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Willis, a Democrat, has been eyeing conspiracy and racketeering charges, which would allow her to bring a case against multiple defendants. Trump acolytes who took part in each of those schemes believe they will face charges in Georgia next week, people familiar with their thinking said. All of them previously testified before a special purpose grand jury that was tasked with investigating the Trump case and heard from more than 75 witnesses. Video Ad Feedback Will Trump and his allies face charges in Georgia? At a campaign event Tuesday, Trump continued to insist it was a “perfect phone call.”Willis has been reportedly weighing racketeering charges in the Trump case.

Persons: Fani Willis, Donald Trump, Willis, Trump, Willis ’, Gov, Geoff Duncan, Sen, Jen Jordan, George Chidi, Will Trump, CNN Willis, Brad Raffensperger, “, ” Willis, Jack Smith Organizations: CNN, Democrat, Trump acolytes, Georgia Democratic, Trump, Republican Locations: Fulton County, Georgia, Coffee County , Georgia, Atlanta, New Hampshire

CNN —Special counsel Jack Smith unveiled his case alleging that former President Donald Trump broke several laws in his attempts to overturn the 2020 election, with a grand jury indictment returned Tuesday that illustrated the depth and breadth of the federal criminal investigation. Trump, who has derided Smith’s case as a politically motivated “fake indictment,” has been summoned to appear before a magistrate judge on Thursday. Prosecutors put forward several examples of Trump being told by his aides that fraud claims he was promoting were false. The new indictment recounts a conversation between Trump and Meadows, during which Meadows allegedly told Trump that he had observed Georgia election officials were “conducting themselves in an exemplary fashion,” while assuring Trump they would find fraud if it existed. Hours later, Trump tweeted that the election officials were “terrible people” who were trying to cover-up evidence of fraud.

Persons: Jack Smith, Donald Trump, Prosecutors, Trump “, Trump, ”, it’s, ” Trump, Wisconsin –, “, Mike Pence, Department of Homeland Security’s, –, Kenneth Chesebro, Rudy Guiliani –, memorializing, they’re, Pence, Pat Cipollone, Trump’s, Giuliani, ” Pence, Pat Philbin, Philbin, Mark Meadows, Meadows, Tanya Chutkan –, Obama, Smith, he’ll Organizations: CNN, Trump, ”, White, Justice, Republican, Justice Department, Department of Homeland, Infrastructure Security Agency, Prosecutors, AZ, Capitol, CNN Prosecutors, “, Manhattan Locations: United States, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Detroit, Arizona, Cipollone, Trump, Meadows, Georgia, DC, Alabama

☆ Donald Trump has been indicted in special counsel’s 2020 election interference probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Tierney Sneed Marshall Cohen Zachary Cohen Devan Cole Hannah Rabinowitz Katelyn Polantz Casey Gannon | Tierney Sneed | Marshall Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Trump has rejected any suggestion he was in the wrong after the 2020 election. Among the six are four unnamed attorneys who allegedly aided Trump in his effort to subvert the 2020 election. Fake electors plot was an unprecedented attempt to subvert Electoral CollegeThe so-called fake electors plot was an unprecedented attempt to subvert the Electoral College process by replacing electors that Biden had rightfully won with illegitimate GOP electors. Federal investigators have subpoenaed the fake electors across the country, sent FBI agents to interview witnesses about their conduct, and recently granted immunity to two fake electors from Nevada to secure their grand jury testimony. In Michigan, the state’s attorney general charged the 16 fake electors who signed certificates falsely claiming Trump won Michigan in the 2020 election with multiple felonies.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Jack Smith’s, Joe Biden’s, Smith, ” Smith, ” Trump, “, Mike Pence, John Lauro, Trump’s, ” Lauro, ”, Ian Sams, unindicted, Smith’s, Attorney Alvin Bragg, he’s, Biden, Fani Willis Organizations: CNN, Capitol, Justice Department, Trump, Fox News, Department, Attorney, White House, Electoral, National Archives, Senate, Senior Trump, Federal, FBI, Michigan Locations: Washington, DC, United States, Manhattan, Nevada, Michigan, Fulton County, Georgia

The source also reiterated that Archer provided no evidence connecting President Joe Biden to any of his son’s foreign business dealings. Goldman said Archer told the panel that Hunter Biden did put his father on speaker phone in the presence of business partners, but that business was never discussed. Devon Archer, a former business associate of Hunter Biden, arrives for closed-door testimony at the O'Neill House Office Building on July 31, 2023 in Washington, DC. Comer then accused Joe Biden of lying about his family’s business dealings and his own involvement – pledging that his panel will continue to investigate. In recent weeks, he delivered his most explicit threat yet to Biden, saying House Republicans’ investigations into the Biden family’s business deals appear to be rising to the level of an impeachment inquiry.

