The actor has been cast to play Plutarch Heavensbee in the upcoming film The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. It's the movie adaptation of the prequel novel by Suzanne Collins, which was released on March 18.
The character Plutarch Heavensbee appeared in Catching Fire and the two Mockingjay films as the Head Gamemaker of The Hunger Games and also a leader of the rebellion. He was played by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman in those films, the latter which happened to be his final film role.
Plemons and Hoffman worked together on the 2012 film The Master, where Plemons played Hoffman's son.
In this new novel, a young Plutarch Heavensbee captures the reaping of the tributes in District 12.
This new prequel film will begin filming in July. Francis Lawrence will direct the movie that revisits the world of Panem 24 years before the events of the original The Hunger Games story. Plemons joins the previously announced cast of Joseph Zada, Whitney Peak and Mckenna Grace.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will release in theaters on Nov. 20, 2026.
HOUSTON – The Houston Chronicle reports that Pastoral succession, megachurch wealth and family dynasties combine in a lawsuit filed against Second Baptist Church of Houston and its leaders April 15. The Southern Baptist congregation is the 17th largest church in America, according to Outreach magazine, with average weekly attendance of 19,735 in 2024. After 46 years as senior pastor, Ed Young stepped down last May and named one of his sons, Ben Young, his successor. Another son, also named Ed Young, leads a Dallas-area megachurch called Fellowship Church, which is the 13th largest church in America. But all is not well in Houston, nearly one year after Ed Young the elder took a sudden retirement at age 87 — amid grumblings inside and outside the church that he had become a bit unhinged in his rambling sermons — and orchestrated naming his son as successor.
This turn of events pitted two groups within the church membership against each other: Younger members who wanted new leadership versus older, wealthier members who remained loyal to Ed Young regardless. But that’s only the beginning of this saga. Now there are allegations of deceptive practices, an illegal church business meeting and a family’s attempt to enrich itself by control of the church’s $1 billion in assets. The elder Young is Southern Baptist Convention royalty and a legend among American pastors. He not only was elected president of the SBC twice during the “conservative resurgence,” but he grew the church from about 500 people in 1976 to tens of thousands today. Second Baptist Houston was a megachurch before most Americans knew what a megachurch was. Now, a group of members has formed a nonprofit corporation called Jeremiah Counsel “to promote, protect and restore integrity, accountable governance and donor protection for churches in Texas.” Specifically Second Baptist. Jeremiah Counsel filed suit against Ben Young, Ed Young, Associate Pastor Lee Maxcy and North Texas attorney Dennis Brewer, who served as chief financial officer of Fellowship Church in North Texas. The plaintiffs charge these defendants — labeled “The Young Group” — conspired to steal church assets and take away the congregation’s right to choose its own pastor. They accuse the elder Ed Young of enacting a series of changes beginning in 2023 “to secure the ascendance of his son, Ben Young … as senior pastor to Second Baptist’s 94,000 congregants.” That “circumvented the democratic processes which had long been observed under existing church bylaws for 95 years,” the plaintiffs charge. “This move was not merely about family succession. It was also about consolidating power and control over church governance and church assets.”
(NEW YORK) -- With Pope Francis's funeral drawing more than 200,000 expected attendees on Saturday, interest in the papal succession process has intensified. It's driving viewers to the film "Conclave" -- based on the Robert Harris novel of the same name.
The Oscar-winning 2024 movie, which explores the secretive process of selecting a new pope, has seen a surge in viewership following the pontiff's death. Speaking to ABC News on Friday, Harris compared himself to "one of those people who writes a Christmas hit and then it just keeps coming round and round again."
Harris described the papal conclave as "the most extraordinary event, centuries old, steeped in mystique and secrecy... a psychological contest that produces the leader of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide."
Drawing from historical precedent, Harris noted the unpredictable nature of papal selection.
"Anyone who thinks they can predict the outcome of a conclave is a fool," he said, explaining that frontrunners often face challenges.
He cited the 2005 conclave that saw Cardinal Ratzinger become Pope Benedict as an example, where there was "an attempt to block him." During that conclave, the liberal candidate who was expected to challenge Ratzinger "failed in the early ballots. This led that candidate's supporters to back Cardinal Bergoglio, who lost on that occasion but was elected as Pope Francis in 2013.
