Trump Corruption

ABC News reports: One of the most senior officials in the Trump Organization has testified before a special grand jury empaneled by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office to hear evidence against former President Donald Trump and his company, sources with direct knowledge of the matter told ABC News. Jeff McConney is among a number of witnesses that have already appeared …

Charles Cooke writes for the National Review: Two days ago, the New York Times’s Maggie Haberman reported that Donald Trump “has been telling a number of people he’s in contact with that he expects he will get reinstated by August.” In response, many figures on the right inserted their fingers into their ears and started screaming about fake news. Instead, …

“I think you should take a look at who those networks are and who is pushing that story out. As far as I know, there are no plans for Donald Trump to be in the White House in August. Maybe there’s something I don’t know. But no, I think that that is a lot of folks getting a little worked …

Via press release from New York AG Letitia James: New York Attorney General Letitia James, today, announced a new action taken in her investigation of insider trading by the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Eastman Kodak Company (Kodak). Attorney General James filed a petition with the New York County State Supreme Court to have Kodak CEO Jim Continenza publicly …

The Washington Post reports: Advisers say he voraciously watches any television coverage he can find of the Arizona recount and reads “everything he can get his hands on” about the audits, according to one person who speaks to Trump frequently. And he has made supporting his claims of a stolen election — or at least remaining silent about them — …

The New York Times reports: The Trump Justice Department secretly seized the phone records of four New York Times reporters spanning nearly four months in 2017 as part of a leak investigation, the Biden administration disclosed on Wednesday. It was the latest in a series of revelations about the Trump administration secretly obtaining reporters’ communications records in an effort to …

The Independent reports: Donald Trump Jr is selling $500 video messages to fans on Cameo after complaining about “millions” in legal bills from the probe into the Trump Organization being carried out by the New York attorney general. Cameo is a platform that allows celebrities to sell short, personalized video messages to fans and supporters. In his profile on Cameo, …

The Washington Post reports: Former president Donald Trump’s blog, celebrated by advisers as a “beacon of freedom” that would keep him relevant in an online world he once dominated, is dead. It was 29 days old. Upset by reports from The Washington Post and other outlets highlighting its measly readership and concerns that it could detract from a social media …

CNBC reports: Former President Donald Trump’s blog — a webpage where he shared statements after larger social media companies banned him from their platforms — has been permanently shut down, his spokesman said Wednesday. The page, “From the Desk of Donald J. Trump,” has been scrubbed from Trump’s website after going live less than a month earlier. It “will not …

The Daily Beast reports: As the feds expand their probe into Rudy Giuliani, investigators have homed in on Giuliani Security & Safety, a consulting firm that has done business with various governments and organizations around the world, according to two people briefed on the matter and another source familiar with the situation. In recent months, the investigators have asked questions …

Politico reports: The firm that owns the National Enquirer has agreed to pay $187,500 to the Federal Election Commission to settle complaints that it unlawfully aided Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in 2016 by suppressing the story of an actress who said she had a sexual relationship with Trump. The FEC concluded that American Media Inc., now known as A360 Media …

The Washington Post reports: Former president Donald Trump’s company has again hired a broker to sell the lease to its D.C. hotel, according to two people familiar with the discussions, a second attempt to unload the property after the pandemic thwarted a previous effort. The Trump Organization previously listed the Pennsylvania Avenue hotel, in the federal owned Old Post Office …

Mediaite reports: Former President Donald Trump is reportedly telling people that he expects to get reinstated by August, according to New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman. Haberman shared this rather stunning detail in a quote tweet of a CNN segment featured in a tweet from Donie O’Sullivan. The video features a number of QAnon followers lauding a Myanmar-style coup of …

Politico reports: Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance could be considering a criminal charge that former President Donald Trump’s business empire was a corrupt enterprise under a New York law resembling the federal racketeering statute known as RICO, former prosecutors and defense attorneys said. New York’s enterprise corruption statute — which carries the potential for severe penalties — can be applied …

The Associated Press reports: A judge said Friday that he will appoint a “special master” to oversee a review of electronic files seized from Rudy Giuliani and another lawyer to make sure investigators can’t get access to protected communications with their clients, including former President Donald Trump. U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken directed Manhattan prosecutors and attorneys for Giuliani …

The New York Daily News reports: Rudy Giuliani says he didn’t really mean for anyone to take him seriously when he urged a mob of #MAGA followers to engage in “trial by combat” on Jan. 6 before they stormed the Capitol. President Trump’s former personal lawyer Thursday asserted his fiery speech was “clearly hyperbolic” and claims that “no reasonable listener” …

CNN reports: Manhattan prosecutors pursuing a criminal case against former President Donald Trump, his company and its executives have told at least one witness to prepare for grand jury testimony, — a signal that the lengthy investigation is moving into an advanced stage. The development suggests that the Manhattan district attorney’s office is poised to transition from collecting evidence to …

The Hill reports: The Department of Justice is reportedly preparing to sue luxury Las Vegas casino developer Steve Wynn in order to force him to register as a foreign lobbyist over allegations that he attempted to lobby Trump administration officials to obtain a diplomatic favor for China. The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that people familiar with the matter said …

ESPN reports: In the spring of 2008, the NFL was in crisis. A hard-charging United States senator from Pennsylvania named Arlen Specter had launched an investigation into the Spygate scandal. He tried to determine how many games the New England Patriots’ illegal videotaping operation of opposing coaches’ signals had helped the team win and learn why the NFL, under the …

CNN reports: New York federal prosecutors investigating Rudy Giuliani have seized material from a wider array of individuals than previously disclosed, including messages from email and iCloud accounts they believe belong to two former Ukrainian officials, as well as the cell phone and iPad of a pro-Trump Ukrainian businessman, according to a court document unsealed Tuesday. The court filing, which …