All he has to do is stall until January . The witch hunt will be ending then . A red tsunami is fast approaching American shores .
Donald Trump Announces 2016 White House Bid
- Thread starter B00Mer
- Start date
Well, lets wait and see. I hope he "socks it to them" LOLTrump can't even handle his OWN ass, let alone handing anyone else theirs!
Yeah, he'll plead the 5th so often and quick that the only 'sock' will be the ones he wears.
As I said, lets wait & see. One of us will be wrong & who knows, it may well be me. I'm patient & will wait to see what happens. You can ridicule me all you want which is what you wont to do, but I'm ok with that! I do have a sense of humor!!
As I said, lets wait & see. One of us will be wrong & who knows, it may well be me. I'm patient & will wait to see what happens. You can ridicule me all you want which is what you wont to do, but I'm ok with that! I do have a sense of humor!!
If I'm wrong, so be it, but I'll also be shocked so who knows, maybe it'll kill me (and you and others can celebrate that!
)
I suspect that you must be a real motormouth in person!if plato had been alive he would will smith you.
Yup Biden’s impeachment should be fun . We will get to watch left wing hypocrisy live and in Color .Trump can't even handle his OWN ass, let alone handing anyone else theirs!
He will answer every question with a stock answer . I am taking this opportunity to announce my candidacy for president in 2024 . Watch the heads explode .
this is ironic coming from someone who has been stalking and harassing me continuously for several years.
Trump's bills to Secret Service 'exorbitant,' house report alleges
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Bernard Condon
Publishing date:Oct 17, 2022 • 13 hours ago • 2 minute read • 9 Comments
NEW YORK — Donald Trump’s private company arranged for the Secret Service to pay for rooms at his properties in excess of government-approved rates at least 40 times during his presidency, including two charges for more than $1,100 per night, according to documents released Monday by a congressional committee.
The Secret Service was charged room rates of more than $800 per night at least 11 times when agents stayed at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, the Trump hotel in Washington, D.C., and other properties, the Democratic-led House Oversight Committee said. It noted that Trump made over 500 trips to his properties while president.
The “exorbitant” rates point to a possible “taxpayer-funded windfall for former President Trump’s struggling businesses,” wrote N.Y. Rep. Carolyn Maloney in a letter Monday to the Secret Service requesting more information.
The Trump Organization denied that the Secret Service charges were a problem and said it provided rooms and other services at cost, at big discounts or for free.
“The Trump Family is likely the first family in American history to have not profited off of the United States government,” said Eric Trump in a statement. He added, “President Trump funded the vast majority of his campaign with hundreds of millions of dollars of his own money and turned away billions of dollars in real estate deals worldwide.”
In total, the Trump Organization charged the agency responsible for protecting the president and his family at least $1.4 million, according to Secret Service records released by the committee. The committee said the total bill was likely higher because the panel only got records through September 2021 and payments for trips abroad were not included.
The former president has been repeatedly criticized by Democrats and government watchdogs for what they say were brazen attempts make money from taxpayer funds during his presidency.
In addition to money from the Secret Service when he and his family visited his clubs and hotels, Trump played host to foreign officials at his properties, also requiring lodging for accompanying agents. The president tried to arrange for his Trump National Doral Golf Club in Florida to be chosen as the venue for a Group of Seven meeting of global leaders, only to pull back after an outcry of about self dealing.
Among the documents released Monday was a bill tied to 2017 trip by Trump’s oldest son, Don Jr., to the Trump International Hotel down the street from the White House. That resulted in a Secret Service room charge of $1,185 per night, more than five times the government-approved per diem rate, the committee said, though the agency is allowed to make exceptions.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Bernard Condon
Publishing date:Oct 17, 2022 • 13 hours ago • 2 minute read • 9 Comments
NEW YORK — Donald Trump’s private company arranged for the Secret Service to pay for rooms at his properties in excess of government-approved rates at least 40 times during his presidency, including two charges for more than $1,100 per night, according to documents released Monday by a congressional committee.
The Secret Service was charged room rates of more than $800 per night at least 11 times when agents stayed at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, the Trump hotel in Washington, D.C., and other properties, the Democratic-led House Oversight Committee said. It noted that Trump made over 500 trips to his properties while president.
The “exorbitant” rates point to a possible “taxpayer-funded windfall for former President Trump’s struggling businesses,” wrote N.Y. Rep. Carolyn Maloney in a letter Monday to the Secret Service requesting more information.
