A Native American attorney is challenging David Hogg’s vice chair position at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) amid intra-party tensions ignited by the 25-year-old activist’s $20 million investment through his political action group to primary older incumbent Democrats. 

«While we are confident that the DNC Officer election was conducted fairly, transparently, and in alignment with the rules that were approved by the DNC Membership in advance of the election, the Party provides an opportunity for any candidate or member to raise concerns for further discussion,» a DNC spokesperson told Fox News Digital. 

The DNC Credentials Committee will meet virtually on May 12 to consider longtime Democratic Party activist Kalyn Free’s challenge, a decision made before the fallout of Hogg’s plan to primary incumbents, according to a source familiar. 

Free submitted a complaint following the DNC’s Feb. 1 officer elections, in which Hogg, Malcolm Kenyatta and Artie Blanco secured the vice chair positions. Free alleged in the complaint that the DNC «discriminated against three women of color candidates,» during officer elections earlier this year. The news was first reported by Semafor.

DEMOCRATS’ VICE CHAIR GETS ULTIMATUM: STAY NEUTRAL IN PRIMARIES OR STEP DOWN FROM PARTY LEADERSHIP

Hogg claimed his vice chair position with 214.5 votes, while Kenyetta had 298. According to the network pool producer at the leadership election, 205 votes were needed to win. Free secured 96. Jeanna Repass had 112, and Shasti Conrad had just 91.5 votes. 

DEMOCRATS’ VICE CHAIR IGNITES CIVIL WAR, TARGETING ‘ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL’ INCUMBENTS IN PRIMARIES

«This is about fairness and making sure that three women and the members of the DNC are not disenfranchised. I’ve spent my whole life fighting for fairness in, and through, the Democratic party and we should expect nothing less this time. The DNC needs to correct this flawed election and then we all need to get back to the work of electing Democrats both incumbents and picking up new seats because the real priority is stopping Donald Trump and his dangerous agenda for our country,» Free told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

A source familiar shut down Free’s allegation, emphasizing to Fox News Digital that the election results weren’t even close. But Free accused the DNC of a «fatally flawed election that violated the DNC Charter» in her complaint and requested «two new vice chair elections,» Free confirmed. 

«By aggregating votes across ballots and failing to distinguish between gender categories in a meaningful way, the DNC’s process violated its own Charter and Bylaws, undermining both fairness and gender diversity,» Free wrote. 

While Free’s complaint was filed before Hogg made headlines this month for his brutal plan to primary incumbent Democrats in deep blue districts, the fallout is the latest blow to the young Democratic leader. Hogg pledged to donate $20 million through his political action committee, Leaders We Deserve, to primary-challenge some older Democrats in blue districts.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin speaks after winning the vote at the Democratic National Committee Winter Meeting at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Md., on Feb. 1, 2025. (Rod Lamkey, Jr./AP Photo)

DNC chair Ken Martin affirmed last week that the DNC will stay neutral in intra-party primaries, giving Hogg the ultimatum to either rescind his vice chair position or forego his political influence via his PAC.

«No DNC officer should ever attempt to influence the outcome of a primary election, whether on behalf of an incumbent or a challenger,» Martin said last week, adding, «If you want to challenge incumbents, you’re more than free to do that, but just not as an officer of the DNC, because our job is to be neutral arbiters. We can’t be both the referee and also the player at the same time.»

Following Hogg’s primary fallout, Martin announced new investments for the state parties and a strengthened neutrality pledge for DNC officials. 

The proposal, which would require DNC officials to pledge neutrality in primaries, is expected to be voted on by the party’s Rules and Bylaws committee next month. If the panel approves the proposal, the full DNC membership would take a final vote during the party’s annual summer meeting in August.

Gun violence survivor and activist David Hogg speaks at the March for our Lives rally against gun violence at the National Mall in Washington on June 11, 2022.  (Getty Images)

Hogg replied to the news on social media later that day, accusing the DNC of «trying to change the rules because I’m not currently breaking them. As we’re seeing law firms, tech companies, and so many others bowing to Trump, we all must use whatever position of power we have to fight back. And that’s exactly what I’m doing.»

«This moment requires us to have the strongest opposition party possible to stop Trump from destroying people’s retirement savings, disappearing people, plunging our economy into oblivion—and to provide a real alternative to the Republican Party for voters that we simply do not have right now,» Hogg added. 

