Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley fired off a letter to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein Wednesday questioning numerous probes into acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe and asking whether investigators have found any political conflicts from these inquiries.
In his letter to Rosenstein, Grassley reminded him that he already asked about McCabe’s apparent conflict of interests due to his close relationship with Democratic Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, among other issues, and then pointed out that McCabe appears to be the focus of three separate pending investigations.
“First, the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General is examining his failure to recuse himself from the Clinton investigation due to his political relationship with McAuliffe. Second, the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) is investigating allegations that he violated the Hatch Act by engaging in political campaign activities,” Grassley wrote.
“Third, he is also reportedly the subject of a pending Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaint by a female FBI agent for sex discrimination, who alleges she was targeted for retaliation because of her complaint,” he added.
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WASHINGTON MERRY-GO-ROUND - Government Crimes and Corruption
June 30, 2017
June 29, 2017
It’s Not Just CNN: Five Fake Trump-Russia Stories Pushed By Establishment Media
CNN recently caught flak for publishing a story on Trump-Russia collusion that was later retracted.
The retraction led to the resignation of three CNN journalists, and in the eyes of many on the right, the incident was just more proof that the media is desperate to go after President Trump on Russia allegations — with or without facts.
This comes as recently released video from Project Veritas shows a CNN producer on hidden camera saying that he thinks the Russia story is “mostly bullshit right now,” and that CNN CEO Jeff Zucker is encouraging his staff to forgo other topics to focus on Russia allegations.
But CNN is not the first, or the only, media outlet to get a story about Russia and Trump wrong.
On Twitter Tuesday morning, President Trump publicly wondered about other sources of false reporting:
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The retraction led to the resignation of three CNN journalists, and in the eyes of many on the right, the incident was just more proof that the media is desperate to go after President Trump on Russia allegations — with or without facts.
This comes as recently released video from Project Veritas shows a CNN producer on hidden camera saying that he thinks the Russia story is “mostly bullshit right now,” and that CNN CEO Jeff Zucker is encouraging his staff to forgo other topics to focus on Russia allegations.
But CNN is not the first, or the only, media outlet to get a story about Russia and Trump wrong.
On Twitter Tuesday morning, President Trump publicly wondered about other sources of false reporting:
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June 28, 2017
McCain Institute Refuses to Disclose Big Donations
McCain Institute for International Leadership executives refuse to disclose how much money big donors have contributed to the nonprofit that’s named after Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, The Daily Caller News Foundation Investigative Group has learned.
McCain was the architect of the landmark Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 — more popularly known as “McCain-Feingold” — that required public disclosure of all contributions of at least $250 in federal elections. Former Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold co-sponsored the measure with McCain.
But the McCain Institute — created in 2012 with an $8.7 million donation of funds remaining from McCain’s unsuccessful 2008 presidential campaign — refused Monday to disclose the amounts it received from its biggest donors who gave $100,000 or more.
Spokesmen for the McCain Institute and for the Arizona State University (ASU) Foundation — where the nonprofit’s finances are held — refused to divulge any dollar amounts from big ticket donors despite repeated requests by TheDCNF.
A McCain Institute executive referred TheDCNF’s donor request to the ASU Foundation. An ASU Foundation spokesman side-stepped the issue of disclosure, replying to TheDCNF by issuing a statement — “in the spirit of transparency, the McCain Institute for International Leadership elects to provide a list of donors on its website.”
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McCain was the architect of the landmark Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 — more popularly known as “McCain-Feingold” — that required public disclosure of all contributions of at least $250 in federal elections. Former Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold co-sponsored the measure with McCain.
But the McCain Institute — created in 2012 with an $8.7 million donation of funds remaining from McCain’s unsuccessful 2008 presidential campaign — refused Monday to disclose the amounts it received from its biggest donors who gave $100,000 or more.
Spokesmen for the McCain Institute and for the Arizona State University (ASU) Foundation — where the nonprofit’s finances are held — refused to divulge any dollar amounts from big ticket donors despite repeated requests by TheDCNF.
A McCain Institute executive referred TheDCNF’s donor request to the ASU Foundation. An ASU Foundation spokesman side-stepped the issue of disclosure, replying to TheDCNF by issuing a statement — “in the spirit of transparency, the McCain Institute for International Leadership elects to provide a list of donors on its website.”
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June 27, 2017
Project Veritas Undercover Investigation: CNN Producer Admits Network Hyping ‘Mostly Bullsh*t’ Trump-Russia Scandal for ‘Ratings’
James O’Keefe’s Project Veritas has struck again: This time, a senior CNN producer was caught on camera by one of O’Keefe’s investigators admitting that the network’s relentless bashing of President Donald Trump with the Russia scandal lacks proof.
