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☆ Opinion | Jan. 6 Rioters Should Not Catch a Break From the Supreme Court
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Randall D. Eliason | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Imagine that during a Supreme Court argument, protesters angry about the case storm the court building. Has the court proceeding been obstructed or impeded? Prosecutors charge that by participating in the Capitol riot, Mr. Fischer corruptly obstructed and impeded the joint congressional proceeding to certify the election, in violation of 1512(c)(2). More than 300 other Jan. 6 rioters have faced the same charge. Because Mr. Fischer wasn’t charged with impairing the availability or integrity of any physical evidence, Judge Nichols dismissed the charge.

Persons: Fischer, Donald Trump, Joseph Fischer, Fischer corruptly, Mr, Trump, Carl Nichols, Fischer wasn’t, Judge Nichols Organizations: Capitol, Prosecutors Locations: United States, Washington

☆ Ex-Trump aide Peter Navarro heads to prison after historic contempt prosecution
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Tierney Sneed | Katelyn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Navarro’s stint in prison comes as Trump himself has yet to face criminal consequences for the various crimes he’s been accused of committing. Navarro made a last-ditch bid for a Supreme Court intervention that would put off his self-surrender to prison. Yet the number of times the DOJ agreed to prosecute a witness for contempt of Congress are extremely low. He was charged in June 2022 with two counts of contempt of Congress and was found guilty on both counts last September. He was no longer in the White House during the period the House committee was probing.

Persons: Peter Navarro, Donald Trump, Navarro, Trump, he’s, “, ” Stanley Brand, –, White, Prosecutors, Navarro’s, ”, Neil Gorsuch, Anne Gorsuch, John Roberts, Elizabeth Prelogar, George W, Steve Bannon, Carl Nichols, Bannon, Sam Mangel, Mangel, ” Mangel Organizations: CNN, White, White House, Congress, Justice Department, Department of Justice, Supreme, Environmental, Agency, Trump, –, Justice, Capitol Locations: Miami

☆ Trump ally Bannon to ask court to overturn contempt of US Congress conviction
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Andrew Goudsward | Companies Need To Integrate Climate Reporting Across Functions To Comply With California S New Law | Henry Engler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

His lawyers and federal prosecutors are set to argue before a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Bannon was sentenced by Nichols in October 2022 to four months in prison and a $6,500 fine. Bannon, an influential right-wing media provocateur, served as Trump's chief White House strategist during 2017 before a falling out between them that was later patched up. Trump supporters assaulted police, stormed barricades and swarmed the Capitol in a failed bid to prevent congressional certification of Biden's victory. The House committee disbanded at the end of 2022 without getting information from Bannon.

Persons: Steve Bannon, Donald Trump, Bannon, Trump, Carl Nichols, Nichols, Democrat Joe Biden, Andrew Goudsward, Will Dunham, Scott Malone Organizations: White House, U.S . Capitol, U.S, U.S ., Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit, Democratic, Prosecutors, District, White, Democrat, Republican Trump, Capitol, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, WASHINGTON

☆ Fact Check-Dominion lawsuits against Giuliani and Powell still active
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Defamation lawsuits by voting machine manufacturer Dominion Voting Systems against Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell are still active, despite online posts recirculating the false claim that Dominion lost the suits and suggesting the defeat was censored by news outlets. An Aug. 3 post on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, said: “CENSORED NEWS: Dominion LOST its lawsuits against Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell!!! Dominion’s original complaint against Giuliani and Powell can be seen on the legal updates page of the company’s website (here). Reuters previously fact-checked claims in 2021 and 2022 that Dominion had lost its lawsuits against Giuliani and Powell (here) and (here). A company spokesperson as well as court filings show that Dominion’s lawsuits against Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell are ongoing as of Aug. 11, 2023, with discovery scheduled until 2025.

Persons: Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Giuliani, Powell, Donald Trump’s, Dominion isn’t, ”, Carl Nichols, Read Organizations: Voting, Dominion, Twitter, Facebook, Free Law, U.S, District, Reuters

☆ Judge gives US government one week to handle request for Prince Harry’s visa records
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Holmes Lybrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A federal judge has given the Department of Homeland Security until next Tuesday to decide how it will handle a conservative think tank’s request for Prince Harry’s US immigration records. The group is questioning whether immigration officials properly granted Prince Harry’s application, since admission of past drug use can be grounds to reject a visa application. In court filings, DHS has noted that the US Customs and Border Protection agency originally denied the requests from Heritage because the group did not have Prince Harry’s authorization or consent to release the information. “A person’s visa … is confidential,” DHS attorney John Bardo said in court Tuesday. When asked about the privacy aspect of their records request, attorney Samuel Dewey, who represents Heritage, said Prince Harry’s privacy on the issue of past drug use has been “extraordinarily diminished” given his public remarks on the subject.