The Trump Organization denied that the Secret Service charges were a problem and said it provided rooms and other services at cost, at big discounts or for free.
“The Trump Family is likely the first family in American history to have not profited off of the United States government,” said Eric Trump in a statement. He added, “President Trump funded the vast majority of his campaign with hundreds of millions of dollars of his own money and turned away billions of dollars in real estate deals worldwide.”
In total, the Trump Organization charged the agency responsible for protecting the president and his family at least $1.4 million, according to Secret Service records released by the committee. The committee said the total bill was likely higher because the panel only got records through September 2021 and payments for trips abroad were not included.
The former president has been repeatedly criticized by Democrats and government watchdogs for what they say were brazen attempts make money from taxpayer funds during his presidency.
In addition to money from the Secret Service when he and his family visited his clubs and hotels, Trump played host to foreign officials at his properties, also requiring lodging for accompanying agents. The president tried to arrange for his Trump National Doral Golf Club in Florida to be chosen as the venue for a Group of Seven meeting of global leaders, only to pull back after an outcry of about self dealing.
Among the documents released Monday was a bill tied to 2017 trip by Trump’s oldest son, Don Jr., to the Trump International Hotel down the street from the White House. That resulted in a Secret Service room charge of $1,185 per night, more than five times the government-approved per diem rate, the committee said, though the agency is allowed to make exceptions.
Trump's bills to Secret Service 'exorbitant,' house report alleges
Donald Trump arranged for the Secret Service to pay for rooms at his properties in excess of government-approved rates at least 40 times.
I remember the threat of nuclear war while Trump was in the big chair . O never mind .
Trump knew vote fraud claims in legal docs were false: Judge
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Farnoush Amiri
Publishing date:Oct 19, 2022 • 9 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump signed legal documents challenging the results of the 2020 election that included voter fraud claims he knew to be false, a federal judge said in a ruling Wednesday.
U.S. District Court Judge David Carter in an 18-page opinion ordered that four emails between Trump and attorney John Eastman be given to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. He said the emails cannot be withheld because they include evidence of potential crimes.
Though the judge’s conclusion has no practical bearing on a separate Justice Department investigation into efforts to overturn the election, any evidence that Trump signed documents he knew to be false could at minimum be a notable data point for criminal prosecutors trying to sort out culpability for far-ranging efforts to undo the results.
The judge specifically cited claims from Trump’s attorneys that Fulton County in Georgia had improperly counted more than 10,000 votes of dead people, felons and unregistered voters. Those false allegations were part of a filing that Trump’s legal team made in Georgia state court on Dec. 4, 2021.
Later that month, Eastman warned in a message that Trump had been made aware that “some of the allegations (and evidence proffered by the experts)” in that Georgia filing “has been inaccurate.”
Yet even after the message from Eastman, Trump and his team filed another legal complaint that had “the same inaccurate numbers,” the judge wrote. Trump under oath verified the complaint was true to the best of his knowledge.
“The emails show that President Trump knew that the specific numbers of voter fraud were wrong but continued to tout those numbers, both in court and to the public,” Carter wrote. He said the emails are “sufficiently related to and in furtherance of a conspiracy to defraud the United States.”
Representatives for Trump and Eastman did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The ruling is the latest development in a monthslong legal battle between Eastman — a conservative lawyer and lead architect of Trump’s last-ditch efforts to stay in office — and congressional investigators.
Eastman has been trying to withhold documents from the committee on the basis of attorney-client privilege claims. The committee has argued that there is a legal exception allowing the disclosure of communications regarding ongoing or future crimes. And Carter has mostly agreed, ordering the release of hundreds of emails to the House committee since the spring.
In a stunning ruling in March, the judge had asserted that it is “more likely than not” that Trump committed crimes in his attempt to stop the certification of the 2020 election.
Carter in his ruling Wednesday said the messages he has reviewed from Eastman and other attorneys show that the “primary goal” for some of their litigation was delaying or disrupting the certification of President Joe Biden’s election win.
The totality of the evidence makes clear that “Trump filed certain lawsuits not to obtain legal relief, but to disrupt or delay the January 6 congressional proceedings through the courts,” the judge wrote.
The emails from Eastman are part of the House committee’s investigation into a multi-part plan by Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election and the ensuing violence at the Capitol.
The judge ordered Eastman to give the documents to the committee by the afternoon of Oct. 28.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Farnoush Amiri
Publishing date:Oct 19, 2022 • 9 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump signed legal documents challenging the results of the 2020 election that included voter fraud claims he knew to be false, a federal judge said in a ruling Wednesday.
