CLG News

Justice Department preparing for Mueller report as early as next week | 20 Feb 2019 | Attorney General Bill Barr is preparing to announce as early as next week the completion of Robert Mueller's 'Russia' investigation, with plans for Barr to submit to Congress soon after a summary of Mueller's confidential report, according to people familiar with the plans. The preparations are the clearest indication yet that Mueller is nearly done with his almost two-year investigation. The precise timing of the announcement is subject to change.

Covington Catholic teen sues Jeff Bezos-owned Washington Post for $250 million saying the paper rushed to smear him as 'racist to advance its anti-Trump bias' | 19 Feb 2019 | The teen from Covington, Kentucky has sued the Washington Post for defamation, claiming the newspaper falsely accused him of racist acts and instigating a confrontation with a Native American activist in a January videotaped incident at the Lincoln Memorial. The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Kentucky by Covington Catholic High School student Nicholas Sandmann, 16, seeks $250 million in damages, the amount that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos paid for the Post in 2013. The lawsuit claims that the newspaper 'wrongfully targeted and bullied' the teen to advance its bias against President Donald Trump because Sandmann is a white Catholic who wore a Make America Great Again souvenir cap on a school field trip to the March for Life pro-life rally in Washington, DC on January 18.

Trump nominates Jeffrey Rosen to replace Rosenstein at DOJ | 19 Feb 2019 | President Trump on Tuesday announced his intention to nominate Jeffrey Rosen, the current deputy Transportation secretary, to be the next deputy attorney general. If confirmed, Rosen would replace Rod Rosenstein, who oversees the special counsel investigation into Russian election meddling. Rosenstein plans to leave the Department of Justice next month, according to the Washington Post. Bloomberg News reported Tuesday that Attorney General William Barr, who was confirmed last week, chose Rosen as his deputy.

Federal government shares terror watchlist with over 1400 private groups - report --Government has previously denied disseminating list to private groups --Police at private universities, security staff at hospitals, and private correctional facilities are examples of groups who have access | 19 Feb 2019 | The federal government shares its terrorist watchlist with more than 1,400 private groups, according to court papers reported on by the Associated Press. The AP reported Tuesday that Timothy Groh, the deputy director of the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center (TSC), said in a written statement to a federal court that 1,441 private entities can access the watchlist, which is compiled by the TSC. Groh's statement came as part of a class-action lawsuit in federal court in Alexandria, brought by Muslims who say they have been wrongly included on the list. Groh reportedly pointed to police at private universities, security staff at hospitals and private correctional facilities as examples of groups who have access.

Bernie Sanders Launches 2020 Presidential Campaign, No Longer an Underdog | 19 Feb 2019 | Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont is giving it another go, launching a second campaign for the White House four years after surprising Democrats with a strong bid for the party's 2016 nomination. "We began the political revolution in the 2016 campaign, and now it's time to move that revolution forward," the independent senator told Vermont Public Radio in an interview airing Tuesday morning. But this 2020 bid will undoubtedly be a very different presidential campaign than his quest for the Democratic nomination as an underdog in 2016. Sanders enters the race as a top contender who, along with former Vice President Joe Biden, tops most early polls, far outpacing other Democratic candidates in support and name identification.

New York, California, 14 other states sue Trump in Ninth Circuit over emergency declaration | 18 Feb 2019 | The attorneys general of California, New York, and 14 other states on Monday filed a lawsuit in the Ninth Circuit against the White House's recent national emergency declaration over border security, claiming President Trump has "veered the country toward a constitutional crisis of his own making." President Trump sarcastically had predicted the lawsuit last week. He's slammed the Ninth Circuit multiple times as "disgraceful" and politically biased. The litigation, brought before a federal trial court in the Northern District of California, seeks an injunction to prevent Trump from shifting billions of dollars from military construction to the border without explicit congressional approval.

Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein expected to leave Justice Department in mid-March | 28 Feb 2019 | Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is expected to leave the Justice Department in mid-March, according to a Justice Department official who spoke to CNN Monday. The official disputed the idea that the timing of Rosenstein's departure has anything to do with the latest revelations from former acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, emphasizing that the plan was always that Rosenstein would help with the transition for his successor and then leave. CNN has previously reported that Rosenstein was planning to leave his post after Barr was confirmed.

'Shoot the president': School cancels assassination party game for kids after public outcry | 18 Feb 2019 | A school running a community arts center in Ohio was forced to stop advertising a party game where kids are instructed to 'eliminate' the president with toy guns, after it sparked national outrage. The game entitled 'President' had been advertised as a part of NERF gun-themed party organized by the Olmsted Performing Arts community center in Berea, a suburb of Cleveland. "There is one president with body guards. Everyone else tries to eliminate or shoot the president," read the description of the game on the center's website, since deleted.

'Long live Putin!' Haiti opposition protesters burn US flag, demand Russian intervention | 17 Feb 2019 | As the poorest Caribbean state descends into chaos caused by the corruption of its elites, protesters on the streets are calling for help from a man who has never set foot in the country - Vladimir Putin. "Down with Americans, long live Putin!" chanted around 200 demonstrators in the capital Port-au-Prince on Friday, some holding up printouts with the face of the Russian president. Protesters burned the American flag as criticism of the links between Washington and the unpopular government of President Jovenel Moise. They called Moise, elected in 2016, a US-installed puppet, who is surviving due to US reluctance to exert international pressure.

Amazon will pay $0 in taxes on $11,200,000,000 in profit for 2018 | 16 Feb 2019 | While some people have received some surprise tax bills when filing their returns, corporations continue to avoid paying tax -- thanks to a cocktail of tax credits, loopholes, and exemptions. According to a report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), Amazon will pay nothing in federal income taxes for the second year in a row. Thanks to the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), Amazon's federal tax responsibility is 21% (down from 35% in previous years). But with the help of tax breaks, according to corporate filings, Amazon won’t be paying a dime to Uncle Sam despite posting more than $11.2 billion in profits in 2018.

Former top FBI lawyer: 2 Trump cabinet officials were 'ready to support' 25th Amendment effort | 17 Feb 21019 | Former top FBI lawyer James Baker, in closed-door testimony to Congress, detailed alleged discussions among senior officials at the Justice Department about invoking the 25th Amendment to remove President Trump from office, claiming he was told Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said two Trump Cabinet officials were "ready to support" such an effort. The testimony was delivered last fall to the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees. Fox News has confirmed portions of the transcript. It provides additional insight into discussions that have returned to the spotlight in Washington as fired FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe revisits the matter during interviews promoting his forthcoming book.

Chicago Police Believe Jussie Smollett Paid Men to Stage Attack - Report | 16 Feb 2019 | Chicago police believe actor Jussie Smollett paid two Nigerian brothers to stage an assault on him last month, according to a Saturday report from CNN. Citing two sources close to the investigation, CNN reported that the brothers are "now cooperating fully with law enforcement." The men were released Friday after being arrested on Wednesday in connection with the case. The "Empire" actor told police that two men used racial and homophobic slurs and yelled, "this is MAGA country!" as they attacked him January 29. One of the men allegedly put a rope around his neck and poured a bleach-like chemical on the actor.

Mueller recommends Manafort serve at least 19 years in prison | 15 Feb 2019 | Prosecutors working in special counsel Robert Mueller's office are recommending a federal judge in Virginia sentence President Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort to at least 19 years in prison. Manafort was convicted on eight counts of bank and tax fraud in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia last summer. Prosecutors have recommended that Manafort, 69, serve a sentence of 19.5 to more than 24 years in prison for the crimes. Mueller's office is also recommending a fine range of $50,000 to $24.4 million, a term of supervised release of up to five years, restitution in the amount of $24.8 million and forfeiture in the amount of $4.4 million.