Persons: Devon Archer, Hunter Biden, Archer, Joe Biden, Matthew L, Schwartz, Boies Schiller Flexner, ” Schwartz, “ Mr, Dan Goldman, Goldman, Joe Biden’s, ” Goldman, Biden’s, “, ” Hunter, Drew Angerer, James Comer, Hunter Biden’s, ” Comer, Comer, –, Biden, Ian Sams, Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy, Donald Trump, McCarthy –, Newt Gingrich Organizations: CNN, Republican, Democrats, ”, Democrat, House Republicans, O'Neill, Getty, “, Republicans, House Democrats, Biden, Department, GOP, Congressional, Fox News Locations: Washington, Washington ,, United States

☆ Yuscil Taveras: Mar-a-Lago employee overseeing surveillance cameras, previously received target letter in Trump classified documents probe:
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( Zachary Cohen Kaitlan Collins Katelyn Polantz | Zachary Cohen | Kaitlan Collins | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Taveras also met with investigators following the initial indictment in the classified documents case overseen by special counsel Jack Smith, sources said. A lawyer for Taveras previously declined to comment to CNN. The updated indictment, which adds major accusations against Trump and a new co-defendant to the case, refers to Taveras as “Trump Employee 4,” CNN previously reported. Smith’s team had previously heard testimony about odd conversations between Taveras, Nauta and De Oliveira regarding surveillance footage. After receiving the target letter, Taveras changed lawyers because his attorney, Stan Woodward, also represented Nauta, which presented a conflict, sources said.

Persons: Yuscil, Donald Trump, Taveras, Jack Smith, Trump, “, ”, Walt Nauta, Carlos De Oliveira, De Oliveira, ” De Oliveira, Smith’s, Nauta, Stan Woodward Organizations: CNN, Trump, “ Trump, ” CNN Locations: Lago, Washington, Florida

☆ ‘The family feels like he got trapped’: How a low-profile Mar-a-Lago employee got tangled up in Trump’s legal problems
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Alayna Treene Zachary Cohen Kristen Holmes Randi Kaye Christie Johnson | Alayna Treene | Zachary Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The 56-year-old De Oliveira lives in an apartment in a middle class townhome community in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, about 20 minutes north of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club. Almeida told CNN he believed that De Oliveria has worked at Mar-a-Lago for more than 20 years. Some members of his family, “couldn’t even sleep last night with all of this going on,” one family member told CNN. “He isn’t familiar with how the government here works and he was probably just being loyal to his boss who is paying his bills,” the person told CNN. Asked about the Trump indictment, Brion said, “I can’t even imagine how he could be implicated in that mess.”

Persons: Donald Trump, Carlos De Oliveira, De Oliveira, Walt Nauta, Trump’s, De Oliveria, “ I’ve, Trump, “, hadn’t, ”, ’, Yuscil, ‘, de Oliveira, Tiberio Almeida, De, Almeida, Oliveria, Carlos, It’s, ” Almeida, “ He’s, Miami De Oliveira, De Oliveira “, John Irving, Taveras, Irving, ” Raymond Brion, Brion Organizations: CNN, Justice Department, Trump, White House, “, Mar, Club, Lago, DC, Trump’s, America, Prosecutors Locations: Trump’s Florida, Mar, “, Palm Beach Gardens , Florida, Trump’s, Portugal, Massachusetts, Florida, Miami

Hunter Biden, appearing in court wearing a dark suit and sporting slicked back hair, appeared agitated and worried as the plea deal began to unravel. She said she has “concerns about the constitutionality” of the gun deal because it might violate separation of powers principles. Noreika also has the ultimate decision on what sentence Hunter Biden will receive if a plea deal is accepted or he is tried and convicted. “At least there is some scrutiny going on,” Texas Rep. Chip Roy told CNN in reaction to the Hunter Biden plea deal being refined. GOP Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio credited IRS whistleblowers critical of the investigation for the collapse of a plea deal, although the issue did not come up during a hearing.

