June 22, 2023
Late-ish Morning/Afternoon Update:
Lisa Mascaro of the AP: "Eager to impeach President Joe Biden, hard-right House Republicans forced a vote Thursday that sent the matter to congressional committees in a clear demonstration of the challenge that Speaker Kevin McCarthy faces in controlling the majority party.... Rep. Lauren Boebert, backed by allies, was able to use House rules to force a snap vote on such a grave constitutional matter. The 219-208 party-line vote sent her resolution to committees for possible consideration, like any other bill. They are under no obligation to do anything.... During Thursday's debate, Republicans were admonished multiple times by the presiding officer to tone down their remarks.... In a private meeting Wednesday, McCarthy encouraged lawmakers to consider the traditional process for bringing such consequential legislation forward. Boebert had used what is called a privileged resolution to force the vote.... Rank-and-file Republicans were angry at being forced into the position of having to vote on a resolution to impeach Biden even though they had not gone through the traditional process of an impeachment inquiry. They resented a single lawmaker jumping the queue of priorities." ~~~
~~~ Marie's Note to Rank-and-File Members: Nobody "forced" you sheeples to vote "yay."
Michael Gold & Grace Ashford of the New York Times: "... the names of the two guarantors [of Rep. George Santos' $500,000 bond] were unsealed [Thursday] and revealed to be two of his relatives: his father, Gercino dos Santos Jr., and his aunt Elma Preven. The disclosure put an end to weeks of speculation that was heightened by Mr. Santos's vehement opposition to making his guarantors' names public, as they are in most cases.... They did not have to put up cash or property to secure his release, but they told a magistrate judge they would be 'personally responsible' for ensuring that he appeared in court and followed the conditions of his bond. If he did not, the guarantors would be on the hook for the entirety of the $500,000 bond." The ABC News story is here.
Hugo Lowell of the Guardian: "Federal prosecutors investigating Donald Trump's retention of national security material were examining evidence within weeks of the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago last year that he might have handled classified documents at his Bedminster club in New Jersey, according to two people close to the matter. The indications of classified documents at Bedminster so alarmed prosecutors that they focused part of the investigation on whether Trump might have transported the materials or disclosed their contents there in addition to refusing to return them to the government, the people said.... Within weeks of the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago, the justice department sought to act on the indications of classified documents at Bedminster when it told the Trump legal team that prosecutors believed the former president still possessed classified materials, the people said. The message in the letter, which became a formal court motion filed under seal weeks later, was clear: arrange for new searches of all of the Trump properties because, as of that time, the only place that had been combed for classified documents was the Mar-a-Lago resort.... [Trump's] legal team ultimately decided on working with the justice department.... But when the new searches of the Trump properties by contractors took place, they found no classified documents at Bedminster, according to people familiar with what they certified...."
"Friend-of-the-Court." Devan Cole & Audrey Ash of CNN: "Last July, [Supreme Court Justice Samuel] Alito was feted in Rome by Notre Dame's Religious Liberty Initiative, which has in recent years joined the growing ranks of conservative legal activists who are finding new favor at the Supreme Court -- and forging ties with the justices. The group's legal clinic has filed a series of 'friend-of-the-court' briefs in religious liberty cases before the Supreme Court since its founding in 2020. After the high court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, the group paid for Alito's trip to Rome to deliver a keynote address at a gala hosted at a palace in the heart of the city.... At the start of his speech, he thanked the group for the 'warm hospitality' it provided to him and his wife, which, he later said, included a stay at a hotel that 'looks out over the Roman Forum.' During various parts of the address, he gleefully mocked critics of his ruling overturning the constitutional right to abortion....
"Alito stressed in a statement to CNN that his invitation to speak in Rome was not specifically from the initiative's clinic, which submits the briefs to the court. 'My understanding is that Notre Dame Law School's Religious Liberty Initiative has a number of components, only one of which is a clinic that, like the legal clinics at many other law schools, files amicus briefs in the Supreme Court,' the statement said. 'I was not invited to speak in Rome by the clinic.'" MB: Right.
