Trump Corruption

The New York Times reports: As the Manhattan district attorney’s office steps up the criminal investigation of Donald J. Trump, it has reached outside its ranks to enlist a prominent former federal prosecutor to help scrutinize financial dealings at the former president’s company. The former prosecutor, Mark F. Pomerantz, has deep experience investigating and defending white-collar and organized crime cases, …

Media Matters has the transcript: Rush thought we won — and so do I, by the way, I think we won by — substantially. And Rush thought we won, and he thought it was over at 10:00, 10:30, it was over, and a lot of other people feel that way, too. But Rush felt that way strongly. Many people do. …

The Wall Street Journal reports: A hacker claims to have stolen files belonging to the global law firm Jones Day and posted many of them on the dark web. Jones Day has many prominent clients, including former President Donald Trump and major corporations. Jones Day, in a statement, disputed that its network has been breached. The statement said that a …

The Hill reports: Wary of inflaming tensions within his own party, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) is staying silent about his frantic Jan. 6 call to then-President Trump as rioters raided the Capitol. But he may not have that luxury forever. That heated phone call — which Democratic prosecutors made part of the official impeachment record — is almost …

CNN reports: Former President Donald Trump’s longtime personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, is “not currently representing President Trump in any legal matters,” senior Trump adviser Jason Miller told CNN on Tuesday. The former New York City mayor was the face of Trump’s failed bid to overturn the presidential election results, but his legal work with the former President dates back years. …

You knew he wouldn’t be able to resist hitting back: The Republican Party can never again be respected or strong with political ‘leaders’ like Sen. Mitch McConnell at its helm. McConnell’s dedication to business as usual, status quo policies, together with his lack of political insight, wisdom, skill, and personality, has rapidly driven him from Majority Leader to Minority Leader, …

From McConnell’s op-ed in the Wall Street Journal: There is no question former President Trump bears moral responsibility. His supporters stormed the Capitol because of the unhinged falsehoods he shouted into the world’s largest megaphone. His behavior during and after the chaos was also unconscionable, from attacking Vice President Mike Pence during the riot to praising the criminals after it …

The Associated Press reports: A Delaware judge has dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by former Donald Trump campaign operative Carter Page against the media company that includes Yahoo! and AOL and that formerly owned HuffPost. The judge ruled last week that Page had failed to demonstrate that articles written about his connection to an FBI investigation into suspected Russian interference …

The Independent reports: After days of keeping an uncommonly low profile, former president Trump reportedly re-emerged to slowly drive past a rally of die-hard supporters in West Palm Beach, Florida on Monday.  Video of the rally, which coincided with the President’s Day holiday, showed a raucous, largely unmasked crowd of supporters waving flags and Trump banners erupting in chants of …

The Washington Post reports: Like many Trump supporters, conservative donor Fred Eshelman awoke the day after the presidential election with the suspicion that something wasn’t right. His candidate’s apparent lead in key battleground states had evaporated overnight. The next day, the North Carolina financier and his advisers reached out to a small conservative nonprofit group in Texas that was seeking …

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 …