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CNN —President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Matthew Whitaker, who served as acting attorney general during Trump’s first term, as his pick to be US ambassador to NATO. During the campaign, Trump also indicated he would only adhere to NATO’s mutual defense commitment for countries who are contributing enough of their annual budgets to defense. He served as the former acting attorney general in Trump’s first term and temporarily led the Justice Department after Trump fired Jeff Sessions. During brief tenure at the top of DOJ, Whitaker quickly took charge of Mueller from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Before becoming the acting attorney general, Whitaker was the US attorney for the Southern District of Iowa and chief of staff to Sessions.

Persons: Donald Trump, Matthew Whitaker, Trump’s, Matt, ” Trump, “ Matt, Whitaker, –, Trump, JD Vance, ”, “, Mark Rutte, Jeff Sessions, Robert Mueller’s, Mueller, Rod Rosenstein Organizations: CNN, NATO, Patriot, NATO Allies, AMERICA, Russia, Ukraine, Trump, Justice Department, Sessions, DOJ, Democratic, Southern, Southern District of Locations: States, Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia, Paris, Europe, North America, Trump’s, Southern District, Southern District of Iowa

But many Republicans and Gaetz allies have touted his aggressive style as an essential attribute for an attorney general. The president-elect filled some of those spots Thursday evening, appointing a series of his own personal lawyers to run key sections of the Justice Department. Trump also announced his selection of Emile Bove, another member of his criminal defense team, to be principal associate attorney general. Now, while some of his colleagues in Congress expressed skepticism of his pick as attorney general, they said they are prepared for a detailed confirmation process. As attorney general, Gaetz would be in control of the FBI investigative files that detail the evidence the bureau uncovered.

Persons: Donald Trump, Matt Gaetz, Trump, Gaetz, there’s, John Morgan, doubters, Morgan, ” Morgan, “, General Merrick Garland, Joe Biden, Todd Blanche, Emile Bove, ”, AnchorsGordon didn’t, Lawrence “ Larry ” Keefe, Keefe, Ron DeSantis, Feedback Sen, Klobuchar, —, Michael Cohen, Sen, Rick Scott, ” Gaetz, Hunter, Hank Johnson, Kevin McCarthy, Liz Cheney, Gaetz didn’t, South Carolina Sen, Lindsey Graham, Bill Barr, Joel Greenberg, CNN’s Kristen Holmes Organizations: CNN, Justice Department, Trump, Florida Republican, Prosecutors, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, Democrats, Capitol, Senate, Panhandle Republican, Truman, Florida State University, & Mary Law School, AnchorsGordon, Florida Panhandle, Partners, Florida, Northern, Northern District of Florida, Vineyard, Tallahassee statehouse, Republican, Florida Bar, Florida Republicans, Washington Elected, White, Republican Party, House Republican, Union, House Intelligence, Democratic, Judiciary Committee, FBI, South, Garland’s Justice Department Locations: Congress, United States, Trump’s, Florida, Gaetz, Manhattan, Northern District, Texas, Tallahassee, Washington, Wyoming, South Carolina

☆ Woman told House Ethics Committee she saw Gaetz have sex with a minor, lawyer says
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Casey Gannon | Kaanita Iyer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The attorney who represents two women who were witnesses in the House Ethics Committee probe into former congressman Matt Gaetz said Friday that one of his clients told the panel she saw the congressman having sex with a minor. “My client testified to the House Ethics Committee that she witnessed Matt Gaetz having sex with a minor,” said attorney Joel Leppard, whose clients sat for closed-door testimony before the committee as part of the now-dropped investigation into the Florida Republican. The Justice Department deemed the files too sensitive to release even to the House Ethics Committee. And House Speaker Mike Johnson said Friday he does not think the panel’s findings should be released and that he was “going to strongly request” the committee not do so. CNN’s Hannah Rabinowitz, Evan Perez, Annie Grayer, Manu Raju and Lauren Fox contributed to this report.

