Sedition trial win bolsters Justice Dept. in Jan. 6 probe
The seditious conspiracy convictions of Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and another leader in the far-right extremist group show that jurors are willing to hold accountable not just the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, but those who schemed to subvert the 2020 election.
John Bolton discusses newly unsealed Mar-a-Lago inventory and Pat Cipollone's grand jury testimony
John Bolton, national security advisor under former President Donald Trump, spoke to CBS News senior investigative correspondent Catherine Herridge on Friday about the Mar-a-Lago search and former White House counsel Pat Cipollone's testimony before a grand jury in the Justice Department's investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
news.yahoo.comJan. 6 panel asks former Speaker Gingrich for information
The House panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection is seeking information from former House Speaker Newt Gingrich about his communications with senior advisers to then-President Donald Trump in the days leading up to the 2021 attack on the Capitol.
Ex-NYPD officer sentenced to record 10 years in prison for Jan. 6 riot
A retired New York Police Department officer was sentenced on Thursday to a record-setting 10 years in prison for attacking the U.S. Capitol and using a metal flagpole to assault a police officer trying to hold off a mob of Donald Trump supporters on Jan. 6, 2021.
news.yahoo.comArchives asked for records in 2021 after Trump lawyer agreed they should be returned, email says
Cipollone was the former White House counsel designated by Trump as one of his representatives to the Archives. Stern, the chief counsel at the Archives, does not say in the email how he determined that the boxes were in Trumpโs possession. He wrote that he also had consulted another Trump lawyer during the final days of Trumpโs presidency โ without any luck. In the email, Stern again asks for the documents from Trumpโs residence to be returned. Trump then returned 15 boxes of documents to the Archives in early 2022, and Archives officials urged Trumpโs team to continue looking for more material at the beachfront club.
washingtonpost.comFBI search at Trump Mar-a-Lago estate one of several probes
The FBI search of Donald Trumpโs Mar-a-Lago estate marked a dramatic and unprecedented escalation of the law enforcement scrutiny of the former president, but the Florida operation was just one part of one investigation related to Trump and his time in office.
Former Attorney General Bill Barr says Jan. 6 grand jury activity suggests prosecutors "taking a hard look at the group at the top, including the president"
In an interview with CBS News' Catherine Herridge, Barr offered his analysis of the Jan. 6 grand jury and who government prosecutors may be pursuing.
cbsnews.comThe tough words Trump never spoke: Jan. 6 panel's new video
An original script for Donald Trumpโs speech the day after the Capitol insurrection included lines ordering the Justice Department to โensure all lawbreakers are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the lawโ and stating the rioters โdo not represent me."
Ex-Trump counsel gears up for starring appearance in Jan. 6 hearing
Pat Cipollone, the White House counsel who fiercely defended Donald Trump in his first impeachment trial, is gearing up to be the star witness against the former president as the Jan. 6 committee winds down its public hearings with a detailed look at Trumpโs three hours of inaction as the riot unfolded. Cipollone has beenโฆ
news.yahoo.comWhite House counsel Pat Cipollone 'set a new land speed record' when he rushed over to break up a meeting with Trump, Michael Flynn, and Overstock's CEO, Sidney Powell said
"I don't think any of these people were providing the president with good advice," Cipollone said. "I didn't understand how they had gotten in."
news.yahoo.comJan. 6 panel sets prime-time hearing on Trump, awaits Bannon
The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot is returning to prime time with a Thursday evening hearing that will examine the three-hour plus stretch when Donald Trump failed to act as a mob of supporters stormed the Capitol. The committee is racing to gather newly emerging evidence and the session could be the final one in a series of public hearings that began in early June. A lawyer for former Trump strategist Steve Bannon, who faces criminal charges after months of defying a congressional subpoena, told the committee over the weekend that Bannon may now be willing to testify, according to committee members.
news.yahoo.com4 days in January: Trump push for Capitol coda to 2020 vote
It would have been something never quite before seen in America โ a defeated president, Donald Trump, standing at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, with a mob of supporters, some armed, contesting the election outcome. Trump intended to go there that day. โHeโs going to look powerful,โ mused Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani to a young White House aide four days earlier.
news.yahoo.comLogfren says Cipollone โdid not contradict the testimony of other witnessesโ in meeting with Jan. 6 panel
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), a member of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, on Friday said former Trump White House counsel Pat Cipollone did not contradict the testimony of previous witnesses when he met with the panel Friday. The meeting took place behind closed doors and came after explosive publicโฆ
news.yahoo.comTrump WH counsel Cipollone gives 1/6 testimony, new info
Former White House counsel Pat Cipollone โdid not contradictโ testimony of previous witnesses as he appeared Friday before the Jan. 6 committee, a grueling daylong private session that produced new information to be divulged in future public hearings, one lawmaker said. Cipollone was a highly sought-after witness, especially after bombshell testimony that he tried to prevent Donald Trump from challenging the 2020 election results and worked to stop the defeated president from joining the violent mob that laid siege to the Capitol, they said. โHe did not contradict the testimony of other witnesses,โ Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., said late Friday on CNN.