AP: "A Moscow court on Thursday ruled that Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich must remain in jail on espionage charges until at least late August, rejecting the American journalist's appeal to be released. The 31-year-old U.S. citizen was arrested in late March while on a reporting trip. A Moscow court ruled last month to keep him in custody until Aug. 30, but his lawyers had challenged the decision."
Al Weaver of the Hill: "Senate Republicans are questioning the push by House conservatives to impeach President Biden and other administration officials, arguing the moves are a waste of time and futile efforts that likely lack an impeachable offense. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) surprised even her own GOP colleagues Tuesday when she filed a privileged motion that would force a vote on a resolution to impeach Biden." MB: Yeah, well, I'm mighty upset Boebert (allegedly!) plagiarized MTG's impeachment filing against Chris Wray. (Related story linked below.)
Marie: Forgot to say: several MSNBC commentators, not to mention Adam Schiff during the hearing itself, remarked on how John Durham, during his sworn testimony yesterday, couldn't remember much of anything about the Mueller report -- like about how Trump said publicly, "Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing." Then, as the New York Times reported in July 2018, "As it turns out, that same day, the Russians -- whether they had tuned in or not -- made their first effort to break into the servers used by Mrs. Clinton's personal office, according to a sweeping 29-page indictment unsealed Friday by the special counsel's office that charged 12 Russians with election hacking." But Durham had no idea. If he read the Mueller report, he had to have read it quite selectively.
Presidential Race 2024. Will Weissert of the AP: "Former Texas congressman Will Hurd, a onetime CIA officer and fierce critic of Donald Trump, announced Thursday that he's running for president, hoping to build momentum as a more moderate alternative to the Republican front-runner. Hurd, 45, served three terms in the House through January 2021, becoming the chamber's only Black Republican during his final two years in office."
Marie: Apparently Trump got some word of what-all was in the discovery material Jack Smith sent over yesterday, because I hear from the teevee that he has already all-caps-lied three Liars Social messages.
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Toluse Olorunnipa, et al., of the Washington Post: "Denied a U.S. visa in 2005 over deadly religious riots in his home state, [India's] Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to Washington on Wednesday for a state visit that will highlight his change in fortune and growing global clout, even as concerns about human rights and democratic erosion in India are intensifying across the nation he now leads. For the man rolling out the red carpet for him, President Biden, the visit underscores both the promise of strengthening ties with the world's most populous nation and the peril of positioning his presidency as a pivotal force in the global battle between autocracy and democracy.... India is emerging as an increasingly vital player in a region the United States has prioritized in its foreign policy -- a potential bulwark against China and an increasingly powerful actor in sectors including technology, defense and the arts. But the country's tilt toward illiberalism is at odds with the kind of message Biden has embraced during his presidency...."
You honor me with your enmity. -- Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), to House Republicans, from the House floor ~~~
~~~ Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: "The G.O.P.-led House formally censured Representative Adam B. Schiff, Democrat of California, on Wednesday over his role investigating ... Donald J. Trump, the first in what could be a series of votes seeking to punish those whom Republicans have deemed the party's enemies. The censure passed by a party-line vote of 213 to 209 with six Republicans voting 'present.' The measure had the backing of Speaker Kevin McCarthy after its lead sponsor, Representative Anna Paulina Luna, Republican of Florida, altered its language to remove a multimillion-dollar fine some Republicans viewed as unconstitutional.... The House has censured members just 24 times in the chamber's history, and typically only after a finding of wrongdoing.... Democrats erupted in chants of 'Shame!' at the Republicans after the vote, and surrounded Mr. Schiff in a protective circle as he walked to the well of the House to receive the censure.... Five of the six Republicans who voted 'present' are members of the Ethics Committee. Such a vote is traditional to maintain independence in such cases for ethics panel members, who would have the task of investigating Mr. Schiff.
