Trump Corruption

The Corpus Christi Caller-Times reports: President Donald Trump nominated David S. Morales to fill a federal judge vacancy for the Southern District of Texas in Corpus Christi. In 2016 Morales’ role in then-Attorney General Greg Abbott’s Office gained attention. Morales said in a statement that year that he decided not to pursue a $5.4 million lawsuit against Trump and Trump …

CNN reports: In his first comments since the FBI raid on his home and office, Michael Cohen said the FBI agents “were extremely professional, courteous and respectful.” The comments contrast with President Donald Trump who complained Monday that agents “broke into the office of one of my personal attorneys.” “I am unhappy to have my personal residence and office raided. …

NBC News reports: Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said on Fox Business Network Tuesday that he had “confidence” in the special counsel, and that “it would be suicide for the president to fire Mueller.” Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said he thought Trump was “too smart” to get rid of Mueller: “I think it would provoke …

Fox News radio White House correspondent Jon Decker: “I don’t know if you know this, Kevin, but it was me who actually asked the question to the president, ‘Why don’t you just fire Mueller?’ And the president responded to that, which was pretty remarkable in terms of what he was telling us and obviously telling the rest of the American …

Today’s topics should prove entertaining: Michael Cohen: The FBI on Monday raided the office of President Trump’s longtime personal lawyer. Trump called the raid a “TOTAL WITCH HUNT” and added that “attorney-client privilege is dead.” This will likely be a major focus for reporters at today’s briefing. Stormy Daniels: When the feds raided Cohen’s office yesterday, they were looking for …

The New York Times reports: The F.B.I. agents who raided the office of President Trump’s personal lawyer on Monday were looking for records about payments to two women who claim they had affairs with Mr. Trump, and information related to the publisher of The National Enquirer’s role in silencing one of the women, several people briefed on the investigation said. …

Mediaite reports: Former FBI Assistant Director Frank Figliuzzi said on Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s attorney Michael Cohen could spend “decades” behind bars as a result of the raid on his Manhattan office. “If you’re looking at multiple violations of everything that we’ve heard come out of the possible search warrant motivations, you’re looking at decades, a couple of decades …

Michael Cohen had a VERY full day yesterday. Talking Points Memo reports: Michael Cohen, the longtime personal attorney of President Donald Trump, on Monday asked a federal judge in California to dismiss porn actress Stormy Daniels’ defamation lawsuit against him. Daniels added the defamation complaint to her lawsuit against Trump last month, arguing that Cohen insinuated that she was a …

The New York Times reports: The special counsel is investigating a payment made to President Trump’s foundation by a Ukrainian steel magnate for a talk during the campaign, according to three people briefed on the matter, as part of a broader examination of streams of foreign money to Mr. Trump and his associates in the years leading up to the …

NBC News reports: The lawyer for adult film star Stormy Daniels said he “feels sorry” for Donald Trump’s personal attorney, branding him the president’s “scapegoat” after it was revealed that the FBI on Monday raided Michael Cohen’s office and hotel room. “I think when push comes to shove he’s going to fold like a cheap deck of cards, I really …

CBS News reports: President Trump said he has just heard that the office of one of his personal attorneys was broken into, a reference to the FBI raid of Michael Cohen’s office. During a meeting with his military advisers at the White House Monday, he called it a disgraceful situation and a witch hunt. “I have this witch hunt constantly …

The Washington Post just updated their “FBI raids Michael Cohen” story with a single and very delicious sentence. Trump attorney Cohen is being investigated for possible bank fraud, campaign finance violations, according to a person familiar with the case. From their original story: Under Department of Justice regulations governing the special counsel’s work, Mueller is required to consult with Deputy …

The New York Times reports: The F.B.I. on Monday raided the office of President Trump’s longtime personal lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, seizing records related to several topics including payments to a pornographic-film actress. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan obtained the search warrant after receiving a referral from the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, according to Mr. Cohen’s lawyer, who called …

The Hill reports: White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Monday defended President Trump’s claims about widespread voter fraud in the 2016 election and argued that the administration has no evidence to back-up the claims because states have refused to cooperate with a federal review. “The president still strongly feels there was a large amount of voter fraud and …

The Hill reports: Stormy Daniels’ attorney Michael Avenatti on Monday said he will be releasing a sketch of the man who Daniels claimed threatened her in a parking lot in 2011 after she tried to sell her story about her alleged affair with President Trump. Avenatti said the sketch would be released on Tuesday and that there would be a …

USA Today reports: While Patrick Reed was adjusting to his new green jacket after his Masters win, President Trump tweeted his good wishes. Trump pointed out many had seen Reed shine five years ago when he won at a course he owns – Trump National Doral in Miami. But it was actually four years ago – in March 2014 – …

Politico reports: Lawyers for former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort are arguing that what could be key evidence against him should be kept out of court because the FBI violated his Constitutional rights by illegally entering a storage locker belonging to Manafort’s firm. The FBI first got into the Alexandria, Va. storage unit last May with the assistance of an …

The Associated Press reports: Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt’s concern with his safety came at a steep cost to taxpayers as his swollen security detail blew through overtime budgets and at times diverted officers away from investigating environmental crimes. Altogether, the agency spent millions of dollars for a 20-member full-time detail that is more than three times the size …

Politico reports: Scott Pruitt was only supposed to be living in the Capitol Hill condominium that has become a focal point of his latest ethics controversy for six weeks last year, while he got settled in Washington. But the new Environmental Protection Agency administrator didn’t leave when his lease ended, instead asking the lobbyist couple who became his disgruntled landlords …

The Hill reports: White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders is scheduled to take questions from reporters Friday at 2 p.m. The briefing comes as President Trump reiterated support for his EPA chief Scott Pruitt, saying on Twitter Friday morning that Pruitt is “doing a great job but is totally under siege.” Pruitt has spent the week defending a number …