U.S. District Court Judge David Carter in an 18-page opinion ordered that four emails between Trump and attorney John Eastman be given to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. He said the emails cannot be withheld because they include evidence of potential crimes.
Though the judge’s conclusion has no practical bearing on a separate Justice Department investigation into efforts to overturn the election, any evidence that Trump signed documents he knew to be false could at minimum be a notable data point for criminal prosecutors trying to sort out culpability for far-ranging efforts to undo the results.
The judge specifically cited claims from Trump’s attorneys that Fulton County in Georgia had improperly counted more than 10,000 votes of dead people, felons and unregistered voters. Those false allegations were part of a filing that Trump’s legal team made in Georgia state court on Dec. 4, 2021.
Later that month, Eastman warned in a message that Trump had been made aware that “some of the allegations (and evidence proffered by the experts)” in that Georgia filing “has been inaccurate.”
Yet even after the message from Eastman, Trump and his team filed another legal complaint that had “the same inaccurate numbers,” the judge wrote. Trump under oath verified the complaint was true to the best of his knowledge.
“The emails show that President Trump knew that the specific numbers of voter fraud were wrong but continued to tout those numbers, both in court and to the public,” Carter wrote. He said the emails are “sufficiently related to and in furtherance of a conspiracy to defraud the United States.”
Representatives for Trump and Eastman did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The ruling is the latest development in a monthslong legal battle between Eastman — a conservative lawyer and lead architect of Trump’s last-ditch efforts to stay in office — and congressional investigators.
Eastman has been trying to withhold documents from the committee on the basis of attorney-client privilege claims. The committee has argued that there is a legal exception allowing the disclosure of communications regarding ongoing or future crimes. And Carter has mostly agreed, ordering the release of hundreds of emails to the House committee since the spring.
In a stunning ruling in March, the judge had asserted that it is “more likely than not” that Trump committed crimes in his attempt to stop the certification of the 2020 election.
Carter in his ruling Wednesday said the messages he has reviewed from Eastman and other attorneys show that the “primary goal” for some of their litigation was delaying or disrupting the certification of President Joe Biden’s election win.
The totality of the evidence makes clear that “Trump filed certain lawsuits not to obtain legal relief, but to disrupt or delay the January 6 congressional proceedings through the courts,” the judge wrote.
The emails from Eastman are part of the House committee’s investigation into a multi-part plan by Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election and the ensuing violence at the Capitol.
The judge ordered Eastman to give the documents to the committee by the afternoon of Oct. 28.
Trump knew vote fraud claims in legal docs were false: Judge
Donald Trump signed legal documents challenging the results of the 2020 election that included voter fraud claims he knew to be false.
Trump ex-adviser Steve Bannon sentenced to four months for contempt
Bannon also ordered to pay a fine of $6,500
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Sarah N. Lynch
Publishing date:Oct 21, 2022 • 17 hours ago • 3 minute read • Join the conversation
WASHINGTON — Steve Bannon, a one-time adviser to former President Donald Trump, was sentenced by a judge on Friday to four months in prison for refusing to cooperate with lawmakers investigating last year’s U.S. Capitol attack.
Bannon was found guilty in July on two counts of contempt of Congress for failing to provide documents or testimony to the House of Representatives committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack. Prosecutors had sought a six-month sentence, while Bannon’s attorneys had asked for probation.
U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols also ordered Bannon, a key adviser to the Republican Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, to pay a fine of $6,500. The judge allowed Bannon to defer serving his sentence while he appeals his conviction.
Prosecutor J.P. Cooney said at Friday’s hearing that Bannon chose to “thumb his nose at Congress.” He “is not above the law, and that’s what makes this case important,” Cooney said.
Bannon, 68, served as Trump’s chief White House strategist during 2017 before a falling out between them that was later patched up.
A firebrand, Brannon helped articulate the “America First” right-wing populism and stout opposition to immigration that helped define Trump’s presidency. Bannon has played an instrumental role in right-wing media and has promoted right-wing causes and candidates in the United States and abroad.
A pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol and attacked police with batons, sledgehammers, flag poles, Taser devices, chemical irritants, metal pipes, rocks, metal guard rails and other weapons in a failed effort to block congressional certification of his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.
Bannon declined to address the judge prior to sentencing on Friday.
