Republicans

The Washington Post reports: President Trump told reporters Thursday evening that he was considering Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.) as his permanent Director of National Intelligence. The move would not only fill a post that has not been permanently filled since Daniel Coats resigned last summer, but would help Trump and his fellow Republicans avoid what is already shaping up …

Will Sommer reports at The Daily Beast: It’s not unheard-of for members of Congress to resign their seats because of serious legal trouble. Now Republican House candidate Danielle Stella is trying to achieve the inverse: getting elected to Congress while being wanted by the law. Stella, one of the five Republicans competing for the right to take on Rep. Ilhan …

The Hill reports: Former Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) said Thursday he is exploring the possibility of running for his old office in 2022. “We are working on it. I want to see what happens this year with the election,” he told WAGM, a local Maine media outlet. LePage also clarified that he and his wife, who own a residence …

NBC News reports: Sen. Lindsey Graham and a bipartisan group of lawmakers, uniting against a Trump administration idea to withdraw U.S. troops from part of Africa, pushed back during a fiery exchange with Defense Secretary Mark Esper here over the weekend, according to four people present at or familiar with the meeting. At one point, Graham warned Esper that there …

The Philadelphia Tribune reports: In the Philadelphia suburbs, a document that’s mocked up to look like the U.S. Census, but is really a clever fund-raising ploy by the Republican National Committee, is once again making the rounds. The document started landing in mailboxes in Berks, Bucks and Montgomery counties, according to KYW-1060 AM, and the office of U.S. Rep. Madeleine …

Fox News reports: Sen. Tom Cotton said Sunday that China is “still lying” about the gravity of the coronavirus outbreak that has killed more than 1,660 people. “This virus did not originate in the Wuhan animal market,” Cotton said. “Epidemiologists who are widely respected from China who published a study have demonstrated that several of the original cases did not …

The Hill reports: Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.), who is running to unseat Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) in November, released a new attack ad against fellow GOP primary contender and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions. In the new 30-second ad, Bryne criticizes Sessions for being forced by President Trump to resign as attorney general. The ad also states “Hillary [Clinton] still …

NBC News reports: Vermont Governor Phil Scott has endorsed a Presidential candidate, just 3 weeks before the Vermont primary. He said he is backing Bill Weld, President Trump’s Challenger on the March 3rd Ballot. “I’ve met with him before, I think a lot of him and his platform so I would be supporting him,” said Scott. Scott and Weld are …

CNN reports: A former Ohio State University wrestler accused Rep. Jim Jordan on Friday of lying about not knowing of sexual abuse allegations against a university doctor during his time as an assistant coach there 25 years ago. Adam DiSabato told CNN Friday that he had reported the complaints about the late Dr. Richard Strauss, who was accused of assaulting …

Politico reports: On Wednesday night, the RNCC walked across the street to the DCCC’s headquarters on Capitol Hill to stake out some Dem candidates, and stumbled upon what they consider a quite fortuitous find. Dems say it represents tactics that are totally out of bounds, and downright creepy. The DCCC was holding a polling meeting with the blinds wide open, …

The Associated Press reports: Some Capitol Hill Republicans said they disagreed with Limbaugh’s remark, while others demurred. “I’m just going to leave all that alone,” said conservative Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., who said she’d not heard the comment. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, facing reelection this fall, also declined to comment. “It’s a miscalculation as to where the country is at,” …

Business Insider reports: If Americans are concerned that President Donald Trump and Republicans are moving the US toward becoming a one-party, authoritarian state, they are running out of time to stop them, experts warned. Trump has exhibited autocratic impulses since his 2016 campaign and from the moment he entered the White House. The president has attacked virtually every democratic institution …

Politico reports: Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee boycotted a hearing Wednesday on emerging technology and national security, calling it a “distraction” and contending that the panel should be focused on “urgent and critical concerns” like a recent watchdog report identifying errors and abuses in the FBI’s domestic surveillance program. “Given the committee’s access to highly sensitive information, it is …

Roll Call reports: Over a three-year span, Rep. John Moolenaar spent $22,839 on ski and snowmobile activities, lodging at the Four Seasons, and catering in and around Vail, Colorado, from his leadership political action committee. Members of Congress are prohibited from converting campaign funds for personal use and must be able to verify those resources have not been misused. Moolenaar’s …

Politico reports: The Senate is set to pass a bipartisan resolution this week to limit President Donald Trump’s authority to launch military operations against Iran weeks after the U.S. killed a top Iranian general. The War Powers resolution, introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), came to the floor Wednesday with a final expected vote Thursday. While the measure is not …

USA Today reports: Several Republican lawmakers expressed concern Wednesday over President Donald Trump’s comments on the prison sentencing of longtime ally Roger Stone, an issue that prompted swift calls for investigations by Democrats and criticism that the president was interfering in a criminal investigation. “I don’t think he should be commenting on cases in the system,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, …

Yahoo Sports reports: Ohio congressman and former Ohio State assistant wrestling coach Jim Jordan has been accused of participating in the cover up of widespread sexual abuse in OSU’s wrestling program. Jordan was accused by Adam DiSabato, who was the team captain in the late 1980s and early 1990s. DiSabato was appearing in front of a hearing in the Ohio …

The Alabama Daily News reports: With less than three weeks to go until the primary election on March 3, a new Alabama Daily News poll shows a tight race among Republican contenders for the U.S. Senate. According to the survey of likely Republican voters, if the election were held today, 31% would vote for former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, …

Roll Call reports: Five years ago, the nascent House Freedom Caucus irritated Republican leaders to the point that some of its members got kicked off key committees. Now two of the group’s founding members have risen the ranks to the top of two prominent panels. On Tuesday, the House Republican Conference is expected to approve recommendations from its Steering Committee …

The Hill reports: Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) and President Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., wore matching jackets Tuesday during separate interviews on “Fox & Friends.” The quarter-zip jackets were each emblazoned with “Team Trump.” Trump Jr.’s had his name, “Don,” embroidered on the front of his, too. The unified look left some observers wondering commenting on whether there was a …