The Commentariat -- August 18, 2018

Afternoon Update:

Bad news for Old MacDonald.Heigh-ho the Derry-o, McGahn Spills the Beans. Michael Schmidt & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "The White House counsel, Donald F. McGahn II, has cooperated extensively in the special counsel investigation, sharing detailed accounts about the episodes at the heart of the inquiry into whether President Trump obstructed justice, including some that investigators would not have learned of otherwise, according to a dozen current and former White House officials and others briefed on the matter. In at least three voluntary interviews with investigators that totaled 30 hours over the past nine months, Mr. McGahn described the president's furor toward the Russia investigation and the ways in which he urged Mr. McGahn to respond to it. He provided the investigators examining whether Mr. Trump obstructed justice a clear view of the president's most intimate moments with his lawyer.... Mr. McGahn laid out how Mr. Trump tried to ensure control of the investigation.... It is not clear that Mr. Trump appreciates the extent to which Mr. McGahn has cooperated with the special counsel. The president wrongly believed that Mr. McGahn would act as a personal lawyer...."

Jeremy Schulman of Mother Jones: "On Saturday, Trump tweeted that [John] Brennan would 'go down as easily the WORST [CIA director] in history & since getting out, he has become nothing less than a loudmouth, partisan, political hack.' Trump -- who last year revealed what the Washington Post described as 'highly classified information' to Russian officials during an Oval Office meeting -- added that Brennan 'cannot be trusted with the secrets to our country!'"

Space Farce! David Cloud & Noah Bierman of the Los Angeles Times: "When President Trump spoke to Marines at the Miramar Air Station in San Diego on March 13, he threw out an idea that he suggested had just come to him. 'You know, I was saying it the other day, because we're doing a tremendou amount of work in space -- I said maybe we need a new force. We'll call it the "space force,"' he told the crowd. 'And I was not really serious. And then I said what a great idea -- maybe we'll have to do that.'... The concept had been pushed unsuccessfully since 2016 by a small group of current and former government officials, some with deep financial ties to the aerospace industry, who see creation of the sixth military service as a surefire way to hike Pentagon spending on satellite and other space systems.... When Trump abruptly embraced the idea at Miramar -- and began promoting it to wild applause at other rallies -- a moribund notion opposed by much of the Pentagon hierarchy and senior members of the Senate became a real possibility.... The story of how that happened is a window into the chaotic way Trump sometimes makes key decisions, often by bypassing traditional bureaucracy to tout ideas that work well as applause lines but aren't fully thought-out."

Betsy Woodruff & Pervaiz Shallwani of the Daily Beast: "Maria Butina, the Russian national accused of acting as a Kremlin agent in the United States, was abruptly moved from a jail in Washington to a lockup in Alexandria, Virginia, according to her lawyer.... The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has accused American officials of mistreating Butina in jail." Mrs. McC: Oh, good. Maybe she can fraternize with Paul Manafort during rec time.

AND Georgia Cops Taze 87-Year-Old Woman Collecting Dandelions. Amy Wang of the Washington Post: "When Martha Al-Bishara went on a walk near her home in northern Georgia last week, she was on a quest for dandelions. The stroll would end in her getting stunned by a Taser and arrested by police officers. The 87-year-old woman often ventured outside -- with a kitchen knife and a plastic bag in hand -- to cut and collect the plants for cooking, her family said. She was doing just that last Friday afternoon when she crossed the street from her home in Chatsworth, Ga., and arrived at a partially fenced lot belonging to a branch of the Boys and Girls Club. There, she began gathering the plants she needed." Al-Bishara doesn't speak English & family members say she suffers from dementia. She made no threatening motions but did not put her steak knife down when officers ordered her to do so. So naturally, the three officers were skeert & one of them Tazed her. Then they carted her off to jail. Mrs. McC: Did I mention Al-Bishara is (probably) Muslim?

*****

Lisa Friedman of the New York Times: "The Trump administration next week plans to formally propose a vast overhaul of climate change regulations that would allow individual states to decide how, or even whether, to curb carbon dioxide emissions from coal plants, according to a summary of the plan and details provided by three people who have seen the full proposal. The plan would also relax pollution rules for power plants that need upgrades. That, combined with allowing states to set their own rules, creates a serious risk that emissions, which had been falling, could start to rise again, according to environmentalists.... President Trump is expected to highlight ... the proposal ... Tuesday at a rally in West Virginia.... It would considerably weaken what is known as the Clean Power Plan former President Barack Obama's signature regulation for cutting planet-warming emissions at coal-fired plants." Mrs. McC: If Trump were the most dignified, considerate & moderate of people in every respect except in his environmental policy, he would still be the worst president* ever.

