Trump Corruption

The Hill reports: Government prosecutors filed a motion on Friday to get permission to show a clip from “The Godfather Part II” during the trial for Trump associate Roger Stone. The roughly four-and-a-half-minute scene, the prosecutors say, is one that Stone referenced in conversations that allegedly constituted witness tampering, according to court documents. “The relevant scene is important context for …

The New York Times reports: The House Judiciary Committee on Friday said it would ask a federal judge to unseal grand jury secrets related to Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation and use the court filing to make the most explicit declaration yet that lawmakers are weighing whether to impeach President Trump. In a significant escalation, Representative Jerrold Nadler of New …

Deadline reports: President Donald Trump took a victory lap on Fox News last night, talking via phone to Hannity host Sean Hannity about Robert Mueller’s testimony before Congress. The President’s conclusion: The Democrats “created this phony crime” with their accusations of obstruction of justice. “I didn’t do it. They create a phony crime,” Trump said. “And then, they say, ‘he …

Mediaite reports: A new Fox News poll showed a large majority of Americans believe President Donald Trump‘s comments instructing four progressive Democrats to “go back” to unspecified countries were racist. 56% of all voters said that telling a person of color to “go back” is racist. 20% said it is not racist, and 18% say it depends. Among Republicans, 21% …

Forbes reports: Want a stable government job? Don’t join Donald Trump’s cabinet. In just two and a half years, the president has replaced 12 of his 23 cabinet positions—some more than once. The current lineup includes 17 millionaires, 2 centimillionaires and 1 billionaire. They’re worth $3.2 billion in all. Amid all the upheaval, the richest have stayed in place. Betsy …

Politico reports: White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said Thursday she felt “great empathy and compassion” for former special counsel Robert Mueller, who has been the subject of criticism after giving congressional testimony in which he seemed at times unsure of the substance of the report his team released earlier this year. “I am first and foremost who I will always …

“The Committee has obtained direct evidence that multiple high-level White House officials have been violating the Presidential Records Act by using personal email accounts, text messaging services, and even encrypted applications for official business — and not preserving those records in compliance with federal law. What we do not yet know is why these White House officials were attempting to …

Mediaite reports: Donald Trump Jr. promoted a tweet from conservative polemicist Dinesh D’Souza calling Robert Mueller “mentally retarded” during a spate of attacks on the special counsel Wednesday. During his testimony, Mueller said he was “not familiar” with Fusion GPS, a research firm that hired Christopher Steele to look into President Donald Trump’s connections with Russia. The president’s son retweeted …

Courthouse News Service reports: They may not be able to prove racketeering, but victims of a purported multilevel-marketing scheme can sue President Donald Trump for luring them in without disclosing that he was being paid millions to do so. Four anonymous Americans brought the suit at issue last year, seeking to hold the Trump Corp., the president himself and three …

The Associated Press reports: Seeking to discredit Robert Mueller — and make some campaign money from the effort — President Donald Trump falsely claimed exoneration Wednesday even as the former special counsel was testifying to Congress about his investigation. TRUMP to his critics, in a fundraising letter from his 2020 campaign: “How many times do I have to be exonerated …

Vox reports: During Robert Mueller’s testimony in front of the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) asked Mueller if he could indict the president on obstruction charges. The former special counsel’s answer was simple: “Yes.” It was a rare striking moment in a hearing that has, so far, been largely unenlightening. Mueller’s position is that he didn’t …

Just when you think you’re through with her lies for awhile: Former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders claimed Wednesday that Robert Mueller’s testimony vindicated President Trump, even as the former special counsel testified that his investigation did not exonerate the president. Sanders tweeted a clip in which Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Ga.) asked Mueller if he could think of …

The Hill reports: Former special counsel Robert Mueller on Wednesday doubled down on his assertion that his report did not exonerate President Trump, conflicting with the president’s repeated claims that he was “totally” cleared by Mueller’s investigation. “The finding indicates that the president was not exculpated for the acts that he allegedly committed,” Mueller told lawmakers, after being pressed on …

Reuters reports: After almost two years of investigation, Special Counsel Robert Mueller will be on Capitol Hill on Wednesday to appear before a pair of House committees and answer questions about the Russia investigation. President Trump is already up and tweeting about the Mueller hearing, echoing GOP complaints that Mueller will have a top aide from the investigation with him …

Axios reports: The Justice Department said Tuesday it had launched an inquiry into the market power of major online platforms and whether they are “are engaging in practices that have reduced competition, stifled innovation, or otherwise harmed consumers.” Why it matters: While the announcement mentioned no specific companies, its reference to looking at concerns about “search, social media, and some …

The New York Times reports: The House sued the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service on Tuesday, demanding access to President Trump’s tax returns and escalating a fight with an administration that has repeatedly dismissed as illegitimate its attempt to obtain the financial records. The lawsuit moves the dispute into the federal courts after months of sniping between the …

Reuters reports: When Robert Mueller testifies before Congress on Wednesday about his probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible obstruction of justice by President Donald Trump, a key part of the U.S. public appears likely to tune out – Republicans. According to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Tuesday, only 18% of Republicans said they planned on …

Politico reports: Justice Department officials have communicated to Robert Mueller that the department expects him to limit his congressional testimony this week to the public findings of his 448-page report, according to one current and one former U.S. official familiar with the preparations. In extensive discussions since the former special counsel was subpoenaed on June 25 to testify, department officials …

Florida Politics reports: With the U.S. set to play host for next year’s G7 meeting of world leaders, the Donald Trump administration is considering using Trump National Doral to host the event. As President, Trump has utilized his properties in an unprecedented manner. While Trump resigned from the Trump Organization prior to being inaugurated, his family still controls the trust …

CNN reports: President Donald Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee have paid more than $600,000 in legal fees to the law firm that represents Hope Hicks, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission. In the last 15 months, the campaign and RNC have paid Trout Cacheris & Solomon PLLC a grand total of $640,050.10. Based on the …