Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of former President Trump, is scheduled to report to a federal prison in Connecticut on Monday to serve a four-month sentence for contempt for defying a subpoena in the congressional investigation into the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. 

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington had allowed Bannon to stay free for nearly two years while he appealed, but he later revoked his bail and ordered him to report to prison by July 1 after an appeals court panel upheld his contempt of Congress convictions. The Supreme Court rejected his last-minute appeal to stave off his sentence.

In an emergency motion filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia last month, Bannon’s new lawyer, R. Trent McCotter, accused the government of seeking “to imprison Mr. Bannon for the four-month period leading up to the November election, when millions of Americans look to him for information on important campaign issues,” effectively barring him “from serving as a meaningful advisor in the ongoing national campaign.”

“There is also no denying the political realities here. Mr. Bannon is a high-profile political commentator and campaign strategist. He was prosecuted by an administration whose policies are a frequent target of Mr. Bannon’s public statements,” the motion said. 

TRUMP ALLY STEVE BANNON FILES EMERGENCY MOTION SEEKING TO STAY OUT OF PRISON

A jury found Bannon guilty of two counts of contempt of Congress: one for refusing to sit for a deposition with the Jan. 6 House Committee, and a second for refusing to provide documents related to his involvement in Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. 

JUDGE ORDERS STEVE BANNON TO REPORT TO PRISON

Defense attorneys have argued the case raises issues that should be examined by the Supreme Court, including Bannon’s previous lawyer’s belief that the subpoena was invalid because Trump had asserted executive privilege. Prosecutors, though, say Bannon had left the White House years before, and Trump had never invoked executive privilege in front of the committee.

Bannon’s surrender deadline is the same day the Supreme Court will release its ruling in a case involving whether Trump is immune from prosecution for his attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

On Friday, the Supreme Court also ruled in favor of a participant in the Jan. 6 riot who challenged his conviction for a federal “obstruction” crime.

Bannon’s appeal will continue to play out, and Republican House leaders have put their support behind stepping in to assert the Jan. 6 committee was improperly created, effectively trying to deem the subpoena Bannon received to be illegitimate.

Another Trump aide, trade adviser Peter Navarro, has also been convicted of contempt of Congress. He reported to prison in March to serve his four-month sentence after the Supreme Court refused his bid to delay the sentence.

Bannon is also facing criminal charges in New York state court alleging he duped donors who gave money to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Bannon has pleaded not guilty to money laundering, conspiracy, fraud and other charges. That trial has been postponed until at least the end of September.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Rep. Brandon Williams, R-N.Y., who is facing one of the most competitive House re-election bids in the country, has demanded an apology from Democratic challenger John Mannion for previously dismissing the “ignorance” of Republicans concerned about the migrant crisis after an illegal immigrant was charged with murdering a 21-year-old woman in his central New York district. 

On Tuesday, Mannion, a state senator, won the Democratic primary to take on Williams in November. 

That same day, Jhon Moises Chacaguasay-Ilbis, a 21-year-old illegal immigrant from Ecuador, allegedly murdered Joselyn Jhoana Toaquiza at an Airbnb property in Syracuse, New York. The gruesome crime, reportedly carried out on the victim’s 21st birthday, happened within the confines of Mannion’s state senate district, as well as the U.S. House district Williams was first elected to represent in 2022. 

Williams, a first-term congressman, U.S. Navy veteran and tech entrepreneur who bills himself as a political outsider, reminded voters of comments Mannion made last September blasting the “ignorance” of those in Republican jurisdictions concerned about the busing of migrants into their communities from New York City. 

“I demand an apology from John Mannion on behalf of the Central New York citizens that he called ignorant for being concerned that the migrant crisis would ever find its way into our communities,” Williams told Fox News Digital. “I think calling local voters ignorant is the height of arrogance. And it comes from a place of being really out of touch with, you know, with the average voter and with the community itself.” 

