Trump Corruption

The Independent reports: Jim Mattis, onetime secretary of defense for the Trump administration, described the former president as “a madman in a circular room screaming,” a new book reveals. The revelation was made by Tom Bossert, Donald Trump’s homeland security adviser from 2017 to 2018, and published in The Situation Room: The Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis. The new …

Politico reports: After spending the week sitting in silence as a parade of witnesses — from porn star Stormy Daniels to a former White House aide — testified in court, Donald Trump had to get a lot off his chest. Speaking before tens of thousands of people in Wildwood, New Jersey, Trump called the hush money case a “sham.” He …

The New Republic reports: Trump made explicit policy promises to a roomful of Big Oil executives—while urging them to raise $1 billion for his campaign. Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, who has been presiding over hearings into the oil industry as chair of the Budget Committee, says it’s “highly likely” that the committee will examine the new revelations. …

“Silence of the Lambs. Has anyone ever seen The Silence of the Lambs? The late, great Hannibal Lecter is a wonderful man. He often times would have a friend for dinner. Remember the last scene? ‘Excuse me. I’m about to have a friend for dinner,’ as this poor doctor walked by. ‘I’m about to have a friend for dinner.’ But …

The New York Times reports: Paul Manafort, the longtime Republican strategist and chairman of Donald J. Trump’s 2016 campaign, who had assumed an unpaid role advising party officials on the nominating convention, has stepped aside.  Mr. Manafort’s move came after The New York Times reported that he had been on the ground in Milwaukee last week for planning meetings for …

“I just want to be free to tell people the truth. And you want to stop me! Don’t ya? Yeah. The Democrat thing has something to do with it. And the fact that the Bidens are really zeroing in now on interference with the 2024 election. “I’m the one who revealed the hard drive. I spoke to the Post today …

Reuters reports: Donald Trump said on Saturday that former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley was not being considered to be his running mate in the November election, dismissing a report by news site Axios. “Nikki Haley is not under consideration for the V.P. slot, but I wish her well!” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. Citing people …

The New York Times reports: Former President Donald J. Trump used a dubious accounting maneuver to claim improper tax breaks from his troubled Chicago tower, according to an Internal Revenue Service inquiry uncovered by The New York Times and ProPublica. Losing a yearslong audit battle over the claim could mean a tax bill of more than $100 million. The 92-story, …

The Daily Beast reports: On Friday, watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission, demanding an investigation into the alleged cover-up. The complaint cites new allegations from 2016 Trump campaign aide A.J. Delgado, which she lodged in a sworn court declaration earlier this week as part of her ongoing discrimination …

Media Matters has the transcript: STEVE BANNON (HOST): New York Times lead story is you’ve been fired by WABC, John Catsimatidis, your show has been canceled. Any truth? Because the New York Times is full of fake news, is this true? RUDY GIULIANI (GUEST): It’s absolutely true. We’re also the leading show at 3 o’clock in New York, leading Hannity, …

“We have a dual system of justice and we have a very unconstitutional gag order. As his legal spokeswoman, I’m nervous about what I can’t say and that’s also unconstitutional. The fact that they will not let a defendant speak and exercise his First Amendment rights — never mind the leading candidate for president — that is un-American, it violates …

The Daily Mail reports: Barron Trump is declining Florida’s offer to be a delegate to the Republican National Convention this summer, citing ‘prior commitments,’ according to his mother’s office. Melania Trump’s office made a statement to DailyMail.com on behalf of her son. ‘While Barron is honored to have been chosen as a delegate by the Florida Republican Party, he regretfully …

The Daily Beast reports: In a turn that is oh-so-meta, a brand new hush money deal is now at the center of attention in Donald Trump’s ongoing hush money trial: $750,000 that prosecutors say the business mogul is dangling above Allen Weisselberg’s head to keep him testifying against his former boss. For the first time on Friday, prosecutors disclosed the …

The New York Times reports: Rudolph W. Giuliani was suspended by WABC radio on Friday and his daily talk show was canceled after he violated station policy by trying to discuss discredited claims about the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election on air. John Catsimatidis, the billionaire who is a major Republican donor and owns the station, said he had …

The New Jersey Advance reports: The Republican presidential hopeful’s campaign paid $54,200 to Wildwood for the May 11 rally being held on the beach between a set of amusement piers, according to records obtained by NJ Advance Media through the Open Public Records Act. The campaign’s payments Wildwood were made in two parts a week apart: $54,000 on April 16 …

“He’s a smart one…he’s a great guy. He’s a little on the tall side. I will tell you, he’s a tall one, but he is a good-looking guy. And he’s really been a great student. And he does like politics. “It’s sort of funny. He’ll tell me sometimes, ‘Dad, this is what you have to do.’ So, anyway, he’s a …

Law & Crime reports: Peter Navarro, Steve Bannon’s self-professed co-orchestrator of the bogus voter fraud strategy known as the “Green Bay Sweep,” has asked a federal judge to release him from prison and let him serve out the remainder of his contempt of Congress sentence on supervised release for 30 days. According to an emergency motion for resentencing filed late …

NBC News reports: Michael Cohen will begin his testimony in the Trump hush money trial Monday, NBC News has learned through multiple sources. He is expected to be on the stand for several days. Cohen is at the center of the case as the one who paid Stormy Daniels the $130,000 hush money to keep her quiet about her alleged …

The Washington Post reports: After pleading guilty to money laundering and obstruction of justice, Paul Manafort, the globe-trotting political consultant and former campaign chairman for Donald Trump, asked for leniency in his sentencing, telling a federal judge five years ago that he was nearly 70 years old, struggling with health concerns and remorseful for his actions. The judge rejected his …

NBC News reports: Trump misstated the age of his youngest son in an interview that aired Thursday, saying Barron Trump was 17 years old — even though he turned 18 in March. The mistake came when Trump reacted to his son’s entering the political arena as a delegate from Florida for the Republican National Convention. “He’s pretty young, I will …