Trump Corruption

The Telegraph reports: A US Secret Service agent tried to smuggle his wife on President Donald Trump’s trip to Scotland. The law enforcement agency has launched an investigation into the incident. Reports said the agent, who is based in Dallas, Texas, flew his wife, a member of the US air force, to Maryland where she was among those who received …

Axios reports: President Trump has extracted more than $1.2 billion in settlements from 13 of the most powerful players in academia, law, media and tech, according to an Axios analysis. If finalized, a potential $500 million deal with Harvard would represent the largest scalp to date. America’s most elite institutions have largely succumbed to the Trump administration’s cultural crackdown, opting …

Mediaite reports: President Donald Trump went on a rollercoaster re-posting spree on his Truth Social platform Wednesday during which he shared a number of off-the-wall memes — including several alluding to the imprisonment of his political enemies. The president began re-posting shortly before 7 a.m. ET Wednesday — in all sharing 30 memes and other posts from his followers. The …

CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale writes: President Donald Trump told a story on Monday about how he “made a correct prediction” about the outcome of the United Kingdom’s 2016 Brexit referendum while he was visiting his golf course in Scotland “the day before the vote.” “You remember?” he asked reporters. They couldn’t have remembered. It didn’t happen. Trump actually visited Scotland …

Deadline reports: Donald Trump is heavily weighing giving Sean “Diddy” Combs a full presidential pardon ahead of the convicted Bad Boy Records founder’s sentencing later this year. Nearly two months after Trump publicly entertained the notion of a Diddy pardon in an Oval Office gaggle, a comprehensive get out of jail card for Combs is being “seriously considered,” an administration …

CNBC reports: President Donald Trump said Wednesday that India will pay a tariff of 25% beginning Aug. 1, in addition to a “penalty” for what he views as unfair trade policies and for India’s purchase of military equipment and energy from Russia. “Remember, while India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because …

“Chuck Grassley, who I got re-elected to the U.S. Senate when he was down, by a lot, in the Great State of Iowa, could solve the ‘Blue Slip’ problem we are having with respect to the appointment of Highly Qualified Judges and U.S. Attorneys, with a mere flick of the pen. Democrats like Schumer, Warner, Kaine, Booker, Schiff, and others, …

The Associated Press reports: The Senate confirmed former Trump lawyer Emil Bove 50-49 for a lifetime appointment as a federal appeals court judge Tuesday as Republicans dismissed whistleblower complaints about his conduct at the Justice Department. A former federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, Bove was on Trump’s legal team during his New York hush money trial …

Raw Story reports: President Donald Trump railed against a particular Fox News host he has a problem with on Tuesday, taking to his Truth Social platform to vent his frustration. “I can’t stand Jessica Tarlov of THE FIVE. A real loser!!!” wrote Trump. Just before Trump posted his online rant against her, Tarlov weighed in on the mass shooting in …

The New York Times reports: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has begun requiring that nominees for four-star-general positions meet with President Trump before their nominations are finalized, in a departure from past practice, said three current and former U.S. officials. The president has long had a fixation with the military. During his first term, Mr. Trump chose three military generals for …

NBC News reports: Trump said that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein “stole” Virginia Giuffre from his Mar-a-Lago club, a stunning admission that could increase scrutiny of his relationship with the late financier — even as his administration seeks to change the subject from Epstein. “He took people that worked for me. And I told him, ‘Don’t do it anymore.’ And …

Bloomberg News reports: The controversy over Alina Habba’s appointment as New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor grew this week as judges paused criminal cases amid a challenge by defendants who say she doesn’t legally hold the job. Defendants facing narcotics charges are arguing that prosecutors can’t proceed with their case without a “validly appointed” US attorney in charge. The dispute could …

ABC News reports: President Trump was asked on Tuesday when he expected to be flying on the “new Air Force One” as a luxury jet gifted from Qatar is being retrofitted for the president’s use. “They say February, maybe. Much sooner than the others. The others are being built,” Trump responded. Asked how much it will cost to retrofit the …

REPORTER: “Mr. President, are you enjoying the Scottish hospitality? Are you running away from the Epstein crisis? Well, there we have Donald Trump himself. The moment that we have been waiting for, the glimpse of the US president here on the course that he owns, that he boasts is the best in the world. Not in the mood for answering …

The Hill reports: The Freedom of the Press Foundation has filed an ethics complaint against Brendan Carr, the chairman of the FCC, arguing the close of ally of President Trump has “engaged in egregious misconduct,” and calling for him to be disbarred. In the organization’s complaint, filed with the District of Columbia Court of Appeals’ Office of Disciplinary Counsel on …

Ars Technica reports: The FCC’s approval of CBS owner Paramount’s $8 billion merger with Skydance came with a condition to install an ombudsman, which FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has described as a “bias monitor.” It appears that the bias monitor will make sure the news company’s reporting meets standards demanded by Trump. The Carr FCC claims there is precedent for …

Open Secrets reports: President Donald Trump’s White House press secretary has a money problem that won’t go away. As spring turned to summer, Karoline Leavitt’s 2022 congressional campaign committee failed to pay off a penny of the $326,370.50 it owes across more than 100 creditors, according to a new disclosure filed with the Federal Election Commission. Karoline for Congress raised …

The Daily Beast reports: Attorney General Pam Bondi is going after a federal judge who spoke out against President Donald Trump. Bondi announced Monday that she has lodged a misconduct complaint against District Court Chief Judge James Boasberg, citing “improper public comments” he made about Trump and the administration. The Justice Department’s complaint demands an investigation into Boasberg and calls …

The New York Times reports: Harvard University has signaled a willingness to meet the Trump administration’s demand to spend as much as $500 million to end its dispute with the White House as talks between the two sides intensify, four people familiar with the negotiations said. According to one of the people, Harvard is reluctant to directly pay the federal …

ABC News reports: The Trump administration has accepted the “unconditional donation” of a luxury jet from Qatar, with no stipulation on what should happen to the aircraft after President Donald Trump leaves office, according to an agreement reviewed by ABC News. The cost of refurbishing the plane is classified, although lawmakers have speculated that it could cost as much as …