World Net Daily

Birthers Fly Aerial 'Where's The Real Birth Certificate?' Ad Over NFL Game

Jillian Rayfield | December 12, 2011, 6:19PM

Apparently there's a lot of potential overlap between football fans and birthers, because the birther-tastic site WorldNetDaily took out an aerial ad asking "Where's the real birth certificate?" at a Cowboys-Giants game on Sunday.

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Walter Fitzpatrick

Birther Who Tried To Indict Obama For Treason Arrested For Stealing Court Documents

Jillian Rayfield | December 9, 2011, 11:24AM

Walt Fitzpatrick is seeking an indictment against President Barack Obama for charges of treason.

A birther in Tennessee, previously seen trying to indict President Obama for treason, was arrested and charged with tampering with government documents for allegedly stealing confidential paperwork from his local courthouse.

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Birthers

The Origins Of Rick Perry's Call To Release Obama's Grades

Jillian Rayfield | October 28, 2011, 6:00AM

It's become fashionable among some birthers to shift from calling for President Obama's birth certificate to instead call for his school records.

As TPM's Evan McMorris-Santoro put it this week, making digs about Obama's grades "is a key component of a less-than-subtle birther conspiracy that Obama got into Harvard for reasons, you know, other than his intelligence."

But where did this latest conspiracy theory come from? Tough to say for sure, but it seems likely that like most not-crazy ideas, this one came from a chain e-mail.

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Birthers

Birther Oathkeeper Convicted In Attempted Courthouse Takeover

Jillian Rayfield | October 25, 2011, 3:08PM

Georgia birther and Oathkeeper Darren Huff was convicted Tuesday of attempting to take over a Tennessee courthouse and conduct citizen's arrests on officials.

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Darren Huff

'I Refuse To Be Intimidated': Birther OathKeeper's Trial Heads To Jury

Jillian Rayfield | October 25, 2011, 5:05AM

After a week-long trial, a federal jury in Georgia is deliberating the strange case of birther OathKeeper Darren Huff, who allegedly attempted to take over a Tennessee courthouse and conduct citizens arrests on local judges and officers.

"My government has called me a potential domestic terrorist," Huff said on the stand on Friday as he fought back tears.

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Darren Huff

The Strange Case Of The Birther OathKeeper -- Who Tried To Take Over A Courthouse -- Heads To Trial

Jillian Rayfield | October 18, 2011, 5:05AM

On Tuesday, Georgia OathKeeper Darren Huff will begin his trial for an alleged attempt to take over a Tennessee courthouse and conduct citizens arrests on local judges and officers.

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Jack Abramoff

'Birther' Website WND To Publish Disgraced Lobbyist Jack Abramoff's Memoir

Ryan J. Reilly | October 6, 2011, 5:45AM

Jack Abramoff

Updated: Oct. 6, 7:50AM

Disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff has a forthcoming memoir intended to serve as a "corrective" to his "wildly misunderstood" story. The publisher? The infamous "birther" website World Net Daily.

"Capitol Punishment: The Hard Truth About Washington from America's Most Notorious Lobbyist" is set to be published on Nov. 1, according to WND.

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Alan Keyes

Supreme Court Rejects Alan Keyes' Birther Lawsuit

Jillian Rayfield | October 4, 2011, 1:43PM

Former IL Sen. candidate Alan Keyes (R)

The Supreme Court will not hear a 'birther' lawsuit from conservative activist Alan Keyes and members of the American Independent Party, which argued Barack Obama is ineligible to be President.

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Minuteman PAC

Minuteman PAC Fundraising For Joe Arpaio's 'Cold Case Posse'

Jillian Rayfield | September 26, 2011, 11:31AM

Minuteman volunteer Haskell (no last name) of Houston, looks across the Mexico border from atop his vehicle as a Border Patrol helicopter passes overhead.

Minuteman PAC wants to capitalize on that key subset of anti-immigration activists who are birthers.

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Orly Taitz

'Birther' Orly Taitz Mulling Senate Run Because She Speaks Spanish And Hebrew

Ryan J. Reilly | September 19, 2011, 12:32PM

Orly Taitz

So-called "birther queen" Orly Taitz is considering running for Sen. Dianne Feinstein's seat in 2012.

"I think I do have a chance specifically because I do speak Spanish and I speak Hebrew," Taitz told the Sacramento Bee following a town hall event on Latino issues at the California Republican Party convention.