"The moment I came across that story, I realized here are three characters now: the conservative, the liberal whose time has passed, and the outsider who people are ready to rally behind," Harris explained.
The voting process requires a two-thirds majority, with two votes in the morning and two in the afternoon.
"It's in those times [between votes] that almost inevitably, they talk about what is happening," Harris said, offering rare insight into the deliberation process.
He noted that these breaks for lunch and evening provide crucial opportunities for "wheeling and dealing."
Harris, who conducted extensive research, including conversations with cardinals who participated in previous conclaves. "Conclave" follows the dean of the College of Cardinals, played by Ralph Fiennes in the movie.
"A decent man but who is having doubts, and he has to struggle with his own spiritual doubts as he has to organize this huge election," Harris said.
The author believes the current speculation about the next pope's identity will likely miss the mark, noting that Pope Francis was "completely off the radar at the last conclave, and nobody tipped him as the likely winner, even though he'd been the runner up the previous conclave."
Harris observed that the media often lags behind actual developments behind the closed doors of the conclave, saying reporters outside are "always predicting the man who's just been knocked out."
"I hope they get a better sense of how a conclave operates," Harris said of viewers discovering his work. He emphasized that his portrayal aimed to be "more sympathetic than a lot of media portrayals of the Catholic Church."
(NEW YORK) -- University of Miami quarterback Cam Ward is opening up after being selected as the first pick in the 2025 NFL draft.
"I'm feeling great. Finally, you know, got to live out my dream for a night," Ward told "Good Morning America" from Green Bay, Wisconsin, where the draft was held at Lambeau Field. "Excited to do with a good organization like Tennessee and I'm just ready to get to Nashville, get to know my teammates."
Ward has come a long way from getting just one scholarship offer in high school to becoming the ACC player of the year and then the draft's first overall pick.
"I just think it's inspirational. It's a long journey, you know, not only for myself, but a lot of people in this world who have to come up like I did. And, I mean, I've been blessed," the 22-year-old said. "I work hard now. I got faith in God and, you know, it's just been an awesome journey for myself and my family. And, you know, the road's just getting started."
Alongside Ward at the draft were his parents -- mom Patrice Ward and dad Calvin Ward -- two of his biggest and key supporters.
"They've been there since day one, since Little League, all the way to this point," Cam Ward said. "And you know, for them to be by my side on one of the biggest days of my football career is a blessing. That's something that not a lot of kids get. I'm honored to have them by my side every day."
But even though he has been living at home with his parents ahead of the draft, Ward said he's looking forward to moving into a new home in Nashville.
"I'm ready. The best thing about getting drafted -- I finally get me somewhere to live now," he said, adding, "I know a little bit about Nashville. Not too much, but, you know, that's why I got a lot of time to learn, learn more about it. But I'm excited."
Ward's dog Uno will also make the big move with him to the Tennessee capital.
"I got a 130-pound rottweiler. That boy, he's something different. I got him when I was in Washington State," said Ward, who played for the Cougars before transferring to Miami for his final season.
Ward said he's already looking ahead to his career with the Titans and hopes to make a lasting first impression.
"I do expect to be a starting quarterback. Which quarterback doesn't have that confidence in themselves? So, you know, want to go out there and make plays, but at the end of the day, it's not my decision. It's the GM and the head coach," he said. "I know they're going to put myself in the best situation in the franchise. So I'm excited, you know, just learn the playbook some more and be with my teammates."
HOUSTON – The Houston Chronicle reports that Greater Houston is growing. So is its voracious appetite for electricity. In fact, CenterPoint Energy’s Houston-area customers could require 50% more electricity during peak usage times by 2031, company executives told investors Tuesday. That’s like adding two San Antonio metros to the Houston region. Even then, the projection is a “conservative forecast,” meaning the region’s actual electricity needs might end up much higher, CenterPoint CEO Jason Wells said during the company’s first-quarter earnings call Tuesday morning. The local power grid would require billions of dollars of investments to accommodate this growth, if it pans out — a lucrative opportunity for CenterPoint, since the company makes money by spending big on capital projects.