Persons: Matt Gaetz, ”, Joel Leppard, ” Gaetz, Gaetz, “ Merrick, Donald Trump, Gaetz’s, Leppard, Mike Johnson, Trump, Pete Hegseth, CNN’s Hannah Rabinowitz, Evan Perez, Annie Grayer, Manu Raju, Lauren Fox Organizations: CNN, Florida Republican, ABC News, Department of Justice, Senate, DOJ, Justice Department, Democrats, Republicans, Fox News Locations: Florida

☆ Georgia’s Fulton County Jail subjects inmates to ‘inhumane, violent’ conditions that threaten their safety, DOJ finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-14 | by ( Ashley R. Williams | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —The Fulton County Jail in Atlanta unconstitutionally subjects inmates to “inhumane, violent and hazardous conditions” that threaten their safety, a US Justice Department official said Thursday, announcing the results of a 16-month investigation. “We cannot turn a blind eye to the inhumane, violent and hazardous conditions that people are subjected to inside the Fulton County Jail,” Clarke said. The deaths of Thompson and other inmates in the mental health unitThe 105-page report lays out examples of the problems it alleges, including the treatment of inmates with mental health challenges. Meanwhile, around 75% of the people who have died at the jail since 2021 had a mental health diagnosis or history of mental illness, Buchanan said. “The Fulton County Jail had as many stabbings in a single month as the Miami-Dade County Jail had all year, and that’s a facility with one-and-a-half times more people,” Clarke said.

Persons: ” Kristen Clarke, Lashawn Thompson, “, ” Clarke, Thompson, Kristen Clarke, WANF, ” Ryan Buchanan, ” Buchanan, Michael Harper, ” Harper, Thompson’s, –, Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat, Buchanan, ”, CNN’s Ryan Young, Nick Valencia, Hannah Rabinowitz, Dakin Andone Organizations: CNN, Jail, US Justice Department, Justice, US, Justice Department, Sheriff’s, Northern, Northern District of, Thompson’s, Fulton County Sheriff, Miami, Department team’s Locations: Fulton, Atlanta, Northern District, Northern District of Georgia, Fulton County, Dade, Union City

☆ Trump searches for his attorney general as Justice Department officials worry about chaos and retribution
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-11 | by ( Evan Perez | Hannah Rabinowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —From his seaside Florida resort, Donald Trump is holding a casting call to fill the toughest job in Washington: attorney general. Current and former Justice officials anticipate eventual departures in some parts of the department and employees being sidelined and forced out. The Justice Department is also charged with defending administration actions in court, covering issues from health care to the environment to gun control. “Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes,” he wrote in a Twitter post in July 2017. Trump told Fox Business in 2020 that Barr should indict Obama, Biden and others because of the Russia investigation.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Mark Paoletta, they’ll, Trump’s, ” Paoletta, ” JD Vance, Jack Smith, Christopher Wray, James Comey, Wray, Wray “, ”, podcaster Joe Rogan, “, I’ll, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Sally Yates, Yates, Jeff Sessions, Matthew Whitaker, Sessions ’, John Huber, Rod Rosenstein, Sessions, William Barr, Barr, Obama, Biden, Bill Barr indicts, we’ll, ” Trump, ” Barr Organizations: CNN, Justice Department, Trump ., Justice, White, ABC, Trump, Employees, FBI, ISIS, Capitol, Biden, “, Sessions, Fox Business, Hoover Institution Locations: Florida, Washington, Manhattan, American, Lago, United States, Alabama, Russia

☆ DOJ announces charges in Iranian plot to kill Donald Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-08 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The Justice Department on Friday announced federal charges in a thwarted Iranian plot to kill Donald Trump before the presidential election. According to court documents, Iranian officials asked Farhad Shakeri, 51, in September to focus on surveilling and ultimately assassinating Trump. But IRGC officials told Shakeri on October 7 to focus only on Trump, court documents say, and that he had seven days to formulate an assassination plan. Shakeri would pay these criminal associates, like his two co-conspirators, to monitor the victims Iranian officials sought to assassinate, according to court documents. Correction: An earlier version of this story stated that all three men were specifically charged in the plot against Donald Trump.