“Could be bullshit. I mean, it’s mostly bullshit right now,” the CNN producer, John Bonifield, said in a video O’Keefe’s Project Veritas released on Tuesday, when asked about his thoughts on the Russia investigation. “Like, we don’t have any giant proof. Then they say, well there’s still an investigation going on. And you’re like, yeah, I don’t know. If they were finding something we would know about it. The way these leaks happen, they would leak it. They’d leak. If it was something really good, it would leak…. The leaks keep leaking and there’s so many great leaks, and it’s amazing. I just refuse to believe that if they had something really good like that that wouldn’t leak because we’ve been getting all these other leaks. So, I just feel like they don’t really have it but they want to keep digging. And so I think the president is probably right to say, like, look you are witch hunting me. You have no smoking gun. You have no real proof.”
The video also shows Bonifield admitting that he has not seen evidence that Trump has committed any crimes.
“I haven’t seen any good evidence to show the president committed a crime,” Bonifield says in the video.
And even if Russia did try to influence the U.S. election, Bonifield is heard saying in the video, that is not really much of a scandal. He is seen arguing that Russian efforts to influence the election would be normal, and that the U.S. government does the same thing around the world all the time.
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“Could be bullshit. I mean, it’s mostly bullshit right now,” the CNN producer, John Bonifield, said in a video O’Keefe’s Project Veritas released on Tuesday, when asked about his thoughts on the Russia investigation. “Like, we don’t have any giant proof. Then they say, well there’s still an investigation going on. And you’re like, yeah, I don’t know. If they were finding something we would know about it. The way these leaks happen, they would leak it. They’d leak. If it was something really good, it would leak…. The leaks keep leaking and there’s so many great leaks, and it’s amazing. I just refuse to believe that if they had something really good like that that wouldn’t leak because we’ve been getting all these other leaks. So, I just feel like they don’t really have it but they want to keep digging. And so I think the president is probably right to say, like, look you are witch hunting me. You have no smoking gun. You have no real proof.”
The video also shows Bonifield admitting that he has not seen evidence that Trump has committed any crimes.
“I haven’t seen any good evidence to show the president committed a crime,” Bonifield says in the video.
And even if Russia did try to influence the U.S. election, Bonifield is heard saying in the video, that is not really much of a scandal. He is seen arguing that Russian efforts to influence the election would be normal, and that the U.S. government does the same thing around the world all the time.
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June 26, 2017
CNN Retracts Story About Trump Adviser Being Under Investigation For Russia Ties
CNN has retracted a story claiming a presidential adviser is under investigation for ties to Russia and apologized to the official for improper reporting.
CNN, which the president has previously called out for “fake news,” reported Thursday that Congress is currently investigating Anthony Scaramucci, a member of the transition team’s executive committee, as well as as fundraiser and adviser for the president’s campaign.
The story, which was based on the statements of an anonymous congressional official, has since been deleted and replaced with an editor’s note.
CNN claimed Senate investigators are looking into whether or not Scaramucci discussed lifting sanctions with Kirill Dmitriev, the chief executive of the $10-billion Russian Direct Investment Fund, in a meeting just four days before President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
“CNN.com published a story connecting Anthony Scaramucci with investigations into the Russian Direct Investment Fund,” CNN said in its editor’s note, “That story did not meet CNN’s editorial standards and has been retracted. Links to the story have been disabled. CNN apologizes to Mr. Scaramucci.”
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CNN, which the president has previously called out for “fake news,” reported Thursday that Congress is currently investigating Anthony Scaramucci, a member of the transition team’s executive committee, as well as as fundraiser and adviser for the president’s campaign.
The story, which was based on the statements of an anonymous congressional official, has since been deleted and replaced with an editor’s note.
CNN claimed Senate investigators are looking into whether or not Scaramucci discussed lifting sanctions with Kirill Dmitriev, the chief executive of the $10-billion Russian Direct Investment Fund, in a meeting just four days before President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
“CNN.com published a story connecting Anthony Scaramucci with investigations into the Russian Direct Investment Fund,” CNN said in its editor’s note, “That story did not meet CNN’s editorial standards and has been retracted. Links to the story have been disabled. CNN apologizes to Mr. Scaramucci.”
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June 23, 2017
Rep. Jordan: DOJ Denied Special Counsel Until It Involved Comey
Republican Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan called out the Justice Department on Wednesday for only appointing a special counsel when an investigation threatened the reputation of James Comey.
Jordan said during a House Judiciary Committee bill mark-up that multiple members of Congress requested special counsel for the IRS targeting scandal and the Hillary Clinton email scandal.
However, they received no special counsel until the DOJ appointed Bob Mueller to head the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
“This committee called for a special counsel for the IRS investigation–the Justice Department said no,” he said. “Several people last year called for a special counsel in the Clinton email investigations — the Justice Department said no.”