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Joe Arpaio

Sheriff Joe Arpaio Assigns 'Cold Case Posse' To Investigate Obama's Birth Certificate

Jillian Rayfield | September 19, 2011, 10:15AM

Sheriff Joe Arpaio

Hey, remember the birthers?

Infamous Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio does -- which is why he announced a five-person "Cold Case Posse" that will delve into the issue of President Obama's birth certificate.

The posse follows a request by the Surprise, Arizona Tea Party, who Arpaio met with on August 17. The Surprise Tea Party believes that the long-form birth certificate released by President Obama in April -- which put the issue to rest for pretty much everyone -- could be a forgery.

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Daryn J. Moran

Airman Who Said Obama's Birth Certificate Was Forged Not AWOL, Being Discharged

Ryan J. Reilly | August 17, 2011, 2:03PM

Air Force Staff Sgt. Daryn J. Moran, who's been claiming that he's AWOL from the military in Germany because he thinks President Barack Obama's birth certificate is fake, might want to check his own paperwork.

The Air Force says Moran (who wrote his opposition to Obama is "not because he's Black") isn't AWOL at all, but rather on approved leave status awaiting discharge, Scott Fontaine reports for Air Force Times.

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Daryn J. Moran

Airman Goes AWOL In Germany Because Internet Says Obama's Birth Certificate Is Fake (VIDEO)

Ryan J. Reilly | August 17, 2011, 11:40AM

[Update: The Air Force says Moran isn't AWOL after all, but rather on approved leave status as he awaits discharge.]

An Air Force staff sergeant based in Germany says he's been AWOL since last week because he read on the Internet that President Barack Obama's long form birth certificate is a fraud.

Inspired by fellow birther, Army doctor Terrence Lakin, Staff Sgt. Daryn J. Moran has plastered the Internet with the news that he's deserting his post as an ophthalmology technician overseas.

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Joseph Farah

World Net Daily Writers Sue Esquire For $120 Million Over Birther Parody

Ryan J. Reilly | June 29, 2011, 4:00PM

It might be a week late, but World Net Daily editor Joseph Farah and author Jerome Corsi have finally made good on their threats and sued Esquire for a satirical article that claimed that they were no longer members of the so-called 'birther' movement.

[TPM SLIDESHOW: The Best Worst Crazy Anti-Obama (And One Pro-Obama) Billboards]

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Joseph Farah

WND Editor Joseph Farah To Sue Esquire Over Birther Parody

Ryan J. Reilly | June 17, 2011, 1:32PM

World Net Daily editor Joseph Farah plans to file a lawsuit against Esquire magazine next week over a satirical article alleging he was recalling a WND-published book questioning the legitimacy of President Barack Obama's birth certificate.

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Joseph Farah

WND's Joseph Farah May Sue Esquire Over Birther Parody

Ryan J. Reilly | May 18, 2011, 1:40PM

Joseph Farah

The death of World Net Daily editor Joseph Farah's doubts about the legitimacy of President Barack Obama's birth certificate has been greatly exaggerated.

In an interview with TPM, Farah confirmed he's still on the "birther" crusade and said he might sue Esquire over a satirical article that said otherwise.

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Joseph Farah

After-Birthers: How Conspiracy Theorists Reacted To Obama's Long-Form Birth Certificate

Ryan J. Reilly | April 28, 2011, 8:21AM

Now that President Barack Obama's legal team went out of its way to get a copy of Obama's so-called long-form birth certificate, it's time for the birthers to eat crow, right? Not so much. It hasn't taken long for members of the "birther" movement to grab their backup plans.

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Terrence Lakin

Court-Martialed Birther Army Doc Supporters: If Only Obama Had Released The Birth Certificate a Year Ago!

Jillian Rayfield | April 27, 2011, 6:03PM

The defense fund for birther and former Lt. Col. Terrence Lakin put out a statement on Wednesday in response to the release of President Obama's long-form birth certificate, asking that Lakin, a doctor, be given a "full and complete presidential pardon" for his court martial conviction of six months, "including restoration of pay, benefits, and service."

The reasoning? If only Lakin had seen this birth certificate a year ago he would have never refused his orders to deploy to Afghanistan!

"This document which was so casually dropped on the news corps could just have easily been provided twelve months ago or two years ago," the statement said. "Even six months ago, it would have prevented LTC Lakin being manacled and hauled away to Fort Leavenworth prison for standing up for the Constitution, consistent with the oath he took as an officer, and the rule of law."

