Afternoon Briefs: AG Barr will consider Giuliani's Ukraine evidence; Trump praises drug dealer death penalty
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AG Barr will consider Giuliani evidence from Ukraine
U.S. Attorney General William Barr said Monday he will consider information from Ukraine provided by lawyer Rudy Giuliani. Barr cautioned that there “are a lot of agendas” in Ukraine, and information received from the country can’t be taken at face value. Giuliani has said he has a document relating to Hunter Biden, the son of presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden and a former paid board member with a Ukrainian gas company. President Donald Trump had said in his July 25 phone call with the Ukrainian president that Joe Biden “went around bragging that he stopped the prosecution” of his son. Available evidence did not back that claim. (The New York Times, the Washington Post, the Associated Press)
Trump praises countries with death penalty for drug dealers
On Monday, President Donald Trump praised countries that execute drug dealers. Countries with “a very powerful death penalty on drug dealers don’t have a drug problem,” Trump said while speaking to a group of governors. “I don’t know that our country is ready for that. But if you look throughout the world, the countries with a powerful death penalty— death penalty—with a fair but quick trial, they have very little, if any, drug problem. That includes China.” (Vox, the Washington Post)
Justice Department sues ‘sanctuary’ jurisdictions
U.S. Attorney General William Barr announced Monday that the Department of Justice has sued the “sanctuary” jurisdictions of New Jersey and King County, Washington, over policies impairing immigration enforcement. The New Jersey suit targets a directive barring state officials from providing information to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on immigration status and release dates of individuals in their custody. The King County policy prevents the use of its airport for deportations. The department also sued California over a law that bars private detention facilities in the state. (The Washington Post, Politico, Barr’s speech, press releases here, here and here)
Judge refuses to block merger of T-Mobile and Sprint
U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero of Manhattan refused Tuesday to block T-Mobile’s proposed takeover of Sprint. Marrero ruled in a challenge filed by 13 states and Washington, D.C. (The New York Times, the Washington Post, Justice Department press release, Marrero’s decision)