Persons: Donald Trump, Farhad Shakeri, Trump, Shakeri –, –, Shakeri, Carlisle Rivera, Jonathan Loadholt, General Merrick Garland, Christopher Wray, ” Garland, “, Qasem, ”, Masih Alinejad, Alinejad, Rivera, Loadholt Organizations: CNN, The Justice Department, Justice Department, Prosecutors, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, Trump, Justice, FBI Locations: Iran, Afghan, Tehran, New York, United States, US, New, American, Sri Lanka, New York City

The West WingOne of Trump’s most important picks will be his White House chief of staff. Karoline Leavitt, who was Trump’s campaign spokeswoman, is being considered as White House press secretary – a job that typically is the most public-facing position in the White House. National security postsTrump has suggested his national security team would be tasked with reassessing the United States’ posture toward Ukraine and Russia, China, Iran, and the simmering conflict in the Middle East. The debate over a renewed Trump’s “America First” agenda is expected to pit Republican national security hawks against the party’s isolationist wing. Secretary of state and national security adviser will be among the most hard-fought positions to stand at the forefront of those shifts.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Trump, Howard Lutnick, Linda McMahon, John McEntee, Cliff Sims, Ross Werner, Goldman Sachs, Trump’s, John Kelly, Susie Wiles, Wiles, Russ Vought, Brooke Rollins, Bob Lighthizer, Karoline Leavitt, –, Musk, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Elon Musk, helms, Kennedy, ”, Ken Paxton, Matt Whitaker, Jeff Sessions, Sen, Mike Lee of, of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, Mark Paoletta, Kash Patel, Patel, Christopher Wray, James Comey, Jeffrey Jensen, Louis, Bill Barr, Jensen, Michael Flynn, Barr, Florida Sen, Marco Rubio, Tennessee Sen, Bill Hagerty, Richard Grenell, Grenell, ” Arkansas Sen, Tom Cotton, Keith Kellogg, Ratcliffe, Gina Haspel, Cotton, Mike Waltz, Mike Pompeo, Elise Stefanik, She’s, Morgan Ortagus, David Friedman, Kelly Craft, Scott Bessent, “ He’s, MAGA, he’s, Elon, Hank Paulson, George, Jay Clayton, Lighthizer, McMahon, Doug Burgum, flinch, Jamieson Greer, CNN’s Kevin Liptak, Alayna Treene, Hannah Rabinowitz, Kylie Atwood Organizations: CNN, Trump, White House, Heritage Foundation, White, Pentagon, West, America, Policy Institute, RFK Jr, SpaceX, Senate, Republicans, PAC, Department of Health, Human Services, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Agriculture, Justice and Homeland Security, of National Intelligence, Conservative, FBI, Republican, Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, New York Republican, House GOP, United Nations, UN, State Department, Soros, Goldman, George Bush’s, Department, Chinese Communist Party, Securities and Exchange Commission, Treasury, Commerce Department . North Dakota Gov, US Trade Locations: Trump, Central Park, Texas, Mike Lee of Utah, Beach, St, United States, Ukraine, Russia, China, Iran, Florida, Tennessee, Japan, Germany, ” Arkansas, Barr, UN

☆ Man charged in unprovoked beating of passenger on United flight
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-31 | by ( Pete Muntean | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —United Airlines crew and passengers had to stop what court documents describe as an unprovoked beating of a man on a flight on Monday. United says the flight from San Francisco to Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia “landed safely and was met by paramedics and local law enforcement.”Unruly passenger incidentsThe FBI is investigating the incident, the most recent case of an unruly passenger on a commercial flight to make headlines. The Federal Aviation Administration says airlines have reported more than 1,700 such incidents in 2024. “The FAA pursues legal enforcement action against any passenger who assaults, threatens, intimidates, or interferes with airline crewmembers, and can propose civil penalties up to $37,000 per violation,” the agency said in a statement. Court records show that Nelson is being represented by a public defender.

Persons: Everett Chad Nelson, “, ” Nelson, Nelson, United, Virginia “, Hannah Rabinowitz Organizations: CNN — United Airlines, ” United Airlines, Washington Dulles International, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, CNN Locations: Nelson, San Francisco, Virginia

☆ Justice Department to defend DEI policy that threatens to derail Boeing deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-24 | by ( Evan Perez | Hannah Rabinowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

O’Connor set a deadline of Friday for the administration to explain its use of so-called DEI policies in that program. The diversity language used in the Boeing criminal plea deal has been around since at least 2018 – during the Trump administration, according to a person familiar with the policy. Still, it has become a key holdup as O’Connor mulls whether to approve the plea deal. Now, the court battle playing out in Texas will decide whether to allow Boeing to plead guilty as part of a deal with the Justice Department to resolve a criminal investigation stemming from plane crashes that killed 346 people. The issue first arose at an October 11 hearing in Fort Worth, where O’Connor worked through the routine details of the plea deal before taking a sharp detour to ask why the Justice Department included DEI considerations in choosing a monitor.