According to Jordan, the discrepancy is due to the fact that former FBI director Comey’s reputation wasn’t at risk until the collusion investigation.
“But when it involves someone in the Justice Department, when it involves James Comey’s reputation…oh, we gotta have a special counsel!” Jordan declared.
Jordan also urged the Judiciary Committee to get to the bottom of Comey’s testimony that Loretta Lynch asked him to refer to the Clinton investigation as a “matter.”
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Jordan said during a House Judiciary Committee bill mark-up that multiple members of Congress requested special counsel for the IRS targeting scandal and the Hillary Clinton email scandal.
However, they received no special counsel until the DOJ appointed Bob Mueller to head the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
“This committee called for a special counsel for the IRS investigation–the Justice Department said no,” he said. “Several people last year called for a special counsel in the Clinton email investigations — the Justice Department said no.”
According to Jordan, the discrepancy is due to the fact that former FBI director Comey’s reputation wasn’t at risk until the collusion investigation.
“But when it involves someone in the Justice Department, when it involves James Comey’s reputation…oh, we gotta have a special counsel!” Jordan declared.
Jordan also urged the Judiciary Committee to get to the bottom of Comey’s testimony that Loretta Lynch asked him to refer to the Clinton investigation as a “matter.”
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June 22, 2017
State May Pull Hillary’s Security Clearance Over Private Email Server
State Department officials have opened “a formal inquiry” into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server located in her New York residence, and are considering whether she and her aides should lose their security clearances, Fox News reports.
Officials are investigating her use of a private server in the basement of her Chapaqua, New York, mansion to determine if she mishandled classified information during her tenure as the nation’s top diplomat, Fox reported in news the outlet said is confirmed by Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley.
Former FBI Director James Comey said in a July 2016 press conference that Clinton and her aides were “extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information.” But he did not recommend prosecution of Clinton or any of her aides, a move that generated widespread criticism.
Officials found that Clinton’s private emails contained dozens of documents labeled Top Secret and “Special Access Program” — the nation’s highest classification — among her emails delivered to the department by her lawyer, David Kendall.
Fox News reports that State Department officials are determining if Clinton and her aides “violated government protocols by using her private server to receive, hold and transmit classified and top-secret government documents.”
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Officials are investigating her use of a private server in the basement of her Chapaqua, New York, mansion to determine if she mishandled classified information during her tenure as the nation’s top diplomat, Fox reported in news the outlet said is confirmed by Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley.
Former FBI Director James Comey said in a July 2016 press conference that Clinton and her aides were “extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information.” But he did not recommend prosecution of Clinton or any of her aides, a move that generated widespread criticism.
Officials found that Clinton’s private emails contained dozens of documents labeled Top Secret and “Special Access Program” — the nation’s highest classification — among her emails delivered to the department by her lawyer, David Kendall.
Fox News reports that State Department officials are determining if Clinton and her aides “violated government protocols by using her private server to receive, hold and transmit classified and top-secret government documents.”
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June 21, 2017
Pinkerton: Five Takeaways on What the Republican Special Election Wins Mean for the Trump Agenda
Here are five takeaways from the two special elections on Tuesday: The victory of Republican Karen Handel over Democrat Jon Ossoff in the sixth district of Georgia, and also, the much-less-heralded victory of Republican Ralph Norman in the fifth district of South Carolina.
First, all politics is local. The former incumbent in Georgia 6, Tom Price, now President Trump’s Health and Human Services Secretary, had an invincibly safe seat for more than a decade; he was re-elected in 2016 with 62 percent of the vote. And yet at the same time, Donald Trump won the suburban Atlanta district with just 48 percent last year, edging out Hillary by a single point.
In fact, Georgia 6 is changing: Although it is routinely described as “ruby red,” it is not. Like many affluent suburban districts nationwide, the white-collar folks there don’t see themselves as Trump Nation. Moreover, the sixth is increasingly diverse, in part because affluence attracts an ever-growing population of service- and domestic workers, most of whom are non-white and all of whom are non-affluent. And so Price’s ability to win the district easily was a tribute to Price himself, and to the power of incumbency.
By contrast, Handel, Price’s replacement, has had a middling track record in electoral politics. Having won, and lost, in local government, she was elected to be Georgia’s secretary of state in 2006, and then, four years later, she lost the GOP gubernatorial primary. So while Handel obviously has her strengths, she was no vote-monster; her ultimate showing on Tuesday lagged nearly ten points behind Price’s benchmark.
Similarly, in South Carolina 5, Mick Mulvaney, now Trump’s Director of the Office of Management and Budget, had won huge in that district—by 21 points last year. By contrast, this year, Norman, running against a self-funding Wall Streeter, Archie Parnell, won by a mere four points.
