31   No. 4 on the list is former Republican Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert , who was  convicted of sex abuse .  We do not know if Hastert’s name also appears in the Epstein files because Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, a fellow Republican, refuses to use his position and power in Congress to force the release of the Epstein files.   No. 18 on the list was Mark Grethen,"Republican of the Year" for 2002 , who was convicted on   six counts of sex crimes involving children .  Two of Gretchen's sexual abuse victims were his own children.   The No. 1 name on the Daily Kos list also appears in the Epstein files . In May 2023, a New York civil jury found this man liable for sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll. In May 2024, a New York criminal jury convicted this man on 34 felony fraud charges arising from his conduct in funnelling "hush money" payments to a porn star as part of a scheme to quash an unfavorable news story. This man leads the effort to stonewall the release of all Epstein files in the custody and control of the DOJ.   A week ago, this man ordered everybody to “ STOP TALKING ABOUT EPSTEIN .”  Last week, this man called the Epstein sex trafficking investigation a “ hoax ” and said this child molestation, child rape, and child pornography case is “ boring .”  This man has not uttered one word of sympathy, empathy, or support for the 1,000+ victims of Epstein’s long-running child sex trafficking ring. This man once bragged in New York social circles that Jeffrey Epstein was a " terrific guy " and a " friend " of his for at least 15 years. He even acknowledged Epstein's propensity to party with women " on the younger side ." It should be noted that a lawsuit filed by a 13-year-old aspiring teen model against this man, which alleged that he raped her, was voluntarily dismissed by her attorney after the girl reportedly received threats that frightened her. Likewise, allegations of marital rape made by this man's first wife in their divorce case were later withdrawn.   Today, the No. 1 man on the Daily Kos list is also the President of the United States -- Donald J. Trump . Along with the DOJ and Congress, Trump has the power to provide the public with immediate access to the Jeffrey Epstein files.  Yet, all three have failed to do so.    Two weeks ago, Trump and DOJ closed the Epstein case without arresting, prosecuting, and convicting a single pedophile in a case that has 1,000+ acknowledged victims. This DOJ closeout action was unprecedented in a single child sex trafficking case with 1,000+ victims.   Instead of prosecuting Epstein’s rich, powerful, and politically connected pedophiles, Trump, DOJ, and Congress have engaged in endless series of gaslighting tactics to evade, distract, and stonewall the release of the full and complete Epstein files.    Meanwhile, the criminal statute of limitations to prosecute Epstein’s army of elite child molesters, child rapists, and child pornographers is running out. Trump's bizarre and coordinated "run the clock out" action has baffled victims rights advocates nationwide. In the ultimate act of betrayal of 1,000+ child sex crime victims, Donald Trump and his DOJ have already decided to let all of Epstein's sick and perverted pedophiles escape criminal justice. Under Trump, Epstein's army of pedophiles is free to roam the halls of power and streets in search of their next prey, without any fear of arrest or prosecution.   [Notice:  If a reputable source submits us a verifiable list of "Sexual Predators, Abusers, and Enablers" who are Democrats, I will publish the list across all of my digital media platforms.  The list that is most relevant today is the Republican one because Republicans have the sole power to block or release the full and complete Epstein files.]

By: Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on July 18, 2025 President Donald Trump is looking for a sensible way out of the Jeffrey Epstein coverup, which is taking a toll on his health and appearance. An Editorial Opinion   There is a sensible pathway out of the long-running Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking coverup. It requires our government to take four basic steps:   Protect and comfort Epstein's 1,000+ child sex trafficking victims.   Compensate Epstein's crime victims fairly, as the U.S. government did with the 623 Black victims of the government-sponsored Tuskegee Syphilis Study (1932-1972) and the 11 Italian victims of the government-sanctioned New Orleans Lynchings (1891) . Hunt down, arrest, indict, prosecute, and imprison the scores of known child molesters, child rapists, and child pornographers who participated in Epstein's sex trafficking scheme, without fear or favor.  Show them no mercy. Release all investigative Epstein files, including the " Prosecution Memos " used to approve the Department of Justice's (DOJ) indictment of Jeffrey Epstein in 2019 and Ghislaine Maxwell in 2020.   The government must also undertake three ancillary matters: Epstein’s murderer must be hunted down, prosecuted, and imprisoned, along with those who aided and abetted him .   Israel must be sanctioned for authorizing Mossad to run a “honey trap” operation baited with underaged girls on U.S. soil.   Everybody in U.S. intelligence agencies who had knowledge of this Mossad "honey trap" operation and who did nothing to stop it must be fired.   Finally, our government must stop lying to the American people about the facts in Epstein's case. The 2023 report issued by Joe Biden's DOJ regarding Epstein's cause of death in a New York City federal detention center ("suicide by hanging") was nothing but high gloss bullshit. We need to put the Epstein matter behind us, once and for all. Truth and justice for crime victims are the best cleansing agents after a long-running government-sanction coverup has been busted wide open.   Only the guilty would oppose this sensible solution for ending the Epstein coverup.