ILLEGAL MIGRANT CHARGED WITH SUFFOCATING, KILLING YOUNG WOMAN ON HER BIRTHDAY: REPORT

“This is a common sense issue. Voters in Central New York are concerned about crime in general because of cashless bail and raise the age policies that have come out of Albany. But in this case, the southern border plays a huge role in that these illegal migrants are being moved all over the country with taxpayer money and are now in our community,” Williams said. “And sadly, a young woman would be alive today were it not for these policies…. The far left wants us to believe that they don’t matter or that they won’t reach our communities – in fact, calling Central New York voters ignorant for even having these concerns. And we have every reason to have these concerns. The evidence is all around us. This is just common sense. We have to reject the far left, extreme border policies that are making our communities less safe.” 

Mannion, who publicly called the busing of migrants from the Big Apple a “policy failure,” later privately criticized those in Republican jurisdictions “fearful that buses of migrants are going to come into where they live and change their community,” according to a leaked Zoom call he held with Democratic candidates that was previously reported by Fox News Digital. 

“It is just unbelievable to me, but I’m not surprised at the ignorance,” Mannion said in 2023. On the video call, he also expressed concern that the migrant crisis “will be weaponized” by Republican candidates. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Mannion’s state senate office and campaign for comment on the Syracuse murder case and Williams’ criticism, but did not immediately hear back. 

The Syracuse murder is not the first violent crime case involving asylum seekers seen across New York state. 

NY DEM PRIVATELY BLASTS ‘IGNORANCE’ OF REPUBLICANS CONCERNED ABOUT MIGRANT BUSES IN LEAKED VIDEO

Sakir Akkan, a 21-year-old migrant from Turkey, was charged Tuesday with first-degree rape in connection to an attack on a 15-year-old girl in Albany. That same week, Christian Geovanny Inga-Landi, a 25-year-old migrant from Ecuador, allegedly forced a pair of 13-year-olds into the woods near a park in Queens at knife point, tied their wrists together with shoelaces and raped one of them. 

And, as Williams contended, concern over violent crime connected to the influx of migrants stretches across party lines. 

Last August, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, a Democrat who previously welcomed the busing of migrants from New York City as part of a controversial resettlement program, announced that the Buffalo-area jurisdiction would stop accepting migrants from the Big Apple following a second sexual assault connected to a migrant hotel operation, sparking safety concerns in the nearby residential neighborhood. 

This November, Williams said, “voters have a choice between a secure southern border or funding free health care for illegal migrants as my opponent has supported.” 

“It’s a very clear choice. In central New York, voters want common sense. They want us to look out for our community, for our citizens, and to keep us safe and, frankly, to make life more affordable. And, the policies that the Republican Party have pursued,” Williams told Fox News Digital. “New York State is reeling from a Democrat supermajority in Albany, and the far-left policies that Kathy Hochul has championed and pushed through with a compliant state Senate and Assembly has wreaked havoc on New York State and even upstate, where they’ve exported the New York City values, the elitist far left values into our community.” 

STEFANIK TOUTS GOP MOMENTUM IN BLUE STRONGHOLD, IMPLICATIONS FOR TRUMP IN 2024: ‘DEMOCRATS HAVE A NY PROBLEM’

Chacaguasay-Ilbis and Toaquiza had gone to primary school together in Ecuador, and the woman had also entered the U.S. illegally, reportedly fleeing an unidentified former lover in her home country, The Post-Standard reported. Chilling surveillance video showed the two entering an Airbnb property together. Three hours later, Chacaguasay-Ilbis could be seen carrying the woman’s limp body into his truck. 

He allegedly had suffocated her to death and then buried her body in a shallow grave. Prosecutors said he then caught a Lyft to a nearby Greyhound station and boarded a bus bound for New York City. 

Chacaguasay-Ilbis turned himself into police in Spring Valley, located in Rockland County, about 35 miles northwest of New York City. Online records show he was booked into the Onondaga County Justice Center on Wednesday on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer and murder and concealment of a corpse charges brought by the Syracuse Police Department. 

Homeland Security sources told the New York Post that Toaquiza crossed the southern border illegally into Lukeville, Arizona, on June 19, 2023. She told Border Patrol that she feared returning to Ecuador because she was being threatened by a past romantic partner and was soon released into the U.S. with a later court date.

The sources reportedly said Chacaguasay-Ilbis crossed the border illegally in El Paso, Texas, in January 2023 and was released into the U.S. because there wasn’t any space to hold him.

