Trump Corruption

Foreign Policy reports: As a little-known congressman from Kansas, Mike Pompeo once said his top priority was getting to the bottom of the killing of J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans in Benghazi, Libya, calling them heroes who had been let down by then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other Democratic leaders who put politics above the safety of …

From her op-ed published by the Washington Post: From virtually the moment he took office, President Trump has attempted to use the Justice Department as a cudgel against his enemies and as a shield for himself and his allies. He ran off Jeff Sessions after Sessions’s recusal in the Russia investigation rendered Sessions useless to protect him. The president has …

Politico reports: The Army will not investigate Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the former National Security Council staffer who testified in the president’s impeachment investigation, the service’s top civilian said Friday. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy made the announcement at an event just days after President Donald Trump said he imagined the military would “take a look at” whether Vindman should face …

The New York Times reports: Attorney General William P. Barr has assigned an outside prosecutor to scrutinize the criminal case against President Trump’s former national security adviser Michael T. Flynn, according to people familiar with the matter. The review is highly unusual and could trigger more accusations of political interference by top Justice Department officials into the work of career …

ABC News reports: President Donald Trump on Friday morning broke almost 17 hours of silence following ABC News’ exclusive interview with Attorney General Bill Barr, pushing back on Barr’s warning not to interfere in criminal cases, insisting he has the “legal right” to do so. Trump repeated what he’s said previously — including just this past Tuesday — that he …

The Insider reports: President Donald Trump on Thursday casually cast aside one of the central claims of his impeachment defense by openly admitting to sending his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani to Ukraine to hunt for dirt on the 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. The president made the claim in a podcast interview with the Fox News personality Geraldo Rivera, …

So many shifting alliances: Former national security adviser John Bolton on Thursday came to the defense of former chief of staff John Kelly after President Trump lashed out over a series of criticisms Kelly made during an appearance at a New Jersey university. “John Kelly is an honorable man. John and I have disagreed at times, as is commonplace at …

The Associated Press reports: President Donald Trump said Thursday that he might end the long-running practice of letting other administration officials listen in on presidential calls with foreign leaders. That’s after Trump’s impeachment was triggered by his July phone call with the president of Ukraine. “I may end the practice entirely,” Trump told Geraldo Rivera in a radio interview that …

The Washington Post reports: Attorney General William P. Barr pushed back hard Thursday against President Trump’s criticism of the Justice Department, saying, “I’m not going to be bullied or influenced by anybody.” In an interview with ABC News, Barr said the president’s highly critical tweets aimed at the department “make it impossible for me to do my job.” Barr said …

Salon reports: President Trump has rehired his former chief of staff Reince Priebus and former press secretary Sean Spicer almost three years after both men unceremoniously departed the White House. Priebus and Spicer will each join the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships, according to a White House announcement. As a part of the commission, the pair will interview and …

CNBC reports: A judge ordered Thursday a temporary block on the JEDI cloud contract in response to a suit filed by Amazon. Shares of Microsoft fell slightly on the news. A court notice announcing the injunction was filed on Thursday, but wasn’t public. It’s unclear why the documents were sealed. Amazon Web Services (AWS) alleged Trump launched “behind-the-scenes attacks” against …

The New York Times reports: To career prosecutors around the country, the Stone case raised new fears of what is to come. Until now, according to conversations with more than a dozen career lawyers in some of the 93 U.S. attorney’s offices, they had watched other divisions in the Justice Department execute significant shifts in response to Mr. Trump while …

Mediaite reports: President Donald Trump blasted John Kelly for speaking against him by invoking some alleged remarks from his former chief of staff’s wife. Kelly gave a speech to Drew University on Wednesday night, and in coverage from The Atlantic, Kelly was described as defending Alexander Vindman for his testimony against Trump over the Ukraine scandal. Kelly said Vindman was …

ABC News reports: Hope Hicks, formerly President Donald Trump’s most trusted and longest serving aide, is expected to return to the administration in the coming weeks, sources familiar with the matter tell ABC News. Hicks, who departed in early 2018, will return in the coming weeks as a senior adviser reporting to Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law. Her official title …

“Bill Barr is doing the Lord’s work, as well as that of this great republic. You know what? I heard that independent crap from James Comey. I heard it — let me tell you something, he works for the president of the United States. He works for the American people, he’s not independent by any measure. “He is the Attorney …

Politico reports: Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee boycotted a hearing Wednesday on emerging technology and national security, calling it a “distraction” and contending that the panel should be focused on “urgent and critical concerns” like a recent watchdog report identifying errors and abuses in the FBI’s domestic surveillance program. “Given the committee’s access to highly sensitive information, it is …

The Hill reports: Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a Democratic presidential candidate, said Wednesday that the country is watching a “descent into authoritarianism,” as she amped up her call for Attorney General William Barr to resign. “The whole notion that we have people in our Justice Department resigning because of Donald Trump’s inappropriate influence, and the attorney general overturning a sentencing …

The Atlantic reports: Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, the former National Security Council aide and impeachment witness President Donald Trump fired Friday, was just doing his job, former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly told students and guests at a Drew University event here Wednesday night. Over a 75-minute speech and Q&A session, Kelly laid out, in the clearest terms …

CNN reports: A federal judge has denied Donald Trump confidant Roger Stone a new trial after he made a request for one under seal, according to a notice from the court. Judge Amy Berman Jackson made her ruling known on Wednesday, her first public response following the withdrawals of all the prosecutors on the case the day before. She has …

Just in from the House Judiciary Committee: Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) sent a letter signed by 23 Judiciary Committee Democratic Members confirming Attorney General William Barr will testify before the Committee on March 31st to address numerous concerns regarding his leadership of the Department of Justice and the President’s improper influence over the Department and our …