Federal Government

Blocked Trump Twitter followers claim First Amendment violation

President Donald Trump is violating the First Amendment by blocking Twitter users who criticize and mock him, according to a letter sent to him by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University. Trump’s verified Twitter account is a designated public forum, and the First Amendment bars the government from…

Jun 6, 2017 4:25 PM CDT

Trump is reportedly souring on Sessions, as his Monday morning tweets make clear

President Donald Trump’s Monday morning tweets criticizing the Justice Department for submitting a “watered down,” revised version of his travel ban to the U.S. Supreme Court are evidence of his increasing discontent with Attorney General Jeff Sessions, according to a New York Times report.

Jun 6, 2017 12:20 PM CDT

Trump won’t use executive privilege to block Comey testimony

President Donald Trump won’t assert executive privilege to block fired FBI director James Comey from testifying before a congressional committee on Thursday.

Principal deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders made the announcement during the daily press briefing on Monday, report the Washington Post (sub. req.) and the New York Times.

Jun 5, 2017 1:56 PM CDT

Trump tweets say DOJ shouldn’t have submitted ‘watered down’ version of travel ban to Supreme Court

Updated: In a series of tweets on Monday morning, President Donald Trump criticized the Justice Department for submitting a “watered down” version of his travel ban to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Jun 5, 2017 8:43 AM CDT

Could Trump use executive privilege to block Comey’s testimony?

White House spokesman Sean Spicer and adviser Kellyanne Conway gave noncommittal answers Friday when asked whether President Donald Trump will use executive privilege to block fired FBI director James Comey from testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday.

Jun 2, 2017 3:44 PM CDT

Justice Department asks Supreme Court to reinstate travel ban

The U.S. Justice Department late on Thursday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reinstate President Donald Trump's temporary ban on travel to the United States by people from six Muslim-majority countries.

Jun 2, 2017 9:24 AM CDT

Jones Day lawyers received blanket ethics waiver to work in White House counsel’s office

White House counsel Donald McGahn and other former lawyers from Jones Day who are working with him have received a blanket waiver allowing them to bypass President Donald Trump’s executive order on ethics. The White House on Wednesday released a list of lawyers and lobbyists receiving waivers to work in…

Jun 1, 2017 2:28 PM CDT

Can a sitting president be indicted? The Constitution doesn’t give a definitive answer

The U.S. Supreme Court has never decided whether a president may be criminally prosecuted while in office, and the U.S. Constitution doesn’t give a direct answer. But the prevailing view is that a president can’t be indicted while in office, the New York Times reports. Presidents can be prosecuted, however,…

May 31, 2017 7:07 AM CDT

Trump’s personal lawyer denies congressional investigators’ requests about any Russian contacts

Michael Cohen, the personal lawyer for President Donald Trump, turned down requests by House and Senate investigators to provide testimony and information about any contacts he had with people connected to the Russian government. Cohen told ABC News in an email that he turned down the request because it “was…

May 30, 2017 12:06 PM CDT

Trump orders Justice Department probe of US leaks in Manchester bombing probe

President Donald Trump on Thursday ordered the U.S. Justice Department to investigate leaks about Britain’s terrorism probe of the Manchester concert bombing that killed 22 people and injured many more. Responding to British officials’ concern, Trump said the leaks “pose a grave threat to our national security” and ordered a…

May 25, 2017 11:10 AM CDT

Sessions reportedly did not disclose meetings with Russians on security clearance application

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions met with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak at least twice in 2016, the Department of Justice says, but he did not disclose those meetings when he applied for a security clearance, CNN reported Wednesday.

May 24, 2017 6:14 PM CDT

Which outside lawyers will represent Trump in Russian influence probe? Pick is reportedly made

Updated: President Donald Trump was personally involved in the search for outside lawyers to represent him in the special counsel’s investigation of his campaign and Russian influence in the election, according to the Washington Post.

May 24, 2017 8:31 AM CDT

ABA president criticizes ‘egregious’ cuts to LSC, loan forgiveness in Trump budget proposal

ABA President Linda A. Klein on Tuesday sharply criticized proposed budget cuts by the White House that would do “severe damage to the most vulnerable people in our society.”

“Steep budget cuts proposed today by the White House would severely undermine the fairness of the legal system and deny access to justice for some of society’s most vulnerable individuals,” Klein said in the statement.

May 23, 2017 3:53 PM CDT

White House clashes with government ethics agency over waiver disclosure

The Office of Government Ethics isn’t backing down from a request for all waivers granted to former lobbyists and lawyers that allow them to work at the White House or in federal agencies. The director of the office, Walter Shaub, sought information about the waivers in April, and reaffirmed in…

May 23, 2017 3:12 PM CDT

Sessions interprets Trump order on sanctuary cities narrowly; DOJ asks court to reconsider ruling

Attorney General Jeff Sessions gave a narrow interpretation on Monday to President Donald Trump’s order withholding federal funds to sanctuary cities. Sessions expressed his views in a memo. The same day, the U.S. Department of Justice asked a federal judge to reconsider an injunction that had blocked Trump’s order, report…

May 23, 2017 11:40 AM CDT