The move by Hogg comes as Democrats disagree about how to respond to President Donald Trump’s first 100 days back in the White House. During an interview with CNN last week, longtime Democratic strategist James Carville ripped Hogg for challenging those within his own party when he could be investing those same funds to «take on a Republican.» 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

«The most insane thing I ever heard is the vice chair of the Democratic National Committee is spending $20 million running against other Democrats. Aren’t we supposed to run against Republicans?» Carville asked. 

Hogg did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Ucrania y Estados Unidos firmaron el miércoles un pacto sobre un fondo conjunto para invertir en la reconstrucción del país asolado por la guerra, y un borrador dice que daría a Washington acceso preferente a nuevos acuerdos sobre recursos naturales ucranianos.

El Departamento del Tesoro estadounidense anunció el miércoles que Estados Unidos y Ucrania firmaron un acuerdo sobre un “fondo de inversión para la reconstrucción”, después de semanas de negociaciones sobre el acceso a los recursos naturales ucranianos.

“En reconocimiento del importante apoyo financiero y material que el pueblo de Estados Unidos ha proporcionado a la defensa de Ucrania desde la invasión a gran escala de Rusia, esta asociación económica posiciona a nuestros dos países para colaborar e invertir juntos con el fin de garantizar que nuestros activos, talentos y capacidades mutuos puedan acelerar la recuperación económica de Ucrania”, afirma el comunicado, que no da detalles del contenido.

La ministra ucraniana de Economía, Yulia Svyrydenko, confirmó la firma del acuerdo en Washington. En un post en X, dijo: “Junto con Estados Unidos, estamos creando el Fondo que atraerá la inversión mundial a nuestro país”.

En Kiev, el Primer Ministro Denys Shmygal declaró en la televisión nacional que el acuerdo era “bueno, igualitario y beneficioso”.

En un post en Telegram, Shmygal dijo que los dos países establecerían un Fondo de Inversión para la Reconstrucción en el que cada parte tendría el 50% de los derechos de voto. “Ucrania conserva el pleno control sobre su subsuelo, infraestructuras y recursos naturales”, afirmó.

Respondiendo a una preocupación clave para Kiev, dijo que no se pediría a Ucrania que devolviera ninguna “deuda” por los miles de millones de dólares en armas estadounidenses y otras ayudas desde que Rusia invadió el país en febrero de 2022.

“Los beneficios del fondo se reinvertirán exclusivamente en Ucrania”, dijo.

Trump había buscado originalmente 500.000 millones de dólares en riqueza mineral, unas cuatro veces lo que Estados Unidos ha aportado a Ucrania desde la guerra.

Trump había exigido inicialmente derechos sobre la riqueza mineral de Ucrania como compensación por los miles de millones de dólares en armas estadounidenses enviadas bajo el mandato del ex presidente Joe Biden tras la invasión rusa de hace poco más de tres años.

Tras las dudas iniciales, Ucrania ha aceptado un acuerdo sobre minerales como forma de garantizar la inversión a largo plazo de Estados Unidos, mientras Trump intenta reducir drásticamente los compromisos de seguridad de Estados Unidos en todo el mundo.

Trump se ha resistido a ofrecer garantías de seguridad a Ucrania y ha rechazado su aspiración a entrar en la OTAN.

Pero Trump dijo el miércoles que una presencia estadounidense sobre el terreno beneficiaría a Ucrania.

“La presencia estadounidense, creo, mantendrá a muchos malos actores fuera del país o, desde luego, fuera de la zona donde estamos haciendo las excavaciones”, dijo Trump en la reunión del gabinete.

El secretario de Estado, Marco Rubio, amenazó el martes con que la Administración Trump renunciaría a la mediación en el conflicto -que Trump había prometido durante la campaña acabar en su primer día de mandato- a menos que las dos partes presenten “propuestas concretas”.

Trump ha presionado para lograr un acuerdo en el que Ucrania ceda parte del territorio arrebatado por Rusia, que ha rechazado las propuestas respaldadas por Estados Unidos de un alto el fuego de al menos 30 días.

El presidente Volodymyr Zelensky ha descartado cualquier concesión formal a Rusia de Crimea, la península arrebatada en 2014 y cuya anexión por Moscú es rotundamente rechazada a nivel internacional.

(Con información de AFP, AP y Reuters)

The trial of an Australian woman accused of serving her ex-husband’s family poisonous mushrooms began this week, nearly a year after the suspect pleaded not guilty to her charges.

