Republicans

Talking Points Memo reports: Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s impending congressional testimony has some House Republicans speaking their mind about the square-jawed lawyer. “He’s done some irreparable damage to some things and he’s got to answer for them,” Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) told Politico. “It reinforced the anal opening that I believe Mueller to be.” Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) added that …

Roll Call reports: A federal judge in California is allowing evidence of Rep. Duncan Hunter’s alleged extramarital affairs to be used in a criminal trial against the Republican congressman, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. The ruling on Monday in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California relates to a case in which Hunter is alleged to have illegally …

Politico reports: Defense lawyers for Rep. Duncan Hunter appeared to concede Friday that he carried on extramarital affairs with several women, but alleged that much of his related spending of campaign funds was legitimate because he was “mixing business with pleasure.” With Hunter (R-Calif.) facing a federal criminal trial on 60 felony charges that he repeatedly spent campaign money on …

The Hill reports: Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) dominated buzz surrounding the first Democratic presidential debate Thursday night after battling rivals on stage, but as the debate played out, a series of Twitter bots worked to amplify a far-right conspiracy about her online. During the debate in Miami, apparent bots online amplified conspiracy theories on social media falsely claiming that the …

Politico reports: The House Ethics Committee announced Friday that it is investigating Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) for a February tweet in which he threatened to release embarrassing personal information about President Donald Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen. The panel revealed in a statement that it has opened a formal inquiry into Gaetz’s comment based on a March 13 complaint from …

Politico reports: Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) said this week that he plans to press charges against the person who threw a drink at him earlier this month as he was leaving a town hall event. “If there are no consequences, then maybe it’s me getting hit with a drink one time, but what if it’s a member of my staff …

From the British tabloid Daily Mail: Former Republican congressman Aaron Schock was filmed slipping cash into a go-go dancer’s tiny briefs in a gay bar in Mexico City, DailyMailTV can reveal. Schock, 38, was caught on camera dancing in Boy Bar, an LGBT dive bar in the area of Zona Rosa, which is the city’s Red Light District, on Saturday …

In a sane world, this wouldn’t even be a question. The Hill reports: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) says he would give a new Democratic president’s nominee to the Supreme Court a hearing and vote in 2021, but isn’t making any promises that person would win confirmation in a GOP-controlled Senate. McConnell noted that two of President Richard Nixon’s …

USA Today reports: The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that partisan election maps drawn by North Carolina Republicans and Maryland Democrats are constitutional despite their one-sided nature. The 5-4 opinion by Chief Justice John Roberts and joined by the court’s other conservatives said federal courts may not intervene to block partisan gerrymandering. The ruling addresses the way election districts are redrawn …

Politico reports: Alabama Republicans are showing little appetite for giving former state Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore another shot at winning a U.S. Senate seat, two years after he blew what should have been a gimme election in the ruby red state after being embroiled in a sordid personal scandal. A new survey from the Alabama-based polling firm Cygnal shows …

Oregon Live reports: Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney said on Tuesday morning that the climate change bill at the center of Republicans’ walkout lacks the votes necessary to pass, because not enough Democrats support it. Senate Republicans fled the state last week to block a vote on the carbon capping plan. Courtney appeared to be laying groundwork for Republicans to …

Montgomery’s NBC News affiliate reports: John Merrill officially announced Tuesday he will run for the U.S. Senate. Merrill made the announcement around 10 a.m. Tuesday, releasing a video on social media. The Senate seat is currently held by Democrat Doug Jones, who defeated Republican Roy Moore in a 2017 special election. In addition to Merrill and Moore, the GOP field …

Roll Call reports: Facing a mounting legal case against him, Rep. Duncan Hunter has sought to scuttle the charges by alleging a political conspiracy. In a motion to dismiss the case filed Monday, attorneys for the California Republican argue that he was indicted, not because of evidence that he illegally used campaign funds for personal use and falsified campaign reports, …

Portland’s ABC News affiliate reports: “I don’t think you’re going to see us anytime soon.” That’s what Herman Baertschiger Jr., the Oregon Senate Minority Leader, told KATU News reporter Dan McCarthy in a phone interview late Saturday regarding the 11 Republican senators who walked out in defiance of House Bill 2020, the cap-and-trade bill. He also addressed the GoFundMe account …

The Associated Press reports: The Oregon Capitol was closed Saturday due to a “possible militia threat” from right-wing protesters as a walkout by Republican lawmakers over landmark climate change legislation drags on. Republican state senators fled the Legislature — and some, the state — earlier this week to deny the majority Democrats enough votes to take up the climate bill, …

NBC News reports: Multiple other Republican candidates have announced their own bids for the state’s Republican nomination to take on Jones in 2020. Moore told NBC News: “If people want them, they’ll elect them. But I have a strong base here. And they’ll elect me.” He said the potential addition of Jeff Sessions, who served as senator from Alabama prior …

Fox News reports: Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., joined Democrats on Friday in calling on President Trump to seek Congressional approval for military action against Iran. His comments came after the president called off a military strike against Iran — an offense operation that Amash indicated should have undergone congressional review. “Glad the president pulled back from striking Iran but still …

Portland’s NBC News affiliate reports: Republican state senators who fled the Oregon Capitol to prevent a vote on major climate legislation will be fined $500 a day each if there aren’t enough senators present to vote on the bill. A GoFundMe page to raise money to pay the fines for the 12 Oregon senators had collected more than $6,000 as …

Politico reports: Republicans are promising to do everything they can to obliterate Roy Moore in the Alabama Senate primary. “There will be a lot of efforts made to ensure that we have a nominee other than him and one who can win in November,” said Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.). “He’s already proven he can’t.” “Give me a break. …

Mediaite reports: Donald Trump Jr. tore up Republican Roy Moore after the Alabama Republican announced he was again running for Senate following a stunning loss in 2017. Both President Donald Trump and his son have criticized Moore’s decision to run since it was first reported in May he was considering a comeback bid. Trump Jr. previously blasted Moore, saying, “You’re …