Outside the courthouse, he delivered fiery remarks as protesters at times tried to drown his voice out with shouts of “Traitor!”
“Today was my judgment day by the judge,” Bannon told reporters. “But … on November 8, they are going to have judgment on the illegitimate Biden regime, and quite frankly, (House Speaker) Nancy Pelosi and the entire committee.”
Bannon has two weeks to file his appeal, which his lawyers said they intend to do. If he fails to file it on time, he is required to turn himself in by Nov. 15.
According to the Jan. 6 committee, Bannon spoke with Trump at least twice on the day before the attack, attended a planning meeting at a Washington hotel and said on his right-wing podcast that “all hell is going to break loose tomorrow.”
In his trial, prosecutors called only two witnesses while Bannon’s defence team called none. Bannon opted not to testify. Bannon’s lawyers have said they will appeal his conviction.
Bannon’s defence was hamstrung by rulings by Nichols that barred him from asserting that he relied on executive privilege claims and arguing that he relied on advice from his attorney.
The committee’s leaders have called Bannon’s conviction a victory for the rule of law. Bannon had sought to portray the criminal charges as politically motivated, lashing out at Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland, while saying, “They took on the wrong guy his time.”
The Democratic-led committee has sought testimony from dozens of people in Trump’s orbit. In addition to Bannon, prosecutors have charged former Trump White House adviser Peter Navarro with contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the same committee, with a Nov. 17 trial date set. Navarro has pleaded not guilty.
During Friday’s hearing, Bannon’s attorney David Schoen said Bannon relied on the advice of his lawyers not to comply with a congressional subpoena after Trump invoked executive privilege, a legal doctrine that shields some White House communications from disclosure.
“A more egregious contempt of Congress would have been to say ‘Screw you Congress, take your subpoena and shove it!'” Schoen said.
Nichols, in rendering his decision, said he agreed that Bannon should get some credit for relying on legal advice, even if it was “misguided.”
At the same time, Nichols said that Bannon “had not produced a single document” or any testimony to Congress.
“The January 6 Committee has every reason to investigate what happened that day,” Nichols said, adding that “flaunting congressional subpoenas betrays a lack of respect” for Congress.
Friday’s sentencing does not end Bannon’s legal troubles. He was indicted in New York state in September on charges of money laundering and conspiracy, with prosecutors accusing him of deceiving donors giving money to help build Trump’s promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Bannon, who pleaded not guilty, could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted on those charges.
torontosun.com
Bannon also ordered to pay a fine of $6,500
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Sarah N. Lynch
Publishing date:Oct 21, 2022 • 17 hours ago • 3 minute read • Join the conversation
WASHINGTON — Steve Bannon, a one-time adviser to former President Donald Trump, was sentenced by a judge on Friday to four months in prison for refusing to cooperate with lawmakers investigating last year’s U.S. Capitol attack.
Bannon was found guilty in July on two counts of contempt of Congress for failing to provide documents or testimony to the House of Representatives committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack. Prosecutors had sought a six-month sentence, while Bannon’s attorneys had asked for probation.
U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols also ordered Bannon, a key adviser to the Republican Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, to pay a fine of $6,500. The judge allowed Bannon to defer serving his sentence while he appeals his conviction.
Prosecutor J.P. Cooney said at Friday’s hearing that Bannon chose to “thumb his nose at Congress.” He “is not above the law, and that’s what makes this case important,” Cooney said.
Bannon, 68, served as Trump’s chief White House strategist during 2017 before a falling out between them that was later patched up.
A firebrand, Brannon helped articulate the “America First” right-wing populism and stout opposition to immigration that helped define Trump’s presidency. Bannon has played an instrumental role in right-wing media and has promoted right-wing causes and candidates in the United States and abroad.
A pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol and attacked police with batons, sledgehammers, flag poles, Taser devices, chemical irritants, metal pipes, rocks, metal guard rails and other weapons in a failed effort to block congressional certification of his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.
Bannon declined to address the judge prior to sentencing on Friday.
Outside the courthouse, he delivered fiery remarks as protesters at times tried to drown his voice out with shouts of “Traitor!”
“Today was my judgment day by the judge,” Bannon told reporters. “But … on November 8, they are going to have judgment on the illegitimate Biden regime, and quite frankly, (House Speaker) Nancy Pelosi and the entire committee.”
Bannon has two weeks to file his appeal, which his lawyers said they intend to do. If he fails to file it on time, he is required to turn himself in by Nov. 15.