Erin Patterson, 50, was charged with three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. She was originally charged with two counts of attempted murder, though the charge was dropped earlier this week.

Patterson appeared in the Victoria state Supreme Court on Wednesday, where prosecutor Nanette Rogers told jurors the accused had served a meal of beef Wellington, mashed potatoes and green beans at her home in the rural town of Leongartha on July 29, 2023.

Her guests included her in-laws, Gail and Don Patterson, both 70; Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, 66; and Wilkinson’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, 68.

AUSTRALIAN WOMAN PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO MURDERING HER EX-HUSBAND’S FAMILY WITH POISONOUS MUSHROOMS

The next day, all four of the guests were hospitalized with poisoning from death cap mushrooms — or amanita phalloides — which were added to the beef and pastry dish. Simon Patterson, Erin’s husband, was not in attendance despite being invited.

Ian Wilkinson spent seven weeks in the hospital following the lunch.

The other three victims died in a hospital just days after consuming the meal at Patterson’s home.

On Tuesday, the prosecution told jurors that three charges alleging Patterson attempted to murder her husband were dropped. The two had been separated since 2015.

WOMAN UNDER INVESTIGATION AFTER POISONOUS MUSHROOM MEAL KILLED HER THREE FORMER IN-LAWS

In this courtroom sketch, Erin Patterson appears in Latrobe Valley Magistrates Court, Victoria, Nov. 3, 2023. Patterson, accused of serving her ex-husband’s parents and an aunt poisonous mushrooms with lunch, has pleaded not guilty in an Australian court, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, on three counts of murder and five of attempted murder. (Anita Lester/AAP Image via AP)

Patterson invited her husband and his relatives to lunch two weeks before the poisoning, as she was attending a church service at Korumburra Baptist Church. Ian Wilkinson was the pastor at the church, and initially, Simon had accepted the invitation.

«She said the purpose of the lunch was to discuss some medical issues that she had and to get advice about how to break it to the kids,» Rogers told the jury. «The accused said that it was important that the children were not present for the lunch.»

What was surprising to the Wilkinsons, Rogers noted, was that they had never been invited to Patterson’s five-bedroom home.

The morning after the meeting at Patterson’s home, the prosecution alleged, Heather Wilkinson told Simon Patterson she was puzzled that Erin was eating from a different plate than the guests.

JEFFREY EPSTEIN CASE: VIRGINIA GIUFFRE’S DEATH MARKS THIRD LOSS, EXPERT SAYS PREDATORS NEED TO BE ‘PUNISHED’

Four guests who were served lunch by Erin Patterson were hospitalized the next day for poisoning by death cap mushrooms. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images)

«I noticed that Erin put her food on a different plate to us,» Heather Wilkinson said, according to the prosecution. «Her plate had colors on it. I wondered why that was. I’ve puzzled about it since lunch.»

Simon told his aunt it was possible his wife may have run out of plates.

The prosecution also told jurors Patterson made up an ovarian cancer diagnosis to explain why her children were not at lunch.

«After the lunch, the accused announced that she had cancer and asked for advice on whether to tell the children or keep it from them,» Rogers said. «They had a discussion about it being best to be honest with the children. They prayed as a group for the accused’s health and wisdom in relation to telling the children.»

WELLNESS INFLUENCER EXPOSED FOR FAKING CANCER DODGES AUTHORITIES A DECADE LATER: DOCUMENTARY

Erin Patterson allegedly invited family members over for lunch, where she served Beef Wellington, though the next day, all four guests were hospitalized for poisoning by death cap mushrooms. (Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)

Still, Patterson’s lawyer, Colin Mandy, told jurors his client never had cancer. He also said guests were poisoned by mushrooms Patterson served, though the poisoning was a «terrible accident.»

Rogers advised the jury that she would not be providing a motive for the poisonings, saying, «You do not have to be satisfied what the motive was, or even that there was a motive.»

Erin Patterson eventually went to the hospital complaining about diarrhea and nausea two days after serving beef Wellington. But at that point, her guests had been diagnosed with suffering from death cap poisoning.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

She later told authorities she cooked with a mixture of mushrooms she purchased from a supermarket and dried mushrooms from an Asian food store, denying that she had foraged for wild mushrooms.

But Mandy said his client lied about not foraging for wild mushrooms.

«She did forage for mushrooms,» Mandy told the jury. «Just so that we make that clear. She denies that she ever deliberately sought out death cap mushrooms.»

The trial was adjourned until Thursday and is expected to continue for six weeks.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.