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First, all politics is local. The former incumbent in Georgia 6, Tom Price, now President Trump’s Health and Human Services Secretary, had an invincibly safe seat for more than a decade; he was re-elected in 2016 with 62 percent of the vote. And yet at the same time, Donald Trump won the suburban Atlanta district with just 48 percent last year, edging out Hillary by a single point.
In fact, Georgia 6 is changing: Although it is routinely described as “ruby red,” it is not. Like many affluent suburban districts nationwide, the white-collar folks there don’t see themselves as Trump Nation. Moreover, the sixth is increasingly diverse, in part because affluence attracts an ever-growing population of service- and domestic workers, most of whom are non-white and all of whom are non-affluent. And so Price’s ability to win the district easily was a tribute to Price himself, and to the power of incumbency.
By contrast, Handel, Price’s replacement, has had a middling track record in electoral politics. Having won, and lost, in local government, she was elected to be Georgia’s secretary of state in 2006, and then, four years later, she lost the GOP gubernatorial primary. So while Handel obviously has her strengths, she was no vote-monster; her ultimate showing on Tuesday lagged nearly ten points behind Price’s benchmark.
Similarly, in South Carolina 5, Mick Mulvaney, now Trump’s Director of the Office of Management and Budget, had won huge in that district—by 21 points last year. By contrast, this year, Norman, running against a self-funding Wall Streeter, Archie Parnell, won by a mere four points.
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June 20, 2017
Judicial Watch: Susan Rice ‘Unmasking’ Documents Moved from NSC to Obama Library
The National Security Council cannot hand over records relating to former National Security Adviser Susan Rice’s surveillance of Americans, because they have been moved to the Obama presidential library and may be sealed for as may as five years, conservative watchdog Judicial Watch announced Monday.
The NSC informed Judicial Watch in a letter dated May 23 that materials related to Rice’s requests to know the identities of Americans swept up in surveillance of foreign targets, including any Trump campaign or transition officials, have been moved to the library.
The NSC’s Director of Access Management John Powers said in the letter:
Documents from the Obama administration have been transferred to the Barack Obama Presidential Library. You may send your request to the Obama Library. However, you should be aware that under the Presidential Records Act, Presidential records remain closed to the public for five years after an administration has left office.
Judicial Watch earlier this year filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for those documents, including of communications between Rice and any intelligence community member or agency regarding any Russian involvement in the 2016 elections, the hacking of Democratic National Committee computers, or any suspected communications between Russia and Trump officials.
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The NSC informed Judicial Watch in a letter dated May 23 that materials related to Rice’s requests to know the identities of Americans swept up in surveillance of foreign targets, including any Trump campaign or transition officials, have been moved to the library.
The NSC’s Director of Access Management John Powers said in the letter:
Documents from the Obama administration have been transferred to the Barack Obama Presidential Library. You may send your request to the Obama Library. However, you should be aware that under the Presidential Records Act, Presidential records remain closed to the public for five years after an administration has left office.
Judicial Watch earlier this year filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for those documents, including of communications between Rice and any intelligence community member or agency regarding any Russian involvement in the 2016 elections, the hacking of Democratic National Committee computers, or any suspected communications between Russia and Trump officials.
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June 19, 2017
Adam Schiff Admits There’s No ‘Proof’ Of Trump-Russia Collusion
The 11-month-old investigation into whether President Trump or members of his campaign colluded with Russians has still not turned up any evidence that’s strong enough to put before a jury.
That’s according to California Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee, which is overseeing one of the parallel investigations into whether members of the Trump campaign coordinated with the Kremlin to influence the outcome of the election.
“I’m not prepared to say that there’s proof you could take to a jury,” Schiff told ABC News’ Martha Raddatz on Sunday when asked if he’s seen proof of collusion.
As a leader of the House committee, Schiff has been able to review classified information held by various agencies of the intelligence community. He has also sat in on briefings with FBI officials to review information in the case.
Though Schiff acknowledged that he has not seen evidence that’s strong enough to present to a jury, he believes that investigation is warranted. He asserted that when the FBI opened its investigation last July, the bureau had good cause to do so.
“I can say that there’s enough that we ought to be investigation,” Schiff said Sunday.
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That’s according to California Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee, which is overseeing one of the parallel investigations into whether members of the Trump campaign coordinated with the Kremlin to influence the outcome of the election.
“I’m not prepared to say that there’s proof you could take to a jury,” Schiff told ABC News’ Martha Raddatz on Sunday when asked if he’s seen proof of collusion.
As a leader of the House committee, Schiff has been able to review classified information held by various agencies of the intelligence community. He has also sat in on briefings with FBI officials to review information in the case.