"Mr. Schiff, who is seeking a Senate seat and has cited the censure against him in fund-raising efforts, said he was being made a target solely because he had stood up to Mr. Trump.... Mr. Schiff led the first impeachment prosecution against Mr. Trump and served on the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol." An NBC News story is here. ~~~
~~~ A Humorous Aside, via Broadwater: "Representative Lauren Boebert, Republican of Colorado and a leader of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus, is seeking to force a vote on impeaching [President] Biden this week. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican of Georgia, who has been pushing to impeach the F.B.I. director Christopher Wray, on Wednesday accused Ms. Boebert of copying her impeachment articles against Mr. Biden." ~~~
~~~ Oh, well, of course there's more, too indelicate for the Grey Lady. Joe, My God: According to the Daily Beast, Greene & Boebert got into an argument on the House floor. "'I've donated to you, I've defended you. But you've been nothing but a little bitch to me,' Greene told Boebert, according to a source who witnessed the exchange. 'And you copied my articles of impeachment after I asked you to cosponsor them.'" ~~~
~~~ Donald-fearing Republicans. Jared Gans of the Hill (June 16): Donald "Trump said in a Truth Social post Friday [June 16] that any Republican who opposed the censure resolution should face a primary challenge for the GOP nomination in their next election."
Charlie Savage of the New York Times: "In a nearly six-hour hearing before the House Judiciary Committee..., John H. Durham, the Trump-era special counsel who for four years pursued a politically fraught investigation into the Russia inquiry, told lawmakers on Wednesday that F.B.I. officials had exhibited confirmation bias -- even as he defended his work against Democratic accusations that he became a partisan tool.... For years, [Donald] Trump and his allies stoked expectations that Mr. Durham would find a conspiracy lurking in the origins of the Russia investigation and would prosecute high-level officials. But Mr. Durham developed only two peripheral cases, both of which ended in acquittals.... The hearing was largely a predicable display of partisanship.... For example, Representative Matt Gaetz, Republican of Florida..., said Mr. Durham had let the country down.... 'When you are part of the cover-up, Mr. Durham, then it makes our job harder,' Mr. Gaetz said. Mr. Durham replied that Mr. Gaetz's comments were 'offensive.'...
“Throughout the hearing, Democrats pressed Mr. Durham to acknowledge or explain certain findings from a New York Times article in January examining how his inquiry became roiled by internal dissent and ethical disputes. They asked him, for example, why his longtime deputy, Nora R. Dannehy, resigned from his team in September 2020.... Mr. Durham spoke highly of Ms. Dannehy but declined to say why she had resigned." Durham told Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) that a trip he and then-AG Bill Barr made to Italy, also reported by the NYT, wherein Italian officials gave them a tip about financial crimes related to Trump, led to "investigative steps" that "came to nothing." ~~~
~~~ Marcy Wheeler: "... the Durham hearing gave [Rep. Adam] Schiff (and others, but especially Schiff) several opportunities to lay out just how damning the Mueller investigation results were, particularly as compared to Durham's own flimsy outcome. Each time, Durham claimed ignorance of key details of the Mueller Report.... Throughout the hearing, he stopped short of making claims that he had -- while still a prosecutor with near-total immunity -- made in his report. For example, Durham did not state, in the hearing, that Hillary [Clinton] had a plan to frame Donald Trump, as opposed to simply pointing out his very real Russian ties.... I can think of no more fitting way to end Durham's four year effort to chase the conspiracy theories of George Papadopoulos than to have Matt Gaetz accuse him of being part of a Deep State op. Durham set off in 2019 to chase down the conspiracy theories of people with close ties to Matt Gaetz. And Durham ended it by having Gaetz accuse Durham of the same things of which Durham accused others."