Persons: Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, Hunter, Maryellen Noreika –, Donald Trump, Senate Democrats –, Noreika, Hunter Biden’s, Chris Clark, FARA, ” Noreika, isn’t, –, plop, couldn’t, Judge Maryellen Noreika, Bill Hennessy, Will DOJ’s, Justice Department’s, “, Chip Roy, Delaware’s Trump, David Weiss, Jim Jordan, Weiss, Jordan Organizations: CNN, US, Senate Democrats, Justice Department, Justice, ” Texas, GOP, Committee Locations: FARA, Wilmington , Delaware, Ohio

Washington CNN —Special counsel Jack Smith’s office has asked former US officials about a February 2020 Oval Office meeting where then-President Donald Trump praised improvements to the security of US elections, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. Those details offer a stark contrast to the voter-fraud conspiracy theories Trump began spreading publicly just weeks later and continued to use to question the 2020 election results. Investigators seemed particularly interested in understanding Trump’s mindset about election security before he embarked on a monthslong campaign to cast doubt on elections, the source added. After losing the 2020 election, Trump repeatedly made false claims that contradicted what he was told at the White House briefing about the security of voting systems. The briefing grew tense when the topic turned to Moscow’s preference for Trump over Joe Biden in the 2020 election, the sources said.

Persons: Jack Smith’s, Donald Trump, Trump, Zach Gibson, Elie Honig, “, ” Honig, Jack Smith, ”, Claire Woodall, Scott Olson, Chris Krebs, Trump’s, Joe Biden, National Intelligence Joseph Maguire, Drew Angerer, Maguire Organizations: Washington CNN, White House, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, CNN, Trump, Oval, Bloomberg, Getty, White, DHS, National Intelligence, Capitol Locations: Washington , DC, Venezuela, Italy, Milwaukee, Trump

Smith’s office interviewed Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger last month as part of the federal probe into Trump’s efforts to subvert the peaceful transition of power. Raffensperger, an elected Republican, repeatedly pushed back on Trump’s demands in 2020, as he and his family, in addition to other election workers in the state, faced an onslaught of threats. Harvey left his job at the secretary of state’s office about six months after the 2020 election. Separately, a grand jury in Fulton County is expected to consider state charges against Trump and his Republican allies for trying to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, an elected Democrat, launched the investigation in early 2021, and has indicated that final charging decisions could come next month.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Brad Raffensperger’s, Jack Smith, Donald Trump, ”, Brad Raffensperger, Chris Harvey, Harvey, Trump, Fani Willis Organizations: CNN, Federal, Farm Arena, baselessly, FBI, Georgia, Republican Locations: Atlanta’s, Georgia, Atlanta , Georgia, Fulton, Fulton County

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☆ Trump Oval Office meeting: Special counsel prosecutors question witnesses about chaotic December 2020 meeting in election probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Kaitlan Collins Zachary Cohen Paula Reid Sara Murray Katelyn Polantz | Kaitlan Collins | Zachary Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Multiple sources told CNN that investigators have asked several witnesses before the grand jury and during interviews about the meeting, which happened about six weeks after Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. Some witnesses were asked about the meeting months ago, while several others have faced questions about it more recently, including Rudy Giuliani. Prosecutors have specifically inquired about three outside Trump advisers who participated in the meeting: former Trump lawyer Sidney Powell, one-time national security adviser Michael Flynn and former Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne, sources said. They also discussed naming Powell as special counsel to investigate supposed voter fraud, and Trump invoking martial law as part of his efforts to overturn the election. The December 14 date is of particular interest to prosecutors, sources told CNN.

Persons: Jack Smith’s, Trump, Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Michael Flynn, Patrick Byrne, Byrne, Jack Smith, ”, Robert Costello, Powell, Flynn, Robert O’Brien, Joe Biden, Mike Pence, Pence Organizations: CNN, Prosecutors, Trump, Twitter, West Wing, White House, Electoral College Locations: Washington ,

“As Secretary Mayorkas has said, the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, was a violent assault on our democracy,” the spokesperson said. In a statement to CNN, the FBI said it worked with law enforcement agencies to share information before and during the Capitol attack. And yet it seemed as if our intelligence agencies completely dropped the ball,” Sen. Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat who chairs the committee, told reporters on Monday while previewing the report’s findings. Over 1,000 people have been charged in connection with the January 6 Capitol attack, nearly a third of whom have been charged with assaulting police that day, according to the Justice Department. These findings undercut a key criticism from Republicans who, in seeking to whitewash the Capitol attack, have often claimed law enforcement targeted conservatives in their open-source searches surrounding the insurrection.