Though Schiff acknowledged that he has not seen evidence that’s strong enough to present to a jury, he believes that investigation is warranted. He asserted that when the FBI opened its investigation last July, the bureau had good cause to do so.
“I can say that there’s enough that we ought to be investigation,” Schiff said Sunday.
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June 16, 2017
This List Of Attacks Against Conservatives Is Mind Blowing
A wave of liberal rage has marked the last 11 months since the rise and subsequent election of President Donald Trump.
Antifa protestors clad in black masks shut down college campuses, destroy property and indiscriminately attack those they disagree with, whether women or the elderly. Meanwhile, CNN fires Kathy Griffin for taking photos with a bloody replica of the president’s decapitated head.
Amid this backdrop, The Huffington Post publishes an article calling for the execution of Trump and “everyone assisting his agenda.”
Then, shots ring out as a man gorged on media hysteria attempts to slaughter Republican congressmen while they practice for a charity baseball game.
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Antifa protestors clad in black masks shut down college campuses, destroy property and indiscriminately attack those they disagree with, whether women or the elderly. Meanwhile, CNN fires Kathy Griffin for taking photos with a bloody replica of the president’s decapitated head.
Amid this backdrop, The Huffington Post publishes an article calling for the execution of Trump and “everyone assisting his agenda.”
Then, shots ring out as a man gorged on media hysteria attempts to slaughter Republican congressmen while they practice for a charity baseball game.
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June 15, 2017
WaPo Report: Mueller Investigating Donald Trump for Possible Obstruction of Justice
Recently appointed Special Counsel on the Russia investigation Robert Mueller has begun the process of interviewing senior intelligence officials as part of an investigation into President Donald Trump’s conduct according to a Washington Post report that cites anonymous officials.
The Post reported that according to five officials briefed on requests, those to be interviewed include: Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats, National Security Agency head Mike Rogers and Rogers’ now former deputy Richard Ledgett. They said that these three have agreed to interviews with Mueller’s team. Those interviews could happen within days.
The Post also reported that according to “people familiar with the matter”, the investigation into Trump began shortly after the President fired then-FBI Director James Comey. Those “people” also told the outlet that investigators are looking for people both inside and outside of government that can attest to the President’s comments on why he fired Comey, the Russia investigations, and others.
Comey revealed last week, in a hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee, that he had informed President Trump three times that the president was not under FBI investigation. The now former FBI Director failed to reveal that information publicly while he was still in his position. During that testimony, Comey also revealed that he had leaked a memo containing his notes from a February 14 meeting with Trump.
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The Post reported that according to five officials briefed on requests, those to be interviewed include: Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats, National Security Agency head Mike Rogers and Rogers’ now former deputy Richard Ledgett. They said that these three have agreed to interviews with Mueller’s team. Those interviews could happen within days.
The Post also reported that according to “people familiar with the matter”, the investigation into Trump began shortly after the President fired then-FBI Director James Comey. Those “people” also told the outlet that investigators are looking for people both inside and outside of government that can attest to the President’s comments on why he fired Comey, the Russia investigations, and others.
Comey revealed last week, in a hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee, that he had informed President Trump three times that the president was not under FBI investigation. The now former FBI Director failed to reveal that information publicly while he was still in his position. During that testimony, Comey also revealed that he had leaked a memo containing his notes from a February 14 meeting with Trump.
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June 14, 2017
Kellyanne Says Mueller’s Legal Team Is Anti-Trump
Top White House aide Kellyanne Conway knocked members of special counsel Robert Mueller’s legal team for not “wanting Trump” to be president in a tweet Tuesday.
The remark from the counselor to the president came as she promoted a CNN story that highlighted how three lawyers Mueller hired all donated to Democrats. “FEC report: Mueller’s team includes big Democrat donors. Some maxed out, none wanted Trump to be POTUS,” Conway wrote.
The CNN report, which cited Federal Election Commission records, said that $56,000 had been donated to Democratic candidates by three of the five attorneys known to be hired by Mueller to handle the Russian election interference investigation. Two of those three maxed out in donations to Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential campaign.
The tweet from Conway came after the Trump White House had to put out a fire caused by Trump confidant Chris Ruddy. Ruddy went on PBS Monday and said, “I think [Trump is] considering perhaps terminating the special counsel.”
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The remark from the counselor to the president came as she promoted a CNN story that highlighted how three lawyers Mueller hired all donated to Democrats. “FEC report: Mueller’s team includes big Democrat donors. Some maxed out, none wanted Trump to be POTUS,” Conway wrote.
The CNN report, which cited Federal Election Commission records, said that $56,000 had been donated to Democratic candidates by three of the five attorneys known to be hired by Mueller to handle the Russian election interference investigation. Two of those three maxed out in donations to Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential campaign.