Karen De Young & Josh Dawsey of the Washington Post: "The White House has drafted documents revoking the security clearances of current and former officials whom President Trump has demanded be punished for criticizing him or playing a role in the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election, according to senior administration officials. Trump wants to sign 'most, if not all' of them, said one senior White House official, who indicated that communications aides, including press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Bill Shine, the newly named deputy chief of staff, have discussed the optimum times to release them as a distraction during unfavorable news cycles. Some presidential aides echoed concerns raised by outside critics that the threatened revocations smack of a Nixonian enemies list, with little or no substantive national security justification. Particular worry has been expressed inside the White House about Trump's statement Friday that he intends 'very quickly' to strip the clearance of current Justice Department official Bruce Ohr, according to officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity.... In his Friday comments, Trump said he had gotten a 'tremendous response' for his action against [former CIA Director John] Brennan. 'If anything, I'm giving him a bigger voice,' he said. 'Many people don't even know who he is ... I've never respected him.'" ...

... Michael Shear of the New York Times: "President Trump on Friday attacked Bruce Ohr, a little-known Justice Department official, calling him 'a disgrace' and threatening to revoke his security clearance 'very soon.' Mr. Ohr, a career official who has worked on antidrug and anti-gang initiatives at the department, has been targeted by conservative conspiracy theorists who say he helped start the investigation into Russian election interference. Mr. Ohr's wife was at one time a contractor for Fusion GPS, which participated in compiling a dossier about Mr. Trump during the 2016 campaign. Mr. Trump has embraced the conspiracy theory, casting Mr. Ohr and his wife, Nellie, as central players in what he calls the 'rigged witch hunt' and accusing the couple of having what he claims are indirect contacts with Russians -- apparently a reference to Christopher Steele, the British spy who compiled the dossier with the help of Russian sources." (Also linked yesterday.) ...

... ** "Trump Is Turning the Department of Justice into His Own Private Goon Squad." Jonathan Chait: "The slowly unfolding purge, one of the most vivid expressions of Trump's governing ethos, has served several purposes for the president. First, it has removed from direct authority a number of figures Trump suspects would fail to provide him the personal loyalty he demanded from Comey and expects from all officials in the federal government. Second, it supplies evidence for Trump's claim that he is being hounded by trumped-up charges -- just look at all the crooked officials who have been fired! Third, it intimidates remaining officials with the threat of firing and public humiliation if they take any actions contrary to Trump's interests. Simply carrying out the law now requires a measure of personal bravery." ...

... Axios: "Dr. Robert Gates has added his name to a stunning list of former intelligence officials who signed a letter criticizing President Trump's decision to revoke former CIA director John Brennan's security clearance..... Gates has served eight presidents, including stints as CIA director, and later as Defense Secretary for Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama." (Also linked yesterday.) ...

     ... Update: Sixty former intelligence officials have signed onto the letter, according to MSNBC. No link. (DeYoung & Dawsey cover this is their WashPo report, linked above.) ...

... Michael Shear & Julian Barnes of the New York Times: "For more than a year, law enforcement officials have repeatedly rebuffed President Trump's efforts to use the power of his office to derail the Russia investigation. Stymied, Mr. Trump is lashing out in other ways against an investigation that he clearly hates or fears. The president said Thursday that he revoked the security clearance of John O. Brennan ... because Mr. Brennan had been part of what Mr. Trump has called the 'sham' Russia investigation. That move, and the threats of more revocations, were the latest signs that the president seems determined to punish anyone connected to the Russia inquiry." (Also linked yesterday.) ...

... Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: "Presidents generally have broad authority to grant and revoke security clearances at their will (kind of like pardon powers).... Elie Honig, a former federal prosecutor for the Southern District of New York..., suggested Trump's revocation of security clearances could be construed as retaliation against witnesses. 'It's a federal crime -- §1513 if anyone wants to look it up -- to retaliate against someone for providing truthful information to law enforcement,' he said. 'So he's getting closer and closer to really dangerous ground here.'"

Linda Qiu of the New York Times writes a fact-check overview of Trump's remarks about the special investigation of Russian hacking & related matters. Almost all of Trump's statements were false, misleading or "required context." Plus, he repeated many of these false assertions again & again. He made a few true or "true but" remarks.

Darren Samuelsohn & Josh Gerstein of Politico: "Paul Manafort's trial will stretch into a fourth week, as jurors headed home Friday without reaching a verdict for the second straight day and the judge overseeing the case alluded to 'threats' the jury may be receiving. 'I had no idea this case would incite this emotion,' U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis III said in an open court hearing, responding to a motion from seven news organizations, including Politico, seeking access to sealed materials related to the trial that would have publicly identified the jurors. Ellis denied the motion, telling the courtroom that jurors were 'scared' and 'afraid.' As a result, Ellis said, he didn't 'feel right' releasing the names of the 12-person jury." ...

