Trump Corruption

ABC News reports: The Trump Organization wants its tax bill cut in half at one of its high-end golf clubs, part of a longstanding Trump practice of using legal challenges and appeals to lower his corporate tax bills. President Donald Trump’s company, now run by his adult sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, has requested a property tax break of a …

In a piece that was teased last night by Rachel Maddow, this morning Bloomberg published a report detailing the Trump family’s dealings with a “shadowy” real estate development firm linked to a notorious Russian mobster. An excerpt: One of Bayrock’s principals was a career criminal named Felix Sater who had ties to Russian and American organized crime groups. Before linking …

The Hill reports: The top White House spokesman on Monday did not directly answer a question about whether President Trump supports Rod Rosenstein amid speculation that the deputy attorney general may have to recuse himself from overseeing an investigation into Russian election meddling. “The president has confidence in everyone who serves in this administration,” press secretary Sean Spicer said when …

The New York Times reports: Amid a broadening investigation of Russian contacts with his associates and his own role in trying to stop it, President Trump fired off another angry tweet this past week repeating his assertion that he has no business interests in Russia. But while no Trump Tower graces the Moscow skyline, the Russian authorities recently made sure …

The Hill reports: One of President Trump’s attorneys on Sunday insisted “there is not an investigation of the president of the United States, period.” He was responding to reports that a Justice Department investigation has expanded to obstruction of justice charges related to the president’s decision to fire an FBI director, as well as apparent confirmation by the president himself. …

The International Business Times reports: Financial disclosure documents released Friday by the Office of Government Ethics shed new light on President Trump’s finances, even as he refuses to release his tax returns. The documents show that Trump owes hundreds of millions of dollars to major financial institutions — some with business before Trump’s administration. According to section 8 of the …

The Associated Press reports: President Donald Trump acknowledged for the first time Friday that he is under federal investigation as part of the expanding probe into Russia’s election meddling. He lashed out at a top Justice Department official overseeing the inquiry, reflecting his mounting frustration with the unrelenting controversy that has consumed his early presidency. Trump advisers and confidants describe …

Market Watch reports: With President Donald Trump blasting reports that he is under investigation for possible obstruction of justice, Trump ally and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said any charge wouldn’t stick for one simple reason. “Technically, the president of the United States cannot obstruct justice,” Gingrich said Friday during an event at the National Press Club. “The president of …

Citing an unnamed source, this afternoon NBC’s Katy Tur reports on Twitter that Trump’s personal attorney Michael Cohen, he of “says who!” fame, has hired his own attorney to represent him in the ever-expanding Russia investigation. According to Tur, Cohen is now scheduled to testify before the House Intelligence Committee on September 5th. Tur’s source says the delay is due …

The Washington Examiner reports: President Trump confirmed Friday morning he is under investigation over his decision to fire FBI Director James Comey. “I am being investigated for firing the FBI Director by the man who told me to fire the FBI Director! Witch Hunt,” he said on his Twitter account. News surfaced this week that Trump is being investigated for …

The Hill reports: President Trump assailed the ongoing probes of Russia’s role in the 2016 election on Friday, blasting Congress and the Justice Department for continuing the investigations despite not presenting “any proof” of collusion between his campaign and the Kremlin. Reports emerged this week that the government’s probe of last year’s election has expanded to included possible obstruction of …

The New York Daily News reports: She’s arranged tournaments at Trump golf courses, served as the liaison to the Trump family during his presidential campaign, and even arranged Eric Trump’s wedding. Now President Trump has appointed longtime loyalist Lynne Patton — who has zero housing experience and claims a law degree the school says she never earned — to run …

The Independent reports: President Donald Trump has mounted another Twitter attack on former election opponent Hillary Clinton, accusing her of having covert dealing with Russia, destroying her phones with a hammer, and “bleaching” her emails. The tweets come one day after The Washington Post reported that Mr Trump is under investigation for potential obstruction of justice. The Post reports Robert Mueller, …

The Hill reports: President Trump early Thursday pushed back on a report that the special counsel leading the Russia probe is now looking into whether Trump obstructed justice. The president has in the past decried the investigation into the Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential race and pushed backed against reports of collusion. On Wednesday, The Washington Post reported the …

The Associated Press reports: A company that owns buildings with Donald Trump and the family of Jared Kushner is a finalist for a $1.7 billion contract to build the FBI’s new headquarters. Vornado Realty Trust is one of three finalists to build a replacement for the bureau’s current headquarters on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington D.C., the massive J. Edgar Hoover …

The Washington Post reports:  The special counsel overseeing the investigation into Russia’s role in the 2016 election is interviewing senior intelligence officials as part of a widening probe that now includes an examination of whether President Trump attempted to obstruct justice, officials said. The move by Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III to investigate Trump’s own conduct marks a major …

The New York Times reports: Nearly 200 Democratic members of Congress are expected to file a federal lawsuit on Wednesday accusing President Trump of violating the Constitution by profiting from business dealings with foreign governments. The plaintiffs — believed to be the most members of Congress to ever sue a sitting president — contend that Mr. Trump has ignored a …

The Los Angeles Times reports: Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions denied “stonewalling” in his testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee as Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) pressed him on his refusal to answer questions. Sessions declined to elaborate about his conversations with President Trump concerning the handling of the investigation into Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential election. But “I am not …

The Associated Press reports: Attorney General Jeff Sessions heatedly denied on Tuesday that he had any undisclosed meeting with the Russian ambassador or conversations with Russian officials about the U.S. elections. He vowed to defend his honor “against scurrilous and false allegations.” Testifying at a Senate hearing, Sessions said it was a “detestable and appalling lie” to suggest that he …

CNN reports: All eyes will be on Attorney General Jeff Sessions as he testifies before the Senate intelligence committee on Tuesday. The hearing will be focused on Sessions’ involvement in the Trump campaign and his meetings with Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the US. This will be the first time Sessions has testified before Congress since he recused himself …