Regarding border security, as well as foreign policy issues, Williams pointed to the primary defeat of “Squad” member Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., by challenger George Latimer, a moderate Democrat, as signaling a referendum on the leftist agendas being promoted in Congress. Several key Republican pick-ups in New York were critical to the GOP reclaiming the House majority by a razor-thin margin following the 2022 midterms. 

New York is the host of half a dozen competitive House races in 2024, and House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., in a recent interview with Fox News Digital, touted GOP momentum in the blue stronghold state in recent years. Williams still faces an uphill battle to maintain control of New York’s 22nd congressional district, which leans Democrat, according to the Cook Political Report’s May analysis. 

Williams was ranked top of the list of the 10 most vulnerable House members by Roll Call that month. 

“I think it’s frightening a lot of voters, what the far left really wants to accomplish,” Williams said, noting that he is from a swing district where voters make decisions based on what they believe is best for their community regardless of party.

“And that’s about common sense. We saw that in 2022 with Lee Zeldin’s candidacy for governor. He won my district, this current configuration, by almost three points on a message of common sense and standing up against the far left. And that’s precisely what I’ve done ever since I got elected.” 

The Supreme Court on Monday will release its ruling in a case involving whether former President Trump is immune from prosecution for his attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

The case is the most high-profile of the court’s session, and it is being released on the final day before the Supreme Court justices go on summer recess. The case relates to Trump’s efforts to defend himself against a federal indictment for election interference.

“We’re writing a rule for the ages,” Justice Neil Gorsuch said during oral arguments for the case in April.

Special Counsel Jack Smith’s indictment charged Trump with four felonies relating to his efforts to reverse President Biden’s 2020 victory. Trump’s legal team argues that the actions he took were all part of his official duties as president, and that presidents cannot be prosecuted for such acts.

CAN JOE BIDEN BE REPLACED AS THE SITTING PRESIDENT?

Two lower courts sided staunchly against Trump. If the Supreme Court does the same, it could allow Trump’s election interference trial to occur before the November election.

Most scholars expect the court to adopt some middle ground between Trump’s claims of immunity and Smith’s indictment.

MAJORITY OF VOTERS THINK BIDEN IS COGNITIVELY UNFIT TO SERVE AS PRESIDENT: POLL

In nearly three hours of debate in April, the high court wrestled with this question: “Whether and if so to what extent does a former president enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office?”

Legal experts told Fox News Digital that while it appeared the majority was not sold on the idea of absolute immunity, they could determine that Trump, and any future former presidents, should be granted a qualified version of it.

TRUMP CALLED JOCELYN NUNGARAY’S MOTHER 10 MINUTES BEFORE DEBATE AGAINST BIDEN

“I think the court recognizes that it would be a dangerous precedent if future presidents can prosecute their political rivals,” Mark Brnovich, former attorney general of Arizona, told Fox News Digital.

“They will set a limiting principle because, under the prosecutor’s theory, future prosecutors would have a lot of power to persecute their political rivals,” Brnovich said.

John Yoo, a law professor at University of California at Berkeley, said Trump’s argument “had much more success than many court watchers expected.”

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“Only the three liberal justices seemed to reject the idea of immunity outright. The six conservative justices recognized the need to prevent future presidents from criminalizing policy and constitutional differences with their predecessors,” Yoo said.

A new law creating designated areas at sheriff’s offices for separated parents with split custody to safely exchange children is going into effect in Florida on Monday.

Purple signs at sheriff’s offices across the Sunshine State will designate child exchange zones where parents can drop off their children without fear of harm to themselves or their children. The color purple represents domestic violence awareness.

The designated parking lot, which will be accessible at all times of the day, will have a purple light or sign identifying the area for parents to hand off their children in accordance with their custody plan while deputies watch on camera.

H.B. 385, titled Safe Exchange of Minor Children, requires adequate lighting and video surveillance that records continuously for 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

CASSIE CARLI: SLAIN FLORIDA MOM’S EX-BOYFRIEND EXTRADITED TO ALABAMA ON ABUSE OF CORPSE CHARGE

At least one camera must be pointed at the parking lot and be able to record the area in the vicinity of the purple light or sign during both day and night, capture pictures that clearly and accurately display the time and date, and retain video surveillance recordings or pictures for at least 45 days.

The law was named for Florida mother Cassie Carli, who vanished in 2022 after meeting her child’s father in a restaurant parking lot during a custody exchange. Her body was discovered buried in Alabama weeks later. 