BBC producer says hospital scenes after 2018 Douma 'chemical attack' were staged | 15 Feb 2019 | A BBC producer believes that scenes from a hospital in Syria's Douma, which ignited a media frenzy in 2018 after showing children allegedly suffering from chemicals, were staged...Mainstream media quickly picked up the horrific (but unverified) videos from a Douma hospital, where victims were treated after this "poison attack." That hospital scene was enough to assemble a UN emergency session and prompt the US-led 'coalition of the willing' to rain down dozens of missiles on Damascus and other locations. But Riam Dalati, a reputable BBC producer who has long reported from the Middle East, took the liberty of trying to sift through the fog of the Syrian war. He believes Assad forces did attack the town, but that the much-publicized hospital scenes were staged. Dalati tweeted Wednesday: "After almost 6 months of investigations, I can prove without a doubt that the Douma Hospital scene was staged. No fatalities occurred in the hospital."

Judge issues gag order on Roger Stone, attorneys in Mueller case | 15 Feb 2019 | A federal judge issued a gag order Friday in special counsel Robert Mueller's case against longtime Trump associate Roger Stone. In a four-page order, U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson forbade attorneys for both Mueller and Stone from "making statements to the media or in public settings that pose a substantial likelihood of material prejudice to this case." Berman also said Stone is not allowed to speak about the case in or around the courthouse. She has not imposed additional restrictions on Stone but left the option open in the future.

Trump Declares National Emergency to Build Border Wall | 15 Feb 2019 | President Trump declared a national emergency at the border on Friday to access billions of dollars to build a border wall that Congress refused to give him...In a televised announcement in the Rose Garden, Mr. Trump said he would sign the declaration to protect the country from the flow of drugs, criminals and illegal immigrants coming across the border from Mexico, which he characterized as a profound threat to national security. "We're going to confront the national security crisis on our southern border and we're going to do it one way or the other," he said. "It's an invasion," he added. "We have an invasion of drugs and criminals coming into our country."

Breaking: Active Shooter at Henry Pratt Building in Aurora - Police --SWAT teams, ATF, FBI, 'dozens of police officers' are on the scene of an active shooting in Aurora --Line of emergency workers 'can be seen' --Four police officers have been shot (Media reports, wires) | 15 Feb 2019 | (Aurora, IL) Officers are responding to reports of an active shooter at the Henry Pratt building in Aurora, police confirmed by phone Friday afternoon. Police and SWAT teams were swarming the scene as of 2 p.m. Local schools are on soft lockdown, including West Aurora School District schools and Holy Angels Catholic School. Officials said, "No one will be allowed to leave or enter our buildings until the lockdown has been lifted." ABC is currently on the scene with a live chopper feed. ABC reported that shots could be heard from those on the ground.

Monsanto's Roundup raises cancer risk 41%, EPA-linked scientists find | 15 Feb 2019 | Monsanto's Roundup raises the risk of certain cancers in heavily-exposed individuals by an eye-popping 41 percent, according to a study by former EPA advisors that may influence a coming wave of legal actions against the company. Exposure to glyphosate-based herbicides like Roundup dramatically increases a person's risk of developing non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a new review of studies found, adding to the mounting pile of evidence against Monsanto's popular weed killer, now owned by Bayer. The meta-analysis, published in Mutation Research, analyzed the results of six earlier studies to find individuals with heavy exposure to the herbicide had a 41 percent higher risk of developing non-Hodgkins lymphoma than those not exposed.

William Barr confirmed by Senate for attorney general | 14 Feb 2019 | William Barr was confirmed Thursday by the Senate to serve as President Trump's next attorney general, sending him to lead a Justice Department whose past officials have come under sharp criticism from the president over the ongoing Russia investigation Barr will now oversee. Several Democrats joined nearly all the Republicans in confirming Barr, 68, a longtime lawyer who served as attorney general from 1991 to 1993 under the late President George H.W. Bush. He was confirmed 54-45.

