Trump Corruption

The Independent reports: Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order that would remove transgender servicemembers from the military as soon as his first day in office. The president-elect is reportedly preparing to issue an order following his inauguration on January 20 that would effectively ban trans people serving in the military — and then medically discharge the thousands …

The New York Times reports: Trump is keeping secret the names of the donors who are funding his transition effort, a break from tradition that could make it impossible to see what interest groups, businesses or wealthy people are helping launch his second term. Mr. Trump has so far declined to sign an agreement with the Biden administration that imposes …

The Washington Post reports: Again and again, when Donald Trump has faced scandal and scrutiny, Pam Bondi was there to defend him. Bondi said the Justice Department’s special counsel investigation into whether Trump associates coordinated with Russian interference in the 2016 election needed to be dissolved. She declared that the 45th president’s first impeachment in 2019 was a “sham.” And …

The Hill reports: Rudy Giuliani has appealed a judge’s decision last month ordering him to turn over most of his assets to two Georgia election workers to satisfy their $146 million defamation judgment. After months of collection efforts, U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman on Oct. 22 ordered Giuliani to hand over his New York apartment, Mercedes-Benz, luxury watches, signed New …

The Washington Post reports: President-elect Donald Trump plans to fire the entire team that worked with special counsel Jack Smith to pursue two federal prosecutions against the former president, including career attorneys typically protected from political retribution, according to two individuals close to Trump’s transition. Trump is also planning to assemble investigative teams within the Justice Department to hunt for …

Politico reports: Is it newsworthy that Donald Trump’s share of the 2024 presidential vote has fallen below 50 percent? You wouldn’t think it’s a big deal based on the relatively few headlines triggered by the milestone, which passed quietly last weekend as California and other states continued their glacially slow vote counts. Trump’s 49.9 percent (for now) is still more …

CNN reports: The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial has adjourned his sentencing, which was set for next week. Judge Juan Merchan also agreed to hold off on issuing his decision on presidential immunity until after he reviews the parties’ filings. Merchan granted Trump’s request to file a motion to dismiss the case – ordering them to submit …

The Huffington Post reports: A civil contempt hearing is now on the books in Washington, D.C., for Rudy Giuliani — just a day after two election workers he defamed, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, notified a judge that they believed the former New York City mayor has continued to smear them publicly. U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ordered Giuliani on …

The New York Times reports: Donald J. Trump’s social media company is considering developing a cryptocurrency payment service, according to a trademark application filed this week, the latest sign of the president-elect’s embrace of the crypto industry. Trump Media & Technology Group filed an application on Monday for a service called TruthFi, which it described as a platform for crypto …

“I am proud to announce former Attorney General of the Great State of Florida, Pam Bondi, as our next Attorney General of the United States. Pam was a prosecutor for nearly 20 years, where she was very tough on Violent Criminals, and made the streets safe for Florida Families. “Then, as Florida’s first female Attorney General, she worked to stop …

“I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General. He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect. Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will …

NBC News reports: Within hours of taking office as president, Donald Trump plans to roll out a flurry of executive actions aligned with his campaign promises, imposing more socially conservative health care policies on the U.S. military and setting in motion the large-scale deportation of people living in the country illegally. Trump is preparing on Day One to overturn specific …

The New York Times reports: Federal investigators established a trail of payments from Matt Gaetz to women including some who testified that Mr. Gaetz hired them for sex, according to a document obtained by The New York Times and a lawyer representing some of the women. The document is a chart that shows a web of thousands of dollars in …

Law & Crime reports: Trump has asked a federal judge in Pennsylvania to toss out the defamation lawsuit filed against him by members of the Central Park Five over comments he made about them during the presidential debate earlier this year. The filing asserts that the suit filed against Trump is nothing more than “an attempt to stifle constitutionally protected …

Rolling Stone reports: Donald Trump has sworn he will exact retribution on his political rivals and critics — and that includes members of the press. The president-elect is already demanding that Republicans in Congress kill bipartisan legislation that would protect American journalists from surveillance by the federal government, and help shield the confidential sources or whistleblowers who speak to journalists …

They’ll wring every last penny out of the cult: For those worried that there just isn’t enough Trump-branded merch on the market, fear not: Lara Trump is launching her own clothing line. “The LT Brand by Lara Trump Collection isn’t just activewear—it’s a celebration of strength, resilience, and patriotism,” the president-elect’s daughter-in-law wrote in a promotional Instagram post Tuesday. She …

“Yes, these are the ONLY guitars endorsed by President Donald J. Trump! American Eagle Acoustic Guitar: 1,300 were produced, with 1,275 being made available to the public. American Eagle Electric Guitar: 1,300 were produced, with 1,275 being made available to the public. “Each guitar is carefully packaged into a custom guitar box that has been specifically produced to withstand the …

From the Wall Street Journal editorial board: So far President-elect Trump is standing by his choice of Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary, despite the disclosure that Mr. Hegseth paid a woman in 2020 to settle an allegation of sexual assault in 2017. Press reports say the accusation took Mr. Trump’s transition team by “surprise,” which might be a lesson about …

Politico reports: Two former Georgia election workers are asking a federal judge to hold Rudy Giuliani in contempt of court for repeating false claims that have already led to a $148 million defamation judgment against him. Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss say Giuliani repeated baseless claims on an episode of his podcast last week, saying that they counted fraudulent ballots …

ABC News reports: President-elect Donald Trump’s criminal hush money conviction in New York must be dismissed “to facilitate the orderly transition of Executive power,” Trump’s defense attorneys argued Wednesday in a letter to the court. Defense attorneys Todd Blanche and Emil Bove — both of whom Trump nominated last week to top DOJ posts in his new administration — sought …