By: Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published of July 16, 2025 In July 2020, Jeffrey Epstein's accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell was indicted on conspiracy and other charges related to Epstein's infamous child sex trafficking scheme. Today, she is prepared to name the child molesters, child rapists, and child pornographers who participated in the scheme, but President Donald Trump is using his Department of Justice and his grip on MAGA Republicans in Congress to block Maxwell's disclosure of Epstein's rich, powerful, and politically connected pedophiles . An Editorial Opinion " Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive. " -- Sir Walter Scott   Once again, our government has lied to us!. Infamous child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein's "Client List" still exists. The list is part of two Department of Justice (DOJ) "Prosecution Memos" -- one prepared prior to Epstein's July 2019 indictment and one prepared prior to Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell's July 2020 indictment. Both memos were prepared by DOJ prosecutors who were working on the case during Donald Trump's first term as President (2017-2021). The Web of Lies Started with Epstein's Death, and Our Government Continues to Weave It Epstein was murdered in his jail cell in August 2019. The details of the murder are presented in my July 13, 2025 article.   In 2023, our governemt told us that Epstein committed "suicide by hanging." The Joe Biden administration's DOJ knew this "suicide" claim was a lie, but they presented it as the government's official position in a DOJ report on Epstein's death that was issued in 2023. Epstein was an “ access agent ” who lured elite pedophiles into a "honey trap" that was baited with underage girls. Epstein's "honey trap" was part of a long-running blackmail scheme that was operated by Mossad, Israel’s national intelligence agency.  Mossad shared the information derived from Epstein's "honey trap" operations in New York City, Palm Beach, Florida, and his private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands with U.S. intelligence agencies. Our government lied to us about Epstein's connection to Mossad every time government officials were asked questions about this subject.   Ghislaine Maxwell was one of Epstein's accomplices in the sex trafficking of underaged girls. She was arrested on July 20, 2020, and charged with federal conspiracy and other sex crimes related to Epstein’s pedophile ring . Maxwell was convicted on December 29, 2021, and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Last week, Maxwell offered to tell Congress all about Epstein's sex trafficking operation. She also offered to identify the child molesters, child rapists, and child pornographers who participated in it. This week, Republicans in Congress blocked Maxwell's appearance and expected testimony, twice. Over the weekend, Trump told everybody to "STOP TALKING ABOUT EPSTEIN." After receiving personal calls from Trump, some paid conservative influencers complied with his directive.   Today, there is a raging public debate over the existence of Epstein’s so-called “Client List.”  In February, Attorney General Pam Bondi acknowledged that Epstein’s “Client List” existed and was sitting on her desk.  Last week, Bondi claimed there is not such “Client List.” A Firestorm of Anger has Erupted Over the Web of Lies and Coverup in the Epstein Case A firestorm of anger has erupted over the web of lies and coverup in Epstein's case. This firestorm intensified after Pam Bondi issued a memo last week closing the case . The public is now firmly convinced that there is an ongoing DOJ coverup in Epstein's case.   Not a single pedophile who molested, raped, and/or took pornographic photos/videos of the children who were ensnared in Epstein's long-running sex trafficking scheme has been charged with a crime in the Epstein-related cases, even though DOJ acknowledges the existence of 1,000+ victims.   The American public is furious that Trump, DOJ, and Congress, by their actions and inaction, have granted unprecedented protectionism to elite, powerful, and extremely perverted child molesters, child rapists, and child pornographers who have political and/or business ties to Donald Trump. This morning, Trump said those Americans who are interested in the Epstein inquiry are " bad people ." Trump has not uttered one word of sympathy, empathy, or support for the 1000+ victims of Epstein's child sex trafficking scheme.   