Persons: ”, Donald Trump “, Trump, Trump’s, ’, “, Mayorkas, ” Sen, Gary Peters, Biden, Jan, Peters, ” Peters, “ We’re, Jack Smith, Jennifer Moore, “ yep Organizations: CNN, Capitol, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, Senate Homeland Security, DHS, of Intelligence, Trump, “, DC, U.S, Michigan Democrat, Justice Department, Senate, Republican, Washington Field Office

That activity could signal that investigators are nearing at least some charging decisions in a part of the 2020 election probe, sources added. It is not clear if Trump is a target in the fake electors aspect of Smith’s ongoing criminal probe. Multiple 2020 election witnesses are scheduled for grand jury appointments in the coming days, sources say. Fake electors in NevadaThe fake electors scheme – one of the more public efforts to overturn Biden’s win in the 2020 election – now appears to be at the forefront for prosecutors, sources said. McDonald and DeGraffenreid previously declined to answer some questions about the fake electors scheme in the House inquiry.

Persons: Jack Smith, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Trump, Mike Pence, Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Jeffrey Clark, Giuliani, Drew Angerer, –, Michael McDonald, Jim DeGraffenreid –, Gary Michael Brown, Brown, McDonald, DeGraffenreid, Adam Laxalt, Jesse Binnall, “ Donald Trump, ”, Binnall, “ Adam Laxalt, ” Robert Uithoven, Nevada’s Organizations: Washington CNN, CNN, Prosecutors, Republicans, Trump, Lawyers, Capitol, of Justice, Republican National Committee, Getty, Biden’s, Nevada Trump, state’s Republican, GOP, FBI Locations: Washington, Florida, Nevada, Nevada’s Clark County, Clark County

CNN —The US intelligence community still believes it is plausible that Covid-19 originated in a laboratory or in the wild, a conclusion that has been consistent for months, according to newly declassified information released Friday evening. And almost all American intelligence agencies also assess that the virus itself was not genetically engineered, the report states. “Most agencies assess that SARS-CoV-2 was not laboratory-adapted; some are unable to make a determination. All IC agencies assess that SARS-CoV-2 was not developed as a biological weapon,” according to the ODNI report. US intelligence agencies remain split over whether it resulted from a lab leak or occurred in the wild.

Persons: ”, WIV Organizations: CNN, National Intelligence Locations: Wuhan, China

Those weaknesses were previously verified by federal cybersecurity officials, who urged election officials across the country to update their systems. Georgia election officials insist it is highly unlikely that the vulnerabilities will be exploited in real attacks. Georgia officials have dismissed the potential for these weaknesses to be exploited. But Georgia has not implemented the recommended security patch and state officials said they are waiting to do so until after 2024. The report was placed under seal by a judge “given the serious election security concerns” raised by its potential release, according to court records.

Persons: Brad Raffensperger, Mike Hassinger, ” Gabriel Sterling, Alex Halderman, ”, Halderman, Mitre Organizations: Washington CNN, Republican, CNN, Dominion, Systems, University of Michigan, Mitre Corp Locations: Georgia

Washington CNN —China has been operating military and intelligence facilities in Cuba since at least 2019 and is continuing to expand its intelligence gathering capabilities around the world, a Biden administration official and two other sources told CNN Saturday. The administration official said China “conducted an upgrade of its intelligence collection facilities in Cuba in 2019” under the Trump administration and described the challenge as “inherited.”“This is well-documented in the intelligence record,” the official said. CUBA, HAVANA - AUGUST 02 : Aerial view of the city of Havana on August 02, 2017 in Havana, Cuba. Former US Ambassador to China Max Baucus said Saturday he was “surprised” the Biden administration initially denied reporting that China has operated intelligence and military facilities in Cuba and acknowledged China has long had a “presence” in Cuba. The Chinese military and intelligence sites monitor maritime traffic, the US Guantanamo naval base and communications, the source familiar with the intelligence said.

