| Week #31: June 18, 2017 |
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Another week for the history books: Trump is under investigation for obstruction of justice -- a fact he confirmed through a tweet. With his increasingly erratic behavior, Trump has become his own worst enemy. While investigations by the House, Senate, FBI, federal investigators and special counsel into Trump-Russia steam ahead, Trump's continued efforts to interfere with investigations may prove to be his ultimate undoing. This week the tentacles of the Trump-Russia probe reached new members of the Trump regime, and several chose to lawyer up. Congress is singularly focused on Trump-Russia, save for McConnell's odd, clandestine AHCA efforts. |
| 1. |
Trump canceled his UK visit, saying he didn't want to come until the British public supports him. Large-scale protests were expected. Read More About This |
| 2. |
Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, NJ has been coined "the summer White House," and similar to Mar-A-Lago, offers access -- such as Trump crashing parties - as part of the marketing plan. Read More About This; Click here, also |
| 3. |
Since taking office, Trump has been at one of his properties every 3.5 days, and at one of his golf courses every 6.2 days. Read More About This |
| 4. |
On Sunday, Trump attorney Jay Sekulow, said Trump is considering firing Mueller. Read More About This |
| 5. |
Trump allies, including Gingrich and Conway, attacked Mueller, claiming he was biased for Comey, and that members of his staff have donated to Democrats of liberal causes. Read More About This |
| 6. |
Gingrich also accused Mueller of being part of the "deep state" plot to undermine Trump. Read More About This |
| 7. |
Bharara told ABC Sunday that Trump called him three times. Bharara was fired the day after he did not return the third call. Bharara noted Obama did not call him once while he served. Read More About This |
| 8. |
Bharara also described his contact as "a little bit uncomfortable", and said reading about Trump's contact with Comey "felt a little bit like deja vu." Read More About This |
| 9. |
Kasowitz bragged that he was behind the firing of Bharara. According to a ProPublica source, Kasowitz told Trump, "This guy is going to get you." Read More About This |
| 10. |
In response to a FOIA request, the Secret Service said it has no audio or transcripts of any tapes made in the WH. Trump has still not verified if he lied about the existence of tapes, despite promises to do so soon. Read More About This |
| 11. |
Hundreds of Kremlin critics were arrested amid anti-corruption protests, including opposition leader Navalny who was detained near his home. Read More About This |
| 12. |
A Moscow court sentenced Navalny to 30 days in prison for staging an unsanctioned rally. The White House and State Dept were silent on all of this. Read More About This |
| 13. |
Gianforte was sentenced to a 180-day deferred sentence, and ordered to complete 40 hours of community service and 20 hours of anger management counseling for assaulting reporter Ben Jacobs. Read More About This |
| 14. |
The 9th Circuit upheld an injunction blocking part of Trump's second Muslim Ban. In their ruling, the judges cited Trump's own tweets. Read More About This; Click here, also |
| 15. |
Trump changed the expiration date of the Muslim Ban in an effort to prevent the Supreme Court from declaring it moot. Read More About This |
| 16. |
Monday, in a bizarre display in front of cameras, Trump's cabinet members took turns praising him. Read More About This |
| 17. |
A journalist noted: " Putin televises the beginnings of his cabinet meetings." Read More About This |
| 18. |
Rep. Quigley introduced the "COVFEFE Act," to require the preservation of Trump's tweets. The original covfefe tweet was deleted. Read More About This |
| 19. |
Also of note, Trump has been actively blocking users on Twitter, despite using his Twitter account for policy and other announcements. Read More About This |
| 20. |
Trump's approval sunk again in a new AP/NORC poll, with his net favorability falling to -29 (approve 35, disapprove 64). Read More About This |
| 21. |
The AP/NORC poll also found that 7 in 10 Americans are at least moderately concerned that Trump or his campaign associates had inappropriate ties to Russia. Read More About This |
| 22. |
A survey of CEOs, business execs, government officials and academics at the Yale CEO summit found that 50% gave Trump a "F" and 21% a "D" for his first 130 days in office. Read More About This |
| 23. |
Bloomberg reported that Russian cyber hack of the US electoral system was far wider than reported -- including 39 states in all. The attacks included incursions into voter databases and software system. Read More About This |
| 24. | Further, in Illinois, which became known as "Patient Zero" in the government probe, Russian hackers gained access to personal information on 15mm people, half of whom were active voters. |
| 25. |
Cindy McCain agreed to join the State Dept, after being aggressively courted by Trump. Read More About This |
| 26. |
Dana Shell Smith, the US ambassador to Qatar, resigned. Read More About This |
| 27. |
Trump's EPA head, Pruitt, skipped much of the G7 environmental summit. Read More About This |
| 28. |
The Dept of Energy said it will close an office that works with other countries to develop clean energy technology. Read More About This |
