We opened today’s Weekly Mission Briefing with a DEFIANCE Exclusive.
Last week, we told you about Russian oligarch Umar Kremlev spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding celebrations — money that was routed through a Dubai account.
We ran into House Oversight Chairman James Comer in D.C. and asked him about it. He told us he was concerned.
Congressman Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on Comer’s committee, has now opened an inquiry into Don Jr.’s relationship with Kremlev. Garcia sent letters to Don Jr. and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles seeking his communications with Kremlev, any communications between Don Jr. and the White House about Kremlev, financial records involving purchases by foreign nationals, and a complete list of the wedding gifts Don Jr. received from foreign nationals.
Chairman Comer says he’s concerned. Now he has a way to follow through.
Then, onto our Weekly Mission Briefing.
BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT: GEORGIA IS THE TEST CASE FOR EVERY FIGHT AHEAD
The beating heart of DEFIANCE.org is our Weekly Mission Briefing. Every Wednesday at 5p ET, we take real action to counter Donald Trump’s abuses of power.
This week, our mission targets Georgia — the state that could show the rest of the country how to fight back and win.
So here’s what we did about it this week…
FIRST, we turned to Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams), co-founder of Fair Fight Action, who joined us to talk about how Georgia became one of the most competitive states in the country — and why, as she puts it, “demography is not destiny.” We covered the record Democratic turnout in Georgia’s May primary, and what that energy could mean heading into November.
SECOND, we dug into a new flashpoint: FBI Director Kash Patel telling Congress the Bureau’s election-crimes coordinators would be “manning the polls for election interference matters” this November, without clarifying what that actually means. We asked Stacey what organizers and election officials should be preparing for if federal agents do show up around polling places.
THIRD, we spotlighted the organization our members are funding this week: Fair Fight Action (@rightsandinsights), led by CEO Lauren Groh-Wargo. Fair Fight is training election-protection teams and getting accurate voting information directly to voters across Georgia and the South — work made more urgent by the fact that the federal government still holds more than 600 boxes of Fulton County’s 2020 election records, after a judge dismissed a lawsuit last month seeking limits on how that information can be used.
YOU MADE THIS POSSIBLE.
YOUR MISSION, IF YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT
As a DEFIANCE.org Member, you’re already refusing to let democracy die on our watch. But if you want to do even more this week, here’s what you can do…
1️⃣ Follow Fair Fight on social media and/or sign up for our emails to stay updated.
👉 @FairFightAction and FairFight.com
2️⃣ Sign up to volunteer with a Georgia State House campaign. FairFight is working on an effort to flip the GA House. Only 10 seats are needed to do it and winning is critical to stopping gerrymandering heading into 2028.
👉 Sign up at FairFight.com/GAvolunteer
3️⃣ Sign up to be a poll worker. Whether or not you’re in GA, there are simply not enough poll workers.
👉 Sign up at PowerThePolls.org
👇 Badge below
🖥️ IF YOU MISSED IT
You can watch the full Weekly Mission Briefing at the top!
As always — stay loud, stay brave, and stay together.
Best,
The DEFIANCE.org Team
THIS WEEK ON THE ANT HILL
THURS, SEPT 17 — SHOW US YOUR ANT-ITUDE! — We wanna see your swag, your original artwork, your unique ways of shouting out your defiance to the world in creative ways. Send your pics to our editor here.
THE DEFIANCE BOOK CLUB — Our next selection is: 1984 by George Orwell. We’ll be discussing two chapters per week in our Members-only chatroom beginning on Thursday, September 24 @ 2:30 pm ET. It’s never too late to join the party! Visit your library or favorite bookstore to pick up a copy.
GROW THE DEFIANCE
DEFIANCE Members are absolutely crushing it, spreading the word about our club for the courageous to their friends. There is strength in numbers, and that’s exactly what defiance requires. Here’s how you can help build our numbers—and get a shoutout on the Daily with Miles and Xander:
Use the buttons provided to share your personal referral link on X, Facebook, or email. Or, copy the link (circled in the example below) to share it via text or other social platforms.