... Time for Some Jury Tampering. Matt Zapotosky, et al., of the Washington Post: "President Trump weighed in with a public defense of Paul Manafort on Friday, as a jury concluded its second day of deliberations to decide if the president's former campaign chairman is guilty of tax and bank fraud. Jurors signaled Friday afternoon that they were unlikely to reach a verdict before the day ended and asked if they could leave the courthouse at 5 p.m. U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis III agreed, and the panel is scheduled to resume deliberations Monday morning. At the White House, Trump declined to answer a question about a possible pardon for Manafort, but spoke out against special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, whose office brought the charges against the 69-year-old Manafort. 'I think the whole Manafort trial is very sad. When you look at what's going on, I think it's a very sad day for our country,' Trump said, adding that Manafort 'happens to be a very good person, I think it's very sad what they've done to Paul Manafort.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ...

... Darren Samuelsohn & Josh Gerstein: "Jurors began their second day of deliberations in Paul Manafort’s trial Friday morning as the presiding federal judge outlined his ground rules for how the media should cover the verdict without disrupting the courtroom.... After the jurors exited for a nearby conference room, [Judge T.S.] Ellis acknowledged the trial 'might end soon' and turned to several media-related matters, including the decorum for reporters who plan to be in the Alexandria, Virginia, courthouse when the verdict gets read." (Also linked yesterday.) ...

... Nancy Gertner, in a Washington Post op-ed: "The performance of U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis III in the trial of Paul Manafort on bank fraud and tax evasion charges has been decidedly unusual. During the trial, Ellis intervened regularly, and mainly against one side: the prosecution. The judge's interruptions occurred in the presence of the jury and on matters of substance, not courtroom conduct.... Clearly worried about its outcome, prosecutors went so far as to urge Ellis to tell the jury, in his instructions before they began deliberating, not to let his commentary affect their decision-making. Ellis essentially did just that on Wednesday. It may well have been too little too late." (Also linked yesterday.)

Spencer Hsu & Rosalind Helderman of the Washington Post: "Prosecutors on Friday said a sentence of up to six months in prison would be appropriate for George Papadopoulos, a former adviser to President Trump's 2016 campaign and the first charged defendant to cooperate in special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's investigation of Russian interference in the U.S. election. Papadopoulos pleaded guilty in October to lying to the FBI about Russian contacts during the campaign.... In a court filing Friday in advance of a sentencing hearing set for Sept. 7, Mueller prosecutors declined to recommend a specific sentence for Papadopoulos, but cited a nonbinding federal sentencing guideline based on what both sides agreed was his conduct.... The filing came after an unusual public campaign in conservative media this week by Papadopoulos's wife in which she asked for new attorneys and suggested he tear up his plea deal and face trial." ...

... The "Government's Sentencing Memorandum" is here, via the New York Times. ...

... Mark Mazzetti & Michael Schmidt of the New York Times: "The special counsel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election has told a judge that a former adviser to the Trump campaign [George Papadopoulos] repeatedly lied about his contacts with Russian operatives and 'caused damage' to the government's inquiry.... In particular, the document said that during a January 2017 interview with the F.B.I., Mr. Papadopoulos misled agents about his conversations with Joseph Mifsud, a London-based professor who investigators believe reached out to Mr. Papadopoulos on behalf of the Russian government. 'The defendant's lies undermined investigators' ability to challenge the professor or potentially detain or arrest him while he was still in the United States,' the memo said. 'The government understands that the professor left the United States on Feb. 11, 2017, and he has not returned to the United States since then.'"

Sophie Weiner of Splinter: "A source has told the Wall Street Journal that President Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen initially refused to pay Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about her alleged affair with Trump. According to this account, Cohen changed his mind after the release of the infamous 'Access Hollywood' tape in which Trump is heard describing sexually assaulting women. According to the Journal, Cohen reportedly reached out to one of Daniels' representatives the day after the tape became public. Cohen would go on to pay Daniels $130,000 to sign a nondisclosure agreement forbidding her from speaking publicly about the alleged affair. Daniels' lawyer Michael Avenatti has also said that the conversation changed after the 'Access Hollywood' tape surfaced." (Also linked yesterday.) ...

     ... Oops! Richard Hasen in Slate: "The new revelation about Cohen refusing to pay Daniels in September 2016 is big, circumstantial evidence that could further open up Cohen to facing criminal campaign finance charges. This could also reach all the way to Trump himself.... Cohen's payment to Daniels, if motivated to help the campaign, would be a likely campaign finance violation.... The Journal reports federal prosecutors view the release of the 'Access Hollywood' tape as the 'trigger' for Cohen's payments to Daniels. That's a big deal.... Daniels' former lawyer Keith Davidson had approached Cohen in September 2016 about securing a payment from Trump to buy Daniels' silence. 'Mr. Cohen was dismissive, saying the story was bogus,' according to a source.... Why should Cohen not care a whit about protecting Trump's reputation ... in September 2016, but be anxious to close the deal -- and shut Daniels up -- right as the campaign faced a crisis involving allegations of Trump's treatment of women?... But for the campaign, it seems that Cohen would not hav paid." (Also linked yesterday.)