news.yahoo.comTrump questions whether a future a president can have 'candid' conversations with a White House counsel after Pat Cipollone agrees to testify before the January 6 committee
Multiple witnesses have named Cipollone in their testimony, making him a potentially key figure in the January 6 committee's probe.
news.yahoo.comTrump White House counsel Pat Cipollone set to testify before Jan. 6 committee on Friday
White House Counsel Pat Cipollone (R) waits for the beginning of a cabinet meeting in the East Room of the White House on May 19, 2020 in Washington, DC. Former President Donald Trump's White House counsel Pat Cipollone is expected to testify on Friday before the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, a person familiar with the matter told NBC News on Wednesday. This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
cnbc.comFormer White House counsel Cipollone to testify before Jan. 6 committee
Former White House counsel Pat Cipollone will testify Friday morning after receiving a subpoena from the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob, according to people familiar with the matter.
washingtonpost.comJan. 6 panel considers criminal referral against Trump
The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol is talking publicly about the possibility it will recommend the first-ever prosecution of a former president. Meanwhile, CBS News has learned that Donald Trump has told allies he's considering announcing a 2024 presidential bid early. Scott MacFarlane has the latest.
news.yahoo.comJan. 6 panel: More turning up with evidence against Trump
A member of the House Jan. 6 committee says more witnesses are coming forward with new details on the Capitol insurrection following former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinsonโs devastating testimony last week against former President Donald Trump.
Jan 6 panel: More people turn up with evidence against Trump
More witnesses are coming forward with new details on the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot following former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson's devastating testimony last week against former President Donald Trump, says a member of a House committee investigating the insurrection. The panel already has subpoenaed former White House counsel Pat Cipollone, who investigators remain hopeful will appear Wednesday for a deposition, and said it would also welcome follow-up details from Secret Service members with Trump that day. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., cited Hutchinson's testimony that Trump wanted to join an angry mob that marched to the Capitol on Jan. 6 where they rioted as particularly valuable in โinspiringโ more people to step forward as the committee gets set for at least two public hearings this month.
news.yahoo.comJan. 6 panel's 1,000 witnesses: From Trump aides to rioters
The House Jan. 6 panel has interviewed more than 1,000 people who were directly or indirectly involved in the U.S. Capitol insurrection as it's probed the violent attack and former President Donald Trumpโs unprecedented efforts to overturn his election defeat.
Trump can't hang on to lawyers after false election claims
Since losing the November election to President Joe Biden, Trump has been hemorrhaging attorneys. Trump's impeachment lawyers started off their defense by misspelling the words โUnited Statesโ in their brief. Navarro told The Associated Press that he โwarned the president that his legal team was going to fail him." Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana said Trumpโs team did a โterrible job." AdBut after impeachment, Trump's legal needs will likely accelerate, with the investigations in New York, Georgia and possibly Washington, D.C., where prosecutors will have the power of subpoena.
Trump names 2 lawyers to impeachment defense team
Former President Trump has named two lawyers to his impeachment defense team, one day after it was revealed that the former president had parted ways with an earlier set of attorneys. AdThe announcement was intended to promote a sense of stability surrounding the Trump defense team as his impeachment trial nears. Trumpโs team had initially announced that Butch Bowers, a South Carolina lawyer, would lead his legal team after an introduction from Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham. Many legal scholars, however, say there is no bar to an impeachment trial despite Trump having left the White House. Schoen met with financier Jeffrey Epstein about joining his defense team on sex trafficking charges just days before Epstein killed himself in a New York jail.
'He's on his own': Some Republicans begin to flee from Trump
Trump still has supporters, especially among the many rank-and-file Republican voters and conservative activists beyond Washington. That makes Trump the first outgoing president since Andrew Johnson 152 years ago to skip the swearing-in of his successor. Meanwhile, there is no clear path for the Republican Party without Trump. โWe need a Republican Party,โ Biden said, noting that he spoke with Republican Sen. Mitt Romney, a leading Trump critic. Doug Deason, a Texas-based donor who served on the Trump campaign's finance committee, said this week's events have done nothing to shake his confidence in the Republican president.
'He's on his own': Some Republicans begin to flee from Trump
Trump still has supporters, especially among the many rank-and-file Republican voters and conservative activists beyond Washington. That makes Trump the first outgoing president since Andrew Johnson 152 years ago to skip the swearing-in of his successor. Meanwhile, there is no clear path for the Republican Party without Trump. โWe need a Republican Party,โ Biden said, noting that he spoke with Republican Sen. Mitt Romney, a leading Trump critic. Doug Deason, a Texas-based donor who served on the Trump campaign's finance committee, said this week's events have done nothing to shake his confidence in the Republican president.
