White House Chief Of Staff Gave The Order To Override Weather [UPDATE: TRUMP Ordered It]

Ken AshfordDisasters, Political Scandals, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

NY Times: The White House was directly involved in pressing a federal scientific agency to repudiate the weather forecasters who contradicted President Trump’s claim that Hurricane Dorian would probably strike Alabama, according to several people familiar with the events. Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff, told Wilbur Ross, the commerce secretary, to have the National Oceanic and … Read More

Trump Destroying National Security Apparatus As CIA Loses Critical Asset Due To Trump

Ken AshfordL'Affaire Russe, Russia, Trump & Administration, White House SecrecyLeave a Comment

The Washington Post has the goods on the spy who came out of the cold: In 2017, the United States extracted from Russia an important CIA source who had provided information about the Kremlin’s interference in the 2016 presidential election, according to current and former officials. The operation, known as an exfiltration, followed mounting concerns among U.S. officials that the individual could be … Read More

Nothing To Do With Me?

Ken AshfordEmoluments Violation, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

NYT: WASHINGTON — Back in 2014, soon after acquiring a golf resort in Scotland, Donald J. Trump entered a partnership with a struggling local airport there to increase air traffic and boost tourism in the region. The next year, as Mr. Trump began running for president, the Pentagon decided to ramp up its use of that same airport to refuel … Read More

Trump Turnberry Resort Brings Emoluments Clause Back Into Focus

Ken AshfordEmoluments Violation, Political Scandals, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

Hmmmmm: The U.S. Air Force has ordered a world-wide review of how it chooses overnight accommodations on long flights following revelations that air crews had occasionally stayed at President Donald Trump’s Scotland resort while refueling at a small commercial airport nearby. The review comes as additional instances of military personnel staying at Trump properties have been uncovered. The C-17 crew’s … Read More

House Judiciary To Focus On Hush Money To Porn Star Scandal

Ken AshfordCongress, Stormy Daniels & Karen McDougal Affairs, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

I’ve always thought that the Stormy Daniels scandal was much worse for Trump than L’Affaire Russe, if only because it doesn’t involve dark unknowable Russians AND the White House cannot hide everything in executive privilege. It seems others agree: House Democrats plan to shift their focus this fall to President Trump’s alleged role in the hush money scheme that led … Read More

DOJ Inspector General Report Is Not The Bombshell Trump Supporters Made It Out To Be

Ken AshfordL'Affaire Russe, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz issued a scathing report Thursday on the conduct of former FBI Director James Comey during the first few months of the Trump administration detailing his actions that violated FBI and DOJ policy. But despite its harsh tone, the narrowly tailored report failed to find Comey guilty of any serious criminal wrongdoing while revealing the IG’s actually … Read More

Majority of House Dems Are Now On The Record As Favoring Impeachment

Ken AshfordCongress, L'Affaire Russe, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

That’s the headline. Despite conventional wisdom that Mueller’s House testimony was a bomb, the momentum for impeachment keeps on growing: The impeachment dam has broken. More than half of House Democrats say they would vote to launch impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump, a crucial threshold that backers said will require Speaker Nancy Pelosi to reconsider her steadfast opposition. Though … Read More

Coats Replaced As National Intel Director And Replaced With Trump Toadie

Ken AshfordElection 2020, L'Affaire Russe, Russia, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

Coats out as national intel director, clashed with Trump: WASHINGTON (AP) — Dan Coats, director of national intelligence, will leave his job next month, President Trump announced Sunday, after a turbulent two years in which Coats and the president were often at odds over Russian interference in the 2016 election. Trump announced Coats’ departure as Aug. 15 in a tweet … Read More

Yeah, Let’s Do This.

Ken AshfordCongress, L'Affaire Russe, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

Language from the suit makes clear that impeachment under consideration. “Articles of impeachment are under consideration as part of the Committee’s investigation, although no final determination has been made.” — Manu Raju (@mkraju) July 26, 2019 Pelosi has signed off on this language, Dems say — Manu Raju (@mkraju) July 26, 2019 Just asked Nadler if what they’re doing now … Read More

It Looks Like No Impeachment Inquiry

Ken AshfordCongress, L'Affaire Russe, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

I’m John Cole: I guess maybe because I read the damned report, unlike, apparently, the FBI director and every member of the Republican caucus, there was nothing really newsworthy there today. Just an aged bureaucrat calmly answering questions from a bunch of people who, with limited exceptions, had far inferior intellect. I don’t know how the man made it through … Read More

Mueller Testifies

Ken AshfordCongress, L'Affaire Russe, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

Trump weighed in just before Mueller was sworn in — NO COLLUSION, NO OBSTRUCTION! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 24, 2019 It is an hour and a half into Mueller’s testimony before the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committee and it is clear that Democrats are very organized, getting lots of information out by asking “Isn’t true [quote from report], … Read More

Mueller Day Preview

Ken AshfordCongress, L'Affaire Russe, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

Tomorrow is “Mueller Day” – the day before Robert Mueller testifies before Congress. Mueller is scheduled to testify before the House Judiciary and Intelligence panels Wednesday morning beginning at 8:30 a.m. ET. The former special counsel has been a reluctant witness, and is appearing before subpoena. Democrats plan to push Mueller on several aspects of his investigation as well as the … Read More

Document Dump: Cohen Warrants

Ken AshfordStormy Daniels & Karen McDougal Affairs, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

The unredacted Michael Cohen search warrants describe a series of calls on October 8, 2016 between Trump, Cohen, and Hope Hicks – the purpose of which the FBI says was to keep Stephanie Clifford (aka Stormy Daniels) from going public with her story. From last April. Just a bold faced lie: https://t.co/LeFyJeZ584 — andrew kaczynski (@KFILE) July 18, 2019 What … Read More

No Charges Brought Against Trump Org For Stormy Daniels Payment

Ken AshfordElection 2016, Stormy Daniels & Karen McDougal Affairs, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

Federal prosecutors in New York have ended their investigation into the Trump Organization’s role in hush money payments made to women who alleged affairs with President Donald Trump and have been ordered by a judge to release additional information connected to their related probe of former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, according to court documents filed today. On Friday the Manhattan US Attorney’s office … Read More