More Tales from the Kleptocracy. Carol Leonnig, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Justice Department is investigating whether longtime Republican fundraiser Elliott Broidy sought to sell his influence with the Trump administration by offering to deliver U.S. government actions for foreign officials in exchange for tens of millions of dollars, according to three people familiar with the probe.... Prosecutors are scrutinizing a plan that Broidy allegedly developed to try to persuade the Trump government to extradite a Chinese dissident back to his home country, a move sought by Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to two of the people. They also are investigating claims that Broidy sought $75 million from a Malaysian business official if the Justice Department ended its investigation of a development fund run by the Malaysian government. The Malaysian probe has examined the role of the former prime minister in the embezzlement of billions of dollars from the fund."

The Horse He Rode in on. Craig Unger writes a long piece in the New Republic about Donald Trump's decades-long ties to Russian oligarchs -- and Russian intelligence. P.D. Pepe highlighted the story, which I -- Mrs. Bea McCrabbie -- have not had time to read, in yesterday's Comments. (Also linked yesterday.) ...

... Shane Harris of the Washington Post likes the Unger story, too. "As the theory goes, Putin wanted to keep tabs on the billionaires -- some of them former mobsters -- who had made their post-Cold War fortunes on the backs of industries once owned by the state. The oligarchs, as well as other new-moneyed elites, were stashing their money in foreign real estate, including Trump properties, presumably beyond Putin's reach. Trump knowingly or otherwise, may have struck a side deal with the Kremlin, Unger argues: He would secretly rat out his customers to Putin, who would allow them to keep buying Trump properties. Trump got rich. Putin got eyes on where the oligarchs had hidden their wealth. Everybody won.... As Unger tells it, Trump can't be totally unaware of the criminality surrounding him, and even if he were, that ignorance is no defense. Trump allowed himself to become compromised by Russia, years before he seriously entertained running for public office." (Also linked yesterday.)

Luppe Luppen & Hunter Walker of Yahoo! News: "A Manhattan judge issued a ruling on Thursday that thwarted the Trump campaign’s attempts to keep a lawsuit out of open court, with potential implications for the looming battle over fired Trump aide Omarosa Manigault Newman's slow-motion revelations of her experiences in the Trump campaign and White House. The decision came in a lawsuit filed by Jessica Denson, a former campaign staffer who filed a complaint last November that alleged she was subjected to 'harassment and sexual discrimination' while she worked on Trump's White House bid in 2016. Lawyers for the Trump campaign tried to force the case into private arbitration based on an agreement signed by staffers that included nondisclosure and nondisparagement provisions. In her decision, Judge Arlene Bluth of New York State Supreme Court disclosed flaws in the wording of the agreement that she said limited its scope. The ruling exposes potential weaknesses in the non-disparagement and non-disclosure agreements that staff at Trump's White House, his campaign, and the Trump Organization have been made to sign." The Wall Street Journal story, which is subscriber-firewalled, is here. (Also linked yesterday.)

Jonathan O'Connell of the Washington Post: "The Justice Department on Friday asked a federal judge to halt proceedings in a lawsuit involving President Trump's private business, arguing that allowing the case to go forward would 'be a distraction to the President's performance of his constitutional duties.' The lawsuit, filed by Maryland and the District of Columbia, centers on whether Trump is violating the Constitution by continuing to do business with foreign and state governments while serving as president. Earlier this year, U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte ruled that the historic case could proceed, opening the door for the plaintiffs to seek internal records from Trump's hotel in downtown Washington."

Politico: "... Donald Trump on Saturday took to Twitter to allege social media companies are discriminating against prominent conservatives. 'Social Media is totally discriminating against Republican/Conservative voices. Speaking loudly and clearly for the Trump Administration, we won't let that happen. They are closing down the opinions of many people on the RIGHT, while at the same time doing nothing to others......." the president tweeted. '.....Censorship is a very dangerous thing & absolutely impossible to police. If you are weeding out Fake News, there is nothing so Fake as CNN & MSNBC, & yet I do not ask that their sick behavior be removed. I get used to it and watch with a grain of salt, or don't watch at all.'" ...

     ... Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: "I do not ask that their sick behavior be removed." Really, Mr. P*? What about that time you suggested NBC affiliates' broadcast licenses should be revoked? Not exactly "a grain of salt."