Persons: Reed O’Connor, Trump, Biden, O’Connor, Sean Tonolli, interjecting, Tonolli, ” O’Connor, George W, Bush Organizations: CNN, The Justice, Boeing Co, Justice Department, Boeing, Department, DOJ, Democratic, Supreme Locations: Texas, Whites, Fort Worth

☆ Justice Department reaches $100 million settlement with two companies in Baltimore bridge collapse
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-24 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Justice Department has reached a settlement for more than $100 million with the two corporations that owned and operated the container ship that destroyed Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge in March. The payment stemming from Thursday’s settlement will go to the US Treasury and to the budgets of several federal agencies directly affected by the crash or involved in the response, the Justice Department said Thursday. It will not cover any damages for the reconstruction of the bridge, the department said. In its filing last month, the Justice Department said that the “tragedy was entirely avoidable,” pointing to alleged failures in the ship’s infrastructure. Prosecutors wrote that, instead of fixing longstanding problems with their electrical transformer, the companies “jury-rigged their ship” with makeshift braces that repeatedly broke.

Persons: Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key, Port, “, ” Benjamin Mizer, Department’s, Grace Ocean, Mizer, ”, Prosecutors, CNN’s Kaanita Iyer Organizations: CNN, The Justice Department, Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, Grace Ocean Private Limited, Synergy Marine, FBI, Justice Department, US Treasury, Fort McHenry, Synergy, Prosecutors, Coast Guard Locations: Baltimore, Port

☆ After news of DOJ warning, Elon Musk’s super PAC didn’t announce ‘daily’ lottery winner on Wednesday
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-24 | by ( Marshall Cohen | Shania Shelton | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Elon Musk’s super PAC didn’t announce a winner for its “daily” $1 million giveaway to registered swing state voters on Wednesday, the same day news broke that the Justice Department warned Musk’s group that its sweepstakes might be illegal. The super PAC has announced its winners each day to fanfare, with flashy videos posted to social media and celebratory tweets from Musk. It’s unclear if the Justice Department letter is why the super PAC didn’t publicly name a winner on Wednesday. CNN has reached out to the super PAC seeking comment. However, several election law experts who spoke to CNN pointed out that the fine print on Musk’s super PAC website explaining the official terms of entry did not change.

Persons: CNN — Elon, Musk, ” Musk, ”, Josh Shapiro, America PAC ” —, Trump, CNN’s Evan Perez, Hannah Rabinowitz, Daniel Strauss Organizations: CNN, CNN — Elon Musk’s, Wednesday, Justice Department, Trump, America PAC, PAC, Department, Pennsylvania Gov, Democrat, America PAC ” Locations: Butler , Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania

CNN —The Justice Department warned Elon Musk’s America PAC in recent days that his $1 million sweepstakes to registered voters in swing states may violate federal law, people briefed on the matter told CNN. Musk’s initial promise to pay prizes to registered voters immediately raised concerns from election law experts and some state officials who questioned whether it ran afoul of the law. The language of the petition currently promises $1 million prizes to people chosen at random for signing a petition in support of First and Second Amendment freedoms. But to sign the petition, you must be registered to vote in specific states. Only petition signers can win the $1 million prize, and signers “must be registered voters of Arizona, Michigan, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, or Wisconsin.”It’s not clear when Musk received the Justice Department’s letter and whether it prompted changes to messaging around the giveaway.

Persons: Elon, Musk, Donald Trump, ” Musk, Josh Shapiro, ”, America PAC ” – Organizations: CNN, The, Department, Elon Musk’s America PAC, Justice, Trump, ”, Pennsylvania Gov, Democrat, America PAC ” Locations: Harrisburg , Pennsylvania, Arizona , Michigan, Georgia, Nevada , North Carolina , Pennsylvania, Wisconsin

☆ Federal prosecutors charge Iranian Revolutionary Guards official in assassination plot on US soil
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-22 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The charges made public Tuesday against the official, Ruhollah Bazghandi, are the first to accuse an Iranian government official by name in the alleged plot to kill journalist Masih Alinejad. Prosecutors allege they were enlisted to carry out the assassination of Alinejad in the United States. Bazghandi allegedly discussed the plot to murder Alinejad with a second defendant, Haj Taher. Taher, in turn, communicated about the plot defendants Hossein Sedighi and Mohammad Forouzan, prosecutors say, including about payment for the murder. Taher, Sedighi and Forouzan also have connections to the Iranian government, prosecutors allege.

