Federal Government

Judge blocks DOJ domestic violence asylum policy, while ‘remain in Mexico’ asylum policy announced

A Washington, D.C., federal judge on Wednesday struck down a Trump administration asylum policy denying victims of gang violence and domestic abuse a chance at asylum, a day before the federal government announced that it would force Central American asylum-seekers to live in Mexico while waiting for their court dates.

Dec 20, 2018 2:29 PM CST

AG pick William Barr criticized part of Mueller probe in unsolicited memo to Justice Department

Updated: William Barr wrote an unsolicited memo to the Department of Justice earlier this year that said special counsel Robert Mueller was “proposing an unprecedented expansion of obstruction laws” in his apparent investigation of President Donald Trump. Barr, who is Trump’s pick for attorney general, previously was in the position…

Dec 20, 2018 12:55 PM CST

Trump Foundation agrees to dissolve after suit claimed its assets promoted campaign, business

The Donald J. Trump Foundation on Tuesday signed a stipulation agreeing to dissolve and disburse its assets to charities approved by the New York attorney general’s office. A judge will supervise the dissolution, according to the stipulation and a press release by New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood. Underwood’s office…

Dec 18, 2018 2:00 PM CST

Russian student pleads guilty to plot to influence US politics; reason for advisory counsel revealed

A Russian grad student who attended American University in Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty on Thursday to conspiring to act as a foreign agent in a plea deal that required continued cooperation with federal prosecutors. Maria Butina, 30, admitted conspiring with a Russian government official “to establish unofficial lines of communication…

Dec 13, 2018 1:39 PM CST

Tabloid publisher admits making $150K catch-and-kill payment in concert with Trump campaign

The parent company of the National Enquirer has admitted it made a $150,000 payment to a woman in concert with the Trump campaign to buy her silence about damaging allegations and influence the election. Prosecutors revealed the admission by American Media Inc. in a Department of Justice press release on…

Dec 12, 2018 5:01 PM CST

Pence breaks tie to confirm 8th Circuit nominee with ‘not qualified’ rating from ABA committee

Vice President Mike Pence cast a tiebreaker vote in the Senate on Tuesday to confirm a federal appeals court nominee who received a "not qualified" rating from the ABA Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary.

Dec 12, 2018 1:10 PM CST

Michael Cohen says he’s free from ‘personal and mental incarceration’ before getting 3-year sentence

President Donald Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, told a Manhattan federal judge on Wednesday that he has been “living in a personal and mental incarceration” since the day he began working for Trump. Cohen, 52, said his weakness was “a blind loyalty to Donald Trump,” but he had moved forward.…

Dec 12, 2018 1:00 PM CST

Stormy Daniels ordered to pay nearly $300K in attorney fees to Trump under anti-SLAPP law

Adult film actress Stormy Daniels was ordered on Tuesday to pay $292,000 in attorney fees and costs, along with a $1,000 sanction, for filing a tossed defamation suit against President Donald Trump. U.S. District Judge James Otero ordered payment under the Texas Citizens Participation Act, an anti-SLAPP law in Daniels’…

Dec 12, 2018 9:22 AM CST

9th Circuit: New asylum restrictions likely violate federal law; Bybee wrote opinion

A federal appeals court on Friday refused the Trump administration’s request for a stay of a judge’s decision that blocked new asylum restrictions from taking effect. The 2-1 opinion by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at San Francisco said the administration’s decision to restrict asylum claims to those…

Dec 10, 2018 10:07 AM CST

Special counsel says Michael Cohen has gone to ‘significant lengths’ to aid investigation

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan on Friday filed a sentencing memo recommending a “substantial prison term” for Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s former lawyer, even as the special prosecutor’s office filed a separate memo that said Cohen has gone to “significant lengths” to aid its investigation. Cohen is set to be…

Dec 7, 2018 5:36 PM CST

Who is William Barr, Trump’s pick to replace Sessions as AG?

Barr, who served as attorney general for two years under President George H.W. Bush, has had an illustrious career. But what can his past work and statements tell us about how he’d approach the job if confirmed?

Dec 7, 2018 9:10 AM CST

Michael Flynn should get little or no prison time, special counsel’s office says

President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, has cooperated with prosecutors and should get little or no prison time, according to a court filing by the office of special counsel Robert Mueller.

Dec 5, 2018 9:09 AM CST

Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen pleads guilty to lying to Congress

President Donald Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen made a surprise appearance in a federal courtroom in New York on Thursday and pleaded guilty to lying to Congress. During the hearing, Cohen admitted making false statements about plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow in testimony last year to the…

Nov 29, 2018 9:41 AM CST

Trump’s lawyers were briefed on Manafort’s discussions with feds; are the conversations privileged?

A lawyer for Paul Manafort continued to brief President Donald Trump’s lawyers about his discussions with federal investigators even after Manafort agreed to cooperate. Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani acknowledged and defended the continuing arrangement in an interview with the New York Times. According to the Times, “The arrangement was highly…

Nov 28, 2018 4:12 PM CST

ABA president calls for improvements to immigration system, conditions of detention

After a weekend of violence and controversy at the Southern border, ABA President Bob Carlson issued a statement and a letter calling for improvements to the U.S. immigration system. Carlson’s statement, dated Tuesday, makes express reference to escalating tensions at the border before calling for “a comprehensive, peaceful resolution to…

Nov 27, 2018 4:26 PM CST