Tierney Sneed & Katelyn Polantz of CNN: "Special counsel Jack Smith has begun producing evidence in the Mar-a-Lago documents case to Donald Trump, according to a Wednesday court filing that hints that investigators collected for the case multiple recordings of the former president -- not just audio of an interview Trump gave at Bedminster for a forthcoming Mark Meadows memoir. Prosecutors in the filing used the plural 'interviews' to describe recordings of Trump -- made with his consent.... The first batch of discovery production -- made up of unclassified materials -- includes transcripts of witness testimony in front of the grand juries in Washington, DC, and Florida that were probing the mishandling of government documents from Trump's White House. It also includes materials collected via subpoenas and search warrants; memos detailing other witness interviews given through mid-May in the investigation; and copies of the surveillance footage investigators obtained in the probe. The first batch of evidence, provided on Wednesday, 'includes the grand jury testimony of witnesses who will testify for the government at the trial of this case,' the special counsel's office wrote." ~~~
~~~ Marie: Andrew Weissmann, appearing on MSNBC, said the production of evidence was unusually early and sent a message to the judge that Jack Smith wasn't kidding when he promised Trump a speedy trial. Anyhoo, let's see how long it takes Trump to lash out at former members of his administration and others, in definance of a court order, as he learns over the coming days who testified against him and what they said.
Adam Goldman & Traci Angel of the New York Times: "A former F.B.I. intelligence analyst from Kansas received nearly four years in prison on Wednesday in a case that bears parallels to that of ... Donald J. Trump, including the same charge of willful retention of national security secrets. The analyst, Kendra Kingsbury, 50, was accused of improperly removing and unlawfully taking home about 386 classified documents to her personal residence in Dodge City, Kan. She pleaded guilty to two counts of violating the Espionage Act.... Her case and punishment, and others like it involving violations of the Espionage Act, reflect how seriously the government takes such charges and offer a glimpse of how aggressively the Justice Department might pursue its case against Mr. Trump.... Ms. Kingsbury, like Mr. Trump, was accused of not being helpful or forthcoming with investigators." An NBC News story is here.
Beth Treffeisen & Glenn Thrush of the New York Times: "Jack Teixeira, the 21-year-old Air National Guardsman accused of posting a trove of secret documents to an online chat group, pleaded not guilty to six counts of federal criminal charges on Wednesday, two months after his arrest. Airman Teixeira, appearing in an orange prison uniform and fresh buzz cut, sat quietly as a federal magistrate judge read him his rights before standing to say, 'Not guilty, your honor,' during a 10-minute hearing in Worcester, Mass., attended by his family and dozens of media outlets.His lawyer asked the judge, David H. Hennessy, to reconsider an earlier decision to hold Airman Teixeira without bail indefinitely. But the judge rejected the request...."
Glenn Thrush & Alan Feuer of the New York Times: "A federal judge [Amy Berman Jackson] on Wednesday sentenced a rioter who savagely assaulted an officer [Michael Fanone] defending the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to more than 12 years in prison, calling him a 'one-man army of hate' whose severe punishment might act as a deterrent to future acts of political violence. The 151-month sentence, handed down at a two-and-a-half-hour hearing in Federal District Court in Washington, was one of the stiffest so far in the Justice Department's sprawling investigation of the Capitol attack. It stemmed from one of the most wrenching episodes of the day, an assault on a District of Columbia police officer with a Taser-like weapon that left him unconscious and unable to return to his duties. The defendant, Daniel Rodriguez, 40, who had previously admitted to driving from California to Washington to do armed battle on behalf of ... Donald J. Trump, expressed some regret for his actions as he asked the judge for leniency. But after receiving his sentence, Mr. Rodriguez smiled and let out a defiant shout of 'Trump won!' before being led out of the room by federal marshals." The Guardian's report is here.
Karoun Demirjian of the New York Times: "Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader, laid out a long-awaited framework on Wednesday to regulate artificial intelligence, hoping to create a path for lawmakers to adopt guardrails many industry insiders say are needed on a technology many members of Congress admit they do not understand. Mr. Schumer steered clear of endorsing any specific bills, instead calling for an approach to A.I. prioritizing objectives like security, accountability and innovation. Mr. Schumer..., instead is seeking to give lawmakers a comprehensive crash course in A.I. in a setting where partisan rancor might be set aside, before they try to impose rules on the rapidly changing industry."