Can Trump be charged with inciting a riot? Legal bar is high
WASHINGTON โ President Donald Trump's top White House lawyer has repeatedly warned the president that he could be held responsible for inciting Wednesday's riot at the Capitol, but the standard for legal liability is high under court decisions reaching back 50 years. Trump did just that in a video from White House on Thursday. Trump urged the crowd to march on the Capitol, even promising to go with them, though he didnโt in the end. A police officer died from injuries suffered during the siege, and a rioter was shot to death by Capitol Police. The court found that invalid parts of the law that encompassed speech tending to โencourageโ or โpromoteโ a riot, as well as speech โurgingโ others to riot or involving mere advocacy of violence.
AP sources: Trump floats Sidney Powell as special counsel
(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)WASHINGTON โ President Donald Trump floated naming lawyer Sidney Powell, who was booted from his campaign's legal team after pushing unfounded conspiracy theories, as a special counsel investigating allegations of voter fraud as he grasps for straws to stay in power. It is unclear whether Trump intends to try to move forward with the effort to install Powell. Trumpโs campaign and his allies have now filed roughly 50 lawsuits alleging widespread voting fraud and almost all have been dismissed or dropped. That includes Giuliani, who during the Friday meeting pushed Trump to seize voting machines in his hunt for evidence of fraud. "She is not a member of the Trump Legal Team.
Trump asking about special prosecutor for Hunter Biden case
Beyond appointing a special prosecutor to investigate the younger Biden, the sources said Trump is interested in having another special counsel appointed to look into his own baseless claims of election fraud. Trump announced that Barr would be stepping down from his position on Dec. 23, amid lingering tension between the president and the attorney general over the Hunter Biden investigation. Appointing a special counsel could prove to be complicated, requiring consolidating different investigatory angles and bringing in someone new to run the probe and get up to speed. Either way, the probe is complicating Joe Bidenโs pick for attorney general, upon whose shoulders this probe would land. Any nominee for attorney general is likely to face a mountain of questions at a confirmation hearing about how they would oversee the probe.
Trump asking about special prosecutor for Hunter Biden
Beyond appointing a special prosecutor to investigate the younger Biden, the sources said Trump is interested in having another special counsel appointed to look into his own baseless claims of election fraud. Trump announced that Barr would be stepping down from his position on Dec. 23, amid lingering tension between the president and the attorney general over the Hunter Biden investigation. Trump was angry for days after learning that Barr knew of the Hunter Biden tax investigation before the election but did not disclose it. Appointing a special counsel for the Hunter Biden probe would also signal a more prolonged and complicated investigation than the current inquiry, so far largely centered on his taxes. Either way, the probe is complicating Joe Bidenโs pick for attorney general, upon whose shoulders this probe would land.
Trump vents about election as agencies aid Biden transition
So yes itโs already begun.โBy Tuesday afternoon, the Biden transition had been in contact with all federal agencies about transition planning, according to a transition official. It also came as an increasing number of Republicans were publicly acknowledging Bidenโs victory, after weeks of tolerating Trumpโs baseless claims of fraud. At the same time, he warned staffers who are not specifically authorized to interact with the Biden team against contact with the incoming administration. โWe are immediately getting them all of the pre-prepared transition briefing materials,โ Azar said. โHUD career officials have begun the process of scheduling briefings with the Biden transition team in response to their requests," said a spokesperson for the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Biden transition gets govt OK; President Trump vows to continue fight
But Trump did tweet that he was directing his team to cooperate on the transition. The Republican president had grown increasingly frustrated with the flailing tactics of his legal team. Trump tweeted moments after Murphy's decision: โWe will keep up the good fight and I believe we will prevail! President-elect Biden won the State of Michigan by more than 154,000 votes, and he will be our next president on January 20th,โ Michigan Gov. Trump was increasingly frustrated by his legal team, led by former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, whose erratic public performances drew bipartisan mockery in recent weeks.
Despite Trump attacks, both parties vow orderly election
Amid the uproar, Trump said anew he's not sure the election will be โhonest." But his increased questioning before any result is setting off alarms ahead of an Election Day like no other. But it doesnโt surprise me.โOn Capitol Hill, Trump's possible refusal to accept the election results has been discussed privately for weeks as lawmakers consider options. Before the 2016 election, much as now, Trump refused to commit to accepting the results during the summer. โI have to see,โ Trump said two months ago on โFox News Sunday.โ โNo, Iโm not going to just say yes.