“We’re not seeing growth slow down in the Greater Houston region. If anything, it’s accelerating. So, I think the electric transmission build-out will only accelerate as we get into the next decade,” Wells said Tuesday. The cost of those projects, meanwhile, would be paid for via electricity rate increases spread out across CenterPoint’s expanding customer base. CenterPoint earned $297 million in profits in the first quarter, a 15% decrease from the same period last year. Still, Tuesday’s earnings call was upbeat as executives touted the company’s plan to spend more than $27 billion in capital projects through 2030. Approximately $20 billion of those investments are planned for CenterPoint’s electric utility businesses in Houston and Indiana. Another $7 billion is planned for the company’s natural gas utilities across Texas, Minnesota, Indiana and Ohio.
Meghann Fahy is Milly Alcock's older sister in the trailer for the new limited series Sirens.
Netflix released the trailer for the show on Friday. It shows off the mysterious seaside estate known as the Cliff House, as well as the star-studded cast of characters who live and work there.
Julianne Moore plays Michaela Kell, a housewife married to billionaire Peter Kell, played by Kevin Bacon. Alcock stars as Mrs. Kell's assistant, Simone DeWitt, who is loyal to her boss to a fault. When Simone's older sister Devon, played by Fahy, pays a visit to the manor, she is creeped out by the relationship her sister has with her boss.
"My sister seems to really worship your wife," Fahy's Devon says to Bacon's Peter in the trailer, who says she "has that effect on people."
"Michaela’s cult-ish life of luxury is like a drug to Simone, and Devon has decided it’s time for an intervention. But she has no idea what a formidable opponent Michaela will be," according to the series' official synopsis. "Told over the course of one explosive weekend at The Kells’ lavish beach estate, Sirens is an incisive, sexy, and darkly funny exploration of women, power, and class."
Glenn Howerton, Felix Solis and Bill Camp also star in the upcoming limited series.
TYLER — A man was arrested in Tyler on Wednesday after a 13-year-old girl told her teacher that a family member was sexually abusing her. According to the arrest affidavit from the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, on Monday, the sheriff’s office was contacted by a CPS investigator who received a report about a 13-year-old girl who told her teacher that she was being sexually abused by a family member. Officials said on Tuesday, forensic interviews by detectives were conducted at the Smith County Texas Child Advocacy Center with the 13-year-old girl and her sister. “During the forensic interview with one girl, she disclosed that Arnulfo Ramierz-Salas, had been sexually abusing her since she was seven years old,” the affidavit said. “She remembers being alone in her bedroom in Tyler when Salas walked in and told her to ‘hush’, pulled up her shirt and began touching her underneath her clothing.” Continue reading Man arrested after 13-year-old confides sexual abuse to teacher
TRINIDAD — Our news partners at KETK report a Southeast Texas man was sentenced on Thursday to federal prison after stealing funds from Trinidad ISD to purchase trips to Walt Disney World. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Texas, Brandon Delane Looney, 39, of Orange, pleaded guilty to theft from a program receiving federal funds and was sentenced to 24 months in prison. Officials said Looney stole almost $340,000 from Trinidad ISD between 2017 and 2023 while serving as Trinidad ISD’s business manager. Continue reading Former school employee sentenced after stealing $300K
(NEW YORK) -- Disgraced former U.S. Rep. George Santos was sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison -- the maximum he faced -- on Friday after pleading guilty to a series of fraudulent schemes.
U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert sentenced him to 87 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release.
A tearful Santos told the judge he regrets defrauding the voters who supported his 2022 run for Congress before she handed down the sentence.
"My conduct betrayed my supporters and the institutions I swore to uphold," he said during his sentencing hearing in a New York federal court.
He began to cry and struggled to get out the words as he tried to express remorse for the crimes he committed.
"I undermined the faith in the very institutions I swore to uphold," he said. "I cannot rewrite the past but I can control the road ahead."
He urged Seybert to impose a lenient sentence, arguing he can positively contribute to the community he "robbed."
Judge rebukes Santos' repeated lies
Santos, 36, was convicted of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He faced a sentence of 75 to 87 months imprisonment, including a mandatory minimum two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft.
Santos did not take any questions from reporters as he arrived at federal court in Central Islip for the Friday morning sentencing hearing.
His attorney, Andrew Mancilla, described his client’s conduct bluntly, arguing the former congressman is “forever stained” by his actions.
“Everyone hates George Santos,” Mancilla told the court ahead of the sentencing, claiming his client is not the “caricature drawn by the media.”
