Trump Corruption

Raw Story reports: CNN political analyst John Avlon on Monday took a hatchet to the impeachment defense laid out by former President Donald Trump’s legal team. During his latest “Reality Check” segment, Avlon expressed astonishment at how many false claims Trump’s impeachment team jammed into a relatively brief defense of their client. “The velocity of lies from Trump’s lawyers was …

The Hill reports: Nearly 60 percent of Americans believe former President Trump should have been convicted during his second Senate impeachment trial, an ABC News/Ipsos poll taken shortly after the trial ended shows. Fifty-eight percent of Americans surveyed in the new poll, which was conducted from Feb. 13-14. The poll found that support for the conviction was starkly partisan. Almost …

The Associated Press reports: Friends and allies expect Trump to resume friendly media interviews after weeks of silence. He has met with political aides to discuss efforts to help Republicans try to take control of the House and Senate in the 2022 midterms elections. He remains fixated on exacting revenge on Republicans who supported his impeachment or resisted his efforts …

“It was clear that he wished lawmakers be intimidated. And even after he knew there was violence taking place, he continued to basically sanction the mob being there. And not until later did he ask them to leave. All of that points to a motive and a method, and that is wrong. He should be held accountable.” “That’s the trust …

From a statement issued by the insurrectionist: I want to first thank my team of dedicated lawyers and others for their tireless work upholding justice and defending truth. My deepest thanks as well to all of the United States Senators and Members of Congress who stood proudly for the Constitution we all revere and for the sacred legal principles at …

NBC News reports: The Senate on Saturday acquitted former President Donald Trump in a 57-43 vote on the charge of inciting insurrection for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Seven GOP Senators voted guilty in the most bipartisan majority to support a conviction. Democrats needed 17 Republicans to join them to convict Trump and hold a separate vote …

The Hill reports: Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) is calling for officials with knowledge of former President Trump’s involvement in inciting the deadly Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol to come forward with whatever information they may have. “I think there’s a lot of people that know things. I don’t know who they are. They’re sitting on information, now’s the time …

The Wall Street Journal reports: New York prosecutors are investigating financial dealings around some of Donald Trump’s signature Manhattan properties, extending the known range of the criminal probe of the former president and his company, according to people familiar with the matter. The people said Manhattan prosecutors are examining loans Mr. Trump took out on his flagship Fifth Avenue building, …

The Associated Press reports: Most every Senate juror has said they will listen to the evidence in Donald Trump’s historic second impeachment trial, but most minds were likely made up before the trial began. Democrats would need a minimum of 17 Republicans to vote with them to convict Trump of incitement of insurrection, and that appears unlikely. Still, Democrats say …

CNN reports: House managers and Trump’s defense team agreed to enter a statement from Rep. Herrera Beutler describing a phone call between former President Trump and House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy into the record. House impeachment managers had asked the Senate this morning to call witnesses in former President Trump’s second impeachment trial. Instead, Senate and trial lawyers instead agreed …

The Washington Post reports: Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) on Saturday gave House impeachment managers and former president Donald Trump’s defense attorneys a copy of a log from his cellphone, which shows that as the Jan. 6 riot unfolded, he received a call from the White House at 2:26 p.m. that lasted for four minutes, a spokesman for the senator said. …

The New York Times reports: An expected verdict in Donald J. Trump’s impeachment trial was thrown into doubt on Saturday after the Senate voted to allow witnesses to be called, a result of a surprise push by Democrats to summon a Republican congresswoman who has said she was told that the former president sided with the mob as rioters were …

ABC News reports: Lead Manager Jamie Raskin has said the prosecution wants to subpoena Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, a Republican who witnessed a call between House minority leader Kevin McCarthy and Donald Trump on the day of the insurrection. News of this call broke last night, after the defense had rested their case. Raskin said he would limit Beutler’s testimony …

CNN reports: A person familiar with Trump legal team strategy said that if Democrats do seek witnesses, Trump’s legal team will try to call House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser. Of course they would need 51 votes to subpoena witnesses, so that would not happen. The managers have repeatedly declined to say whether they will seek …

CBS News reports: Former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial is continuing Saturday for a fifth day as the Senate moves closer to a vote on whether to convict or acquit him. Witnesses or documents may be subpoenaed Saturday, and both the House managers and Mr. Trump’s counsel will have equal time to make their final arguments. In an email to …

Politico reports: The House Democrats prosecuting Donald Trump for inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection are on the cusp of a major decision: whether to call witnesses to bolster their case. Though many Senate Democrats have indicated they don’t believe witnesses are necessary to prove that Trump incited the deadly riots that overran the Capitol, new developments have hinted at startling …

The New York Times reports: In another reminder of his ad hoc approach, Mr. Trump asked associates on Thursday night whether it was too late to add or remove lawyers from the team, as Mr. Schoen briefly told the team he was quitting over a debate about how to use the video clips the defense showed on Friday. Mr. Trump …

Axios reports: Donald Trump directed his own defense via speakerphone on Friday, repeatedly calling his lawyers in the Lyndon Baines Johnson Room on the Senate side of the Capitol to relay his feedback, sources tell Axios. In contrast to Tuesday’s widely panned start of his defense, the Trump was said to be thrilled with his lawyers’ performances on Friday — …

The Washington Post reports: An Atlanta-area prosecutor plans to scrutinize a post-Election Day phone call between Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger as part of a criminal investigation into whether former president Donald Trump or his allies broke Georgia laws while trying to reverse his defeat in the state. Fulton County District Attorney Fani …

CNN reports: In an expletive-laced phone call with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy while the Capitol was under attack, then-President Donald Trump said the rioters cared more about the election results than McCarthy did. “Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are,” Trump said, according to lawmakers who were briefed on the call …