Senator moved to private facility
Two months after his brain hemorrhage, South Dakota Sen. Tim Johnson has left a Washington hospital and entered a private rehabilitation facility, his office said Tuesday.
A spokeswoman refused to say whether the senator remained in Washington or was moved to a facility in South Dakota, citing family concerns about media scrutiny. “They just want him to focus on getting better and not worried about outside cameras snapping away,” said spokeswoman Julianne Fisher.
Johnson was rushed to George Washington University Hospital Dec. 13 after becoming disoriented during a phone call with reporters and underwent emergency surgery hours later. He was diagnosed with arteriovenous malformation, a condition that causes arteries and veins to grow abnormally large, become tangled and sometimes burst.
On Jan. 9 he was upgraded from critical to fair condition.
Sacramento, Calif.
Judge rejects plan to transfer inmates
A judge on Tuesday threw out Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s plan to transfer thousands of inmates to other states to relieve prison overcrowding.
Schwarzenegger said he would immediately appeal, saying dangerous convicts might otherwise have to be released early.
The governor invoked emergency powers in October when he ordered the Corrections Department to send thousands of inmates to private prisons in other states. Two employee unions, including the one representing guards, filed lawsuits alleging the order violated state law.
Washington
GOP donor accused of aiding terrorists
A New York man accused of trying to help terrorists in Afghanistan has donated some $15,000 to the House Republicans’ campaign committee over three years.
Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari pleaded not guilty Friday in U.S. District Court in Manhattan to charges that include terrorism financing, material support of terrorism and money laundering.
From April 2002 until August 2004, the man also known as “Michael Mixon” gave donations ranging from $500 to $5,000 to the National Republican Congressional Committee, according to Federal Election Commission reports and two campaign donor tracking Web sites.
Jessica Boulanger, a spokeswoman for the NRCC, said if Alishtari is found guilty, the organization will donate the money to charity.