“He is a 36-year-old gay man with no criminal record who came from a broken family,” Mancilla said. “He built this ego of a man he wanted to be, not who he was.”
But prosecutors argued Santos has shown little remorse for his crimes, has blamed the Department of Justice and committed an “unprecedented” series of crimes.
“He has committed crime after crime after crime,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Harris said. “He has repeatedly proven he is unable to tell the truth.”
Harris rebuked Santos for suggesting the prosecution was politically motivated and argued the former congressman has demonstrated a “genuine lack of contrition.”
“This case is not the product of so-called lawfare. It is the result of years and years of deceit,” he said.
Seybert agreed, calling out Santos for his repeated lies and lack of remorse.
“It’s incredible that he did not stop with the lies,” she said. “It’s incredible now that he tries to blame the government.”
Before imposing her sentence, Seybert noted she has “sympathy” for Santos, believes he is a talented man and hopes he will eventually contribute to society.
“Mr. Santos, words have consequences,” she said, noting the same words that won him a seat in Congress landed him in court.
“You have a future, and I am sad to say in one sense that it is going to be shortened by the sentence I am about to impose,” she added.
As the sentence was read, Santos covered his face with his hands.
He was not immediately remanded and will report to prison at a future date.
Prosecutors highlight 'social media blitz'
In a court filing ahead of Friday's sentencing hearing on Long Island, federal prosecutors requested the maximum possible sentence -- amounting to seven years and three months -- calling his conduct a "brazen web of deceit" that defrauded donors and misled voters.
They also argued the former New York congressman's recent "social media blitz" shows he "remains unrepentant for his crimes" in a subsequent filing. In one example, prosecutors pointed to an April 4 post on Santos' X account that stated, "No matter how hard the DOJ comes for me, they are mad because they will NEVER break my spirit." The post was made the same day the DOJ filed its initial sentencing recommendation.
Santos, meanwhile, insisted in a letter to Seybert this week that he has "accepted full responsibility" for his crimes. He said he can be both "profoundly sorry" and upset by the Justice Department's recommendation of a lengthy prison sentence.
"But saying I'm sorry doesn't require me to sit quietly while these prosecutors try to drop an anvil on my head. True remorse isn't mute; it is aware of itself, and it speaks up when the penalty scale jumps into the absurd," Santos' letter said.
Santos included a selective chart to suggest the government's sentencing recommendation is out of step with other political prosecutions, citing former Illinois Rep. Jesse L. Jackson Jr. being sentenced to 30 months for misusing $750,000 in campaign funds or ex-New York Rep. Michael Grimm being sentenced to eight months for concealing $900,000 in wages and taxes.
Santos had asked for a two-year prison sentence.
Former campaign treasurer set to be sentenced
Prosecutors alleged Santos, with the help of his former campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, falsified Federal Election Commission filings, fabricating donor contributions and inflating fundraising totals to meet the $250,000 threshold required to join the National Republican Congressional Committee's coveted "Young Guns" program.
Marks pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge in 2023 and is awaiting sentencing in May.
Santos pleaded guilty in August 2024. The Republican was expelled from Congress in December 2023.
As part of his plea deal, he agreed to pay nearly $600,000 in restitution and forfeiture.
The judge agreed to delay Santos' sentencing, which had initially been scheduled for Feb. 7, after Santos asked for more time to make money off of his podcast to satisfy his restitution and forfeiture.
Members of the Concerned Citizens of NY-03, an organization formed in 2023 by voters from across the region Santos once represented in response to his actions, spoke out following the hearing.
"My reaction in sitting in the courtroom was, 'Cry me a river,' when he got that sentence," Jody Kass Finkel, the head of Concerned Citizens of NY-03, said outside the courthouse. "He has betrayed the public trust."
(NEW YORK) -- The number of measles cases in the U.S. has risen to 884, according to new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data published Friday.
Cases have been confirmed in 29 states including Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.
At least six states including Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio and Texas are reporting outbreaks, meaning three or more related cases.
In Texas, where an outbreak has been spreading in the western part of the state, at least 624 cases have been confirmed as of Tuesday, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Dr. Marschall Runge, dean of the University of Michigan Medical School and CEO of Michigan Medicine, said the number of cases -- at the national level and in Texas -- is likely an undercount.
