AP seeks answers from US gov't on tracking of journalists
The Associated Press is seeking answers from the Department of Homeland Security on its use of sensitive government databases for tracking international terrorists to investigate as many as 20 American journalists, including an acclaimed AP reporter.
McGahn: Effort to get Mueller fired was 'point of no return'
Former White House counsel Don McGahn told lawmakers in a closed-door interview last week that he regarded President Donald Trump’s demand to have special counsel Robert Mueller fired as “a point of no return” for the administration if carried out.
Riot lawsuit just part of Trump's post-impeachment problems
The former "Apprentice" contestant is trying to get her defamation lawsuit against former President Donald Trump moving again now that he's no longer president. Federal prosecutors in Washington, meanwhile, have charged some 200 Trump supporters with crimes related to the riot, including more serious conspiracy charges. There has been no indication that Trump would be charged in the riot though prosecutors have said they are looking at all angles. The same U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan also appears to have moved on from its investigation of Trump’s inaugural committee. Recently, her office has won a series of court rulings forcing Trump’s company and a law firm it hired to turn over troves of records.
Will Trump's mishandling of records leave a hole in history?
The public wont see President Donald Trumps White House records for years, but theres growing concern that they wont be complete, leaving a hole in the history of one of Americas most tumultuous presidencies. He has a habit of ripping up documents before tossing them out, forcing White House records workers to spend hours taping them back together. He didn’t want to stop,” said Solomon Lartey, a former White House records analyst. Apparently worried about leaks, higher-ups and White House lawyers became more involved in deciding which materials were catalogued and scanned into White House computer networks where they are automatically saved, this person said. After that, presidential records were no longer considered personal property but the property of the American people — if they are preserved.
Trump's impact on courts likely to last long beyond his term
President Donald Trumps deep imprint on the federal courts is a rare point of agreement about the president across the political spectrum. The three Supreme Court picks could still be on the court at the 21st century’s midpoint, 30 years from now. In Trump’s first two years, they pushed through 30 appellate court judges and 53 district court nominees. “You know, when I got in, we had over 100 federal judges that weren’t appointed," he said. That nominee was Stephen Breyer, now a Supreme Court justice.
Appeals court again sets new hearing in McGahn subpoena case
WASHINGTON – The full federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., on Thursday said it will once again take up the House of Representatives' bid to force former White House counsel Don McGahn to appear before Congress. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled 2-1 in August that the House lacks such authority. One of the judges in the August majority, Thomas Griffith, has since retired and was testifying in support of Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court nomination shortly after his former court issued its order. Thursday marked the second time that the full appeals court threw out the panel’s ruling. The panel initially ruled that judges have no role to play in the subpoena fight between the House and President Donald Trump over the testimony of high-ranking administration officials.
How it happened: From law professor to high court in 4 years
Within weeks, she is likely to be the newest associate justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. First among them was the Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of Scalia, but they also dug deeper. Months later, in the fall of 2017, Trump set about updating his list of potential nominees to the Supreme Court. Trump and McGahn set about elevating Barrett's profile for the next opening on the high court –- with Trump telling some aides he was “saving” her for Ginsburg's seat. “I am truly humbled by the prospect of serving on the Supreme Court,” she said.
Pompeo rejects Congress' subpoenas for IG, Biden probe info
The refusals set the stage for an escalation in the confrontation between the State Department and the Democratic-controlled House ahead of November's elections. In letters sent to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Pompeo and the State Departments acting legislative affairs chief said they had no intention of complying with the subpoenas. Engel had issued the subpoenas on July 31 and Aug. 3, complaining that Pompeo and the State Department were stonewalling repeated requests for information on both matters. In rejecting that subpoena, Pompeo said in a letter to Engel that most of the officials in question, and others, were prepared to be interviewed voluntarily and repeated that offer. This is not the first time Pompeo has rebuffed a House subpoena.
