California City Manager Who Said Officers Being Shot Was Expected Is Placed on Leave

Justice Department Watchdog Probing Handling of Stone Sentencing

The Justice Department has launched an internal inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the handling of the criminal case of Roger Stone, former political adviser to President Donald Trump. The probe by the department’s inspector general will reportedly look into Attorney General William Barr’s February decision to override a sentencing recommendation for Stone made by rank-and-file prosecutors. The prosecutors recommended a sentence of seven to nine years in prison for Stone, but the department later filed another recommendation asking for a lighter sentence. The DOJ’s Office of the Inspector General would not “confirm or deny the existence of any ongoing investigation” to The Epoch Times. Meanwhile, DOJ spokeswoman Kerri Kupec told media outlets that they “welcome the review.” She did not immediately respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comment. The revelation…

A city manager in California who said the brazen shooting of two deputies was to be expected was placed on leave Tuesday.

Jose Ometeotl, the city manager of Lynwood, made the comments on social media following the Sept. 12 shooting of two Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies in nearby Compton.

Lynwood City Council members voted Tuesday to place Ometeotl on paid administrative leave, pending an internal investigation, the city said in a statement.

A special closed session agenda document from the council posted before the meeting said members would be evaluating the city manager’s performance and decide whether to discipline him, dismiss the questions about his conduct, or fire him.

Ometeotl has not responded to requests for comment.

Ometeotl posted a photograph of Malcolm X the day after the shooting with writing that stated “Chickens come home to roost.”

Lynwood city manager Jose Ometeotl in an undated photograph. (City of Lynwood)

“The fact that someone randomly opened fire on deputies is to be expected in the society we live in today,” he wrote in the post, which he later deleted.

The city issued a statement following the city manager’s social media post.

“There have been comments made today (Sunday) by our city manager on his personal social media that are his personal opinions and don’t reflect the position of the Lynwood City Council,” the statement read.

A petition calling for Ometeotl’s resignation has garnered over 1,300 signatures.

Focus News: California City Manager Who Said Officers Being Shot Was Expected Is Placed on Leave

Daimler to Pay $2.2 Billion in Diesel Emissions Cheating Settlements

WASHINGTON—Daimler AG will pay $2.2 billion to resolve a U.S. government diesel emissions cheating investigation and claims from 250,000 U.S. vehicle owners, court documents show. The German automaker and its Mercedes-Benz USA LLC unit disclosed on Aug. 13 it had reached a settlement in principle resolving civil and environmental claims tied to 250,000 U.S. diesel cars and vans after the automaker used software to evade emissions rules. Daimler said in August expected costs of settlements with U.S. authorities would total $1.5 billion, settling with owners will cost another $700 million and also disclosed “further expenses of a mid three-digit-million EUR (euro) amount to fulfill requirements of the settlements. Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen said the settlements, which follow a nearly five-year investigation, will “serve to deter any others who may…