The Elusive “Client List” Exists and is Contained in the DOJ “Prosecution Memos” in Jeffrey Eptsein's and Ghislaine Maxwell’s Criminal Cases   As stated earlier, Epstein’s so-called “Client List” is contained in “Prosecution Memos” prepared by federal prosecutors prior to the indictments in the Epstein and Maxwell criminal cases.  Federal investigators compiled the Epstein "Client List" from the names mentioned in witnesses interviews and recorded in the FBI's Witness Report Forms, a/k/a Form 302s. Documents and records created, maintained, and possessed by Epstein and Maxwell corroborated these client names. This is how the "Client List" made its way into the "Prosecution Memos." The Epstein and Maxwell memos were crucial for DOJ’s internal review and approval of the charges in each case. This is particularly true for Maxwell, whose indictment contained a "conspiracy"count involving two or more perpetrators.   In the memos, Epstein’s clients fell into three categories: (1) pedophiles who were cooperating government witnesses and who would testify under a grant of immunity, (2) pedophiles who faced potential future criminal prosecutions by state and/or federal authorities, and (3) people who partied with Epstein and girls “on the younger side,” but who did not molest, rape, or take pornographic photos of the underaged girls at the parties.   Both memos were prepared by federal prosecutors working in the first Trump administration. They existed in final form well before Joe Biden assumed office in January 2021.  If Epstein-related documents were “doctored,” as Trump now claims, they were “doctored” by Trump-appointed DOJ officials. Today, the Epstein files are being deliberately suppressed by loyal Trump-appointed DOJ officials and MAGA members of Congress. Meanwhile, the statute of limitations is running out on DOJ's opportunity to prosecute and imprison Epstein's list of perverted child molesters, child rapists, and child pornographers. What's in the Prosecution Memos?   The Epstein and Maxwell “Prosecution Memos"reportedly contain the following information:   Identification of the named Defendant(s):  Details about the individual(s) being charged, including background information, criminal history, and potential connections to organized crime, if relevant.  The names of all known co-conspirators and participating pedophiles are listed, including the names of unindicted co-conspirators who would testify as government witnesses. Summary of the Case:  A narrative overview of the facts and the prosecution's theory.  Statement of Proposed Charges:  A list of the specific criminal charges the prosecutors intended to file.  Statement of the Law:  An analysis of the relevant statutes and legal precedents.  Statement of Facts:  A detailed account of the evidence, including witness testimony, key documents, a listing and analyses of audio and videotapes, a list of the named co-conspirators, unindicted co-conspitarors, and particpating pedophiles, a listing of prosecutorial grants of immunity, and other relevant evidence.  Anticipated Defenses/Special Problems:  Addressing potential legal arguments the defense might have raised and any challenges the prosecution anticipated.  Forfeiture Section:  If applicable, outlining the assets the prosecution intended to seek forfeiture of.  RICO Policy Section (if a RICO charge was considered and suggested):  Addressing any policy considerations related to the potential inclusion of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) charges.  Ultimately, prosecutors decided against bringing a RICO charge against Epstein and Maxwell. Proposed Indictment:  The actual indictment document to be filed with the court.    What is a Reasonable Pathway Out of the Epstein Coverup? The public release of the Epstein and Maxwell “Prosecution Memos” would shed much needed light on the ongoing DOJ coverup in the Epstein and Maxwell cases. The memos should be accompanied by the release of FBI Form 302 witness interviews. These two actions would provide a reasonable pathway out of the Epstein coverup. We are currently cross-referencing the Epstein "Client List" with the list of known Trump business investors and partners since 1994. The public should not be surprised to learn in a future articles that some of Epstein's child molesters, child rapists, and child pornographers had/have financial ties to Trump-affiliated private businesses. Stay tuned for more explosive revelations in the ongoing coverup of the Epstein child sex trafficking files.

By Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on April 6, 2018; Republished on October 19, 2023 Former Talladega, Alabama police lieutenant Jimmy Ray Hurst is now a 90-year-old inmate in the Alabama prison system. Hurst was the first police murder case I handled as a special prosecutor for the state of Alabama. A FLASHBACK THURSDAY STORY -- My First Police Murder Case On June 4, 1973, Jimmy Ray Hurst, a Lieutenant in the Talladega, Alabama Police Department, asked Beatrice L. Patterson to lure Charles “Cooter” Mann to a spot on a remote fire lane in a dense forest about five miles from the city limits of Talladega. Patterson was Hurst’s 30-year-old lover. She dated Hurst, a married man, and Cooter Mann, a divorced man, at the same time. She freely admitted to having sexual intercourse with both men, along with numerous other men. Beatrice Patterson and Hurst’s wife, Jimmie Faye Hurst, worked together as waitresses at a private club known as Point Aquarius, located on Logan Martin Lake. They were close friends. Hurst’s wife was also dating Cooter Mann and they frequently met at Patterson's home. Cooter Mann made the fatal mistake of bragging about his sexual liaisons with Hurst's wife. Gossip about the affair became rampant in and around Talladega. When Hurst learned of his wife's infidelity, he decided to avenge his wounded ego and his wife's tarnished name. On June 4th, Lt. Hurst told Beatrice Patterson that he had heard that Mann was having a love affair with his wife; that Mann was telling everyone about the affair; and that Mann was laughing about it. Hurst wanted to know the truth about it. He told Patterson that he wanted to talk to Mann and let him convince Hurst that he had not been going with his wife or make him tell what he had been telling everybody else in town. Hurst further said that he wanted the little “f----r” to stop laughing at him like he had been laughing at everybody else in town. Hurst asked Patterson to drive to the Eleventh Frame Night Club and bring Mann to him. He told Patterson to bring Mann to the secluded spot where she had experienced many trysts with both Hurst and Mann. Patterson had no idea that she was about to serve as a decoy in an ambush murder case. As such, she agreed to bring Mann to Hurst in the deep forest. Patterson went to the nightclub in Talladega and found Mann. She did not get to have a conversation with him at that time as another one of her other lovers was present and was insisting that he spend the night with her. She told this lover that he could not stay with her that night and left the club. She went home and called Mann on the telephone and asked him to meet her below the Talladega Motel. She drove to the appointed place and Mann arrived in five minutes in his blue pickup truck. She told him to follow her and he did. She drove to the place pre-arranged with Hurst. As Patterson was driving on this dirt road, her headlights picked up Hurst's white Cadillac parked in a secluded place off the main dirt road with the lights off. She immediately braked her automobile and stopped just past the Cadillac with her lights on bright. She did not see Hurst. Just as her car came to a stop, she heard Cooter Mann change gears and start backing up rapidly. Then she heard Hurst cry out, "Stop you f----r, stop." Immediately she heard three shotgun blasts in rapid succession and then two more. Patterson got out of her car and started running back to the truck to see about the man she unwittingly led into a trap. As she got near the hood of the truck, Hurst walked around the truck and intercepted her. He told her to get in her car and get the hell out from there. She told him she wanted to see Mann and Hurst said, "You can't, I've shot his damned face off." She saw the shotgun in Hurst’s hand. Hurst told Patterson to go home and keep her mouth shut; that if she told anyone both of them would get fifty years. Patterson maintained her silence for several long and difficult days. Cooter Mann’s body was found on June 8, 1973 by Jimmy Roberts, a service station operator, and Jerry Gaither, another one of Patterson’s lovers. The body was in an advanced state of decomposition and the head and face were so mutilated as to be unrecognizable. He had been shot multiple times with a shotgun at close range. Mann’s death was instantaneous. Despite repeated threats from Lt. Hurst to keep her mouth shut, Beatrice Patterson eventually told Sheriff H. E. Mitchell and a state investigator named Lt. Roy Riddle everything she knew concerning the events leading up to and culminating in the killing. These officers carried her to the home of the Talladega County District Attorney and she told him the whole story. A warrant was issued for the arrest of Lt. Jimmy Ray Hurst charging him with murder in the first degree. Hurst was on duty that night and the Chief of Police was notified that the Sheriff was ready to execute the warrant. The