The tweet from Conway came after the Trump White House had to put out a fire caused by Trump confidant Chris Ruddy. Ruddy went on PBS Monday and said, “I think [Trump is] considering perhaps terminating the special counsel.”
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June 13, 2017
DC Attorney General Suing Trump Is A Big Clinton And Obama Donor
The attorney general for Washington, D.C. who filed a lawsuit against President Trump on Monday is a major Democratic donor and gave thousands of dollars to failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as recently as last year.
D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine and Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh filed a lawsuit against the president on Monday, accusing him of violating the Constitution’s emoluments clause by receiving payments from foreign leaders through his businesses.
Racine isn’t quite a neutral party, however — he has a long record as a Democratic donor and gave thousands of dollars to liberal politicians including Clinton, former President Barack Obama, New York Senator Chuck Schumer, Virginia Senator Tim Kaine and California Senator Kamala Harris.
Racine gave $2,300 to Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign and then donated another $2,700 to Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign just last February. Racine also gave thousands of dollars to both of Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns.
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D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine and Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh filed a lawsuit against the president on Monday, accusing him of violating the Constitution’s emoluments clause by receiving payments from foreign leaders through his businesses.
Racine isn’t quite a neutral party, however — he has a long record as a Democratic donor and gave thousands of dollars to liberal politicians including Clinton, former President Barack Obama, New York Senator Chuck Schumer, Virginia Senator Tim Kaine and California Senator Kamala Harris.
Racine gave $2,300 to Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign and then donated another $2,700 to Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign just last February. Racine also gave thousands of dollars to both of Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns.
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June 12, 2017
Special Counsel Mueller Did Exactly What Comey Accused Trump Of Doing
Former FBI Director James Comey in his Senate testimony Thursday accused President Donald Trump of giving him a “directive” to letting former Director of National Intelligence Michael Flynn go free from investigation. It was a major part of the reason Comey and Democrats hoped a special counsel would be appointed in the case, and one was. But that special counsel, former FBI Director Robert Mueller, was accused of doing exactly the same thing in a 2011 book in regards to the deaths of the Branch Davidians at Waco, Texas.
Comey claimed the President privately told him, “I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go.” The former FBI head testified he took that as a directive from the President.
According to former Georgia Congressman Bob Barr, now special counsel Mueller said nearly the same thing to him during the 1995 Congressional investigation into the 1993 stand-off in Waco, Texas that resulted in the deaths of 76 members of the Branch Davidian cult.
Barr, writing in his 2011 book, “The Meaning of Is: The Squandered Impeachment and Wasted Legacy of William Jefferson Clinton,” recounted a phone call with Mueller, who was then working at the Justice Department, in which he asked Barr not to “go too hard on these guys.”
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Comey claimed the President privately told him, “I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go.” The former FBI head testified he took that as a directive from the President.
According to former Georgia Congressman Bob Barr, now special counsel Mueller said nearly the same thing to him during the 1995 Congressional investigation into the 1993 stand-off in Waco, Texas that resulted in the deaths of 76 members of the Branch Davidian cult.
Barr, writing in his 2011 book, “The Meaning of Is: The Squandered Impeachment and Wasted Legacy of William Jefferson Clinton,” recounted a phone call with Mueller, who was then working at the Justice Department, in which he asked Barr not to “go too hard on these guys.”
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June 9, 2017
The Six Most Important Revelations from the Comey Hearing
1) Trump was not under investigation by the FBI
When questioned by Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), Comey answered that President Donald Trump was not under investigation by the FBI. It was also revealed that congressional leaders had previously been briefed on this fact.
2) James Comey leaked documents to the media
Comey admitted to orchestrating leaks from the investigation to the media using a network of friends. Reponse was swift on social media:
3) The obstruction of justice case against Trump just went up in smoke
Senator James Risch (R-ID) questioned Comey early in the hearing about the possibility of obstruction of justice regarding the investigation of General Michael Flynn. Risch repeatedly questioned Comey about the exact wording used by President Trump to him in private, which Comey recorded in his much-discussed memo.
4) Comey says the New York Times published fake news
James Comey had a few things to say about the reporting of the New York Times which reported on collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.
5) Loretta Lynch meddled in the Clinton investigation
Comey discussed the involvement of President Obama’s Attorney General, Loretta Lynch, in the investigation of Hillary Clinton. He stated that Lynch made an odd request for how the FBI investigation should be described.
6) James Comey sounds like every disgruntled former employee ever
Comey had quite a bit to say about his firing, which leaves him looking like a disgruntled former employee.
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When questioned by Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), Comey answered that President Donald Trump was not under investigation by the FBI. It was also revealed that congressional leaders had previously been briefed on this fact.
