Federal Government

Trump reportedly is paying legal bills in special counsel probe with campaign and RNC funds

President Donald Trump is reportedly paying his legal bills in the special counsel probe of Russian influence with donations to his re-election campaign and the Republican National Committee.

Sep 19, 2017 4:27 PM CDT

Senate committee cancels testimony by Trump’s personal lawyer Michael Cohen

The Senate Intelligence Committee has canceled an interview scheduled for Tuesday with President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen. The interview was supposed to take place behind closed doors, but Cohen’s prepared statement to the committee was obtained by several publications, including the Washington Post, NBC, USA Today and the…

Sep 19, 2017 11:49 AM CDT

Ex-Trump campaign chairman Manafort reportedly wiretapped as result of FISA court orders

Paul Manafort, a former campaign chairman for President Donald Trump, was wiretapped as a result of secret FISA court orders, according to a report based on anonymous sources.

Sep 19, 2017 8:44 AM CDT

ABA urges SCOTUS to invalidate president’s travel ban

The American Bar Association filed a friend-of-the-court brief Monday asking the U.S. Supreme Court to permanently block President Donald Trump’s executive order on immigration from six majority-Muslim countries.

Sep 18, 2017 5:57 PM CDT

Journalist reportedly sparks uproar after overhearing Trump lawyers discuss conflict in Russia probe

A New York Times reporter overheard a lawyer for President Donald Trump discuss differences among the legal team in the special counsel’s Russia investigation during a lunchtime conversation last week. The reporter overheard Ty Cobb, who is special counsel to Trump in the Russia probe, discuss differences among lawyers in…

Sep 18, 2017 8:35 AM CDT

Federal judge in Chicago blocks Trump administration’s hold on grants to sanctuary cities

A federal judge in Chicago on Friday issued a nationwide injunction blocking the Trump administration from refusing to release public safety grants to sanctuary cities that don’t cooperate in immigration enforcement.

Sep 15, 2017 3:29 PM CDT

Sessions reportedly submitted resignation after Trump berated him

President Donald Trump reportedly told Jeff Sessions he should resign during a diatribe in May in the Oval Office, leading the U.S. attorney general to send a resignation letter to the White House that was ultimately rejected. Sessions told associates that the way Trump berated him over his recusal in…

Sep 14, 2017 4:11 PM CDT

It’s ‘pretty clean and clear’ that Comey broke the law, White House press secretary says

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Wednesday that it’s “pretty clean and clear” that former FBI director James Comey violated federal law by leaking a memo about his conversations with the president.

Sep 14, 2017 9:05 AM CDT

Supreme Court blocks 9th Circuit decision that would have allowed more refugees to enter the country

Updated: The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday blocked part of a federal appeals court decision that would have required the federal government to allow about 24,000 refugees to enter the United States.

Sep 13, 2017 9:07 AM CDT

4 more states sue Trump administration for canceling DACA

Led by California, four more states sued the Trump administration on Monday over its cancellation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, the Associated Press, Los Angeles Times and Politico reported. In their complaint (PDF), the attorneys general of California, Maine, Maryland and Minnesota argue that rescinding the program…

Sep 12, 2017 2:45 PM CDT

Some White House lawyers reportedly wanted Jared Kushner to resign to avoid legal issues

Some White House lawyers wanted Jared Kushner to resign from his role as a senior adviser because of potential legal complications in the probe of Russian influence, according to two published reports based partly on anonymous sources. The White House lawyers reportedly discussed the possibility earlier this summer, before revelations…

Sep 12, 2017 9:20 AM CDT

Chemerinsky brief argues Trump’s pardon of Arpaio is void

Updated: A proposed amicus brief filed Monday argues that President Donald Trump’s pardon of Sheriff Joe Arpaio is void because it violates the Constitution. The brief (PDF) was submitted to a federal judge in Phoenix who is considering whether the pardon, issued before Arpaio had a chance to appeal his contempt conviction, requires her to vacate the conviction, Law.com (sub. req.) reports.

Sep 12, 2017 7:45 AM CDT

Only one of Trump’s US Attorney nominees is a woman

President Donald Trump has so far nominated 42 lawyers to fill the spots vacated by U.S. Attorney resignations, including 46 U.S. attorneys asked to step down by Attorney General Jeff Sessions in March. Only one of the nominees is a woman, BuzzFeed News reports. The female nominee is Jessie Liu,…

Sep 11, 2017 5:12 PM CDT

Justice Department asks Supreme Court to stay part of 9th Circuit ruling on refugee admissions

Updated: The Justice Department on Monday asked the Supreme Court to stay part of a federal appeals court ruling that had required the government to allow additional refugees to enter the United States.

Sep 11, 2017 1:18 PM CDT

White House counsel and former chief of staff reportedly hire Quinn Emanuel lawyer in Russia probe

White House counsel Don McGahn and former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus have reportedly hired a Quinn Emanuel lawyer to advise them in the special counsel’s probe of Russian influence in the election.

Sep 11, 2017 11:20 AM CDT