Persons: China “, Trump, “, ”, John Kirby, Frédéric Soltan, Frédéric, Bill Burns, Antony Blinken, Defense Lloyd Austin, China Max Baucus, Biden, Baucus, Obama Organizations: Washington CNN, Biden, CNN, White House, Wall Street, National Security Council, South China, Getty, Corbis, CIA, Defense, Guantanamo Locations: China, Cuba, ”, South, CUBA, HAVANA, Havana, Havana , Cuba, Beijing, People’s Republic of China

☆ The twice-impeached Trump now faces his second criminal indictment as he looks to recapture White House
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —Donald Trump, who has often lied, unquestionably told the truth when he said Thursday was a “dark day” for America. Why the new indictment could be more serious than the firstAmazingly, this was not the first time Trump was indicted. This undercut his arguments that he declassified everything he took from the White House. — On Thursday, CNN’s Zachary Cohen revealed that a key former White House official who worked in both the Trump and Obama administrations was interviewed by special counsel prosecutors earlier this year. “The weaponization of federal law enforcement represents a mortal threat to a free society,” he tweeted before making his own White House pitch.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, it’s, Simply, Joe Biden –, he’s, Trump’s, “ It’s, That’s, ”, Stormy Daniels, Jim Trusty, Kevin McCarthy, “, Elise Stefanik, parroted, Joe Biden, GOP Sen, Josh Hawley, Jack Smith’s, —, Andrew McCabe, Smith, Mark Meadows, CNN’s Zachary Cohen, thrall, Alvin Bragg’s, Ron DeSantis, Mike Pence –, – Organizations: CNN, Republican, Justice Department, Biden’s Justice Department, Trump, “, ”, ” New York, GOP, — CNN, FBI, Mar, White, New York Times, White House, Obama, Biden’s, Florida Gov, DOJ, Republican Party Locations: America, Miami, Manhattan, United States of America, Missouri, Iran, Washington ,, Florida, —, Georgia

☆ Exclusive: Former White House official told federal prosecutors Trump knew of proper declassification process and followed it while in office
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Zachary Cohen Paula Reid | Zachary Cohen | Paula Reid | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

During those voluntary interviews, the former official told CNN there was a distinct difference in the line of questioning from prosecutors in the two probes. Speaking to CNN on condition of anonymity, the former official said he told federal prosecutors that Trump knew the proper process for declassifying documents and followed it correctly at times while in office. Sources previously told CNN that Trump’s team returned some materials but not the document pertaining to Iran. “Nothing approaching an order that foolish was ever given,” Kelly told CNN. Most recently, Trump told CNN at a town hall that materials were “automatically declassified” when he took them.

Persons: Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Trump, Biden, Trump’s, ‘, John Eisenberg, Eisenberg, “, Don McGahn, John Kelly, McGahn, Jack Smith, Donald Trump's Mar, Kelly, ” Kelly, Mark Meadows, Jack Smith’s, Meadows, Robert O’Brien, O’Brien, National Intelligence Richard Grenell, Robert Hur, Hur, Kathy Chung, empaneled, Mike Pence’s Organizations: Washington CNN, White House, CNN, Trump, Obama, Mar, The Justice Department, National Security Council, White, National Archives, Department of Justice, Trump’s, Trump’s Mar, Prosecutors, National Intelligence, Biden Locations: Delaware, Russia, Iran, Lago

☆ Exclusive: Ukraine has cultivated sabotage agents inside Russia and is giving them drones to stage attacks, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Natasha Bertrand Zachary Cohen Kylie Atwood | Natasha Bertrand | Zachary Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

US officials believe these pro-Ukrainian agents inside Russia carried out a drone attack that targeted the Kremlin in early May by launching drones from within Russia rather than flying them from Ukraine into Moscow. But US officials believe that Ukraine has developed sabotage cells inside Russia made up of a mix of pro-Ukrainian sympathizers and operatives well-trained in this kind of warfare. Asked for comment, a spokesperson for the head of the Ukrainian Security Service suggested to CNN that the mysterious explosions and drone strikes inside Russia would continue. ‘A culmination of months of effort’There has been a steady drumbeat of mysterious fires and explosions inside Russia over the last year, targeting oil and fuel depots, railways, military enlistment offices, warehouses and pipelines. A savvy military strategyPublicly, senior US officials have condemned the strikes inside Russia, warning of the potential for an escalation of the war.