2) James Comey leaked documents to the media
Comey admitted to orchestrating leaks from the investigation to the media using a network of friends. Reponse was swift on social media:
3) The obstruction of justice case against Trump just went up in smoke
Senator James Risch (R-ID) questioned Comey early in the hearing about the possibility of obstruction of justice regarding the investigation of General Michael Flynn. Risch repeatedly questioned Comey about the exact wording used by President Trump to him in private, which Comey recorded in his much-discussed memo.
4) Comey says the New York Times published fake news
James Comey had a few things to say about the reporting of the New York Times which reported on collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.
5) Loretta Lynch meddled in the Clinton investigation
Comey discussed the involvement of President Obama’s Attorney General, Loretta Lynch, in the investigation of Hillary Clinton. He stated that Lynch made an odd request for how the FBI investigation should be described.
6) James Comey sounds like every disgruntled former employee ever
Comey had quite a bit to say about his firing, which leaves him looking like a disgruntled former employee.
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June 8, 2017
Top Intel Community Officials Deny That Trump Pressured Them On Russia Probe
The directors of the Office of National Intelligence and the National Security Agency testified on Wednesday that they have not been pressured by President Trump on the ongoing Russia investigation, undercutting recent reports that they were.
Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence, and Adm. Mike Rogers, the director of NSA, largely declined to discuss details about their interactions with Trump when pressed on the matter during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing.
According to news reports published last month, Trump asked both Coats and Rogers to rebut stories that Trump was under investigation as part of the Russia probe.
Both Coats and Rogers reportedly felt uncomfortable with the requests from Trump.
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Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence, and Adm. Mike Rogers, the director of NSA, largely declined to discuss details about their interactions with Trump when pressed on the matter during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing.
According to news reports published last month, Trump asked both Coats and Rogers to rebut stories that Trump was under investigation as part of the Russia probe.
Both Coats and Rogers reportedly felt uncomfortable with the requests from Trump.
Read the entire article
June 7, 2017
Senate Passes Landmark VA Accountability Legislation To Fire Incompetent Employees
The Senate passed the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act on Tuesday, which empowers Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin to fire incompetent employees.
With the passage of the bill by voice vote Tuesday evening, senators hope to give President Donald Trump the legislation to sign into law by the end of June.
The bill reduces the time it takes to fire poorly performing employees and ensures they don’t get paid while they’re in the appeals process. Shulkin would be able to fire senior executives in a 21-day process. Regular employees have an appeal process of no more than 180 days.
The legislation also allows the VA to take back bonuses if an employee is convicted of a job-related felony.
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With the passage of the bill by voice vote Tuesday evening, senators hope to give President Donald Trump the legislation to sign into law by the end of June.
The bill reduces the time it takes to fire poorly performing employees and ensures they don’t get paid while they’re in the appeals process. Shulkin would be able to fire senior executives in a 21-day process. Regular employees have an appeal process of no more than 180 days.
The legislation also allows the VA to take back bonuses if an employee is convicted of a job-related felony.
Read the entire article
June 6, 2017
First Deep State Arrest: Government Contractor Busted Leaking NSA Docs to ‘The Intercept’
Reality Leigh Winner, a 25-year-old contractor with Pluribus International Corporation, was charged in federal court Monday for allegedly leaking a National Security Agency (NSA) report on Russian Election hacking to left-wing news site The Intercept.
In the criminal complaint handed down in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, Winner is charged with “Gathering, transmitting or losing defense information” in relation to an alleged scheme to leak a May NSA report to the media.
According to a the supporting affidavit, Winner printed the report, for which she had no “need to know,” smuggled it from an unnamed U.S. intelligence agency facility in Georgia, and later transmitted it to an unnamed news outlet.
The matter was serious enough that the nation’s number two law enforcement official, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, felt it necessary to weigh in. In the press release announcing Winner’s charging, Rosenstein wrote:
Exceptional law enforcement efforts allowed us quickly to identify and arrest the defendant … Releasing classified material without authorization threatens our nation’s security and undermines public faith in government. People who are trusted with classified information and pledge to protect it must be held accountable when they violate that obligation.
She was caught only when that news outlet asked the intelligence agency to comment on the document last Tuesday. Upon realizing the document was, in fact, classified material, the agency quickly enlisted the FBI for an internal investigation that pointed to Reality Winner as the source of the leaks.
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In the criminal complaint handed down in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, Winner is charged with “Gathering, transmitting or losing defense information” in relation to an alleged scheme to leak a May NSA report to the media.
According to a the supporting affidavit, Winner printed the report, for which she had no “need to know,” smuggled it from an unnamed U.S. intelligence agency facility in Georgia, and later transmitted it to an unnamed news outlet.