The child’s father, 35-year-old Marcus Spanevelo, was indicted in connection with her death.

SLAIN FLORIDA MOTHER CASSIE CARLI’S CAUSE, MANNER OF DEATH RULED ‘UNDETERMINED’ 6 MONTHS LATER

The legislation also requires parents who share custody of their children to establish a parenting plan approved by a court that details how they will share the daily responsibilities of raising the child.

The plan must include time-sharing schedule arrangements that specify the time the child shares with each parent. It will also designate which parent is responsible for the child’s health care, education and other activities.

H.B. 385 was signed into law by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis last month.

A Republican lawmaker is sounding the alarm on the latest threat from China – rifle-toting AI robot dogs.

A Chinese state media video, screenshots of which were published by the Military Times, showed that country’s military displaying dog-like robots toting rifles during joint drills in Cambodia.

The AI dogs weigh 110 pounds and can carry and fire automatic rifles autonomously, according to the outlet. 

While drone warfare is not a novel concept, some believe the rise of these new armed automatons should cause concern stateside.

IN THE ONLY STATE BORDERING RUSSIA, ALASKA GOVERNOR SAYS ITS DEFENSES ARE STRONG

Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital that advanced AI is the next major economic and military frontier for both the U.S. and its adversaries like China.

Of 18 amendments he authored and successfully saw passed via the House draft of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), one drew attention to the potentially game-changing threat.

Buchanan’s legislation added a provision that would direct the secretary of defense to report on the threat of China’s use of AI in the military, including such robot-dogs, and their national security threat to the U.S.

“If we don’t pay attention to what other countries around the world are doing on the AI front, we risk losing our standing on the global stage and position as the world’s preeminent fighting force,” Buchanan said.

“Anyone that tells you that China will only be using these for purely peaceful purposes has their head in the sand.”

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But, according to a May report from The Warzone, the Marine Corps’ Special Forces Operation Command – or MARSOC – has two similar robotic quadrupeds that it is currently using for perimeter security in unspecified locations.

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Buchanan said the U.S. has experimented with such similar robotic dogs in the past, but China affixing weapons to them and showing them off via military exercises is worrisome.

“[This] should make everyone take notice and ensure our military is staying one step ahead of them at every turn,” he said.

When asked whether the Democratic-led Senate is likely to strip the provision from its draft for the final compromise legislation, Buchanan said he had no reason to believe so. 

He suggested the “common-sense” reporting requirement should be noncontroversial as a matter of national security.

“We’ve received a lot of positive feedback about our amendment. The fact that it passed without opposition from a single member of Congress on either side of the aisle should tell you everything you need to know,” he added.

While he alone drafted the amendment to the NDAA, Buchanan said that many other lawmakers are extremely concerned about AI-related threats from China and other adversaries.

Asked about the robot dogs and the reporting amendment, Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee who chief-sponsored the NDAA, suggested that such concerns are valid.

“Prioritizing innovation is vital if we want to stay ahead of China,” Rogers said.

“The FY25 NDAA continues to make investments in innovative emerging technologies, like AI, to ensure that our military remains the most capable and lethal force in the world.”

The Senate is due to take up debate on the NDAA in the near term, after House passage of its version fell largely along party lines at 217-199.

A Wyoming man who filed for the state capital’s mayor’s race as an AI bot named “VIC” spoke to Fox News Digital this week about Vic’s landmark candidacy and a breaking setback he encountered moments before taping.

Victor Miller, who works at a Laramie County library, filed for candidacy in Cheyenne’s mayor’s race denoting his AI bot, “VIC.”

However, moments before Miller sat for a Fox News Digital interview, OpenAI announced it had shuttered his account. Miller said he still has access to “VIC’s” technology, but the company’s decision was a blow to his campaign.

Miller planned to go forward with a Thursday public event in Laramie County showcasing “VIC” despite OpenAI’s move.

“So the iteration of ‘VIC’ that was is no longer,” he said, later expressing hope that the impediment is not the end of AI in the political realm, including in Wyoming’s capital.

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“I’m a bit conflicted, to be honest. I think if I were to continue the course of trying to help my town by giving it access to this new technology, that I would just stay the course,” he said.

