Trump Corruption

CNN reports: A federal judge has placed a gag order on longtime Donald Trump associate Roger Stone and attorneys involved in his criminal case. “Counsel for the parties and the witnesses must refrain from making statements to the media or in public settings that pose a substantial likelihood of material prejudice to this case,” Judge Amy Berman Jackson wrote. hey …

The New York Times reports: In the early months of the Trump administration, with the president no longer running his family business, his eldest sons embarked on a plan to roll out two new hotel lines in dozens of American cities. It reflected the ambitions of “the next generation of the company,” President Trump’s son Eric said at the time. …

“Andrew McCabe was fired in total disgrace from the FBI because he lied to investigators on multiple occasions, including under oath. His selfish and destructive agenda drove him to open a completely baseless investigation into the President. His actions were so shameful that he was referred to federal prosecutors. Andrew McCabe has no credibility and is an embarrassment to the …

The Atlantic has published an excerpt from The Threat, the new book from former FBI Acting Director Andrew McCabe: People do not appreciate how far we have fallen from normal standards of presidential accountability. Today we have a president who is willing not only to comment prejudicially on criminal prosecutions but to comment on ones that potentially affect him. He …

The Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel reports: Stone, who typically is an colorful and ebullient and forceful speaker, sounded somewhat subdued on Wednesday. He said the lengthy Mueller investigation, and more recently the indictment, have taken a personal toll. Stone, who was at the Tiger Bay Club to speak and sign copies of his books, said his ability to earn a livelihood …

Axios reports: Outlining a blueprint for the vast Russia probe planned by the new House majority, a Democratic member of Congress suggested at a roundtable with reporters this week that lawmakers may seek testimony from Ivanka Trump. The lawmaker said Democrats have “made no decision as to Ivanka Trump,” but “obviously there are a number of public reports about her …

The Washington Examiner reports: President Trump tore into Andrew McCabe on Thursday as the fired FBI deputy director embarks on a media tour for his new memoir in which he said he ordered an obstruction of justice investigation into the commander in chief. In a pair of tweets, Trump accused McCabe of being part of a wide-ranging conspiracy to take …

CBS News reports: Soon after speaking to President Trump about the firing of his boss James Comey, Andrew McCabe, who became the bureau’s acting director, began obstruction of justice and counterintelligence investigations involving the president and his ties to Russia. In his first television interview since his own firing, McCabe tells 60 Minutes‘ Scott Pelley he wanted those inquiries to …

Vox reports: Evidence suggests that Paul Manafort deliberately lied to special counsel Robert Mueller’s team after he had agreed to cooperate, a federal judge ruled Wednesday. Manafort, Donald Trump’s former campaign chair, has already been convicted of financial crimes in Virginia and has pleaded guilty to other charges in Washington. He was not charged with new crimes related to these …

Politico reports: Ryan Zinke, who resigned as interior secretary last year amid scandal, is teaming up with Corey Lewandowski, President Donald Trump’s former campaign manager, to work as senior advisers at Washington lobbying firm Turnberry Solutions. Zinke is the first former member of Trump’s Cabinet to join a lobbying firm — a new milestone for a president who took office …

The Week reports: Tom Barrack, a billionaire financier who GOP operative Roger Stone once called President Trump’s “best friend”, defended Saudi Arabia and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman on Tuesday while speaking in Dubai on Tuesday. When CNN’s Becky Anderson asked Barrack about the effect the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi has had on Saudi Arabia’s global reputation, Barrack first …

Axios reports: Mueller is just the beginning. House Democrats plan a vast probe of President Trump and Russia — with a heavy focus on money laundering — that will include multiple committees and dramatic public hearings, and could last into 2020. The aggressive plans were outlined yesterday by a Democratic member of Congress at a roundtable for Washington reporters. The …

CNN reports: Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, rejected Republican Chairman Richard Burr’s recent statements that the committee has not found evidence of collusion, saying the investigation is still ongoing and the committee still had to interview key witnesses. “Respectfully, I disagree,” Warner said Tuesday. “I’m not going to get into any conclusions I’ve reached …

“A man is known by his enemies. Ana Navarro, porquita, a little piglet. This woman is 50 pounds of Schiff in a 20-pound bag. Talentless. No accomplishment. She’s the political consultant who’s never actually elected anybody to anything. She’s really a nasty diva. She’s an enormous sack of Schiff and an abusive person on top of it. So, I revel …

The Wall Street Journal reports: The dust-up between Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and National Enquirer parent American Media LLC has raised questions about the media company’s connections to Saudi Arabia. American Media has had plenty of contacts with Saudi Arabia in recent years, including seeking financial backing from Saudi investors to fund acquisitions and producing a magazine celebrating the country’s …

The Hill reports: President Trump on Saturday ripped congressional Democrats after a tense House hearing with Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker the previous day. Whitaker appeared in front of the Judiciary Committee for nearly six hours on Friday, where he was grilled by Democrats about special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation and other topics. He repeatedly refused to discuss his conversations …

Axios reports: Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker put on a performance today that’s likely to leave plenty of top Trump officials even less excited about the prospect of their day on Capitol Hill. After two years of being left alone by Republicans, Trumpworld is staring down the barrel at two grueling years of no-win situations before House committees. If you …

Courthouse News reports: Roger Stone took a constitutional stand Friday against a potential gag order that will bar him from talking to the press about the charges leveled against him by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. “There should be no imposition of prior restraint on Mr. Stone’s First Amendment free speech rights,” the filing says. Robert Buschel called the impact on …

Politico reports: House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) today opened an investigation into the outsize role of three members of President Donald Trump’s Florida country club in a digital health record contract and other VA business. In a letter to VA Secretary Robert Wilkie, Takano requested extensive documents including all records of communication between the Mar-a-Lago members and …

Deadline reports: The owners of the National Enquirer now have a bigger problem than a pissed off and fighting back Jeff Bezos – the feds. Just a day after the Amazon founder published a detailed overview of the attempts by the David Pecker run tabloid to halt his investigation into how private texts and photos got into the Enquirer’s hands …