"I think it's likely that there are a lot of unreported cases in children who weren't particularly sick or didn't come to medical attention," he told ABC News.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(WASHINGTON) -- Seven in 10 Americans think President Donald Trump's tariffs on international trade will drive up U.S. inflation, outweighing hopes that they'll boost manufacturing employment and fueling a 64% disapproval rate of how he's handling the issue.
Even nearly half of Republicans -- 47% in the ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll released Friday -- said they think tariffs will negatively impact inflation. That jumps to 75% among independents, a swing group in national politics.
The tariffs admittedly are a moving target. The administration has paused some (albeit not those on China) pending negotiations.
And there is a perceived positive: 59% said they think the tariffs will have a positive impact on creating manufacturing jobs in the United States, including 90% of Republicans and 60% of independents. That, along with bringing prices down, were some of Trump's key campaign promises.
But -- given the current state of play -- the scale tips negative again on a third factor: 56% in this poll, produced for ABC by Langer Research Associates with fieldwork by Ipsos, think Trump's handling of tariffs will negatively impact America's economic leadership in the world vs. 42% who see a positive impact.
Democrats, for their part, are roundly opposed to the tariffs. Nine in 10 think they will negatively impact inflation (90%) and U.S. economic leadership in the world (89%) alike, and a near-unanimous 96% disapprove of Trump's handling of them. Democrats aren't sold on tariffs creating manufacturing jobs, either: 68% think they'll hurt, not help.
Given inflation fears, Trump's overall rating for handling tariffs is a broad 30 percentage points underwater, 34%-64%. That's far worse than his 7-point deficit in approval on handling immigration (as reported here), demonstrating that public sentiment is especially prickly when economic well-being is on the line.
Indeed, in his own party, 25% of Republicans disapprove of Trump's handling of tariffs, as do 30% of conservatives. And disapproval reaches 48% among non-college-educated white men and 47% of rural Americans, two of Trump's core support groups.
Methodology: This ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll was conducted online via the probability-based Ipsos KnowledgePanel® April 18-22, 2025, in English and Spanish, among a random national sample of 2,464 adults. Partisan divisions are 30%-30%-29%, Democrats-Republicans-independents.
Results have a margin of error of 2 percentage points, including the design effect. Error margins are larger for subgroups. Sampling error is not the only source of differences in polls.
The survey was produced for ABC News by Langer Research Associates, with sampling and data collection by Ipsos. See details on ABC News survey methodology here.
(WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.) -- One person is dead and two others injured after Purdue University's Boilermaker Special mascot collided with a vehicle on a highway in Indiana, authorities said.
The deadly crash happened Thursday afternoon on U.S. 52 at Wyandotte Road in southeastern Tippecanoe County, several miles southeast of the university.
The Boilermaker Special vehicle was traveling north on the highway when it had a "possible tire malfunction" that caused it to cross the median, colliding with a passenger car traveling south, according to the Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Office.
The driver of the passenger vehicle died, the sheriff's office said. The person's identity has not yet been released pending family notification, authorities said. No one else was in the vehicle.
Two Purdue students -- the 20-year-old driver of the Boilermaker Special and a 22-year-old passenger -- were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said. They have since been treated and released, according to Purdue.
"We can confirm our Boilermaker Special was involved in a serious multi-vehicle accident," the university said in a statement. "Our thoughts are with all those impacted by the incident."
The Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Office is investigating with assistance from the Indiana State Police Commercial Vehicle Division, the sheriff's office said.
"The Sheriff's Office is continuing with our investigation into any additional mechanical issues that may be related to the crash," the Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Office said in a statement on Friday.
Toxicology exams will be conducted for both drivers as part of the investigation, the sheriff's office said.
The Boilermaker Special, a vehicle that resembles a Victorian-era steam locomotive, is Purdue's official mascot. It travels to away football games and can drive up to 75 mph, according to the school.
AUSTIN – Texas lawmakers are considering following President Donald Trump’s lead and renaming the body of water that touches 367 miles of the state’s coast to the Gulf of America.
If approved, the bill would require the name to be changed in every official reference made by a state agency, resolution, rule or publication. The Sunset Advisory Committee would be required to include these changes in future reviews of state agencies.
The fiscal note said any associated costs could be absorbed using existing resources and there would be no significant fiscal impact on local government.
Senate Bill 1717 by Sen. Mayes Middleton, a Galveston Republican, was passed with 20 out of 31 senators in favor of the bill. This means the House will now get the bill for consideration.