Tory Newmyer of the Washington Post: "The Senate Banking Committee on Wednesday approved a bill to empower regulators to seize compensation from executives at failed banks, the first major legislative response to the banking crisis that shook the financial system this spring. The proposal, a compromise between the banking panel's leaders, Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.), drew wide bipartisan support, clearing the committee by a vote of 21-2. That margin suggests the bill has momentum as it advances to the full Senate, though its timeline for action there and its prospects in the Republican-controlled House remain unclear."
Robert Barnes & John Wagner of the Washington Post: "Scrutiny of the Supreme Court intensified Wednesday after Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. took the extraordinary step of writing an op-ed column to defend a luxury fishing trip to Alaska years ago that was partially financed by a politically active billionaire.... Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) said his panel would consider legislation after the Senate returns from its Fourth of July recess. 'The highest court in the land should not have the lowest ethical standards. But for too long that has been the case with the United States Supreme Court. That needs to change,' Durbin said in a joint statement with Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), who chairs a subcommittee with jurisdiction over the federal judiciary.... The statement by Durbin and Whitehouse took direct aim at Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., saying that the Supreme Court is in the midst of 'an ethical crisis of its own making' and that Roberts 'could resolve this today, but he has not acted.'" ~~~
~~~ Adam Liptak of the New York Times covers Sam Alito's Excellent Vacation (see related stories linked yesterday), and Liptak whacks Sam: Alito claimed "that he did not know of [immensely wealthy Paul] Singer's connection to the cases before the court, including one in which the court issued a 7-to-1 decision in favor of one of Mr. Singer's businesses, with Justice Alito in the majority. But Mr. Singer's connection to the case, Republic of Argentina v. NML Capital, was widely reported." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ Cheap Wine! Here's something funny: Alito complained about the cheap accommodations. From the ProPublica report, also linked below: writes, "At night, the lodge's chefs served multicourse meals of Alaskan king crab legs or Kobe filet. On the last evening, a member of Alito's group bragged that the wine they were drinking cost $1,000 a bottle, one of the lodge's fishing guides told ProPublica. In his [Wall Street Journal] op-ed, Alito described the lodge as a 'comfortable but rustic facility.' The justice said he does not remember if he was served wine, but if he was, it didn't cost $1,000 a bottle. (Alito also pointed readers to the lodge's website. The lodge has been sold since 2008 and is now a more downscale accommodation.)" (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ What Sam Chooses Not to Get. Philip Bump of the Washington Post: "... this debate over ethical edicts and rulemaking -- however likely to favor ProPublica's interpretation -- is beside the point. The point, instead, is that luxury recreational trips paid for by wealthy benefactors is inherently in conflict with the role of serving on the Supreme Court.... All of us hope to be considered entertaining and popular on our own merits, but those in positions of power should recognize that demonstrations of personal appreciation are not always rooted in beneficence.... The rules and guidelines addressing reporting and recusal by Supreme Court justices should be fail-safes against unscrupulous actors, not challenges to be sidestepped through clever rationalization." MB: There is a pathetic quality to Sam & Clarence, who prefer to believe that wealthy benefactors find them interesting and charming company rather than useful tools in the benefactors' big bags of tricks. You're a tool, Sambo, not a winsome party guest. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
~~~ Sam is so busy trying to defend his corrupt behavior with twisted arguments that you really can't blame him for not caring about the lives of women and girls. Besides, extremism in the pursuit of vice is so tiring. Or something like that: ~~~
~~~ Kim Bellware & Emily Guskin of the Washington Post: "Sweeping restrictions and even outright abortion bans adopted by states in the year since the landmark Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling have had an overwhelmingly negative effect on maternal health care, according to a survey of OBGYNs released Wednesday that provides one of the clearest views yet of how the U.S. Supreme Court decision has affected women's health care in the United States. The poll by the health research nonprofit KFF reveals that the Dobbs ruling == which ended federal protection on the right to abortion -- affected maternal mortality and how pregnancy-related medical emergencies are managed, precipitated a rise in requests for sterilization and has done much more than restrict abortion access. Many OBGYNs said it has also made their jobs more difficult and legally perilous than before, while leading to worse outcomes for patients."