Another funny post from Jonathan Chait highlights Trump's remarkable duplicity, enhanced by his failure, it seems, to pay any attention to the implications of what he's tweeting. Title: "Trump Admits He Was Underfunding Military Budget to Make Room for Parade." (Also linked yesterday.) ...

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: I'm not sure about Trump & Chait's premise. According to the Trumpentweeter, scrapping the November 2018 military parade means, "Now we can buy some more jet fighters!" But the highest cost estimate published for the parade was $92 million, and that is less than the price of the cheapest U.S. fighter plane, the F/A-18 Hornet.

That time (March 2017) Cadet Bonespurs got into a fight with actual Vietnam veterans over whether the film "Apocalypse Now" was about Agent Orange or napalm. Asawin Suebsaeng of the Daily Beast: "Trump refused to accept that he was mistaken.... 'It was really fucking weird,' one attendee bluntly assessed to The Daily Beast." ...

... Eric Levitz: "In the many months since this encounter, the president has matched his failure to do right by Vietnam veterans on the minor matter of respecting their superior recall of Apocalypse Now, with betrayals on issues of greater import. On the controversy over privatization of the VA, Trump has allowed three of his golf buddies to override the preferences of most veterans organizations -- going so far as to force the ouster of a VA chief who refused to prioritize the wishes of Mar-a-Lago members over those of American servicemen and women. Meanwhile, the administration is finalizing plans to weaken enforcement of the Military Lending Act, which bars predatory lenders from duping financially desperate veterans into usurious loans.

She Has the Meats. Darlene Superville of the AP: "Omarosa Manigault Newman has a stash of video, emails, text messages and other documentation supporting the claims in her tell-all book about her time in the Trump White House, a person with direct knowledge of the records told The Associated Press Friday. Manigault Newman has made clear that she plans to continue selectively releasing the pieces of evidence if ... Donald Trump and his associates continue to attack her credibility and challenge the claims in her book, 'Unhinged.'" ...

Trump's Private War. Carol Lee, et al., of NBC News: "... Donald Trump is increasingly venting frustration to his national security team about the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan and showing renewed interest in a proposal by Blackwater founder Erik Prince [and brother of Ditsy DeVos] to privatize the war, current and former senior administration officials said. Prince's idea, which first surfaced last year during the president's Afghanistan strategy review, envisions replacing troops with private military contractors who would work for a special U.S. envoy for the war who would report directly to the president.... A year after Trump's strategy announcement, his advisers are worried his impatience with the Afghanistan conflict will cause him to seriously consider proposals like Prince's or abruptly order a complete U.S. withdrawal, officials said." Emphasis added.

Matthew Lee of the AP: "The Trump administration is ending funding for Syria stabilization projects as it moves to extricate the U.S. from the conflict, citing increased contributions from anti-Islamic State coalition partners. U.S. officials said the administration notified Congress on Friday that it would not spend some $200 million that had been planned for Syria programs and would instead shift that money to other areas. Nearly all of that money, initially pledged by former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in February, had been on hold and under review since he was fired in March. A small fraction of that amount was released in June.... [Anonymous officials] said the cut will be more than offset by an additional $300 million pledged by coalition partners, including $100 million that Saudi Arabia announced it had contributed late Thursday. The State Department immediately welcomed the Saudi contribution, which is intended to help revitalize communities liberated from the Islamic State group like Raqqa." (Also linked yesterday.)

Nima Elbagir, et al., of CNN: "The bomb used by the Saudi-led coalition in a devastating attack on a school bus in Yemen was sold as part of a US State Department-sanctioned arms deal with Saudi Arabia, munitions experts told CNN.Working with local Yemeni journalists and munitions experts, CNN has established that the weapon that left dozens of children dead on August 9 was a 500-pound (227 kilogram) laser-guided MK 82 bomb made by Lockheed Martin, one of the top US defense contractors. The bomb is very similar to the one that wreaked devastation in an attack on a funeral hall in Yemen in October 2016 in which 155 people were killed and hundreds more wounded. The Saudi coalition blamed 'incorrect information' for that strike, admitted it was a mistake and took responsibility.... In the aftermath of the funeral hall attack, former US President Barack Obama banned the sale of precision-guided military technology to Saudi Arabia over 'human rights concerns.' The ban was overturned by the Trump administration's then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in March 2017.... The US says it does not make targeting decisions for the coalition, which is fighting a Houthi rebel insurgency in Yemen. But it does support its operations through billions of dollars in arms sales, the refueling of Saudi combat aircraft and some sharing of intelligence."