Persons: Ruhollah Bazghandi, Masih Alinejad, Bazghandi, Alinejad, General Merrick Garland, ” Alinejad, Ali Khamenei’s IRGC, “, ”, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Christopher Wray, ” Wray, General ”, Qasem Soleimani, Javad, Haj Taher, Taher, Hossein Sedighi, Mohammad Forouzan, Sedighi, Forouzan, Rafat Amirov, Amirov, Polad, Zailat, CNN’s Kara Scannell Organizations: CNN, Federal, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Eastern, ”, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Treasury Department, Qods Force, Amirov Locations: New York, Iran, United States, Iran’s, American, Iranian, New York City, IRGC, Syria, ”, France

☆ Philadelphia man charged with allegedly making gruesome threats against person recruiting poll watchers
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-21 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —A Philadelphia man is facing federal charges for allegedly threatening to skin alive a state party representative who was recruiting poll watchers, according to an indictment unsealed Monday. Prosecutors say that 62-year-old John Pollard sent several text messages to the representative, who isn’t named in court documents. The charges, which come just over two weeks before the 2024 presidential election, are part of an effort by the Justice Department to combat threats and violence against election workers. When the representative did not immediately respond, Pollard allegedly wrote again, saying: “I will KILL YOU IF YOU DON’T ANSWER ME!”“Your days are numbered, B**ch,” he wrote in a second. Pollard does not yet have an attorney listed in the court docket.

Persons: John Pollard, Pollard, ”, “, ” Pollard Organizations: CNN, Prosecutors, Justice Department, ING Locations: Philadelphia

CNN —Special counsel Jack Smith on Friday released nearly 2,000 heavily redacted pages of documents in his 2020 election subversion criminal case against former President Donald Trump, revealing snippets of the evidence Smith relied on to charge the former president. The documents were released a day after Judge Tanya Chutkan rejected a bid by Trump to pause the release. Others include a myriad of claims of voter fraud during the 2020 election. The final volume includes memos from lawyer John Eastman with a plan for Pence to reject the congressional certification of the 2020 election. Prosecutors have charged Trump with four crimes stemming from his actions following his 2020 election loss, including conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruction.

Persons: Jack Smith, Donald Trump, Smith, Trump, Mike Pence’s, “, let’s, Coke, I’m, Tanya Chutkan, ” Chutkan, What’s, Here’s what’s, Pence, didn’t, John Eastman, Trump’s, Chutkan Organizations: CNN, White, Republicans, White House, Trump, Capitol, Prosecutors Locations: Georgia, Trump, United States

☆ Special counsel says obstruction charge against Donald Trump in January 6 case should stand
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-16 | by ( Holmes Lybrand | Hannah Rabinowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Special counsel Jack Smith told a federal judge on Wednesday that the Supreme Court’s decision limiting some obstruction charges against those who stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, should not apply to Donald Trump in the election subversion case against the former president. One primary reason the obstruction charge against Trump should stand, prosecutors argue, is that – unlike in the case involving a rioter that was before the Supreme Court – Trump is directly accused of creating false evidence though the plot to insert fake electors in the certification process. Trump is arguing the ruling should result in Judge Tanya Chutkan throwing out the case against him. “The defendant’s supplement ignores entirely that the superseding indictment includes allegations that involve the creation of false evidence,” prosecutors wrote Wednesday, namely, “the fraudulent electoral certificates.”Smith also urged the judge to ignore Trump’s claims of presidential immunity, calling them “deeply flawed” and “irrelevant” to the issue at hand and should wait to be argued in separate filings. Trump has been charged with multiple counts related to his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, including conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruction.