FBI scrambled to respond to Hillary Clinton lawyer amid Weiner laptop review, newly released emails show | 13 Feb 2019 | Newly released internal FBI emails showed the agency's highest-ranking officials scrambling to answer to Hillary Clinton's lawyer in the days prior to the 2016 presidential election, on the same day then-FBI Director James Comey sent a bombshell letter to Congress announcing a new review of hundreds of thousands of potentially classified emails found on former Rep. Anthony Weiner's laptop. The trove of documents turned over by the FBI, in response to a lawsuit by the transparency group Judicial Watch, also included discussions by former FBI lawyer Lisa Page concerning a potential quid pro quo between the State Department and the FBI -- in which the FBI would agree to effectively hide the fact that a Clinton email was classified in exchange for more legal attache positions that would benefit the FBI abroad, and allow them to send more agents to countries where the FBI's access is ordinarily restricted.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Caught in Major Lie: Claims 'Green New Deal' Document FROM HER OWN WEBSITE is a Fake | 09 Feb 2019 | Last night Tucker Carlson invited Cornell University professor, green activist and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D - N.Y.) adviser Robert Hockett on his show to debate the Green New Deal proposed by Democrats on Thursday. Robert Hockett immediately told Tucker Carlson the document source he was reading from was doctored and not from Ocasio-Cortez's website...But it was a lie. And Ocasio-Cortez knew it was a lie. The actual document DID come straight off the AOC website. The document was created by Saikat Chakrabarti, her chief of staff! The metadata proves it.

1,159-page bipartisan border compromise completed, Dems worry Trump could blow up deal | 14 Feb 2019 | Congressional bargainers late Wednesday completed a 1,159-page border security compromise that gives President Trump less than a quarter of the $5.7 billion he wanted to build a wall with Mexico. Democrats say they are confident about having the votes to pass the bill -- but not everyone is at ease. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said there is still "worry" that Trump could try to blow up the deal at the last minute because "we have seen that before." With Trump's halfhearted signature widely expected but hardly guaranteed, congressional leaders planned votes Thursday on the sweeping package.

Judge rules Manafort intentionally lied multiple times to FBI, Mueller | 13 Feb 2019 | A federal judge ruled on Wednesday that Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort intentionally lied to the FBI and special counsel Robert Mueller multiple times in the course of his cooperation with the government. Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled Wednesday evening that Manafort intentionally misled investigators on a range of subjects, including his contacts with a Russian business associate, Konstantin Kilimnik, and a separate Justice Department investigation being run out of another district.

Revealed: Justice Department officials held meetings about recruiting Mike Pence to help force Trump out of office using the 25th Amendment, says James Comey's fired deputy --Andrew McCabe, the former deputy director of the FBI, recounted a Justice Department plot to remove Donald Trump from office in a television interview --Pelley says McCabe told him about a plot to approach Mike Pence, the Vice President of the United States, and ask him to invoke the 25th Amendment | 14 Feb 2019 | Andrew McCabe, the former deputy director of the FBI, recounted a Justice Department plot to remove Donald Trump from office in a television interview that will air Sunday. Previewing the next episode of '60 Minutes,' Scott Pelley, a correspondent for CBS, said Thursday that McCabe told him about a plan to approach Mike Pence, the Vice President of the United States, and ask him to invoke the 25th Amendment. 'There were meetings at the Justice Department in which it was discussed whether the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet could be brought together to remove the president of the United States under the 25th Amendment,' Pelley reported on CBS 'This Morning' on Thursday....McCabe is the first person to confirm that the 25th Amendment came up in the meetings. The ex-law enforcement official was later fired himself over conversations with the media that an inspector general deemed inappropriate.