Persons: Russia –, ‘ Cash, they’ve, “, Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, Vasyl Malyuk, Kirill Kudryavtsev, Kyrylo Budanov, Budanov, Zelensky, ” Budanov, Nicolas Vaujour, ” Vaujour, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Washington CNN —, CNN, Kremlin, Ukrainian, Reuters, Ostorozhno Novosti, Ukrainian Security Service, Security Service, Getty, Pentagon, CIA, Washington Post, Yahoo, Joint Staff, UK Ministry of Defense Locations: Washington CNN — Ukraine, Russia, Ukrainian, Ukraine, Moscow, Russian, Ostorozhno, AFP, Russia’s Rostov, Rostov Oblast, Moscow’s, ”, Belgorod, Russia’s

☆ Defense personnel alarmed after memos reveal Air Force leadership warned about accused Pentagon leaker but let him continue working
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Haley Britzky Sean Lyngaas Zachary Cohen Natasha Bertrand | Haley Britzky | Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Teixeira was arrested on April 14 and has been charged under the Espionage Act with unauthorized retention and transmission of national defense information and unauthorized removal of classified information and defense materials. His defense lawyers have argued he didn’t expect classified information that he posted on Discord to be further spread around the internet. According to one current US service member who handles classified intelligence, the memos read as if Teixeira’s leadership was building a case for disciplinary action against him. Jobs under the 1N0 and 1N4 job codes would have given him more hands-on responsibilities with intelligence, the current service member and a former enlisted intelligence airman told CNN. But the current service member said it would not be unusual for senior non-commissioned officers to handle disciplinary matters with a junior enlisted airman like Teixeira.

CNN —The FBI improperly searched an intelligence database for information on suspects in the January 6, 2021, US Capitol riot and people arrested at 2020 protests after the police killing of George Floyd, according to a court opinion that was unsealed and released Friday. The new details about the database misuse are likely to complicate the Biden administration’s efforts to renew a key foreign surveillance program. The FBI searches were not “reasonably likely” to retrieve foreign intelligence information or evidence of a crime, Justice Department officials who reviewed the searches concluded, according to the opinion from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which oversees US spy agencies. Analysts at the FBI and other agencies can then search the data gathered for leads related to foreign intelligence missions. Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon said Friday that congressional action was needed to curb the privacy violations of Americans revealed by the court opinion.

☆ Exclusive: Special Counsel investigating Trump set to receive 16 records showing he knew process to properly declassify documents
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Jamie Gangel Zachary Cohen Evan Perez Paula Reid | Jamie Gangel | Zachary Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Trump and his allies have insisted that as president, Trump did not have to follow a specific process to declassify documents. The 16 records may help federal investigators overcome a significant obstacle to a potential prosecution of the former president. The special counsel was also given access to other records not challenged by the Trump team. Ultimately, the special counsel identified the 16 records in question as relevant to the grand jury investigation. “You have the Presidential Records Act.

☆ Special counsel John Durham concludes FBI never should have launched full Trump-Russia probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Zachary Cohen Devan Cole Tierney Sneed Evan Perez Hannah Rabinowitz Jeremy Herb Marshall Cohen | Zachary Cohen | Devan Cole | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

“Strzok, at a minimum, had pronounced hostile feelings toward Trump,” Durham wrote, while quoting in a footnote previously known texts between Strzok and Lisa Page, then an FBI attorney. Witness testimony exposed the FBI’s overreliance on the dossier as it sought court approval to wiretap a former Trump campaign adviser in 2016. Mixed results over 3+ yearsBarr tapped Durham in 2019 to review the origins of the Russia probe, and the scope of Durham’s work grew over the years. Former special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, which inherited the initial Russia probe, released a detailed accounting of Russia’s effort to interfere in the 2016 election. Mueller found no evidence of a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, but investigators documented numerous contacts between Trump associates and Russians.

☆ Takeaways from special counsel John Durham’s report on FBI’s Russia-Trump probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Zachary Cohen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Special counsel John Durham released his final report on Monday in which he casts doubt about the FBI’s decision to launch a full investigation into connections between Donald Trump’s campaign and Russia during the 2016 election. The report does not ultimately fulfill the expectations set by former President Trump and his allies who have long claimed that it would prove the FBI’s investigation was nothing more than a political witch hunt. That finding was at the core of Durham’s most scathing criticism of the FBI’s decision to launch a full investigation. “Strzok, at a minimum, had pronounced hostile feelings toward Trump,” Durham wrote, while quoting in a footnote previously known texts between Strzok and Lisa Page, then an FBI attorney. Witness testimony exposed the FBI’s overreliance on the dossier as it sought court approval to wiretap a former Trump campaign adviser in 2016.

☆ 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.

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