Julie Watson of the AP: "A federal judge on Friday called on the U.S. government and the American Civil Liberties Union to come up with a plan to address the rights of parents and children separated at the U.S.-Mexico border to seek asylum. The request was made during a hearing a day after U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw extended a freeze on deportations of recently reunified families, giving a reprieve to hundreds of children and their parents who want to remain in the United States." ...

... Rebekah Entralgo of Think Progress: "The White House is set to host an event on August 20, honoring agents of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection agencies, an official confirmed to Politico this week. The event, 'Salute to the Heroes of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs [and] Border Protection,' comes ... as [the administration] struggles to reunite hundreds of separated immigrant families and faces criticism over mounting allegations of abuse within ICE-contracted detention facilities.... According to recent government figures, however, 565 children, including 24 children under the age of 5, still remain separated from their families.... Politico noted Thursday evening that the [White House] event was further proof of the administration's anti-immigration strategy running up to the 2018 elections." ...

... ICE Agents to Add to Trump's "Heroes" Honorees. CBS-TV Los Angeles: "A newborn is without his father Friday after immigration agents detained the man as he was taking his wife to deliver the baby.... "[The pregnant woman, who was scheduled to undergo a C-section,] ended up having to drive herself to the hospital to deliver the baby."

The Company She Keeps. Ben Schreckinger of Politico Magazine: "The Justice Department is suing a friend and former business partner of Ivanka Trump for his alleged role in schemes to defraud the federal government out of millions of dollars in tax liabilities on his father's estate. Filed last month and reported here for the first time, the lawsuit follows an August 2017 Politico investigation of alleged financial wrongdoing by New York businessman Moshe Lax and glaring irregularities in the Internal Revenue Service's handling of a $27 million lien on his father's estate. The suit, which seeks more than $60 million in unpaid tax liabilities, was brought in the Southern District of New York.... It alleges that Lax, his sister Zlaty Schwartz, and his late father, Chaim Lax, engaged in a series of complex 'sham transactions' designed to fraudulently evade tax liability. The government alleges the family members undertook 10 separate schemes 'designed to hide the Lax family assets from the IRS and other creditors and make it appear as though the Estate was insolvent.' At a time when Democrats are working to make corruption a midterm campaign issue and a jury deliberates over whether to convict ... Donald Trump's former campaign manager for tax fraud, the suit threatens to further the perception that the Trump family and their closest associates operate in a corrupt milieu." (Also linked yesterday.) ...

... MEANWHILE. Charles Bagli of the New York Times: "When the Kushner Companies bought the building at 184 Kent Avenue in Brooklyn in 2015, there were 316 rent-stabilized tenants, seemingly protected from eviction and large rent increases. By June of this year, there were 71 left, according to documents filed with the state attorney general.... The exodus of 245 rent-regulated tenants in a building in less than three years allowed the Kushners to promote those apartments as condominiums and to sell, so far, roughly 130 units for tens of millions of dollars. Last month, a group of 20 current and former tenants at the building filed a $10 million lawsuit, claiming that their apartments were made nearly uninhabitable during two years of renovations, when an army of workers trooped through the seven-story building on the Brooklyn waterfront. The tenants say the sound of drilling reverberated through the hallways. A fine layer of dust covered their furniture and clothing at the end of each day." (Also linked yesterday.)

Kind of Surprising. Katie Benner of the New York Times: "The Justice Department threw its support on Friday behind housing advocates who accuse Facebook of violating fair-housing laws. In a so-called statement of interest, the department suggested that Facebook could be held liable if housing providers like real estate developers and landlords used the site's targeting tools to discriminate against prospective renters and buyers in advertising their properties. Such tools limit who can see ads based on factors like sex, religion and nationality, and advertising restricted along those lines violates the Fair Housing Act."

"Bill Nelson Wasn't Making Things up." Ken Dilanian of NBC News: "Sen. Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat, has reaped the political whirlwind in the 10 days since he proclaimed that Russian hackers had 'penetrated' some of his state's county voting systems. The governor of Florida, Rick Scott, a Republican who is running against Nelson for his U.S. Senate seat this fall, has blasted his claim as irresponsible. The top Florida elections official, also a Republican, said he had seen no indication it's true. And The Washington Post weighed in Friday with a 2,717-word fact check that all but accused Nelson -- without evidence -- of making it up. However, three people familiar with the intelligence tell NBC News that there is a classified basis for Nelson's assertion, which he made at a public event after being given information from the leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee. The extent and seriousness of the threat remains unclear, shrouded for reasons of national security. The episode illustrates the extent to which secrecy, politics and state-federal rivalries can stand in the way of a unified response to the threat from Russian attacks on a diffuse U.S. election system run by state and local officials." ...

     ... Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: I sort of read the WashPo "fact check" yesterday, and decided it was uninformed nonsense inasmuch as the writer, Salvador Rizzo, doesn't have a security clearance, as far as I know, & the responses from officials were vague and/or partisan. Ergo, I didn't link the report then. ...

