Indictment shows White House lawyers struggling for control as Trump fought to overturn election
The latest federal indictment against Donald Trump vividly illustrates the extent to which the former president’s final weeks in office were consumed by a struggle over the law, with two determined groups of attorneys fighting it out as the future of American democracy hung in the balance.
Sedition trial win bolsters Justice Dept. in Jan. 6 probe
The seditious conspiracy convictions of Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and another leader in the far-right extremist group show that jurors are willing to hold accountable not just the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, but those who schemed to subvert the 2020 election.
Jan. 6 panel asks former Speaker Gingrich for information
The House panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection is seeking information from former House Speaker Newt Gingrich about his communications with senior advisers to then-President Donald Trump in the days leading up to the 2021 attack on the Capitol.
FBI search at Trump Mar-a-Lago estate one of several probes
The FBI search of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate marked a dramatic and unprecedented escalation of the law enforcement scrutiny of the former president, but the Florida operation was just one part of one investigation related to Trump and his time in office.
The tough words Trump never spoke: Jan. 6 panel's new video
An original script for Donald Trump’s speech the day after the Capitol insurrection included lines ordering the Justice Department to “ensure all lawbreakers are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law’ and stating the rioters “do not represent me."
Jan. 6 panel: More turning up with evidence against Trump
A member of the House Jan. 6 committee says more witnesses are coming forward with new details on the Capitol insurrection following former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson’s devastating testimony last week against former President Donald Trump.
Jan. 6 panel's 1,000 witnesses: From Trump aides to rioters
The House Jan. 6 panel has interviewed more than 1,000 people who were directly or indirectly involved in the U.S. Capitol insurrection as it's probed the violent attack and former President Donald Trump’s unprecedented efforts to overturn his election defeat.
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Trump can't hang on to lawyers after false election claims
Since losing the November election to President Joe Biden, Trump has been hemorrhaging attorneys. Trump's impeachment lawyers started off their defense by misspelling the words “United States” in their brief. Navarro told The Associated Press that he “warned the president that his legal team was going to fail him." Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana said Trump’s team did a “terrible job." AdBut after impeachment, Trump's legal needs will likely accelerate, with the investigations in New York, Georgia and possibly Washington, D.C., where prosecutors will have the power of subpoena.
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'He's on his own': Some Republicans begin to flee from Trump
Trump still has supporters, especially among the many rank-and-file Republican voters and conservative activists beyond Washington. That makes Trump the first outgoing president since Andrew Johnson 152 years ago to skip the swearing-in of his successor. Meanwhile, there is no clear path for the Republican Party without Trump. “We need a Republican Party,” Biden said, noting that he spoke with Republican Sen. Mitt Romney, a leading Trump critic. Doug Deason, a Texas-based donor who served on the Trump campaign's finance committee, said this week's events have done nothing to shake his confidence in the Republican president.
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'He's on his own': Some Republicans begin to flee from Trump
Trump still has supporters, especially among the many rank-and-file Republican voters and conservative activists beyond Washington. That makes Trump the first outgoing president since Andrew Johnson 152 years ago to skip the swearing-in of his successor. Meanwhile, there is no clear path for the Republican Party without Trump. “We need a Republican Party,” Biden said, noting that he spoke with Republican Sen. Mitt Romney, a leading Trump critic. Doug Deason, a Texas-based donor who served on the Trump campaign's finance committee, said this week's events have done nothing to shake his confidence in the Republican president.
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Can Trump be charged with inciting a riot? Legal bar is high
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump's top White House lawyer has repeatedly warned the president that he could be held responsible for inciting Wednesday's riot at the Capitol, but the standard for legal liability is high under court decisions reaching back 50 years. Trump did just that in a video from White House on Thursday. Trump urged the crowd to march on the Capitol, even promising to go with them, though he didn’t in the end. A police officer died from injuries suffered during the siege, and a rioter was shot to death by Capitol Police. The court found that invalid parts of the law that encompassed speech tending to “encourage” or “promote” a riot, as well as speech “urging” others to riot or involving mere advocacy of violence.
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AP sources: Trump floats Sidney Powell as special counsel
(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump floated naming lawyer Sidney Powell, who was booted from his campaign's legal team after pushing unfounded conspiracy theories, as a special counsel investigating allegations of voter fraud as he grasps for straws to stay in power. It is unclear whether Trump intends to try to move forward with the effort to install Powell. Trump’s campaign and his allies have now filed roughly 50 lawsuits alleging widespread voting fraud and almost all have been dismissed or dropped. That includes Giuliani, who during the Friday meeting pushed Trump to seize voting machines in his hunt for evidence of fraud. "She is not a member of the Trump Legal Team.