Beyond the Beltway
Delaware Senate Race. Luke Broadwater of the New York Times: "Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester, a Democrat, announced her campaign on Wednesday for the Delaware Senate seat being vacated by Senator Thomas R. Carper, beginning as the favorite in a race that could make her the third Black woman in U.S. history to win election to the Senate.... Ms. Blunt Rochester is the only House member in Delaware, a deep-blue state in which the winner of the Democratic primary will be heavily favored to win the general election. Powerful Democrats, including Mr. Carper, for whom Ms. Blunt Rochester once interned, and Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader, have indicated support for her candidacy. Mr. Carper said he would do everything in his power to ensure that she won."
Florida. "Man of the People." Isaac Arnsdorf, et al., of the Washington Post: "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis's wealthy donors and supporters lent a golf simulator to the Governor's Mansion and provided private flights to fundraisers and other political events, according to records obtained by The Washington Post. The golf simulator came from Mori Hosseini, a major home builder who chairs the University of Florida's Board of Trustees and lent the device to the Governor's Mansion in DeSantis's first year in office, according to documents released to The Post in response to a public records request. DeSantis, an avid golfer, has made his 'blue-collar' roots a key part of his appeal as a Republican candidate for president and has faced some criticism for his interactions with donors." Reuters' story is here.
Texas. Molly Hennessy Fiske of the Washington Post: "The Texas Senate voted Wednesday to begin the historic impeachment trial of Attorney General Ken Paxton on Sept. 5, and it approved rules that bar Paxton's wife from voting due to a conflict of interest. The state House last month impeached Paxton over allegations of bribery, unfitness for office and abuse of public trust, temporarily forcing him from office pending the Senate trial that could lead to his permanent ouster. Paxton's removal would require a two-thirds vote by the Senate's 18 Republicans and dozen Democrats."
Way Beyond
Ukraine, et al. The Washington Post's live briefing of developments Thursday in Russia's war on Ukraine is here: "Countries around the world announced billions of dollars in aid at the Ukraine Recovery Conference. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States would give an additional $1.3 billion in the near term. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the E.U. would provide $54.5 billion for 2024 through 2027, while South Korea will give an additional $130 million this year. More than 41 people were killed and 121 injured in a Russian-controlled part of Ukraine as a result of the Kakhovka dam disaster earlier this month, Russia's Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Kurenkov said during a government meeting, Reuters reported. More than 8,000 people were evacuated from the flood zone, he said.... Ukrainian forces are advancing in the south and firming up their defenses in the east amid 'fierce battles' with Russian forces, [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky said Wednesday in his nightly address." ~~~
The Guardian's live updates for Thursday are here. The Guardian's summary report is here.
News Ledes
New York Times: "More vessels were expected to join the increasingly urgent search on Thursday for a submersible that disappeared over the weekend in a remote patch of the North Atlantic with five people aboard. 'Today will be a critical day in this search and rescue mission, as the sub's life support supplies are starting to run low,' Guillermo Sohnlein, who co-founded the company behind the submersible and left in 2013, said in a statement." This is a liveblog. ~~~
~~~ ** Update. The Titanic Claims Five More Lives: "All five people aboard the submersible that went missing on Sunday were believed to be dead, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Thursday, ending a dayslong rescue effort that gripped much of the world. 'On behalf of the United States Coast Guard and the entire unified command, I offer my deepest condolences to the families,' Rear Admiral John Mauger said in a news conference on Thursday. Earlier in the day, a remote-controlled vehicle located debris from the Titan submersible, including its tail cone, on the ocean floor, about 1,600 feet from the bow of the Titanic, he said. 'The debris is consistent with a catastrophic implosion of the vessel,' Admiral Mauger said. Stockton Rush, the chief executive of OceanGate, was piloting the submersible. The four passengers were a British businessman and explorer, Hamish Harding; a British-Pakistani businessman, Shahzada Dawood, and his teenage son, Suleman; and a French maritime expert, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, who had been on over 35 dives to the Titanic wreck site."
~~~ The Guardian's liveblog for Thursday is here.
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