Grassley vows to block Trump nominees over watchdog firings
(Greg Nash/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON WASHINGTON (AP) Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley says he is blocking two Trump administration nominees until the White House provides adequate reasons for the termination of two inspectors general. Grassley has been seeking answers on President Donald Trump's recent firings of several inspectors general, including Michael Atkinson, inspector general for the intelligence community, and State Department Inspector General Steve Linick. Atkinson, who was fired as intelligence community inspector general in April, advanced a whistleblower complaint that resulted in the presidents impeachment. A 2008 law requires the president to provide Congress with a written explanation at least 30 days prior to removing an inspector general. The law is intended to prevent politically motivated terminations, although there is little Congress can do to block an IGs firing.
Democrats to interview ousted State Department watchdog
WASHINGTON Members of three House and Senate committees will interview former State Department Inspector General Steve Linick on Wednesday as part of an investigation by House Democrats into his abrupt firing by President Donald Trump. Democrats announced Friday that they are expanding their probe into Linick's firing earlier this month with a series of interviews. The Democrats plan to interview multiple officials in the administration who may have more information about Linicks dismissal on May 15, including whether Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recommended the firing for retaliatory reasons. Linick is one of several inspectors general whom Trump has removed from office, sparking outrage among Democrats who say the administration is undermining government accountability. Democrats were probing Trumps pressure on Ukraine to investigate Democrats.
Democrats expand probe into firing of State Dept. watchdog
FILE - In this Oct. 2, 2019, file photo State Department Inspector General Steve Linick leaves a meeting in a secure area at the Capitol in Washington. A senior department official said President Donald Trump removed Linick from his job as State Departments inspector general on Friday, May 15, 2020, but gave no reason for his ouster. Linick is one of several inspectors general whom Trump has removed from office, sparking outrage among Democrats who say the administration is undermining government accountability. Linick is the second inspector general to be fired who was involved with the impeachment process. In addition, Trump demoted acting Defense Department Inspector General Glenn Fine, effectively removing him as head of a special board to oversee auditing of the coronavirus economic relief package.
White House defends, but does not explain, watchdog firings
FILE - In this Oct. 2, 2019, file photo State Department Inspector General Steve Linick leaves a meeting in a secure area at the Capitol in Washington. A White House letter issued in response to concerns from a prominent Republican senator does little to explain the decision-making behind Trump's recent upheaval of the inspector general community. The tumult has not been limited to the watchdog offices at the State Department and intelligence community. Democrats say Steve Linick was fired as State Department inspector general as he was conducting multiple investigations tied to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The White House Counsels letter does not address this glaring conflict of interest," Grassley said.
White House letter doesn't explain why Trump fired watchdogs
A White House letter issued Tuesday in response to concerns from a prominent Republican senator does little to explain the decision-making behind Trump's recent upheaval of the inspector general community. The White House letter failed to explain why Trump fired the inspectors general, which should put to rest any question whether the current law is adequate. Michael Atkinson, who was fired as intelligence community inspector general last month, advanced a whistleblower complaint that resulted in the president's impeachment. The White House Counsels letter does not address this glaring conflict of interest," Grassley said. Congress established inspectors general to serve the American people to be independent and objective watchdogs, not agency lapdogs."
Trump's emergency powers worry some senators, legal experts
WASHINGTON The day he declared the COVID-19 pandemic a national emergency, President Donald Trump made a cryptic offhand remark. That prompted 10 senators to look into how sweeping Trump believes his emergency powers are. They have asked to see this administration's Presidential Emergency Action Documents, or PEADs. The senators think the documents would provide them a window into how this White House interprets presidential emergency powers. The most publicized example was Trumps decision last year to declare the security situation along the U.S.-Mexico border a national emergency.
Trump trial closing arguments aim at voters, history
WASHINGTON, D.C. โ Closing arguments Monday in President Donald Trump's impeachment trial were directed more toward history than to sway the outcome, one final chance to influence public opinion and set the record ahead of his expected acquittal in the Republican-led Senate. The House Democrats unveiled a striking case centered on Trump's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, running an alternative foreign policy that drew alarm at the highest levels. She warned that if senators do not convict, Trump will try to โcheatโ again ahead of 2020. One key Trump lawyer, Alan Dershowitz, who was forced to walk back a sweeping defense of presidential power in last week's arguments, did not appear. It becomes the first impeachment trial in the nationโs more than 200-year history without any witnesses.
Democrats appeal for GOP help to convict 'corrupt' Trump
He played several clips of testimony from Ambassador William Taylor, who said the assistance was held back as Trump pushed the country to announce investigations of Democrats. Democrats, meanwhile, described the evidence against the president as overwhelming but said senators have a duty to gather more. One question theres wide agreement on: Trump should allow top aides to appear as witnesses at the trial. About 7 in 10 said so, including majorities of Republicans and Democrats, according to the poll. Joni Ernst of Iowa spoke sarcastically about how excited she was to hear the overwhelming evidence" the House Democrats promised against Trump.