Senate Concurrent Resolution 38, which recognizes the “strategic importance” of the Gulf of America, was also passed to engrossment with 22 senators voting aye.
“Senate Bill 1717 reignites the spirit of American Exceptionalism,” Middleton said. “America is a beacon of hope. We are that shining city on a hill, as President Reagan said. We are a nation set apart from the rest of the world, upholding that sacred right of life and liberty and property.”
Democratic Sens. José Menéndez of San Antonio and Juan Hinojosa of McAllen aired their concerns about the legislation in a debate on the Senate floor.
Menéndez wanted to know whether this bill solved any problems and if this move was just a whim based on the current federal administration. Hinojosa argued the name is historical, used widely by the rest of the world and that this move was purely political.
“I guess what it means is next time that you get another president that believes we ought to change the name back to the Gulf of Mexico … then again, we’ll have to change everything?” Hinojosa asked.
Middleton maintained that the bill was not a whim, and said the lawmakers were always welcome to introduce a bill later to change the name within the state code.
Sen. Pete Flores, a Pleasanton Republican, took up for the measure by pointing to changes made by former Gov. Ann Richards, who changed the names of several Texas landmarks. He did not provide examples of these changes on the Senate floor.
Trump signed an executive order changing the name of the waterway along the southern U.S. border to the Gulf of America on Jan. 20, leading to widespread debate. Other world leaders, however, said they would not likely follow suit, including Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum.
“They can continue to call it the Gulf of Mexico,” Flores said. “What your bill is doing is codifying the name of the Gulf of America to reflect the maps that the United States government has put into effect.”
Middleton said this move is to reflect those changes.
A similar bill in the Texas House, by Rep. Briscoe Cain, a Deer Park Republican, was referred to the House State Affairs Committee in March. It has not moved since.
Article originally published by The Texas Tribune. To read the originally published article, click here.
(MILWAUKEE) -- The federal government announced two separate arrests Friday of a current judge and a former judge alleged to have assisted undocumented immigrants who authorities claim were violent criminals, moves that have raised red flags among Democrats and others.
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested Friday by the FBI over allegedly helping an undocumented immigrant evade arrest last week. Her arrest took place hours after federal authorities arrested former New Mexico Judge Joel Cano and his wife Nancy Cano for allegedly housing a Venezuelan national with reported gang ties, Attorney General Pam Bondi said.
Bondi spoke with ABC News Live's Kyra Phillips Friday afternoon to discuss the cases and dismissed critics who accused the Trump administration of intimidating judges who oppose their crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
"Nobody is above the law, not even a judge," Bondi told Philips.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced Judge Dugan's arrest earlier Friday in a social media post, which was briefly deleted and reposted.
"Just NOW, the FBI arrested Judge Hannah Dugan out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin on charges of obstruction — after evidence of Judge Dugan obstructing an immigration arrest operation last week," Patel said in the new post. "We believe Judge Dugan intentionally misdirected federal agents away from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse, Eduardo Flores Ruiz, allowing the subject — an illegal alien — to evade arrest."
Dugan was charged with two criminal counts of "obstructing and impeding a proceeding before a department or agency of the United States" and "concealing an individual to prevent his discovery and arrest," according to a criminal complaint unsealed Friday.
County court records show the undocumented immigrant in the Milwaukee case -- Eduardo Flores-Ruiz -- was set to appear in court on April 18 before Dugan for a pretrial conference in a case where he has been charged with three misdemeanor counts of battery/domestic abuse connected to an incident on March 12. The case is ongoing.
Federal prosecutors allege Flores-Ruiz illegally entered the U.S. from Mexico and was issued an Expedited Removal order in January 2013, according to a criminal complaint.
Bondi alleged that Flores-Ruiz beat his roommate and a woman so badly that they needed to be hospitalized and that he continued to be belligerent in the hospital before his arrest.
According to the complaint, Dugan allegedly sought to help Flores-Ruiz evade arrest by federal officers from an ICE task force.
When Judge Dugan learned ICE officers were present in court to arrest Flores-Ruiz, she became "visibly angry" and said the situation was "absurd" before leaving the bench and entering her chambers, according to the complaint, which cited witnesses who spoke to the FBI.