The matter was serious enough that the nation’s number two law enforcement official, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, felt it necessary to weigh in. In the press release announcing Winner’s charging, Rosenstein wrote:
Exceptional law enforcement efforts allowed us quickly to identify and arrest the defendant … Releasing classified material without authorization threatens our nation’s security and undermines public faith in government. People who are trusted with classified information and pledge to protect it must be held accountable when they violate that obligation.
She was caught only when that news outlet asked the intelligence agency to comment on the document last Tuesday. Upon realizing the document was, in fact, classified material, the agency quickly enlisted the FBI for an internal investigation that pointed to Reality Winner as the source of the leaks.
Read the entire article
June 5, 2017
State Dept Officials Complain To Media About Trump’s Response To London Terror
Department of State officials are complaining to the media about President Donald Trump’s response to the terror attacks in London on Saturday evening, which have left seven dead.
One State Department official told Buzzfeed News that President Donald Trump’s attack of London Mayor Sadiq Khan over Twitter enraged U.S. officials.
“It’s embarrassing that the White House got into a Twitter fight,” the State Department official claimed.
Another official said Trump’s Twitter comments left him speechless.
Trump tweeted out Sunday morning: “At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is ‘no reason to be alarmed!'”
In response, a spokesman for Khan said the mayor has “more important things to do than respond to Donald Trump’s ill-informed tweet that deliberately takes out of context his remarks.”
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One State Department official told Buzzfeed News that President Donald Trump’s attack of London Mayor Sadiq Khan over Twitter enraged U.S. officials.
“It’s embarrassing that the White House got into a Twitter fight,” the State Department official claimed.
Another official said Trump’s Twitter comments left him speechless.
Trump tweeted out Sunday morning: “At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is ‘no reason to be alarmed!'”
In response, a spokesman for Khan said the mayor has “more important things to do than respond to Donald Trump’s ill-informed tweet that deliberately takes out of context his remarks.”
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June 2, 2017
TRUMP: Paris Accord Is A Plan To ‘Redistribute Wealth Out Of The US’
“This agreement is less about the climate and more about other countries gaining a financial advantage over the United States,” Trump, specifically singling out China and India.
China and India joined the Paris agreement in 2016, but neither have plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. China said it would “peak” emissions by 2030 and India has been promised foreign aid to boost green energy production.
“They can do whatever they want for 13 years. Not us,” Trump said of China.
China and India have plans to drastically increase coal production to fuel their growing economies.
Trump also said the U.S. would no longer send money to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), which was created to fund green energy projects in poor countries. The Paris agreement required developed countries fund the GCF.
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China and India joined the Paris agreement in 2016, but neither have plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. China said it would “peak” emissions by 2030 and India has been promised foreign aid to boost green energy production.
“They can do whatever they want for 13 years. Not us,” Trump said of China.
China and India have plans to drastically increase coal production to fuel their growing economies.
Trump also said the U.S. would no longer send money to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), which was created to fund green energy projects in poor countries. The Paris agreement required developed countries fund the GCF.
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June 1, 2017
House Intelligence Panel Issues Subpoenas, Including on Susan Rice’s Unmasking
The House Intelligence Committee issued seven subpoenas on Wednesday in its ongoing investigation of Russian interference in the presidential elections, including one related to Susan Rice’s role in unmasking Trump campaign officials, according to a report.
The committee issued four subpoenas related to the Russian interference and three related to questions about how and why the names of Trump associates had their identities revealed during surveillance of foreign targets and then distributed within classified reports by the Obama administration during the transition, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Identities of U.S. citizens are supposed to be minimized, or hidden, during the surveillance, unless “unmasked” by senior intelligence or administration officials.
Unnamed officials later would begin leaking to the media private conversations held by or about former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, Carter Page, and recently, Jared Kushner.
Regarding the unmaskings, the subpoenas have gone to the National Security Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Central Intelligence Agency.
Those subpoenas seek information on requests made by Rice, former CIA Director John Brennan, and former United Nations Ambassador Samantha Power.
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The committee issued four subpoenas related to the Russian interference and three related to questions about how and why the names of Trump associates had their identities revealed during surveillance of foreign targets and then distributed within classified reports by the Obama administration during the transition, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Identities of U.S. citizens are supposed to be minimized, or hidden, during the surveillance, unless “unmasked” by senior intelligence or administration officials.
Unnamed officials later would begin leaking to the media private conversations held by or about former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, Carter Page, and recently, Jared Kushner.
Regarding the unmaskings, the subpoenas have gone to the National Security Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Central Intelligence Agency.
Those subpoenas seek information on requests made by Rice, former CIA Director John Brennan, and former United Nations Ambassador Samantha Power.
Read the entire article
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