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New York governor calls for national assault weapons ban after gunman kills four people in Manhattan – live updates

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New York governor calls for national assault weapons ban after Manhattan office shooting

New York governor Kathy Hochul is calling for Congress to pass a national assault weapons ban following yesterday’s shooting in Manhattan which killed four people.

In a statement this morning, Hochul noted the suspect used an AR-15-style assault rifle, a commonly used weapon in mass shootings in the US.

New York has some of the strongest gun laws in the nation. We banned assault weapons. We strengthened our Red Flag Law. We closed dangerous loopholes. But our laws only go so far when an AR-15 can be obtained in a state with weak gun laws and brought into New York to commit mass murder.

The time to act is now. The American people are tired of thoughts and prayers. They deserve action.

Congress must summon the courage to stand up to the gun lobby and finally pass a national assault weapons ban before more innocent lives are stolen.

The shooter was a Las Vegas resident. He had appeared to have driven over three days to reach New York City.

Hochul also condemned the shooting as a “horrific act of violence” and paid tribute to NYPD officer Didarul Islam.

“My heart is with his loved ones, his NYPD family and every victim of this tragedy,” Hochul said.

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Ghislaine Maxwell offers to testify before Congress – but only with major conditions, including immunity

Ghislaine Maxwell has offered to testify before Congress, but with major conditions, including immunity, according to a list of her demands sent to the House oversight committee by her attorneys, seen by CNN.

Committee chair James Comer subpoenaed Maxwell to testify next month. In a new letter sent to Comer today, Maxwell’s attorneys said they initially decided to invoke her fifth amendment rights, but then offered to cooperate with Congress “if a fair and safe path forward can be established”.

Maxwell, Epstein’s accomplice who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking and other crimes, has requested that the US supreme court overturn her conviction, saying she was unjustly prosecuted.

Her attorneys argued that “any testimony she provides now could compromise her constitutional rights, prejudice her legal claims, and potentially taint a future jury pool”.

The letter goes on: “Compounding these concerns are public comments from members of Congress that appear to have prejudged Ms. Maxwell’s credibility without even listening to what she has to say or evaluating the extensive documentation that corroborates it.”

An oversight committee spokesperson rejected the idea of giving Maxwell immunity, telling CNN:

The oversight committee will respond to Ms. Maxwell’s attorney soon, but it will not consider granting congressional immunity for her testimony.

Per CNN’s report, Maxwell’s conditions as laid out by her attorneys include:

  • A grant of formal immunity.

  • The interview can’t happen at the correctional facility where she’s serving her sentence.

  • “To prepare adequately for any congressional deposition – and to ensure accuracy and fairness – we would require the Committee’s questions in advance … Surprise questioning would be both inappropriate and unproductive.”

  • The interview would be scheduled “only after the resolution of her supreme court petition and her forthcoming habeas petition”.

If the demands cannot be met, her attorneys said: “Maxwell will have no choice but to invoke her fifth amendment rights.”

The letter ends with an appeal for clemency from Donald Trump for which, her attorneys say, Maxwell would be “willing and eager” to testify.

Of course, in the alternative, if Ms. Maxwell were to receive clemency, she would be willing – and eager – to testify openly and honestly, in public, before Congress in Washington, D.C. She welcomes the opportunity to share the truth and to dispel the many misconceptions and misstatements that have plagued this case from the beginning.

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