| 29. |
At a Senate Appropriations hearing, Tillerson said he would not be staffing the State Dept until next year. Read More About This |
| 30. |
Trump's Commerce Dept removed sexual orientation and gender identification from its anti-discrimination policies. Read More About This |
| 31. |
Trump appointed loyalist Lynne Patton, who planned Eric's wedding and golf tournaments at Trump courses, to run the office that oversees federal housing programs in New York. She has no housing experience. Read More About This |
| 32. |
OGE director Shaub responded to a request from four Senate democrats, saying Steve Bannon had in fact violated White House ethics rules, noting Bannon's ethics waiver was retroactive and neither dated nor signed. Read More About This |
| 33. |
USA Today reported that in the last 12 months, 70% of Trump property buyers have been LLCs, compared to 4% two years ago. Read More About This |
| 34. |
China approved nine Trump trademark requests which were previously rejected. Intellectual property lawyers suggested "special treatment." Read More About This; Click here, also |
| 35. |
AP reported a company that partners with both Trump and Kushner is a finalist for a $1.7bn contract to build the new FBI headquarters. Read More About This |
| 36. |
While Ivanka has made attempts to reset her public image, Guardianreported at her clothing factory in China workers complain of verbal abuse, impossible targets, and poverty pay. Read More About This |
| 37. |
During Sen. Judiciary Comm testimony, Rosenstein said he now agrees that Russia interfered in our election. Rosenstein had not taken a position during his confirmation hearings. Read More About This |
| 38. |
On Tuesday, reporters at the Capitol were told they were no longer allowed to interview senators in the hallways, contrary to years of precedent. Read More About This |
| 39. |
Karen Tumulty, a reporter for WAPO, was expelled from the Capitol for doing just that. Read More About This |
| 40. |
Following a backlash, later that day Senate Republicans backed off from their restrictions on the media. Read More About This |
| 41. |
DC police said they will charge 12 of Erdogan's security guards for assaulting protestors outside the Turkish embassy. Read More About This |
| 42. |
In response to a FOIA requests, a DC judge ordered the DOJ to produce Sessions' clearance form, on which he was required to disclose contacts with Russians, within one month. Read More About This |
| 43. |
The DC judge also ordered the DOJ and FBI to release any records of Priebus reaching out to the FBI to request they refute reports of communications between the Trump campaign and Russia. Read More About This |
| 44. |
Tuesday, Sessions testified in front of the Senate Intel Comm, but largely refused to answer important questions. He did not mention any further contact with Russian officials, nor confirm the third meeting. Read More About This |
| 45. |
McCain asked Sessions if he had "any contacts with any representative, including any American lobbyist or agent of any Russian company" at the hearing Tuesday. Sessions said, "I don't believe so." Read More About This |
| 46. |
Guardian reported that Richard Burt, a lobbyist for Russia who helped craft a foreign policy speech for Trump, said he attended two dinnershosted by Sessions during the 2016 campaign. Read More About This |
| 47. |
Burt also served on the advisory board of Alfa Capital Partners, a private equity fund in which Alfa Bank was an investor. Per Week 21, the FBI is looking in links between Alfa Bank and Trump during the campaign. Read More About This |
| 48. |
Sen. Kamala Harris was interrupted by McCain and then Burr during her questioning of Sessions. Harris was also scolded by Burr for not being "courteous" in the hearing last week of Coats, Rogers and Rosenstein. Read More About This; Click here, also |
| 49. |
By a 98–2 vote, the Senate passed a new Russian sanctions bill which would impose additional sanctions, and limit Trump's ability to lift them. Read More About This |
| 50. |
WIRED reported on Mueller assembling a "dream team" of lawyers, including attorneys who specialize in money laundering and organized crime, and a former prosecutor for the Watergate investigation. Read More About This |
| 51. |
On Wednesday, a lone gunman, who had volunteered for Bernie Sanders, shot at Congressional Republicans who were practicing for a baseball game at a park in Alexandria, VA. Extreme rhetoric was blamed. Read More About This |
| 52. |
The next night as the bi-partisan game was being played, the Trump regime rescinded Obama's protections for parents of 'Dreamers,' and reduced protections for 'Dreamers.' Read More About This |
| 53. |
In Ossining, NY, ICE detained a 19 year-old on the day of his prom and weeks before his high school graduation. Read More About This |
| 54. |
On Wednesday, WAPO reported that Mueller is investigating Trump for obstruction of justice. Read More About This |
| 55. |
WAPO also reported that Mueller will interview Coats, Rogers and Ledgett as part of the investigation. Read More About This |
| 56. |
In a poignant moment on primetime TV, Lester Holt said on NBC Nightly News, "NBC News has learned the president of the United States is now under criminal investigation." Read More About This |
| 57. |