Chief brought Hurst to the Sheriff's office. The Sheriff then put him in jail. In the aftermath of the murder of a private citizen by a police lieutenant in the Talladega Police Department, it became evident that the Mayor, Police Chief, and other officers in the Police Department, particularly officer Getral Smith (who knew that Hurst had killed Mann), were engaging in a small-scale "Watergate Cover-up". As a result, the Mayor resigned, the Chief of Police was forced out of office, and Smith was suspended and subsequently indicted as an accessory after the fact. The Police Chief and Lieutenant Tyler Wood, who was a close friend of Hurst and one of the first investigating officers, did not testify in the case. The Mayor and Getral Smith were summoned as witnesses for the defense. The Mayor was sworn and took the witness stand. He immediately invoked the Fifth Amendment and declined to testify on the ground that his testimony might tend to incriminate him. Smith waived his privilege against self-incrimination and testified in behalf of Hurst. Lt. Jimmy Ray Hurst was convicted of murder in the first degree and sentenced to life imprisonment. He appealed his conviction and lost. This is when I got to know Jimmy Ray Hurst. I was the Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of Alabama who protected the “guilty” verdict during Jimmy Hurst’s appeal of his murder conviction. Attorney General Bill Baxley appointed me to represent the State of Alabama in one of the most high profile murder cases of its time. On November 12, 1974, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals upheld this cold-bloodied murderer’s conviction in Hurst v. State. With that, Hurst's fate was sealed. He was imprisoned for Cooter Mann's murder. As fate would have it, I graduated from law school three weeks before Jimmy Ray Hurst murdered Charles “Cooter” Mann. Yet, Hurst’s shocking case was my introduction to the ugly underbelly of police murders and law enforcement cover-ups. Fortunately, it was also my introduction to courageous sheriffs and prosecutors who were committed to seeking criminal justice under the most difficult of circumstances in that era. Jimmy Ray Hurst remains in prison to this day. He is 90 years old. He was denied parole in June 2020. He will die in prison. This was the first and only time a black special prosecutor handled a police murder case in Alabama where all of the parties, witnesses, and public officials involved in the case were white. My work came with plenty of death threats. In the end, justice was served. For this, I am proud.

By Donald V. Watkins ©Copyrighted and Published on April 6, 2018 On June 4, 1973, Jimmy Ray Hurst, a Lieutenant in the Talladega, Alabama Police Department, asked Beatrice L. Patterson to lure Charles “Cooter” Mann to a spot on a remote fire lane in a dense forest about five miles from the city limits of Talladega. Patterson was Hurst’s 30-year-old lover. She dated Hurst, a married man, and Cooter Mann, a divorced man, at the same time. She freely admitted to having sexual intercourse with both men, along with numerous other men. Beatrice Patterson and Hurst’s wife, Jimmie Faye Hurst, worked together as waitresses at a private club known as Point Aquarius, located on Logan Martin Lake. They were close friends. Hurst’s wife was also dating Cooter Mann and they frequently met at Patterson's home. Cooter Mann made the fatal mistake of bragging about his sexual liaisons with Hurst's wife. Gossip about the affair became rampant in and around Talladega. When Hurst learned of his wife's infidelity, he decided to avenge his wounded ego and his wife's tarnished name. On June 4th, Lt. Hurst told Beatrice Patterson that he had heard that Mann was having a love affair with his wife; that Mann was telling everyone about the affair; and that Mann was laughing about it. Hurst wanted to know the truth about it. He told Patterson that he wanted to talk to Mann and let him convince Hurst that he had not been going with his wife or make him tell what he had been telling everybody else in town. Hurst further said that he wanted the little “f----r” to stop laughing at him like he had been laughing at everybody else in town. Hurst asked Patterson to drive to the Eleventh Frame Night Club and bring Mann to him. He told Patterson to bring Mann to the secluded spot where she had experienced many trysts with both Hurst and Mann. Patterson had no idea that she was about to serve as a decoy in an ambush murder case. As such, she agreed to bring Mann to Hurst in the deep forest. Patterson went to the nightclub in Talladega and found Mann. She did not get to have a conversation with him at that time as another one of her other lovers was present and was insisting that he spend the night with her. She told this lover that he could not stay with her that night and left the club. She went home and called Mann on the telephone and asked him to meet