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Donald Trump

Orly Taitz: Obama's Long-Form Birth Certificate Should Say 'Negro' Not 'African'

Ryan J. Reilly | April 27, 2011, 11:55AM

Orly Taitz

In a development that will surprise no one, it turns out that President Barack Obama's decision to release his long-form birth certificate hasn't quieted members of the "birther" movement who promote the conspiracy theory that he wasn't born in the United States.

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Orange County

OC GOPer Apologizes For Obama-As-Chimp Pic, Says 'I Am Not A Racist'

Jillian Rayfield | April 19, 2011, 4:42PM

Orange County Republican party official Marilyn Davenport has apologized for sending out a picture of President Obama as a chimp, beside chimp parents.

In an e-mail sent Monday night to fellow members of the Orange County Republican Central Committee, Davenport wrote: "To my fellow Americans and to everyone else who has seen this email I forwarded and was offended by my action, I humbly apologize and ask for your forgiveness of my unwise behavior. I say unwise because at the time I received and forwarded the email, I didn't stop to think about the historic implications and other examples of how this could be offensive."

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Donald Rumsfeld

CNN Lets 'You Decide' About Trump's 'Birther' Claims (VIDEO)

Eric Lach | April 8, 2011, 4:20PM

CNN reporter Brian Todd

As you may have heard, Donald Trump has recently gone full "birther" -- openly questioning whether President Obama was born in the U.S. and demanding to see a satisfactory birth certificate -- as part of his public flirtation with a possible presidential bid. And if you've been watching cable news, you might have noticed that the networks have been giving plenty of airtime to Trump and his debunked conspiracy theories, which had been all but relegated to the darkest corners of the net.

CNN got in on the action Friday afternoon with a little segment that lets "you decide" whether Trump's rants are valid or not, treating a point of fact as though it were theory.

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Donald Trump

Tea Partiers Rallying In DC Praise Donald Trump's Birther Stance (VIDEO)

Ryan J. Reilly and Jillian Rayfield | March 31, 2011, 5:26PM

Donald Trump

In the span of just a few weeks, real estate mogul turned reality television star turned Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump went from dipping his toe in the birther pool to diving right into the deep end and claiming that he's "starting to wonder" whether President Barack Obama was born in the United States.

So we figured it'd be good to ask the Tea Partiers in attendance for the "Continuing Revolution" rally on Capitol Hill on Thursday if speaking out on the issue boosted Trump's presidential campaign.

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Birthers

Arizona Revives 'Birther' Bill

Melissa Jeltsen | March 23, 2011, 12:16PM

Arizona's 'birther' bill is back. Legislators passed a bill out of committee Tuesday that would make presidential candidates provide copies of their birth certificates in order to qualify for the ballot.

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Mark Hatfield

Georgia GOPer Scales Back 'Birther' Bill

Eric Lach | March 15, 2011, 8:29AM

State Rep. Mark Hatfield (R-GA)

A Georgia Republican has decided to tweak his presidential birth-certificate bill to delay its implementation until after the 2012 election, the second such bill to be recently changed in the wake of political pressure.

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Barack Obama

Birther Bills Pop Up In Connecticut And Arizona

Eric Lach | February 2, 2011, 11:17AM

President Barack Obama

And the birther tune plays on. Lawmakers in two states are pushing bills that would make presidential candidates "prove" that they are natural-born American citizens.

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Birthers

Birther Interrupts House Reading Of Constitution, Yells 'Help Us Jesus' (VIDEO)

Ryan J. Reilly | January 6, 2011, 12:08PM

An apparent member of the birther movement seated in the gallery of the House of Representatives on Thursday interrupted a reading of the Constitution. The woman yelled out "Except Obama, except Obama, help us Jesus!" as Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) read the "natural born citizen" clause of the Constitution.

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Terrence Lakin

Birther Army Doctor Gets Six Months For Refusing To Deploy

Jillian Rayfield | December 16, 2010, 4:40PM

Lieutenant Colonel Terry Lakin

Lt. Col. Terrence Lakin, who refused orders to deploy to Afghanistan because he believes President Obama may not have been born in the United States, was sentenced to six months in military prison today.

He will also be dismissed from the Army.