Late Thursday, Rosenstein issued an odd statement prodding the media for "anonymous allegations" on Russia, and saying "Americans should exercise caution before accepting as true" anonymous sources. Read More About This |
| 58. |
Pelosi predicted that Trump will "self-impeach." Read More About This |
| 59. |
On Friday in a tweet, Trump acknowledged he was under investigation, and described it as a "Witch Hunt." Read More About This |
| 60. |
Trump's tweet also took a swipe at Rosenstein, raising questions of whether Trump would fire him. Doing so could make it possible for Trump to put in place a process to fire Mueller. Read More About This |
| 61. |
Sen. Feinstein said she is increasingly concerned that Trump will fire Mueller. In a strong statement she noted, "We're a nation of laws that apply equally to everyone, a lesson the president would be wise to learn." Read More About This |
| 62. |
AP reported Trump advisors and confidant describe him as increasingly angry over the investigation and yelling at televisions carrying coverage. Read More About This |
| 63. |
NYT reported that Trump's private attorney, Kasowitz, has advised White House staffers not to hire private lawyers yet. Read More About This |
| 64. |
Kasowitz was hit with ethics complaints in NY and DC over this advice. Read More About This |
| 65. |
WAPO reported that Mueller is investigating Kushner for his finances and business dealings. This is in addition to previously reported investigations of Kushner's meetings in December with Kislyak and Gorkov. Read More About This |
| 66. |
WAPO also reported that the FBI and federal prosecutors are investigating the financial dealing of Flynn, Manafort and Page. Read More About This |
| 67. |
CNN reported the House Intel Comm is planning to call Brad Parscale, the digital director for Trump's campaign, in their investigation of possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Read More About This |
| 68. |
CNN also reported that Kushner is under federal investigation for his role in overseeing Trump's data operations, and is expected to talk to Senate investigators about the campaign's data operation. Read More About This |
| 69. |
Pence hired big-name experienced, top dollar lawyer with Watergate experience to represent him in the Russian probe. Read More About This |
| 70. |
Pence's PAC held a fundraiser in Indianapolis Friday night. When Rachel Maddow's staff asked whether funds go towards legal costs, the response was: "His legal fees will be paid by non-tax dollars." Read More About This |
| 71. |
Trump personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, hired counsel for the Russian probe. Cohen is under investigation by the special counsel, and will testify in front of the House Intel Comm on September 5. Read More About This |
| 72. |
Michael Caputo, a Manafort ally who served as a senior communications adviser on Trump's campaign, hired a lawyer. Caputo lived in Moscow, and in 2000 worked to improve Putin's image in the US. Read More About This |
| 73. |
Manafort and Page also hired counsel for the Russia probe. Read More About This |
| 74. |
CNBC reported that the Trump regime is touting that they created coal jobs which might not actually exist. Read More About This |
| 75. |
Putin offered Comey political asylum in Russia, continuing to publicly insert himself into US politics. Read More About This |
| 76. |
BuzzFeed reported that 14 recent deaths in the UK appear tied to Russia. Read More About This |
| 77. |
Frustrating House Republicans, Trump called their version of AHCA/Trumpcare -- which he had celebrated in the Rose Garden -- "mean," and said he hoped the Senate would pass a better version. Read More About This |
| 78. |
McConnell has been leading an oddly closed-door effort to pass AHCA in the Senate with no hearings or input. Open frustration was expressed by Democrats, some Republicans, and major patient advocacy groups. Read More About This |
| 79. |
The OGE released Trump's most recent financial disclosure Friday. Trump reported $315mm of loans, including $130mm from Deutsche Bank, the bank known for Russian ties which refused Democrats request for info. Read More About This; Click here, also |
| 80. |
The 98 pages of financial disclosure showed a sharp rise in revenue at places Trump frequented including Mar-A-Lago and nearby golf courses. Read More About This |
| 81. |
Trump also made $20mm at the newly opened Trump Hotel DC. Despite early promised to turn over payments from foreign government to the US Treasury, Trump is not tracking all payments. Read More About This |
| 82. |
The Attorneys General for DC and Maryland sued Trump for breaching his constitutional oath by accepting millions in payments and benefits from foreign governments. Read More About This |
| 83. |
Nearly 200 Congressional Democrats filed an emoluments lawsuit against Trump saying he has violated constitutional restrictions on taking gifts and benefits from foreign leaders. Read More About This |
| 84. |
A Russian oil tycoon parked his giant yacht in front of the Statue of Liberty. The yacht was a gift from a Roman Abramovich, who in Week 20 was skiing in Aspen at the same time as Kushner and Ivanka. Read More About This |
| 85. |
In an early sign of cracks from unfilled key roles in the executive branch, after the USS Fitzgerald collision, Trump was criticized for leaving the positions of US navy secretary and ambassador to Japan unfilled. Read More About This |
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