White House seeks advice of 'torture memos' author on powers
And every time it says DACA' ... replace it with skills-based immigration system," Yoo said he told the White House. This gives President Trump an alternative to create such a program, at least for a few years." But Yoo said that soon after publication of the articles, he received a call from White House officials he declined to name. I wasn't trying to influence the White House, he said, noting his articles were intended to criticize what he thought the court had gotten wrong. Indeed, Trump and members of his administration extending back to former White House Counsel Don McGahn have long held expansive views of presidential powers.
Supreme Court expected to rule on Trump tax records
WASHINGTON The Supreme Court is expected to rule on whether Congress and the Manhattan district attorney can see President Donald Trump's taxes and other financial records that the president has fought hard to keep private. Trump has so far lost at every step, but the records have not been turned over pending a final court ruling. In those cases, three Nixon appointees and two Clinton appointees, respectively, voted against the president who chose them for the high court. There are two Trump appointees, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, on the court. Instead, House committees want records from Deutsche Bank and Capital One, as well as the Mazars USA accounting firm.
Supreme Court rules Manhattan DA can obtain Trump taxes
WASHINGTON The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a prosecutors demand for President Donald Trumps tax returns as part of a criminal investigation that includes hush-money payments to women who claim they had affairs with Trump. The court ruled 7-2 in a case in which it heard arguments by telephone in May because of the coronavirus pandemic. The records are held by Trumps longtime accounting firm, Mazars USA, which has said it would comply with a court order. It probably will be at least several weeks before the court issues a formal judgment that would trigger the turnover of the records.
Supreme Court expected to rule on Trump tax records Thursday
WASHINGTON The Supreme Court is expected to rule Thursday on whether Congress and the Manhattan district attorney can see President Donald Trump's taxes and other financial records that the president has fought hard to keep private. The high-stakes dispute tests the balance of power between the White House and Congress, as well as Trump's claim that he can't be investigated while he holds office. Trump has so far lost at every step, but the records have not been turned over pending a final court ruling. There are two Trump appointees, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, on the court. Instead, House committees want records from Deutsche Bank and Capital One, as well as the Mazars USA accounting firm.
Trump-connected lobbyists reap windfall in COVID-19 boom
These (lobbying) booms that these people are having, you can really attribute them to their connection to Trump.The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Another section of the order forbids lobbying the administration by former political appointees for the remainder of Trump's time in office. Shannon McGahn, the wife of former White House counsel Don McGahn, worked in 2017 and 2018 as a counselor to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Felder is listed on a disclosure from the first quarter of 2020 that shows she was part of a team that lobbied Congress and the White House. Public Citizen's Craig Holman, who himself is a registered lobbyist, said the group intends to file ethics complaints with the White House.
Trump counting on Supreme Court to block probes, lawsuits
The president and his administration are counting on the justices for more help to stymie other investigations and lawsuits. The Supreme Court has so far refrained from definitive rulings in these clashes. It might also suit the Supreme Court and especially Chief Justice John Roberts, who has warned of the dangers of having the court viewed as just another political institution. Federal judges have made clear they prefer that the White House and Congress resolve their disagreements without judicial intervention, when possible. In either case, the Supreme Court would avoid having to make a decision that might split the justices along liberal and conservative lines and underscore perceptions of a politically motivated court.
Supreme Court blocks House from Mueller grand jury material
WASHINGTON The Supreme Court on Wednesday temporarily prevented the House of Representatives from obtaining secret grand jury testimony from special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. The American people deserve the truth.The case is one of several ongoing court disputes between the Trump administration and Congress. The Supreme Court heard arguments last week over whether Trumps accountants and banks must turn over financial records to House committees. Portions of the report were blacked out, including grand jury testimony and material that Mueller said could harm ongoing investigations or infringe on the privacy of third parties. Grand jury testimony is typically treated as secret, in part to protect the privacy of people who are not charged or are considered peripheral to a criminal investigation.