According to the Jan. 6 committee, Bannon spoke with Trump at least twice on the day before the attack, attended a planning meeting at a Washington hotel and said on his right-wing podcast that “all hell is going to break loose tomorrow.”
In his trial, prosecutors called only two witnesses while Bannon’s defence team called none. Bannon opted not to testify. Bannon’s lawyers have said they will appeal his conviction.
Bannon’s defence was hamstrung by rulings by Nichols that barred him from asserting that he relied on executive privilege claims and arguing that he relied on advice from his attorney.
The committee’s leaders have called Bannon’s conviction a victory for the rule of law. Bannon had sought to portray the criminal charges as politically motivated, lashing out at Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland, while saying, “They took on the wrong guy his time.”
The Democratic-led committee has sought testimony from dozens of people in Trump’s orbit. In addition to Bannon, prosecutors have charged former Trump White House adviser Peter Navarro with contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the same committee, with a Nov. 17 trial date set. Navarro has pleaded not guilty.
During Friday’s hearing, Bannon’s attorney David Schoen said Bannon relied on the advice of his lawyers not to comply with a congressional subpoena after Trump invoked executive privilege, a legal doctrine that shields some White House communications from disclosure.
“A more egregious contempt of Congress would have been to say ‘Screw you Congress, take your subpoena and shove it!'” Schoen said.
Nichols, in rendering his decision, said he agreed that Bannon should get some credit for relying on legal advice, even if it was “misguided.”
At the same time, Nichols said that Bannon “had not produced a single document” or any testimony to Congress.
“The January 6 Committee has every reason to investigate what happened that day,” Nichols said, adding that “flaunting congressional subpoenas betrays a lack of respect” for Congress.
Friday’s sentencing does not end Bannon’s legal troubles. He was indicted in New York state in September on charges of money laundering and conspiracy, with prosecutors accusing him of deceiving donors giving money to help build Trump’s promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Bannon, who pleaded not guilty, could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted on those charges.
Trump ex-adviser Steve Bannon sentenced to four months for contempt
Steve Bannon, a prominent figure on American right, was sentenced by a judge on Friday to four months in prison for contempt of Congress.
Classified papers seized from Trump home held secrets about Iran, China: Report
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Publishing date:Oct 21, 2022 • 15 hours ago • 1 minute read • 12 Comments
A detailed property inventory of documents and other items seized from former U.S. President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate shows the seizure of documents marked "Confidential," "Secret," "Top Secret" and dozens of empty folders marked either "Classified" or marked that they were to be returned to the president's staff assistant or military aide after the inventory was released to the public by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in West Palm Beach, Fla., Sept. 2, 2022.
A detailed property inventory of documents and other items seized from former U.S. President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate shows the seizure of documents marked "Confidential," "Secret," "Top Secret" and dozens of empty folders marked either "Classified" or marked that they were to be returned to the president's staff assistant or military aide after the inventory was released to the public by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in West Palm Beach, Fla., Sept. 2, 2022. PHOTO BY JIM BOURG /REUTERS
WASHINGTON — Highly sensitive intelligence on Iran and China was in some of the documents recovered by the FBI during an August search of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s home in Florida, The Washington Post reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
They included secret documents that described intelligence work regarding China and at least one of them described Iran’s missile program, the report said, adding that the documents were considered to be among the most sensitive in the materials seized by the FBI.
The release of information in these documents would pose multiple risks, including endangering people helping U.S. intelligence efforts and compromising collection efforts, the newspaper cited experts as saying.
The U.S. Justice Department is investigating whether Trump broke the law by taking government records, including about 100 classified documents, to his Florida estate after leaving office in January 2021.
The department is also looking into whether Trump or his team obstructed justice when the FBI sent agents to search his home, and has warned that more classified documents may still be missing.
Representatives for Trump did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the newspaper report. The Justice Department did not respond to a request for confirmation of the Post report.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Publishing date:Oct 21, 2022 • 15 hours ago • 1 minute read • 12 Comments
A detailed property inventory of documents and other items seized from former U.S. President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate shows the seizure of documents marked "Confidential," "Secret," "Top Secret" and dozens of empty folders marked either "Classified" or marked that they were to be returned to the president's staff assistant or military aide after the inventory was released to the public by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in West Palm Beach, Fla., Sept. 2, 2022.