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Trump asking about special prosecutor for Hunter Biden case
Beyond appointing a special prosecutor to investigate the younger Biden, the sources said Trump is interested in having another special counsel appointed to look into his own baseless claims of election fraud. Trump announced that Barr would be stepping down from his position on Dec. 23, amid lingering tension between the president and the attorney general over the Hunter Biden investigation. Appointing a special counsel could prove to be complicated, requiring consolidating different investigatory angles and bringing in someone new to run the probe and get up to speed. Either way, the probe is complicating Joe Biden’s pick for attorney general, upon whose shoulders this probe would land. Any nominee for attorney general is likely to face a mountain of questions at a confirmation hearing about how they would oversee the probe.
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Trump asking about special prosecutor for Hunter Biden
Beyond appointing a special prosecutor to investigate the younger Biden, the sources said Trump is interested in having another special counsel appointed to look into his own baseless claims of election fraud. Trump announced that Barr would be stepping down from his position on Dec. 23, amid lingering tension between the president and the attorney general over the Hunter Biden investigation. Trump was angry for days after learning that Barr knew of the Hunter Biden tax investigation before the election but did not disclose it. Appointing a special counsel for the Hunter Biden probe would also signal a more prolonged and complicated investigation than the current inquiry, so far largely centered on his taxes. Either way, the probe is complicating Joe Biden’s pick for attorney general, upon whose shoulders this probe would land.
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Trump vents about election as agencies aid Biden transition
By Tuesday afternoon, the Biden transition had been in contact with all federal agencies about transition planning, according to a transition official. It also came as an increasing number of Republicans were publicly acknowledging Biden’s victory, after weeks of tolerating Trump’s baseless claims of fraud. At the same time, he warned staffers who are not specifically authorized to interact with the Biden team against contact with the incoming administration. “We are immediately getting them all of the pre-prepared transition briefing materials,” Azar said. “HUD career officials have begun the process of scheduling briefings with the Biden transition team in response to their requests," said a spokesperson for the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
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Biden transition OK'd to start as Trump runs out of options
But Trump did tweet that he was directing his team to cooperate on the transition. The Republican president had grown increasingly frustrated with the flailing tactics of his legal team. President-elect Biden won the State of Michigan by more than 154,000 votes, and he will be our next president on January 20th,” Michigan Gov. Trump was increasingly frustrated by his legal team, led by former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, whose erratic public performances drew bipartisan mockery in recent weeks. Still, the legal challenges were expected to continue, as Trump seeks to keep his supporters on his side and keep his options open for opportunities post-presidency.
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Despite Trump attacks, both parties vow orderly election
Amid the uproar, Trump said anew he's not sure the election will be “honest." But his increased questioning before any result is setting off alarms ahead of an Election Day like no other. But it doesn’t surprise me.”On Capitol Hill, Trump's possible refusal to accept the election results has been discussed privately for weeks as lawmakers consider options. Before the 2016 election, much as now, Trump refused to commit to accepting the results during the summer. “I have to see,” Trump said two months ago on “Fox News Sunday.” “No, I’m not going to just say yes.
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Grassley vows to block Trump nominees over watchdog firings
(Greg Nash/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON WASHINGTON (AP) Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley says he is blocking two Trump administration nominees until the White House provides adequate reasons for the termination of two inspectors general. Grassley has been seeking answers on President Donald Trump's recent firings of several inspectors general, including Michael Atkinson, inspector general for the intelligence community, and State Department Inspector General Steve Linick. Atkinson, who was fired as intelligence community inspector general in April, advanced a whistleblower complaint that resulted in the presidents impeachment. A 2008 law requires the president to provide Congress with a written explanation at least 30 days prior to removing an inspector general. The law is intended to prevent politically motivated terminations, although there is little Congress can do to block an IGs firing.
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Democrats to interview ousted State Department watchdog
WASHINGTON Members of three House and Senate committees will interview former State Department Inspector General Steve Linick on Wednesday as part of an investigation by House Democrats into his abrupt firing by President Donald Trump. Democrats announced Friday that they are expanding their probe into Linick's firing earlier this month with a series of interviews. The Democrats plan to interview multiple officials in the administration who may have more information about Linicks dismissal on May 15, including whether Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recommended the firing for retaliatory reasons. Linick is one of several inspectors general whom Trump has removed from office, sparking outrage among Democrats who say the administration is undermining government accountability. Democrats were probing Trumps pressure on Ukraine to investigate Democrats.
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Democrats expand probe into firing of State Dept. watchdog
FILE - In this Oct. 2, 2019, file photo State Department Inspector General Steve Linick leaves a meeting in a secure area at the Capitol in Washington. A senior department official said President Donald Trump removed Linick from his job as State Departments inspector general on Friday, May 15, 2020, but gave no reason for his ouster. Linick is one of several inspectors general whom Trump has removed from office, sparking outrage among Democrats who say the administration is undermining government accountability. Linick is the second inspector general to be fired who was involved with the impeachment process. In addition, Trump demoted acting Defense Department Inspector General Glenn Fine, effectively removing him as head of a special board to oversee auditing of the coronavirus economic relief package.