Federal Government

Judge warns Manafort about gag order violations, but doesn’t punish him for work on Ukrainian op-ed

A federal judge warned Paul Manafort on Monday that her gag order in the money laundering case not only applies to President Donald Trump’s ex-campaign chair but to his lawyers as well. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson declined to punish Manafort for his work on an op-ed published by…

Dec 12, 2017 10:40 AM CST

Former acting AG Yates was reportedly interviewed by Mueller team this summer

Special counsel Robert Mueller’s legal team reportedly interviewed former acting Attorney General Sally Yates in July, suggesting lawyers want information on what Donald Trump knew about the FBI investigation of Michael Flynn before the president allegedly asked former FBI director James Comey whether he could let Flynn go.

Dec 12, 2017 8:48 AM CST

House committee lawyers are split on Trump Jr.‘s privilege claim; what do experts say?

Lawyers for the House Intelligence Committee are split on whether Donald Trump Jr. used a valid assertion of attorney-client privilege when he declined to testify this week about a telephone conversation with his father regarding his 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer. U.S. Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Texas, who is leading…

Dec 8, 2017 11:23 AM CST

Email from prosecutor on Mueller’s team praised acting AG Yates for refusing to defend travel ban

The conservative group Judicial Watch has released a January email written by a now-senior adviser to special prosecutor Robert Mueller that praised the acting attorney general after she refused to defend President Donald Trump’s travel ban.

Dec 6, 2017 8:53 AM CST

Mueller reportedly subpoenaed Deutsche Bank for information on its business dealings with Trump

Updated: Special counsel Robert Mueller reportedly subpoenaed Deutsche Bank for information on accounts related to its business with President Donald Trump and his family. The subpoena was issued several weeks ago, report Reuters, Bloomberg (reg. req.) and the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) in stories relying on an unnamed source.…

Dec 5, 2017 10:46 AM CST

Manafort ghostwrote op-ed with colleague who had ties to Russian intelligence, special counsel says

Prosecutors with the special counsel’s office say Paul Manafort violated a gag order by ghostwriting a never-published op-ed with an associate believed to have ties to Russian intelligence. The prosecutors opposed a bail package for Manafort, arguing the newly discovered information casts doubt on his ability to comply with court…

Dec 5, 2017 10:03 AM CST

Does Article II protect Trump from obstruction of justice charges?

Article II of the Constitution is getting some attention as a lawyer for Donald Trump and a Harvard law professor argue that the article makes it impossible for the president to be charged with obstruction of justice.

Dec 4, 2017 1:27 PM CST

House members draft contempt measure after reports about FBI agent’s ouster from meddling probe

House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes and other committee Republicans are drafting a contempt of Congress resolution following reports that an FBI agent was removed from the Russian influence probe this summer because of anti-Trump texts. The New York Times, the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.)…

Dec 4, 2017 11:58 AM CST

Law profs ask if Flynn and a Trump transition team member violated the Logan Act

Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn’s admission about his discussions with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak “leave little doubt” that he violated the federal law known as the Logan Act, according to an op-ed by two law professors. Daniel Hemel and Eric Posner of the University of Chicago make the case…

Dec 4, 2017 9:49 AM CST

Trump lawyer says he drafted president’s Flynn tweet, and it did not admit obstruction

John Dowd, a lawyer for Donald Trump, says he drafted the president’s tweet on Saturday saying that Trump had to fire former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn “because he lied to the vice president and the FBI.”

Dec 4, 2017 8:53 AM CST

US asks Supreme Court to block order requiring production of documents on DACA wind-down

The U.S. Justice Department on Friday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block a federal judge’s order to turn over additional documents regarding the government’s wind-down of a program protecting immigrants brought to the country illegally as children.

Dec 4, 2017 8:00 AM CST

Grassley delays vote on controversial 8th Circuit nominee to allow review of new information

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley has delayed a vote on a federal appeals court nominee who received a “not qualified” rating from the ABA Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary to allow time for review of additional information. Grassley said (PDF) follow-up materials provided this week by the nominee,…

Dec 1, 2017 1:10 PM CST

Flynn pleads guilty to lying to the FBI in Mueller’s Russia probe, says he is cooperating

Updated: Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn has pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI and has released a statement saying he is cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller.

"My guilty plea and agreement to cooperate with the Special Counsel's Office reflect a decision I made in the best interests of my family and of our country. I accept full responsibility for my actions," Flynn said in the statement.

Dec 1, 2017 8:31 AM CST

Top Florida court rejects governor’s bid to toss justice from appointments case over ‘crazy’ remark

The Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday turned down a request by the state’s governor to disqualify one of its justices in a judicial appointments case partly because of a remark caught on a live microphone. The court denied the request by Gov. Rick Scott in a one-sentence order (PDF), report…

Nov 30, 2017 2:50 PM CST

Judge refuses to block Trump’s pick in leadership dispute at federal consumer agency

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has refused to block President Donald Trump’s appointment of an acting director to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly refused on Tuesday to issue a temporary restraining order sought by the CFPB’s deputy director, Leandra English, who claimed the…

Nov 28, 2017 4:29 PM CST