A detailed property inventory of documents and other items seized from former U.S. President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate shows the seizure of documents marked "Confidential," "Secret," "Top Secret" and dozens of empty folders marked either "Classified" or marked that they were to be returned to the president's staff assistant or military aide after the inventory was released to the public by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in West Palm Beach, Fla., Sept. 2, 2022. PHOTO BY JIM BOURG /REUTERS
WASHINGTON — Highly sensitive intelligence on Iran and China was in some of the documents recovered by the FBI during an August search of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s home in Florida, The Washington Post reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
They included secret documents that described intelligence work regarding China and at least one of them described Iran’s missile program, the report said, adding that the documents were considered to be among the most sensitive in the materials seized by the FBI.
The release of information in these documents would pose multiple risks, including endangering people helping U.S. intelligence efforts and compromising collection efforts, the newspaper cited experts as saying.
The U.S. Justice Department is investigating whether Trump broke the law by taking government records, including about 100 classified documents, to his Florida estate after leaving office in January 2021.
The department is also looking into whether Trump or his team obstructed justice when the FBI sent agents to search his home, and has warned that more classified documents may still be missing.
Representatives for Trump did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the newspaper report. The Justice Department did not respond to a request for confirmation of the Post report.
Classified papers seized from Trump home held secrets about Iran, China: Report
Highly sensitive intelligence on Iran and China was in some of the documents recovered by the FBI during a search of Donald Trump's home.
Jan. 6 panel issues subpoena to Donald Trump, demanding he testify
It is unclear how Trump and his legal team will respond to subpoena
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Farnoush Amiri And Mary Clare Jalonick
Publishing date:Oct 21, 2022 • 12 hours ago • 6 minute read • 5 Comments
WASHINGTON — The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol formally issued an extraordinary subpoena to Donald Trump on Friday, demanding testimony from the former president who lawmakers say “personally orchestrated” a multi-part effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
The nine-member panel issued a letter to Trump’s lawyers saying he must testify, either at the Capitol or by videoconference, “beginning on or about” Nov. 14 and continuing for multiple days if necessary.
The letter also outlined a sweeping request for documents, including personal communications between Trump and members of Congress as well as extremist groups. Those are to be turned in by Nov. 4, although the committee’s deadlines are generally subject to negotiation.
“We recognize that a subpoena to a former president is a significant and historic action,” Chairman Bennie Thompson and Vice Chair Liz Cheney wrote in the letter to Trump. “We do not take this action lightly.”
The panel rooted its action in history, listing past presidents from John Quincy Adams to Gerald Ford, who testified before Congress after leaving office — and noted that even sitting presidents have responded to congressional subpoenas.
It is unclear how Trump and his legal team will respond. He could comply or negotiate with the committee, announce he will defy the subpoena or ignore it altogether. He could also go to court and try to stop it.
“We understand that, once again, flouting norms and appropriate and customary process, the Committee has publicly released a copy of its subpoena,” David Warrington, a partner with the Dhillon Law Group, which is representing Trump, said in a statement late Friday. “As with any similar matter, we will review and analyze it, and will respond as appropriate to this unprecedented action.”
The subpoena is the latest and most striking escalation in the House committee’s 15-month investigation of the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, bringing members of the panel into direct conflict with the man they have investigated from afar through the testimony of aides, allies and associates.
In the letter, the committee wrote about the “overwhelming evidence” it has assembled, showing Trump “personally orchestrated” an effort to overturn his defeat in the 2020 election, including by spreading false allegations of widespread voter fraud, “attempting to corrupt” the Justice Department and pressuring state officials, members of Congress and his own vice president to change the results.
“In short, you were at the centre of the first and only effort by any U.S. President to overturn an election and obstruct the peaceful transition of power, ultimately culminating in a bloody attack on our own Capitol and on the Congress itself,” Thompson and Cheney said.
Lawmakers say key details about what Trump was doing and saying during the siege remain unknown. According to the committee, the only person who can fill the gaps is Trump himself.
The panel — comprised of seven Democrats and two Republicans — approved the subpoena for Trump in a surprise vote last week. Every member voted in support.
The subpoena calls for testimony about Trump’s dealings with several former aides and associates who have asserted their Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination to the committee, including Roger Stone, Michael Flynn, John Eastman, Jeffrey Clark and Kelli Ward.
“These Fifth Amendment assertions — made by persons with whom you interacted — related directly to you and your conduct,” the subpoena letter reads. “They provide specific examples where your truthful testimony under oath with be important.”