her below the Talladega Motel. She drove to the appointed place and Mann arrived in five minutes in his blue pickup truck. She told him to follow her and he did. She drove to the place pre-arranged with Hurst. As Patterson was driving on this dirt road, her headlights picked up Hurst's white Cadillac parked in a secluded place off the main dirt road with the lights off. She immediately braked her automobile and stopped just past the Cadillac with her lights on bright. She did not see Hurst. Just as her car came to a stop, she heard Cooter Mann change gears and start backing up rapidly. Then she heard Hurst cry out, "Stop you f----r, stop." Immediately she heard three shotgun blasts in rapid succession and then two more. Patterson got out of her car and started running back to the truck to see about the man she unwittingly led into a trap. As she got near the hood of the truck, Hurst walked around the truck and intercepted her. He told her to get in her car and get the hell out from there. She told him she wanted to see Mann and Hurst said, "You can't, I've shot his damned face off." She saw the shotgun in Hurst’s hand. Hurst told Patterson to go home and keep her mouth shut; that if she told anyone both of them would get fifty years. Patterson maintained her silence for several long and difficult days. Cooter Mann’s body was found on June 8, 1973 by Jimmy Roberts, a service station operator, and Jerry Gaither, another one of Patterson’s lovers. The body was in an advanced state of decomposition and the head and face were so mutilated as to be unrecognizable. He had been shot multiple times with a shotgun at close range. Mann’s death was instantaneous. Despite repeated threats from Lt. Hurst to keep her mouth shut, Beatrice Patterson eventually told Sheriff H. E. Mitchell and a state investigator named Lt. Roy Riddle everything she knew concerning the events leading up to and culminating in the killing. These officers carried her to the home of the Talladega County District Attorney and she told him the whole story. A warrant was issued for the arrest of Lt. Jimmy Ray Hurst charging him with murder in the first degree. Hurst was on duty that night and the Chief of Police was notified that the Sheriff was ready to execute the warrant. The Chief brought Hurst to the Sheriff's office. The Sheriff then put him in jail. In the aftermath of the murder of a private citizen by a police lieutenant in the Talladega Police Department, it became evident that the Mayor, Police Chief, and other officers in the Police Department, particularly officer Getral Smith (who knew that Hurst had killed Mann), were engaging in a small-scale "Watergate Cover-up". As a result, the Mayor resigned, the Chief of Police was forced out of office, and Smith was suspended and subsequently indicted as an accessory after the fact. The Police Chief and Lieutenant Tyler Wood, who was a close friend of Hurst and one of the first investigating officers, did not testify in the case. The Mayor and Getral Smith were summoned as witnesses for the defense. The Mayor was sworn and took the witness stand. He immediately invoked the Fifth Amendment and declined to testify on the ground that his testimony might tend to incriminate him. Smith waived his privilege against self-incrimination and testified in behalf of Hurst. Lt. Jimmy Ray Hurst was convicted of murder in the first degree and sentenced to life imprisonment. He appealed his conviction. This is when I got to know Jimmy Ray Hurst. I was the Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of Alabama who protected the “guilty” verdict during Jimmy Hurst’s appeal of his murder conviction. Attorney General Bill Baxley appointed me to represent the State of Alabama in one of the most high profile murder cases of its time. On November 12, 1974, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals upheld this cold-bloodied murderer’s conviction in Hurst v. State . With that, Hurst's fate was sealed. He was imprisoned for Cooter Mann's murder. As fate would have it, I graduated from law school three weeks before Jimmy Ray Hurst murdered Charles “Cooter” Mann. Yet, Hurst’s shocking case was my introduction to the ugly underbelly of police murders and law enforcement cover-ups. Fortunately, it was also my introduction to courageous sheriffs and prosecutors who were committed to seeking criminal justice under the most difficult of circumstances in that era. This is why I cannot tolerate police corruption like the kind that runs rampant in the Tuscaloosa County, Alabama Sheriff’s Department, or the chronic weaknesses in the Tuscaloosa County District Attorney’s Office and Alabama Attorney General’s Office that I have criticized often and repeatedly in my published articles about the 2015 Megan Rondini rape case and 2016 Adam Bailey murder case. For me, there is no excuse for corruption and/or weakness in the ranks of top law enforcement officials.