McCabe Says Justice Officials Discussed Recruiting Cabinet Members to Push Trump Out of Office | 14 Feb 2019 | Andrew G. McCabe, the former deputy F.B.I. director, said in an interview aired on Thursday that top Justice Department officials were so alarmed by President Trump's decision in May 2017 to fire James B. Comey, the bureau's director, that they discussed whether to recruit cabinet members to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Mr. Trump from office...As a clip from an interview with Scott Pelley ["60 Minutes"] was released, Mr. Pelley said on "CBS This Morning" that Mr. McCabe had confirmed a New York Times article that the deputy attorney general, Rod J. Rosenstein, had suggested wearing a wire in meetings with Mr. Trump and that Justice Department officials discussed recruiting cabinet members to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Mr. Trump from office. "There were meetings at the Justice Department at which it was discussed whether the vice president and a majority of the cabinet could be brought together to remove the president of the United States under the 25th Amendment," Mr. Pelley said.

Coup d'etat: Ex-FBI deputy director confirms 25th Amendment plot, discussion with DOJ officials to oust President Trump | 14 Feb 2019 | Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, speaking out in a new book and TV interview, detailed the central role he played in the bureau's Russia probe and the eventual appointment of a special counsel -- while reportedly describing Justice Department meetings where officials discussed ousting President Trump. McCabe, who was fired from the bureau in March 2018 by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions after it was determined he lied to investigators about a leak, spoke to "60 Minutes" ahead of the release of his new book, "The Threat." CBS News' Scott Pelley revealed parts of the interview Thursday morning.

Trillion-dollar-valued Amazon paid $0 in income taxes for 2018, claimed multi-million refund | 13 Feb 2019 | Trillion-dollar-company Amazon skated through 2018's tax filings without paying a cent for the second year in a row. The e-commerce behemoth, which made $11 billion last year, will pay no taxes at all, thanks to 2017's tax reform. Rather than pay the standard 21 percent corporate income tax rate, Amazon is actually claiming a tax rebate of $129 million, which works out to a logic-defying rate of -1 percent. Aside from the nebulous "tax credits," which the company does not have to spell out in its public filings, Amazon is also claiming a tax break for executive stock options, according to the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy -- a longstanding loophole that permits profitable corporations to dodge federal and state income taxes on almost half their profits.

As US piles on sanctions, foreign investors pour more money into Russia | 13 Feb 2019 | Russian companies' stocks attracted the most foreign investment in 5 years, adding nearly $576 million in January, the Central Bank of Russia reported. Investors also actively poured money into Russian bonds despite US sanctions. The ruble-based Moscow stock exchange (MOEX) index has reached a new all-time high, surging 6.4 percent since the beginning of the year, the regulator said in its report on liquidity of the banking sector and the financial markets issued on Tuesday. The index hit several records in January, finishing the month at 2536.28 points, and later reached a new all-time high of 2551.97 points on February 6.

US Air Force officer Monica Witt defects to Iran with information 'seriously damaging' to national security, officials reveal --The former Air Force intelligence specialist remains at-large --Four alleged Iranian hackers are also charged | 13 Feb 2019 | A US Air Force officer has defected to Iran and shared information that could cause "serious damage" to America's national security, officials have revealed. The former Air Force intelligence specialist was charged with espionage and was accused of working for Iran, according to an unsealed federal indictment. The announcement arrived after Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Demers and other senior officials held a call with reporters to discuss what they called "a national security related action involving Iran". The officials discussed the unsealed indictment against Monica Witt, a former counterintelligence officer for the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.

Democrats roll out Medicare buy-in proposal | 13 Feb 2019 | Democrats rolled out a proposal Wednesday to allow some older Americans to buy Medicare coverage. The introduction comes amid an inter-party debate about the best path toward universal health care, with the left side of the caucus arguing for single-payer and Medicare for all. But supporters of the buy-in say it's a proposal with broader political support and is the obvious next step toward improving the Affordable Care Act. The bill would let people between the ages of 50 and 64 buy in to the Medicare program. Under currently law, only those 65 and older, with some exceptions, are eligible for Medicare.