Dugan and another unidentified judge then allegedly approached the arrest team in the public hallway, according to the complaint. She was "visibly upset and had a confrontational, angry demeanor" and asked one of the officers whether they were present for a court appearance, the complaint alleged.
When the officer replied they were there to make an arrest, the complaint alleges Judge Dugan asked if they had a judicial warrant, to which the officer responded, "No I have an administrative warrant."
Multiple witnesses cited in the complaint later allegedly said Judge Dugan returned to her courtroom after directing members of the arrest team to the office of the court's chief judge.
"The courtroom deputy then saw Judge DUGAN get up and heard Judge DUGAN say something like 'Wait, come with me,'" the complaint states. "Despite having been advised of the administrative warrant for the arrest of Flores-Ruiz, Judge DUGAN then escorted Flores-Ruiz and his counsel out of the courtroom through the 'jury door,' which leads to a nonpublic area of the courthouse."
"So she continues, continues with her docket, finishes her docket. Two victims sit in court all morning long waiting and at the end. The prosecutors say 'What happened? Why didn't the case get called?'" Bondi said.
A DEA agent saw Flores-Ruiz and his attorney in the public hallway of the courthouse and he appeared to be making efforts to evade arrest, the complaint says. After he was encountered by FBI and DEA agents outside the building, Flores-Ruiz "turned around and sprinted down the street" before he was ultimately apprehended, according to the complaint.
Dugan was arrested Friday morning at the courthouse, a law enforcement official confirmed to ABC News.
She appeared in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin on Friday on the two charges, but did not enter a plea. She was released on her own recognizance.
Dugan retained former United States Attorney Steven Biskupic to represent her and he said in a statement that the judge will "defend herself vigorously and looks forward to being exonerated."
"Judge Hannah C. Dugan has committed herself to the rule of law and the principles of due process for her entire career as a lawyer and a judge," Biskupic said in a statement.
If convicted on the charges, Dugan could face up to six years in prison.
Bondi responded to the statement by stating that everyone is entitled to their day in court but reiterated that so are victims of crimes.
"They didn't get it because she let a criminal defendant walk out a door. She helped them. She obstructed justice," Bondi told Phillips.
Judge Dugan's arrest angered Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, who accused the federal agents of "showboating" and contended Dugan was not a flight risk.
"They're just trying to have this show of force and in the process of a courthouse where people need to go for court proceedings, they're scaring away people from participating in the court process," the mayor told reporters.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, in a statement on Friday afternoon, criticized President Donald Trump and the White House for what he said were efforts "to attack and attempt to undermine our judiciary at every level."
Evers said he would continue to have faith in the justice system "as this situation plays out in the court of law." He did not mention Dugan by name.
In an interview Friday, Phillips asked AG Bondi if she thought the government's actions were intimidating people in the court system, but she dodged the question.
"We're attempting to protect citizens, make America safe again," she said.
Bondi brought up the New Mexico case, where former Judge Joel Cano faces a charge of tampering with evidence.
Court documents allege that on Feb. 28, an alleged Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang member was arrested at the Canos' residence.
On April 24, agents served a search warrant at their residence and conducted an interview with Cano where he admitted to destroying a cell phone that belonged to the alleged gang member by smashing it with a hammer and throwing it in the trash, according to the complaint and Bondi.
"Cano stated that he destroyed the cellphone and further admitted that he believed the cellphone contained photos or videos that would reflect negatively on Ortega," the complaint states. "Through further questioning, agents ascertained that … Cano destroyed the cellphone believing that it contained photographs of Ortega holding firearms that Ortega had uploaded onto social media platforms which would be additional incriminating evidence against him."
Cano and his wife have not yet entered pleas in their cases, according to court records, and did not immediately have defense attorneys listed for them.
Bondi reiterated that the immigrants connected to the judges were allegedly violent.
Phillips again pushed Bondi about the arrests, asking if there was concern that the federal government was just going after judges, but the AG maintained that the charges were serious.
"Those are the people that have to be arrested and taken out of our country. Doesn't matter who you are, no one can harbor them, not even a judge," she said.
Phillips questioned how far the government was willing to go to arrest undocumented immigrants, and if that meant that mayors and governors could be targeted.
Bondi appeared to dodge the question and reiterated that the administration's goal is to keep people safe.
"I would hope a mayor, I would hope a governor would never harbor anyone," she said.