Persons: Jack Smith, Donald Trump, – Trump, Mike Pence, Trump, Tanya Chutkan, ” Smith Organizations: CNN, Capitol, Trump Locations: United States

☆ Rare Monet returned to family more than 80 years after it was stolen by Nazis
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-09 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —A Claude Monet pastel painting stolen by Nazis during World War II, which vanished for decades only to show up with a Louisiana art dealer, was returned Wednesday in New Orleans to the descendants of its original owners. The Monet was then purchased at auction by a Nazi art dealer and disappeared in 1941. A New Orleans-based antiquities dealer purchased it then sold it to a couple in Washington state. Since then, the FBI has been working to return the Monet to the Parlagi’s granddaughters, and the handoff was made Wednesday. The Parlagi family is still searching for several other art pieces stolen by the Nazis, including a signed Paul Signac watercolor from 1903 that was sold to the same Nazi art dealer as the Monet.

Persons: Claude Monet, ”, Adalbert, Hilda Parlagi, Monet, Paul Organizations: CNN, FBI Locations: Louisiana, New Orleans, Houston, Austria, Vienna, Nazi, France, Washington

☆ Afghan national charged with Election Day terrorist plot in US
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-08 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Justice Department announced charges Tuesday against an Afghan national who was allegedly plotting a terrorist attack in support of ISIS on Election Day in the United States. The juvenile has also been arrested, according to court documents. The indictment comes as the Justice Department has publicly – and repeatedly – said its focus is on protecting the November presidential election from foreign threats. Tawhedi’s alleged plot, which prosecutors say was aimed at targeting “large gatherings of people,” was foiled less than a month before voters head to the polls. They also cited a video found on the phone that prosecutors say showed the 27-year-old telling his child about the rewards a martyr receives in the afterlife.

Persons: Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, Tawhedi, –, Tawhedi’s, ”, General Merrick Garland, Christopher Wray, Garland, ” Tawhedi Organizations: CNN, The Justice Department, Afghan, ISIS, FBI, Justice Department, White Locations: United States, Oklahoma, Afghanistan, Oklahoma City, Washington

☆ Brett Kavanaugh: Internal emails dispute Trump’s claims that FBI had ‘free rein’ to probe assault allegations, new report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-08 | by ( Tierney Sneed | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The White House, however, instructed the FBI to only interview 10 witnesses, according to the report. The report sheds light on the tight limits the White House imposed on the FBI as it undertook a “supplemental” background investigation while Kavanaugh’s confirmation hung in the balance. According to the report, those Trump comments were then flagged by an FBI public affairs office in emails to others at the agency, including some top officials. The White House finally told the official that it would be in touch it if had additional guidance to offer on the supplemental investigation. With the report, Whitehouse is calling for the agency to put in place standard procedures for how such supplemental investigations should be handled.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Brett Kavanaugh, Kavanaugh, –, Christine Blasey Ford, Trump, ”, Rhode Island Sen, Sheldon Whitehouse, Joe Biden, Whitehouse, ” Whitehouse, CNN’s Hannah Rabinowitz, John Fritze Organizations: CNN, FBI, White, Trump White House, NBC, Rhode Island, House

Republican former Rep. Liz Cheney will campaign with Vice President Kamala Harris in Wisconsin on Thursday, touting her endorsement of the Democratic presidential nominee in the crucial battleground state, a senior campaign official told CNN. The campaign event marks the latest effort from the former Wyoming congresswoman to move undecided voters away from former President Donald Trump with less than five weeks until Election Day. Cheney, who previously told CNN she was committed to doing what was necessary to stop Trump from returning to the White House, endorsed Harris last month in North Carolina, another swing state. She later said she expected to campaign against Trump in battleground states throughout the fall. At the Thursday campaign event in Ripon – home to a schoolhouse known as the birthplace of the Republican Party – Harris will make a direct appeal to Republican and independent voters, according to the campaign official.

Persons: Liz Cheney, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Cheney, Harris, ” Cheney, Ripon –, Republican Party – Harris, Ripon Organizations: Republican, Democratic, CNN, Trump, White, Republican Party Locations: Wisconsin, Wyoming, North Carolina, Ripon

Smith, in the 165-page document, provides the fullest accounting yet of evidence in his 2020 election conspiracy case against Trump, Pence’s former boss. Increased pressure on PenceTrump, after Pence told him he did not have the authority to decertify the election, began to up the intensity of his request, prosecutors say. On the call, Trump told Pence that “hundreds of thousands” of people “are gonna hate your guts” and “people are gonna think you’re stupid,” also calling Pence “too honest,” according to the filing. Hours before January 6On January 5, 2021, according to the filing, Trump once again met with Pence to allegedly try to pressure him not to certify the electoral college votes. Some of those inside the Capitol then later began chanting, “Hang Mike Pence!,” “Where is Pence?