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Terrence Lakin

'Birther' Army Doctor's Supporters Soldier On Despite Court Setback

Ryan J. Reilly | December 15, 2010, 10:30AM

After an Army doctor who became a prominent member of the so-called "birther" movement for refusing to deploy to Afghanistan over his doubts that President Barack Obama was born in the U.S. pleaded guilty to one count at a court martial, what will happen to his supporters?

As the court martial of Lt. Col. Terrence Lakin continues for a second day in a military court in Maryland, they're standing by their man. Lakin is fighting off a more serious charge: that he is guilty of "missing a movement" because he missed a flight back on April 12 which would have started his journey to join his unit.

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Terrence Lakin

'Birther' Army Doctor Pleads Guilty On One Count At Court Martial

Ryan J. Reilly | December 14, 2010, 12:35PM

Lt. Col. Terrence Lakin, an Army doctor who refused to deploy to Afghanistan because he questioned whether President Barack Obama was born in the U.S., pleaded guilty to one of two charges against him at a court martial proceeding on Tuesday.

Lakin pleaded guilty to a charge that included not meeting with a superior when ordered to do so and not reporting for duty at Fort Campbell, reported The Republic. He'll face up to 18 months in prison and dismissal from the Army, the newspaper reported.

Lakin pleaded not guilty on another charge that he missed a flight he was required to be on, and his court-martial at Fort Meade in Maryland is continuing on that count.

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Anderson Cooper

Anderson Cooper Shellacks Texas Birther With Torrent Of Facts (VIDEO)

Jillian Rayfield | November 30, 2010, 1:19PM

CNN's Anderson Cooper took Texas birther and state Rep. Leo Berman (R) down a whole bunch of pegs last night over Berman's birther bill. "You're basing legislation on stuff that's just rumors and stuff that's been proven to be false," Cooper told him.

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Terrence Lakin

Birther Army Doc Defenders Gear Up For Court Martial By Invoking Nuremberg

Jillian Rayfield | November 15, 2010, 1:57PM

Lieutenant Colonel Terrence Lakin

Lt. Col. Terrence Lakin is scheduled to be court martialed on December 14 after refusing orders to deploy to Afghanistan amid his questions about President Obama's eligibility to serve as Commander-In-Chief. In the lead-up to the court martial, the American Patriot Foundation, the group that set up his legal defense fund, launched "Terry Lakin Action Week," and invoked Nuremberg to argue Lakin's case:

Since Nuremberg, servicemembers are trained to question illegal orders, yet for more than a year, no one in the Pentagon could answer LTC Lakin's simple question-- is there proof that the CINC is legally, Constitutionally eligible to be in charge of the U.S. Armed Forces?

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Orly Taitz

'Unapologetic Birther' Is New MO House of Representatives Majority Leader

Ryan J. Reilly | November 5, 2010, 11:44AM

Missouri State Rep. Tim Jones (R) and Orly Taitz

State Rep. Timothy W. Jones (R-Eureka) of the Missouri House of Representatives was unanimously elected by the new Republican caucus to be the next Majority Floor Leader. Why is that newsworthy? Because he was represented by "Birther Queen" Orly Taitz in a federal case alleging that President Barack Obama was secretly an Indonesian named Barry Soetoro and ineligible to be President of the United States.

Jones was listed as a plaintiff in a lawsuit filed by lawyer-dentist Taitz to obtain an original birth certificate, immigration records, passports and other vital records from Obama.

Taitz is pretty pumped about Jones being in a position of power. "WOW, an unapologetic birther is unanimously elected to be the speaker of MO Hopuse of Representatives!!!" Taitz wrote on her blog. "PLEASE, CONTACT HIM AND DEMAND THAT HE BRINGS THIS ISSUE TO THE FLOOR OF THE STATE HOUSE OF REP-S."

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Terrence Lakin

Judge: 'Birther' Docs Are Irrelevant To Army Doctor's Refusal To Deploy

Ryan J. Reilly | September 3, 2010, 1:45PM

Lt. Col. Terrence Lakin

The Army Lieutenant Colonel who refused to deploy to Afghanistan because he does not believe President Barack Obama was born in the United States faced a legal setback, after a judge ruled yesterday that evidence and witnesses related to the President's citizenship were irrelevant to the soldier's case, CNN reports.