     ... digby: "The government is legitimately worried that if they talk about penetration of he actual voting systems that nobody will ever accept [t]he outcome of an election again. But what if it's true and the party that is benefiting from the penetration refuses to do anything about it?" ...

... Congressional Races. Joel Schectman & Christopher Bing of Reuters: "The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating a cyber attack on the congressional campaign of a Democratic candidate in California, according to three people close to the campaign. The hackers successfully infiltrated the election campaign computer of David Min, a Democratic candidate for the House of Representatives who was later defeated in the June primary for California's 45th Congressional district. The incident, which has not been previously reported, follows an article in Rolling Stone earlier this week that the FBI has also been investigating a cyber attack against Hans Keirstead, a California Democrat. He was defeated in a primary in the 48th Congressional district, neighboring Min's.... While both Min and Keirstead later lost to other primary challengers from their own party, the two closely-watched races are considered critical, competitive battlegrounds as the Democrats seek to win back Congress from Republicans in November. It is unclear who was behind the attack against Min's campaign, why it was carried out, and what the hackers did with any information they obtained.... It also illustrates how small political campaigns do not have the resources to protect themselves from cyber attacks. Few can hire computer security personnel."

Jericka Duncan of CBS News: "Rep. Keith Ellison -- deputy chairman of the Democratic National Committee and a candidate for Minnesota attorney general -- has denied allegations that he abused his ex-girlfriend, Karen Monahan. On Thursday, Monahan, 44, spoke on camera for the first time about an incident she said happened nearly two years ago. Monahan said she has video of what happened but that it's too traumatic for her, so she has chosen not to share it with anyone. CBS News has not seen the video." Mrs. McC: Nonetheless, she was willing to talk about the alleged incident. I don't see why it would be so traumatic to let others see the video; Monahan would not have to watch along with them. Not sayin the abuse didn't happen; just saying her justification for withholding the video is fishy. An abuser's denial, BTW, is not compelling, either. (Also linked yesterday.)

Elizabeth Williamson of the New York Times: "Lawyers for the families of two Sandy Hook shooting victims are accusing the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and his Infowars media business of intentionally destroying evidence relevant to the defamation cases against him, according to a motion filed on Friday in a Texas court. Mr. Jones is being sued by the families of nine Sandy Hook victims for spreading false claims that the 2012 shooting at the elementary school in Newtown, Conn., that killed 20 first graders and six adults was a government-backed hoax, and that the families of the dead were actors. Mr. Jones said on his broadcast last week that he had told his staff to delete material after CNN cited Infowars content that violated Twitter's policies, according to the motion filed on Friday.... At least some of the deleted content was considered evidence in the Sandy Hook cases, and Mr. Jones had been informed in writing in April that he was obligated by law to preserve all relevant material, according to the court filing in District Court in Travis County in Austin."

Beyond the Beltway

Louisiana Fights Back against Sensible Gun Control Advocacy. Mark Ballard of the (Baton Rouge) Advocate: "The [Louisiana] State Bond Commission barred two of the largest banks in the world from participating in efforts to fund some highway projects in Louisiana because of firearms policies instituted after recent mass shootings. On 7-6 vote, the commission excluded Citigroup Inc., the nation's third largest bank, and Bank of America Merrill Lynch, the second largest, from participating in a $600 million plan to widen Interstate 10 in Baton Rouge and improve access into the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, along with a project in Shreveport. State Treasurer John Schroder made the motion saying the banks' restrictions infringed on Louisiana residents' constitutional right to buy guns.... A few weeks after a gunman killed 17 people at Parkland, Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, Citigroup announced it would no longer do business with retailers peddling high capacity magazines or selling guns to anyone who hasn't passed a background check; or is under the age of 21, except those who have passed firearm hunter safety courses or are involved in the military or law enforcement."

Ohio State's Athletic Program Remains Excellent. Brett McMurphy of Stadium*: Documents and receipts Stadium has obtained show [fired Ohio State assistant football coach] Zach Smith ordered more than $2,200 in sex toys, male apparel and photography equipment and had the items delivered to him at Ohio State's Woody Hayes Athletic Center [at Ohio State] in 2015.... Courtney Smith [Zach's ex-wife] said Zach Smith took multiple photos of his penis inside the Ohio State coaches' offices, inside the White House when the Buckeyes visited in 2015 and also photographed himself in the coaches' offices receiving oral sex and having sex with a OSU staffer."

     ... Mrs. McCrabbie: I can't quite figure out what kind of publication Stadium is, & McMurphy is not the best writer, but several well-known publications (like USA Today) have picked up this story, so I guess it's okay.