Persons: Mike Pence’s, Joe Biden’s, Donald Trump, Jack Smith’s, Smith, Trump, Pence, Kamala Harris ’, –, Harris ’, Tim Walz, Sen, JD Vance, ” Walz, “, doesn’t, Walz, Harris, Mike Pence, ”, Biden, ” Trump, ’, Pence Trump, Pence –, John Eastman, Pence’s, Trump “, didn’t, ” Smith, —, Polantz, John Fritze, Devan Cole, Marshall Cohen Organizations: CNN, Trump, Capitol, Supreme, Republican Party, Electoral, White, Twitter, Electoral College Locations: York , Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, Washington , DC

Nonetheless, Trump told his advisers that he would claim victory before the ballots were fully counted, prosecutors say. One private political adviser, three days before Election Day 2020, described Trump’s plan as: “He’s going to declare victory. When Trump told the staffer he would not pay the private lawyer spearheading his legal challenges unless the challenges were successful, the staffer told Trump that the private attorney would never be paid. The person is described as White House deputy chief of staff. Therefore, even if some of Trump’s alleged wrongdoing occurred on White House grounds and in front of White House staff, he doesn’t have immunity because that fell under the “political” umbrella, Smith’s team wrote.

Persons: Donald Trump, Jack Smith, Smith, Trump, Kamala Harris, Tanya Chutkan, Chutkan, Joe Biden, “, Prosecutors, Biden, Brooks, Al Gore, George W, Bush, he’s, ”, “ Trump’s, ” Trump, ‘, Rudy Giuliani, Giuliani, wouldn’t, Mike Pence, Pence, Mike Pence didn’t, ’, Trump’s, doesn’t Organizations: CNN, Trump, ”, FBI, Prosecutors, Detroit Counting, Riot, Democratic, White, White House, Capitol, USA Locations: Washington ,, Philadelphia, Florida, Trump, Georgia

☆ Democrats aim to show a judge how pro-Trump Georgia election board could spark certification ‘chaos’
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-01 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | Sara Murray | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Disputes across the country are brewing over the role of local election boards and how much power they have to question – or even throw out – election results. In Georgia, for instance, Trump-backed members of the state election board recently passed controversial rules that could allow local election boards responsible for certifying results to conduct investigations that threaten to delay certification. One of the Georgia rules, the “Reasonable Inquiry Rule,” would allow election officials to conduct a “reasonable inquiry” before certifying election results. The petitioners in the case argue that the rule would give partisan board members a wide ability to cast doubt on, or even reject, election results. In some cases, the threat of legal action has been enough to deter officials from pursuing challenges to the certification process.

Persons: Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, ”, Ben Berwick, ” “, ” Berwick, –, Mike Pence, Robert Froman, Joe Biden, Froman, ” Froman, State Francisco Aguilar, Aguilar, Gideon Cohn, Postar, “ It’s, ” Cohn, Trump, Ronna McDaniel Organizations: CNN, Capitol, Trump, Democratic National Committee, Georgia Democratic Party, Democratic, Democracy, Republicans, Georgia Republicans, Republican National Committee, Republican, Michigan Department of State, Detroit News, ACLU, State, Arizona voters, Institute for Responsive Government, Republican National, Commonwealth and Pennsylvania Department of State Locations: Georgia , Michigan, Nevada, Wisconsin, Georgia, Kalamazoo County , Michigan, Michigan, canvassers, Washoe, Washoe County, Reno, Arizona, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, North Carolina, Michigan’s, Wayne County, Detroit, Otero County , New Mexico

☆ Fact check: JD Vance and Tim Walz at the vice presidential debate
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-01 | by ( Cnn Staff | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +32 min

Tim Walz and Republican Sen. JD Vance of Ohio are facing off Tuesday night in New York City for their first – and only – vice presidential debate. Vance mischaracterizes Harris’ role on border policySen. JD Vance claimed that Vice President Kamala Harris was appointed the “border czar” during the Biden administration. Tim Walz and Sen. JD Vance attend a debate hosted by CBS News in New York on Tuesday. A recent report from the US Department of Energy found 142,000 new clean energy jobs were created in 2023. Alex Kent/Getty Images Cutout images of Vance and Walz are displayed at a debate watch party in New York.