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Birthers

Retired Three-Star Lieutenant General Backs 'Birther' Army Doctor

Ryan J. Reilly | September 1, 2010, 11:22AM

Ret. Air Force General Thomas McInerney

Retired Air Force Lieutenant General Thomas McInerney has officially joined the legions of birthers, after writing an affidavit in support of Army Lieutenant Colonel Terrence Lakin who refused to deploy to Afghanistan because he does not believe President Barack Obama was born in the United States. Lakin faces a court martial on Oct. 13 for his refusal.

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Birthers

Orly Taitz Claims That Obama Is Undermining Her Birther Case

Rachel Slajda | August 19, 2010, 1:14PM

Orly Taitz

Birther extraordinaire Orly Taitz is still trying to have the Supreme Court reverse a $20,000 fine imposed on her by a lower judge, even after the court denied her appeal earlier this week.

Taitz has filed a "motion for reconsideration" with the court, according to documents posted on her web site, claiming that she has new evidence that President Obama is not an American citizen.

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Orly Taitz

'Birther Queen' Taitz Vows to Keep Fighting After Supreme Court Denies Appeal

Ryan J. Reilly | August 16, 2010, 12:47PM

Orly Taitz

So-called "Birther Queen" Orly Taitz hadn't yet heard about the Supreme Court's decision to uphold a $20,000 fine against her when TPMMuckraker reached her on Monday.

But Taitz told TPMMuckraker she is convinced that none of the members of the court read her request, and that clerks made the decision for the justices. She cited a passage from a book co-authored by Justice Antonin Scalia in which, she claimed, Scalia said that less than one percent of cases are actually read by a judge.

"It was never seen by Justice [Clarence] Thomas, there's not evidence it was seen by Justice Thomas," Taitz said. "I don't believe the Justices read a word of the pleadings." She said she wanted to see the original court document with the signature of a member of the court.

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Terrence Lakin

Report: Birther Army Doctor Tells Prosecutor 'Don't Tase Me, Bro'

Jillian Rayfield | August 13, 2010, 12:42PM

The American Patriot Foundation, which set up a legal defense fund for birther Army doctor Lt. Col. Terrence Lakin, is claiming that lead prosecutor LTC Steven Brodsky "threatened" Lakin, suggesting it would be easier to "just taser [Lakin] and throw him in the van" to avoid having him speak to the press.

In response, Lakin apparently had this message for Brodsky: "Don't tase me, bro."

That account is according to the American Patriot Foundation, and has not been independently confirmed. Calls to the APF, Brodsky and Walter Reed Army Medical Center were not returned.

Lakin faces a General Court Martial for refusing orders to deploy to Afghanistan, citing his uncertainties about President Obama's place of birth and eligibility to be Commander-in-Chief.

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Orly Taitz

Alito's Plan To Consider Birther Queen's Stay Probably Doesn't Mean He's A Secret Birther

Rachel Slajda | August 13, 2010, 11:57AM

Orly Taitz

Yesterday we told you that Justice Samuel Alito had referred birther lawyer extraordinaire Orly Taitz's request for a stay to the full Supreme Court.

Taitz, who's been fighting a $20,000 fine from a federal judge in Georgia, had applied to the Supreme Court for a stay in an apparent effort to reverse the fine. The application first went to Justice Clarence Thomas, who has jurisdiction over Georgia's circuit. When he denied it, she applied to Alito.

And then Alito referred it to the full court, which a few of our commenters took as a sign of his true sympathies. Some examples:

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Orly Taitz

Alito Refers Taitz Appeal To Entire Supreme Court

Rachel Slajda | August 12, 2010, 6:36PM

Orly Taitz

Birther queen Orly Taitz has spent the better part of a year fighting a $20,000 fine slapped on her by a federal judge for filing frivilous birther lawsuits contesting President Obama's elibility to hold the office. A few weeks ago, she applied to the Supreme Court to reverse the fine.

When Justice Clarence Thomas denied her application, she vowed to apply to each of the other justices in turn. The next justice she applied to was Samuel Alito, who has now referred the matter to the to the entire court.

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Orly Taitz

Birther Queen Tries To Fight $20K Fine At Supreme Court

Rachel Slajda | August 6, 2010, 6:12PM

Orly Taitz

If you say nothing else about Orly Taitz, say she is persistent.

Taitz, birther lawyer extraordinaire, last month tried to fight a $20,000 fine by appealing to the Supreme Court. Justice Clarence Thomas denied her appeal.

So this week, she re-filed the appeal, this time directing it to Justice Samuel Alito instead.

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