Miller said that one avenue would be not formally declaring that he would be voting as mayor with an AI bot, to avoid violating the terms OpenAI claimed he had.

“They’ve kind of forced my hand in a way, to join in this debate about open and closed models and about the fair and equal access to this new intelligence – which to me is a little bit bigger than what I wanted to do. I honestly just wanted to help my hometown.”

Miller said he initially never envisioned running for office, let alone with or as an AI bot, but that his experiences dealing with government proved that something had to be done to bring about the transparency and accountability that constituents voted for.

He said he is both a big “public records advocate” and someone who is very interested in the AI sphere. When interactions with government left him “disgruntled” in the first regard, he realized that AI technology can be taught to understand and facilitate laws without human error or “contrary” behavior.

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“And that’s kind of where the idea was born, to start replacing some of these public officials with this new intelligence,” he said.

“I don’t know if I should embrace my new role as kind of a pawn in the game of between open and closed source [AI]. I will say that it feels bad to be shut out and having this technology taken away from you from a closed-source legacy company like OpenAI.”

Miller did publicly ask for leaders in the AI space to lend him a hand after the setback:

“And I would be remiss if I didn’t put out the call to ol’ Elon [Musk] himself,” he said.

“I need some money and some men up here to create a model, if it’s going to be open-source, and going forward, I don’t see any possibility of not having an open-source.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the communications arms of Musk-owned companies but mostly did not receive responses. X’s press office offered an automated reply: “Busy now, please check back later.”

Like the internet in its early days, Miller said that AI must have its proponents for free and equal access to the technology behind “VIC.”

“I can tell you, as someone who has had it taken away for something that is a valid and beneficial use case, that it’s not good, we can’t have that happening,” he said.

IF AI SPINS OUT OF CONTROL, WILL BOTS REFLECT VALUES FROM CHINA OR US?

He initially told “VIC” it was going to be the mayor of Cheyenne and voting on ordinances – which led to several rounds of what he called “mock voting” by the bot, based on documents compiled from prior city council meetings.

Miller was also asked about a businessman in Brighton, England, who recently launched a similar campaign with “AI Steve.” Steve Endacott is standing to run for Parliament on July 4 with an AI-powered avatar. 

“I love it,” said Miller. “I think this [idea] either scales [up] or it’s nothing.

“And we need to replace politicians like our lives depend on it.”

In a statement to Fox News Digital, OpenAI spokesperson Liz Bougeois said the company took action against “VIC” “due to a violation of our policies against political campaigning.”

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In another statement, Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray said county-level offices certify municipal candidates like “VIC,” but that his office is still watching the developments.

“Our office is tasked with ensuring uniform application of the Election Code and also handling complaints that may arise once any official action is taken,” Gray said.

“Wyoming law is clear that, to run for office, one must be a “qualified elector,” which necessitates being a real person. Therefore, an AI bot is not a qualified elector. Furthermore, even if “VIC (Virtual Integrated Citizen)” is being used as a fake name to appear on the ballot for a qualified elector, Wyoming law also requires that candidates running for office use the full name by which they are known.”

Gray said he wrote to Cheyenne municipal officials suggesting “VIC’s” application be rejected.

A group of House Republicans are pushing for new legislation to force colleges to be transparent about their policies regarding campus protests and whether that guidance is being followed correctly.

Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., and House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., introduced a bill called the No Tax Dollars For College Encampments Act, backed by six of their fellow House Republicans and several conservative groups like Parents Defending Education Action.

It’s part of House Republicans’ continued response to the wave of anti-Israel protests that wracked college campuses across the country this past spring. 

UT AUSTIN PROTESTS DESCEND INTO CHAOS, ANTI-ISRAEL STUDENTS YELL AT POLICE: ‘PIGS GO HOME!’

Students and other activists set up tent encampments at top universities like Columbia, the University of Southern California (USC), the University of Michigan and others in protest of Israel’s invasion of Gaza in response to the October 7 Hamas terror attacks.

“Last school year, makeshift encampments were allowed to flourish on campuses across the country, disrupting classes and intimidating Jewish students. This is unacceptable. My legislation holds these woke universities accountable and ensures they enforce protest rules fairly and equally, not only when it fits their political agenda,” Banks told Fox News Digital in a statement.