Violet Ikonomova of the Detroit Metro Times: "More than a dozen community groups have called on Rep. Bettie Cook Scott (D-Detroit) to apologize for a series of racial slurs sources say she used to describe her primary election opponent, Rep. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit). Scott is alleged to have referred to Chang as 'ching-chang' and 'the ching-chong' to multiple voters outside polling precincts during last Tuesday's election. She's also said to have called one of Chang's campaign volunteers an 'immigrant,' saying 'you don't belong here' and 'I want you out of my country.'" DMT Update: "Rep. Bettie Cook Scott has issued an apology for her remarks. Find her statement here." (Also linked yesterday.)

News Lede

New York Times: "Kofi Annan, a soft-spoken and patrician diplomat from Ghana, who became the seventh secretary general of the United Nations, projecting himself and his organization as the world's conscience and moral arbiter despite bloody debacles that left indelible stains on his record as a peacekeeper, died on Saturday. He was 80."

Comments

[unwashed]

@Bea, is this a typo or a pun (that I don't get)?

"... ** "Trump Is Turning the Department of Justice into His Own Private Good Squad." Jonathan Chait:"

[Marie Burns]

@unwashed: Oops! Typo. I've fixed it.

[PD Pepe]

APOCALYPSE NOW:

Late last night, so the story goes, Trump was seen standing out on his balcony, outfitted in his Darth Vader jammies, muttering to himself about something, something having to do with fake news––"all the news that isn't fit to print is now getting out there and it's like having to step in dog shit every goddamn day! mutter--mutter...I'm gonna get those bastards one way or another–-Brennan–-that Irish fuck face is shooting his foul mouth off––crush him–-got to stop this––mutter, mutter...and now, No Parade? what the hell––those vets–-napalm in the morning–-all wrong–-it was Agent Orange–-some asshole called me that once––mutter. mutter... and that Omarosa bitch–-gives me an itch even in my gonads––had to tell the world about my tanning bed, bitch!

Then suddenly the moon came out from behind the clouds, it's light shone on the figure standing on the balcony, who, uncharacteristically, in a clear and almost plangent tone of voice, said this:

"It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing and no doubt will be Number 1 on the best -seller list."

With that the jammy clad leader of the free world departed, went back to the comfort of his lonely bed and dreamed, I am told, of the death of Kings and old unhappy far off things and battles long ago.

Sad.

[Victoria]

PD,
I hope someone was getting video of this.

[safari]

One major impact of the GOP's complete capitulation to the battering ram knocking at the door of the CIA, FBI, and the intelligence agencies more generally is the political calculation made by these same agencies towards the two parties. It sounds like these communities typically lean more Republican, probably for their "conservative" bona fides and their supposed strengths on "national security". The problem here is that the GOP is openly thwarting national security as we speak, and have refused to even attempt to discipline the rat terriers unleashed by Trump Org and GOP Co.

Where does the intelligence community go from here? Can the FBI agents who kneecapped Hillary continue to profess their allegiance to a party that now denigrates them to the public and smears them as corrupt? I'm sure McConnell and Ryan have already planned their speeches of "wow, that was crazy, but he was a one and done deal. Now we're with you 100%. Trust me!" Can someone whose job is to profoundly analyze complex matters believe such blatant lies?

[Marie Burns]

@Victoria: Could be Sean Spicer was hiding in the bushes on the White House grounds again, this time with a video cam borrowed from his former colleague Omarosa.

[safari]

Hopefully in the future we'll invent an oil-based drink to replace our water supply. Otherwise a good portion of Americans are fucked. Or maybe our "entitlements" in the future can be exchanged for bottles of clean water, bottled for profit by Nestlé.

https://thinkprogress.org/fracking-is-destroying-americas-water-supply-new-study-9cb163923d24/

[Akhilleus]

I should be done with observations of Trump Hypocrisy, but sometimes they’re just too much to let go.

The little dictator is railing against social media for trying to silence Republican/conservative voices (which would be impossible since those voices are the loudest and most strident), whining about the terrible toll of censorship. This from the King of Censorship, who has written more non-disclosure agreements than Mafia bosses, who insists on a kind of Trumpian Omertà ( which, like most things Trumpy fails more often than not, still...), and who takes unprecedented steps to silence any and all who dare to criticize his Greatness.

And not for nothin’, but if it wasn’t for the social media fake news planted by his Russian and White Supremacist pals, he’d be begging NBC to please, pretty please reboot the Apprentice so’s he can pretend to still be important. If social media really was suppressing winger yelping, he’d be back in Trump Tower groping the maids.

[RAS]

Can someone whose job is to profoundly analyze complex matters believe such blatant lies? -safari

It has not stopped them from believing the lies of the past several decades so I don't think they will begin their self reflection any time soon.