By: Donald V. Watkins Copyrighted and Published on January 31, 2021 U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta, Georgia By the time I left FCI Talladega on November 23, 2020, four facts had been clearly established. One, Warden Cheron Y. Nash and Talladega Camp Unit Manager Destiney Lassiter/Brooks knew I was the confidential “whistleblower” who reported a cesspool of public corruption and a lucrative contraband trafficking ring that operated from the warden’s office and the prison’s SIS Unit to the Inspector General (OIG) at the Department of Justice (DOJ). Two, Nash and Lassiter/Brooks, along with other BOP employees, were directly implicated in the OIG Complaint. Three, Talladega prison officials viewed me as a “POW” and “Dead man walking” and said so. Four, Nash and Lassiter/Brooks had the means, manner, insider connections, and motivation to place me in harms way, which they repeatedly did at Talladega. To their dismay, I survived each of their attempts to eliminate me during the pendency of my OIG complaint. After spending six months in Talladega’s Maximum Security Special Housing Unit (SHU), a/k/a the “Hole," Nash and Lassiter/Brooks placed me in transit to the FCI at La Tuna, which is located at the extreme western side of Texas. They used a “management variable” request to transfer me to this higher security prison under the false pretense that I represented a severe threat to the safety and operations of the prison. In reality, I posed a threat to the ongoing public corruption and contraband trafficking ring at FCI Talladega. “Parked” Again The Nash/Lassiter nee Brooks duo, aided and abetted by their insider connections at the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Atlanta Regional and Washington, D.C. Central Offices, made sure I was “dragged” on the long route to La Tuna instead of the most direct route which had been afforded to recent transfers from Talladega. They scheduled my transfer during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic and at a time when the CDC was advising Americans against Thanksgiving holiday travel. They knew that the BOP’s Health Services Department had already determined that I suffered from underlying health conditions that placed me in the CDC’s highest at-risk group for a fatal outcome from COVID-19. They also knew that the likelihood of a 72-year-old African-American male with health conditions had an almost zero chance of surviving a COVID-19 infection. Yet, I was taken on a filthy bus to USP Atlanta along with 16 other Talladega inmates. Upon arrival, I was “parked” in the prison’s “Holdover Unit” for more than two months. Like Talladega’s SHU, I was locked down in my cell for 24 hours per day, seven days a week. I was only allowed out of my cell for 30 minutes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to shower, check email, and/or use the phone. Unbeknowst to me, Cheron Nash had been advising and assisting the Acting Warden at USP Atlanta in the discharge of his duties. Nash’s cohorts at USP Atlanta made sure I was placed in the custody and care of inmate Orderlies who roamed the Holdover Unit freely. These Orderlies literally ran the Unit and had access to every inmate. One of these Orderlies was convicted in 2018 on multiple counts of murder. He and other Unit Orderlies are awaiting trial on federal racketeering charges that include murder, attempted murder, robbery, extortion, drug dealing, witness tampering, retaliation against witnesses, and obstruction of justice – criminal activity that the DOJ says was orchestrated from their prison cells. Each one had denied these charges. The Birth of a Miracle This is when the Miracle at USP Atlanta occurred. Nash and Lassiter/Brooks orchestrated my placement at the Atlanta penitentiary with the expectation that their “whistleblower” problem would be eliminated by willing surrogates in the inmate population. Having failed at causing my demise through direct exposure to black mold, lead poisoning in the water supply, and COVID-19 while I was housed in Talladega’s SHU, both women arranged my transfer to La Tuna in hopes that I would never make it out of USP Atlanta alive. After I arrived at USP Atlanta, word quickly spread with the inmate population that I was a lawyer, investigative journalist and political prisoner. Some had even seen the May 2020 Netflix documentary that featured my successful defense of former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy, who won dismissal and/or acquittal on all 85 felony charges in a $2.7 billion accounting fraud case. Suddenly, the people who were expected to cause me great bodily harm and/or death were seeking my counsel. They shared their true stories with me which I reported to the outside world. For the first time in their lives, somebody actually cared about their experience in the criminal justice system. In the span of days, I went from Nash’s intended “prey” in the “Lion’s Den” to a protected “Statesman” who freely counseled and comforted men who never had a fair shot at justice. They came from all walks of life and all races. Blacks and Hispanics openly united in their plea for help and quest for the fair administration of justice. It was truly an amazing experience. Once again, I survived as a “whistleblower” who reported criminal activity by “dirty” law enforcement officers. Moving Forward I have placed the BOP and OIG on public notice to preserve approximately 30 categories of BOP records from which the racketeering activities at FCI Talladega can be proven. I am in the process of submitting this evidence and much more to the Senate and House Judiciary Committees in Washington in connection with my efforts to secure new protections from Congress for DOJ/OIG “whistleblowers”. For reasons that have never been explained to me, no investigator from the BOP or DOJ has asked me a single question about the cesspool of public corruption and contraband trafficking ring at FCI Talladega. It will be interesting to see if the Joe Biden administration’s stance on OIG “whistleblower” complaints is the same as Donald Trump’s “see no evil, hear no evil” approach. All articles are shared on Facebook and Twitter. If you would like to follow Donald Watkins, please click on these links and hit the follow button: https://www.facebook.com/donald.v.watkins https://twitter.com/donaldvwatkins