Persons: Prince, Prince Harry’s, Carl Nichols, John Bardo, Samuel Dewey, “, ” Dewey, “ He’s, ”, Dewey, Prince Harry, it’s Organizations: CNN, Department of Homeland Security, Heritage Foundation, US Border Patrol, DHS, US Customs, Border Protection, Heritage Locations: Washington , DC, London

An aerial view of a Starship prototype stacked on a Super Heavy booster at the company's Starbase facility outside of Brownsville, Texas. Elon Musk's SpaceX is set to join the Federal Aviation Administration as a co-defendant to fight a lawsuit brought by environmental groups following the company's first test flight of Starship, the world's largest rocket, which ended in a mid-flight explosion last month. The lawsuit seeks for the FAA to conduct an environmental impact statement (EIS) — a lengthy and thorough procedure that would likely sideline SpaceX's Starship work in Texas for years. The company also wrote in the motion that "the FAA does not adequately represent SpaceX's interests" in the lawsuit, since it's a government agency. The FAA in a statement to CNBC said it "does not comment on ongoing litigation issues."

☆ Fact-checking Trump’s CNN town hall in New Hampshire
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Cnn Staff | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +26 min

CNN —CNN hosted a town hall with 2024 Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump on Wednesday night in New Hampshire. 2020 ElectionJust minutes after the town hall began, Trump claimed the 2020 election was “rigged.”Facts First: This is Trump’s regular lie. Trump claimed Wednesday that he got gas prices down to $1.87 – and “even lower” – but they increased to $7, $8 or even $9 under Biden. The Presidential Records Act says that the moment a president leaves office, the National Archives and Records Administration gets legal custody and control of all presidential records from his administration. First, there’s no provision for negotiating over Presidential records at the end of a term.

☆ Steve Bannon, Longtime Trump Ally, Sentenced to Four Months for Contempt of Congress
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Sadie Gurman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Steve Bannon said he didn’t cooperate with the House select committee because of legal advice and concerns about executive privilege. WASHINGTON—A federal judge on Friday sentenced Steve Bannon to four months in prison for defying a subpoena from the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, and said the former Trump strategist can remain free pending appeals of his conviction. “The sentence I am imposing reflects the fact that there can be more culpable ways to be in contempt of Congress than Mr. Bannon’s conduct,” U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols said. “But I do believe Mr. Bannon does have some culpability here.”

Share this -Link copiedSteve Bannon sentenced to four months Bannon was sentenced to four months in federal prison along with a $6,500 fine. He noted Bannon had not been employed in the executive branch for several years and so was unlikely to possess information that would be covered by executive privilege. Share this -Link copiedNo comments from Bannon Bannon declined to make a comment before the judge imposes his sentence, saying his lawyers had spoken for him. The committee countered that executive privilege should not extend to Bannon, because he was not working for the White House at the time. Share this -Link copiedThis isn't the end of Bannon's legal troubles Bannon has more legal problems on the horizon.

Prosecutors decried Bannon 'stunt' Prosecutors have noted in the past that Trump lawyer Justin Clark had repeatedly told Bannon and his attorney that they were taking their executive privilege claims too far. Share this -Link copiedCourt in session Court is in session around 9 a.m. Share this -Link copiedBannon arrives to court Bannon arrived to federal court just after 8:30 a.m. The committee countered that executive privilege should not extend to Bannon, because he was not working for the White House at the time. Share this -Link copiedThis isn't the end of Bannon's legal troubles Bannon has more legal problems on the horizon.

☆ Steve Bannon, Longtime Trump Ally, Sentenced to Four Months in Prison
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Sadie Gurman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Former Trump White House adviser Steve Bannon and his lawyers stood outside federal court in Washington after his sentencing Friday. WASHINGTON—A federal judge sentenced Steve Bannon to four months in prison for defying a subpoena from the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, and said the former Trump strategist would remain free while he appeals his conviction. “The sentence I am imposing reflects the fact that there can be more culpable ways to be in contempt of Congress than Mr. Bannon’s conduct,” U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols said Friday. “But I do believe Mr. Bannon does have some culpability here.”

☆ Steve Bannon set to be sentenced for contempt of Congress
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Former top Trump White House advisor Steve Bannon is set to be sentenced Friday for defying a subpoena from the congressional probe of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Federal prosecutors want the court to sentence Bannon to six months in jail — the top end of the federal sentencing guidelines range — and the maximum fine of $200,000. Attorneys for Bannon argued in part that Bannon should receive a light sentence because he was merely following his lawyer's advice when he defied the select committee's subpoena. "A person could have shown no greater contempt than the Defendant did in his defiance of the Committee's subpoena," they told the court. By flouting the Select Committee's subpoena and its authority, the Defendant exacerbated that assault," their memo said.