Persons: Tim Walz, Republican Sen, JD Vance, Vance mischaracterizes Harris, Sen, Kamala Harris, ”, Biden, Donald Trump, ” Vance, Harris, Alejandro Mayorkas, “, Daniel Dale Minnesota, Mike Segar, Reuters Walz, aren’t, Joe Biden’s, –, CNN’s Ella Nilsen, Joe Biden, Michael Ciaglo, Vance, Springfield , Ohio Sen, you’ve, Mike DeWine, Daniel Dale, Danya, Jessie Wardarski, Kamala Harris “, Donald Trump’s, CNN’s Dana Bash, CNN’s Hannah Rabinowitz, John Modlin, Rebecca Noble, Walz, ” Walz, Al Drago, Matt Rourke, Ken Betancur, Angela Weiss, Joe Raedle, Chip Somodevilla, Norah O'Donnell, Margaret Brennan, Brendan McDermid, Reuters Vance, Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Alex Kent, Victor J, Charly Triballeau, Getty Images Walz, Kevin Wexler, Anna Moneymaker, Trump, Roger Severino, ” –, Norah O’Donnell, Katie Lobosco Vance, CNN’s Manu Raju, Ted Barrett, …, Trump’s, “ Alabama’s, Andrew Kaczynski, Em Steck Vance, unfroze, Wally Adeyemo, Jennifer Hansler Vance, Joe Manchin, Dave Renner, ” Dr, Erin Stevens, ” Stevens, It’s, ” Renner, Jack Forrest Vance, DHS ‘, Kamala Harris ’, General, Immigrations, ” Aaron Reichlin, didn’t, Jack Forrest Organizations: CNN, Democratic Minnesota Gov, Republican, White, Homeland, Central, Daniel Dale Minnesota Gov, CBS News, Reuters, Biden, Senate, US Department of Energy, 2024 Energy, Bidenomics, CS Wind, CS, YES, ” Republican Ohio Gov, New York Times, US, American Civil Liberties Union, Enforcement, Democratic, US Border Patrol, Getty, Heritage Foundation, for Disease Control, CDC, Department of Health, Human Services, Minnesota Gov, CBS Broadcast Center, Bloomberg, People, CBS, Center, Journalists, United Federation of Teachers, Getty Images, USA, New York, Secret Service, Trump, Congress, Fox News, MIT, CNN’s Ella Nilsen Workers, AFP, Tuesday’s, Minnesota Medical Association, American College of Obstetricians, “, DHS, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security, Customs Enforcement, ICE, HHS, American Immigration Council, ICE hasn’t, New York Post, Washington Times Locations: Ohio, New York City, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, United States, Mexico, New York, Pueblo , Colorado, Springfield , Ohio, Springfield, ”, US Border Patrol Tucson, Douglas , Arizona, AFP, Minnesota, New, Kendall , Florida, California, Iran, Israel, South Korea, Qatar, China, United States of America, West Virginia, Fuzhou, China's Fujian

CNN —US federal prosecutors on Friday unsealed criminal charges against three Iranian government-linked hackers in connection with a hacking operation aimed at Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. Masoud Jalili, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri and Yasar (Yaser) Balaghi are accused of aggravated identity theft and wire fraud for their hacking efforts on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Separately, the US Treasury Department on Friday imposed sanctions on seven people as part of a sweeping response to Iranian efforts “to influence or interfere” in the 2020 and 2024 US presidential elections. The alleged Iranian hack threw a twist in the presidential campaign in August when multiple news outlets reported receiving emails from a pseudonymous email account peddling documents stolen from the Trump campaign. The hacking operation began in June, when the alleged IRGC-linked hackers targeted longtime Trump ally Roger Stone and used access to his email account to target campaign staff.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Trump, Masoud Jalili, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri, Balaghi, “, JD Vance —, Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris ’, Roger Stone, Harris Organizations: CNN, Court, District of Columbia, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, US Treasury Department, Trump, Biden, FBI, The, Department, Washington Post, Fox Locations: Russia, China, Iran, Russian, Ukraine

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