The committee also made 19 requests for documents and communication — including for any messages Trump sent on the encrypted messaging app Signal “or any other means” to members of Congress and others about the stunning events of the Capitol attack.
The scope of the committee’s request is expansive — pursuing documents from Sept. 1, 2020, two months before the election, to the present on the president’s communications with the groups like the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys — as the panel looks to compile a historical record of the run-up to the Capitol attack and then the aftermath.
But there remains little legal advantage for Trump to cooperate with the committee as he already faces other civil and criminal legal battles in various jurisdictions, including over his family business in New York and the handling of presidential records at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
It’s possible his lawyers could simply run out the clock on the subpoena if they go to court to try to squash it as the committee is required to finish its work by the end of the year.
“It seems improbable to me that this could be litigated to conclusion in the time remaining to the Committee in this Congress,” Peter Keisler, who served as acting attorney general under President George W. Bush, told The Associated Press.
There is ample precedent for Congress to seek testimony from a former president. Over the past century and a half, at least six current and former presidents have testified on Capitol Hill, including John Tyler and Quincy Adams after both were subpoenaed in 1848.
This could be Trump’s chance to respond directly to the committee, to tell his version of events, but it’s unlikely the defeated president would take it. He has ridiculed the panel and its work, preferring to share his views on his own terms. And testifying under oath could create legal exposure in the several other investigations he is caught up in.
If Trump refuses to comply with the subpoena, the panel will have to weigh the practical and political implications of holding him in contempt of Congress.
“That’s a bridge we cross if we have to get there,” Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a Republican member of the committee, told ABC on Sunday. “He’s made it clear he has nothing to hide, is what he says. So, he should come in.”
If the full House voted to recommend a contempt charge against Trump, the Justice Department would then review the case and decide on any further steps.
Other witnesses have faced legal consequences for defying the committee, including close Trump ally Steve Bannon, who was convicted of contempt in July and was sentenced Friday to four months behind bars. But holding a former president in contempt would be another matter.
The subpoena to Trump comes as the committee is looking to wrap up its investigative work and compile a final, comprehensive report that will be published by the end of the year. Investigators have interviewed more than 1,000 witnesses, including many of Trump’s top White House aides, and obtained tens of thousands of pages of documents since the committee was formed in July 2021.
But the panel is authorized only through this Congress, which ends on Jan. 3. That means members have only a few short months — amid a hectic lame-duck legislative period after the midterm elections — to refine their historical record of the worst attack on the Capitol in two centuries. Whether that will include the testimony from the 45th president of the United States remains to be seen.
The committee ended its subpoena to Trump by quoting one of his predecessors: “President (Theodore) Roosevelt explained during his congressional testimony, ‘an ex-President is merely a citizen of the United States, like any other citizen, and it is his plain duty to try to help this committee or respond to its invitation.’”
— Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Jill Colvin and Mark Sherman contributed to this report.
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It is unclear how Trump and his legal team will respond to subpoena
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Farnoush Amiri And Mary Clare Jalonick
Publishing date:Oct 21, 2022 • 12 hours ago • 6 minute read • 5 Comments
WASHINGTON — The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol formally issued an extraordinary subpoena to Donald Trump on Friday, demanding testimony from the former president who lawmakers say “personally orchestrated” a multi-part effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
The nine-member panel issued a letter to Trump’s lawyers saying he must testify, either at the Capitol or by videoconference, “beginning on or about” Nov. 14 and continuing for multiple days if necessary.
The letter also outlined a sweeping request for documents, including personal communications between Trump and members of Congress as well as extremist groups. Those are to be turned in by Nov. 4, although the committee’s deadlines are generally subject to negotiation.
“We recognize that a subpoena to a former president is a significant and historic action,” Chairman Bennie Thompson and Vice Chair Liz Cheney wrote in the letter to Trump. “We do not take this action lightly.”
The panel rooted its action in history, listing past presidents from John Quincy Adams to Gerald Ford, who testified before Congress after leaving office — and noted that even sitting presidents have responded to congressional subpoenas.
It is unclear how Trump and his legal team will respond. He could comply or negotiate with the committee, announce he will defy the subpoena or ignore it altogether. He could also go to court and try to stop it.
“We understand that, once again, flouting norms and appropriate and customary process, the Committee has publicly released a copy of its subpoena,” David Warrington, a partner with the Dhillon Law Group, which is representing Trump, said in a statement late Friday. “As with any similar matter, we will review and analyze it, and will respond as appropriate to this unprecedented action.”