☆ A judge sentenced Steve Bannon to 4 months in prison but let him remain free while he appeals his conviction
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( C. Ryan Barber | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ahead of Friday's sentencing, federal prosecutors recommended that Nichols sentence Bannon to six months in prison, and order him to pay a $200,000 fine. Bannon's defense lawyers argued that the former Trump advisor should avoid prison time and receive a probation-only sentence. But they urged Nichols to suspend — or put on hold — any sentence while Bannon brings a challenge to his criminal conviction. In the months leading to the trial, Nichols made a series of rulings that severely limited Bannon's potential arguments. In their court filings, prosecutors revealed new details about the Bannon legal team's dealings with the House committee ahead of his trial.

Prosecutors on Monday asked the judge to sentence Bannon to six months in prison, while Bannon's attorneys had sought probation. Bannon has played an instrumental role in right-wing media and has promoted right-wing causes and candidates in the United States and abroad. 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. Friday's sentencing does not end Bannon's legal troubles. Trump is facing a federal criminal investigation over the removal of sensitive government records from the White House.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterProsecutor J.P. Cooney said at Friday's hearing that Bannon chose to "thumb his nose at Congress." Bannon, 68, served as Trump's chief White House strategist during 2017 before a falling out between them that was later patched up. "Today was my judgment day by the judge," Bannon told reporters. 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. "A more egregious contempt of Congress would have been to say 'Screw you Congress, take your subpoena and shove it!'"

☆ U.S. urges 6-month sentence for ex-Trump adviser Bannon over contempt conviction
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Bannon, an influential far-right political figure, was convicted in July on two counts of contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena. Each count is punishable by between 30 days to one year in prison and a fine ranging between $100 to $100,000. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterHe is due to be sentenced before U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols on Friday morning. They also urged the judge to impose the maximum fine of $200,000, which they said they based on Bannon's "insistence on paying the maximum fine rather than cooperate with the Probation Office’s routine pre-sentencing financial investigation." Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Sarah N. LynchOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Trump ally Steve Bannon should get 6 months in prison for defying the House January 6 committee, federal prosecutors say
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( C. Ryan Barber | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Federal prosecutors on Friday recommended that longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon receive a six-month prison sentence for defying the House committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. In a 24-page court filing, federal prosecutors said Bannon should also pay a $200,000 fine for his "sustained, bad-faith contempt of Congress." The Justice Department pursued charges against Bannon following a referral from the House recommending a prosecution against the former Trump advisor. After that initial referral, the House went on to hold three other former Trump White House advisors — Mark Meadows, Dan Scavino, and Peter Navarro — in contempt. At the end of the hearing, the House January 6 committee voted unanimously to subpoena Trump to testify.

☆ Judge denies U.S. bid to stop UnitedHealth plan to buy Change
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( Diane Bartz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A U.S. judge on Monday denied the Justice Department’s bid to stop UnitedHealth Group from buying Change Healthcare, a court filing showed, in a blow to the U.S. administration’s tougher enforcement of antitrust issues. UnitedHealth announced the all-cash deal in January 2021, saying it would help streamline administrative and payment processes. UnitedHealth said it was “pleased with the decision” and looked forward to combining with Change as quickly as possible. The Justice Department had said that UnitedHealth and Change Healthcare offer competing software for processing healthcare claims and together serve 38 of the top-40 health insurers in the country. The Justice Department also lost a bid to win convictions of executives at chicken processing companies that it accused of price-fixing.

☆ Capitol rioter who wore 'Camp Auschwitz' sweatshirt over 'SS' T-shirt on Jan. 6 is sentenced to 75 days
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-16 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A man who wore a Nazi-themed outfit at the Capitol riot was sentenced this week to 75 days in jail. The man's sentence is longer than most others' who pleaded guilty to the same misdemeanor charge. At least 910 people have been arrested in connection with the Capitol riot thus far. Robert Keith Packer pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor trespassing charge in January after striking a plea deal with the Justice Department last year. At least 910 people have been arrested in connection to the Capitol riot thus far, and nearly 400 people have pleaded guilty.

☆ Judge Rejects Antitrust Challenge to UnitedHealth Acquisition
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-22 | by ( Anna Wilde Mathews | Brent Kendall | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

The court’s decision is a win for UnitedHealth, which owns the largest U.S. health insurer and a sprawling healthcare operation that comprises thousands of doctors as well as clinics and valuable data. August 22, 2022, USA: UnitedHealth Group headquarters in Minnetonka, Minnesota. (Credit Image: Â© File/Minneapolis Star Tribune via ZUMA Press Wire)WASHINGTON—A federal judge Monday ruled against a Justice Department antitrust challenge to UnitedHealth Group $13 billion acquisition of health-technology firm Change Healthcare rejecting government claims that the deal would unlawfully suppress competition and limit innovation in health-insurance markets. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols ruled for the companies in an opinion that he kept under seal for now because he said it “may contain competitively sensitive information.” The judge said he would release a redacted public version of the ruling in the coming days. In a one-page public order, he denied the Justice Department’s request to block the companies from completing the deal.

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