Tag: GOP in Trump’s pocket

Senate confirms Miller to be pandemic inspector general

Miller comes from White House counsel’s office

Corrected, 8:46 p.m. | The Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s controversial pick to oversee a $500 billion coronavirus economic bailout fund on Tuesday.

The chamber voted 51-40 to make Brian Miller the special inspector general for pandemic recovery.

Along with a budget of $25 million and a staff of more than 100, Miller will oversee how the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve deploy $454 billion to create upwards of $4 trillion in lending facilities aimed at keeping financial markets operational and offering larger businesses enough bridge lending to make it through the sharp recession caused by COVID-19.

The inspector general will also track another $46 billion provided to the airline industry and companies considered “critical to maintaining national security.” Continue reading.

As Trump attacks voting by mail, GOP builds 2020 strategy around limiting its expansion

Washington Post logoPresident Trump’s persistent attacks on mail-in voting have fueled an unprecedented effort by conservatives to limit expansion of the practice before the November election, with tens of millions of dollars planned for lawsuits and advertising aimed at restricting who receives ballots and who remains on the voter rolls.

The strategy, embraced by Trump’s reelection campaign, the Republican National Committee and an array of independent conservative groups, reflects the recognition by both parties that voting rules could decide the outcome of the 2020 White House race amid the electoral challenges posed by the coronaviruspandemic.

Helping drive the effort is William Consovoy, a veteran Supreme Court litigator who also serves as one of Trump’s personal lawyers. Consovoy’s Virginia-based law firm is handling a battery of legal actions on behalf of the RNC, several state GOPs and an independent group called the Honest Election­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­s Project, which is connected to a Trump adviser. Continue reading.