The subpoena is the latest and most striking escalation in the House committee’s 15-month investigation of the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, bringing members of the panel into direct conflict with the man they have investigated from afar through the testimony of aides, allies and associates.
In the letter, the committee wrote about the “overwhelming evidence” it has assembled, showing Trump “personally orchestrated” an effort to overturn his defeat in the 2020 election, including by spreading false allegations of widespread voter fraud, “attempting to corrupt” the Justice Department and pressuring state officials, members of Congress and his own vice president to change the results.
“In short, you were at the centre of the first and only effort by any U.S. President to overturn an election and obstruct the peaceful transition of power, ultimately culminating in a bloody attack on our own Capitol and on the Congress itself,” Thompson and Cheney said.
Lawmakers say key details about what Trump was doing and saying during the siege remain unknown. According to the committee, the only person who can fill the gaps is Trump himself.
The panel — comprised of seven Democrats and two Republicans — approved the subpoena for Trump in a surprise vote last week. Every member voted in support.
The subpoena calls for testimony about Trump’s dealings with several former aides and associates who have asserted their Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination to the committee, including Roger Stone, Michael Flynn, John Eastman, Jeffrey Clark and Kelli Ward.
“These Fifth Amendment assertions — made by persons with whom you interacted — related directly to you and your conduct,” the subpoena letter reads. “They provide specific examples where your truthful testimony under oath with be important.”
The committee also made 19 requests for documents and communication — including for any messages Trump sent on the encrypted messaging app Signal “or any other means” to members of Congress and others about the stunning events of the Capitol attack.
The scope of the committee’s request is expansive — pursuing documents from Sept. 1, 2020, two months before the election, to the present on the president’s communications with the groups like the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys — as the panel looks to compile a historical record of the run-up to the Capitol attack and then the aftermath.
But there remains little legal advantage for Trump to cooperate with the committee as he already faces other civil and criminal legal battles in various jurisdictions, including over his family business in New York and the handling of presidential records at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
It’s possible his lawyers could simply run out the clock on the subpoena if they go to court to try to squash it as the committee is required to finish its work by the end of the year.
“It seems improbable to me that this could be litigated to conclusion in the time remaining to the Committee in this Congress,” Peter Keisler, who served as acting attorney general under President George W. Bush, told The Associated Press.
There is ample precedent for Congress to seek testimony from a former president. Over the past century and a half, at least six current and former presidents have testified on Capitol Hill, including John Tyler and Quincy Adams after both were subpoenaed in 1848.
This could be Trump’s chance to respond directly to the committee, to tell his version of events, but it’s unlikely the defeated president would take it. He has ridiculed the panel and its work, preferring to share his views on his own terms. And testifying under oath could create legal exposure in the several other investigations he is caught up in.
If Trump refuses to comply with the subpoena, the panel will have to weigh the practical and political implications of holding him in contempt of Congress.
“That’s a bridge we cross if we have to get there,” Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a Republican member of the committee, told ABC on Sunday. “He’s made it clear he has nothing to hide, is what he says. So, he should come in.”
If the full House voted to recommend a contempt charge against Trump, the Justice Department would then review the case and decide on any further steps.
Other witnesses have faced legal consequences for defying the committee, including close Trump ally Steve Bannon, who was convicted of contempt in July and was sentenced Friday to four months behind bars. But holding a former president in contempt would be another matter.
The subpoena to Trump comes as the committee is looking to wrap up its investigative work and compile a final, comprehensive report that will be published by the end of the year. Investigators have interviewed more than 1,000 witnesses, including many of Trump’s top White House aides, and obtained tens of thousands of pages of documents since the committee was formed in July 2021.
But the panel is authorized only through this Congress, which ends on Jan. 3. That means members have only a few short months — amid a hectic lame-duck legislative period after the midterm elections — to refine their historical record of the worst attack on the Capitol in two centuries. Whether that will include the testimony from the 45th president of the United States remains to be seen.
The committee ended its subpoena to Trump by quoting one of his predecessors: “President (Theodore) Roosevelt explained during his congressional testimony, ‘an ex-President is merely a citizen of the United States, like any other citizen, and it is his plain duty to try to help this committee or respond to its invitation.’”
— Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Jill Colvin and Mark Sherman contributed to this report.
Jan. 6 panel issues subpoena to Donald Trump, demanding he testify
The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol issued a subpoena Friday to Donald Trump.