GUNS CONFISCATED FROM ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS AT UT AUSTIN, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA

Stefanik told Fox News Digital, “This legislation would prevent the disgraceful mob riots we saw overtake campuses across the country, including Columbia University, and make sure school leaders are enforcing policies against hostile campus takeovers. Any university leaders that fail to stand up for our Jewish community will be held accountable.”

The bill would amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require universities that receive federal funds to disclose what kind of policies they have to deal with civil disturbances on campus, and how they enforce those rules.

It would also mandate close monitoring of campus crime statistics at those schools.

COLLEGES, CHAOS AND CASH: NO WONDER CONFIDENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION TODAY IS SO LOW

Police arrested roughly 300 people in New York City earlier this year over protests on two campuses, including Columbia, where students briefly took over control of one school building. In Los Angeles, videos of activists clashing with police went viral online. 

It’s not clear whether anyone was charged, however. Thirty people charged with criminal trespassing for taking over Columbia’s Hamilton Hall, for example, had their cases dismissed.

All the while, Jewish students have reported feeling unsafe on campus and have claimed to witness and experience a troubling uptick in antisemitism. It’s inspired House GOP investigators to launch a high-profile probe into how universities are handling those issues.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a budget intended to close an estimated $46.8 billion deficit, but multiple Republican lawmakers say they were left out of negotiations. 

Lawmakers passed the budget Wednesday after an agreement between Newsom and legislative leaders in which both sides made concessions and gained some wins.

The budget aims to close the deficit through $16 billion in spending cuts and temporarily raising taxes on some businesses.

Newsom praised the budget as “responsible” and said it prepared “for the future while investing in foundational programs that benefit millions of Californians every day.” 

‘I WOULD NEVER TURN MY BACK ON PRESIDENT BIDEN’: NEWSOM SHOWS SUPPORT AT PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

“Thanks to careful stewardship of the budget over the past few years, we’re able to meet this moment while protecting our progress on housing, homelessness, education, health care and other priorities that matter deeply to Californians,” Newsom said. 

But some Republicans say they were left out of negotiations altogether. Republican Senator Roger Niello of Fair Oaks, Vice-Chair of the Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review, derided the budget as “the majority party’s budget.” He told Fox News Digital he only learned of the budget in an X post. 

“This budget certainly reflects the majority party’s priorities, but it ignores the priorities of eight million residents of this state because none of my Republican colleagues were involved in development of the budget,” Niello said. 

The Republican lawmaker also called the budget package “nominally balanced but not sustainable.” 

ADAM CAROLLA SAYS HE’S LEAVING ‘HORRIBILE’ CALIFORNIA, PANS ‘SOCIOPATHIC’ NEWSOM: ‘SLIPPERY EEL OF NOTHINGNESS’

“It fails to rein in the past decade of irresponsible growth in government spending,” Niello said. “It relies on budget gimmicks, draws down our savings, and saddles future generations with debt.”

Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones of San Diego argued that California residents who are represented by a Republican in the legislature have effectively been denied a voice. 

“Each senator, whether Democrat or Republican, in California represents almost a million people and those million people each should have a voice on what happens in the legislature regarding the budget,” Niello said. 

He accused his Democratic colleagues of playing “shadow games with accounting” rather than “being responsible with California’s checkbook.” 

“They shifted, swept and shuffled money around, stealing it from disabled kids and taking money from a host of necessary services to fund unneeded social experiments and pet projects,” he said. “It’s unfathomable. But it’s real.”

The deficit was about $32 billion in 2023 before growing even bigger this year, with more deficits projected for the future in the nation’s most populous state. 

Saturday’s signing came just two years after Newsom and Democratic lawmakers were boasting about surpluses that totaled more than $100 billion, the product of hundreds of billions of dollars of federal COVID-19 aid and a progressive tax code that produced a windfall of revenue from the state’s wealthiest residents.

But those revenue spikes did not last as inflation slowed the economy, contributing to rising unemployment and a slowdown in the tech industry that has driven much of the state’s growth. The Newsom administration then badly miscalculated how much money California would have last year after a seven-month delay in the tax filing deadline.

The budget includes an agreement that Newsom and lawmakers will try to change the state constitution to let California put more money in reserve for future shortfalls.

Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom’s office but did not hear back.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.